The wyvern leaped through space, arriving instantly at the Garden of Eternity's Flames, Ktuga's domain.
"There it is!"
On the cliff above the sunlit beach, a brick-built cafe building came into view.
However, as the wyvern approached the cafe, they felt a sense of bewilderment. An unexpected scene unfolded before their eyes.
Small fireballs were lined up in front of the cafe.
"Okay, one at a time. No pushing!"
"Coffee, coffee, coffee!"
Cheerful responses followed.
* * *
Time, more than enough.
Ingredients, ample stock.
Consumers, brimming with curiosity.
Quest, with a promising reward.
The conditions for a pop-up business were perfect, but one problem remained.
The fire elementals could not be allowed inside the cafe. Their bodies made of fire would quickly burn down the building.
But if I refused to sell them coffee for that reason, they would surely get angry. Their expectant eyes were fixed on me.
"Perfect, gorgeous, wonderful!"
"Number one, fantastic, coffee!"
The live commentary from Pepe beside me was enough to stimulate the elementals. Pepe, you're good at going viral...
With the elementals showing no signs of backing down, I returned to the beach where the cafe was located and fell into thought.
I could make the coffee inside and bring it out, but that would be cumbersome.
This would be better.
I retrieved a board of appropriate size and a fire-resistant cloth from the storage room attached to the ground floor of the shop.
I have no idea why such items were in the storage. Upon reflection, this storage room was disproportionately large compared to the shop and contained all sorts of things.
'Why did Grandma keep all this stuff...?'
Anyway, putting my questions aside.
With the help of Se-Derek and As, we quickly assembled the items I needed. It was a counter where customers could place their orders and receive their drinks while walking outside.
A walk-through counter, in other words.
"Okay, one at a time, no pushing!"
The curious fire elementals quickly lined up in a row at my command. Since they all ordered Irish coffee, it didn't take long to process their orders.
"Coffee, coffee, coffee!"
The last fire elemental received the coffee, a ceramic cup topped with a generous amount of cream. As the elemental drank the coffee, spewing even hotter flames, a quest completion notification immediately appeared.
Ding.
[Congratulations! You have completed the side quest: 'The Pop-Up Business Never Ends!']
[Please claim your reward.]
[Experience: You have gained 200 exp.]
[You have obtained the 'Anywhere Connection☆Mysterious Door'.]
[Reputation: +10 / Popularity: +20]
[Current Level of Cafe Reul: D]
"Hey, look over there!"
"Kyagyagyagya (it's a wyvern)!"
Just as I was about to check the rewards, Se-Derek and Miumi's sharp cries made me turn my head. I was taken aback.
What... is that... a monster? No, there are people riding it?
In the blindingly blue sky, four dragon-like monsters appeared, each carrying a person on their back.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
Wait... those wyverns are getting closer, aren't they?
The sky was adorned with dazzling acrobatic flights. Amidst someone's scream, the wyverns landed on the ground.
"Ouch, that hurts..."
Swoosh. The wyverns disappeared as if melting into the shadows, and the people who had been riding them got up, groaning.
I was surprised to see who they were.
"Um... excuse me?"
I know all of them...
* * *
"...So, you were selling coffee to the elementals."
It took some time to sort out the situation.
First, calming down the fire elementals who wanted more coffee and sending them away took a while. Then, the visitors who arrived on wyverns took some time to overcome their motion sickness.
We finally sat down and shared what had happened. Here's a summary of the facts.
First, Junoel. A regular customer who often came to our shop to drink coffee.
"I was worried when the shop suddenly disappeared..."
"Ahaha, it turned out this way. I'm Reul, by the way. Call me Reul."
"Junoel... You're the head of the <Royal Guild>..."
Wow, a famous person. I thought you were someone who pursued a YOLO lifestyle like me, and I felt a sense of inner intimacy...
Wait, this means two of the Big Three guild leaders are regulars at our shop.
Regulars are too strong? The S-rankers I've fed?
Turns out she's an S-rank summoner who summoned wyverns to fly here.
Second, Ji-Woon Kwon.
"Ugh, Reul, some water, please..."
"Are you okay? You're drenched in cold sweat. Drink this ice water quickly, come on."
Even after emptying the water cup, he couldn't regain his composure. I helped him lean back in a chair.
It must have been a thrilling flight.
And then, Eui-Chan Choi.
"Haha... Long time no see, Reul. How have you been?"
I was speechless at his calm greeting.
You just left a strange note and disappeared, and now you're asking how I've been?
"Long time no see? You worried people and that's what you have to say?"
I thought about giving him a good smack on the back, but I soon gave up. His body... had become even more solid. I'd probably hurt my hand more.
Not only that, his aura had changed. His face, which used to look like a gentle large dog, now had a slightly sharp edge. He was wearing proper armor, not his usual tracksuit.
He seemed more like a hunter. The note saying 'I'll come back stronger' wasn't a lie.
It felt awkward to meet after so long with such a different aura.
Eui-Chan Choi lightly grabbed my hand, which had stopped mid-air, about to deliver a backhand. The calluses on his palm touched my fingers.
"..."
I could feel As's sharp gaze on the back of my head. She must be tense with so many strangers around.
Eui-Chan Choi scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Haha... Sorry. I was going to contact you right away, but my phone didn't work in the dungeon."
"Of course it didn't..."
"When I came out of the dungeon and tried to call, it was like this."
He showed me his phone, which had a completely shattered screen from being dropped.
"Haha, it got like this when I gripped it too hard."
He gave a sheepish laugh.
His smile, with his eyes closed, was the Eui-Chan Choi I knew. Well, he's still Eui-Chan Choi; he wouldn't change that much.
The awkward feeling finally dissipated, and I relaxed my shoulders. Eui-Chan Choi followed suit, chuckling.
And lastly, my uncle.
My uncle, who had been missing since an old dungeon, had been out of touch for a long time. Eui-Chan Choi said he had found him by chance in a dungeon.
I had changed the future, and Eui-Chan Choi had survived, and he had saved my uncle, changing the future again. Thinking about it made me feel both happy and moved.
"Reul!"
"Uncle!"
He had been kind to me in the past. Overwhelmed with emotion, I hugged him.
"Phew, it's good to see you. Reul, aren't you still in high school? How did you end up opening a cafe?"
"I... I'm 23 years old."
He must have thought I was much younger. What had happened to him?
"Is that so? I thought you looked a bit older. Well, it's a relief that the error is only this much. If it had been worse, it could have ruined everything."
"Error...?"
My uncle looked at me seriously.
"Listen carefully, nephew. Among the things your grandmother left behind, there is one that contains Ktuga's power. I don't know who has it now, but you must find it."
"Is this it?"
I showed him the ring on my finger.
"Wow! You already have it. Good job, nephew. Now you need to meet that crazy old man... no, the fireball."
"Fireball... do you mean Ktuga?"
"Yes, don't be surprised. There's a secret island in this field. They say the path opens only with the guidance of a fire elemental."
"Yes, I've been there."
"You need to meet Ktuga at the temple on that island and make a contract. It might be shocking, but trust this old man for now..."
"Contract... I've already made it..."
"..."
"Uncle?"
My uncle was at a loss for words. He seemed disappointed. I felt a bit guilty for unintentionally cutting him off.
"Cough, cough! My nephew, you've become a capable young man. You've grown up well, hahaha!"
But how did my uncle, who had been missing for a long time, know about Ktuga's ring and the contract? Could he have met the saintess too?
"Uncle, what happened to you all this time?"
"Ugh, this worldline is a mess. To stop it... hmm, hmm..."
He mumbled incomprehensible words. It was difficult to ask what had happened to him.
I slowly released my embrace, overwhelmed with emotion.
Well, how can I fully understand my uncle's heart? I hoped he would calm down and turned to Ji-Woon Kwon, who had just downed the ice water.
"What happened to your uncle?"
"While wandering in the Labyrinth Dungeon, the time... ugh."
Ji-Woon Kwon turned pale and felt nauseous again.
I could only understand that my uncle had been lost in the Labyrinth Dungeon for a month, but when he came out, six years had passed.
I stopped asking, fearing he would vomit.
"Alright, I'll ask later. Just rest for now..."
Then I remembered something.
Ji-Woon Kwon had been acting as the guild leader for a long time, but the original guild leader of the <Silver Guild> was my uncle. With my uncle back, Ji-Woon Kwon's burden would be reduced.
"So, Uncle, are you going to return as the guild leader?"
However, my uncle gave an unexpected answer.
"No, that's impossible."
"Really?"
"What? Father, what do you mean?"
It seemed to be the first time Ji-Woon Kwon had heard this, and he looked surprised.
"I've lost all my abilities as a hunter. I'm just a regular person now, not even an Awakened, so I plan to step down."
"What... Father, what happened?"
"Something happened in the dungeon."
"..."
The mystery only deepened.
However, my uncle did not provide more details. He just shivered, as if trying to forget a terrible memory.