"Mmm! Krito, how did you do it?!" Vina continued to pry information from me.
"I'm telling you, it won't help you anyway," I calmly reclined on the little couch, sipping my tea.
"Still, the secret of enchanting objects was lost long ago, and in our time, with fewer and fewer magicians in each generation, you could make good money selling it!"
Vina was fixated on money; she wasn't the first, and surely wouldn't be the last of the traders and blacksmiths who came to me in search of that secret. Two weeks had passed since the ceremony where I presented my enchanted blade, and the flow of people was only now starting to subside gradually.
"I'm telling you, no one else can use this secret, so it's useless."
"Then why do you care!! Come on, spill it."
We were gathered in the guild house, all present, even the teacher Levris was there today. Besides us, there were four new regular visitors: Asura and his company. They had started to do well with their café and now worked every other day to come and train with us.
Everyone pretended to be occupied with their own affairs—reading, drinking tea, or gazing at the ceiling—but in reality, they were all attentively listening to our conversation. Undoubtedly, the secret intrigued them as much as it intrigued Vina. Only Ragni remained aloof in the far corner, seemingly indifferent to what was happening. Since that day, she had been lost in thought, avoiding any encounters with me. I was surprised by the black flames I managed to conjure during the battle, though I seemed to have summoned them before, Ragni's reaction indicated that she knew something but would keep the secret to herself.
"Oh, Krito, don't sleep! Come on, spill the beans!"
"It won't help you. Besides, there are more important matters to attend to: the new year is coming, and we might decide how to spend the money we won?"
I changed the subject, and the present company sighed dejectedly.
"We can invest it! Like our friends, start a small business and make money not only from unreliable contracts," as soon as money was mentioned, Vina immediately forgot what she was talking about before.
"Eh?! Don't say it like we don't make money from anything other than the café!" Miriam seemed on the verge of tears.
"We have many incidental expenses!" Vivien defended the guild.
"Yeah, yeah. But still, you're lucky to open such a big café right before the holidays."
Indeed, the New Year was approaching, a challenging but very profitable season for the café.
"Mmm, but now we need more people. On regular days, the three of us handle the orders just fine, and Werner manages the kitchen easily. But right now, we urgently need waiters and cooks."
I glanced at those present.
"Hmm, if we put aside the lightning-fast Katrina, all-absorbing Ragni, and the reserved Rizel... Don't you think we have plenty of people who could help you?"
The twins exchanged glances and scrutinized the guild members.
"Hmm. Having pretty waitresses is great, but we'll have to work with them to teach them to serve the orders," Miriam assessed Seleria, Vina, Kurone, Rizel, and Levris with her eyes.
"Hmph. Working as a waitress for a princess is a disgrace! But maybe something amusing will come out of it," I thought Seleria would refuse right away.
"Well, if even Lady Seleria agrees, then I'd be happy to join in," Kurone picked up the idea.
"Can I try it too?" Rizel's timid voice was somewhat disconcerting. Who knows how the customers would react to a mysterious figure in a black cloak serving food.
"Well, I suppose we can say it's a carnival costume. I think the boys could help as waiters as well. And Ragni could help with supplies."
"I can help with cooking; I'm quite skilled with various dishes," even Teacher Levris joined the conversation.
Only Katrina sat quietly in the corner.
"It would be fun to do something together," Katrina sighed softly, but it made everyone uncomfortable.
"Sorry, Kat, but you understand."
"It's okay. No big deal. Just make sure to invite me to your festive table!"
"All right, if we're helping you, let's get back to the money matter," I tried to steer away from the sensitive topic for Katrina. "I think we should buy a new guild house or renovate this one."
Surveying our little home, it was hard to tell that it belonged to a successful guild.
"Yeah, this house brings back scary memories," Ragni recalled her first night at the academy. "I thought it was haunted. Thankfully, that wasn't true."
As soon as Ragni finished her sentence, the house creaked, dishes clinked, and finally, there was a knock on the door.
"Ragni, did you say something about gh-gh-ghosts?!" Katrina spoke with a trembling voice. "Will you open the door?"
"Who? Me??" Ragni trembled slightly. "You're the guild master; go greet the guests."
The girls exchanged frightened glances.
"Fine, I'll open it for you," I approached the door and, mustering courage, flung it wide open. But there was no one outside. "Strange, there's no one here."
I closed the door, and the knock sounded again, this time from the center of the room.