Cool and soft. The world around Ryu felt calm. It was pitch-black, yet he felt safe in its embrace. It was as if he were sinking into a pillow—a cold, wet…pillow? Ryu gasped for air as Sylfie pulled him out of the mud. Her boots were dirty from wading in the bog to fetch him. She panted slightly as she dragged him onto the road.

“How did you end up all the way out here?” Sylfie wiped the sweat from her brow.

Ryu scowled. He had a pretty good idea of how. Agrius had teleported them just outside of the walls of the Kaffa Kingdom. Surely, he had enough of an idea of where he would be dropping them and decided to drop his ‘rival’ in the mud to innocuously sink to his death.

Ryu shuddered, thinking about how easily he had accepted the bog’s cold embrace. I need to be more careful. He patted his chest, suddenly remembering something very important. Aurora! He scrambled to his feet, looking around the area.

“Sylfie! We forgot Aurora! She’s still in the bog! She’s going to drown! Oh, she was so small and fragile!”

“I’m right here, nya! Stop yelling!”

Ryu turned around to see the small cat sitting on Sylfie’s shoulder, staring at him inquisitively. “How—”

“I just teleported to Sylfie before you fell in the mud. That’s how she knew where to find you. Also, did you forget? I’m immortal. You made the same mistake last time.”

“Oh, well that’s fine then. You teleported…” Ryu paused for a moment, his face darkening. Aurora seemed to realize why he had suddenly gone mute.

“A-about the teleporting thing,” she mumbled, rubbing her paws together nervously.

“Pray tell, little cat, what exactly was going through your mind when we were running from the Cerberus, or being attacked by the Hibiscus Stag? Maybe the thought should have crossed your mind once a pack of hungry Night Crawlers had us surrounded!”

“Ehehe, sorry, I forgor,” Aurora poked her head with a paw.

“I see,” Ryu stated calmly. He swiped Aurora from Sylfie’s shoulder, cocking his arm back. “Back in the bog, you go!”

“Wah! Wait! Ryu! Sylfie, say something, nya!” Aurora exclaimed, squirming about in Ryu’s hand.

When she looked at the Dark Elf, however, she was met with a frightening sight. Sylfie glared at her murderously, a vein bulging from her forehead.

“You mean to tell me, I called that idiot for nothing? Do you know how long he’s been pestering me? Into the bog with her, Ryu!”

“Roger,” Ryu nodded.

“Ahh! You monsters! Think about it! If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even met each other, nya! No adventuring teacher and no coffee brewing teacher for either of you!”

“Hmm, that is true,” Sylfie rubbed her chin in thought.

“Y-yeah, see? It was all according to plan,” Aurora said shakily.

“Really? Well, that makes a huge difference!” Ryu said to her.

“It does?”

“Nah, not really.”

Ryu flung the cat far into the bog, ignoring her as she cursed at them. Aurora appeared on Ryu’s shoulder just moments later, sputtering and covered in mud.

“Y-you two are devils, nya.”

“Hey, you’re the one that keeps forgetting really useful spells. It could have saved us a lot of trouble,” Ryu reprimanded her.

“I have a good reason for it, nya!” Aurora protested.

“Truly? Let’s hear it then. If it is a legitimate reason, we’ll apologize sincerely for doubting you,” Sylfie said with a look of concern.

“Like I said, I forgor.”

“Nevermind, Ryu, she hasn’t learned her lesson. Throw her back in.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Got it.”

“Gahh! I mean it, nya! I have a hard time remembering things! My memory has been really foggy lately. Ryu, I don’t know why I was at the river that night you saved me, but the only thing I do remember was this place, Cerulia. That’s partly the reason I brought you here with me.”

“Not because of your gratitude towards me?” Ryu asked, setting Aurora back on his shoulder.

Aurora shook her head. “I am grateful, nya. I peeked inside your mind as you were dying. Imagine my surprise when the person who saved my life happened to be gifted at making the very thing this world coveted so highly.”

Ryu furrowed his brow. So she had brought him here to help her recover her memories? If that was the case, couldn’t she have returned to this world by herself?

Aurora seemed to be reading his mind again, shaking her head. “I told you, my memories, along with my knowledge of spells, are fragmented. I only knew how to send you to this world.”

“So you sent me here and hitched a ride?”

Aurora’s ears drooped. “Yeah, I’m sorry for lying, Ryu.”

Ryu’s expression softened. He scratched Aurora behind the ears. “Don’t worry, I’m not mad. I was given a second chance at life in a place where I can truly thrive. I’ve got you to thank for that. I’ll help you regain your memories, okay?” he reassured her.

Aurora nodded, nuzzling against his neck.

“I’m sorry, what did I just hear? You died? And she brought you here?” Sylfie interrupted, staring at them incredulously.

It was Ryu’s turn to shrug. “Pretty much. The talking cat didn’t surprise you, but my resurrection did?” he chuckled.

“Well, that’s not the strangest thing I’ve heard, I guess. Necromancers exist after all, but the undead are usually…more dead.”

“I’m not undead. I’m fully human. I just happen to have died once before.”

“I see. I guess there’s more to necromancy than I had previously thought possible. So before, when you said you weren’t from this land, you really meant you weren’t from this world.”

Ryu nodded. Sylfie’s eyes widened, a glint of curiosity sparkling in them. “That explains so much! Does that mean coffee in your world—”

“Is very common, yes,” Ryu smiled. It was like watching a child make an astonishing new discovery.

“You need to tell me more!” Sylfie urged him.

Ryu scratched his head. “Maybe later. I’m beat. We’ve been out for so long. Look, the sun’s already peeking out over the horizon. I think we should find some room and board first, possibly some meals we can purchase for cheap. I’d also like to stop by a few shops and see if I can’t sell the monster parts I got for some cash.”

Ryu was telling the truth; he was tired. However, the reason he didn’t want to talk about his world was simply because he didn’t want to think about it. The rules, the expectations, the stifling atmosphere, his family—he shook his head—he didn’t want to think about them either.

“Right, the hoof. There’s an apothecary in this town, but if you’re looking for a high-end restaurant to buy your product, you’ll have to travel further into the kingdom to one of its cities. As for room and board, we can just stay at my grandmother’s café,” Sylfie suggested.

Ryu took her up on the offer and they began their trek down the stone road to the kingdom. They passed by horse-drawn carts filled to the brim with fresh produce and some merchant carriages as well, holding all sorts of oddities and novel items. They didn’t venture near the goods on account of the guards; hired mercenaries and adventurers alike stood watch, protecting the valuable products.

When they reached the walls of the kingdom, two armed guards crossed spears to halt their entry. Sylfie produced a few documents from her satchel and filled out a separate form, handed to her by one of the guards to let Ryu and Aurora pass through with her. Once this was complete, the guards let them through the gates. They were finally within the walls of the Kaffa Kingdom.

Towns, villages, and other settlements dotted the inside of the kingdom's outer wall, likely placed there due to their ease of access to adventurers. Where there were adventurers, there was money. These outer settlements served as hubs of commerce and trade, with routes connecting at forks between each area.

They entered the quaint town of Cacao. Homely as it may have appeared from the outside, it had a surprisingly lively atmosphere to it. Shops lined the streets, selling everything from regular clothing to adventurers’ supplies. Specialty stores sold one type of item, again mainly for adventuring, but Ryu spotted a few aimed towards Coffee Brewers. He assumed the scarcity was in part due to the smaller demographic of people able to make the drink, though he had no doubt the people lining up to taste the concoction would vastly outnumber that.

Sylfie led him down the bustling streets, pointing out different buildings and points of interest. Ryu couldn’t help but admire the architecture, reminiscent of something one would see in a European-inspired fantasy town ripped right out of World of Glory.

“You’re going to love the café,” Sylfie said giddily. “Maybe you and Grandmother can exchange stories or come up with new recipes together. Oh, look! A crowd’s already formed. Everyone’s always so eager to get a fresh cup from her first thing in the morning.”

As they neared the café Ryu had a sudden feeling of unease. Something was off about the crowd. They didn’t seem eager to drink anything. He narrowed his eyes, a bright orange color standing out to him. The citizens were clamoring about something; some were even throwing buckets of liquid at the café. Sylfie suddenly bolted forward without a second glance at Ryu.

“Hey! Sylfie where are you—” Ryu stopped mid-sentence as a plume of smoke rose from the building. The café was on fire.