Chapter 4 – Only Coffee Lovers Left Alive
Despite the whole ordeal with the Millelith, the rest of the week passed by without any issues, and it seemed to be a good one if the influx of new customers were any indication. It wasn't comparable to a Monday morning rush by any means, but even he hadn't been entirely ready for this new wave of customers, though this definitely meant he'd be well over the green for this week. At first Chris wasn't sure why a new batch of regulars were dropping by but with a little tidbit from Lan, bless her heart, he learned that one of his customers witnessed a….what was it again? He cringed as he recalled exactly what she said.
'A severe injustice led by the Millelith in order to ensure he can't call this place home.'
Their words, not his. And he really hoped this wouldn't harm his already less then stellar reputation with the Millelith. While he liked a little exposure and free advertising, he prayed it wouldn't come at a heavy cost down the line. He took a moment to survey the café, noting that a few of the new customers were from the Adventurer's Guild, in no doubt thanks to Lan. The rest looked to be no more than the usual. A pinch of Liyuean natives, but primarily people from Snezhnaya, Monstadt and even Sumeru given by the nature of their clothing.
Speaking of which, how someone like Ivanovich can wear such a burly coat in Liyue's current climate is beyond him. He figured with how cold Snezhnaya's climate tends to be, Ivanovich would be more than happy to take his coat off, but this clearly isn't the case. Perhaps it's a bit of national pride. Can't fault him for that anyhow.
However, one customer stood out from the rest. If his appearance didn't sear an image right into his brain, then it was certainly his order.
"I'd like to order an egg coffee please. Freshly ground and include the shell as well. Once you add the sludge to the boiling water, I'll also like for you to lower the heat by five degrees when you leave it to a simmer. Oh, for precisely eight minutes, if you please. Ensure the color of the liquid is a deep amber before you decant it. It is the namesake of your establishment after all."
It isn't like Chris had regulars that were particular about their order, but he's never had a customer ask that he be so…thorough. Granted, egg coffee wasn't exactly the norm to order, so he couldn't fault the man for being so precise with his instructions. And it was clear that the man knew what he was talking about. This wasn't your pretentious order of an iced latte with four pumps of a honey blend, heavy cream with almond milk, cinnamon powder and then three pumps of chai to be added only after the power finished mixing in. Seriously, that didn't even sound good. But no, Chris could tell the man in front of him knew his way around coffee.
What impressed even moreso was that the man was Liyuean himself. Not to be stereotypical, but Keqing wasn't the first person he knew that tried to order something akin to a 'standard' coffee. In terms of Liyueans, it was really only those who were willing to dip their toe into something new who were willing to try out his establishment. So it made Chris just a little bit happy that someone other than his regulars could appreciate just what goes on behind the counter.
Chris eyed the tall man once more as he finished up the last steps for the order. Like he said before, the man was strapping. To an enviable degree if he had to be honest. He had a towering presence, but his outfit spoke more of regality than that of intimidation. The man wore a clearly expensive brown coat with gold and white embellishments that tapered off with ornate tassels. His skin was fair, the makeup immaculate, and his brown hair was far from messy. Shit, Chris was a tad embarassed to admit it, but he's probably eyed this man up moreso than Keqing, Hu Tao and Ningguang combined.
"Sir, if you pour anymore the cup will overflow."
"What's up? O-, woah!"
Chris caught himself at the last second as he moved the pot away, ensuring he didn't spill any of the contents right onto the counter and thankfully not onto the man himself.
"Sorry, got a little distracted there."
No thanks to you, though Chris kept that thought to himself.
"No worries. I can already tell you put in a lot of work into this establishment. And all by yourself, it seems. It is only natural that the burden of work will catch up if you put in this much of an effort, every day no less."
Chris beamed. He was weak to sincere compliments. "Well, I try."
"Though I do suggest you hire someone to help you along the way sometime soon. If you're not experienced in drafting contracts, I could provide some help if you so wish."
Chris chuckled as he passed the now finished coffee. "You a contractor with an agency or something?"
"None of the sort. I was actually sent here by the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Told me that I should 'lend a hand' by acquiring a drink from your café."
The notion wasn't lost on Chris. "Wait, so you work for Hu Tao? You strike me more as someone who would…"
"Act as her boss? You aren't the first to think that. As difficult it may be dealing with that child, her work is exemplary. Even with her eccentric nature, those prone to superstition have changed their feelings regarding the way our parlor handles the funerals. It just goes to show how serious she takes her job."
"What does that make you then?"
The man took a quick waft of the coffee before bringing it to his lips and taking a light sip. "Hm. I don't mean to change the topic, but the blend is excellent. I can certainly see why Hu Tao sent me here."
"Glad to be of service. Did you want anything else to accompany that? A snack or pastry perchance?" Chris asked.
"No thank you. The drink will suffice. Though I must ask, do you have any beans from Natlan? There is a particular brand that are grown on the fertile volcanic soils that provide a richness that complements its fruity and winey aftertaste."
Chris shook his head as he gave him an apologetic smile. "It's been hard to get beans from there at the moment. Same with Fontaine. Though I did just get a batch from Sumeru the other day. Judging by your question, you also seem to like your coffee bold and bright?"
"You're giving me too much credit here. I'm no connoisseur when it comes to coffee. The idea of trying new blends merely fascinates me. I am more practiced when it comes to tea if anything."
Chris winced. "Sorry if the name gave you the wrong idea."
The man laughed. "Think nothing of it. And to answer your question from earlier, I'm actually a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I only just realized we've gone this far and we haven't even introduced ourselves." He whipped a card from one his front pockets and handed it over to Chris. "I go by the name Zhongli. As a consultant, it is my job to provide the upcoming undertakers with a suitable education. This way, they do not overlook anything regarding a client's wishes when it comes to organizing a funeral."
Chris's smile faded and he looked the card over. "When you say it, it sounds like heavy business. Can't pretend that I know much that goes on in that practice. Hu Tao makes it sound lighter than it is." He pocketed the card. "My name's Chris. Though I'm sure you knew that."
"If it weren't for Hu Tao, then I wouldn't have known to be honest."
"What do you mea-?" Chris glanced down and noticed that he forgot his name tag. Again. "Hell, this happens every time. Stupid thing."
Zhongli finished the last of his cup in front of Chris's antics before speaking up. "I would like to add that this wasn't the only reason I wanted to visit. One was for Hu Tao, but the other was to apologize on behalf of Liyue for what transpired in the docks a few days prior."
Chris swallowed. "Uhm. Thanks? But why are you apologizing? It's not like you were involved in the matter."
It was obvious from Zhongli's expression that he was having trouble putting his thoughts into his words. Something that surprised Chris even though they've only shared a few pieces of dialogue. The man felt so well spoken.
"But the Traveler did say…," Zhongli mumbled to himself. "Let us just say that I apologize that the Millelith were not able to abide by the contracts given."
"Again, why are you apologizing?" Chris repeated. "I appreciate the gesture, but it's not like you're responsible for upholding all the laws in Liyue. Isn't that a job for, I don't know, the lawyers or the Qixing?"
"Perhaps you are right. In my age, I might be overthinking this quite a bit."
You look younger than me! Is what Chris would like to yell, but that would voice his insecurities out. Just a teensy bit. There was a bit of an awkward tension and doing his best to alleviate it, the best thing Chris thought of was to shoot out his hand.
"Let's start this one over real quick. The name's Chris and thank you for visiting my café."
Zhongli returned his gesture with a firm grip. "Very well. A pleasure to meet you. As for the payment, you can leave it on Director Hu's tab."
"Excuse me?" Chris's grip tightened as Zhongli meant to pull away. "We don't do tabs here."
Zhongli coughed into his open hand. "That…is quite the problem as I seem to have forgotten my wallet. Rest assured, I will come back at a later date or have the Director pay it off when she comes to visit."
"Oh no nonono. You don't get a choice in the matter here buddy." Customer service may be considered king, but that rule only applied if they had the means to pay for the services provided. "You mentioned earlier that you were knowledgeable when it came to contracts? I think it's about time we drafted one up right now."
The front door chimed as Hu Tao entered, opening with a loud hello that resonated throughout the café.
"What's…up?"
Hu Tao saw Chris and looked to Zhongli with a brow raised, who was wearing a non-fitting apron and was clearly tending to the dishes within the sink. Zhongli turned to Hu Tao, but with a quick 'nope' Hu Tao exited as clean as she entered.
Once Zhongli left after completing his due half an hour of community service (it was only one cup at the end of the day, and the satisfaction was punishment enough), Chris returned to his daily routine. The man was…unique to say the least. For better or worse, that man certainly fit the bill for someone working under Hu Tao. He doubts most would take it as a compliment however.
It wasn't long until a man with long black hair tied in a bun wearing the standard uniform of the Adventurer's Guild, walked up to the counter. "Well, isn't it the man of the hour?"
Chris looked concerned as he continued to wipe the mugs with his cleaning rag. He recognized the man immediately, given they were essentially former colleagues. "What is it Zhiping?"
The adventurer smirked. "So, you do recognize who I am."
With a silent grunt, Chris placed the mug on the drying rack and gave him his full attention. "How could I not? You're one of the Investigators for the Intelligence Department in Liyue. We've read each other's reports. Hell, we've seen each other's photos. Though this does mark the first time we've met in person."
"In that case, you should have an idea why I'm here."
"I refuse."
"But you haven't even heard me out yet!"
Chris sighed as he desperately listened for the door chime to ring, waiting for a customer so he'd have some kind of excuse to turn Zhiping away. That's right...Any minute now! Damn it. Even with the influx of customers since his little stint with the Millelith, it was a far cry to say he would be tending to characters left and right. Which unfortunately meant he had to entertain the fellow.
Groaning, he stepped around the counter to speak face to face. "You want me on a job."
"That's right. We need an investigator to accompany and gather information for one of our main adventurers due to take part in the Chasm Exploration Team."
Chris's ears perked up. "The Chasm? They're finally allowing Adventurers to investigate it?"
Zhiping nodded. "That's right. Thing is, they only want seasoned adventurers in on this mission. And after the stunt you pulled in Monstadt with your unofficial resignation, Alfry had half a mind to come over here and drag you back home. Especially with how the Monstadt Branch is still lacking a sufficient number of members."
Tch, of course Alfry would label it unofficial. Granted, he didn't go through the proper channels, but he left a letter stating his reasons. He even returned his badge back at his official post, hoping it'd act like the final nail in the coffin. He leaned back into the counter, with his head tilting to look up at the ceiling. Apparently not with Zhiping here.
"But this is my home." Chris tapped his counter a few times. "Like I've said before. I'm retired. At the ripe age of twenty-four, ready to do battle with people. Not mountains."
"That's a load of crap and you know it." He crossed his arms. "I've seen how thorough your reports are and Alfry said you're not the type to just quit out of the blue." Zhiping leaned in, beginning a whisper as he noticed a few of the patrons now had their ears trained in on their conversation. "And don't think I didn't notice the spark in your eye when I mentioned the Chasm. You want to take this job, so what's stopping you?"
Chris pointed a glare at Zhiping. "You're awfully noisy considering this is our first meeting."
He shrugged. "Please, we may as well be pen pals with how many reports we've exchanged. Besides, it's not like I'm saying we need an answer now." Zhiping pulled a letter out from his satchel and placed it on the countertop. "The deadline to answer is within a week's time, so mull it over. Plus, the pay is nice. The Archons know you could use all the help you can get if you want to keep this place afloat."
Ok, now he was really offended. "I'm doing fine, thank you very much." He wasn't lying. If anything, he was doing better. If it pays the bills, then by all accounts, he was technically fine? The look on Zhiping's face told him he wasn't really convinced. Begrudgingly, he pocketed the letter. "I'll read it only because I know it's from Alfry. But why contact me now?"
He was living in Liyue for well over six months now and given the fact that the Adventurer's Guild stopped trying to contact him a month after he decided to call it quits, he made the assumption that Alfry accepted what happened and moved on.
"Alfry pretty much said that you could use the break. She doesn't know why you left, but she figured you needed the space. Everyone there knew you moved to Liyue, but it wasn't until you had this place open for a bit that we managed to catch you."
He responded with a silent half-shrug. It wasn't like he was trying to hide. Opening a business took time so he operated off his own personal savings for the first few months.
"You tell Alfry she's still a damn slavedriver what with trying to get me back into the groove." Chris said.
"Really? I heard she was nice?"
Chris shuddered. "Deathly so. Kind to the point where you felt bad if you didn't follow through on her requests. The world's biggest slavedriver and she didn't even know it."
"Sounds rough," Zhiping agreed. "That being said, I accomplished what I came here to do. Read the letter and think it over."
He motioned to leave, but not before Chris grabbed him by his cuffs.
"Wait a second! You forgot something."
"I am?" Zhiping patted himself down, sifting through his pockets wherever possible. He even went as far as to check under the seat before replying, "Pretty sure I've got everything I need."
Chris chuckled. "Not that." Putting on his best business smile, he jabbed a finger right at the large display menu on the wall behind him. "You really didn't think you could take up all that time and not order anything, did you?"
Zhiping mirthlessly mirrored Chris's chuckle, "Ah right. Haha. How could I forget?" His voice fell into a mumble as he placed a few coins on the counter. "The uh, cheapest drink you got."
"Cheapskate."
"Tell you what, if you tell me why you quit, I'll toss in two of those pastries."
"Noisy and nosy. I'm regretting the fact I'm even considering this job."
In the late hours of the night just a bit after closing, Chris had re-read the letter from Zhiping at least ten times. After all this time, it felt hypocritical of him to even entertain the idea of venturing deep into the Chasm. He managed to avoid Alfry for a good half a year, opened his own store, yet all it took was just the mere mention of an adventure to tug at his spirit.
The letter itself wasn't anything fancy. It mentioned the overall details. The initial stages of the plan involved him investigating the area around the entrance into the Chasm. The entrance was still blocked off by what looked to be a seal, so they were hiring adventurers to see what could be done about it. If he accepted the job, he would meet with a Zhiqiong who would act as his supporting partner. The pay was more than enough, and Chris did his best to ignore the message at the bottom.
'Come home once in a while, would you? The Archons know you were also one of three people willing to try to translate Fischl's colloquialisms.'
He sure as hell didn't miss that part of the job.
Now did he take the job or not. The last thing he needed was his resolve being shaken up when he nearly got over his resignation. At least, that's what he tries to tell himself.
"I swear, you look at that any harder and you'll burn a hole right through it."
Chris jumped in his seat. "E-Eka?! What are you doing in here?"
Somehow, Chris hadn't noticed the door chime as Eka sat in a wooden chair, dangerously close to him as she peered over his shoulder.
"Must've been really out of it if you couldn't hear me after all that. Didn't realize you worked in the Adventurer's Guild. When were you gonna tell me?"
Grabbing onto the butt of his chair, he inched away pulling his letter all the more closer to him. "I used to work with them, though it seems they didn't officially pen me down as resigned." He silently cursed Alfry.
"If you're an adventurer, then why are you here playing the role of a barista in Liyue?"
He groaned. Why is it today that everyone felt like prying into his own personal life? "Because I like this job."
"Not as much as adventuring if that look of yours is telling me anything."
Facing away from the Fatui, Chris folded the letter and placed it in his breast pocket. "Sometimes, you're just meant to do other things. It's as simple as that."
"Sure, sounds a lot like running away."
The sound of wood scratching along the floor spoke volumes on Chris's answer. "I'm not running away. I just had a change in plans. And why are you even here? If you want a pastry, you already know that the cakes are up for grabs, so just get it and go already."
Ekaterina stares at Chris. "Are you really trying to deflect the topic?"
"Ekaaaa…," All Chris could do was whine.
"Alright, I'll lay off. It's clear the topic is a little uncomfortable, but do know you're amongst friends here. You're not in Monstadt anymore. So, things are different here." Ekaterina says. Despite her looks, there's no judgement in her tone which allows Chris to relax. But it doesn't do much to kill the tension in the air.
"So, about that coffee?" Ekaterina speaks up.
With a sigh of relief, Chris got to working the coffee machines. "I thought you'd never ask."
He thought back to the letter.
For now, he'll stay true to the promise he made. He had to.
I was going to post this earlier, but I got hit with covid over the past week. That was fun. In other news, we're finally getting into bits and pieces as to why our main character is even hosting the establishment to begin with. I'll be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely too satisfied with how this chapter came out, but I was having trouble trying to make it any better. I'll take it as a learning moment I suppose.
As an answer to one of the reviewers, I should be DuceOfTanks now on Ao3. I initally thought people would try to search by the title name, but I changed my name so that it matches with the profile there. Sorry for that trouble.