Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 73

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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 heir to the Dark Guild.
73
The inner flap was bright red.
“An emergency?”
Startled, I rushed to decode the cipher, but the contents made me doubt my own eyes.
“A Guild War is being held?”
A Guild War was an event held once every few years.
Only dark guilds officially registered with the Guild Alliance could participate, and the victorious guild would be recognized as the greatest of all.
“The last Guild War was five years ago, wasn’t it…”
Back then, it had been hosted by a merchant across the sea who loved spectacle.
I remembered the fervor when a Red Dragon Heart was put up as the prize.
Raven had been occupied with other missions at the time and couldn’t participate, and I had to endure ridicule for a while about whether we’d been afraid to compete.
“But who’s hosting this time? Staking something this enormous?”
According to the notice, this Guild War’s prize was a Defensive Artifact created by an Eighth Circle Archmage.
At this level, everyone would be eyeing it greedily—it was a matter of guild pride.
I’d felt apologetic about simply occupying the position of Prince all this time, but it was good to finally be able to contribute.
It was also a fine opportunity to demonstrate that Raven remained strong even with a new master.
“It would make the perfect gift for Raily.”
I hadn’t done anything special for her since becoming the new master.
I curled up the corners of my mouth and wedged the paper between my palms, grinding it.
The paper crumbled, turning instantly to dust and vanishing.
“Three days from now… Will Aide be coming too?”
The one thing that worried me was running into members of Aide.
Seniel and Orbis had gone into the Imperial Palace, so I was excluding them, but I was anxious that Viddler might move directly, like last time.
***
Time passed, and the day of the Guild War arrived.
After finishing dinner as usual, I sent Cayden to the Temple early.
I warmed up by running a few laps around the café to loosen my stiff body.
I also practiced throwing various throwing blades and short swords at trees.
Once I’d worked up a sweat, my body felt considerably lighter.
I pulled out the medicine bottle for the first time in ages.
“There aren’t many left.”
It was a drug I took whenever I had to act as Prince.
When I took this medicine from the Marsh Witch, my voice would deepen to sound masculine and my physique would change.
The effect lasted about half a day, but that was enough to complete a mission.
Viddler, whom I’d encountered when I stole the Great Sword’s map, never thought of me afterward.
The lower-ranking guild members who weren’t part of Raven’s high command didn’t know my face either—all thanks to this medicine.
“I should get more of this.”
I swallowed the medicine with water.
As I waited a moment, I felt as though my muscles were tearing apart.
It was a sensation I was used to, so I endured it grimly and retrieved the mask and Raven guild uniform I’d hidden deep in a drawer, putting them on.
I tucked all my hair into the mask and covered everything except my eyes.
Even someone who knew me well would never think this was the same person.
Finally, I fastened my sword at my waist and inspected myself in the mirror.
“Then let’s go.”
I couldn’t ride the horse I’d tied up at the café, so for today I decided to use a Teleportation Orb.
“I’ve been saving them because there aren’t many left.”
I set aside my regret and used the Magic Stone to open a portal.
The air split open and space materialized. As I pictured my destination, I arrived instantly.
Guild members from other guilds who recognized me stared, and my face burned under their gazes.
‘Prince has arrived.’
‘Haven’t they said he hasn’t been active lately?’
‘His best days are behind him.’
‘He didn’t even show up at the last Guild War.’
I heard the murmuring but ignored it, searching for Raven’s raven banner.
“You’re here.”
Today’s coordinator was Andrew. I’d worked with him several times and knew his face well.
I nodded and scanned the guild members.
There were many I’d never seen before, and they all looked at me with shining eyes.
“What’s the strategy?”
“One basement level, three above. Four stories total. We’ll go in through the rear passage here and split up. Prince, can you handle the basement?”
All guilds were given the same information. It was a race against time to see who found the prize first.
“Be careful. There are many who are targeting you.”
It was a well-known fact that I specialized in finding hidden objects and breaking codes, so they’d definitely trail behind me.
Moreover, even if we found the item, we had to return to the starting point and declare it.
Finding it was hard enough, but protecting it from assassins desperate to steal it was even harder.
At least it was a relief that using artifacts, explosives, and Magic Stones inscribed with spells was forbidden in Guild Wars.
“I’ll send a signal when I find it.”
“Yes, Prince.”
It was customary for everyone to start simultaneously at the appointed hour.
While waiting for the time and scanning the surroundings, I spotted a familiar silhouette.
‘Viddler?’
So Aide had also entered as a new guild.
I’d thought it was possible, but seeing Viddler made my heart race.
Like me, he wore a mask with only his eyes exposed, yet he was unmistakably visible.
‘He won’t recognize my true appearance, will he?’
While glancing at him sidelong, Viddler suddenly turned his head toward me, and our eyes met.
I slowly turned my gaze away as if nothing was wrong. I felt him still watching, but I pretended not to notice.
‘Focus.’
I straightened my shoulders and stood more confidently.
Right now, I am Raven’s representative.
I couldn’t let personal feelings sway me and ruin the mission. I didn’t look back toward Viddler once.
Shortly after, a signal sounded.
The tension that had been taut snapped in an instant, and everyone began moving simultaneously.
I ran with the guild members toward the corridor we’d discussed.
Even though each guild had a different starting point, assassins came after us from the start, throwing shuriken—they had us marked from the beginning.
“This won’t do. I’m going separately. You all handle the basement.”
“The harassment is severe as expected. Be careful, Prince.”
As I started running upward, most of them panicked and chased after me.
There must have been someone with magical ability—ice suddenly flew at me from behind, startling me.
While running through the corridor, I brushed the ice chunks stuck to my hair away with a shake.
“They must have spent a lot of money on recruitment. Fat lot of good it does them, though.”
Several people rushed at me from ahead, but I plowed through them and subdued them in an instant.
I had no intention of killing them, so I merely struck their vital points to knock them unconscious.
After shaking off the pursuing assassins, I came to myself on the third floor in a dead end.
I suppressed all my presence and first checked if anyone was nearby.
Fortunately, except for a few people who had entered the room across from me, the corridor was empty.
‘The path was cut off.’
When Andrew showed me the Mansion’s blueprints, there was a space that troubled me despite being a dead end.
Since I’d already climbed this far, I decided to check it out and ran my hands along the wall.
But the space behind the wall was hollow. After tapping several times and examining the wallpaper, I figured out the trick roughly.
‘Child’s play.’
Having trained since childhood and performed countless missions, this kind of trick was far too simple for me.
I found the pattern in the wallpaper and pressed the sequence in order. The hidden door suddenly revealed itself, clicking open.
I quickly slipped inside before anyone arrived. The door closed immediately behind me.
Inside was an ordinary study. From what I recalled of the blueprints, it seemed to connect to the master bedroom.
A Jewel Box sat on the table.
“Is that it?”
I knew it had to be this Guild War’s prize, but the way it was just sitting there felt unsettling.
I drew a short sword and tossed it beside the Jewel Box. Since nothing happened, there seemed to be no trap.
Still, to be safe, I confirmed the floor as I slowly approached the table.
The Jewel Box was right in front of me, but something felt off, so this time I threw the short sword at the box directly.
A transparent barrier flashed, and the sword bounced back with tremendous force.
“They cast a spell on it? Hmm.”
If that was the case, there was nothing I could do.
Maybe the entire Guild War was a pretext, and they’d gathered the guilds for some other purpose.
I was about to leave to summon Andrew when I felt a presence by the wall.
Guilds had clashed in front, discovering the space behind the wall was only a matter of time.
I turned back and stared at the Jewel Box, biting my lip.
“Should I just grab it?”
Cayden had definitely said I had Immunity to magic.
If that was true, maybe I could break through this spell too.
It was a gamble, but for some reason, a reckless feeling of certainty came over me.
I swallowed hard and very slowly reached toward the Jewel Box.
My fingertip touched the transparent barrier. I clenched my teeth, ready to bounce back.
“…?”
Nothing happened.
As I carefully extended my finger, it passed straight through the transparent barrier.
It was so easy that I doubted whether magic was truly cast on it at all.
I reached out fully and opened the lid of the Jewel Box. Inside, exactly as announced, was a bracelet-shaped Defensive Artifact.
“It actually worked?”
I was genuinely shocked.
It was the moment I became certain I truly was someone with Immunity.
But there was no time to marvel—a warning alarm suddenly shrieked throughout the entire Mansion. Someone had found the prize.
I was mulling over how to escape before becoming everyone’s target when a voice came from behind.
“Impressive. How did you do it?”
I flinched, my body going rigid.
I’d confirmed there was no one here.
My skin prickled at this sudden appearance, but the presence felt far too familiar, and I clenched my teeth.
‘How is… Viddler here, in this room?’
I turned my stiffened head, and as expected, I saw those blood-red eyes.

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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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