Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 170

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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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A Café run by the Dark Guild’s Heir.
Episode 170
“Did you see it yourself?”
“Security’s gotten so tight that someone low-ranking like me hasn’t set foot inside the Mansion in ages.”
“What’s the identity of these creatures—neither Beast nor human?”
“That’s… we were given some kind of medicine too… and all the comrades who took it transformed like that.”
“What sort of medicine?”
“I don’t know.”
The knight didn’t answer, but when we searched his clothes and pockets, we found the medicine quickly enough.
“It’s probably this.”
“We’ll need to investigate it.”
We found identical medicines in the other knights’ pockets and kept them.
“Please, help me. I don’t want to go back there.”
“Stay here for now.”
Lifeped finished the Interrogation and withdrew his hand from the knight’s forehead.
At once, the knight’s eyes grew clouded, and he cried out in terror.
“You’re not planning to enter the Mansion, are you? Please, just run!”
“Running away won’t solve anything.”
…….
The knight’s pupils grew vacant, and once more he stared blankly into empty air.
Wyeth put him back to sleep with a sorrowful look in his eyes.
In the quiet that followed, we changed into Knight Armor.
Wyeth used Duplication to create the uniforms, so we had enough.
Then we rested briefly.
Even without appetite, we forced ourselves to eat the Bento we’d brought, filling our stomachs.
“Let’s move out now.”
Biedler stood first.
Soon it would be the time we’d agreed upon with the reinforcements waiting outside.
We made sure the homeowner and the knights were properly laid down, then moved toward the area near the Mansion.
We avoided places with roads and took the outer path, trying to encounter as few Beasts as possible.
“Is that the main gate?”
“Yes. When the attack begins, the Knights Order will pour out.”
We hid beneath Wyeth’s Protective Barrier, concealing our presence, and waited for the appointed time.
“The guard at the entrance doesn’t look human anymore.”
“It seems like he took that medicine we mentioned and ended up that way.”
“What were they trying to gain by giving up their humanity?”
“Strength?”
“It’s horrifying.”
Then the appointed time arrived.
Bang!!
The explosion from the attack on the City Wall could be heard even from here.
As the thunder rumbled multiple times, the Mansion began to stir with commotion.
“It’s started.”
True to their training as a disciplined Knights Order, signal flares shot into the sky, and armed knights quickly poured out from the Mansion.
“We’ll meet here, in front of this fountain.”
Having been inside the Mansion in Strophane before, I explained the interior layout in advance.
We planned to examine the innermost main residence first, where there was a high probability of finding an entrance.
From here on, moving in a large group would draw suspicion, so we scattered.
As expected, with the incident unfolding and everyone in chaos, no one suspected anyone was entering from inside.
Especially since I was wearing a helmet and armor, no one stopped me even as I ran.
Just as I was nearing the fountain, a knight walking from the opposite direction stopped me.
“You there.”
“Yes?”
“What’s the situation?”
“I’m not sure either. Apparently the City Wall is under attack.”
“Is that so? Hmm… but I don’t recognize your face. Which unit are you from?”
I’d impersonated men enough times that disguising my voice was easy, but I tensed slightly—worried he might ask me to remove my helmet.
“I work under Alberto.”
It was the name written on the Identification of the knight we’d captured and interrogated earlier.
“Alberto? Ah, Fourth Unit then. The bastard’s got good taste. I’ll have to stop by soon.”
He moved closer, placing a hand on my shoulder.
‘Just a pervert.’
I was deciding whether to let him pass or knock him out, looking around, when I felt an approaching presence creeping closer.
The knight noticed nothing.
“Your technique is pathetic.”
“What? What did you just—”
Thwack.
The knight who’d been hit in the head toppled forward.
“Miss. Why didn’t you do anything?”
“You were just faster.”
It was Seniel.
While I tried to calm an impatient Seniel, insisting he needed more hits, Biedler and Cayden dragged the knight behind a tree and dumped him there.
Though the situation was no laughing matter, watching their movements work in such perfect sync made me smile.
“Is that the fountain?”
“Yes. The other two arrived ahead of us.”
After rendezvous with Wyeth and Lifeped, we examined the grand Mansion of Strophane Avenue in the distance.
“What’s your assessment?”
“There’s no one particularly strong. Juliano seems to be sleeping on the fourth floor….”
“Can you handle him?”
“Heh. I’ve eaten the medicine and grown stronger, yes, but I’m a Master recognized by my Master. And we have the High Priest here as well.”
Elder Wyeth showed confidence.
Knowing how extraordinary the title of Master—recognized by all mages—truly was, there was no reason to doubt him.
To save time, we entered the Mansion immediately.
We quickly subdued or knocked out any knights blocking the way, dealing with them on the spot.
“This is more my style. Now I can finally let loose.”
Seniel was thrilled to be able to rampage without restraint, and struck down every knight she encountered.
“There’s surprisingly few people inside.”
“They probably never thought anyone would get this far.”
We swept through the Mansion, searching for places heavy with Miasma.
It was when we reached the second floor.
A chair sat in the hall, and someone was seated in it.
It was preserved like a corpse—as if a spell had been cast on it.
“It wasn’t illness. He was already dead.”
“To display him like this….”
“He’s not in his right mind.”
“May the Heavens guide us….”
We all fell silent at the shocking sight.
But we had no time to recover the body.
The lower floors were already full of knights we’d knocked unconscious.
They might discover what we’d done soon and seal off the Mansion, and if Juliano woke up, things would become far more complicated.
“Let’s go.”
Passing the corpse, we moved down the corridor when a creature appeared—half Beast, half human.
“Kyaaaah!!”
Just as it tried to cry out, Wyeth used Magic to cut off the sound around it.
While it was in shock, Cayden slashed it with his Holy Sword.
But suddenly Biedler grabbed me hard from behind and yanked me back.
“Watch out!”
I saw what he meant—there were vines where I’d been about to step.
Freshly-grown vines stretched toward me, and I sliced them with my blade.
“Let’s follow that.”
Compared to the vine that had dragged me away before, it was far thinner and moved less violently, but it seemed clearly connected.
The vine led into a room. It extended out through a window—following it outside the Mansion, I spotted a vine long enough to escape the area.
“That’s a forest?”
“Shouldn’t we search the Mansion more thoroughly?”
As the vines led into the forest, opinions split.
“What’s out there?”
At Biedler’s question, I rummaged through my memory, and recalled something I’d heard while passing by in a Carriage.
“There is. Juliano has a personal workshop in that forest, I heard. It might be there….”
“We detected no particularly strong presence in the Mansion. I believe following the vine is the better choice.”
With Cayden—who knew more about the Demonic Realm Border than any of us—adding his opinion, we turned toward the forest.
The deeper we went into the forest, the more vines surrounded us.
Following the increasingly heavy Miasma, we found a building that seemed to be the workshop without much difficulty.
“Wait a moment.”
Cayden stopped us all, then bent down to examine the ground.
He picked up the soil from the cracked, parched earth and nodded after feeling it.
“This is it. The environment is similar to near the Temple. The land is becoming desolate because it can’t withstand the energy.”
“So inside that building….”
“There should be an entrance.”
“But why is no one guarding it?”
“Because there’s no need. Unless someone is quite strong, they won’t come out alive.”
“Just approaching the entrance takes that much?”
“Yes.”
I remembered how exhausted Cayden always looked when he came to the Café.
Cayden had exerted himself even more, performing the Purification Ritual near the Demonic Realm Border, but I understood why this place was simply left alone.
“Let’s go inside the building first.”
“The door is open.”
There was no lock, no special mechanism installed.
When we opened the door, the interior was full of paintings and miscellaneous items.
Like when I’d visited before, there were many Statues and symbols.
As we looked around, I noticed something jutting out from the wall.
Finding hidden spaces was what I did best, so I examined the wall carefully.
It seemed well-concealed, but as I pressed and moved the wall a few times, it made a click.
“Here it is.”
“Excellent work!”
The wall slid open sideways, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.
From the depths below came a damp, musty feeling.
“I’ll go down and check.”
I tried to head down the stairs right away, but Cayden caught me.
“Wait. Drink this first.”
Cayden produced Holy Water and handed everyone a sip.
The remaining Holy Water he poured lightly over his hands, and High Priest Lifeped blessed everyone with Divine Blessing through prayer.
“The blessing of a High Priest. As a mage, I’m experiencing something precious.”
Elder Wyeth gazed with wonder at his body, now faintly flowing with Holy Power, then descended the stairs ahead of me.
I followed closely behind, but the passage was narrow—we could only go down one at a time.
“It’s so dark.”
“I’ll distribute Torches.”
Wyeth instantly created Torches and handed one to me.
“Everyone take one.”
I passed the Torches back to the others when suddenly Seniel let out a small scream.

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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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