Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Heretic of the Magic Tower (16)
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Our cafe isn't open 24 hours, but we do stay open pretty late. If there are customers, we usually keep the doors open until they leave, and even without them, we're open almost until the clock ticks over to the next day.
Today, thanks to someone from the Magic Tower dropping by, Big Sister Leimi hadn't headed back to her own shop and had even stayed for dinner with us. But just as the sun dipped below the horizon, two unexpected guests showed up.
One was Big Sister Mina, who looked especially exhausted, and the other was Ms. Dalia.
Mina drops in at all hours without fail, so that was understandable, but Dalia's appearance caught me off guard. She had a completely different expression from earlier in the day and was chewing on something with a sullen look.
"Hey. Didn't you quit that stuff?"
"That damn old fart only stares at my ass and chest—how could I not?"
"Still, you didn't have to bring it with you."
"Truth is, right after that jerk got reinstated, I ordered more."
I saw her spit something into a small pouch—it was chewing tobacco. And from the faint smell of booze, it looked like she'd been drinking too.
Seeing my awkward smile, Dalia looked embarrassed and ordered a coffee.
"If you've been drinking and chewing tobacco, coffee might not be the best idea."
"...Then could I just get something to drink instead?"
"Of course. Something tasty, or something good for you?"
"Something tasty..."
I was about to pull out some spices I'd prepped, like arrowroot and something akin to turmeric, but instead grabbed limes and lemons, squeezed out the juice, mixed it with cold water and orange syrup, then topped it with a bit of chopped apple mint.
If she hadn't been drinking, I would've used sparkling water to make it a real ade, but I didn't want to irritate her stomach, so plain water it was.
Still, the blue curaçao syrup used in blue lemonades has an orange flavor too, so it should feel similar enough.
I always improvise with whatever's on hand, so yeah, untested drinks for the win.
Meanwhile, since Big Sister Mina said she'd skipped dinner, I started whipping up a full vegan salad with kongogi meat substitute.
Dalia, sipping her faux blue lemon ade, watched me cook and muttered,
"You seemed like some noble's kid earlier, but now you look like the eldest son of a chef's family."
"It was just a hobby that somehow turned into my job."
"Whoever marries the Manager's got it made."
"Hahaha."
I couldn't exactly say my fiancée and I were on rocky terms.
And while Rias had eaten my cooking before, she wasn't thrilled about me mingling with the servants or cooking alongside them.
Guess we just didn't match up in the details.
I finished the salad with a balsamic drizzle and set it down in front of Big Sister Mina, whose dark circles made her eyes look heavy.
"Haa. Maybe I should just quit and transfer somewhere else."
"Not a bad idea, surprisingly."
"Right? Coming here makes it feel like it'd be better for my mental health than that stuffy lab anyway."
"Self-employment isn't all that easy, though."
"The Manager's just covering the losses with capital."
"Ehehe. That's not something you say out loud."
Calling it slush funds sounded shady, but the personal items I had were objectively valuable. Of course, I couldn't sell art or jewelry as-is without getting traced, so I melted them all down and sold the raw materials.
"Rich kid goes independent and runs a coffee shop as a hobby. Kinda jealous. My family couldn't even afford proper schooling, so I had to work and study."
"Evenings were night classes on top of work, right?"
"Hmph. She acts like top of the class means she can say anything."
"All I had to do was study."
Big Sister Leimi shrugged, her eyes clouding over a bit as if recalling the past. Were the two close since their school days?
Considering Leimi had left the Magic Tower and settled in Astraea a while back, they probably knew each other since childhood.
I noticed Dalia had finished her fake lemon ade and looked sleepy, so I quietly frothed some milk with air for steamed milk.
Warm milk is a thing, and surprisingly, steamed milk alone isn't bad either.
With a hiss, I aerated it, tapped the pitcher to pop the big bubbles, and poured it into a tall cup.
I ran the steam wand in the air once to clear any milk residue, wiped it clean, put the milk on a tray, and served it to Dalia.
"Warm milk with foam."
"Ah, thanks."
She took a sip right away and smiled faintly, amused by the texture on her lips.
A bit tipsy from the booze, Dalia thunked her forehead on the table after downing the milk.
"Agh, so damn frustrating. That old fart's backer just had to be from the faction opposing His Majesty the Emperor. One wrong step and I'm done for."
"Yeah, His Majesty's been drawing lines openly lately."
"Magic Tower's independent my ass. Tch, those professors don't do research—they just schmooze outside with rich folks all day. Handshakes with dukes by day, groping women's asses and tits by night. Busy hands, huh."
"Starting to sound like pure slander—is that okay?"
"Only us listening anyway."
"Yep. No one's around to hear, no leaks possible."
"That Elvin bastard teaches like crap too. He gauges the students—if anyone's motivated, he half-asses a lesson with them. No one? Class canceled, off he goes playing. Blames the assistants if evaluations tank later. Thought he improved post-reinstatement, but nope."
Dalia slammed her milk glass like it was a shot of liquor, mumbled incoherently, bobbed her head, and passed out.
It reminded me of universities from my past life, so I scratched the back of my neck. Every school has those profs.
In this era where power is more visible, maybe it's worse.
Big Sister Leimi poked Dalia's head lightly and said quietly,
"Sorry, really. I didn't mean to drag you into gossip like this."
"No worries. Everyone needs someone to vent to. Even the healthiest person crumbles without someone real to talk to."
"Speaking from experience?"
"My mental health wasn't the greatest, but yeah, pretty much."
Hm. Seeing Leimi stroke Dalia's back, I remembered and fetched a blanket from the back.
"Ah, that..."
"Yeah, that one."
Big Sister Mina, who'd been quiet, reacted—it was a blanket tied to her too. Back when I rescued those kids from the labyrinth and cleaned them up, fed them.
I hadn't expected guests in my tiny living space then, so no spare blankets for kids.
Couldn't use burlap sacks, so I bought decent-quality ones from the market, selected carefully, and stored them.
I'd said anytime they came, they'd have a bed. When Lizza managed the place, she even used her own blanket.
I called it a memento and said she could take it, but she left it, promising to return.
"Sleeping face-down on the table's bad for your body."
I gently lifted her onto the sofa properly and tucked her in.
She grumbled a bit, but soon settled, and only soft snores filled the air.
With Dalia comfortably asleep, Big Sister Leimi asked with a slightly embarrassed look.
"...Since it's come to this, can I crash here too?"
"In the cafe...?"
"Why would I invade your bedroom?!"
Ahem. Guess I'd need another set of blankets.
As I turned, Big Sister Mina stood there with arms wide open.
What? Hug time?
I stepped up and looked down; she hugged my waist and said,
"I wanna crash too."
"I'll grab a blanket then."
"I wanna sleep in your bedroom together."
"That's a privilege only for kids who haven't hit puberty yet."
"Me baby."
"..."
First adult woman in all my lives claiming to be a baby—left me stumped on how to respond. What did she want?
"Hug me."
"..."
For now, I scooped her up princess-style. Making a V-sign with her fingers right as I did—yeah, she had that childlike side.
Throwing a subtle tantrum too.
In the end, we settled on her sleeping on the sofa next to me.
Wonder how it looks: one guy and three women lined up on the cafe sofas.
Tomorrow, gotta wake up early and clean up quick.
Big Sister Mina's eyes glowed faintly in the dark, resisting her drooping eyelids. I barely won that battle, pulled up the blanket from my bedroom, and settled in.