Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 20

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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 operated by the Dark Guild’s successor.
Chapter 20
The next day.
Kaiden kept his promise. He truly did nothing but sleep quietly on the sofa, and slipped out of the house without a sound as the sun rose.
I spent the morning tending to the cottage, and since there was nothing else to do anyway, I decided to search for the temple he’d mentioned.
He didn’t seem like the type to lie, but it wouldn’t hurt to verify.
Following the direction Kaiden had gone, I walked straight until I spotted a narrow path beside a broken road.
It was the kind of path you could only find if you thought something might be there and looked for it.
After walking that path for about ten minutes, I saw it—a temple with a pristine white exterior.
“For real?”
Of course, it was only one story and quite small, so it lacked grandeur. Still, the statue standing in front was impressive.
The closer I got to the temple, the more I could feel how meticulously the grounds were maintained.
Not a single weed, not a fallen leaf—the landscaping was so perfect it drew admiration.
As I walked around taking in the surroundings, the temple’s main gate opened.
Kaiden, holding cleaning tools, spotted me and waved cheerfully.
“Rosia! You came? How long has it been since we had a visitor? I’m truly moved. Please, come inside.”
I hadn’t intended to go in, but the excited Kaiden practically swept me along, and before I could gather my thoughts, I was already inside the temple.
The moment I stepped inside, the scent of age washed over me. As a place where a deity was revered, it felt solemn, and my head bowed of its own accord.
“Maybe it’s all the sins I’ve committed—this place makes me uncomfortable. I’m leaving.”
“Wait. If you’ve committed sins, then you came to exactly the right place. Tell me everything.”
“Tell you everything?”
“Yes. We listen to the worshippers’ worries, concerns, and sins, and we work together to wash them away. I’ll help you be cleansed of your sins.”
I saw the solemn expression on Kaiden’s face as he offered to help me, and I couldn’t help but smirk.
“What if the sin is having killed people?”
“Th-th-that… How many did you kill?”
Watching his face stiffen in an instant, I thought, well, what did I expect?
“I can’t be forgiven anyway.”
“That’s not true! Washing away sins like that takes tremendous strength, but I’ll do my best.”
Despite his fear, Kaiden mustered his courage and grasped my hand firmly.
“Tell me everything, Rosia.”
I wanted to pull away immediately, but the warmth from Kaiden’s hand—so different from my cold one—made me pause for a moment.
Though I said nothing, I could feel through that touch that Kaiden was sincere.
Deciding he truly was a priest, not something else, I wrenched my hand away. If I’d kept holding on, my resolve would have weakened.
“How did you end up stationed in a place like this?”
“Indeed.”
Kaiden smiled broadly and looked around the interior of the temple.
“Still, it’s quite a popular place with worshippers.”
“Here?”
I glanced around the empty temple pews and looked at Kaiden with pity.
“I’ve confirmed you’re a real priest. That’s enough. I’m leaving.”
As I turned to go, Kaiden desperately caught me from behind.
“Rosia! Won’t you eat before you go? It’s lunchtime.”
At the mention of food, my body turned around without thinking.
Noticing my interest, Kaiden’s eyes lit up as he spoke.
“I have a big appetite, so I always cook more than I can eat by myself.”
Having eaten poorly since arriving here, I couldn’t possibly refuse such an offer.
Without hesitation, I nodded.
“This way.”
Following the temple’s corridor, we came to a small dining room.
The table was laid out with a variety of appetizing dishes.
My eyes widened, and I sat down at the table to examine them.
“You made all this? Even though you’re eating alone?”
“Sometimes I get in the mood to cook enthusiastically, and today was one of those days. Truth is… if you didn’t come, I was thinking of boxing some up and bringing it to you.”
So he’d cooked extra from the start, planning to feed me.
“There’s no poison in it, right?”
I narrowed my eyes, making no effort to hide my suspicion of Kaiden.
“Rosia! I’m a priest. I wouldn’t do anything shameful before the deity. Is this enough?”
Kaiden, looking wronged, tasted every single dish first.
I waited a moment, confirmed nothing happened to him, and only then picked up my spoon.
“How is it?”
“Delicious.”
More than delicious, actually.
It rivaled a restaurant I’d eaten at once in the Capital City, and I was genuinely amazed.
“Right? Cooking is my specialty. You could say I’m a well-prepared groom.”
Even with such delicious food before him, Kaiden couldn’t stop watching me the entire time.
I met his expectations by eating steadily without pause.
“Priests can’t get married, though, can they? Aren’t they married to the deity?”
“Well… yes, I suppose.”
Chewing my food, I studied Kaiden across from me carefully.
From the beginning, I’d felt nothing from Kaiden. Neither goodwill nor malice. Nothing of the sort.
He was like a blank white canvas, which sometimes felt frightening—I wondered if all priests were like this.
By the time I came to my senses, my plate was empty.
It had been so long since I’d eaten something this delicious that I even felt grateful to Kaiden for making it.
“Thank you for the meal. It was wonderful.”
“I’m glad too—it’s been a while since I’ve eaten with someone. It feels like living a real life. The food is always plentiful, so come eat whenever you’d like.”
I barely managed to stop myself from asking if I could come for every meal.
On the walk back to the cottage, I thought things over.
“A priest who cooks like that would make a good neighbor.”
The thought that he might be disguised or a villain had already disappeared.
I decided to be grateful for having gained such a neighbor nearby.
***
Bidler, worn out from the Empress’s constant demands of late, made his way to the villa, dragging his weary body.
On any other day, he might have gone hunting, but this time, for some reason, he wanted to go to the villa.
“Your Highness!”
Orbis rushed out upon seeing Bidler, who had arrived without warning.
“What’s happened?”
“Nothing. Just…”
“Shall I call a meeting?”
“No.”
Watching Orbis’s questioning look, Bidler cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I was curious about the Raven situation.”
“Pardon? You sent a dispatch two days ago and even received a reply, didn’t you?”
Now that he mentioned it, the memory of writing that reply came back belatedly.
Bidler asked about this and that—things he could have verified without coming all this way—before finally broaching the real topic.
“Did she really leave?”
“Who?”
“Rosia.”
The moment Rosia’s name came from Bidler’s lips, Orbis was taken aback.
“I never thought Your Highness would remember your sister’s name. You’re not good with people’s names.”
“Spare me the unnecessary comments and just answer.”
“Yes. She left several days ago.”
Hearing that Rosia was no longer at the villa, Bidler felt an inexplicable emptiness.
“Where did she go?”
“Somewhere near the Alein Mountain Range, she said, but I don’t know exactly.”
“Alein? That mountain’s notorious for being rough… and there are unsettling rumors that magical beasts have appeared. Why didn’t you stop her from going somewhere like that?”
“Pardon? Magical beasts? But weren’t they extinct long ago? I’ve never heard such a rumor.”
Truth be told, Bidler had only heard that rumor once, long ago by chance, so he didn’t know if it was true.
“Hmm…”
“You do worry about odd things, Your Highness. The Alein Mountain has guards, so there shouldn’t be any real danger.”
Though Bidler knew Orbis was right and there was likely nothing to worry about, his mood remained uneasy.
Along with the thought that he should verify the conditions there himself, a convenient excuse came to mind.
‘She did invite me then, didn’t she?’
He recalled Rosia’s words the last time they’d met, inviting him to visit the café.
It would be impolite not to go after receiving an invitation.
This was an unavoidable visit.
“Orbis, didn’t you mention we needed to schedule special training?”
“No. The training we did at the Imperial Palace last time was sufficient.”
“It’s not enough. I’ll conduct additional training soon with the elite. The location will be the Alein Mountain Range. Inform everyone immediately.”
“So suddenly? And on a mountain at that?!”
Orbis despaired at the sudden addition of training, clutching his head in anguish.
Thus, while Rosia remained completely unaware, the Black Eagle Knights’ next training ground was set near the café.
“The map still hasn’t appeared?”
“No. But we did find one of the Raven’s branches. We should be able to make contact soon.”
“Stop talking and make it happen. Then report.”
“Understood.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“But Your Highness, you just arrived. Weren’t you coming to rest?”
“I’ve seen what I needed to see.”
Bidler defined the strange emotion he was feeling as mere discomfort regarding Rosia, and without hesitation, returned to the Imperial Palace.
Orbis could only tilt his head in confusion as he watched Bidler ride back immediately after coming all this way.

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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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