Chapter 208: Unfinished Business (1/2)

”What is this unfinished business that you're talking about, Calvin?” The Cavaliers finally left the scene. On their faces were pensive looks that sought for answers.

James Branzuela couldn't help but ask this question with a frown on his face considering that Calvin even replied to them in code. In short, this unfinished business of his was probably something that shouldn't be revealed to others.

But just what exactly was that unfinished business that he would be so secretive?

”You'll understand what I'm talking about later, Vice-Captain. Just follow me for now, and I'll lead the way.” Calvin mysteriously smiled. Ashlynn and Bruce glanced at their Captain and seeing that he didn't seem to be perturbed. The two of them didn't try to say anything anymore as they obediently followed behind Calvin.

The path was narrow at first.

Then, they arrived at a valley.

Afterwards, they reached a village similar to the Village of Tulog, but when the Cavaliers thought that Calvin's so-called unfinished business was in this village.

Calvin didn't even spare the village a glance. Instead, he climbed up to the top to another village with signage that said, 'Village of Tulog'.

”What?” Bruce muttered in confusion, ”Why did that village transfer to the top of the hill? Did it teleport or something?”

”No...” James Branzuela stared at Bruce in amusement, ”That village is an illusion. I reckon if someone goes inside that fake village, they will forever be unable to escape. Damn, this place is even more sinister than I thought.”

Bruce felt a shiver down his spine. How could he not be shocked when the village in front of them looked incredibly normal and similar to a proper hamlet as the world knew? To think that it would be a death trap... Bruce was now starting to get spooked by the eeriness of the place as he stuck closer to the Vice-Captain.

Ashlynn noticed this and she couldn't help but mock, ”Bruce... Stop acting like a sissy. Are you scared about something that isn't even able to hurt you?”

”Shut up...” Bruce rolled his eyes at her, eliciting Ashlynn's bell-like laughter.

The mood of the group seemed to have lightened somewhat as Calvin took advantage of this opportunity to ask.

”Captain, mind if you tell me? How's Charlotte and Cecilia doing?”

In the entire time that Calvin had been in the Village of Tulog. He had never been worried about Charlotte and Cecilia. It was because he knew that they were in good hands. No place was safer in Ashmelion than the Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop.

”...” Ron Samuel stopped in his tracks.

Weird expressions appeared on the faces of everyone else aside from Calvin who looked utterly confused.

'Did I say something wrong?' He thought to himself.

But at the very next moment, he was enlightened.

”You see, Calvin... You sure do have a capable wife.”

Ron Samuel's tone of voice turned weird, ”The Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop is supposed to be a front for our operations. You can't expect us to do our modus operandi in some random basement in Ashmelion, right? And that is where the coffee shop comes in.”

”We built that coffee shop to serve as the front for our operations. I'm sure that you've already caught the hints, but we don't really care if the coffee shop earns money. Besides Ashlynn, no one really cares if we get any customers or not. That's why our coffees are expensive...”

”Of course, there are some stupid young masters who want to prove to themselves that they've found a hidden gem of a shop.”

”Still, they'd be disappointed in the end, since we aren't really using expensive materials to make our expensive coffees. In short, we basically don't care about the business.”

”However...” Ron Samuel averted his gaze away from Calvin, ”Your wife...”

”What?”

Calvin stared at Ron Samuel in confusion.

”Did she do something wrong? What happened to her?”

”No, no, no...”

Ashlynn was the one who answered Calvin's question, ”Sister Charlotte is doing good and she's been a massive asset to us, the changes that she brought for the improvement of the coffee shop when she started to work with us had given us nothing but endless benefits, however...”

Ashlynn felt awkward to continue but under the urging eyes of the others. She had no other choice but to gulp a mouthful of saliva and continue her words from earlier, ”You see...”

”She made us popular.”

”Hmm?” Calvin was still confused, ”Is it bad if we're popular?”

Ashlynn gnashed her teeth, ”Damn it, Calvin! Can't you see these dark circles under our eyes?”

”Being popular isn't really a problem, but she gave us too much popularity!”

”She revamped the prices of the coffees and even added some ingredients such as honey to improve the tastes of our products to the extent that our coffees didn't taste like they were made out of inferior materials anymore!”

”What's more, since our products are made cheaply, she also proposed for us to lower our prices. Obviously, since we're trying to hide from her the fact that the coffee shop is just a front for our operations...”

”We had no other choice but to follow her proposal since her words actually make sense and it would be strange if a business such as our coffee shop isn't actively trying to make money.”

”Wouldn't that make us garner her suspicion?” Ashlynn ended her spiel as she took several deep breaths into her lungs, ”Since you disappeared, she has become considerably active in the coffee shop. It feels like she's trying to prove a point to you.”

”Trying to prove a point?” Calvin muttered to himself.

Soon, after pondering about it for a few minutes.

A smile crept on his lips.

”Charlotte... What a silly woman.” He shook his head and the smile on his face deepened under the gaze of Ashlynn and the others.

”Damn, he's too deep in the rabbit hole!” Bruce exclaimed.

”So, that's how a man would look like when he's in love.”

Ashlynn surreptitiously glanced at Ron Samuel.

”What do you want me to do, Captain?” Calvin turned to look at Ron Samuel and asked.

Ron Samuel was about to answer when he was held back by James Branzuela.

”Can you tell your wife to hold back her proposal for changes?”

”Don't misunderstand my words, all right?”

”It's not like what she's doing is detrimental for us...”

”It's just that if she keeps on proposing those changes and we keep on doing the changes that she wants to happen, we will soon find ourselves unable to keep the coffee shop running with the number of customers pouring in.” James patiently explained.

Ashlynn let out a sigh, ”Yeah, that's right... It's such a shame since Sis Charlotte's proposals are actually quite good.”