Re:Birth: A Slow Burn LitRPG Mage Regressor

The display case near the entrance showcased pastries he'd never seen even in his past life—airy ring-shaped dough glazed with vibrant fruit coatings that the Valandian bakers called "doh-nats," elongated cream-filled tubes with chocolate tops from Southern Cascadia known as "éclairs," and his personal favorite, the flaky, buttery shells filled with sweet custard that everyone simply called "puffs." The small Eastern Isles influence was evident in the delicate rice-flour confections dusted with powdered sugar.

Not that Adom could blame the place for becoming something of a tourist attraction—the chocolate pastries alone were worth traveling for.

Zuni perched on the table's edge, his smile fixed in place as he surveyed the bustling tearoom with those amber eyes.

"Don't stare," Adom murmured, though he found himself doing exactly that.

Not at Zuni, but at the group of elves seated three tables away. Five of them, some with silver-white hair and angular features that marked them as High Elves from the northern forests. They spoke in hushed tones, occasionally breaking into laughter.

Elves in Arkhos City weren't completely unheard of, but they were rare enough to draw attention. Especially now.

With Sundar's recent annexation of two elven border cities—Silvermoon and Everbranch—the already tense relationship between humans and elves had deteriorated further. The official line was that these were "protective occupations" against Farmusian influence, but nobody really believed that. Not when human settlers were already being moved into formerly elven districts.

The elves in the teahouse were clearly diplomatic staff, judging by their formal attire and the small silver pins on their collars marking them as protected foreign dignitaries. Likely here for negotiations that would go nowhere.

Everyone in the teahouse kept stealing glances at them, some with curiosity, others with barely disguised hostility. The current political climate had done nothing to improve centuries of mutual distrust.

"Here you are, sir." A waitress appeared at Adom's table, setting down a steaming cup of black tea, a chocolate pastry with cream oozing from its sides, and a small dish of candied peanuts. "Will there be anything else?"

"No, this is perfect. Thank you," Adom replied, sliding a few copper coins across the table as a tip.

As the waitress departed, Adom pushed the dish of peanuts toward Zuni, who had been eyeing them with steadily increasing intensity since their arrival.

"These are for you," he said. "Try not to make a mess."

Zuni stared at the candied peanuts. Then at Adom. Then back at the peanuts. His spines quivered slightly, betraying an excitement that his permanent smile couldn't express.

With caution, as if approaching a potentially dangerous object, Zuni extended one tiny paw and selected a single peanut. He sniffed it thoroughly, turning it over several times before finally taking a small, tentative bite.

There was a moment of absolute stillness.

Then Zuni's amber eyes widened dramatically, the pupils dilating to almost completely black. Without warning, the quillick lunged at the dish, cramming peanuts into his mouth with such ferocious speed that Adom nearly spilled his tea in surprise.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Adom reached for the dish, but Zuni let out a warning chirp that sounded disturbingly like a growl.

Four, five, six peanuts disappeared into the quillick's cheeks, which bulged to absurd proportions. It looked as though Zuni had somehow managed to store several times his face's volume in food. His chewing motions were minimal—he seemed more intent on hoarding than actually eating.

"You're going to choke," Adom warned, making another attempt to remove the dish. This time, Zuni actually hissed at him, spines bristling defensively while maintaining his eerily permanent smile.

"Fine, choke then. See if I care," Adom muttered, reaching for his tea instead.

A sudden thought struck him, and he pulled out the care instructions from his pocket, scanning quickly for dietary information. His eyes landed on a paragraph bordered in red:

WARNING: Quillicks are highly susceptible to sugar addiction. Even small amounts can trigger compulsive consumption. AVOID ALL SWEETENED FOODS, particularly candied nuts, which quillicks find irresistible to the point of potential self-harm.

Adom looked up from the paper to find Zuni now completely motionless, cheeks bulging impossibly, one paw frozen halfway to his mouth with another peanut. The quillick's eyes had glazed over in what could only be described as a sugar-induced trance.

"Oh no you don't," Adom said, snatching the dish away. "Spit those out."

Zuni responded by slowly backing away, maintaining eye contact while somehow looking simultaneously guilty and defiant.

"Zuni," Adom said firmly, "those are bad for you. Spit. Them. Out."

The quillick's spines flattened against his body, and he hunched down, protecting his ill-gotten treasure.

"Don't make me force you," Adom warned. "I will physically remove those peanuts if I have to."

Zuni made a muffled chirping sound and somehow managed to fit yet another peanut into his already overstuffed cheeks.

Adom lunged across the table, hands outstretched to capture the sugar-crazed creature. Zuni darted sideways with surprising speed, especially given his hamster-like cheek pouches. The ensuing chase knocked over Adom's teacup, sending dark liquid spreading across the table.

"Come here, you little—" Adom made another grab, fingers just brushing Zuni's spines as the quillick scurried behind the pastry plate.

Several patrons were now openly staring at the spectacle. From the corner of his eye, Adom could see the elves watching with expressions of amused disdain, as if his inability to control one small creature confirmed everything they believed about human incompetence.

Zuni, clearly enjoying the attention, performed an elaborate evasive maneuver that somehow involved spinning in a complete circle while maintaining his improbable head tilt. He chirped triumphantly through his stuffed cheeks.

"This isn't funny," Adom hissed, grabbing a napkin to dam the spreading tea before it dripped onto his pants. "You could seriously harm yourself!"