Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 127

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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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It’s a café operated by the heir of the Dark Guild.
127
“I am Meyson.”
His tone was stiff, as though someone had forced him to speak that way, and his expressionless face stood in stark contrast to how he’d looked when facing me.
‘He’s terribly nervous.’
That’s why Grandfather’s sincerity in meeting Seniel felt all the more genuine.
I could almost see the trembling in his heart—wondering how he might earn recognition as Grandfather.
“A cat transformed into a person….”
Seniel muttered in shock before crying out in bewilderment.
“You’re far too young to be a grandfather, surely? At most you’d only be ten years older than me.”
“I’m an Archmage. Appearances aside, this body is over a hundred years old.”
“That silver cat we saw from time to time at the Knights Order and the Imperial Palace—you’re saying that was you…?”
“Would you like me to show you again?”
Grandfather raised his hand to snap his fingers, but Seniel hastily waved him off.
“I’d rather not see it again!”
“I even helped you with your various investigations. You found evidence each time you followed me, didn’t you?”
“I thought the cat was strange, but I never imagined it was human. And I loved it so much….”
Biedler, who had been watching the two from across the room, leaned toward me and whispered.
“Looking at them like that, it’d be hard to say they’re not family.”
“Yes, it would.”
Though their bearing and the length of their hair differed strikingly, the resemblance between them was unmistakable.
Especially their striking beauty.
“It’s odd that there are so few rumors about Meyson. Given Seniel’s fame, he shouldn’t be unknown either.”
“He’s been shut away in the Mage Tower, it seems. The portraits released to the public look quite different from him.”
“True enough. Apart from the Prince, there’s hardly anyone who could stand face-to-face with an Archmage like Meyson.”
The mages of the Mage Tower wouldn’t have earned renown for their appearance anyway. It was a difference from Seniel, who had become famous rolling through his career as a knight.
Seniel stood locked in some sort of contest of wills with Grandfather, his eyes wide.
Watching them, I had the chilling thought of how long the line of customers would stretch if both of them were in the shop at the same time.
I began speaking again to Seniel in a matter-of-fact tone.
“There’s more.”
“More than a grandfather I didn’t know about and a cat turning into a person?”
“Yes.”
I told him everything we’d learned—Mother’s relationship with the Strophane Clan, the work she’d done and the records of it, the basement, all of it.
I explained how the shop had burned down and why we’d had to rebuild it.
Even condensing it to just the essentials took quite a long time—long enough for all the food on the table to grow completely cold.
After hearing the whole story, Seniel said nothing, only opened his mouth wide in shock.
I pressed my jaw up to gently close his mouth and let out a shallow sigh.
“Take your time thinking. Ask me anything you want to know.”
I’d spent days reeling from the discovery of Mother’s basement. Seniel was probably feeling something similar.
I was still deliberating whether I should tell him about Raven too when he called out to me.
His eyes were reddened as though he were about to cry, which caught me off guard.
“Sister, can we talk alone for a moment?”
With that, he rushed outside.
I hesitated, glancing back at Grandfather and Biedler.
“Is the shock too much for him?”
“Go after him first.”
“If he says he doesn’t want to see me… I’ll stay out of his way for a few days.”
I looked sadly at Grandfather’s dejected expression, then followed Seniel outside.
As I closed the door, I saw him standing oddly, facing the wall.
His shoulders were trembling, and when I drew closer, I was certain—he was crying.
“Are you crying?”
“No. Sniff.”
“…Did we scare you? Is that what this is?”
His voice shook, contradicting his denial. He tried to muffle the sound, hiccupping and sobbing silently.
Taken aback, I turned his body toward me and rose on tiptoe to wipe his eyes.
Even as I did, Seniel kept his forearm raised to hide his tears, continuing to weep quietly.
“Hearing about Mother… I remembered something. When we were little… that training facility. I remember what you said to me when you sent me away.”
“I see.”
The memories that the drug had erased apparently came flooding back all at once.
Since the subject had come up, I decided it was better to tell him honestly.
“The truth is, I’ve been living there ever since. I never left.”
I told him, in brief, about the training I’d received at Raven and the work I’d been doing.
And I spoke to him about the bargain I’d made with my aunt.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you all this time. I wanted you, at least, to grow up well in a noble house.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? You did all of that for me.”
Seniel let tears the size of pebbles roll down his cheeks, then looked up at the sky with a sniffle.
“I’m angry at myself. I was clueless while you alone risked your life and struggled. I should have been protecting you. That’s why I worked so hard to learn the Sword Technique.”
“Who protects whom? I’m your sister. And what did you just hear? That I’m a member of Raven?”
Seniel wiped his reddened eyes and looked me over from head to toe.
“Raven is famous among dark guilds for clean, capable work. I found out during this investigation that the missions they take on are extraordinary.”
“Yes.”
“So you’re saying you use Concealment, and you wield a blade, and you scale walls, and all that?”
At such an obvious question, I laughed despite myself and ruffled his hair.
“If you’re curious, come along next time. But when it comes to Concealment, I’m the best in the entire guild.”
“That’s just like you, Sister.”
Seniel puffed out his chest with pride and grinned.
His eyes still looked complicated, and he didn’t seem to have fully processed everything, but that was something time would resolve.
Both he and I knew this wasn’t the sort of problem that could be solved all at once with words.
In certain moments, so much more is conveyed through a glance than through speech.
This was one of those moments for us. Rather than words, we simply looked into each other’s eyes and confirmed that shared affection.
With tears finally dried, Seniel opened his arms and embraced me, speaking quietly.
“You’ll always be my first priority. Before myself, even.”
During the ten years I’d spent at Raven, I’d felt exactly the same way.
That Seniel came before me. That I could endure anything for that.
So when I heard him say this, the tears I’d been holding back all along threatened to spill, and I forced my eyes shut.
“Me too.”
“Then don’t hide anything from me. If you want, I’ll join Raven too.”
“What?”
The unexpected words dried my tears instantly, and my voice grew louder.
“I should have been there from the start anyway. Or rather, let me join instead of you, if I can.”
“What about your Prince?”
“That’s… I’m sorry, but you come first. I’ll speak to him about it properly.”
From the moment he’d heard about Raven, he seemed to have made up his mind, his expression serious.
He seemed to believe that I’d been bound to Raven out of necessity since childhood.
“You don’t need to do that. I became free when my aunt died. I’m there now by choice.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Only then did Seniel relax, his shoulders sagging with relief.
“Still, if you ever need me, tell me. I want to help you. Even though I’m your younger brother, I want you to lean on me.”
Knowing what he meant, I nodded and pushed against his chest.
“How long are you going to keep hugging me?”
“You’re too emotionally distant with me.”
Seniel grumbled, but then his eyes sparkled and he suddenly asked with excitement.
“Sister, that Prince of Raven—can I meet him?”
“…Why?”
“Because he’s interfered with us several times. There were even times I had to let him slip through my fingers. I want to test myself against him.”
I rolled my eyes left and right, wondering how to handle this. But seeing that bright gleam in his eyes, it didn’t seem like any excuse would get me out of this.
“That’s me.”
“What do you mean, you?”
“That Prince is me.”
“……?”
I turned the bewildered Seniel around and pushed him back toward the shop.
“Sister! A minute ago you said you were a guild member! How can you also be the Prince?!”
“It’s cold. Let’s go inside.”
Even after we entered the shop, he continued making a fuss, though he didn’t jump around—likely out of deference to Grandfather’s presence.
It took quite some time to calm Seniel down.
He was terribly disappointed that he couldn’t truly spar with me because I was family.
I wanted to test his skills too, but given the certainty of losing a formal match, we decided to put it off.
***
There was one more commotion that night.
Seniel caught sight of Cayden sleeping in Biedler’s bed and shrieked loudly enough to bring down the shop.
After all the noise settled and everyone found a place to sleep, the next morning arrived.
Though I woke early, Biedler had risen even earlier and was sitting in the hall, drinking coffee.
I removed the cloth covering the Mana Stones and called out to Biedler.
“I’ve finished processing all of them.”
“I thought it would take days.”
Biedler approached, examining the Mana Stones with admiration.
“Grandfather helped me.”
I left it at that, dodging the details—I wasn’t ready to share what I’d learned about Mana with anyone yet.
“If you keep handling this for us, there’ll be no need to hire a separate mage.”
“As long as the calculations are fair.”
“I’ll pay over the market rate.”
As we spoke, Grandfather approached us.
“I’ve already discussed the Mana Stones with the elders of the Mage Tower.”
Biedler and I exchanged a look of pleased anticipation before turning back to Grandfather.
“Will we be able to trade with the Mage Tower?”

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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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