Around three or four in the afternoon, in the shopping district, at Ahnenerbe Cafe.
Samael, who had arrived early for the appointment, stepped inside, took a seat at the counter, and ordered an espresso. As he drank, he casually chatted with Manager George, a man dressed in black with sunglasses and a fierce-looking face.
Ahnenerbe was a German noun meaning "heritage." Though the cafe's name came from German, Manager George specialized in Italian cuisine.
Unlike an ordinary coffee shop, it could serve dishes one would hardly expect to find in a cafe, such as curry or mapo tofu. In short, it was rather unusual and eccentric.
Furthermore, according to what Samael knew, this seemingly unremarkable cafe—
—had apparently been built with the involvement of Jewel Old Man Zelretch. As such, it possessed spatial interference properties and could theoretically appear in different locations, connect different spaces, or even link to other worlds.
Thus, the cafe was merely a facade. It actually had the hidden function of gathering intelligence and could, in a sense, be considered a branch institution of the Mage's Association.
Touko Aozaki likely knew about Ahnenerbe Cafe's special nature, which was why she had chosen it as their meeting place.
Just as Samael was lost in thought, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar sweet fragrance drifted from the oven and threaded its way into his nostrils.
At that moment, Manager George skillfully opened the oven and took out several pieces of sweet, soft bread.
Their golden, crisp crusts gleamed with the bright sheen of olive oil. Both their appearance and aroma were enough to whet anyone's appetite.
"Focaccia?"
The ancient serpent's eyes lit up, and a nostalgic look appeared in them.
George, busy at work, heard this and could not help turning around. He looked at Samael in surprise, while