The Yearner for Unseen Depths

Hotel Bouffes d'ete, located in a corner of the Court of Fontaine.

"Thank you very much for helping, Freminet. If not for my next performance, I would have done this on my own."

"It's fine."

Standing in front of their home, two people can be seen talking to each other. One was an easily recognizable figure in Fontaine known for his magic— Lyney.

The other was his brother. An equally well-known figure known and regarded as one of Fontaine's best divers— Freminet.

Currently, the two brothers were chatting outside their home in the Court of Fontaine.

With a grateful voice, Lyney once again thanked him. "Really, thank you. I'll make sure to treat you and Lynette later, okay?"

"Alright." With a low voice, Freminet nodded in agreement.

The two of them talked a bit more before Lyney bid goodbye and left to go to the Aquabus station.

Freminet, who was left with the task of giving some materials to a blacksmith named Estelle.

"Let's go, Pers." Carrying a sack full of items, Freminet reminded his mechanical penguin friend, Pers.

Soon, he and Pers started walking towards Vasari Passage, where the blacksmith was.

*

*

*

After a few minutes of walking, Freminet finally arrived at Beaumont Workshop.

On a Smithing Table, a woman was studying a diagram when she suddenly saw Freminet approaching.

"Oh, if it isn't Lyney's brother!" She greeted him with a smile. "Good afternoon, Freminet, oh, and you too Pers. How have you been?"

"I'm fine... Thank you..." Freninet answered in a small shy voice. He then brought up the sack he was holding and added, "My brother told me to hand these to you..."

After that, he handed the sack to her. Estelle received it and nodded with satisfaction at the sight of what was inside.

"Alright, these seem to be the complete ingredients needed!" She smiled brightly as she thought of creating the product from the ingredients. She then looked at Freminet. "There's no need to pay. Your brother already gave an advance payment."

"I've got to say though, these Magic Pockets that your brother commissioned me to make is really a great idea..." She then started talking to herself. "And to think he'll just give them away... You guys not only have a heart of gold, but also money!"

"Is that so... Okay." Freminet simply nodded his head without changing any expression on his face. He then quickly added, "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Alright, see you again, Freminet." Estelle nodded her head as she waved at him.

Freminet didn't respond and only gave one small nod. Without saying a word, he started walking away.

Walking down Vasari passage, Freminet intended to return home and prepare some things before heading out to go diving when he spotted something in the corner of his eye.

In an unsuspecting location, a small building was present. It was in a particularly secluded spot, however, the lights inside indicated that it was open.

'I've never seen that before...' Freminet thought to himself while looking at the building.

Then, he saw a sign hanging from its door. "Le Souffle du Silence" was what was written on the signboard along with a symbol of a cup of coffee.

Freminet looked at the sign with his indifferent eyes before thinking to himself, 'I have been feeling drowsy... Perhaps one cup won't hurt...'

With that thought in mind, Freminet walked over and saw from the outside that there were not many customers inside. Only one person was sitting down at the table, reading a book.

Seeing that there was only one person and there was no crowd of people, Freminet breathed a sigh of relief.

He then entered.

*

*

*

The golden ray of sunlight shined from the blinders slightly gave the café a golden ambiance.

Sitting down on one of the tables, Isaac leisurely held what looked like a book in his hand.

On his table, a single cup of tea was present. It was green tea.

'Thank goodness this book is cheap... Otherwise, I would have had to garner more system points to buy it...' Isaac heaved a sigh of relief.

That's right. What was in his hands currently is a book. And not just any book, it was a manga.

It was something he bought from the system store.

It had been six hours since his café officially opened. However, thus far, only fourteen people have entered and sat down.

But it didn't bother Isaac one bit. Rather, he liked it more when there were few customers. At least that way, he can slouch around.

Regarding the few people who came in, he managed to reap some system points from them, thankfully.

He then used those system points to buy a tea pack and a manga from the system shop.

As for the manga Isaac bought. To be honest, he was pretty bored. The least he could do was buy entertainment for himself.

Moreover, if an opportunity arises in the future, he could even lend the mangas he reads to other customers to produce more system points.

As for other types of entertainment present for him...

"Although watching a trial does sound entertaining... It isn't for me." Isaac shook his head. He was much more comfortable with reading rather than watching a performance trial.

Truly, nothing beats the peacefulness in silence.

Ding~*

However, at this moment, the bell of the café's door chimed, indicating someone entering.

"Welcome—" Just as Isaac was about to welcome the new customer, he was momentarily stunned at who it was. 'Wait a minute... Isn't that...'

'Freminet?' Isaac immediately recognized that familiar ash-blond hair and shy gait.

Knowing who it was, Isaac decided to play it casual and professional first. He put down his cup and stood up. With a casual yet courteous tone, he greeted. "Welcome."

He then picked up his items and headed to the counter to receive Freminet.

He put on his black apron and smiled courteously at Freninet. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"Um..." Freminet initially just wanted to buy a simple coffee, but when he looked at the menu and the wide variety present, he was momentarily overwhelmed.

Seeing him hesitate, Isaac gave a light scoff. He then spoke with a respectful tone. "If you're having trouble choosing, might I recommend one for you, Monsieur?"

"If I may, might I recommend a Latte, would that be fine?" Isaac added.

"...Alright. I'll have that one." Freminet could only nod at Isaac's recommendation.

Isaac nodded with a smile and started making his coffee. Freminet sat down on one of the chairs near the counter and watched Isaac make his coffee. He was hugging Pers.

Freminet watched Isaac take some coffee powder from a sack and place it into a container. He then saw Isaac compress the coffee powder and place it inside the coffeemaker.

Soon, the strong smell of coffee whiffed in the air as both Isaac and Freminet smelled it.

"This smell always livens me up..." Isaac commented with a faint smile. He then humorously added, "Perhaps it's because of caffeine? Haha..."

"..." Freminet stayed silent. He did not want to talk. It's not because he doesn't want to talk, it's because he is naturally introverted and shy around others.

Seeing him silent, Isaac could only shake his head with a wry smile. 'Tough crowd...'

After a while, the coffee was done and Isaac started pouring the coffee into a cup. After that, he added some steamed milk.

And to finish it off, Isaac added a layer of milk foam on top.

"For this one, why don't I draw your mechanical penguin friend?" Isaac pointed at Pers.

"..." Although Freminet was silent, he was actually secretly wanting to see the Latte with Pers on it.

Seeing a glint of anticipation present in Freminet's eyes, Isaac silently nodded his head.

Soon, Isaac started modifying the milf foam on the cup, and after a few moments, a relatively recognizable penguin was present on the cup's milk foam layer.

"Enjoy, Monsieur." Isaac placed the coffee in front of Freminet. He then added with a smile, "Do be careful. It's a bit hot."

Freminet looked at the coffee given to him for a moment, admiring the penguin drawn on it.

A moment later, he picked it up and smelled it.

The first thing Freminet noticed was the rich aroma of freshly brewed espresso. The scent is bold and inviting, with hints of roasted coffee beans and a subtle underlying sweetness.

The aroma of the espresso is complemented by the creamy and slightly sweet scent of the steamed milk, creating a harmonious blend of coffee and dairy notes.

'...It smells amazing.' Freminet commented in his mind.

Smelling that it was good, Freminet brought it closer to his lips and took a sip.

Once he tasted it, a series of tastes exploded in his oral cavity.

The Café Latte offered a delightful combination of rich coffee flavors and the comforting embrace of steamed milk.

The contrast between the two elements creates a well-rounded and approachable coffee experience that instantly captures Freminet's tastebuds.

'...delicious.' Freminet thought as he slowly sipped on the cup more.

Seeing him liking the coffee, Isaac felt relieved. It was the first time he drew something on a coffee, as such, he was initially nervous.

Thankfully, Freminet liked it.

[+10]

[+10]

[+10]

[+15]

Seeing the new system points, Isaac was rendered silent. '...oh my.'