My reaction when uploading this chapter: youtube | watch?v=shltAkfioKI

. . .


. . .

"My deepest apologies for the commotion. As an apology to all those currently present, consider all of your drinks for today to be on the house and may select any item from my menu free of charge. I hope that today's experience will not deter you from visiting again in the future."

. . .

A tea kettle was set down onto a table where two faunus were seated. One was a cat faunus with short, lavender hair in a grey hoodie, who thanked Robin. The other was a dog faunus with brown hair with a yellow jacket over a white spring dress, who brightly smiled. Giving them a polite smile in return, Robin walked back to his usual spot behind the counter.

"…with multiple ships continuing into the night, it is clear that this year's Vytal Festival will be the largest yet. Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon has welcomed every visiting student to stay inside Beacon's spare dorms and rooms should they not have reservations for the hotels; a generous show of hospitality and - "

"And that's why I'm saying that it's complete, utter bull!" Qrow yelled, drowning out the news from the television.

Robin slowly nodded as he turned off the steamer on a pitcher of milk. Pouring it into a cup with espresso inside, he flicked his wrist and water began to clean the steamer wand.

"Seriously, why couldn't it have been me that went with them? I mean, they're my nieces!" Qrow grumbled.

"Perhaps it is because they're your nieces that you weren't picked, Qrow," Robin calmly said, steaming a pitcher of milk. "Favoritism and bias being the two biggest concerns."

"You really think that that would cause problems?" Qrow asked, pushing his cup to the side and leaning forward on the counter. "I can be professional when needed. I taught at Signal for years!"

Winter scoffed from the seat next to his. "And it's a wonder that you even kept your job for that long."

"At least I can hold a job that doesn't require me to be…oh, what's a word that a princess like you would use? Brutish? Yeah, to be brutish every second of the day. What do you Specialists do other than flail your weapons around?"

"As if you don't complain about the work that you get and the problems that come when dealing with overconfident students who have dreams of becoming huntsmen."

"Aren't you the one that has to deal with upstart Specialists and new recruits that think they're at the top of the world yet can't handle a single Beowolf?"

"Oh, I didn't realize that you joined the Specialists. I didn't think that we accepted people past a certain age."

"You got something to say?" Qrow growled, glaring at Winter.

"I believe I already said what I wished to say. Or is your mind incapable of understanding such simple words?" Winter smoothly replied. "There is no hidden meaning in what I said, I assure you."

"Really now? Cause from what I heard, it sounded like you think that one, I'm old, and two, I'm worse than a greenhorn," Qrow said, his voice rising a little.

"I have never said such a thing. Unless, of course, you are so insecure of your own skills that a simple remark has you second-guessing yourself. Though, I will give you credit for acknowledging the fact that you are inferior." She took a sip from her cappuccino before continuing, "And please refrain from looking at me with those disgusting eyes of yours."

Rolling his eyes, Qrow looked at Robin while jabbing a finger at Winter with a facial expression that very clearly said, "Can you believe this woman?"

"Oh? Are you quite done speaking?" Winter asked Qrow. "If so, then please continue to remain silent. But if all you will be doing is breathing air, then I'd say that an air conditioner has more use than you."

"Ha! As if someone like - "

There was a brown blur and two cracking sounds.

"Enough," Robin said in a stern voice, retracting his arm after having hit the two of them over the head. "You're disturbing the others in the store."

Winter glanced over at the two other customers, who were looking quite amused at their situation. The cat faunus waved her hand at them in a friendly manner, which Winter returned.

"Apologies, Mentor," Winter said to Robin. Her eyes sparkled with amusement when she noticed his eye twitch at the title.

Qrow, on the other hand, looked at the item in Robin's hand for a good three seconds before looking up at his eyes.

"Did…Did you just hit my head…with a stick?" Qrow slowly asked.

"No, I did not hit you with a "stick"," Robin replied, resting the 'stick' on his shoulder. "I hit you with a bamboo sword - something that's mostly used during training and sparring for those without Aura." When Qrow scowled at him, Robin let out an exasperated sigh and tossed the sword into his storage. "Don't be such a baby. You have Aura."

"Aura or not, you hit me on the head. It's the principle of the matter. And what happened to your rule of no violence in the store?"

"I'm the store owner, so the standard rules don't apply to me."

"That's just tyranny."

"I prefer to call it 'discipline'," Robin said before turning his attention to Winter, who was watching them with a bemused expression. "Does the huntsman school in Atlas have anything like this?" he asked her. "The first-years being sent out on an expedition of sorts with a professor, that is."

Winter set down her cup. "Yes, we did and still do. However, it is more of a survival test rather than an expedition. Each team would be airlifted to a random location outside of Atlas's borders, and the students are given a week to make it back inside of the walls. Of course, this assignment was given to the third-years, not the firsts."

"Heh, it was done in your third year? At least Beacon sends us out in our first," Qrow smugly laughed.

"Is being babysat by an experienced huntsman really something to be bragging about?" Robin asked.

"Hey, we weren't babysat," Qrow grunted.

"Then what would you call it?" Winter asked him with a raised brow.

Qrow crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "An escort mission. My team's huntsman didn't do jack shit and had us do everything instead. Just sat there on his ass and didn't even tell us what to do. My team had to figure everything out on our own."

"So not unlike what you would have done had you been the senior huntsman for my sister's team," Winter promptly said.

"Hey hey, I wouldn't have done nothing," Qrow argued. "I would've delegated the tasks out evenly among the four of them."

"While also making it so that you wouldn't have any tasks yourself, I'm sure," Robin said.

"Delegating tasks ain't the same as not doing work," Qrow easily replied. "At least when you delegate things, you're putting in the effort to make sure that the job or whatever it is that you're giving is being given to the proper person. It requires even more effort when you split the tasks out evenly among four people."

"And yet you're the one that ends up with the least amount of work in the end."

Qrow nonchalantly shrugged, spreading his arms wide as if to prove a point. "I guess that's just what happens when you delegate properly."

"A leader should always lead by example, not by words," Winter said. "In doing so, you inspire others to follow you and motivate them to work harder."

"Never said that I was a leader, princess. Me and a leader are two different things entirely," Qrow smirked, raising his cup as if he was cheering for something. "Best not forget that."

"Indeed," Robin said, causing Qrow to proudly puff out his chest and the corners of Winter's lips to curl up into a smile. "Going back to what we were originally talking about, where has your nieces' team gone? And who's their huntsman?"

"Their mission is in Mt. Glenn and their huntsman is Bartholomew Oobleck," Winter replied before Qrow even opened his mouth. "My sister sent me the details as they were in the Bullhead."

"Oh? They have Bart with them. They'll be more than fine," Robin confidently said, having finished washing the cups. "After all, he is a huntsman that's teaching in what's arguably the best huntsman school in Remnant." Having spotted Winter's frown, he repeated with a grin, "Arguably."

Satisfied with Robin's words, Winter took another drink from her cappuccino while Qrow leaned forward on the bar, resting his forearm on the countertop. His eyes were focused on Robin's face, searching for something.

"Speaking of schools…" Qrow slowly started. "I never got which huntsman academy you went to, Robin. Even with my clearance, most of the info on you is covered in black ink."

With an amicable shrug, Robin grabbed a dry cloth and began to wipe down the cups. "That's because I never told you."

"Friggin smartass."

"Even after having bragged about having known Mentor for longer than I, you still do not know this?" Winter asked Qrow, not bothering to turn to face him.

"I ain't the one crushing on him, Ice Queen," Qrow shot back.

Were Winter a lesser person, she would've scoffed at him. "Hmph, such a childish notion. He is my mentor, one whom I hold in high esteem. Our relationship and my feelings for him are purely platonic."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say," Qrow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Alright then, since you seem to be so knowledgeable in the things that concern your dear mentor, what huntsman school did he attend?"

"That is something that is not for me to say," Winter replied, causing Qrow to roll his eyes. "Unless Mentor tells you himself or gives me his permission to tell you, the answer to your question will forever evade you."

Raising a brow, Qrow looked over at Robin expectantly, who, in turn, gave Winter a 'Go ahead' look. Qrow shifted his expectant look over to her. After taking another sip of her drink and letting out a satisfied hum, she finally decided to answer.

"There is no answer to your question," she said. There was the tiniest hint of amusement in her tone, almost as if she had fully expected this situation and was playing a joke on the older huntsman.

Said older huntsman, of course, was not amused. "What."

"Technically, she's not wrong," Robin said with a shrug.

"There is no answer to your question…" she slowly repeated. Despite her clearly poking fun at Qrow, she upheld the dignified air and look of a Schnee. "…because he never attended a huntsman academy."

"Wording matters, Qrow," Robin added.

"Tch, both of you can go die in a fire," Qrow grumbled, sticking his middle finger up at Robin. "No wonder Oz wouldn't let me see your files when I asked him. He knew."

Robin shrugged again. "Perhaps."

Qrow let out an annoyed sigh and took out his flask. "Never understood why you decided to open up a coffee shop," he idly said after taking a drink. "Never seemed like the type."

Robin quirked an eyebrow as he began to wash the cups. "I'll have you know that opening up a coffee shop has been a long time dream of mine."

"Huh. Was writing a novel and then some also part of that dream?"

Before Robin could reply, Winter's scroll began to ring. Eyes turned to her as she pulled her scroll out of her pocket and turned off the alarm.

"Duty calls?" Qrow snickered.

"Yes," Winter said. Were she anyone else, she would have sighed. She quickly finished the rest of her cappuccino and set the cup down on the counter. "Thank you for the drink, Mentor."

"You're very much welcome," Robin said, taking her cup to clean. "And stop calling me that."

While he grumbled about being called "Mentor", there wasn't any bite in his tone. As such, Winter simply smiled and walked out of the cafe, not sparing Qrow a glance. The door chime jingled pleasantly as the door shut behind her.

"If you're worried about your nieces, I'm sure that they'll be just fine," Robin said, bringing the topic of conversation back to what Qrow as complaining about earlier. "They have Bartholomew with them."

"I know they'll be fine," Qrow replied, taking a look around the store. More customers had filed in while they were speaking, most of them looking to be civilians. "Bart's good. More than good, actually. Just got a bad feeling about it."

Robin nodded as he set Winter's now-cleaned cup aside to dry before he scooped out a spoonful of espresso beans to grind. Tossing the beans into the grinder, he grabbed the coffee press and set it onto the table.

"Perhaps it's your fatherly instincts, or uncle instincts, that are kicking in," Robin reasonably said, pouring the espresso grinds and some boiling water into the press. He raised his hand and a menu suddenly appeared between his fingers with a few drinks circled. "And don't say that you don't have it."

"Wasn't planning on it," Qrow amicably replied. "Anything happens to Ruby or Yang and I'll hunt down the ones responsible to the ends of the world."

"Mm."

Robin nodded again as he opened the fridge beneath the counter and pulled out a carton of cream. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a bottle of whiskey from the alcohol shelf behind him and into his hand. Qrow's eyes lit up upon seeing the bottle but kept his silence as he silently watched Robin work. It was peaceful, in a way, to see him create things.

Once the espresso was finished, Robin poured it into a small glass. Following the espresso was a bit of chocolate syrup, a drop of vanilla extract, a shot of whiskey, finished with some cream. A twirl of his wrist later, a ball of ice appeared in the air above the drink before gently being dropped into it without a single drop spilling out.

"Here," Robin said, passing the finished drink in front of Qrow.

With a curious brow, Qrow picked up the glass. He swirled it around a few times while staring at it as if it gravely insulted him.

"What is this," Qrow asked in a manner that didn't sound like a question at all.

"A drink."

"No shit it's a drink," Qrow retorted with a roll of his eyes. "I'm asking what it is specifically."

"Not poison, if that's what you're wondering," Robin replied as he continued to work on other drinks. "You'll like it."

Going by his facial expression, Qrow didn't believe him. Nevertheless, he slowly brought the glass up to his lips.

"It smells sweet," he said.

"I never took you as the type to be this hesitant and scared to try a simple drink," Robin said. A flick of his wrist and three cups that he set on the counter vanished, reappearing on the table of a group of three teenagers. "You watched me make it so you know what's inside."

"I did, but I never saw or heard of whiskey with coffee, cream, and chocolate," Qrow replied, swirling the glass again. "Sounds like a disaster."

"If you don't want it…" Robin extended his arm towards the glass. "…give it back."

Qrow immediately pulled the drink away from Robin. "No."

"Then stop complaining," Robin smirked, retracting his arms.

"…I thought you don't sell alcohol during store hours," Qrow said in a slightly quieter tone, eyeing the other customers in the store. "Not that I mind."

"Who said I'm selling you anything?" Robin smirked back. "Also, I'm the sole owner and worker of this place. What's going to happen? I get fired by me?"

"Hmph. Point. But you sure you should be giving away free drinks like this?" Qrow asked him. "I haven't paid a single lien whenever I come here. You gave Ice Queen free drinks too. Once again, not complaining about free things."

"Nice of you to worry, but I'll be fine. I make enough sales to handle my grocery shopping."

"Just your groceries? What of utility bills?"

"Four-Eyes pulled some strings so that I don't have to worry much in the way of those. Besides, it's not like I really need to worry about electricity that often," Robin said. He raised his hand and purple lightning danced around his fingertips.

Qrow brought the glass up to his lips. "Hmph. Cheater. You could easily put electric companies out of business if you wanted to." He then recoiled the moment he tasted the drink. He stared at it for a few more seconds before grunting, "This…isn't bad. You were actually telling the truth."

"I do that quite a lot yet people are always surprised," Robin easily replied. Another customer menu appeared in his hands and he began working again. "And are you really complaining about living expenses when Four-Eyes is basically covering yours? You've your personal room at Beacon."

"That's different. That's my job."

"As this is for me," Robin said, gesturing at his surroundings.

"Once again: different."

"Different how."

"One job is constant field action and some wetwork. The other is staying inside a single building and talking to people."

"The Huntsman Intelligence Center is full of people sitting in a room and talking to people over long-ranged communications, yet their job is vital to the survival of Huntsmen out in the field. The wrong intel can easily get a team killed," Robin countered. "And besides, I'd argue that I've done more than my fair share of that kind of work and am now living in retirement."

"Alright, point. I'll give the intel team credit where credit's due. You, on the other hand…" Qrow pointed a finger at Robin's face. "You don't even look like you hit your thirties. The hell do you mean "retirement"?"

"Oh?" Robin donned a shit-eating grin. "Getting a little antsy about your age? Even Four-Eyes called you a 'dusty, old crow', you know."

Qrow's response was to flip up his middle finger at Robin while downing the rest of his drink. Once he finished, he asked Robin, "So, what jobs did you do that had you "retiring" so young?"

"Young?" A tiny smile rose to Robin's lips as his eyes flickered in amusement, almost as if there was some sort of inside joke that Qrow didn't get. "I did a large variety of jobs, though most of them were forced upon me rather than me volunteering for them."

"Such as?"

"Oh, just the odd job here and there. Some guard duty, some pest control, stealing things back from bandits, things like that," Robin replied with a strange smile.

"I see."

"Worked as other things for years after that, traveled quite a bit, took a nap underneath a tree where Ozpin found me, and you know the rest," Robin finished, catching the glass the Qrow slid across the counter.

Crossing his arms, Qrow leaned into his chair and tilted it backward, balancing himself on the chair's hind legs. "All I know is that you did something for Ozpin - which is not the Autumn incident - and that he owed you a favor, the favor being this building."

"He's not lying about that." He raised Qrow's glass and asked, "Another?"

"Tch. Figured as much. And yeah, another," Qrow grunted. Then his eyes widened by a fraction as if he remembered something. He shifted his body weight forward and the chair front legs hit the floor. "By the way, something strange happened on the night of the school dance."

Hearing the shift in Qrow's tone, Robin created a sound barrier around the two of them.

"Really now?" Robin calmly replied once the bubble surrounded them. "Bad strange or good strange?"

"Just strange."

"How so?"

Qrow's eyes were locked onto Robin's face, carefully searching for a reaction. "Someone, or someones, infiltrated Vale's CCT. All of the guards that were stationed there were forcibly knocked out."

"I see." Robin's face remained neutral and unchanged as he began pouring the espresso again. "Aside from the guards getting knocked out, I hope nothing terrible has happened?"

"Other than half of the main console having been melted?"

"Melted? How troubling. Is everything still operational?"

"Fortunately. We're lucky that the system isn't solely dependant on the main console to keep the tower up and running."

"I see," Robin repeated. "And the culprit?"

"We're searching, though some of us already have an idea of someone that was involved, directly or indirectly," Qrow answered.

Robin raised a brow. "No security footage? One would think that a building as important as the CCT would have some sort of security other than a few guards."

"Footage was wiped. Everything from the first guard getting knocked out 'til the time that Jimmy takes the elevator into the main room is gone."

"Sounds quite serious."

"Yeah. Except for the fact that nothing's wrong with the system. No login, forced or not… Hell, the system wasn't even turned on ever since the last shift."

Grabbing the finished espresso, Robin dropped an ice ball into a new glass. He flicked his wrist, materializing a dark bottle appeared in his hand, and Qrow immediately raised a brow.

"That's Lúamor," Qrow noted, staring at the label on the bottle. "You're making a different drink, aren't you?"

Robin nodded as he opened the bottle of coffee liqueur. Carefully pouring into the glass, he said, "Correct. But seeing how you enjoyed the previous drink…" He capped the bottle and put it back onto the shelf. "…I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well. Then again…" Milk was poured into the glass. "…I'm sure you'd enjoy anything with alcohol content."

"And you're no different? You seem to know a lot of drinks. And you have a giant collection behind you."

"Just because one works as a bartender does not mean that they enjoy drinking. Just as a teacher does not always enjoy teaching. I'm sure that you've met many that fit that criterion during your time at Signal, no?"

"Hm," was Qrow's only response.

After putting the milk back into the fridge, Robin stirred the milk and liqueur until it was thoroughly mixed and poured the espresso into the mixture. He sprinkled a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg on top and handed the finished drink off to Qrow who took an apprehensive sip.

"…It's not bad," Qrow said after tasting it. "So you had nothing to do with it?" he then asked, bringing the topic of conversation back on track.

"The main console being melted? I assure you that I'm quite innocent," Robin said. "Why would I want to ruin it and potentially bring down the entire network? As much as I like the regulars that come to my store, new faces appear from the reviews I get on Welp quite often."

"Was never blaming you; just wondering if you knew something about what happened that night," Qrow replied. "But…if you do have any info on what happened that night…" He trailed off, leaving his statement open, but the message behind it was clear.

If Robin was to be frank, he had plenty of information about the events that took place that night. He knew the names and faces of those involved, and while telling Qrow what happened would be the morally right thing to do, he purposely chose not to do so.

There wasn't any particular reason for it. He knew that Cinder wasn't the type that would have a change of heart so easily, not after a single talk. Were Cinder to ever come to the "good" side, it would take a series of drastic events for her to even consider it. But he doubted something like that would ever happen. He knew her type. He met and dealt with her type many times. He knew that, if Cinder were to be left unchecked, her ambitions would carry her far, no matter how much blood she would spill along the way. If she had to create a mountain out of corpses of those she knew to reach her goal, she would.

But he didn't say anything. Perhaps he didn't care enough. Perhaps it was because he was tired of fighting. Perhaps it was because he was interested in what Cinder would do next. Perhaps he was using her as a way to stave off his boredom, to corner her and to counter her plans with his strategies. Perhaps it was all of the above.

Whatever it was, he remained silent as he simply nodded to Qrow's words. Qrow seemed to be satisfied with Robin's response, and he drained half of his glass in one go.

"So, anything important happen lately?" Qrow asked.

"Hm. That's a little difficult to answer," Robin replied, dismissing the sound barrier. One group of customers left the store, leaving behind their payment and their finished plates at their table. "The price for milk has dropped by just under five percent of its previous price, so that's nice."

"I asked for something impor- you know what? Forget I asked. I suppose that something like the prices on milk would be important to you."

A small smile rose to Robin's face as he brought the plates and lien behind the countertop. "I'm glad you understand."

Amiable silence fell upon them after that. It wasn't as though they had anything to talk about - rather, it was because they already finished talking about the topics that they wished to speak of. Qrow continued to take small sips of his drink while Robin either washed plates and cups or crafted drinks. Usually both at once through the use of his odd abilities.

Up on the news, the screen changed from the regular news report about the Vytal Festival to a reporter in a wide field. Behind the reporter was a swirling, black vortex, and if the grass and the reporter's hair was anything to go by, the vortex was generating powerful winds.

"…all hopes were gone when this portal…" The reporter gestured at the vortex. "…finally appeared again after seventeen long years. No one knows exactly what the brave team experienced on the other side of the portal, and…"

"Damn. They're still alive," Qrow whistled as the camera moved away from the reporter and onto the aforementioned huntsman team.

The first was a rugged man in a set of black armor, similar to the knights that one would see in fantasy novels. There was a patch of white above his right eye that stood out against the rest of his dark hair. Slung across his back was a giant sword, and that was if it could even be called one. It was too big to be called a sword. It was too big, too thick, too heavy, and far too rough. It was more like a slab of iron than a blade.

The second was a smaller person dressed in a dark leather coat and a slim, tri-pointed hat. There were a number of silver bullets on the bandolier strapped across his chest, and there was a serrated cleaver that looked like it was only together by worn bandages, and there was an elegant flintlock pistol - a curious choice of a firearm given this day and age - strapped to his thigh.

The third and fourth were both giants compared to the average person. They were both wearing sets of olive-green armor that looked like it was taken out of Atlas's exo-powered armor facilities. In the hands of one of them was…

"That's one big fucking gun," Qrow commented from behind his glass.

And that it was. The gun, if it could still be classified as a mere 'gun', was almost as tall as the giant himself. It was more akin to a cannon on one of Atlas's warships.

"Indeed," Robin said, nodding his head in agreement. "Weaponry aside, it makes you wonder what they were fighting beyond that portal if they had to send such a team."

"Aside from Grimm?"

"It's a portal, Qrow."

"And?"

"Surely you don't think that Remnant is the only world out there," Robin said.

"'Course not. Astronomers found other worlds and stars that are far from Remnant," Qrow scoffed. "Why do you think we tried venturing into space for the first time and learned that Dust doesn't work up there?"

Robin motioned at the news that was focusing on the portal. There were a few people in white coats that were standing around it with curious expressions. After a second, Qrow raised a brow as he caught onto what Robin was implying.

"You think that portal is to a different world," Qrow said matter-of-factly.

"Possibly."

There was a moment of silence as Qrow pondered the thought before he slowly nodded. "Alright, I'll bite. Why do you think that?"

Those were only a few of the responses that popped up into Robin's head. However, none of them were spoken aloud. Despite how sharp Qrow was and for all of his knowledge on magic and the supernatural, interdimensional travel and beings that were the embodiment of the very domains that every universe followed were a little out of his league. Out of Remnant's league.

And so Robin decided on a more logical reply. One that anyone with a semblance of thought could understand.

"Because if that team in particular was fighting for seventeen years against a large number of Grimm, or any enemy, for that matter, I do not think it would go unnoticed here in Remnant."

"Ha! True true," Qrow laughed. "They would have burned down Emerald Forest within hours if they were stationed there against a wave of Grimm."

"Indeed, which is why I don't think that the portal took them anywhere on Remnant."

"Makes you wonder what kind of place they went to fight cause…" Qrow pointed at the screen again. The camera was zoomed in on the huntsman in the leather coat. Now that they had a better and closer look, most of the coat was stained black instead of its original grey. "…that's looking a lot like blood. And what they fought to have been there for seventeen years."

"Perhaps they found themselves in the center of some temple infested with demonic monsters and had to fight their way out only to be hunted by the monsters constantly during the night, even into their dreams," Robin replied. "Or perhaps time flowed differently where they were."

Qrow's eyes narrowed at him. "That was oddly specific."

"I write. It should be expected that I have a slightly more…dramatic imagination," Robin easily said without missing a beat.

"Makes sense. You thinking of writing a story like that? After you finish the series that you're currently working on, that is."

"Possibly."

"How much more is there in your series anyway?" Qrow curiously asked. "Two books down with some questions that were left unanswered."

"Oh?" Robin raised a smug brow at him. "So you did end up reading my novels."

Qrow nonchalantly shrugged as he took a sip of his drink. "Guilty. A lot of my job has me waiting on people and traveling, so I need a way to pass the time. It also helps that you had the publishers make some of your books in literal pocket sizes. Needs two books per volume, but it's a hell of a lot easier to carry around."

"I'm glad that you've taken a liking to it," Robin said. "The publishers argued that the pocket-sized books wouldn't sell due to various reasons, such as people being able to buy and read on their scrolls."

"Can't have your scroll all the time. Not to mention that you can't read it if you're out of CCT range unless you download it. Say, in the middle of the friggin' ocean while on a ship."

"Indeed. Though some people just don't realize that. And to answer your question, I plan on the third book to be the last one for the series. I have a few ideas for a spin-off title, but not enough for a full-length novel of any sort."

"Why not write about the jobs you did? Surely you must have a lot of experiences since you did a "large variety of jobs"."

"I don't think a story of someone standing in front of a gate for hours on end would make for a good story. Nor the experiences of exterminating some pests."

"Spice it up then. You said you had bodyguard duty. Throw in some Grimm and there you go," Qrow grinned.

Robin raised an amused brow. "I never thought that you'd be so pushy for a book from me."

"Call it a long-term investment," Qrow scoffed. "Have you seen what gets published nowadays? Yours simply happens to be at the top of a steaming pile of shit. I'll take what I can get to stave off my boredom."

"Hm. High praise coming from you. Normally your adjectives would be a lot more pronounced."

"Heh, better be grateful, punk." Raising his glass to his lips, Qrow glanced at the clock on the wall and grimaced. "Tch, this late already," he grumbled. "Gotta head out now."

"I see." Robin nodded. "Best of luck to you."

Downing the rest of his drink in one go, Qrow let out a satisfied sigh before swiftly walking out of the store. The door's bells pleasantly jingled and Robin began washing Qrow's now-empty glass.

More customers came and went and Robin routinely took their orders. The thought of writing a new series was something that he could do. His time in Ylisse and with the Shepherds was already written into a novel, and one that was selling well. It was an odd feeling, labeling an autobiography as a fiction title. Of course, a few things here and there were changed as to not tie him with the main character in the story.

'Not to mention that I don't use tomes to cast basic magic anymore,' he thought to himself. 'But I've been getting more and more involved with this world's affairs.' A sigh escaped his lips. 'So much for retirement.'

The front door's bells jingled once more as a man in a black suit walked inside, and the idle chatter of the other customers ceased immediately. A white Grimm mask was placed over the top half of the man's face, and his dark red hair seemed to glow in the cafe's lighting.

"Hmph. I heard that there was a human establishment that caters to both humans and faunus without discrimination," the man sneered. He looked over at the empty tables and chairs in the store. "Doing poorly, just as I expected."

"Yes, well, nighttime tends to do that to many shops," Robin lightheartedly replied. "What can I do you for?"

"What makes you think that I would drink something made by a human?" the man asked.

Setting the washed cup aside and drying his hands, Robin replied, "It is not every day that the infamous Adam Taurus willingly enters a store that he knows is owned and run by a human without destroying the establishment within the first few seconds. Or threatening to kill someone. I do believe that alone speaks volumes."

"You know of me and yet you, a human, would willingly offer your services without any prompting," Adam said. "Why."

"Because at this moment, you are simply a potential customer. Nothing more, nothing less."

The eyes of every customer in the store widened in shock while Adam merely raised a brow.

"Potential?"

"Potential. This is the first time that you've entered my store, and one only becomes a customer once a transaction is completed. Why would I discourage someone from trying out something of my craft?" Robin rhetorically asked. "Besides, when you walked through that door, you showed no signs of hostility. You even waited for my previous patron, a huntsman that would have recognized you on sight, to leave before entering. I am not one to turn away anyone that enters peacefully."

"I see." Adam's hand moved to his sheathed weapon and thumbed his sword's guard, causing the civilians in the store to flinch. "And if someone were to show hostility, what would you do?"

"I would ask them to leave the premises. If need be, escort them out myself," Robin casually answered as if he was talking about taking out a bag of garbage. "And so, with that said…" He gestured at the alcohol shelf behind him and the menu hanging from the ceiling. "Anything that you'd prefer?"

The White Fang commander didn't say anything for a few seconds as he slowly lowered his hand from his sword.

"I'm told that an experienced bartender would be able to know someone's preference upon seeing them for the first time," Adam said in a challenging tone.

"Hm. Point." Robin nodded as his eyes lingered on Adam for a second longer than normal before turning around to grab a bottle from the shelf. "Are you here on business time or personal?"

"…Personal."

"And will you be attending any events later tonight or tomorrow morning?"

"No."

Robin placed the bottle on the counter before grabbing a few more items. As he began to concoct a drink, Adam pulled out one of the counter seats to sit upon. Not a soul dared to move as all eyes were on the two of them. Less than a minute later, Robin finished creating the drink and set it down in front of Adam.

"Virion's Eve," Robin said. "A house special that you won't find on the menu."

Adam picked up the drink and lifted it to eye level. The ruby-colored liquid sparkled under the lighting as it gently swayed in the crystal-clear glass.

"It's not poisoned, I assure you," Robin lightheartedly said.

Adam gave Robin a pointed look from behind his mask. "And I can assure you that you'd be dead already if I even saw you touch a bottle of poison," he threateningly shot back.

A friendly smile appeared on Robin's face. "Of course."

Slowly raising his glass, Adam took a small sip of the drink. He let it sit in his mouth for a couple of seconds before swallowing all the while Robin and every other person in the store watched him.

"Are you always this silent when you have a customer?" Adam asked, irritation seeping into this voice.

"There are many kinds of people that come into my store. Some are the type to enjoy conversations. Some are the type to avoid small talk entirely. Some are the former yet sometimes enjoy a time of quiet and peace," Robin easily replied.

"Hm."

"If you'd like, I can tell you a short story," Robin added, putting the previous drink ingredients back in exchange for different ones. "One in which nothing is required of you except to listen."

"No."

The smile on Robin's face only grew, almost as if he was expecting the answer.

"Of course," he said again. His hands dexterously moved behind the counter once more. "But I must say, it is not every day that a ranking member of the White Fang makes an appearance such as this. Might I ask what the occasion is?"

"Nothing that concerns you," Adam curtly replied.

"Of course," Robin said for the third time, keeping the grin on his face. "However, one cannot help but wonder the "why" as to why someone of your stature would be out here in the open. With a little bit of imagination, some conclusions for the "why" pop up. One such conclusion could be that there is to be a…party of sorts that is to happen here in Vale, just in time for the Vytal Festival. A party that is open to any and all that are in the city, regardless of them wanting to participate or not."

The fact that Adam's free hand slowly curled into a fist did not go unnoticed by either of them, and the color was drained from the other customers' faces.

"Another word and I will cut out your tongue," Adam threateningly growled.

"That being said, this is all just speculation from someone who is naught but a mere civilian," Robin continued with an air of faux innocence.

With his eyes narrowing dangerously from behind his mask, the White Fang commander set down his cup as his free hand moved to the hilt of his sword. Just as his fingers grazed the handguard, Robin held up another glass in front of Adam's face, this time containing a silver-colored liquid.

"Another?"

Adam looked down and realized that his first glass was empty. He didn't even know when he finished it. He was sure that he only took a sip or two.

He sat back down and drew his hand away from his sword. The glass in the bartender's hand was gently set down onto the counter, only for Adam to pick it up and rest it under his nose.

"Salamander Breath," he noted, and one of the civilians choked on his drink.

"Oh? You know of it?" Robin asked with a raise of his brow. "Rare is it that I come across someone that can distinguish its smell so easily, especially if it's only four ounces mixed in with other ingredients."

"Anyone who has tried Salamander Breath even once would recognize its distinct aroma," Adam sneered before taking a sip. It burned pleasantly as it ran down his throat.

"Indeed, but it is also not something that one can just come across. There are people that would give their right arm for a single bottle."

"Hmph. So how did you, a human owning a run-of-the-mill-store like this..." Adam dismissively waved a hand around the store. "...come across a bottle? And have the funds to acquire one?"

"Years upon years of searching," Robin cheekily replied.

The unimpressed and deadpan stare was visible even through Adam's solid mask, and Robin amusedly grinned.

"Quite some time ago, I took up a job to investigate the disappearance of a merchant," Robin continued. "The huntsmen team that was hired to guard the merchant was found dead and the team that was sent to investigate never returned. And in my curiosity, I went in search of the team, found their corpses, found the merchant in a bandit camp along with his goods, and promptly escaped with the merchant and most of his goods."

Adam narrowed his eyes as he processed the information given. The average bandit group couldn't hold a candle to the average team of huntsmen, especially if they were hired to guard a merchant with expensive goods. There were only a few bandit groups with some renown, and even fewer that would be bold enough to attack two huntsmen teams.

"Where."

"Oh?" An amused glint appeared in the bartender's eyes. Adam wanted to rip them from their sockets. "Interested, are you? Unfortunately, I'm afraid that the merchant only had two bottles of Salamander Breath."

"Not. That," Adam hissed, clenching his fist.

"Ah, you mean the merchant? I'm afraid I never got his contact information, so I'm unaware of his current location - "

In a flash, Adam grabbed his sword and shot out of his seat. Someone screamed as he drew Wilt from Blush and sliced the bartender's neck from his shoulders in out of rage.

At least, that's what was supposed to happen. He was sure he grabbed his sword when he swung his arm. He felt the familiar weight in his hand. He heard Wilt sing as it sliced the air. So why was his hand empty? Why was his sword still in its sheath, resting against the counter?

"Though, I did find him in Mistral, way west by the sea, before he traveled north," the bartender continued as if nothing happened. "I suppose having a drink named 'Salamander Breath' in the snowy lands of the north would be nice."

Adam looked from Wilt and Blush to the bartender. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"Aside from bringing the merchant back on the well-worn road? Nothing. He went up north while I continued my journey east."

It was clear that the bartender wasn't going to answer his question, but the look in his eyes made it clear that he did something, and that something was a mere warning. Adam flexed his fingers, wanting to test his sword again. This time, he would watch carefully to see what the bartender would do. Whatever trick the bartender used, he would uncover it.

However, just as he reached for his Wilt again, the door to the shop opened.

"Oi, Robin, I need another - "

The newcomer froze the moment his eyes landed on Adam, and Adam immediately grabbed Wilt and Blush. At the same time, the newcomer's hand flew to his weapon on the back of his waist.

"Never thought I'd run into the commander of Vale's White Fang here of all places," the man said.

Adam kept his silence as he lowered his center of gravity. He had been too distracted by the irritating bartender's talk that he didn't even realize that Qrow Branwen, one of the most dangerous huntsmen in Remnant, had come back.

The huntsman's weapon extended from its compacted form and Adam thumbed Wilt's guard.

"Gentlemen! Need I remind you that there is to be no hostilities within my store?"

Both men turned to look at the bartender, who was crossing his arms and had a stern look on his face.

The huntsman's eyes narrowed. "…Robin. You know who that is, right?"

"A potential customer."

"Your "potential customer" is a dangerous and wanted man."

"Wanted or not, I will not allow any fighting in my store. Stow your weapons."

"That's Adam Taurus."

"Indeed, he is."

"One of the commanders in the White Fang."

"I've had numerous individuals with various occupations enter my store and I have welcomed them all equally. I will not be changing that now."

Adam kept his hands ready to draw his blade. The distance between him and Qrow Branwen was less than fifteen steps - a gap that either of them could close in an instant. He was confident that he could take on Branwen, but the bartender, on the other hand…

His hand gripped Wilt and Blush tighter. If the bartender pulled the same trick of making his sword vanish during the middle of his fight with Branwen, then it could be fatal.

"I will not ask again," the bartender slowly said. "Your weapons."

Branwen's eyes flickered over to Adam. "I'll relax only if he takes his hands off his first."

"Hmph. As if I would leave myself without a weapon in the company of a human huntsman," Adam sneered.

"Nothing without your weapon then?" Qrow easily shot back.

"I won't need one to rip out your tongue and feed it to you."

"Oho? So the little calf is learning how to stand on its own legs?"

"Coming from the old bird that still hasn't left the nest it was hatched from."

A loud and clear clap interrupted the two of them, the sound ringing in both of their ears. A gentle breeze suddenly appeared in the store - no, not in the store. Neither Adam nor Qrow Branwen were in A Shepherd's Rest anymore. In fact, they weren't even in Vale. They were in the middle of a plain with nothing but stretches of grass, dirt, and trees around them. The shattered moon hung high in the star-littered sky above them.

Clearly, Branwen didn't know what happened either, given by him uttering the two words, "The fuck?"

It was a sentiment that Adam completely understood and begrudgingly agreed with. Not that he'd ever admit it.

. . .

"Damn it, that's another wipe." Wolf stretched and cracked her fingers. Raising her voice a little, she said, "Remember, if the boss imbues with fire, stop moving. If he imbues with blizzard, keep moving. If you're tethered by one of the adds that spawn, point your tether to the corner! And make sure to keep the four-four split during the double stack!"

"Got it!" "Alright!"

There was a chorus of acknowledgments from the seven other people in the break room. Turning to her left, Wolf lightly punched Hawk on the shoulder. "So, how do you like this game? It's fun, right?"

Hawk placed his hand under his chin. "It is definitely not what I was expecting. It did not seem very entertaining when I was watching you play, but I admit, experiencing it myself is quite entertaining."

"Right right? Told ya so!" Wolf laughed, shaking his shoulder. "How're you finding the story?"

"There's a story?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"Of course there's a story," Wolf said. "Have you not been paying attention to the cutscenes?"

"Ah yes, there were those. I tend to skip them."

Wolf's head slammed into her keyboard while Hawk leaned back into his seat. Around the room, the six other occupants were stretching their arms and massaging their fingers, each of them in front of a computer screen.

"Why?" Wolf asked him. "The story for this game is actually good! Especially considering that it's an MMO! You can get the main story questline and make them into a full RPG game with it!"

"It was very slow in the beginning and it did not capture my attention," Hawk explained.

"Alright, sure, the story in the beginning isn't that great, but it picks up later into the game. It gets really good starting from the first expansion! "

Hawk scratched the back of his head. "I believe there is an option to play through the previous expansions, no?"

"Well, yeah, but - "

"Pulling in ten!" another person said across the room, cutting Wolf off.

"When we're done with this, start New Game+, got it?" Wolf ordered, jabbing her fingers into the side of Hawk's head. "And once you get more familiar with the mechanics, we're doing some Extreme and Savage raids."

"Yes, mother," Hawk sighed.

Wolf's fingers painfully dug into Hawk's temple, and he leaned away.

"Call me that again and I'll bend you over my knee," Wolf threatened.

"Don't threaten me with a good time!" someone else yelled from across the room.

"Piss off!" Wolf yelled back.

"Pulling in four!" the party leader announced as the door to the room opened. "Three! Two. O-One…"

His voice trailed off, having become nothing more than a whisper by the end of the countdown. Curious as to what caught his attention, everyone else looked towards the door, and everyone in the room paled at the man standing at the door's entrance. His usually spotless suit had specks of dust on it and the bottoms of his shoes were dirtied.

"M-Mister Taurus, s-sir!"

Nobody dared move a muscle as the commander's head slowly moved around the room, his eyes undoubtedly capturing the faces of everyone in the room. On their computer screens, the enemy boss began attacking the player characters.

"What are you doing," the commander demanded.

No one had the courage to answer, their jaws having clamped shut in fear. Three seconds of silence passed before the commander took a single step forward, causing everyone in the room to flinch.

"W-We were taking a break, sir," someone managed to say. "C-Cause the o-operation in Mt. Glenn's tunnels w-was terminated. We cleaned up and m-made sure to erase all traces of us having been there."

"Even got that pompous human and his pet to leave too!" another added.

The others frantically nodded in agreement, hoping that their reasons and excuses would be enough to placate the volatile commander even a little.

Silence fell upon the room again as they waited for the commander's response. Any moment now, he would draw that sword of his and destroy all of the computers in the room and turn the blade upon them as punishment for slacking off.

The commander adjusted his grip on his sword and took a step forward.

'Ah, we're dead,' the White Fang members collectively thought to themselves, closing their eyes in resignation.

Seconds passed and the only sounds in the rooms were the hums of the running computers and the commander's footsteps as he got closer and closer to the center of the room. He was no doubt relocating himself in order to be an equal distance from the others and the machines, making it easier for him to destroy with a single swing.

But then the commander's steps continued and kept going.

Hesitatingly, Wolf cracked open one eye to see what was happening. She saw the commander's suit passing by right in front of her and she quickly shut her eye again. The commander's steps continued to pass her and exited the room through the door on the other side of the room. Her acute nose picked up his scent, but at the same time, there was something else that she smelled on the commander. It was coffee and…

One of the others in the room exhaled loudly. "I thought we were gonna die."

"Seriously," another said. "I'd rather face an entire horde of Grimm with manticores rather than the commander."

"So, we continuing?" a faunus with bear ears asked, gesturing at the game screen. The boss fight had reset a long time ago and everyone was back at the beginning of the fight.

"After that? Hell no! I'm going to bed!"

The others agreed and began logging off the game. There were a few "GG"s and "Good pulls" as they left the break room, leaving Hawk and Wolf alone in the room.

Hawk leaned towards Wolf. "The commander felt different, no? Normally, he would not be the type to let this sort of thing go so easily, much less without a single word."

"Yeah."

"Do you think something happened to him?"

Wolf breathed in. She could still smell the lingering scent of roasted coffee mixed with alcohol. She looked over at Hawk and tossed him a smirk. He raised a brow in return.

"Looks like our commander finally visited our resident shepherd-friend," she grinned.

It took Hawk a moment to register her words. When it did, his eyes widened slightly. With a nod, he pushed himself to his feet and Wolf followed.

"Are we telling Canis about this?" Hawk asked.

"Nah. He'll figure out that we know something soon enough, but let's let him struggle to figure out what we know," Wolf laughed.

"How devilish. Very well."

They shut the door behind them and the White Fang's break room was empty once more.

. . .


. . .

For the longest time, I was avoiding any and every MMO because I know how much of a timesink they can be and how addicting they are. Hell, the last time I ever touched an MMO was the beginning of WoW: Cataclysm, and that was back in Dec2010. Nearly an entire decade. A decade of being MMO-sober until I tried out Final Fantasy 14 back in Sept2020.

Since then, I've gotten 7 jobs to 80 (PLD, DRK, GNB, MNK, SAM, NIN, MCH), 5 to 70+ (DRG, SMN, BLM, WHM, RDM), and 2 DoH to 80(BSM, LTH). Am I addicted?
...Of course not. I can quit anytime. (avoids eye contact)

The last bit with Wolf and Hawk was one of my more memorable experiences with the Trial Duty Roulette. It was fun helping the first-timers through it. They would die to mechanics, ask questions, I and the other tank would answer while we just ate the boss's autos, then we'd purposely wipe and start over. Took almost 40min, but it was a fun 40min. Not to mention that the OST, To the Edge, is fantastic.

But the 6.0 trailer music though...oof.
I think I've had that playing ever since I heard it and Sleeping Penguin and Husky by the Geek (both youtubers) made covers for it.

Now, enough about FF14.

I initially planned on having the Mt. Glenn / Train / Vale fight take place like in canon. Previous easter-egg characters would make cameos (Cu Chulainn with his fishing rod, Pyrrha's mentor, and Team SKVS to mention a few) and Robin would just hang out in front of his store zapping Grimm that would approach his store. However, I didn't think it would make much sense given what happened previously. The story has deviated from the canon RWBY timeline, even if it's only a slight deviation. Things are going to be a lot more peaceful in this storyline than it is in canon.

I apologize for the long wait between now and the previous update. I've had very little free time on my hands (literally only a few hours per day) and that little free time has been going to FF14 (I swear I'm not addicted). But, given that I've more or less caught up on most of the content aside from a few raids that I've yet to unlock, updates shouldn't take as long as they did prior.

Thank you to everyone for the follows, favorites, reviews, and views. This story broke 1k follows, and, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, is definitely not something that I thought would happen when I first began writing this story. Truly, thank you.