While Alterans were quietly preparing for their first war, the aborigines from the city were relaxing their hearts out. They would peruse the interesting territory, buy what they wanted, and get special treatment for their money as 'very rich customers'.
Other than this, they were also approached for advice and knowledge, and in exchange, they would also receive some purchasing tips and often a free meal here and there.
The past few days, there had been elders or positioned guards who would ask them a couple of questions, some surprisingly acute, while some were just odd but they answered anyway.
For instance, a man named Vino—the owner of Heartbreak Tavern—once asked them if they, aborigines, were generally fond of alcohol during the night.
When they said yes, he then asked if a tavern was available and would it definitely have business at all hours.
They answered him with their opinions and he looked like he was taking notes. He left after saying his polite goodbyes to them and leaving them a nice bottle of wine—which Otto really, really, liked.
Anyway, the Golds were currently in the newly opened tea house along the main East Avenue, right next to that park.
The tea house was nestled in the heart of the unique avenues, serving as the sanctuary of tranquility among the lively streets.
The exterior of the tea house was adorned by climbing ivy, its emerald leaves created a waterfall-like wall of green. It added a special 'relaxed' feel, more so than the shops adjacent to it.
There was a special hand-carved sign bearing its name: Tea Haven, located right at the top of the building, visible from about a hundred meters away.
This shop was composed of two modules, so it had a 250 square meter floor area for each story, which allowed for a spacious area of relaxation.
The centerpiece of the ground floor was a massive wood bar adorned with beautiful ceramic teapots and bowls of dried herbs. It was then surrounded by intricately carved tables scattered across the room, topped by plush burgundy cushions.
The patrons conversed in hushed tones, dipping from delicate porcelain cups. Steam billowed from them, carrying the scent of fresh leaves and flowers.
There was a spiraling wooden staircase to the second floor to the open-air area that blurred the interior and exterior. Its upper floor also had movable walls, designed to create some private rooms as needed.
When the floor was fully opened, the entire floor opened to the overarching balcony adorned with potted plants, making it seem like there were no walls at all, as if it was a roofed elevated area to eat in the middle of the bustling activity.
There were nicely divided from the outer space by the ivy walls crawling on a specially designed mesh. There were also balustrades looking over the streets and walkways below, providing some privacy and peace, but at the same time having access to the bustle at street level.
Here, there were chaise lounges with plump cushions as well as various tables designed for comfortable use at varying chair heights.
At this time, the Golds and friends were lounging here, willingly submersed in the gentle fragrance of herbs and flowers.
"This is amazing," Olga mumbled, almost moaning as she took a sip on the lovely porcelain cup with even lovelier contents, its flavor dancing in her tongue.
The tea was vibrant pale green with hints of color. The flavor was crisp, clean, and with a hint of sweetness.
"Of course! These are certified products of Ms. Althea!" The Tea master said, "I am one of the very few people who managed to secure distribution deals."
Soa was a teahouse owner with balding hair and a kind smile. He had moved from Vismont during the first wave of immigration, very willingly so as his late wife had been one of the victims of Higson's men.
He was also Loa's—the creator of the sour sauce—older brother. Through him, he managed to borrow capital to manage his own tea house, which was the family business he handled before the planet was destroyed.
He cut a deal with Miss Althea to distribute exclusive 3 tea varieties for a very good price. He also got a small discount for teas that wasn't exclusive as a bonus so he could sell them a bit cheaper than other teahouses.
With this, he had become a very good taxpayer—which Altera seemed to really like.
Anyway, he was in a happy mood in front of very rich customers. Soa smiled widely. "Would you like to know the health effects of this tea?"
The Golds looked at him curiously, nodding. "Sure."
"We call this Golden Tea. We added various complimenting plants similar to golden root and arctic root, which is an adaptogenic herb. They are known to enhance movement, reduce stress, and improve cognitive functions."
He then pointed at another cup that Otto had been drinking, "That is special green tea with L-theanine which indirectly affects dopamine levels by triggering brain patterns that induce relaxation. We also added vanilla extracts."
The Golds stared at him as he droned on passionately about the drink. L-theanine? Dopamine? Could those be eaten?
The tea owner seemed unaware of the aborigines' cluelessness and continued to blabber on. Back in Terran, those who asked for details were tea lovers and they understood most of his technicalities.
"I see…" was all Otto said, pretending to understand. He had wanted to ask about the other variation, but was afraid of the new words that pop up again.
However, they had rarely seen so many varieties for sure. Teas were uncommon in lower territories because it was usually bitter. Tea mixes were even rarer because mixing herbs and plants together could sometimes create something poisonous for consumption—even when the plants mixed weren't poisonous at all.
There were only three tea houses in Bleulle, two of which only specialized in a few teas, and none were so big because—other than the fact that land was insanely expensive in Bleulle—the patrons were also limited so there was no point building such a large shop.
At this time, it was an industry that was still gaining traction and wasn't particularly popular in places outside the city.
However, it so happened that their mother Gaia was a tea-lover and she passed this to all of the siblings, and this was why they were among the few aborigines who would be frequenting this teahouse.
They wondered if they could get these back home… how happy would their mother be?