Another World Fluffy Cafe

Chapter 22: The New Mascot Rider

“Fuaaahhh…”

Taichi naturally woke up as the morning sunlight streamed through the window. He yawned while thinking about what to have for breakfast and changed into his clothes.

Suddenly, he noticed that neither Luke, who usually slept in his room, nor Cerberus, who always crawled into his bed, were there. They had been with him when he fell asleep, but maybe they had woken up early.

“Are they downstairs with everyone else?”

Feeling curious, Taichi washed his face and headed downstairs, only to find all the fluffy creatures gathered together.

“Good morning, you were all here,” he greeted them.

“Ah.”
“‘Miii!’”
“‘Good morning!’”
“‘Morning!’”
“‘Nyaa~!’”
“Good morning!”

Luke’s greeting was a bit curt, but his wagging tail showed his happiness. The others rushed over to Taichi and rubbed against his legs.

(Oh man, this is heaven…)

Just as Taichi was about to ascend to a blissful state, the ore hedgehog called out to him.
“Taichi-san!”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“I have a favor to ask…”

“Oh? Sure, of course.”

He wondered what it could be, but then noticed everyone, including Cerberus, was looking at the ore hedgehog with sparkling eyes. It didn’t seem like anything bad, and Taichi felt relieved.

“I want to join the Fluffy Cafe!”

“Eh!?”

Taichi was taken aback, as the ore hedgehog hadn’t shown any signs of wanting this before. He remembered how the poor creature had been targeted by adventurers and had endured many terrifying experiences, even to the point of collapsing from exhaustion. The Fluffy Cafe did have regular adventurer customers, good people, but still, it might trigger the hedgehog’s fears.

(Hmm, what should I do?)

Taichi didn’t want to force the ore hedgehog into anything.

“I’d be happy to have you join, but there are adventurers among the customers, you know. I think it’s okay if you take your time to rest…”

“No, actually, I spoke with everyone last night.”

(So that’s why Luke and Cerberus weren’t in bed this morning.)

“After hearing their stories, I thought staying with you would be fun, Taichi-san. I’ve been traveling in search of a mate, but maybe there’s a new encounter waiting for me here.”

“I see. Thanks, ore hedgehog.”

(Since Fenrir and Cerberus are here, it’s possible they’ll meet some rare monsters.)

While pondering this, Taichi realized that in order to join the Fluffy Cafe, the ore hedgehog needed to be registered with the Tamer Guild. This meant he would have to tame the creature, which would limit its freedom to travel.

As Taichi was about to explain this, Ume chimed in.
“I already told him.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Since we registered with the Tamer Guild ourselves, I explained what it would be like.”

“I understand all that, but I’d still like to join! The food is delicious, the bed is cozy… I experienced it firsthand last night.”

The ore hedgehog expressed a desire to settle down for a bit.

“In that case, I’d be happy to have you.”

“Yes! Please take care of me!”

“Alright, then—[Taming]!”

Taichi activated his skill, and the ore hedgehog was enveloped in sparkling light. The taming was a success. The next step was to give it a name.

The ore hedgehog had gleaming needles on its back, with a beautiful red color that was mesmerizing. The moment Taichi saw it, he knew what the name should be.

“I’ll name you after the red gemstone… Ruby.”

When Taichi gave the name, a warm light shone down on the ore hedgehog—now Ruby. Ruby smiled brightly and repeated the name several times.

“Ruby, I can’t believe I received such a wonderful name. Thank you, Taichi-san!”

“The pleasure is mine. And you don’t need to be so formal. We’re family now, so just call me Taichi.”

“…Taichi!”

“That’s right. Nice to meet you, Ruby.”

“Nice to meet you!”

After registering at the Tamer Guild, Ruby officially became a member of the Fluffy Cafe. Ruby was beaming as he mingled with the Berry Rabbits, perhaps because they were about the same size.

As Taichi was relaxing, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of a customer.

“Heey!”
“Long time no see, Fluffy Cafe!”
“Come on, you two, calm down a little!”

The regular adventurer trio had returned for the first time since Taichi’s trip to the Kingdom of Azeln.

“Welcome,” Taichi greeted them.

“Oh, Taichi-san, you’re back! Wait, there are more little ones!!”

Gries, the swordsman, looked around the cafe and took a step back in shock. Behind him, Nina and Arle, who were following, bumped into his back.

“Gries, what are you doing!? Waaaah, it’s a fluff paradise!!”
“So many Forest Cats…”

Gries had a rugged face but a deep love for fluffy creatures. He was a burly man clad in heavy armor, the frontline fighter of the party. Despite his intimidating appearance, the cafe’s creatures didn’t shy away from him, so he cherished the experience.

Nina was the party’s mood maker, sporting a bob cut and orange eyes. She wore a red bandana as her charm point, with a practical, pants-based outfit suitable for a hunter.

Arle, the twin-tailed blonde, was the reserved yet secretly fluffy-loving member of the group. Though she kept a stern attitude, she often visited the cafe alone to enjoy her fill of fluff.

While taking their order, Taichi casually greeted them, “It’s been a while.”

“Himeri told us that you were away, but we’ve been coming by regardless,” Gries said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Taichi replied, appreciating the trio’s loyalty.

Gries, however, was clearly more focused on the fluffy creatures than their conversation. With so many Forest Cats around that he hadn’t interacted with yet, it was understandable.

As the trio stepped further inside, their eyes widened in amazement.

“What’s that?!”
“Kyaa! So cute!!”
“That’s… an ore hedgehog!?”

“It’s not that surprising… wait, Ruby!?”

Taichi exclaimed in surprise, seeing Ume with Ruby on her back, climbing the cat tower.

(What is that? It’s too cute… a rider, maybe?)

As everyone swooned over the sight, Himeri came out from the back, cheerfully welcoming the customers. Though her part-time work was initially meant to last until Taichi returned, she had agreed to continue helping out, especially with the recent addition of ten Forest Cats.

“Wow, Ume is carrying Ruby! So adorable!”

Even Himeri was taken by the sight. She quickly snapped back to reality, grabbed a cat toy, and turned to the adventurer trio.

“Let me show you the best way to play with them!”

And so, another person fell victim to the irresistible charm of the Fluffy Cafe’s cats.