Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 71

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“No. I can’t. I’m busy.”
“Aww.”
“I’m going.”
“Okay! Next time, let’s definitely have tea together!”
Leaving behind the disappointed woman, Seres made her way toward Kainel, who was waiting for her at a distance.
She announced her departure.
“I’m leaving.”
“Where to?”
“…Did you not eat breakfast this morning?”
“I did eat.”
“Then why aren’t you thinking straight? I told you yesterday. We absolutely had to leave early today.”
“Is this another one of those trips to see Chaien or whoever?”
“No.”
Seres glanced at the clock mounted on the hallway wall. It already showed five o’clock in the afternoon.
“We have a group of customers coming today.”
* * *
“Ugh, this place again.”
“I’m going insane, seriously!”
“Sub-guildmaster! Do something about this. Why do we always have our dinners here?”
The place where Seres’s feet remained came today, as always, packed with numerous patrons.
But the atmosphere was decidedly different this time.
The faces of the mercenaries seated around the tables were clouded with dissatisfaction. Hollow disappointment and irritation hung thick in the air.
“I stopped expecting anything when I heard it was a guild dinner.”
“Expecting? Are there still people who actually do that?”
“What are we supposed to hope for from our guildmaster?”
“My point exactly.”
The Black Guild, led by Skal, one of the few S-rank Mercenaries on the continent.
This very establishment was where the guild members had gathered, invited by their guildmaster’s promise of treating them to a meal.
The realization settled across their faces like a heavy fog.
“Didn’t we come here for our last dinner too?”
“And the one before that was held here as well.”
“The dinner from two months ago was also here.”
“At least it’s convenient not to have to strain our memories. It’s always the same place.”
“Shouldn’t we be giving our guildmaster an award at this point? A perfect attendance medal?”
“Sub-guildmaster, please do something! Can’t we order something else to eat?”
What kind of guild dinner featured stew? And now they couldn’t even drink freely!
“…….”
Rot, the sub-guildmaster of the Black Guild, who had been downing glass after glass of plain water, finally set his cup down on the table with a dull thunk in response to the guild members’ intense protests.
“There’s exactly one solution.”
“What is it?”
“Stop coming here.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t show your faces here from tomorrow on. Then the place won’t make any money and they’ll close down. The guildmaster will give up too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Then where are we supposed to have our hangover soup next time?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“That heartless bastard. Is he seriously thinking of closing down the place? Is he in his right mind?”
“I mean, really.”
“…Can you all just shut up and eat, please?”
Rot, well aware that these guild members were just as much regulars here as the guildmaster himself, clicked his tongue lightly and reached for his water glass again.
And besides.
“You hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Rot’s eyes, fixed on Skal across the table—the guildmaster busily lifting spoonful after spoonful of stew to his mouth—burned with exasperation.
Why were they grumbling to him when the guildmaster was sitting right there in front of them?
Tell it to his face!
“Everyone says they don’t want to have the guild dinner here.”
“Right. Let’s book a reservation for the next dinner and head out.”
“…….”
…it’s just my mouth that aches.
Skal shook the last of the water from his cup and drank it, then relayed a piece of news he’d heard recently.
“That corpse we saw before—they identified what the monster was, didn’t they?”
“Yeah? What did they say?”
“They’re calling it a Shakera.”
“A Shakera? Really?”
For the first time, Skal’s eyes left his stew.
Seeing the guild master’s deeply furrowed brow, Skal gave a slight shake of his head.
“It was announced officially. But that monster only appears near the Seaside, doesn’t it?”
“It does.”
An uncommon creature. More than that—it was a monster that spawned only in the Black Forest near the Seaside.
Though his mercenary work had taken him nearly everywhere, he’d never laid eyes on an actual Shakera in all his years.
And yet a corpse found in the heart of the Capital was killed by one?
“That makes no sense.”
“It was Persha. The Grand Duke is a Shakera.”
“Now that makes sense.”
“…What? This irritatingly quick shift in position?”
Skal threw a look of exasperation at the guild master.
“It’s Persha we’re talking about.”
Someone who’s encountered monsters far more often than we have.
“If he says so, then that’s how it is.”
Chime.
The shop door swung open and someone hurried inside.
Jay, who had been ferrying food with flustered efficiency, broke into a bright smile.
“Seres!”
“Hey. Give me that.”
Seres returned the greeting lightly, then immediately rolled up her sleeves to help with the work.
Because they’d brought out extra tables and chairs from the stockroom for today’s gathering, the shop floor was so cramped there was barely room to stand.
“Yes. Just take it to table three.”
“Got it.”
Seres took the tray from Jay and headed toward the table she’d indicated.
Or rather, she tried to.
“Table three?”
Seres’s eyes widened slightly as she watched someone move past her, holding a tray in one hand in her stead.
“…Hey.”
What are you doing here?
Thunk.
“Cough!”
“Pfft!”
The moment those gathered caught sight of the man setting the food down on their table, startled coughs burst simultaneously from their mouths.
‘Grand Duke Persha?’
‘What—why is he—?’
A man holding the tray with an expressionless face.
It was Kainel.
But why on earth was he holding the tray…?
The noisy shop fell silent in an instant, spiraling into chaos.
“Eat before it gets cold.”
“Y-yes!”
“Thank you!”
“We appreciate it!”
At Kainel’s single word, those who’d been dumbfounded snapped to attention and hurriedly grabbed their spoons—as though their very survival depended on it.
Only then did Kainel step away and approach Seres again.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping.”
So why was he helping? Didn’t he know that not helping was the way to help?
…Sigh.
Seres stood slack-jawed, taking in the sight of the thoroughly frozen customers, and let out a long breath.
Only the guild master, Skal, watched Kainel with a gaze of keen interest.
‘Come to think of it, is this the first time these two have met in this shop?’
They both came often, but somehow their timing never overlapped.
“The food’s here…?”
Mark, the staff member bringing food from the kitchen, wore a bewildered expression at the strange atmosphere filling the dining room.
Why was everyone so tense…?
“Huh!”
Then he caught sight of Kainel sitting with Seres and drew a sharp breath.
“Which table?”
“Oh? Ah, table two, sir.”
Seres took the food from Mark.
“You heard? Table two.”
Then she handed it straight to Kainel.
‘Right, if I’m going to help, I might as well do it properly.’
Surely he wasn’t going to ask for extra pay later? I don’t have any money.
“Oh, no…!”
“We’ll! We’ll carry it ourselves…!”
Thwack!
“Eat.”
“…Yes.”
The mercenaries who saw Kainel approaching with the food jumped up from their seats and tried to shout, but the plates were already landing on the table far faster than their voices.
Damn. How does he move without a single wasted motion? Is a server really allowed to be this clean in his technique?
“This is table five.”
“No, we’ll…!”
Thwack!
“Eat while it’s hot.”
“…Thank you.”
Food being served by none other than Persha himself—was it really okay to just accept and eat it?
They desperately wished they could just get their own.
The mercenaries sent pleading glances toward Seres, but
“That’s for the table over there.”
Thwack!
Seres paid them no mind.
The mercenaries’ desperate looks then turned toward the guild master.
‘Next time we’re definitely having guild events somewhere else!’
At that look, Lot, the Black Guild master, clicked his tongue lightly.
“Then you lot convince the guild master.”
“What? Is that even possible?”
“He’s lost his mind.”
“Asking us to do what he can’t do himself. The man has no sense of loyalty, I’m telling you.”
“…Please, just shut up and eat. Keep whining and I’ll cut you a year’s worth of food vouchers—all three meals handled here, every day.”
“Ooh.”
“Really?”
“That’s not bad?”
……
What in the world do you people actually want?
Lot decided the conversation with them was pointless and turned away from the mercenaries, who were grinning and shouting “Free meal vouchers! Free meal vouchers!”
Ding.
At that moment, a small figure entered through the door.
“Big sister.”
It was Yulia, running over to Seres and wrapping her arms around her.
Seres’s eyes widened slightly at the girl’s appearance.
“I told you to go straight home today.”
Today was supposed to be busy with reservation customers, so Seres had warned Yulia this morning.
“I was trying to.”
“Trying to?”
When Seres responded with a slight reproach, Yulia hesitated and turned to look behind her.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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