Shadow Slave novel Chapter 1839

Chapter 1839: Last Days of Peace

Pale sunshine poured through the open window, and a gentle breeze made the curtains flutter. Sunny opened his eyes slowly, laying comfortably in his opulent bed. The subtle sounds of the city waking up washed over him, bright and lively on this peaceful morning.

He yawned, then slowly got up.

Today was like any other day in Bastion. There were some changes about the mood on the streets of the young city as of late, but mostly, it was the same. The Brilliant Emporium was also the same — except for one detail.

There was a hand-drawn sign standing in front of the entrance. It had been there for the past few days, attracting plenty of attention.

The Sign said:

"Closing soon

*Temporarily

**Farewell discounts for everyone! Best waffles in two worlds!"

As a result, Sunny had earned quite a lot of coins in the last day or two. The Brilliant Emporium seemed to have gathered a loyal audience, and the regulars were both sad to see it temporarily close doors and in a hurry to visit it one last time.

But today...

Today was the last day.

80, Sunny wanted to make it perfect.

Reaching the kitchen, he was surprised to see that Ajko was already there. The petite girl usually liked to sleep a lot — if it wasn't for the job, she would have lazed around in bed until noon. But today, she was there before Sunny.

He looked at her in surprise.

"...I'm not seeing things, am I?"

She grinned.

"Of course not, boss! What are you talking about? I have always been dependable, punctual, and diligent!"

Sunny looked at her with doubt.

"Dependable, punctual, and diligent... do you even know what these words mean?"

Aiko nodded energetically.

"Of course, boss!"

He stared at her some more, then sighed.

"Well, whatever. Start preparing the ingredients."

The petite girl made a fist and floated up a little.

"Yes, boss! I love you, boss!"

He shuddered.

Aiko had been like that after realizing how profitable a war could be to an establishment dealing with Memories. Her eyes had not stopped sparkling since. Sunny could practically see all kinds of nefarious schemes forming in her twisted little head.

'At least someone is happy...‘

He manifested an avatar and went about welcoming the first customers.

A few familiar faces visited the Brilliant Emporium that day.

Early in the morning, he guided Beth to her usual table and brewed her some coffee. The dark circles under the young woman's eyes were even more pronounced than usual, and she seemed to be partially asleep. _{frёeωebɳovel.com}

Sunny was a little touched that she made time to visit the Brilliant Emporium on its closing day despite that.

"Here's your coffee, Miss Beth. Thank you for coming to say goodbye."

She stared at him tiredly, then blinked a couple of times.

"Huh? Goodbye?"

Sunny hesitated for a moment.

"Yes? We are closing today... temporarily."

Beth frowned.

"Oh, really? I didn't know. I haven't left the lab in a week... no, wait, what day is it today? In ten days?"

Sunny looked at her silently, not knowing what to say. His pleasant smile froze a little.

She sighed.

"Well... it's a shame. I really grew to like this place! Good luck to you, Master Sunless... in whatever it is that you are going to do next."

His smile widened a little.

"Good luck to you as well, Miss Beth. I really hope that you succeed. But, please... take care of yourself. Your life is precious, too."

She sipped her coffee and smiled with a hint of bittersweet sadness in her eyes. "I know. After all, there was someone who paid a great price to save it. So, I have to live well..."

Shortly after, Sunny served Teacher Julius breakfast and tea. The old man seemed strangely down, looking in the window with a distracted look

Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then asked politely:

"Is something bothering you, Awakened Julius?"

The old man perked up a little.

"Ah, Master Sunless. It's nothing much... I'm just feeling old these days. I was born before there was even such a thing as the Nightmare Spell, you know. A youngster like you might not understand..."

He looked in the window and sighed.

"The world keeps changing, and old fossils like me can't keep up. Maybe it's time for me to retire."

Sunny sat down across from him and chuckled.

"What are you talking about, Awakened Julius? You, of all people, must not retire."

Teacher Julius raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Why? Right... you probably don't know, but my course has never been very popular. I am usually lucky to get one or two students to attend... they are always the best students at the Academy, of course, but still! It's a bit..."

Sunny shook his head.

"It is because the world is changing that you must never retire. Think about it. Wilderness survival might not have been very in demand before — but it was only useful to a handful of Awakened before, as well."

He gestured to the quiet street outside.

"Now, there are many more Awakened out there. There are mundane people living in the Dream Realm, too. There are roads being built between new cities and trade routes being established. We are not just surviving in the wilderness anymore — we are trying to conquer it. So, experts like you will become more precious than gold very soon."

Teacher Julius stared at him with a strange expression for a while.

Then, his eyes glistened.

"You think so?"

Sunny nodded.

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