Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 30

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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 heir of the Dark Guild.
Episode 30
When I turned around, a middle-aged man in Priest Robes similar to Cayden’s came into view.
Cayden recognized him and bowed in greeting.
“Dolias. Is there something urgent?”
“I heard you’d come to the village and thought I’d see you at the Temple right away, but you never showed up.”
“I had something to settle first.”
When Cayden showed discomfort, the Priest called Dolias faltered. Cayden carried himself with noticeably higher standing.
“Your visits have been later than usual, and the High Priest Rucher is worried about you.”
“Let’s go tell him.”
“Yes. But the person next to you—who is that?”
When Dolias’s curious gaze fell on me, Cayden blocked his view and spoke without looking at me.
“I’ll handle some business and be back. It won’t take long.”
“Understood.”
Standing beside Dolias, Cayden wore an unfamiliar expression.
“Like a different person entirely.”
I watched his receding back intently, and several times during the walk, Dolias glanced back at me.
***
After parting with Rosia, Cayden entered the Temple situated at the center of the village with Dolias.
Word of Cayden’s arrival had spread, and Rucher stood at the main entrance waiting to greet him.
Behind Rucher, the Priests knelt to receive Cayden.
Though it was a Temple in a small village, six Priests besides the High Priest Rucher were stationed here.
It rivaled the scale of a Temple in a decent-sized city.
“You’ve arrived.”
High Priest Rucher clasped his hands together and welcomed Cayden with reverence.
Cayden accepted the greeting with practiced ease and removed his outer robe.
Rucher brought forward a higher rank Priest Robes and dressed Cayden in them, and the two men, now dressed identically, moved deeper into the Temple.
Whenever Cayden passed, the Priests flattened their heads to the ground, but he paid them no mind, as if it were only natural.
Once the other Priests entered the underground passage—forbidden to most—Rucher released a long sigh, his worry evident.
“I was deeply concerned about your late arrival. I wondered if something had happened.”
“The older you grow, the more you worry, High Priest.”
“Your visits have become more frequent these past months, so when you suddenly didn’t come, I nearly set out to find you myself.”
“To what end? You’d only drain what little Divine Power I have left. No matter what happens to me, do not come looking.”
“Don’t speak such things. But… you look more at ease than before. Have the Spirits grown quiet?”
“No. If anything, they’ve grown worse.”
Cayden shook his head vigorously at the mere thought, as if disgusted.
“Then how is this possible? Have you found a way to suppress the Demonic Energy?”
Cayden smiled gently at the bewildered Rucher.
“I’ve learned to sleep even on nights when they rage wildly.”
“Truly? So that’s why your intervals have grown longer. This is wonderful news.”
Rucher, who well understood how much Cayden suffered alone at the Temple in the Aleine Mountains, had tears welling in his eyes.
“What brought about this change? I’ve never heard of such transformation in anyone who held these duties before.”
“I’m not certain myself.”
Cayden’s mind turned to Rosia.
Even before meeting her, he’d felt the Demonic Energy subside when visiting that Cabin, yet he could never fall asleep.
But since Rosia appeared at the Cabin, he could sleep deeply even on nights when the Demonic Energy consumed him.
To discover the reason, Cayden had been searching through books and papers himself, but information was so scarce that his efforts yielded little.
After passing through long corridors and climbing stairs, the two arrived at a place surrounded by stone walls. They stood before an altar.
Multiple Magic Circles were layered around the altar, filled with dozens of Magic Stones needed to activate them.
Cayden stood before it and withdrew a bulging Spirit Pouch.
“How many this time?”
“About a hundred, perhaps? The numbers are growing. The ones not yet Purified are still thrashing about inside.”
As the Pouch drew near the altar, it swelled as if about to burst, releasing bizarre shrieks.
The malevolent force emanating from it made Rucher’s hands tremble.
“No matter how many times I witness it, it’s startling. If such things were ever released—”
“That’s why I’m here to prevent it. That’s my purpose.”
Cayden placed the Pouch on the altar and began to pray.
The moment Divine Power formed hand seals, the Pouch’s opening widened and pitch-black energy poured forth, enveloping the altar.
At the Spirits’ screams loud enough to split the ears, Rucher covered his ears.
Moments later, all the black energy was absorbed into the altar, and the light from the activated Magic Circle dimmed.
As Cayden opened his eyes slowly after finishing his prayer, exhaustion from expending so much Divine Power was unmistakable.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. Give me a new Artifact.”
“Here it is.”
Rucher brought forth an Artifact Spirit Pouch and Spirit Knife from behind the altar.
To dispose of Spirits filled with Demonic Energy, special Artifacts are required.
A Spirit Knife capable of piercing Spirits and a Spirit Pouch capable of holding them.
The Knife in particular had limited uses, so he regularly exchanged it here at the Temple, much like now.
“Have the Holy Water sent to the Temple.”
“Understood.”
The two men made their way back through the passage and ascended to the surface.
Rucher watched Cayden with sympathy, noticing his exhaustion. “How is your body? You’re not suddenly collapsing or coughing blood?”

“So far, I’m managing.”
“Is there nothing you need? Mountain life must be inconvenient for you.”
Though Cayden had never made requests before, this time something came to mind.
“Could you send fresher, more delicious cooking ingredients?”
“Cooking ingredients?”
In two years since Cayden had assumed the position of High Priest in the Aleine Mountains, this was his first request—and it was for cooking ingredients. Rucher swallowed hard in surprise.
“I understand. I’ll be more attentive with future shipments.”
Yet supplies like food were simple to arrange with money.
Rucher was delighted that Cayden had developed a need for something, anything at all.
As they climbed the final steps, the surface appeared. As Cayden prepared to leave, Rucher held him back with one last question.
“Do you have any message for your mother?”
At the word “mother,” Cayden’s eyes grew cold. Rucher lowered his head at that frigid response.
“No.”
“Perhaps a letter? She worries greatly about you.”
“Worries?”
Cayden twisted his lips into a bitter smile.
“Of course. It would be inconvenient if I died. There’s no one to replace me yet.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I’ll see you next month, High Priest.”
Cayden turned away coldly, his rough hand sweeping through his hair.
In his violet eyes, reflected by the sunlight, flames burned.
“Enough.”
The Priests watching carefully, waiting to see when he might die. Their reverent bows masking whispered gossip.
Having left the Temple behind, Cayden dragged his weary body toward the Market to search for Rosia.
Worried he wouldn’t find her among the crowds, he was glancing around when he spotted her examining trinkets in the distance.
Despite the sea of people, Rosia stood out vividly to him.
“What’s she looking at so intently? How cute.”
She was crouched before an old woman, her expression serious with deliberation—so endearing that he watched her for a moment without calling out.
Just moments ago his heart had been heavy with Temple matters, but the instant he saw Rosia, every other thought vanished and sunlight seemed to seep into his chest.
***
“Grandmother, where did you get this?”
As I wandered through the Market, I was startled to discover a Postcard at an old woman’s stall that resembled one I’d seen in the Capital.
“Got it from a peddler—been tryin’ to sell it but it don’t move. No one’s interested.”
It amused me that wandering merchants, indifferent to region, had somehow distributed Postcards even to this remote village.
But since there were no young women here, stock had accumulated.
I couldn’t ignore Seniel lying scattered on the ground, so after some deliberation, I decided to buy them all.
“From here to here. Give me everything.”
“My, all of them? Miss, you sure have big hands, don’t you?”
Since I had money to spare anyway, the price hardly mattered.
As I paid indifferently, the old woman grinned and gestured to another dusty stack of Postcards.
“Don’t you need these? Might as well take ’em together.”
The Postcards the old woman pointed to featured Bidler in various poses.
“I don’t need those.”
“Why not? He’s handsome enough—downright princely, I’d say—”
The old woman launched into praise of Bidler, but when I showed no reaction, she sighed regretfully and slipped the Bidler Postcards into my bag.
“More like trash disposal, ain’t it? No one buys these anyway.”
I smirked at the sight of at least a dozen Bidler Postcards piled into my cloth bag.

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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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