Another World Fluffy Cafe

Chapter 26: Catastrophic Fluffiness?

As usual, Taichi was running the Fluffy Cafe at a leisurely pace when Himemi walked in, looking exhausted.

“Ugh, hi there…”

“Welcome! You look really tired.”

“That’s right! I’ll have hot chocolate and tea, please…”

Himemi slumped into a low sofa. Normally, she would immediately play with Berry Rabbit, but today she seemed too drained.

Taichi, a bit concerned, headed to the kitchen to prepare the tea and chocolate.

(She’s always been so kind to me; maybe I should add some cookies as a treat.)

When he returned with the prepared items, Himemi had already fallen asleep on the sofa.

“Wow, she must have been really tired to fall asleep so quickly…”

Taichi chuckled, understanding her desire to sleep in the cozy Fluffy Cafe. He noticed Marshmallow sitting on Himemi’s lap with a worried expression, and Karin had somehow snuggled up next to her.

He placed the drinks and snacks on the nearby table and covered them to keep the Berry Rabbits from eating them.

“A blanket would be nice,” he muttered, using his skill Creation (Physical) to conjure a fluffy, cozy blanket that was perfect for snuggling.

“Fortunately, there aren’t any other customers right now, so you can sleep as long as you need,” he whispered, settling down to relax himself.

A couple of hours later, Himemi woke up.

“Ah! Wait, oh…”

She found herself unable to move because Marshmallow was asleep on her lap. Although she was incredibly happy and content, her body was insisting that she stretch out.

Seeing Himemi’s flustered state, Taichi chuckled.

“That’s a happy wake-up call.”

“Taichi! Yes, that’s true, but…”

Taichi gently picked up Marshmallow, who let out a sleepy “Meow?” and settled quietly in his arms.

“Thank you. Mmm!”

Stretching and standing up, Himemi looked out the window to see the sun setting, casting an orange glow.

“Oh no, did I really sleep that long?!”

“About two hours.”

“I only meant to take a short break…!!”

She reacted as if she had intended only a nap but ended up sleeping until morning.

Himemi took the tea and cookies from the table, saying, “Thank you,” and picking them up.

“Oh, I’ll prepare a warm one for you.”

“No need, it’s fine! Actually, it’s easier to drink it cold! Wait, did I also order cookies?”

“I’ve just been trying to return the favor since you always help me out and looked tired.”

Taichi’s friendly words made Himemi smile broadly.

“Thank you! …Oh, I have to head back now! I’ll come again!!”

“Uh, okay. Thanks for coming!”

As Himemi hurriedly left, Taichi wondered if she was dealing with a particularly tough job.

(She’s a magician, so maybe it’s something related to hunting?)

Just then, the regular trio of adventurers arrived.

Grees, a bit out of breath, looked at Taichi.

“Still open?”

“Hello. We’ll be closing in about 30 minutes.”

“Great! I can still hang out with the Berry Rabbits for a bit!”

Grees, looking relieved, came in and said, “The usual!” followed by Nina and Arle, who also requested “The usual.”

Two teas and one hot chocolate.

Taichi prepared the drinks and, curious about Himemi’s condition, asked the adventurers.

“Is there something going on with the adventurers? A magician friend of mine looked really tired.”

Grees and Nina exchanged knowing glances.

Grees spoke first.

“Actually, there’s an abandoned ruin a bit further from here, and it seems a three-meter-tall Cerberus has appeared there.”

“Oh, really?”

(Since there’s a Fenrir Luke, I guess a Cerberus would be expected too.)

As Taichi wondered if Cerberus was also fluffy, Nina interrupted with a sharp tone.

“No, you should be more surprised! Cerberus is a disaster-class monster! More people have never seen one in their lives!”

“Oh, it’s really rare…”

“A disaster-class monster!? That’s serious!”

Taichi was alarmed, realizing that such a creature being nearby was concerning.

“Are there no risks of it coming to the city? Are we safe?”

As the Fluffy Cafe was located on the outskirts, it would be the first target if monsters came.

“I’m glad you’re starting to understand the danger of Cerberus. For now, it hasn’t moved from the ruins, so we’re safe. …Oh! Please keep this information confidential; it’s not public.”

“Don’t casually mention such top-secret info…”

If there were rumors about a Cerberus in the city, people would be fleeing in panic.

Currently, there’s information control, and the Adventurers’ Guild is monitoring the Cerberus around the clock.

“That sounds tough…”

“We only delivered supplies and didn’t actually see it, but the pressure was intense. It’s not something we can defeat easily.”

“That serious…”

Taichi was taken aback by Grees’ words.

“However, we can’t just leave it like this. We’re gathering high-ranking adventurers now. A subjugation team should be formed within a few days at most.”

“That’s somewhat reassuring.”

Living under the threat of monsters is nerve-wracking. Taichi felt relieved by Grees’ words and realized it was time to close the Fluffy Cafe.

That night.

“Taichi, let’s go for a workout!”

“Now!? Really?”

It was indeed nighttime if Luke wanted to exercise to avoid drawing attention.

“But didn’t you say there’s a Cerberus in the nearby ruins? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Are you underestimating me? There’s no way I’d lose to a Cerberus!!”

“Wait, but didn’t they say Cerberus is a disaster-class monster?”

“Then let me prove it to you!!”

And so, for some reason, Taichi ended up going to check out the Cerberus.