"It is actually quite good..." Leon took another small sip. His expression did not so much as twitch. He lowered the porcelain cup with steady hands, calmly adding, "It is just a bit hot."
"Really?" March 7th leaned forward, her bright pink and blue eyes widening to the size of saucers.
Is... is this for real?
Could soone actually swallow Hiko's infamous death-brew without so much as a grimace? Other than the navigator herself, this was completely unmatched.
Heavens, that is genuinely terrifying.
March 7th could not help but stare at Leon, her gaze shifting from sheer disbelief to a deep, almost reverent admiration.
The elegant smile on Hiko's face deepened, reaching her striking crimson eyes. This was the very first ti soone had accepted her personal blend so naturally. A warm sense of recognition washed over her. Finding a kindred spirit amidst the stars made her exceptionally happy.
"I see. Then I will have a sip too."
Stelle took his calm deanor entirely at face value. She picked up her own cup, imitating Leon by gently blowing across the dark, ominous liquid before taking a cautious, asured sip.
The very next second, Stelle's entire body locked up. Her spine went rigid, and she ca to a complete, statuesque standstill.
What is this... is this hell?
A chaotic storm of unidentifiable, violently bitter flavors assaulted her taste buds, threatening to lt her tongue straight off. Stelle's cheeks puffed out. Every instinct in her body scread at her to spit the toxic sludge across the room.
But out of the corner of her eye, she caught Caelus watching her with mild curiosity. A dark, mischievous thought instantly overrode her survival instincts.
With a superhuman effort, Stelle swallowed the liquid fire. She forced the corners of her mouth to twitch upward into a strained, trembling smile. "It is actually okay. Just a bit hot."
'I refuse to suffer alone!'
Stelle silently swore to the Aeons right then and there. She absolutely had to trick Caelus into tasting this earthly delicacy. If she did not, would her agonizing sacrifice not be completely in vain?
March 7th blinked, utterly bewildered.
Could these new arrivals actually appreciate Hiko's eccentric tastes? Or had the navigator's brewing skills miraculously improved overnight?
"Hiko, pour a cup too!" March 7th chid in, suddenly eager to test the waters.
Leon and Stelle's eyes briefly t. A silent, telepathic connection ford between the two. They simultaneously masked their wicked anticipation, exchanging a brief, knowing glance.
"Careful, it is hot. Freshly brewed coffee usually sits between eighty-two and eighty-five degrees Celsius." Hiko poured the dark liquid with practiced elegance, her voice gentle and informative. "The aroma is at its absolute peak right now, but extre temperatures can numb your taste perception. When it drops to about seventy degrees, the harsh bitterness fades, allowing the underlying acidity and sweetness to step forward. Honestly, waiting four to eight minutes until it settles between sixty and seventy degrees is the optimal window. It preserves the rich scent while perfectly balancing the flavor profile."
"The timing is just right now. It is the perfect mont for a tasting." Leon offered a warm, encouraging smile as he gestured toward March 7th and Caelus.
Stripped of any remaining doubts, the two victims simultaneously raised their cups and took a generous gulp.
"Pfft—!"
March 7th violently sprayed the dark liquid across the air like a busted fire hydrant. Beside her, Caelus choked, his face instantly contorting into a horrific mask of sheer agony. He clutched his throat, looking as though he had just swallowed battery acid.
"Passenger March 7th! Do not get the Express floor dirty!" Pom-Pom hopped out from behind a nearby seat, stomping their little padded feet in absolute distress.
Hiko's elegant smile instantly froze, her teacup pausing halfway to her lips.
"You two jerks!" March 7th coughed, wiping her mouth as she pointed an accusatory finger at Leon and Stelle. "You were deliberately acting just to trick us!"
She had actually fallen for the flawless performances of these two award-winning actors. She really was far too naive for this cruel universe!
"Heh..."
Leon and Stelle looked at each other and grinned. Without missing a beat, they raised their hands and shared a crisp, echoing high-five.
Just as the ancient texts foretold, dragging soone else down into the abyss of suffering did wonders for lifting one's own spirits.
"This is a war cri..." Caelus slumped heavily against the plush backrest of the sofa. The light had completely vanished from his eyes. "Is this really what coffee tastes like? I am never touching this stuff again..."
"Do not generalize it!" March 7th quickly waved her hands in a panic. "Normal coffee is actually super delicious!"
She desperately needed to correct this misunderstanding. She could not let these two newly awakened amnesiacs develop a lifelong psychological trauma regarding a perfectly innocent beverage.
"March 7th." Hiko's voice was smooth as silk, accompanied by a flawless smile. However, the crimson gaze she leveled at the pink-haired girl was exceptionally sharp. "Are you implying that my coffee is undrinkable?"
"Hi-Hiko... I did not an it like that at all..." A massive drop of cold sweat slid down the side of March 7th's face. She waved her hands frantically, desperately trying to backpedal.
"Alright, I will stop teasing you." Hiko chuckled softly. As if performing a magic trick, she casually produced an entirely different, steaming pot of coffee from behind the counter. "If you are not accustod to that particular blend, try this one."
However, in the weary eyes of Leon, Stelle, and Caelus, her gentle, motherly smile now carried the sinister temptation of a devil's whisper.
"Do not worry. I did not add anything special to this pot..." Hiko promised, her tone light and airy. Yet, a fleeting flash of cunning danced in her eyes.
She could feel the very Path of Trailblaze leaping within her soul. To her, the concept of Trailblaze was never strictly limited to charting unknown planets and traversing the cosmos. Testing the infinite, chaotic possibilities of coffee brewing was, in its own beautiful way, another pure form of Trailblazing.
Could it be that she genuinely did not know how to brew a standard cup of coffee?
Of course not. She simply chose to uphold her deepest convictions in every aspect of her life. Facing three brand-new companions about to officially board the Astral Express, she naturally felt obligated to personally demonstrate this unique philosophy.
Unfortunately, her new passengers did not seem quite ready to comprehend her avant-garde path of culinary Trailblaze.
'You are quite the masked master of Elation yourself, Hiko,' Leon thought, highly amused by her hidden sadistic streak.
Accepting the fresh porcelain cup handed over by the navigator, Leon took a highly cautious sip.
To his genuine surprise, the liquid was not only normal, but it was incredibly fragrant. It possessed a rich, llow depth that completely outclassed any ordinary café brew.
Leon suddenly recalled a piece of trivia from his past life. During a certain anniversary event, Stelle had once ntioned that the coffee Hiko brewed seriously to celebrate the occasion was unexpectedly delicious.
It seed Hiko never lacked the fundantal skill to brew a masterpiece. It was simply that, driven by her relentless spirit of Trailblaze, she constantly felt the urge to perform bizarre, unholy innovations on her daily batches.
"It is unexpectedly delicious!" Stelle blurted out, her golden eyes lighting up with genuine shock. This cup was a literal world apart from the toxic sludge she had consud earlier. Although it still carried the characteristic, earthy bitterness of dark roast coffee, the flavor profile was incredibly smooth and palatable.
"Really?" Seeing Stelle's completely sincere expression, Caelus finally scraped together enough courage to try his own cup.
He took a tiny sip, bracing for impact. His tense shoulders slowly relaxed. "It is bitter, but it is infinitely better than the last cup," Caelus evaluated with absolute seriousness. Although he still was not a huge fan of the bitter aftertaste, this cup was undeniably acceptable.
"For real? No, wait. You guys are not teaming up to trick again, are you?" March 7th squinted, eyeing the trio with heavy suspicion.
Ever since she had first tasted Hiko's special blend upon joining the crew, she had sworn an oath never to touch the stuff again. Having been fooled once today, falling for the exact sa trap a second ti would just be plain stupid.
But Stelle and Caelus's expressions looked truly, genuinely relieved. Should she risk her taste buds and believe them one more ti?
Ultimately, her boundless curiosity triumphed over her basic survival instincts. March 7th leaned in and took a tiny, cautious sip.
"Unbelievable! Hiko, you actually know how to brew normal coffee?!" March 7th gasped, her face a portrait of utter disbelief.
This was the very first ti she had ever tasted a normal, non-lethal beverage from the navigator. Granted, she had only tried it that one fateful ti when she first boarded the Express. After hearing Welt Yang and Dan Heng grimly describe the unique characteristics of Hiko's daily brews, she had never dared to test her luck again.
"I rely added a touch of the essence of 'Trailblaze' to the previous pot, and you all simply could not handle it." Hiko smiled gracefully. She picked up her own cup of the original, terrifying special blend and took an elegant sip, completely unfazed. "Actually, I have always been quite exceptional at brewing coffee."
"The taste of Trailblaze, huh?" Leon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
With a flick of his wrist, he suddenly produced a sleek tal lighter from thin air. He popped the lid, struck the flint, and brought the open fla directly over the surface of his original cup of the special blend.
The very second the spark touched the dark liquid, a violent whoosh echoed through the parlor car.
Bright blue flas instantly erupted across the surface of the coffee!
It was on fire.
The liquid had actually caught on fire.
Everyone present stared at the blazing porcelain cup in absolute, dumbfounded silence.
"How... how is it burning?!" March 7th shrieked, leaping backward as if the cup were a live grenade. She pointed a trembling finger at the dancing blue inferno, her voice cracking into a frantic, high-pitched squeak.
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