Chapter 31: Chapter 29

“Morn’n! Woah, you look ghoulish, what were you up to last night?”
“Morning. Haa~... Ji-Hye’s got me on some new game she wants us to play together. I should have known better than to listen to her when she wanted me to stay up late and play, I’d wager she isn’t even showing up today.”

Mitra shook his head with a shrug and a smug grin.

“Yuuji, my dear friend. Don’t you know young gents like us need to get a healthy sleep schedule? Next thing you know you’ll have ruined your chances at getting girls.”
“Life isn’t just about ‘getting girls’ you know.”

The infuriatingly handsome youth laughed merrily as if his friend had been joking, and they both took their seats while chatting before the day’s classes started.

Just as he had suspected, Yuuji glanced over, again and again, to find Ji-Hye’s seat still empty. The thought that she was likely in the middle of a lovely dream while he was suffering in class caused evil ideas to sprout in his mind, but he quickly dismissed them for now and decided he’d plot her punishment later.

Mr Pierce had entered the room and scanned the seats to find everyone present. Everyone he expected to be present, at least.

“We’re starting with an announcement today. The next extermination assignment has been set, and we’re continuing our heading to the British Isles for a variety of smaller tasks. Lesser demon presence on the Isles is almost nonexistent these days due to their small and isolated geographical nature, but with the population spread widely over countless small villages and towns, greater demons are able to take root more easily.”

His words commanded their attention, and everyone exchanged glances at the mention of greater demons. Though they were named ‘greater’, it just encompassed all kinds that weren’t lesser demons, and the danger of the situation varied wildly based on what demon would be faced.

“The tasks are all over the Isles, so we’ll be splitting into groups once more and tackling them in order of priority. There have been very few confirmed casualties over all of these requests, so the threat level is low, but as always; don’t get cocky.”

The tension softened slightly as they heard the news. In most cases having casualties at all would be a disaster, but in the case of greater demons, single-digit deaths simply meant less danger than deaths in the hundreds - or thousands.

Attributing thousands of deaths to a single greater demon was the stuff of myths, but the rumours were frighteningly based on truth. After sightings of a suspected ancient vampire in various Slavic regions, entire villages were found devoid of life overnight, only for the creature to disappear into the snow, never to be seen again.

“We passed through the New Panama Canal last week, so we’re crossing the Atlantic, and are estimated to arrive off the coast of England within 6 or 7 days. There’ll be no landfall until that point, so plan accordingly.”

Yuuji had mixed feelings about his return to Britain. He had spent his last two years in England before attending the academy, so he was happy that he would be able to go back, but they were there on business - he couldn’t just take a trip to see acquaintances on a whim.

“The British Ministry of Defence will be working with us in terms of intelligence provided, and they may also provide guides and manpower depending on the situation. You’ll be properly briefed as and when more details are available.”

From there, the lesson continued into common demons found in western Europe, especially those with Celtic or English origins. Many were ones that Yuuji was familiar with, and some he had even fought in the past.

Time passed quickly, and before long the bell rang to mark the end of the day.

Hibiki had plans to meet up with Ayumi in the library, and with Ji-Hye missing for the day Yuuji was alone for the evening. This wasn’t necessarily an issue, as he’d been waiting for an afternoon just like this one.

Grabbing his things and saying his farewells until tomorrow, he headed back to the dorms to drop off his bag. He didn’t bother getting changed out of uniform as everyone on the island was well aware of who the students were anyway, and he still didn’t have much in the way of casual wear, so the black and red Phoenix attire suited him nicely.

He left his room with a skip in his step and a smile on his face, heading back towards Helios’

Main street.

******

“Ahh~”

He let out a hefty breath of satisfaction after his first sip of fresh coffee. The peaceful atmosphere surrounding him was sheer bliss, as unobtrusive jazz music played gently around his ears, and sweet and nutty aromas swirled through the air.

He had long awaited a return to Le Nid D'Oiseau, as it’d left quite the impression on him, and he wanted to find an opportunity to visit on his own to make the most of this modern paradise. Yuuji wasn’t a coffee aficionado by any means, as he often preferred a variety of teas when given a choice of hot drink, but the masterful hand of the owner was beginning to sway him.

The man himself stood looking as composed as ever behind the counter, dutifully cleaning the most minuscule layers of dust off of the glasses and mugs surrounding him. He never seemed to remain still and was working on something every time Yuuji glanced over, but it was always meticulously done and didn’t seem rushed.

His hair was neatly shaved short, and a thick, immaculately maintained chevron moustache lined his upper lip. He was burly, and his broad shoulders stood atop a wide and muscular chest, mostly hidden by his well-kept black apron with the shop name elegantly embroidered in the middle.

Yuuji wouldn’t be surprised at all if it turned out he had been a bodybuilder in his previous occupation, though it was hard to imagine the mountain of a man anywhere other than behind the counter, judging by how naturally he performed his job.

“The same as usual, I assume?”

Yuuji’s thoughts were startled as the owner suddenly spoke, his deep voice resonating clearly, but without a level of volume to disturb the other customers.

“Same as usual, Owner.”
“Right away. Take a seat, I’ll bring it over.”

The man, Mr Pierce, rapped his knuckle on the counter with a grin. It was rare to see him in such a good mood, and as he turned from the bar the two of them locked eyes.

“Evening, Mr Pierce.”
“You can call me Conrad here, we’re off the clock.”

He let out a chuckle as Yuuji smiled in return. He held quite a bit of respect for the man, as he commanded their lessons well and had a capable disposition, but still made sure to care for each student in their own individual way.

“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”

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The man grabbed one of the comfortable leather seats that remained unused nearby and sat down casually.

Though they saw each other near daily, it was the first real time they’d spoken outside of class. Conrad’s professional demeanour made him feel difficult to approach, but his attitude both in and out of the classroom helped mitigate that somewhat, and in the gentle light of the café he seemed like any other normal person.

He wore a simple olive green t-shirt along with tan cargo trousers, to which Yuuji felt like he would fit right in as an extra in an American war movie. This likely wasn’t a coincidence, as he’d mentioned serving in the military before, and the influence it had on him was clear as day.

“I haven’t seen you here before. First time?”
“No, sir. Second.”
“Enough with the ‘sir’. I told you, we’re off the clock, you can relax.”

The man leaned back in his chair as he rubbed his shoulders. He was above average height and had a sturdy build, though he still looked small in comparison to the titan behind the counter.

A faint stubble lined his stocky jaw, and his ivy league haircut had begun to grey slightly. Between his brows lay deep frown lines which told tales of his past, but they had mellowed over the years, and at this moment he gave off a relaxed aura.

“...I enjoyed my first visit and figured I’d come back alone sometime. The quality of this place is something else.”
“Hah! It’s hard to beat this ambience, that’s for sure. Both as a café and as a bar, this is my favourite hangout.”

Yuuji blinked in surprise and gave Conrad a quizzical glance.

“It’s a bar too?”
“What, you thought the bottles in the back were just for display?”
“I guess I didn’t really consider it.”
“Owner doesn’t just have a taste for coffee - his picks of booze are second to none.”
“...Seems a little strange to hear my teacher say that.”
“I guess nobody told you then. The drinking age in Heliopolis is 18, though there are pretty strict punishments if you’re caught going overboard. Not that Owner would let you get that far here, anyways.”

The news was unexpected, as Yuuji had simply assumed that his grandfather would have taken Japan’s standard of 20 years for the minimum drinking age, but after all, Helios was an independent state, and not subject to their laws.

He’d had alcohol several times throughout his life, but always in moderation. Many cultures had alcoholic ties for symbolic or ritualistic means, so he wasn’t one to shy away, but it hadn’t crossed his mind since joining the academy.

At first, he found it somewhat strange that the others in Phoenix hadn’t brought up the subject, but none of them particularly seemed the type to party or overindulge. Some wouldn’t drink for religious reasons, others as they sought to remain in peak condition at every moment, and the ones that would drink likely only enjoyed it casually.

“You kids are pretty boring, huh?”
“What do you want from me…”

Conrad broke into a laugh as if he’d been reading Yuuji’s mind.

“You should cut loose every now and then. It’s no use if everyone’s too high-strung all the time. You’re young. Enjoy life.”
“I think I can enjoy life without the need for a hangover.”
“I’m not saying drinking is the same as having fun - it’s not. But don’t you think there are some people in class who’d benefit from branching out a little more? You’re one of the first I’ve seen to actually socialise outside of your own little clique.”

Certainly, he’d long ago noticed that his classmates interacted with each other sparingly. There were some exceptions to the rule such as Hema and Elis, but the others mostly kept to themselves, or only interacted with close friends.

“In a normal academy, perhaps you’d have more friends around your age outside of class. But here… it’s different. You don’t all have to be buddy-buddy, but I hope that everyone is able to trust each other fully. It’s hard to tell from an outside perspective, you know?”
“...I can’t disagree. Expeditions are more efficient if everyone can work as a team properly.”
“Jeez, if you say it like that, it’ll make me think you’re missing the point.”

Conrad grinned widely at him as they spoke. The man wasn’t entirely deadpan while teaching, but it was refreshing to see him being so spirited.

“Coffee’s ready. Here you go, Conrad.”
“Perfect timing! Mmm… it smells great!”

The owner set down a large cup on the table between both of them, and a pleasant aroma wafted over once more. He looked set to drink it right away, but he paused as the burly man beside him lingered at the table, and spoke again.

“...Did I already serve this to you a moment ago?”
“No..? Owner, are you feeling alright?”
“Totally fine. Just a case of Deja Brew, that's all.”
“...”

The giant stood motionless: his poker face in play, as Yuuji’s jaw dropped. He’d never seen a more poorly timed, out-of-the-blue pun, and he was totally lost for words.

His companion, however, was not the same.

“Bwahahahaha! Deja-! Deja ‘Brew’! Ahahaha!”

Conrad slapped his knee multiple times as he gasped for air between his fits of laughter. His words slowly became incomprehensible as he roared out, the joke apparently becoming even funnier as time passed.

The owner, his job finished, gave a slight hint of a smirk, and returned behind the bar once again. He’d struck a fearsome blow, and masterfully left the scene as composed as he’d entered - with only Yuuji remaining in shock as to what had just happened.

“De-Deja… Brew…”
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”

In a bizarre turn of events, Yuuji felt the corners of his lips twitch slightly.

The more he thought about it, it was actually, possibly, maybe… kind of funny?

“Haha… hahaha!”
“Bwahaha!”

He’d somehow been converted as well, as Conrad’s infectious laugh wore through the confusion he was feeling, and now the two of them were laughing like idiots together. The serene air of the café was shattered between the two of them, but they were far beyond caring as their raucous giggles held them captive.

By the time they’d finally managed to calm down, their drinks had long since gone cold.

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