Early in the morning, Noel and Arnella quietly get up from the bed and begin to change clothes.
They move swiftly and silently, taking care not to wake their sensitive master.
Mastema is still clinging to Ahavaine, who seems to be having a nightmare, subconsciously trying to push Mastema away.
After re-covering the fallen blanket, the two tidy up the room. Unlike when they were back home, there isn’t much work to do here.
Before long, their tasks are done, and they share a small, awkward smile. It’s still a little while before the sunlight will pour into the room.
The two leave the room and head to the bartender. A different person from the beastman who was there during the day is now polishing the counter. They had heard it was open day and night, and it seemed to be true.
“Is there something I can help you with, customers?”
The slender bartender asks Noel and Arnella.
“Do you have any tea? If not, we’d like some hot water,” Noel asks.
“We have tea from various countries. How many servings would you like?”
“Then, four servings of imperial tea and something light to accompany it.”
“I’ll have it ready for you shortly.”
The bartender uses a stove powered by a fire magic stone to boil the water. The thermal conductivity of the fire magic stone is high, so the water quickly reaches a boil. In the meantime, the bartender prepares the teapot, cups, and tea leaves.
“Shall I steep the leaves for you here?”
“No, that’s all right.”
“As you wish. Please take this, then.”
The bartender hands over a pot filled with hot water, along with empty cups and saucers for each person. He also brings out a round teapot for the tea leaves.
It’s a luxurious teapot, but since it’s being lent to passengers of the magic train’s bar, it’s not a problem. They also receive some strawberry-infused bread as a light snack to go with the tea.
Noel and Arnella accept these and return to their room. Since there are no other customers, the bartender helps by holding the door open for them before returning to his station.
Back in the room, Mastema had shifted positions.
Noel pours hot water into the round teapot first, waiting a bit to warm it up. Once the pot is warmed, she discards the water and adds the tea leaves. Instead of just four servings, she adds five to make sure the pot is well prepared.
It’s a curious thing, but this method results in a clearer color.
The hot water they received remains at its boiling temperature, and when it’s poured into the teapot, convection causes the tea leaves to warm and gently swirl in the water.
Soon, the fragrance of the tea fills the room.
Sugar and milk are prepared, and Noel pours the beautifully extracted red tea into cups placed on saucers.
The scent wakes Mastema.
She stands up, accidentally placing her hand on Ahavaine’s face as she rises.
Ahavaine, seemingly caught in a nightmare, still has a strained expression.
“Good morning,” Mastema says while rubbing her eyes. Arnella wipes Mastema’s face with a towel dampened with warm water.
“Thank you for your hard work~,” Mastema says as she sits down in front of the tea that’s been poured for her.
Thanks to repeated reminders, Mastema has learned to wait patiently.
Before the tea cools, Noel wakes Ahavaine. The moment she shakes him, he wakes up instantly, perhaps due to his adventurer instincts.
Though it’s strange that Ahavaine doesn’t wake when Mastema clings to him, Noel finds it helpful.
Noel hands Ahavaine a towel dampened with warm water, and he wipes his face before returning the towel to her.
“I appreciate it every morning.”
Noel responds with a bow. For her, providing such service is simply part of her duties.
Mastema loads her tea with milk and sugar, while Ahavaine only adds milk.
Once the two take their first sip of tea, Noel and Arnella also begin to drink.
Mastema ends up eating about half of the strawberry-infused bread, but since they had anticipated this, they had requested extra, so it was all according to plan.
Ahavaine, too, seems impressed with the bread as soon as he takes a bite.
Noel and Arnella taste it as well, and finding it delicious, they begin discussing how they might recreate the recipe. It will be a while before they can try, but once things have settled down, they plan to give it a shot.
Building up a variety of skills like this will surely prove useful.
They help Mastema change her clothes. As for Ahavaine, despite not being a noble, he refuses help with the simple reason that he dislikes being assisted.
Before long, the sunlight fully enters the room. Opening the window allows the fresh, crisp morning air to flow inside.
The magic train is almost completely silent, except when it occasionally runs over magical creatures.
For a while, the four of them enjoy the morning view together.
Mastema, however, quickly grows bored and perches herself on top of Ahavaine’s head, where she starts reading a book. Ahavaine tries to remove her, but she cheekily uses her demonic power, making her impossible to move. In the end, he gives up and continues gazing out the window.
When breakfast time arrives, Noel and Arnella deftly serve the dishes brought in by the wagon. While this is technically the job of the train crew, for the two of them, working has become second nature, and they move more efficiently than the staff.
The train crew didn’t mind, since it allowed them to move on to the next room more quickly.
Ahavaine eats with a surprising amount of grace for an adventurer. He once mentioned that he learned proper table manners while dining with a princess.
Mastema, too, eats in an elegant manner, though she is quite greedy. Since she’s still a girl, her small mouth often leaves sauce at the corners, which Arnella wipes away for her.
After they finish eating, they clear the table, return the tea utensils, and hand over the wine glasses. They decide to keep the wine bottle as a memento, and Noel packs it with their luggage.
Not long after, the magic train passes through a large barrier, and they finally arrive at their destination.
