Chapter 12
I jumped up from my seat and ran straight out of the café.
I had been awake for less than ten minutes, and I probably looked terrible, but I didn’t stop.
I had only one destination.
Right there—
“I knew it was here!”
Behind the café building stretched a wide reed field.
Whenever the wind blew, waves of brown reeds swayed like the sea.
Since the building stood on the outskirts of the capital, the surroundings were mostly empty. Still, the reed field was the one place that naturally drew the eye.
Hugh had mentioned this place before.
“Master! You haven’t seen it yet, right? When the sunlight hits the reed field, it’s really beautiful! Let’s go see it together!”
He had said that casually when I was building the stall.
At the time, I was too focused on my plan to win over Millun, so I never went to see the reed field with Hugh.
But I remembered Hugh’s words clearly.
“If the sunrise and sunset are really that beautiful…”
Then this place could definitely attract people.
A breathtaking natural view.
No matter the era, people are always drawn to beauty and will come just to see it with their own eyes.
If I used it well and promoted it properly, gathering people wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, I still hadn’t actually seen the view myself yet…
“Hm, should I turn it into a photo spot?”
For example… placing a chair in the reed field and setting up a heart-shaped statue with the words “Beautiful You~!” carved into it.
Or, instead of that, I could make postcards with the reed field as the background and use them for promotion.
I tapped my lips with my index finger and kept thinking. Still, all the ideas I came up with felt a bit weak.
There was just one thing—
One small but powerful idea that could really get people talking.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of it.
“Haa… this is hard.”
If ideas like this came easily, I’d be running a video channel by now. That’s how difficult it was to grab people’s attention.
I stared at the reed field for a long time, but no answer came.
And starting today, I was supposed to sell twenty cups of coffee every day at a “café.”
Of course—
“I could ignore the quest…”
But the 50% energy reduction penalty was way too painful to ignore. Especially during the café opening prep period, when I already didn’t have enough time or energy.
Then, suddenly—
“If only one famous person would come just once.”
A good idea popped into my head.
It was a common promotion method used by restaurants.
You pay a famous person to promote your place.
If that person has strong influence, just the fact that they visited is enough to start a trend.
Many restaurants became famous that way. Even appearing briefly in a drama, a show, or a short video clip could be enough.
Like that café people remembered forever just because its name appeared in the ending credits of a sitcom.
“But there’s no TV or drama here, so…”
I’d have to bring someone truly influential.
At least a noble. Or royalty.
Or someone who already had everyone’s attention.
The problem was—
“…I don’t know anyone.”
I’d been in this world for less than a week. I hadn’t had time to build connections.
This was why blood ties, hometown ties, and school ties mattered. I had none of them.
That said, there was one place I could think of.
But whether they’d listen to a café owner who hadn’t even opened yet was another matter entirely.
“Haa… one problem after another.”
Still, maybe I should at least try?
They might listen if they saw my sincerity.
I fired myself up and headed toward the café’s front entrance.
Standing there were two people, just like the customers who had asked about coffee when the building was under repair.
A gentle smile appeared on my face.
At the same time, my eyes sparkled.
I walked toward them with light steps.
It felt like the one thing I was missing had just walked in on its own.
***
Meanwhile,
The fountain plaza in front of the Dael Temple was crowded again today.
The miracle played a big part, but there was another reason as well.
Everyone gathered there was talking about the same thing.
“So you can eat that… ice cream? Cold cream, right?”
“Yeah, I told you! You didn’t believe me?”
“Well… you said it was free, so how could I?”
“I didn’t believe it at first either, but they really give it out for free!”
People were talking excitedly about the free cold cream.
Some were even more interested in that than the god’s miracle. A god was distant, but free food was something you could actually hold in your hand.
Because of that, there were even more people at the fountain plaza than the day before.
Near the spot where the stall had been set up yesterday, a small line had already formed.
The owner hadn’t even arrived yet, but people waited anyway, half curious and half doubtful.
Just as murmurs of “Is she not coming today?” began to spread—
“…What is all this?”
The stall owner arrived.
The woman with pale pink hair blinked at the long line, looking completely stunned. Then she smiled warmly.
“You’ve already been waiting? Then I’ll prepare everything with extra care! Please wait just a little longer!”
Her voice was as gentle as her smile as she reassured the people in line.
While preparing, she talked casually.
She said the reed field behind the café under preparation was very beautiful and worth visiting.
She also said there would be special benefits for anyone who came to see the reed field before the café opened.
Distracted by the word “free” and their curiosity, people responded halfheartedly.
Some felt like they missed something important, but it didn’t matter.
The café was on the outskirts of the capital, hard to reach without a carriage.
With that carriage fee, you could almost buy a loaf of bread.
So the young man in line replied casually.
Soon, the woman finished preparing and began handing out bite-sized ice cream, just like the day before.
She also gave out postcards stamped with a hamster’s paw print.
Some people squealed at how cute the paw print was. Others were amazed by the unfamiliar texture of ice cream.
The man was the same. It was cool, soft, and sweet.
‘She’s really giving this away for free? She must be incredibly rich!’
After finishing the ice cream, he licked his lips regretfully.
With a taste like this, it might actually be worth giving up a big loaf of bread and visiting the café.
So he glanced at the postcard with the café’s address.
‘It’s not open yet… would it be okay to go?’
“…Huh? That’s the High Priest!”
Someone shouted loudly across the plaza.
Instantly, the square erupted in noise.
It was only natural.
The High Priest of the Dael Temple, Parhan, had finally appeared.
After the miracle, he had been extremely busy and hadn’t shown himself at all.
Though offerings had been accepted, this was the first time he appeared in person. Everyone focused their attention on him.
Dressed in pure white priestly robes, with neatly combed black hair, Parhan, the young high priest who had steadfastly protected the Dael Temple, looked around the plaza.
Then, without saying a word, he began walking toward one spot.
The crowd grew even louder, wondering where he was going.
Finally, Parhan stopped.
It was a place the man recognized well.
“Miss Layla, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
He was standing right in front of the stall—
The very stall where the woman had been handing out ice cream just moments ago.
