SSS-Grade Cafe in Front of The Dungeon

Chapter 186

Translated by cabinfourtranslations.

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I had to return early from the launching event for two reasons.

First, a contractor was scheduled to visit Cafe Rieul to renovate the interior. At the end of the last quest, I was suddenly transformed into an S-Class Cafe Owner. However, the cafe was still only C-Grade.

For reference, if you check the status of the current cafe, the system window displayed the following information.

[Name: Cafe Rieul

Grade: C

Fame: 1000, Popularity: 2150

※ You can improve your cafe’s grade by decorating it.]

I wasn’t really motivated to improve my cafe’s grade, but I thought it would be good to change the atmosphere. So today, they decided to inspect the interior of the cafe before they started the construction.

“Owner-nim, I just finished the inspection.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

The interior contractor asked while taking notes inside the store, “As I said, we’ll do a rough draft first. If you tell me the concept you have in mind, I’ll send you the draft accordingly.”

“Um, keep it modern and simple. Just plain black and white!”

“Okay, hmmmm, yes…….” The contractor looked at the store again and shook his head. The wooden tables in the old brick building were too different from the concept I had described. He cautiously offered his expert opinion, “This kind of retro style is rather popular nowadays. Rather than changing the whole place, how about making small changes while preserving the original atmosphere?”

It was a reasonable suggestion, but I shook my head, “No, please change everything, everything.”

“Cost-wise, it would be better to preserve the original look.”

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t care how much it costs, please do it.”

I repeatedly insisted that I wanted it to be as different from the original interior as possible. It was hard for me to endure when I was in the store because I was constantly reminded of the past. Maybe if I changed the atmosphere of the store, it would make it less painful.

“Okay … Then I’ll contact you when I have the draft.” The contractor who said that with a shaky expression left after saying goodbye.

“Kkyuuu….”

At that moment, Lime jumped to my feet with her chubby body. I scooped her up in my arms and asked, “Lime, do you really have to go today? Can’t you just stay here?”

“Kkyuu, kkyuuu…..” Lime cried sorrowfully, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t leave. It seemed that it would be hard to change this slime’s mind.

“Kkyuuu!”

Lime bounced out of my arms and headed for the door.

“Mmohhh!”

She jumped out of the room and onto Corong’s waiting back. Lime and Corong were still on good terms.

This was the second reason for my early return. Today, Lime and Corong were going to return to Cthugha’s garden.

Lime had felt extremely lonely since Mieum didn’t come back. She wasn’t as cheerful and chatty as she used to be, and instead, she just made sullen cries. I tried taking her to a slime cafe to cheer her up, but it didn’t work.

Then one day, Lime called out to me and said,

“Kkyuu, kkyuuu.”

‘Soon the path of the stars will open.’

“Kkyuu, kkyuuu.”

‘I want to go back. To the Garden of Cthugha.’

I had completely forgotten that Lime was originally a runaway slime who lived in Cthugha’s garden. Corong was also brought in from there.

At first, I was against Lime and Corong’s return. I didn’t want to part with them. After they left, I would become the only one left in the store. I didn’t think I could handle the store being so quiet compared to the old days.

But in the end, I accepted Lime’s decision. I thought it would be better for her to go home and be happy than to be depressed here.

And today, here we were.

Tonight, the path of the stars that leads to Cthugha’s Garden would open. If they miss this night, the next path of the stars would not open for many years.

With the disappearance of the Great Dungeon Abyss, it became impossible to enter Cthugha’s Garden except through the Path of the Stars. Although not a permanent separation, our reunion would be at least a few years away. I was left with an empty feeling in my heart.

“Lime, Corong, I’ll be lonely without you.”

“Kkyuuu……”

“Mmeeeh….”

Corong and Lime cried sadly.

“Wait a moment. I’ll pack you some food, and you can eat on the way, okay?”

I rummaged through the kitchen for something to eat. I wrapped butter cookies, biscuits, and some corn for Corong to eat in a square bag and hung it around Corong’s neck.

It was almost time for the stars to rise. I walked out of the store to see them off, hugging both Lime and Corong tightly once more.

“You have to take care of yourself.”

Just then, I saw a cat with calico fur approaching in the distance.

‘Mieum…..?’

No, it couldn’t be. I was surprised to see that the pattern of its fur looked exactly like Mieum’s, but I was soon disappointed.

The cat was very skinny and half the size of Mieum. Its fur was ragged, as if it had been wandering the streets for a long time. It must be just a stray cat.

When I saw a cat that looked like Mieum, I felt a rush of anticipation and joy.

“Kkyuuu?!” Lime let out a surprised cry when she spotted the cat too.

Soon, the cat arrived in front of the store. I felt sorry for it, as it looked completely exhausted and haggard.

“Kitty, wait here for a minute.”

There must be a bag of cat food in the warehouse.

I rushed back into the store and grabbed a bowl of food. I set the bowl in front of the cat, and instead of running away, the cat approached the bowl.

This cat food was purchased shortly after Mieum came to my house. I bought the food thinking that she would eat it because she’s a cat, but her reaction was unbelievable.

“Tsk! Tak tak! Are you asking me to eat something like this, kyakyaoogh!”

“No, why?! I bought the most expensive and most popular one at the cat store. Look, it says top-notch taste and nutrition!”

“Do you think I’m a normal cat! You think I can eat stuff like this! Tsk!”

“Mieum, don’t spit the food out of your mouth!”

“Human, give me something tasty! Waeoolgh!”

Back then, I ended up heading back to the warehouse with a bag full of cat food because a cat scolded me for thinking she would eat that. What a picky eater.

Hoho, what a nostalgic memory.

“Tsk! Tak tak! Are you asking me to eat something like this, kyakyaoogh!”

Maybe it’s because I was reminiscing about the past. I could hear these hallucinations…….

Wait, that’s not a hallucination, was it?

That voice just came from this skinny cat.

No way. Impossible.

“Give me something tasty, not this! Waeooong!”

“No way, you …. Mieum-ah?!”

“Kkyuuuu!” From the side, Lime welcomed Mieum by bouncing on her body.

“Waeolgh! You don’t recognise me!”

Pakpak! Mieumswung her front paws at me in a fury. However, she looked like she’d been through a lot, her punchs were weak. I meekly returned the weak punch.

“But you looked completely halved.”

“Do you know how hard it was for me to walk all the way here! Waeooong!”

Oh my goodness. It’s Mieum. The real Mieum is back.

Hug. I hugged her tightly. I felt like I was going to cry.

“Sniff … Welcome back, Mieum-ah.”

“Kkyuuu!”

“Mmmmooo!”

Lime and Corong also welcomed Mieum with enthusiasm. In the midst of it all, I failed to hear Mieum’s desperate request for food.

“Waeuuung … okay, first, let me eat…..”

“Mieum-ah? What’s wrong, Mieum?”

Slump. Mieum collapsed in my arms.

***

“So …. what happened?”

I asked Mieum, who looked distressed, as I pushed a bowl full of cereal in front of her.

“Wait, waeoong!”

“….Okay.”

Mieum was determined not to say another word until her stomach was full. She ate the cereal I brought out in silence. Her chubby body was her charm. I wondered if she’d been starving for so long that she’d become half her former size. I set a snack plate of cookies next to her bowl of rice.

As a side note, Lime and Corong decided not to go back to Cthugha’s Garden the moment Mieum returned. I was filled with happiness as I watched Lime bouncing up and down in joy.

“….Haa, now I feel like living.” After she ate all the food available, she laid down on the ground with her belly bloated. I wiped her messy fur with a towel and asked, “Mieum, what happened to you? Why did you only come back now?”

“Waeooong … it’s time to start the sad story you can’t possibly listen to without tears.”

With a tearful look on her face, Mieum told us what had happened.

“Originally, I was a guide to lead you to the door, waeooong! Having fulfilled my role, I was meant to return to the side of the Great ███ ████.”

“Yes, but?”

“But, I was……. that…….”

“Kkyuuu?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Mieum spoke again, “I got fired.”

“What?!”

Did Mieum really end up as an unemployed cat this time?

“Kyakyakyaolg! But I can’t watch TV or eat snacks when she’s around! I even asked her to show me Netflix, but she made me…….”

“You?”

“She kicked me out mercilessly, waeooong! She told me not to come back because I was a nuisance!”

“…….”

Pakpakpak! Mieum stomping her front paws wildly, shouted, “”Don’t look at me with pitying eyes, waeooong! Do you know how hard it was to walk all the way here in a cat’s body!”

The attacks of her front paws became quite heavy in the meantime since she had eaten. But I didn’t dodge, I simply received it patiently.

“So, you like my house the best, where I feed you and you can watch TV?”

“Waeolg! Of course, and Oh Seoho’s movie is coming out soon! I was supposed to go to the premiere, so I couldn’t miss it! I had no choice but to come back here!”

I could tell that Mieum had worked very hard to get back here, even though she was embarrassed to admit it. I would have to figure out a way to get her to the VIP premiere somehow.

I fetched a large basin full of warm water and grabbed Mieum, who was still in dirty appearance, to give her a bath.

Despite not being very perceptive in general, Mieum quickly recognized the signs that I was about to give her a bath. She jumped up and dodged my hand, then spoke again.

“That’s right. There is something she has entrusted to you.”

“Entrusted to me?”

“Waeoong … It’s almost time for it to arrive.”

“……?”

Ding. Just then, there was a knock on the store door.

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Translator’s Corner:

I think my eyesight is getting worse everyday … if there’s a lot of typos sorry, Ill check it again later