Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends-Chapter 4.8 - The Customer is Not God

“I thought he was just a troublesome customer, but it seems he’s more like a stalker.”

Ruri let out a huge sigh.

In the Guild Master’s office, the members gathered were Simon, Ruri, Dan, Kiril, and Gier.

I was slumped on the sofa, still in shock, dazed.

On my lap was Lulu, who was anxiously whining.

I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed that Lulu had called Gier to come to my aid back then.

“Honestly, this guild is funded by the country’s money, so even if one or two people withhold financial support, it’s not going to make things fall apart. The café is the same.”

Ruri was absolutely furious.

After the panic attack incident, Gier had taken me to the medical room, where I lay down for a while.

The doctor told me I would feel better if I rested, and indeed, after following the advice, the dizziness disappeared.

It seemed that the incident was temporary—a reaction to a strong shock.

But if Gier hadn’t been there, I honestly think I would’ve died, and even now, I still feel a bit scared thinking about it.

After resting in the medical room, I came straight to Simon’s room.

I thought I had to apologize for causing such a huge problem, and when I explained the situation, it turned out Albert’s story had been a complete lie.

“Kuna, you didn’t do anything wrong, so you don’t need to apologize anymore. If anyone should apologize, it’s me for not protecting you.”

Simon stopped me from apologizing again, as it had become a habit.

Still, I felt sorry for causing everyone trouble.

There must have been a better way to handle it.

When I made a sad face, Dan murmured.

“To say that customers are gods is a foolish idea.”

“Exactly! It’s a misinterpretation. We treat customers with respect, thinking of them as gods, but we’re still engaging in an equal exchange.”

Kiril chuckled.

He just happened to be with Simon and had listened to my story in the process.

“Look at Yan from the Hozuki-tei. He throws troublesome customers out after knocking them out.”

Hearing that, I felt a little lighter.

“Anyway, Kuna, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s alright, the guild won’t incur any losses. We’ll make sure that man is banned from coming in the future, and we’ll take care of everything else, so today, just relax in your room.”

Simon said with his usual smile.

“We’ll look into the matter on our end too,” Gier added.

But still, I really felt so sorry.

Seeing me not move, Simon said to Ruri:

“Ruri, please escort Kuna back to her room.”

“Understood,” Ruri nodded.

She still seemed angry, her cheeks flushed red.

“Kuna, I don’t want to say this to the victim, but... could you refrain from going out to the city for a while?”

“...?”

“Just for a little while. There may be a risk. If you need anything, just let us know.”

I thought about what would happen if I ran into that person again, and figured I probably wouldn’t go out anyway.

I nodded weakly, and Ruri urged me.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

“The rest of you stay for a bit,” Simon said, giving a glance to Gier and the others.

At that moment, I didn’t understand what it meant.

◆

“Hey, how about we hold hands and go home?”

I had caused trouble for so many people.

As I was feeling down, looking at the ground, Ruri’s hand was extended in front of me.

“Is it childish? Do you mind?”

Ruri chuckled softly.

I looked at my own hand and shook my head gently.

Ruri’s warm hand enveloped mine.

Lulu perched on my shoulder, and the chicks settled on Ruri’s head and shoulder, chirping happily.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

“Shall we go home?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded, and together we walked back to the dorm.

Despite everything unpleasant that had happened today, the sunset was incredibly beautiful.

I thought that no matter what happened to me, the world would continue moving on without any care.

“Ku-chan, I haven’t told you about me and Dan yet.”

After walking silently for a while, Ruri spoke up.

I wondered what she was going to say, and then, in a whisper like sharing a secret, she said quietly.

“Actually, Dan and I used to be adventurers. We were in the same party.”

“!”

So that’s what happened.

I had no idea.

But why did they stop?

“Our group had eight members, including me. It was always lively, like a family, and it was my favorite place. I was an A-rank too.”

Ruri smiled as she said that.

That’s amazing.

No wonder she’s so composed and calm.

“I gave up my qualifications now, so it’s different, but...”

“...Why did you stop adventuring?”

When I asked, Ruri smiled sadly.

“Honestly, I thought we would always adventure together, as that group... but one day, we failed in a dungeon raid.”

“...”

“Everyone except Dan and I died.”

“!”

Ruri’s face, lit by the setting sun, looked incredibly tired.

It was an expression as if she were recalling the sorrow and pain from long ago.

Dungeons are dangerous places.

Death is an inevitable part of it.

In return, the rewards are outstanding.

“I never thought that a member would die. We were so young back then, and we thought we could manage somehow.”

But they couldn’t.

“I didn’t like my family much. I ran away from home at fifteen and became an adventurer. That party became my place, like family to me. So when I lost everyone, I really thought everything was over.”

But that didn’t happen because Dan was there beside her, encouraging her.

After everyone else died, Ruri apparently tried to follow them.

But Dan stopped her.

Ruri and Dan, the only two survivors, lived on, supporting each other. Eventually, they became a married couple.

“We wandered around for a while, just the two of us. Then one day, Dan’s older brother, Yan, asked us if we’d help him open a restaurant next to the guild, so we decided to help him.”

It was after that, that they helped with Yan’s restaurant before opening the café.

“As time passed, we both managed to sort out our hearts. Losing the party members was truly sad and painful. But because of that, we decided to cherish the people we meet in life. You never know when someone will die. Especially as adventurers.”

In Ruri’s eyes, the sunset flickered and danced.

“Well, since Simon became the guild master, the adventurer death rate has dropped significantly… There were reforms and various changes. Still, no one can really know when someone will die or disappear. We often think about how many wonderful connections we can make in our lives.”

Ruri continued, “That’s why, if I ever encounter someone in trouble, I want to help them. I believe it’s a kind of connection. I want to cherish those connections, we both do.”

She laughed softly.

“I named the café ‘Silver Ribbon’ because I hoped that it would help us form wonderful connections with everyone. And the first connection it helped me make was with you, and I’m so happy about that.”

My heart filled up, and I couldn’t find the words to say.

My chest tightened with a bittersweet feeling.

“There will surely be times in life when we make unpleasant connections, but when that happens, we can slowly unravel them. I’ll help you with that too.”

Ruri smiled brightly and looked at me.

“It’s okay. You’re not alone.”

“…”

“I want you to stay here with us. With Dan, me, and you, I want to connect with many people every day.”

The sunset was incredibly beautiful that day.

I felt like if I said anything, tears would fall, so I just nodded and tightly squeezed Ruri’s hand in return.