For a brief moment, she allowed herself to relax, leaning slightly back into the chair.
She studied the counter, the small menu, and the rows of cups, trying to decipher the ritual of ordering.
Then she turned the menu upside down. What is this? Is this some kind of strange incantation sheet?
Or a new language?
If I cast a reading spell, they'll all stare… no, better not, she thought.
Frieren kept staring at the waiter, waiting for him to turn her way,
but he was busy with the other people.
A quiet exhale slipped from her lips, too soft for anyone but herself to notice.
Her fingers drummed lightly against the menu, a small restless rhythm she rarely displayed.
She glanced again toward the counter, trying to understand the human ritual of ordering. Then the barista noticed her again.
If Fern were here… she'd handle this immediately, she thought.
Another quiet sigh slipped from her, unbidden.
"Fern, huh…" Frieren frowned as the memory of her student surfaced.
The barista's gaze lingered, curious but kind, softening when he caught the brief sadness on her face.
She lifted the menu again, pretending to read it even though the symbols made little sense to her.
Maybe… I should simply say one of the names written here, she considered.
Or perhaps it would be easier to imitate whoever orders next, she reasoned, lowering her gaze to avoid drawing attention.
She closed her eyes for a moment, the chatter of people dimming around her.
"For a simple drink… this feels unnecessarily complicated," she muttered under her breath.
"I think I should go and imitate whoeve—"
A hand pressed gently on her shoulder.
"What can I get for you, little one?"
The barista's voice was warm and gentle.
Little one, huh… she thought.
She kept staring at the old barista, who smiled at her.
Her fingers curled slightly around the menu's edge, betraying a hint of unease.
"C-coffee… please…" she whispered.
"You got it!" he said, walking back behind the counter with a light laugh.
Frieren watched him go.
Her shoulders loosened slightly, though the café's sounds still felt overwhelming.
Humans… they adapt so easily, she thought, a faint puff of breath escaping her.
Ah… I couldn't speak properly. Isolating really has its drawbacks, she thought.
Frieren kept scanning the area until she noticed a woman cradling a cat on her lap.
Yes… like the cat just ate my tongue, she thought.
"There you go, little one!" The barista came forward with a huge cup.
He patted Frieren's head. "I don't know what you're going through, little one, but I hope your school theater performance goes well! Love the outfit!" He laughed, holding his belly.
"School? Why mention school here?" she blinked, puzzled.
Frieren resisted the twitch of her ears while catching the faint scent of the drink; the warmth of the cup was strangely comforting.
She took the cup carefully, marveling at its size and the steam rising from it.
For a brief moment, she forgot the weight of centuries and simply observed.
"It's a latte! It's on me! Enjoy!" The barista returned to his counter.
"…At least he didn't question anything," she murmured to herself.
"…Such simple things… yet they feel strangely complicated," she murmured, fingers brushing the cup.
A soft smile threatened to form on her lips.
Once she sipped the latte, she felt the foam caress her lips.
"Did he trick me with soap?" she thought, pausing , but something urged her to drink it anyway.
Her eyes widened in surprise as the warm liquid slid across her tongue.
"It's… milky, creamy, and subtly sweet, yet still tastes like coffee," she whispered.
I've never tasted anything like this before…strangely satisfying.
The soft murmur of conversation and the clinking of cups faded into the background as she focused on the taste.
She held the cup for a moment, marveling at how something so simple could feel almost magical.
The barista came again, holding a paper bag. "Hey! Little one!"
"…Ah. I didn't expect you to come again," she murmured.
Did he change his mind about me paying him? she wondered.
"Bwahahaha!!" the barista laughed, placing a fist on his knee.
Huh? Frieren stared.
"Excuse me! " the barista gently brushed the soft cream from her lip with a napkin.
"Here! Take this with you!" He gently laid the bag in Frieren's hands.
"Good luck with your performance! Please come again!"
The old man laughed, scratching his beard.
He didn't judge me… he somehow feels… nostalgic, she thought.
Humans are strange… yet comforting in their simplicity. Just like Himmel taught me… she reflected, watching the barista interact with the other patrons.
The warmth of the cup and the bag in her hands grounded her in the moment.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"I'd better be careful…" she murmured.
Her finger glimmered with a faint pink glow beneath the table as she whispered, "Get in."
Something small yet reflective appeared, hovering gently above her hands, casting tiny sparkles across the table surface.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the tiny object.
Then she turned her gaze to the barista, who had returned to his counter.
"Ah, so you're leaving, huh?" the barista said, rubbing his hands together.
Frieren placed something gently on the counter. "Here… thank you," she said.
A golden coin gleamed in the soft café light.
The barista's eyes widened for a moment before he let out a hearty laugh.
"Bwahahaha! Really?! In today's economy? I should thank you then… gentle witch!" he waved at her while she was leaving
She glanced back once at the barista, a small smile forming before she stepped out.
Frieren left the coffeeshop, the simple gesture staying with her, quietly warming her thoughts.