Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends - V 2.2 Chapter 4.2

“Miss, can I order?”

“Yes!”

Just like always, another ordinary day had returned.

Working at the café Silver Ribbon, I wore my usual white apron embroidered with the shop’s silver ribbon logo, and pinned at my collar was a blue brooch adorned with a wolf design. Another day, another shift.

Lately, though, I felt like we were getting more unfamiliar faces than usual. The café was busier than normal today, and while there were the usual regulars, there were also a few customers I’d never seen around here before—people dressed in high-quality clothes, clearly not locals.

“Thank you for waiting.”

With the order slip in hand, I made my way over to one such customer. He was a man I didn’t recognize.

“Huh. That’s unusual. You’re an demi-human, but you’re actually pretty. And well-dressed, too.”

“…Excuse me?”

My thoughts froze for a moment.

Calling non-humans demi-human was considered discriminatory in this country—people didn’t say it out loud. Even I only used that term in my head, and only when absolutely necessary. I would never say it aloud.

“Hm. I always thought the presence of non-humans was kind of gross, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having a pretty one like you hanging off my arm.”

The way he stared at me, slowly and deliberately, made my skin crawl. That distinct look of superiority—yeah, I knew it well. The kind of person who believed humans were the only ones that mattered… one of those supremacists.

“You’re from the Kingdom of Aluda… aren’t you?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

The moment I clapped a hand over my mouth, it was already too late. His brow twitched ever so slightly.

“Well, well. For a beast, you’re pretty observant. Guess demi-humans can be smarter than they look.”

…Just as I thought. He’s from Aluda.

“What about you? Where do you live?”

“Um… your order…?”

Even if he was from Aluda, I couldn’t waste time on just one customer. No matter how unpleasant his words were, a customer was still a customer.

“Oh, just a coffee. So? Where are you being kept?”

“……”

It had been a long time since I’d been hit with such blatant discrimination. I wanted to say something back, but my mouth wouldn’t move the way I wanted.

The memory of Albert-san came rushing back. High-ranking men… they terrify me.

“Hm? Not much of a talker, are you? Hey, how about becoming my personal attendant?”

…What?

“You don’t have to work in a place like this. I could show you a much better time.”

He said it so suddenly, I just stared at him in blank confusion.

“Um…”

“What do you say? I mean, you’re working in some savage backwater like this—clearly you’re struggling to make ends meet, right? The summer festival’s coming up, too. Wouldn’t it be more fun at my side?”

I was scared—but when he insulted Silver Ribbon, something inside me snapped.

This isn’t some savage place. And it’s not like I’m working here out of desperation.

Up until now, all I’d felt was fear because he was from Aluda. But finally, anger began to well up.

Saying awful things about everyone here… that’s unforgivable. I can’t just freeze up—I have to say something.

I took a deep breath. I was just about to tell him, Please leave already, when—

“Who exactly are you calling savage?”

A low, gruff voice rang out from behind me.

“—!”

“You badmouthing our guild, by any chance?”

Surrounding us were a group of burly adventurers—muscles like mountains.

Rouge-san and the other female adventurers were there too.

“Trying to put the moves on our princess? Hah! Come back in a million years!”

The adventurers cracked their knuckles—pop, crack, snap—and slowly closed in around the man.

His face turned pale as a sheet. He shook his hands frantically, stammering, “W-wait, that’s not what I meant—”

“Kuna-chan is everyone’s angel!”

“Noisy little pests like you? We take care of extermination ourselves.”

With that, the man let out a pathetic squeal and bolted out of the café.

The regulars, who had been watching in silence, blinked in surprise.

“Honestly… must be all the festival buzz,” Rouge sighed. “There’s been a lot more weirdos lately.”

I finally let out a breath of relief—and my knees almost gave out on the spot.