“Training?”
Li Yuan thought he had misheard and asked for confirmation.
“Yes, training.”
Setis turned around and nodded toward the students sitting bolt upright.
“These guys don’t even know how to prepare basic refreshments, let alone host guests. Since I promised the academy I’d turn this classroom into a refreshment lounge, I can’t have us becoming a laughingstock. You run a teahouse, so teaching them a thing or two shouldn't be a problem, right?”
She spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion, as if Li Yuan had already agreed.
Li Yuan followed her gaze to the group of students. There were about a dozen of them, both boys and girls, all looking at him with complex expressions—a mix of expectation, sympathy, and curiosity.
He thought for a moment and nodded. “I can do that, but with so little time...”
“Two hours is enough. They don’t need to be experts; they just need to look the part.”
Setis cut him off, then clapped her hands to get the students' attention.
“Did you all hear that? This is Li Yuan, the refreshment specialist I’ve brought in. He’s going to teach you what to do, so pay attention! If anyone slacks off—”
She didn’t finish the sentence, merely narrowing her eyes.
The classroom immediately erupted with a chorus of scattered responses.
“Y-Yes, ma'am!”
“Understood!”
“We’ll definitely study hard!”
Li Yuan watched the scene, his lip twitching slightly. This setup felt more like military drills than a hospitality class.
However, he didn't say much. Since he had promised to help, he would do it right. Truth be told, he didn't dislike this kind of task—back in the Kyushu Continent, he had often been invited by various sects to teach disciples about the tea ceremony and etiquette. Although his identity then was “Daoist Green Tea,” the work wasn't much different from what he was doing now.
“Then let's start with the basics.”
Li Yuan walked to the table and scanned the tea sets laid out. The equipment was complete—teapots, cups, and tea canisters were all there—but the arrangement was chaotic, and the tea varieties didn't match the tools.
He picked up a porcelain pot, looked at it, and set it down before addressing the group. “Before brewing tea, you must first distinguish the purpose of each vessel. Porcelain pots are suitable for black tea and flower tea, while purple clay pots are better for oolong and green tea. These two should not be mixed, or the flavors will cross-contaminate...”
He paused and looked at several students.
“Does anyone know why?”
A boy wearing glasses timidly raised his hand.
“B-Because the glaze on porcelain doesn't absorb flavor, while purple clay pots absorb the tea's aroma?”
“Correct.”
Li Yuan nodded approvingly. The boy let out a visible sigh of relief, looking as though he had just completed a Herculean task.
“Since you understand the principle, the rest will be easy. You few—”
He pointed to several students at random.
“You're responsible for categorizing the tea sets by material—keep the porcelain and purple clay separate. You two, go boil some water. Remember, use boiling water for black tea, but let it cool slightly for green tea; about eighty percent of boiling temperature is enough.”
The students he pointed to jumped into action with excessive speed. Those who hadn't been picked stood there anxiously, looking at him as if waiting for a verdict.
Li Yuan found it somewhat amusing and turned to Setis.
“Miss Setis, would you like to give it a try as well?”
“Me?”
Setis arched an eyebrow. She leaned her staff against the wall and rolled up her sleeves as she walked over.
“Sure. It’s not like I have anything else to do this morning.”
The expressions of the surrounding students became quite colorful at her words. Some stared with wide eyes, some had their mouths agape, and others instinctively took half a step back.
Li Yuan noticed their reactions but said nothing, simply taking a canister of black tea from the shelf and handing it to her.
“Let's start with the most common black tea. First, take the tea leaves—about this much...”
He demonstrated as he spoke. Setis stood beside him, mimicking his movements. They were quite close, close enough that her hair occasionally brushed against his arm.
The classroom grew quiet, save for the sound of boiling water.
The students appeared busy with their tasks, but their gazes constantly drifted toward them. Seeing Setis actually following Li Yuan’s instructions so obediently left several of them looking more than just shocked.
The boy with glasses leaned toward a red-haired girl and whispered, “Am I seeing things... the Tyrant is actually listening to someone?”
The red-haired girl whispered back, “It’s hard to believe, but it’s happening. Last time, she threw a fireball directly at a third-year senior.”
“Who exactly is this guy...”
“I don’t know, but he’s definitely not ordinary.”
Their whispers were faint, but Li Yuan’s hearing was incredibly sharp. He could only pretend not to hear and continued guiding Setis.
“That’s enough tea leaves. Now, pour the water. Pour it slowly against the inner wall of the pot; don’t pour it directly onto the leaves.”
Setis followed his lead. Her movements were a bit clumsy, but she was quite serious.
As the hot water was poured, the tea leaves slowly unfurled in the pot, and a faint, fresh fragrance drifted out.
“And then?”
She looked up at Li Yuan, her eyes questioning.
“We wait. Black tea needs to steep for about three—”
“Too slow.”
Setis frowned and lightly placed her palm over the teapot. A faint ripple of magic power flickered, and steam immediately began billowing from the pot.
“There, that should do it.”
Satisfied, she picked up the teapot, poured herself a cup, and took a sip.
Then her frown deepened.
“The taste is wrong.”
Li Yuan sighed helplessly.
“Magic acceleration might be fast, but the release of the tea’s aroma takes time. Forcing it only makes the tea bitter. When it comes to brewing tea, you cannot rush.”
“Fine~ fine, I get it.”
Setis grumbled as she set the cup down, a flash of awkwardness crossing her face. However, she quickly regained her usual composure and waved at the other students.
“What are you all staring at? Get practicing!”
The group immediately buried their heads in their work, and the classroom was filled with the sounds of hurried activity.
Li Yuan shook his head and walked over to guide the others. He corrected a girl’s hand position while pouring water, helped a boy adjust the amount of tea leaves, and demonstrated to another student how to use a tea towel to wipe water stains from the rim of a cup.
Everywhere he went, the atmosphere would noticeably relax. His tone remained gentle throughout; even when someone made a mistake, he would patiently demonstrate again without ever showing a hint of annoyance.
This was in stark contrast to Setis.
After about half an hour, the first decent pot of black tea was finally brewed. Li Yuan took a sip and nodded.
“Good. From now on, follow this standard.”
The boy responsible for the tea let out a long breath of relief, nearly collapsing into his chair.
“Next, the refreshments.”
Li Yuan walked to another table where ingredients like flour, eggs, and cream were laid out. He scanned them and made a plan.
“Our time is limited, so we won’t have time for complex pastries. I’ll teach you two simple ones—butter cookies and cream puffs. Both can be prepared in advance and have a decent shelf life.”
As he spoke, he began to demonstrate. Kneading the dough, shaping it, and controlling the heat—he did each step meticulously while explaining the key points.
“Don’t overwork the cookie dough, or it will develop gluten and become tough. For the cream puff batter, you need to cook it until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pot; that’s how you know the moisture has been properly reduced.”
The students crowded around, some taking notes and others following along with their own hands. The atmosphere was much more lively than during the tea brewing, as making pastries was inherently more fun.
Setis also leaned in. After watching for a while, she reached out and took a cookie fresh from the oven, taking a bite.
There was a crisp crunch.
Her eyes lit up slightly, though her face remained expressionless.
“It’s okay.”
Despite her words, her hand was already reaching for a second piece.
Li Yuan smiled but didn't call her out.
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