Menu no. 12 - V60

The afternoon light poured gently into the guild hall, streaking golden rays across the wooden bar. On the counter before me, scattered coffee beans gleamed like tiny jewels of obsidian. Each one carried the faint, earthy fragrance that reminded me of both home and the mystery of the Dungeon where they had been found.

“Nyann~~ Daikyyuun~~ good work, nya!”

Erinya stretched like a cat after a nap, her tail swishing lazily behind her. She had delivered another bag of beans from her excursion, bounding back with her usual energy.

“Thanks, Erinya. You did a great job.”

“Eheheh~~ praise me more, nyan!” She leaned closer with a smug little grin, ears twitching. For a moment, the urge to pat her head was almost unbearable—but I forced myself back to focus.

I began sorting the beans. Some were roasted darker, others lighter. Without a proper adjustable grinder in this world, I had to improvise. The finer powder came from Erinya crushing the beans with a mortar and pestle, her tiny fists surprisingly efficient. For coarser grounds, I borrowed a mechanical fruit-crusher from the guild’s storeroom. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked.

Cold brew was easy enough—just immerse the fine grounds in water and let them rest for half a day. But today wasn’t about cold brew. Today, I wanted to try something else—something that reminded me of lazy afternoons back in Japan, when the ritual of pouring hot water over coffee was as calming as drinking it.

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“Whoa…”

The awed voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Kazuha and her party gathered near the bar, curiosity sparkling in their eyes.

“Daiki, what is that contraption?” Kazuha asked, pointing to the glass dripper I had been carefully assembling.

“It’s . . . a coffee-making tool,” I explained with a small smile.

“You mean, like the thing you used for that other brew?” Asuna leaned closer, her tone skeptical.

“No,” I shook my head, adjusting the funnel on top of the cup. “This is different. The method is called 'V60'. It doesn’t add new ingredients—it just changes the way we brew. That alone creates a completely new taste.”

Kazuha raised an eyebrow, smirking. “So it’s like wine or tea. The same leaves or grapes, but processed differently, and the flavor transforms.”

“Exactly.” I couldn’t help smiling. “Coffee is alive like that.”

Asuna crossed her arms. “But why not just pour all the water in at once? Wouldn’t that be faster?”

“Because the water flow, the rhythm, the patience—that’s where the flavor hides. It’s not just about speed. It’s about patience and control.”

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They watched intently as I prepared. The beans Erinya had ground earlier rested inside a paper filter, perched neatly in the V60 dripper. I took a kettle of steaming water and began the ritual.

“First, you bloom the coffee,” I explained. “Pour a small circle of water—just enough to wet the grounds. The hot water wakes the coffee up, releases the trapped gas."

A soft crackle rose as steam escaped, carrying with it a fragrance so rich the guild itself seemed to pause and breathe.

“Then, you wait,” I said. “Thirty seconds. Patience is part of the taste.”

Kazuha tilted her head. “Patience? In a drink?”

“Yes. Each pause lets the flavors open up. Too fast, and it becomes bitter. Too slow, and it turns weak. It has to be balance.”

I resumed pouring, my hand steady as I drew a spiral outward, then inward, letting the stream dance in circles. “You pour in stages,” I continued, “not all at once. Each layer of water extracts something different—sweetness, acidity, body. That’s what makes this method special.”

The water filtered down slowly, drop by drop, like liquid amber. The sound was soothing, almost meditative. Even the adventurers nearby grew hushed, as if sensing they were witnessing something sacred.

Finally, the last drops trickled through, dark and shimmering. I poured the result into small cups, placing them before Kazuha, Asuna, and Tiara.

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They lifted the cups, hesitated… and sipped.

“Mm…!”

Tiara’s eyes widened in delight. “It’s so . . . light. Smooth. Not as strong as the last one, but refreshing.”

Kazuha leaned back, a smile tugging her lips. “I expected bitterness. But this—it is more light!”

Asuna, always the hardest to please, blinked at her cup. “It doesn’t hit you like the cold brew. It’s . . . gentler. But… I think I like it.”

Their reactions sent warmth blooming in my chest. I had done it. I had taken something from my world, improvised with what little I had, and brought it alive here in a way they could appreciate.

“Well i called it V60,” I said, my voice steadier now. “A pour-over method. Where I come from, it’s a common way to make coffee. Simple, but . . . it changes everything.”

“V60 . . . ” Tiara repeated softly, as though savoring the name along with the drink.

I stood there, the V60 warm in my hands, and realized something: This wasn’t just another experiment. This is a history for Drachenfall, . . . no . . . . This is a history for this world. My coffee, my craft, was carving its place in this world—one cup at a time.