Time Healer Ceres

“No. I can’t. I’m busy.”

“Aww...”

“I’m leaving.”

“Okaaay. Then next time, we have to drink tea together!”

Leaving the disappointed Herion behind, Ceres headed toward Kainel, who was waiting nearby. Then she informed him,

“I’m going.”

“Where?”

“...Didn’t you eat breakfast this morning?”

“I did.”

“Then why isn’t your brain working? I told you yesterday. I said I had to leave early today.”

“Are you going to see that Cheion guy or whatever again?”

“No.”

Ceres glanced at the clock standing at one side of the corridor. It was already pointing to five in the afternoon.

“I’ve got a large group coming in today.”

***

“Ugh, here again.”

“I’m seriously losing my mind.”

“Vice Guild Leader! Do something! Why do we always have guild dinners here?!”

As always, Where Your Steps Come to Rest was packed with customers. But today, the atmosphere felt noticeably different.

The mercenaries gathered around the tables all wore the same expression. Their faces were filled with weariness, irritation, and utter resignation.

“At this point, I don’t even get my hopes up when I hear we’re having a guild dinner.”

“Hopes up? There are still idiots doing that?”

“What exactly are you expecting from our Guild Leader?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The Black Guild, led by Skal, was one of the continent’s few S-rank mercenaries. And the place their Guild Leader had chosen for today’s dinner was, unsurprisingly, Where Your Steps Come to Rest once again.

At that, exhaustion immediately washed over the guild members’ faces.

“Wasn’t our last guild dinner here too?”

“The one before that was here as well.”

“And the one two months ago.”

“Well, at least it saves us the trouble of remembering. It’s always the same place.”

“At this rate, shouldn’t our Guild Leader get an award?”

“You mean, a perfect attendance award?”

“Vice Guild Leader, I’m begging you, do something! Can’t we eat somewhere else for once?!”

Who even has stew for a guild dinner?! They couldn’t even drink freely here anymore these days!

“......”

Lot, vice guild leader of the Black Guild, had been steadily gulping down plain water. At the flood of complaints, he set his glass down on the table.

“There’s only one way.”

“What is it?”

“Stop coming here.”

“...Huh?”

“Starting tomorrow, don’t come. Business drops, the shop shuts down, and the Guild Leader gives up.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Then where are we supposed to go for hangover stew?”

“Are you insane?”

“I’m telling you, that man seriously has no heart. How can you just suggest shutting the place down? Are you out of your mind?”

“Exactly.”

“...Can all of you shut up and eat already?”

Knowing full well those idiots were just as loyal to this place as the Guild Leader himself, Lot clicked his tongue before picked up his water again.

Besides—

“You heard them, right?”

“Heard what?”

Lot shot an irritated look at Skal across from him, who was too busy spooning stew into his mouth to care.

The Guild Leader is sitting right in front of me, so why are you all giving me grief? If you’ve got complaints, say them to his face.

“They’re saying they don’t want guild dinners here anymore.”

“Mm. Then reserve this place for the next one before we leave.”

“......”

...I’m the fool for even trying.

After draining the last of the water from his glass, Lot brought up a news he’d heard recently.

“About that corpse we saw before, I heard they figured out what monster did it.”

“Really? What’d they say?”

“They’re saying it was a Shakera.”

“A Shakera? Seriously?”

For the first time, Skal looked away from his stew. Seeing his Guild Leader frown deeply, Lot nodded.

“It was officially announced. But isn’t that the type of monster that only appears near the coast?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t a common monster. Shakeras only appeared in Black Forests near the sea. Though Skal had traveled all over the continent as a mercenary, not once did he ever encounter one.

And now, they were claiming the corpse discovered in the capital was killed by a Shakera?

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“They said Grand Duke Persia identified it as a Shakera.”

“...Then it makes sense.”

“...What’s with that annoyingly fast change in attitude?”

Lot stared at his Guild Leader in disbelief.

“It’s Grand Duke Persia.”

Someone who had faced far more monsters than any of them ever would.

“If he says so, then it’s true.”

Jingle.

At that moment, the shop door opened and someone hurried inside. Jay, who was frantically carrying dishes around, immediately broke into a smile.

“Lady Ceres!”

“Mm. Give it to me.”

After returning the greeting, Ceres rolled up her sleeves and stepped in to help.

Extra tables and chairs had been dragged out from storage for today’s guild gathering, making the shop so crowded there was barely room to walk.

“Yes. This goes to table three.”

“Alright.”

Ceres took the dishes Jay had been carrying and headed toward the table she pointed out.

No, she was about to.

“Table three?”

Her eyes widened as she watched someone take the tray from her and walk off with it one-handed.

“...Hey.”

What are you doing here?

Clack.

“Cough—!”

“Pft—!”

As soon as the people at the table recognized who had just set their food down, startled coughs erupted all at once.

Grand Duke Persia?

W-Why is that person here?

As always, the man holding the tray wore the same indifferent expression.

It was Kainel.

No, wait... why was he carrying a tray?

The noisy shop fell silent in an instant, confusion spreading through the room.

“You should eat before it gets cold.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Thank you for the meal!”

“Th-Thank you!”

At Kainel’s casual remark, everyone jolted back to their senses and immediately reached for their spoons. They ate as though it were the only way to stay alive.

Kainel left the table and returned to Ceres.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping.”

Then why are you helping?

Doesn’t he know sometimes staying out of the way helps more?

“...Haah.”

Seeing how tense the customers still looked as they ate, Ceres let out a long sigh. The only exception was Skal, who was staring at Kainel with clear interest.

Come to think of it... is this the first time those two have crossed paths in this shop?

They both come here often enough, but somehow, their timing never matched.

“The food’s rea—”

Mark, an employee carrying dishes out from the kitchen, paused at the strange atmosphere hanging over the shop.

Why did everyone look so tense...?

“Gah—!”

He spotted Kainel beside Ceres and nearly choked.

“Which table?”

“Huh? Ah, t-table two.”

Ceres took the dishes from the bewildered Mark.

“You heard him, right? Table two.”

She passed them straight to Kainel.

Well, if he’s helping, he might as well help properly.

He’s not planning to charge her for this later, right? She’s broke.

“Ah, no...!”

“W-We can carry it ourselves...!”

The mercenaries immediately rose from their seats the moment they saw Kainel approaching with food.

Clack.

“Eat.”

“...Yes.”

However, the dishes hit the table before they could finish protesting.

Good grief. How are his movements this efficient? Is a server allowed to be that quick?

“This is for table five.

“No, we can—”

Clack.

“Eat before it gets cold.”

“...Thank you.”

This was food delivered by Grand Duke Persia himself. Was it really alright to just sit there and accept it? Couldn’t they please carry it themselves instead?

The mercenaries desperately shot glances toward Ceres, but—

“That one goes to the table over there.”

Clack.

Ceres ignored them.

In the end, their pleading looks shifted toward Vice Guild Leader Lot.

Seriously, next °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° time, let’s have the guild dinner somewhere else!

Seeing those looks, Lot clicked his tongue.

“Then convince the Guild Leader yourselves.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Is that even possible?”

“Has he gone insane?”

“He’s telling us to do something he can’t do himself. I’m serious, this guy has no heart.”

“...Can you all just shut up and eat already? Keep whining and I’ll get you year-long meal vouchers so you’ll be eating all three meals here!”

“Ooh.”

“Really?”

“That actually sounds pretty good.”

“.......”

...What exactly is it that you guys want?

Deciding any further conversation was pointless, Lot ignored the mercenaries grinning while chanting, “Free meal vouchers! Free meal vouchers!”

Jingle.

Just then, a small figure stepped through the entrance.

“Big sis.”

The one who came running over and threw herself into Ceres’s arms was Julia.

Ceres’s eyes widened slightly.

“I told you to go straight home today.”

The shop was expected to be busier than usual because of the group reservation, so Ceres had warned Julia that morning in advance.

“I was going to.”

“You were?”

At Ceres’s reproachful tone, Julia hesitated before slowly turning around.

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