The door slowly creaked open, accompanied by the clear chime of a small bell.
A magical scent filled the air.
Yeah, I knew it—this world literally had magic and all sorts of weird stuff.
The sky of Caerliona was covered in a thin mist. From the outside, the café looked like an ordinary brick building, but the moment I stepped in, the atmosphere changed completely—warm, cozy, and... kinda strange.
"Welcome to Café BondGia," a firm voice greeted me.
A woman with white hair, her left streak dyed midnight blue, and a golden eye behind a monacle, stood behind the counter. Her posture was sharp—she looked more like a gatekeeper of hell than a barista. And that person is Celina.
"Oh, hello. I'm Azei. I saw the job sign outside… barista, right?"
Celina glanced at me for a moment before giving a faint smile.
"Can you make coffee?"
"Of course! I'm really good at it," I answered confidently.
Celina sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"Impressive... but somehow that sounds like a lie."
Then she asked, "By the way, have you ever slain a monster or at least driven off a Dark Thorn?"
Trying to sound cool, I struck a fake heroic pose.
"Of course! I used to hunt wyverns—and even dragons—with my comrades!"
(Yeah… she didn't need to know I meant in a game.)
Celina replied, "Starting today, you'll work here. That means you'd better be ready for the missions ahead."
I nodded, pretending to understand.
Then I froze. "W-wait… what do you mean by missions?"
Casually, Celina took a sip of her coffee.
"Yeah. Sometimes deliveries, sometimes monster extermination—it depends on the pay.
We're not just baristas… we're problem solvers."
I muttered, "Oh great… and here I am with a useless onion ability and a barely working fire spell."
But I had to look cool somehow.
"Pretty amazing," I said, pretending to be wise while eyeing her monacle. "That monocle of yours—does it have some kind of special power?"
Celina suddenly turned serious. "This monocle… seals away my hidden power."
I swallowed hard, half in awe. "Your… power?"
Then she smirked. "...Yeah, that's not true."
Me: "....."
Oh my god. I wish I could delete the admiration I just felt.
And that's how my first day at Café BondGia began—with someone who genuinely believed a monocle could hold magical power.
That night...
The mist in Caerliona was thicker at night than during the day.
I was walking home through a quiet street after buying discounted coconut coffee powder and bread from the local store.
"Heh, not bad for my first paycheck," I muttered proudly.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind me.
When I turned around, I saw two hooded figures in black cloaks.
"They look like the standard RPG robbers," I mumbled.
"Good evening, young man," one of them said. "You must be new around here—I've never seen you before."
"No need to make this complicated. Hand over your valuables right now!"
I raised my right hand, summoning a small flame that flickered weakly in my palm.
Without hesitation, one of them blasted it out with a Water Beam spell.
I stood frozen for a few seconds.
"Alright then… time to use my ultimate weapon!" I shouted dramatically.
Using the power of pure creativity, I formed an Onion Missile.
Judging from their faces, they were trying hard not to laugh.
Without a second thought, I launched it straight at them—
and instantly, they collapsed to the ground, howling in pain from the burning sting in their eyes.
"AGGHH! IT HURTS! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
Seeing my chance, I bolted.
I ran as fast as I could until I reached my tiny rented room, collapsed onto the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
And that was my first experience working as a barista in this city.
I also learned something valuable that night—
onions are way more reliable than low-level fire magic.