A dozen minutes later, March 7th's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision hadn't fully focused yet, but she could feel that the surface her shoulder was leaning against was hard, not like a sofa armrest, but more like... a person's shoulder.
March 7th tilted her head to the side. Caelus's profile came into view, less than ten centimeters from her face.
She shot up like a spring, her back hitting the sofa cushions. She flailed her hands, grabbing at her own thighs, a blush creeping from the base of her ears all the way to her neck.
"Th-that! Caelus! I didn't do it on purpose! It's just that Ms. Himeko's coffee is too strong, so I..."
She trailed off halfway through her sentence, because she realized Caelus wasn't even looking at her.
Caelus sat right where he was, his eyes half-lidded, his gaze drifting vaguely toward some point in front of him. Although his posture was still upright, the aura he exuded was as listless as a dead fish. His eyes were completely vacant.
March 7th's attention was drawn to the coffee table in front of him.
On the table sat three empty cups. Caelus was still holding a fourth empty cup, a wisp of steam curling from its rim.
March 7th's mouth slowly opened, then slowly closed again. She stared at the four empty cups for several seconds.
"You... you drank four cups?!"
Caelus didn't turn his head. He just gestured with the empty cup in his hand and gave a muffled, indistinct "mhm."
March 7th immediately scrambled over, grabbing one of Caelus's arms with both hands and tilting her head to look up at his face.
"Are you okay? Do you feel sick? Should I go get Lady Herta to check on you?"
"I'm fine."
Caelus felt dizzy. His entire field of vision was spinning, and the Nausea debuff in his status bar had yet to disappear.
While March 7th had been unconscious, he couldn't resist his curiosity and decided to experiment with Himeko's coffee.
Since the JEI item manager had identified Himeko's coffee as 'Suspicious Stew,' could he get different status effects by drinking it? After all, in MC, Suspicious Stew could grant a wide variety of buffs and debuffs, not just Poison.
And so, he had chugged four consecutive cups. But the result was the same every time: Poison, Nausea, and Blindness. After that ordeal, he was not only dizzy, but his health bar was hovering at a dangerously low point.
If he wasn't afraid of scaring March 7th and the others by suddenly dropping dead, he would have found a quiet corner and killed himself to reset his status long ago.
March 7th was still staring at him with a worried expression. Caelus managed a weak smile.
"I'm really fine. It'll pass in a bit."
On the sofa opposite them, Welt and Dan Heng sat together, having witnessed the entire process of Caelus pouring cup after cup down his throat.
Neither of them said a word, but the same thought echoed in both their minds.
To be able to drink four consecutive cups of Himeko's hand-brewed coffee... this child is terrifyingly formidable.
Himeko, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the fact that Caelus was on the verge of death.
She sat in the seat next to Welt, holding her own cup of coffee, a smile on her face that she couldn't hide, her eyes crinkling with joy.
"Caelus, you really think it tastes good, don't you!"
Himeko's voice was so full of excitement, it was as if she had found her one true soulmate.
"No one else on the train really likes my coffee. I was starting to suspect there was something wrong with my technique, but it turns out they just don't know how to appreciate it!"
You don't need to suspect, Himeko. There IS something wrong with your technique!
Caelus, of course, couldn't say this thought out loud, so he kept the smile plastered on his face.
"It's pretty good."
He wasn't about to break Himeko's good mood. Besides, in terms of practical effects, Suspicious Stew was still technically a food item in MC. Drinking it did restore his hunger bar; it was just that the health he lost was more than the health he would have recovered from the restored hunger.
"From now on, I'll let you be the first to taste-test all my new recipes!"
Himeko stood up, patting down non-existent wrinkles on her dress, her voice an octave higher than before.
"And since you joined the train today, I'll go make everyone a celebratory dinner!"
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the previously quiet Parlor Car shifted dramatically.
Welt shot to his feet almost instantly, the speed of his movement completely at odds with his usually calm demeanor. He set down his coffee cup and hurried after Himeko.
"Himeko, I'll go with you."
His expression was placid as he said this, but his footsteps were anything but.
Dan Heng also put down his cup and followed behind Welt.
The two of them, one after the other, followed Himeko toward the kitchen. Their retreating figures looked less like they were going to help with dinner and more like they were undertaking some high-risk mission.
As he reached the doorway, Welt paused and turned back to March 7th.
"March, remember to show Caelus around the train."
March 7th nodded. The Parlor Car fell quiet again, leaving only her and Caelus.
She turned to look at Caelus. His complexion was a little better than before, at least his eyes weren't as vacant.
"Let's go, Caelus. I'll give you a tour!"
March 7th reached out and pulled Caelus's arm. Caelus stood up with her momentum. Although the Nausea debuff had finally worn off, he still felt like his vision was swaying. Walking wasn't a problem, though.
The two of them left the Parlor Car and headed down the train's inner corridor.
March 7th walked half a step ahead, her mouth never stopping for a moment.
"The train has quite a few cars, and each one is different. I'll show you them one by one!"
As she spoke, she rounded a corner and pushed open the door to the Dining Car.
A wave of lively noise washed over them.
The kitchen area was brightly lit. Pom-Pom, wearing an apron, stood at the stove, its two short hands deftly stir-frying ingredients in a wok. It moved with a nimbleness one wouldn't expect from a fluffy creature.
Welt stood to Pom-Pom's left, holding a spice bottle in one hand and a spatula in the other, ostensibly assisting the conductor. His eyes, however, were constantly darting toward Himeko on the right.
At that moment, Himeko was holding a small bottle with a label on it. Caelus couldn't quite make out what was written on the label from the doorway, but she was attempting to pour the bottle's contents into the wok.
Dan Heng, standing on her other side, quickly reached out to stop her, offering a reminder.
"Himeko, you've already added salt twice."
"Have I? Then I'll add some MSG instead."
Dan Heng fell silent. Caelus and March 7th, huddled by the door, also fell silent.
Caelus suddenly wasn't looking forward to dinner anymore. He could only pray that the meal would at least have a high hunger restoration value, and that it wouldn't inflict any bizarre negative status effects. It would be best if it could restore the health he had lost.
He really didn't want to become the first Steve to be one-shot by food.