Chapter : 34
The Bachelor Noble Delivers the Mill
After waiting quietly on the sofa with Rouge for a while, Noid returned to the reception room accompanied by a man.
The man had rusty-colored hair and eyes. He was a little shorter than me, but his solid build made him look sturdy. He appeared to be in his mid-forties.
There were the marks of age etched on his face, giving him the dignified air befitting the lord of a large domain.
“Welcome. I’m Albert Blend, head of the Blend family.”
Albert, the head of the Blend family, greeted us with a friendly smile.
“I’m Jilk Lulen from the Jilk Workshop. This is my assistant, Rouge.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Albert,” Rouge said politely.
Despite his stern appearance, Albert seemed to have a surprisingly easygoing personality. He was approachable.
“I apologize for the sudden visit. Noid told me there’s a tool that allows you to make coffee easily at home. As a coffee lover, I just had to see it with my own eyes.”
“Not at all, Lord Blend. Since this delivery is meant for you, please take your time examining it.”
“Then, may I see it right away?”
“Of course.”
Rouge nodded firmly, and Albert sat down on the sofa opposite us. Noid remained standing behind him.
Technically, the delivery was supposed to be made to Noid, but it had clearly turned into a presentation for Albert.
I hadn’t given much advance notice, yet he’d come here so eagerly—was Albert simply that free?
Well, whatever. From here, the explanation part was Rouge’s job. She’d handle the main description, and I’d just chime in with details or answer questions.
My role was basically to accompany Rouge. The moment we stepped into this room, my work was almost done.
“Lord Lulen, do you often visit the café in Londel?”
While I was lost in idle thoughts, Albert suddenly addressed me.
Why’s he talking to me? I thought, but Rouge was busy taking out the coffee mills and parts from the wooden box and couldn’t talk right now.
It made sense for him to chat with me instead.
“Yes, I often go there in the mornings for their coffee set.”
“The coffee there is excellent—and so is the food. I used to go there myself when work allowed.”
“I see.”
“Lately, though, I’ve been too busy to drop by. That’s why I’m looking forward to trying the coffee mill you made.”
“Recreating Londel’s coffee perfectly might be difficult, but I can guarantee you’ll get a proper cup.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
After all, this mill came with Londel’s seal of approval. Knowing the best barista in the capital vouched for it gave me confidence.
“Well then, let me explain each type of mill.”
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“I see. So, both the manual and automatic mills have their own advantages and disadvantages.”
“Yes. With the automatic mill, even beginners can make consistently good coffee. If you want to serve many people or drink several cups a day, the automatic one is best—it grinds a large amount of beans quickly.”
“Hmm, so for heavy coffee drinkers, the automatic mill is the practical choice. Even Noid couldn’t make coffee as good as Londel’s.”
“If I started training under Londel now, I’d probably die of old age before mastering it.”
“Don’t say such unlucky things. But sending a subordinate to train under Londel and hiring them afterward isn’t a bad idea.”
“That would make them a barista—someone specialized in making coffee.”
“Oh! A barista. Different from a bartender—what a cool name! I like it! Yes, I’ll raise and hire my own baristas!”
The word slipped out from my previous life, but Albert didn’t question it. On the contrary, he seemed inspired, his eyes blazing with enthusiasm.
His passion for coffee and his drive to nurture talent were truly admirable.
Londel’s skill deserved to be passed on.
If he were ever injured, fell ill, or retired, losing that café’s coffee would be a tragedy for the world.
“I agree with Lord Blend’s plan to train baristas.”
“Oh! You think so too, Lord Lulen!”
“Gentlemen,” Noid interrupted with a polite cough. “We’re still in the middle of the mill demonstration, remember?”
Right. We’d gotten sidetracked by Albert’s enthusiasm.
Training baristas was important—but the coffee mill came first.
“…My apologies. Please continue.”
“Yes. The manual mill requires you to turn it by hand, so it takes time. It’s compact for portability, but it only makes about three cups per use.”
“I see. But being able to enjoy coffee anywhere is wonderful.”
“It’s ideal for those who enjoy crafting coffee to their taste or want to relax while brewing.”
“Understood. Now I’m curious about the flavor.”
“As expected, we’ve prepared everything for a tasting.”
Rouge quickly set up a magic burner, siphon, and glass pot.
Albert stared intently at them, clearly itching to try.
“Would you like to grind the beans yourself, Lord Blend?”
“I’d love to.”
Rouge offered, and Albert eagerly took the manual mill.
Following her instructions, he clumsily poured in the coffee beans, closed the lid, and began turning the handle slowly.
Grr-grr-grr… grind-grind.
The sound of beans being ground filled the room.
“Oh! So this is what it feels like to grind beans! Fascinating! I’ve always wanted to try this after watching Londel do it!”
Albert laughed joyfully as he turned the handle.
As a noble of his stature, he probably never prepared tea himself.
Clearly, he was having fun.
Noid smiled fondly at his lord, almost like an older brother watching a younger sibling.
“Hmm, looks like all the beans are ground.”
“Then, I’ll handle the brewing from here.”
It wouldn’t be wise to let a beginner handle extraction, so Rouge took the mill and began brewing.
Since we were preparing to sell mills, I’d already taught Rouge and Tristan the basics. With Londel’s and my guidance, their brews were decent enough.
“While Rouge brews that, shall we try the automatic mill?”
“Let’s.”
I handed Albert the automatic mill filled with beans. The operation was simple—just a button press.
“Here goes.”
He pressed the switch, and the blades began spinning rapidly.
“Oh, amazing! It grinds on its own! And so fast!”
This model used a grindstone system—two flat blades crushing beans between them, like a stone mill for buckwheat flour.
Unlike the old propeller type, it minimized heat from friction, reducing bitterness and preserving flavor.
“That was fast—it’s done already.”
Indeed, a generous amount of coffee grounds had formed in no time.
After manually grinding earlier, Albert seemed a little unsatisfied with how effortless it was.
We set the fresh grounds beside Rouge, who poured hot water over them in circular motions through the siphon.
“What a wonderful aroma,” Albert murmured, visibly relaxed.
When brewing finished, Noid poured the coffee into elegant cups.
“This one was ground manually,” Rouge said.
“Then, let’s taste.”
Albert lifted the cup gracefully and took a slow sip.
“Mmm. It’s been a while since I’ve had coffee… how soothing it is.”
He savored it quietly, without anyone interrupting.
Rouge then moved on to brew the next cup with the automatic mill.
“When you grind it yourself, it somehow tastes even better,” Albert said contentedly.
That was indeed the charm of a manual mill.
“And this is the one made with the automatic mill.”
Once Albert finished the first, Rouge served the second.
Albert inhaled the aroma again, then took a sip.
“…It tastes better than the one I ground myself.”
Well, his technique wasn’t exactly refined. His grinding rhythm was uneven, and he kept opening the lid to peek inside. The grind must have been inconsistent, producing some bitterness.
“That’s the beauty of the automatic mill—it lets anyone make good coffee easily.”
“True. I can’t expect to make something like Londel’s right away. This automatic mill really is impressive.”
He smiled in understanding.
“So, what do you think of the two mills?”
“I’m impressed. Being able to enjoy coffee like this at home is marvelous. I’ll take both.”
“Thank you very much!”
Rouge bowed deeply, and I gave a light nod as well, as the workshop’s head.
Rouge and Noid then began discussing the details of the purchase.
“Mr. Jilk, about the price—are you sure these are correct? Forgive me, but for your craftsmanship, this seems far too cheap…”
Noid frowned at the price list Rouge handed him.
“What? That cheap?”
“Eighty thousand sol for the manual mill, and three hundred thousand for the automatic one.”
“That’s cheaper than a magic lamp! Lord Lulen, did you miscalculate?”
Their point was fair. Normally, my magic tools sold for at least ten times that price.
Considering the effort and time I spent on these mills, the profit margin was small indeed.
“The person who helped me complete these wanted to make coffee more common. So this price is just right.”
Even without saying who that person was, both men understood.
“I see. In that case, we have no further objections.”
“Agreed.”
