Zero groaned as he slowly woke up, the m light seeping through the window. His body felt heavy, and his mind still lingered in that blissful half-asleep state where reality and dreams blurred together.

  Theiced something—

  Soma was also waking up beside him. Still drowsy, Zero rubbed his face. "Why do you, as a e, o sleep?" Soma yawned, stretg his arms. "I'm still a being, y'know. I need all the basiecessities. Sleep included."

  Zero let out a tired chuckle. "Man, you really are just a see." Soma smirked. "I mean, teically, I'm the improved version." Zero flicked him on the forehead.

  Soma ughed, then suddenly sat up with a teasing grin. "So… is it too much if we shether?"

  Zero squi him. "That's gay."

  Soma gasped in mock offense. "e're going back to the 1950s? So you're homophobiow?"

  Zero grabbed his pillow and threw it at Soma's face.

  "SHUT UP!" he shouted as he stomped toward the bathroom. "Go make breakfast, dammit!"

  Soma just ughed.

  By the time Zero finished his bath and came downstairs, the smell of food had already filled the café.

  Soma stood behind the ter, setting down a steaming bowl on the wooden surface.

  "Here. Pe with quail eggs."

  Zero sat down and took the bowl, inhaling the warm, f aroma. "Thanks."

  Soma leaned against the ter, wiping his hands on a towel. "Gonna go take a bath now. Try not to miss me too much."

  Zero, mid-bite, simply flipped him off.

  Soma ughed and headed upstairs.

  By the time Soma returned, Zero had already started setting up the café for the day. The moment the doors opehe m rush began. ers trickled in, the warm st of breakfast drawing people toward the café. Some took one look at Zero's horns and walked right out.

  But—

  Some stayed.

  And that was all that mattered. Zero and Soma worked seamlessly, taking orders, serving food, and keeping the café running smoothly. A group of curious ers sat down at one of the tables, sing the café interior.

  One of them, a well-dressed man with a ly trimmed mustache, raised an eyebrow. "So, what's on the menu?"

  Soma, carrying a tray of food to aable, grinned. "We do things differently here. Instead of a fixed menu, we have a daily rotatiion. Every day, it's something new."

  The man frowned slightly. "So what's today's breakfast?"

  Soma set the st pte down before pg his hands on his hips. "Today's special? Pe with quail eggs. Simple. Warm. Perfect way to start the m."

  The man exged gnces with his panions before nodding.

  "Alright. We'll take three."

  Zero, from behind the ter, smirked as he started preparing the coffee.

  It might take time, but step by step—

  They were winning people over.

  As the m rush trickled down and the café grew quiet, Zero leaned against the ter, exhaling. "Alright, Chef, what's the pn for lunch?"

  Soma, wiping his hands on a towel, grinned. "I'm thinking eel."

  Zero raised an eyebrow. "Eel?"

  Soma nodded. "It's light, goes great with coffee, and isn't too filling, so people will be more likely to order extra portions."

  Zero smirked. "Smart."

  As noon reached its peak, ers started rolling in again.

  Lunch breaks were in full swing, and after seeing the m crowd, more people were curious about the café.

  Some returning ers, who missed breakfast, walked up to the ter. "Hey, I get a bowl of that pe from earlier?"

  Soma shook his head. "That was the breakfast special. We're onto lunow."

  One of the men groaned. "e on, man, there's no w saying we 't have breakfast for lunch!"

  Soma griapping the ter. "Maybe not, but if I'm the one cooking, thehere is a rule."

  The group ughed, and even Zero got involved in some of the versations. There were awkward moments, as some ers were clearly hesitant around him, but he didn't mind.

  It wasn't their fault.

  They had been taught to be prejudiced against demons.

  But little by little, he was ging that.

  As afternoon came, Zero and Soma thought they might finally get a small break.

  They were wrong.

  More people kept arriving.

  Workers finishing their shifts, travelers stopping in for a meal, and curious first-timers looking for a taste of something new.

  Zero exged a gh Soma, and they both knew—

  They were exhausted.

  By the time the sun dipped lower, they made a decision.

  Zero locked the café doors before dusk, just as a group of ers approached. One of them frowned. "Hey, isn't a café supposed to stay open at night?"

  Zero offered a polite smile. "It's our first week. We're still adjusting. e baorrow, alright?"

  The man huffed but nodded, walking off with the others.

  Zero and Soma slumped into their seats, letting out a deep, exhausted sigh.

  Then—

  They ughed.

  It was tiring, but at the same time, it was rewarding.

  Soma, still catg his breath, grinned. "Alright, check the Gacha points."

  Zero smirked. "Let's see." He walked over to the cash register and ope.

  A small notification appeared:

  Gacha Points Earned: +540

  Zero whistled. "Not bad."

  Soma leaned against the ter, thinking. "So we sold our meals for around 4-5 silver and your coffee for 1-2 silver… that means we served around 80 people."

  Zero groaned. "It felt like way more than that."

  Soma stretched. "It's kind of our fault."

  Zero raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

  Soma crossed his arms. "We o rework our operating hours."

  Zero leaned back against the ter, sidering it. "M hours should stay. It's what brings in the first wave of ers."

  Soma nodded. "Then we'd have to sacrifice lunch."

  Zero's expression immediately soured. "Absolutely not."

  Soma tilted his head. "Look, we just worked aire day without a real meal. We're serving food without eating it ourselves."

  Zero sighed. "Fine. Let's talk it over during dinner."

  Soma smirked. "That's the smartest thing you've said all day."

  Zero rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

  As they prepared their meal, they went bad forth, discussing the best way to maheir schedule.

  After some lighthearted bahey finally settled on a pn:

  M Hours: Open early for breakfast (a key selling point).Afternoon Break: Close for lunch, so they could actually rest.Evening Hours: Reopen for dinner and te-night ers.

  With a new pn ihey ked their gsses together.

  Tomorrow, they would run the café on their own terms.

  …

  The m sun barely crested the rooftops of Pi City when the doors of the police prect swung open. Officers in dark navy uniforms filed into the main assembly hall, their boots thudding against the wooden floor as they lined up in formation.

  At the front of the room, a tall elven woman stood with her hands behind her back, her pierg emerald eyes sing the gathered officers.

  She was Captain Era Vaelith, the neointed preander—and the first woman to ever hold the position in Pi. The tension in the room alpable. She could feel the unspokement, the silent disapproval.

  Then—

  A single cp echoed through the hall. It was followed by another. And another. A slow, begrudging round of appuse rippled through the assembled officers. Their expressions were ral at best, and disdainful at worst.

  Era didn't react. She simply waited, her gaze cold and unfling, until the st forced cp died down.

  Then, she smiled.

  And dropped the act.

  "Let's not waste time." Era's voice rang through the hall—sharp, clear, and anding. She took a step forward, her boots clig against the floor. "I kly what kind of prect this is," she said.

  The air shifted.

  Some officers stiffened. each other, expressions wary. Era's smile widened—but there was no warmth in it. "I know how corrupt the kingdom's police are."

  A heavy siletled over the room.

  "I know how corrupt you are."

  Before anyone could react, the side doors burst open. Armed officers stormed in, grabbing several men from the ranks. The corrupt officers barely had time tle before they were restrained.

  The hall exploded into whispers. Era ighe murmurs, tinuing as if nothing had happened.

  "For those of you w why you're still standing here," she said, "it's because you haven't been caught—yet." She turned on her heel, pag down the row of officers.

  "The kingdom is scared. The Federation is growing. A nation without a king, ruled by a president—it strikes a nerve, doesn't it?" She scoffed. "Your king doesn't want to lose his power."

  She stopped, turning back to face them. "So here ying cops." A few officers shifted unfortably, their expressions unreadable. "But let me make something clear." Era's emerald gaze hardened.

  "With me as your captain, we will not 'py cop' anymore." She let the words sink in. "We will serve and protect the citizens equally—human, elf, dwarf, beastkin, demon, it doesn't matter." Her gaze swept across the room, daring ao challenge her.

  "There will be no more bribes." A few officers swallowed hard.

  "No more power pys." More unfortable shifting.

  "Names." She gestured to the detained officers.

  "For those of you being taken in, don't worry." She gave them a pointed look. "You'll have your trial—with ic lie detector." Some officers visibly paled.

  "If you pass, you're free to go." Her expression darkened.

  "If not… then even if the Demon God himself reinates, he won't be able to save you." A heavy silence followed.

  Then—

  She csped her hands behind her bad said,

  "Dismissed."

  As the officers in the main hall began to disperse, Captain Era Vaelith remaianding, her arms crossed. Her sharp emerald eyes flicked toward two specific officers.

  "Officer Wolfe. Officer Mo." The two immediately stiffened, standing at attention. "Follow me." Without another word, Era turned and strode toward her offibsp;

  Wolfe and Mo exged a gnce before silently falling in line behind her.

  The moment the door to her office closed, Era turned and leaned against her desk, arms folded. She fixed her gaze on Wolfe, the more senior of the two.

  "Is she your rookie?" Era asked, tilting her head toward Mo.

  Wolfe nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

  Era's gaze shifted to Mo for a sed, then back to Wolfe. "Does your rookie know about your identity?"

  Wolfe hesitated. Mo, standing beside him, g him curiously—clearly fused. After a beat, Wolfe finally answered. "No, ma'am."

  Era let out a slow, deliberate sigh, then stepped forward. Her cold stare locked onto him. "Then what does the bastard of the king want in my department?"

  Mo's eyes widened slightly, but she held her tongue, knowing this wasn't her pce to speak. Wolfe stood firm. "To serve and protect the people, ma'am."

  Era narrowed her eyes, stepping closer, her voice l. "Don't give me your bullshit."

  Wolfe remaiill, but his jaw tightened. Era's gaze was uing. "Your boots might believe you—but not me." A heavy silence followed.

  Then—

  Wolfe exhaled, his shoulders rexing just slightly. "To prove myself… for my independence."

  Era's expression shifted into a small, knowing smile. "That's more like it." She stepped back, giving him space.

  "But you should know," she added, "I will be monit you like a griffin."

  Wolfe nodded. "Uood, ma'am."

  Era tilted her head, smirking. "Are you mad that I'm the ander of this prect?"

  Wolfe didn't hesitate. "No, ma'am. I think you're exactly what we need."

  Era let out a short chuckle. "Don't ftter me, Wolfe. Just do your damn job."

  She turo Mo. "And you—keep your eyes sharp. You're not in some noble's pypen anymore."

  Moraightened. "Yes, ma'am."

  Era nodded. "Dismissed."

  With that, the two officers saluted aed the office, leaving Era standing there, smirking to herself.

  She had a long road ahead of her.

  But if Wolfe was serious about proving himself—then he would have to do it under her and.

  And she would make sure he ear.