Tales of Tempest SIDE STORY (Ronin's Way)

Shinri Josuiji is a well-travelled man.

Spending almost half a year roaming the world to experience the food, culture, and coffee outside of Xenokuni City, he is almost never seen inside his office. Despite that, he manages his business and his group so well that his absence is rarely felt, if it's even felt at all. His management skills have been the envy of many.

Today, he finds himself in the renowned Elysium District. A lively place, filled with an interesting cast of characters and landmarks famous even to outsiders like himself. One of which is the VesTea Cafe, touted to have the best tea one can buy at an affordable price. "Soothes even the most turbulent of hearts and calms even the tensest of nerves" as many claim. Even as a coffee enthusiast, his interest was piqued. He had to try it for himself.

After a 30 minute bike trip from the place he was staying over at, he reached the Cafe. A fairly standard sized establishment, themed after a fantasy bookstore. There were tables outside to accommodate customers who either prefer an open air seating or should the inside be crowded, and from what Shinri could tell they were all in bliss drinking the cafe's tea.

After parking his bike and locking it up to the nearby bike rack, he went inside and was immediately seated by the friendly staff. Vesfriends, or Vesties for short from what he heard. These were the employees of the cafe known for their signature black and gold vests, and is also-

"Hello, sir! Can I please take your order?"

"O-oh! I'm sorry, I must have zoned out. I was admiring the ambience of the cafe. It's...very calming." There was no lie in his statement just now. There is a certain entrancing quality that the cafe exudes; the smell of books, warm lights and fixtures that all serve to remind one of the feeling of being inside a library. "I would like to order a cup of a specific type of dark oolong tea. I believe you pronounce the name as Dongfang Meiren?"

The Vestie assisting him had her eyes widen slightly. The other staff tensed up, and the other customers inside stopped whatever they were doing and looked at Shinri's direction.

"I see... Would there be anything else, sir?"

"That would be all." Shinri replied with a smile. The Vestie smiled back and headed towards the kitchen to prepare his order.

The cafe had noticeably gone quieter, where only Shinri's gentle humming can be heard. Shinri noticed these changes, and he did feel the air grow colder suddenly, but he paid it no heed. He was so looking forward to the tea, after all.

His eyes wandered across the room, scanning the spines of the various books neatly placed inside the antique shelves that line up the room. His eyes immediately locked on to the shelf labelled "Horror" and found himself captivated by the titles that were there.

Amazing! Those titles are, without a doubt, some of the best horror novels ever written. The owner of this cafe certainly has a refined taste when it comes to literature.

Once again, his mind wandered into theories of various plot elements of the horror novels he saw on the shelf. The nuances, symbolisms, how the characters interact, all these were worthy of intricate study to Shinri. It was one of the things in life he finds joy in, and something he loves to talk to whoever is willing to listen.

And he may have found one today.

"Here is the tea you ordered, sir." A voice once again snapped him out of daydreaming. Instead of the welcoming tone of the Vestie earlier, however, this time it was the voice of an imposing man.

Looking towards the direction where the voice came from, Shinri found himself face to face with a man with long, dark grey hair. He also wore the Vesties' signature vest, which was a tad tight fit-wise that it served little to hide the man's powerfully built frame. All serve as a contrast to the man's scholarly vibe.