Chapter 79: Mentor and Disciple
"Mister Isaac... Aren't you coming to the Opera House?" Freminet, who was beside Isaac, said as he poured boiling water onto a teacup.
"Why would I?" Isaac, wearing his usual attire of a black waistcoat and white dress shirt, scoffed lightly.
"Well... If I remember correctly, a film festival is being held there right now." Freminet said with his usual soft tone. "Since you, Lyney, and Lynette partook in a movie to be released there... I thought you would have gone to see its opening."
"That is true... But then what?" Isaac, cleaning a teacup, nodded his head before softly sighing. "Other than applause, I'd gain nothing else just by being there. I'll just be there for the sake of it."
"As such, I'd leave it to the capable Lady Furina." He continued speaking. "She's... more suited for the crowds than me. She can handle it well."
It was true. Isaac was never truly a person to show himself in front of so many people at once, and prefer to talk to a small group of people.
As such, he decided to leave everything to Furina. Furthermore, he also told her to promote his shop if she could.
"Well, moving on from that," Isaac then turned his head over to Freminet and smiled with satisfaction. "You're getting better and better at brewing, Freminet. Continue at this pace and I might just hire you."
"Well, I owe this to you, Mister Isaac." Freminet, who was also wearing the same attire as Isaac, lowered his head and muttered softly. "If you hadn't taught me... I wouldn't have picked up this hobby..."
"It's not all on me, y'know?" Isaac admired Freminet's humility but decided to not accept it. "You have a natural talent for remaining calm in tense situations. Having that in itself is a skill."
"I-Is that so..." Freminet replied, hanging his head low. Although he tried it, Isaac still managed to get a glimpse of his red-tinged face.
'What an honest kid.' Seeing Freminet's reaction, Isaac chuckled lightly to himself as he cast his sights on the cafe. 'Ever since I started mentoring him, he's been doing a great job following my steps.'
'I wonder... Would this disciple of mine who is still training one day surpass me in terms of brewing?' Looking at the quiet cafe he had built with a few rich customers, Isaac first entertained the thought before immediately shaking his head. 'Nah, no way.'
'Gotta be the best of the best and have a certain amount of quality to keep these loyal customers, after all.' Isaac's pride didn't allow him to let his disciple surpass him by any means. 'Right. I'm just...'
'...Passing on my technique, that's all.'
Or was it more appropriate to call it an inheritance?
Having finished his internal monologue, Isaac decided to change the subject. "Oh, by the way, I met your Father yesterday."
"Father...? Our Father?" Freminet, taken aback by Isaac's sudden words, looked at him with slightly widened eyes. "You... Met her?"
'Why are you looking at me as if I survived a cataclysmic disaster...' Maintaining his courteous smile, Isaac lightly nodded his head in agreement. "That's right. She was a fine fellow, and we got along well."
"A bit on the cold side, but we made it work." He added.
Upon hearing Isaac's description of Arlecchino, Freminet fell into a short moment of silence as if he were contemplating something. However, he soon shook his head.
"I'm glad that you and Father got on good terms." Lifting his head, he looked at Isaac. "Everyone in the Hearth agrees that Father is cold and strict... But deep down, we respect her."
"As such... It brings me joy that the two of you can get along." Freminet curled up a soft smile as he said this.
Seeing him smile, Isaac still couldn't get used to it. 'He's been smiling a lot ever since I've taken him under my wing... It feels odd, but as long as he's happy and comfortable— it is what it is.'
The fact that Freminet was comfortable enough to smile around Isaac shows that he had established a haven for Freminet in his cafe. As someone who wants nothing more than the peaceful minds of his customers, this just gives Isaac a reason to be happy for them.
"Yeah? Then I'll make sure to treat her as best as I can." He said as his gaze looked back at him. "I'm sure she and I would... Have some wonderful meetings in the future."
As Isaac said this, the thought of his plan resurfaced in his mind. Remembering his grand plan, he looked at Freminet and recalled the faces of Lyney and Lynette.
A small, enigmatic smile then formed on his lips as he crossed his arms. "Well, that's enough of that. Let's get back to your training. For your next brew... Let's try another espresso."
"Oh, alright." Approaching Isaac, Freminet stood beside him and watched the coffee machine.
The day continued to move as Isaac taught Freminet his skills, while also using him as a staff in the cafe.
Since Lumine was still busy dealing with the Liyue crisis, Freminet was the only person Isaac could think of who could work for him.
Of course, he was still paying him. Isaac might be greedy, but he wasn't a monster. Professionals have standards.
And just like that, the afternoon passed by, setting the sun on the horizon.
---
"Bye Mister Isaac." Freminet, who had now changed back to his usual casual attire, waved goodbye to Isaac from the door.
"Walk home safe." Isaac, who was wiping a table with a cloth, waved back at him.
"Yes." Freminet nodded his head before turning around and going through the door, leaving the cafe.
Ding~
Hearing the bell chime, Isaac stood up straight and looked at the door with languid eyes. "He did well today. I should consider hiring him for real..."
After making this throwaway comment, Isaac scoffed at himself as if finding it amusing. "Well... Arlecchino might perceive it differently, so there's that. Hah..."
Shaking his head, he shook off those thoughts out of his mind and focused on cleaning the glass table.
Isaac cleaned each table diligently, not letting a single speck of anything dirty go untouched.
A clean cafe was a good cafe, after all. Moreover, Isaac didn't want to be put on some kind of government list for poorly hygienic establishments, so there's that too.
Ding~
Just then, the bell of his door chimed, indicating a new customer had arrived.
"Welcome—"
Isaac was just about to turn and greet the customer when suddenly, he was jumped on.
"Puh—" Getting grabbed by the neck, Isaac wanted to react in self-defense, when he noticed the person that jumped him. "Huh? Wait..."
"Furina?"
Hugging him by the neck, Furina, who jumped to Isaac after entering the cafe, looked at him with a bright smile and glistening eyes.
"You fool! You couldn't believe what happened today!" She said as her hands never left his neck. "Everyone loved the movie! All the judges gave good criticism and even wanted to buy the rights to publish it!"
"The tale of the hunter whose past hunts him in his nightmares, but finds solace in the embrace of his new family— such a simple plot yet so powerful!" Furina took one hand off from Isaac and imitated what seemed like one of the judges. Throughout her story, the look of pride never left her face. "It's a phenomenal story, they said!"
"Yeah? Well, that just means you did a great job writing the script and directing everything." Still locked on to Furina, Isaac smiled lightly as he praised her for her work. "Hats off to the director."
"Oh come on now, Isaac, there's no need to be humble." Upon hearing Isaac's reply, Furina rolled her eyes as she leaned in closer to him. "You also played a crucial role in this. Another judge states that your acting was immaculate and even wanted to get your information to scout you."
'That's to be expected. Acting is a must for a fool, after all.' Isaac lampooned to himself. He then shook his head and replied to Furina. "That might be so, but everyone who worked in the movie also did their best."
"For example... Lyney and Lynette?" He mentioned the two members of the Hearth.
"Oh, those two? Well, you're right. I also found their acting to be excellent— perhaps if they're properly taught, they even become great actors in the future." Furina, at the mention of the two, nodded her head as she praised them. "Yes, I should keep an eye out for those two."
"Alright. Well then..." After letting Furina speak, Isaac then looked at her with his warm amber eyes and chuckled lightly. "Care to get off now?"
Upon hearing this, Furina realized that she had been hugging Isaac for a while now. However, instead of immediately leaving, she instead did something else.
"Make me." She declared boldly, staring eye-to-eye with Isaac directly in front of her.
'Oh?' Realizing what Furina meant and wanted, Isaac raised an eyebrow at first before shaking his head with a smile. "My... how bold."
After saying this, Isaac leaned his face closer while also lowering his upper body to reach Furina.
- Chu
In this quiet cafe of Isaac, the two shared a long deep kiss, sharing a moment of silence and sweetness. In the midst of this, Furina's ahoge swayed a bit.
Finally, after a few moments, they parted, and only then did Furina let go of Isaac.
"Hehe, after a long day of dealing with all those people, a good recharge is all I needed." Placing her hands behind her, Furina smiled cheekily at Isaac as she breathed heavily.
Isaac, whose face also had a tinge of red, tried to hide his face while trying to change the subject. "Since you're here... Do you want to have dinner? I'm planning to have Chicken Confit tonight."
"Hah... As much as I want to, there are still a lot of things I have to do back at Palais Mermonia. Apparently, Neuvillette also wants to tell me something important." Furina replied with a soft sigh as the look of dejection was present on her face.
"Well, that's fine." Although it wasn't on Isaac's plan to share a dinner tonight, he still felt a bit of shame that Furina wasn't able to accompany him.
"Remember to eat well later though." He reminded her as he remembered her bad eating habits. "And no sugars."
"What?! Not even a slice of cake?" Upon hearing Isaac, Furina immediately reacted and protested against it. "Why not?!"
"It's bad for you." Isaac crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes while speaking solemnly.
"How about a crème brûlée?" Furina then tried to bargain with an alternative, but it was to no avail.
"...No." He answered, not accepting any other excuses.
"Aww..." Faced with Isaac's restrictions, Furina's head hung low as she lamented over this matter.
A moment later, however, she lifted her head and looked at him with puffed-up cheeks. "Fine then! You must think that I can't go a single day without sugar... But mark my words that I, Furina, have complete self-control!"
"Do it, not say it." Isaac reminded her as he smiled softly, finding her rant amusing.
"Hmph, fine." Turning around, Furina started walking over to the door. "Well, that's all I have to say. I'll be going now."
"Would you be dropping by tomorrow?" Isaac, watching her walk away, asked curiously.
"I don't know... I have many appointments and can't seem to fit a time for myself these days..." Furina, on the other hand, answered as she stopped walking. She then shook her head. "So no, I don't think I can."
"Well, that's a shame." Sighing, Isaac also shook his head. He then looked at her back and smiled with melancholy.
"Well, in case I don't see you,"
"Good morning, good afternoon, and good night."
Upon hearing Isaac, Furina stopped walking and turned around, only to see Isaac with a soft smile and languid eyes staring back at her.
"That's... A sweet thing to say." She said as she continued to look back at him. A moment later, she smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Isaac."
[+15]
"No problem." He nodded his head, not letting his eyes leave her.
Ding~
And just like that, Furina left, leaving Isaac by himself in his cafe once more, with nothing but the empty cups in the kitchen as his company.
"Alright... Time to finish this." After staring at the door for a few minutes, Isaac finally returned to cleaning the cafe.
It took a while, but he finally finished cleaning, and soon, it was closing time. He pulled the blinders down and locked the doors, and cooked himself a delicious dinner.
After doing all of these, Isaac was finally ready to sleep. He headed upstairs and was about to lay on his bed when a notification suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Notice.]
[The quest 'Good Hunter' has been completed.]
[The rewards shall now be granted.]
[The host shall be forced to sleep to complete the process.]
"Huh—" Before Isaac could even process what the system said, his eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and his body also felt the same.
Before Isaac knew it, he had already fallen asleep.
And thus starts the transformation of not only his cafe but also his mind.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone