259 - - 二百五十七话 コーヒー生活

I asked Nomos to build a roasting machine for me, and I roasted the beans while If was heating them over a fire. The first time I tried it on medium heat, and the second time I tried it on high heat. I think that the high heat roasted a little too deeply, but the color should be within the acceptable range.

Now, I have the finished coffee beans in front of me. They look a little shiny, but maybe I'm just being patronizing because I made them myself. I still don't know if the coffee is really ready to drink. Let's try a tasting right away.

Sylphy, I'm going to taste it, can you take these coffee beans roasted on medium and high heat and grind them into a powder for me?

"Okay, but how big is powdery?　About the size of flour?"

Flour is pretty fine. If it were that fine, a substitute filter would not be able to pass through it.

"Flour is a little too fine, so please make it about the size of a grain of sand.

"Okay."

Sylphy nods, and a ball of wind begins to wrap and spin around the coffee beans. I thought it was the same as during threshing, but I noticed a difference as the coffee beans became finer and finer. It seemed that inside the ball of wind there were numerous wind blades installed inside.

"Is this what it looks like?　I've got a little bit of a fine one now, check it out."

"Okay, I'll check it out."

I check the coffee beans that Sylphy ground for me. ...... There are indeed a few fine powder-like particles, but they are almost the same size as grains of sand as requested. I tell Sylphy that it is good enough, and ask her to grind the coffee beans roasted on high heat.

"Okay, I'm going to brew some coffee.

I put a wash cloth on the dripper Nomos made for me and put the ground coffee beans on the medium heat. I take out the hot water from the magic bag and transfer it to the pot, also made by Nomos, and pour the hot water into the pot, turning it slowly.

I've never brewed coffee using a dripper because I specialize in instant coffee. All I know is to pour hot water in first and let it steep a little, and to pour hot water slowly, but I think I can manage.

"Hey, Yuta, the black water is falling down, are you going to drink it?"

Is if okay?　He asks me with a look on his face. I can see why you would think so when you see a cup of coffee for the first time.

"It's okay, it's okay, but the color is too pale. The coffee I know is darker, so the medium heat might have failed."

"Ugh, and it still turns black. It doesn't look good."

"Haha, it's a habit if you get into it."

Coffee may be a hurdle for first-timers.

"But it smells good. The color is black, but it's not burnt.

Sylphy noticed the good part. The color is light, but it smells like coffee. I'm quite curious about the taste. I brew the coffee slowly, trying not to rush.

Enough coffee has accumulated in the pot to fill a cup. ......The color is still pale and the aroma is weak.

"Well, I'll try a sample.

He sips his coffee with the attention of Sylphy and If. ...... Is this a mistake?

"What do you think?"

"Yeah, it's not like any coffee I know. The aroma is weak and the acidity is stronger than the bitterness. Maybe I didn't roast it enough."

It's not that I can't drink it this way, but if I add milk and sugar, the coffee will be completely defeated.

"Failure."

"Yes, it's a failure. I'll try the other one."

I thought this one might be over-roasted, but that's to be expected considering the failure of the medium-hot beans. The pot and dripper are rinsed, the coffee is set, and the hot water is poured in time again.

With instant coffee, all you have to do is pour hot water, but brewing coffee like this takes a lot of time and effort. Those who know what coffee tastes like may prefer it this way, but for me, instant coffee is good enough. I can't find it anywhere.

"Oh, it's pretty black."

"Yes, the aroma is much stronger than before."

As Ifu and Sylphy said, the coffee that fell out of the dripper was definitely more coffee-like than the first time. This is promising.

"Well, let's try a sample..."

He looks at the coffee poured from the pot into a cup. Yes, I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but it's dark. That's the coffee. I sip my coffee with a sense of success.

"......Yeah, that's the coffee I know. It has a strong bitterness with a slight acidity and a wonderful mellow aroma.

"Yuta, I know what you mean, but if you distort your face so much, you won't be able to convince me.

"Yeah, it looks bad by all accounts."

"No, this is definitely proper coffee. It's just that I like to put sugar and milk in my coffee.

Drinking it black makes my face look a little bitter.

Anyway, this is really coffee. Black is not for me, but it might be for Shilfi and Ifu, so give it a try.

Pour coffee into a new cup and place it in front of Sylphy and If.

"...... I'm a little hesitant."

"Yeah."

...... My reluctance seems to have aroused Sylphy's and If's caution.

"But the food in Yuta's world is delicious. It would be a shame not to try it.

Sylphy takes the cup in her hand and sips the coffee slowly as if she had made up her mind.

"Well?"

"Is it good?"

"...... Well, it's not bad. It's definitely bitter, but the aroma on the nose and the slight sweetness ...... make it a good drink for a change."

Oh, surprisingly high praise. Sylphy's taste buds seem to be more mature.

"Well then, I'll try it too.

If sips his coffee, perhaps reassured by Shilfi's assessment. My expectation was that If would be the first to take a sip, but I was surprised that he took a sip after checking Sylphy's condition. He may be a fighting maniac, but he likes to eat and drink standard food.

"Well, it's true that I can drink it, but I don't think it tastes very good. I like the aroma, though.

If frowns after taking a sip. He did not like the taste very much.

"Well, black coffee is not for everyone. From here you can adjust it to your liking.

He explains while taking out sugar and milk from the table. Sylphy and If are curious to hear how I adjust the taste to their liking.

"Well, in my case, I don't need so much sweetness, so I'll add milk.

But won't that kill the aroma?　I think I'd prefer just sugar."

Sylphy and If start talking about coffee, surprisingly happily. I was surprised at this reaction, since Iph seemed to be a little bit uncomfortable with coffee, not to mention Shilfi. He says that the aroma is good, so he has no problem with it as long as he can adjust the taste.

If the coffee had not gotten a good reputation, I would have thought of making a coffee cocktail as a last resort. I'm glad I didn't play my trump card.

Even if everyone else doesn't like the coffee, I can enjoy it on my own, but I did my best, and I'm glad that everyone likes it too.

In the end Sylphy liked the coffee with a dash of milk and If with a spoonful of sugar. In my case, two spoons of sugar and a little milk is quite good.

But it's not easy to make and drink coffee with a dripper every time, so I'd like to make a big pot of coffee and store it in my magic bag. I'd like to treat everyone else to a cup of coffee after lunch, and I'll make sure to have plenty of coffee on hand while I'm at it.

"Sylphy, If, thank you for your help. I'll go home and make a big pot of coffee, you're free to go. And invite Dine and the others to come for lunch. I want them to try the coffee."

The Great Spirits have been getting together for meals lately, but with the brewery thing, there's a good chance they won't show up if we don't call on them.

"Okay, I'll invite Deanne and the others. I'll go check on the brewery."

I'm going with you.

I see Sylphy and If off and head back to the house myself. Lunch is in a couple of hours, which is plenty of time.

I've got plenty of time.

After lunch, when everyone had gathered, it was time to show off the coffee.

This is the coffee I used to drink back home. You should try it too."

Black for the Great Spirits. Coffee milk with lots of milk and sugar for Belle, Gina and Fuchu.

I'll explain the coffee to Belle, Gina, and Fuchu, leaving the explanation of the coffee for the Great Spirits to Shilfi and If. Gina seems to have no problem with Sylphy and the others' explanation, but let's have her experience coffee milk for the first time in Makizoe.

"Yuta, does this taste good?"

Belle holds the cup with both hands and asks with an expectant look on her face. Most kids like coffee milk, right?　There are some children who don't like milk, but the members here are enjoying the food with milk in it. It should be no problem.

"Yes, it's very tasty. Try some."

"Swallow."

Perhaps Bell's words were a signal, Rain, Gina, and Fuchu all sipped coffee milk at the same time.

"Yummy", "coo-coo", "sweet", "coo-coo", "yummy!", "yummy!" ......"""hooo"""pgiew"""waff""......""

The belles and fukes love it. Gina and her friends are ...... Gina and Sara are kind of serious about making sure it tastes good. I think they are becoming more like cooks in their thinking and behavior. Marco and Kikka are happily gulping down their coffee milk. They seem to like it.

"Yuta's color is different..."

I was watching Gina and the others, and before I knew it, Belle was peering into my cup. It seemed that she had already drunk her share.

"Yummy?"

"You mean this coffee?"

"Yes."

"It's good, but a little bitter for Belle, don't you think?"

It has two cups of sugar and milk. It should be easy to drink as coffee, but it's not ready for the Belles. They are looking at my coffee with great interest.

"It's bitter, it doesn't taste good!"

Belle is looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm shocked.

"Adults, you know, sometimes it tastes better if it's a little bitter," he says.

"Mmm, Belle, you're an adult."

Belle is not an adult. He may be older than me, but at least he has the tongue of a child. So don't stare at my coffee with such interest. Is that it?　Is it that feeling you get when you're a kid and the food the adults are eating looks strangely delicious?

"Belle, would you like a drink?"

"Nmu. Bel...adult..."

...... If this happens, can't we just let him drink it or else it won't work?　I can see the consequences, and I can tell Belle that she's not ready yet, and she'll give up, but in that case, it's going to be on my mind for a long time. I had a huge interest in beer when I was a kid too. ....... I thought I was just an adult keeping all the good juice to myself.

"Well, do you want some?"

"Swish!"

Belle jumps happily into my cup. ...... Let's get something to wipe with for now.

"Okay, just a little bit."

"Okay."

Belle happily took my cup of coffee in her mouth and spit it out. It was so predictable that I couldn't even be surprised. I quickly wipe her mouth with a towel and hand her a fresh cup of coffee milk.

"Sour!"

After gulping down the sweet coffee milk, Belle pleads with me with tears in her eyes. I'm sorry, I knew this was coming.

"Belle was just a child, wasn't she?"

He pats her on the head and tells her the truth.

"Belle, I was a child!"

A little disappointed, but satisfied, Belle nodded her head in agreement. By the way, Rain and Fukuchan, who were watching with interest behind me, looked away from me when they saw Bell's tragedy. If Belle had said it tasted good, they would have wanted to drink it, too.

The coffee tasting by the Great Spirits was generally well liked, although their tastes were divided among black, sugar and milk, sugar and milk. I'm glad I tried my best to use coffee beans. From now on, I can drink coffee as much as I want every day.