Ryu and Sylfie managed to hitch a ride from an old guardsman returning to town. His eyes glowed for a second, likely casting [Insight] to see if they posed a threat. He raised an eyebrow, a crooked grin forming at the corner of his mouth as he finished sizing them up.

“Looks like you folks had quite the night,” he chuckled, after letting them in his caravan.

“Tell me about it,” Ryu groaned.

“Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” the old man continued. "Demons! And you took the pants right offa them, ha! Wait till the lads at the pub hear this one. You young people do the strangest things.”

Ryu buried his face in his hands, causing Sylfie to snicker. She covered her mouth, trying her best to spare his feelings. Unfortunately, Ryu was painfully aware that she was laughing; he could feel her silently shake as they sat shoulder to shoulder, sharing space with the guardsman’s luggage.

When they finally arrived back at Cacao Town, Ryu’s heart sank. The night was still young, and the streets were bustling with activity. Taverns, food vendors, and tea shops were open for business, drawing in groups of patrons. Of course, the largest hub of traffic was Hazel’s café, teeming with adventurers, travelers, merchants, and all sorts of odd individuals entering town at this hour.

Ryu attempted to hide under Sylfie’s cloak as they pushed their way past the crowd, trying to reach the apothecary.

“Get out of there! People are going to stare!” she said, pulling her cloak away.

“What is that guy doing with a pair of panties? What a weirdo!” a young woman standing near them exclaimed. She was surrounded by a group of her peers. They whispered amongst themselves, laughing and pointing at Ryu.

“W-wait! There’s been a misunderstanding! These aren’t mine! They're someone else's!” he tried explaining.

The women shuffled back, giving Ryu a wide berth of space. “Eek! Creep! Get away from us!”

“In what reality did you think that would make things better? Why did you even bring them here in the first place?” Sylfie scolded him.

“It’s not about the panties!” he said, shaking his fist while still clutching the pair tightly. “It’s a matter of principle! I defeated a demon! Shouldn’t I take pride in my hard-earned spoils of battle?”

Sylfie rolled her eyes. “The only thing spoiled is your brain.”

Ryu stuffed the undergarments in his pocket, turning red. What was he doing? He tried to calm down and maintain a level head. Truth be told, this was the closest he had ever gotten to—he stared down at Aurora watching him curiously.

“Closest to what, Ryu?”

“So you were reading my mind, again!”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do, nya? I’m bored, and there’s all sorts of strange things that go on in your head,” she replied innocently.

Ryu sighed; he didn’t have the energy to muster a rebuttal.

They reached the apothecary just as the owner was about to close.

“Wait a moment!” Sylfie called out.

The owner stopped the shutter door halfway, scoffing. “Make it quick.”

Ryu rummaged through his pack, presenting the [Hoof of the Hibiscus Stag] to the middle-aged witch. She squinted her eyes, adjusting her glasses as she scrutinized the item. The owner grunted her approval, disappearing back into her shop for a moment. She reemerged, holding a bag of Cacao Nibs, and handed it to Ryu.

“Sixty-thousand. Count them, so I can go home,” the witch said.

Ryu scanned the bag with [Insight], verifying that he had received the correct amount. The witch gave them a quick nod and then she was off. Sylfie scratched her head, puzzled.

“Did she seem…familiar to you?”

“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Ryu replied. He shrugged. “Must be a coincidence.”

They returned to Hazel’s café. Ryu’s palms were cold and clammy, dreading the moment he would see Hazel again. He didn’t want to seem like a deviant in front of Sylfie’s grandmother.

“But you are a deviant, Ryu!” Aurora chimed.

“Would you stop that?!” Ryu whispered harshly.

The doors to the café opened, and the pit in his stomach sank even further. The air was solemn and icy. The guild members wore serious expressions, turning their heads as the solid oak creaked on its hinges. Ryu gulped as Jörm walked up to him. The adventurer’s face darkened. He towered over Ryu, staring at him without speaking a word.

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“S-so,” —Ryu croaked, struggling to speak— “you heard?”

Jörm nodded. “We heard.” He moved quickly, scooping up Ryu onto his shoulder all of a sudden. “Our champion!!” Jörm exclaimed.

The guild erupted in a cacophony of cheers, with mugs raised high.

Sylfie slapped her forehead. “Of course.”

“Show us! Surely you kept your prize!” Jörm said.

“Show us!” the rest chanted.

Ryu honored their request, brandishing Morgana’s panties.

The men in the guild lost their minds, whistling and cheering some more as Ryu held them high above his head like they were the Holy Grail.

“By the gods! Like the radiant sun, I cannot stare at its presence for too long, lest I be blinded by its glorious light!” one adventurer proclaimed.

“Truly, Sir Nutcracker is a man among men!” another shouted.

“Look! Sir Nutcracker is Sir Nutcracker no more! He has transcended his first title already!” Jörm pointed out. “Praise the vanquisher of demons, the hero of men, Sir Panty Snatcher!”

“Sir Panty Snatcher!” the guild members echoed.

The ladies of the guild were not amused. They crossed their arms in distaste, quite familiar with the men’s antics. Sylfie pulled Ryu away by the ear, annoyed at the reception.

“C’mon, we have work to do.”

“But we just got back! What work do we have?”

“We have to work in the morning. Making coffee jelly will increase your level to [Level 4] and since you already participated in a Brew Battle, you’ll reach [Level 5] as well,” Sylfie explained. “Grandmother is counting on you to increase your levels so you can help out with more drinks in the café.”

The rush of the moment faded from Ryu's mind. He nodded, setting aside his pack and unloading the agar onto the counter. He had responsibilities and people he didn’t want to let down.

“So, how do we make the jelly?” Sylfie asked.

“It’s pretty simple, and it shouldn’t take long to make. The most time-consuming step is to keep it in the fridge to cool and set. Here, help me with this.”

Ryu directed Sylfie in making a pot of coffee. He watched as she followed the steps to brew a pour-over, offering guidance and pointing out small errors along the way. Although it took a few tries, Sylfie finally handed a steaming pot to Ryu, having concocted her first perfect brew of pour-over coffee.

“Just like you told me! I did it!” she said, giddily. Her ears fluttered from the excitement.

Cute. Ryu shook his head, clearing his throat. “Ahem! Well, the next step is to add a sweetener—”

Sylfie wasn’t paying attention, checking her statistics. “[Level 1]!” she squealed, positively beaming.

Ah, forget it. Ryu smiled, continuing the steps. He poured the coffee into a steel pot and placed it on the stove, adding sugar as he maintained the heat. Slowly, he stirred the mixture while he incorporated agar and some water, making sure that Sylfie had memorized the process before placing the batch in the refrigerator.

“We need to let that cool for a couple of hours, so it should be ready in the morn—” he paused as Hazel arrived from the upper floor.

“Oh! You three! You’re back!” she said, greeting them warmly. Ryu started to sweat again, keeping a straight face. He prayed that Hazel didn’t scan him.

“Grandmother, we’ve got some important information to share,” Sylfie stated.

“Really?” Hazel looked intrigued. “What about?”

Sylfie proceeded to explain their encounter in the Slime Forest and the similarity of events in Kodama Forest. Mercifully, she left out the part of Morgana’s defeat, stating that they had escaped by the skin of their teeth instead.

Hazel furrowed her brow, disturbed by what she heard. “I’ll send word to the Guild Association in the capital. I’ll see if I can corroborate any information with them and piece together what’s going on in the Wildlands. I’ve received similar reports from some of the other adventurers, but none as problematic as yours.”

She glanced at Ryu, cracking a sly smile. “You know, I thought it would be Sylfie’s that you would snatch first.” She had scanned him anyway.

“Grandmother!” Sylfie exclaimed.

Ryu reddened like a tomato. How could I forget? She’s even worse than me!

Ryu couldn’t help but feel sorry for Sylfie.

“I see you gained some levels,” Hazel remarked, ignoring their embarrassment.

Ryu checked his Coffee Brewer statistics, narrowing his eyes.

[Coffee Brewer card for beginners. This card certifies that the carrier in question is a novice in coffee brewery]

[Current level: 5]

[Skill Acquired: Purify]

[Level 5 Bonus: Nitrogen]

Do I just get a canister of gas?

He didn’t bother pulling up his Adventurer statistics. He knew what they would say this time.

[Adventurer card for beginners. This card signifies that the carrier in question is a novice in foraging and subjugation of local flora and fauna in the Wildlands]

[Current level: 5]

[Skill Acquired: Thief]

He had checked his inventory during the ride back, viewing the level bonus he had received.

[Level Bonus: Sapphire Greaves]

I should see about talking to one of the water mages. He peered around the guild, grimacing. There was only one water mage, and they just so happened to be a woman. She glanced at the counter, catching him staring. The mage sneered in disgust and walked off. That’s going to be a problem.

He felt Aurora start to slide down his shirt, quickly holding her up. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly.

“Looks like she’s all tuckered out,” Hazel chuckled.

“Yeah, she used up a ton of energy today. She really saved our butts back there,” Ryu said.

“You two should get some rest as well. Sylfie—”

“Yes, Grandmother?”

“You’ll be on pour-over duty tomorrow.”

Sylfie groaned; she was in for a brutal first day.

“And Ryu—”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Tomorrow, we make espresso.”