The next morning, I do some quick indoor exercises before coming down to the tavern's dining room.
"Hey! Good morning!" Yumi's voice is a cheerful welcome as she greets me with an ear-to-ear smile.
"Good morning," Sophia is also sitting next to her.
Meanwhile, our cat Charcoal is napping cutely on Sophia's lap, as usual.
"Bon matin, how are you guys doing?" I greet them back the Canadian way.
"Awesome! How are you doing?" Sophia replies.
"Great!"
I then sit down at the table with them, ordering the same food as usual – a big plate of bacon, sausage, and eggs.
Meanwhile, Sophia has some pancakes.
"You know, Jack, since this is a new world, we need to be extra cautious," Yumi suddenly says. "Our bodies might need time to adjust, especially our immune systems. I wonder if there are any germs or viruses here…"
"Oh, that's an interesting point," I muse. "How about we try to find that out? I'll work on rigging up a microscope."
"Really? Yes!" Yumi's face lights up.
I chuckle at her enthusiasm.
"That aside, I just made a new friend!" Yumi announces. "I found him this morning!"
"Oh," I say, intrigued. "Is he here right now?"
"There! He's right over there!" Yumi points excitedly.
On the table, amidst the breakfast spread, sits a bowl with a creature I recognize immediately. "Ah, a Flufflecabbage!"
What a coincidence!
We just talked about them the previous night!
And here it is, right in front of my very eyes!
So, what they said in the books is true. The Fluffelcabbages are, indeed, masters of disguise. This one's cabbage-like appearance had deceived me into thinking it was a part of the meal!
"His name is Fufu, and he's living with me now!" Yumi beams.
Pleased, I extend my hand for a handshake before realizing my faux pas—Flufflecabbages don't have hands.
Yumi giggles at my gesture, and I quickly adjust.
"May I... pet him, then?"
Yumi whispers something inaudible to Fufu. Moments later, she nods. "Fufu says it's nice to meet you, Jack! And yes, you can pet him, but please don't pluck any leaves."
"Of course I won't," I assure her, reaching out gently.
And then, my fingers brush against the crisp, verdant leaves. It feels remarkably like touching a real cabbage, except this one purrs—a soft, contented sound.
"Nice to meet you, Fufu!"
"Oh, he likes you!" Yumi exclaims.
"Really? That's awesome!" I reply, pleasantly surprised.
Sophia also pets Fufu, and the little creature seems to adore her too!
"And remember what I told you yesterday? About the color changes?"
"Aha! His leaves are really changing color!"
The changes are very subtle, though I can still notice the color getting brighter as we pet him.
"Yup! And that means normal people can communicate with them too if they want," Yumi enthusiastically explains. "Here, you just need to notice their body language and the sounds they make. For example, when Fufu is happy, he purrs softly like he's doing now, and his leaves are bright and green. But when he's sad, his leaves turn yellow and droopy. And in case of danger, he'll emit a high-pitched sound and his leaves will show red or purple hues."
"Oh, I see!"
It seems Yumi has learned these details while caring for Fufu. I'm so happy that the girl has finally been able to make her talent work. Flufflecabbages are very shy creatures, so no one has really been able to befriend one. Thus, being able to do so is the real proof of her dedication and hard work in the previous couple of days.
"So, how did you find him?" I inquire as I continue to pet the cabbage.
"We found him being chased by some stray dogs this morning. I couldn't just stand by, so I intervened and saved him!" Yumi's face shines with a heroic glow.
"That's very brave of you," I praise her, and Fufu purrs louder in agreement.
"That aside, what are you planning to do today? Are you going to the library too?" Yumi asks.
"Actually, there's somewhere else I need to go. It's called the Enchantment Guild. Do you know what enchantments are?"
"Ermmm, no…" Yumi shakes her head. "Sorry, I don't know much about this world…"
"That's okay, I'll tell you later when I come back," I say. "For now, I need to know if I can really do this thing called enchantment."
"Well, I'm a Master Enchanter, so I can teach you the basics!" Sophia chimes in, puffing her chests proudly.
"Alright, please teach me, teacher Sophia!"
And with that, after finishing breakfast, we escort Yumi back to the Library to study before heading to The Enchantment Guild.