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72.22% Genshin: The Serenity System / Chapter 78: Scary, innit?

Capítulo 78: Scary, innit?

"Lyney, why did you call me here?" Lynette, wearing the same poker face and monotone voice, spoke to her brother.

Currently, both of them were atop a rooftop, stealthily avoiding the attention of anyone.

Lyney, on the other hand, was holding a binocular as he looked in the distance. With their current position, they had a good elevated view of their surroundings.

As he continued to look in a certain direction, he responded to his sister's question. "Father entered Mister Isaac's cafe."

"Isaac..." Hearing this name, Lynette's ears twitched as she recalled Isaac's face. Having remembered him, she continued, "What does Father want with him?"

"I don't know... But given that he had already been within Father's sights for a while now, I guess Father had seen something in him." Lyney gave his thoughts and speculation over the situation, though he was still unsure of the details.

"Father knew of him?" Lynette, the first time hearing of this, inquired further. She then walked over beside him and looked at the cafe not far away.

Lyney nodded his head as he continued his observation. "That's right. At first, it was a report about his identity, but as time went on, Father started requesting his habits."

"Habits... That means..." Upon realizing what their Father was planning, a thought blossomed in Lynette's mind.

Lyney, on the other hand, merely nodded his head as he let out a soft sigh while keeping a look out on the cafe.

"I just hope... Mister Isaac would get on Father's good side."

---

"It's truly a beautiful morning, isn't it, Monsieur Isaac?"

Arlecchino, who was sitting right beside Wriothesley, spoke to Isaac with a gentle yet heavy tone. She had yet to order anything and was thus just sitting down.

"It truly is, innit?" Isaac, on the other hand, remained calm and collected on the surface despite having inner turmoil.

'Why is she here?' Behind Isaac's calm façade, a question had repeatedly resurfaced in his mind while looking at the Knave. 'I haven't done anything to provoke the Fatui, right?'

'No— surely not.' He reassured himself with a false sense of hope. Still, he remained optimistic. 'For now, let's try to be as calm as possible and avoid any unnecessary trouble.'

With an amiable smile, Isaac spoke with the same gentle tone. "What would you like to have, my good customer?"

"Green tea. No additives." She answered, maintaining direct eye contact with Isaac.

"No additives... Got it."

Taking her order, Isaac went and grabbed his kettle in the kitchen which was still very hot.

He then started brewing her tea in front of her to let her see the process in person.

After a few minutes, the tea was ready and he placed it on top of a porcelain coaster along with a silver teaspoon before giving it to the Knave.

"Here you go. Freshly brewed." Isaac said as he slid the teacup to her carefully.

"Green tea with nothing else in it, huh? I'm guessing you like the natural flavors of tea?" Wriothesley, who was quietly enjoying his tea for a while now, looked at the Knave.

The Knave turned her head and nodded at Wriothesley's words. She then opened her mouth and spoke, "Indeed. I dislike overly flavorful things and prefer simpler and pristine flavors such as these."

"Hear that, Isaac?" Upon hearing this, Wriothesley smiled smugly before turning over to Isaac. "I told you she knows her stuff."

"It seems she does." Isaac nodded his head and agreed with Wriothesley. He had to admit, she knows her stuff.

"Very few appreciate the raw taste of tea without any additional contents like sugars, so it's refreshing to see someone who sticks by the classics," Isaac explained. Although he was scared, he couldn't help but praise the Knave as a tea enthusiast himself.

"It's just my preference, that is all." The Knave responded to Isaac while observing him closely.

However, she then turned her head to the person next to her— Wriothesley— and spoke.

"Moreover, I didn't know that Your Grace was also an enthusiast of tea. This is the first I've heard of this." She said as her crossed red eyes locked on to the Warden of Meropide.

"My hobbies... aren't widely known to the public, as you may know." Wriothesley, beside her, replied with a light smile. His languid sharp eyes then looked at her from the side. "As do you."

'...are they pretending to not know each other's identities?' Sensing an invisible tension between the two, the nervous Isaac decided to intervene.

"Ahem, from the looks of it, you two are already well-acquainted?" Isaac cleared his throat and said with a curious tone, indicating his lack of knowledge over the matter to them.

Isaac was well aware that Arlecchino was relatively less known than the rest of the Harbingers, as her line of work mainly tackles information gathering.

However, even then, The Duke of the Fortress of Meropide still has eyes and ears on the surface, despite it being under the waves.

The Knave was actively trying to infiltrate the fortress, while the Duke was capturing and interrogating her spies.

Naturally, the two know each other. What they did not know, however, is that Isaac, too, was aware of both of their identities.

'This feels like that one Spiderman meme with the three Spideys pointing at each other...' Isaac thought humorously amidst the tension. During such a tense moment, he couldn't help but lighten up the mood, at least for himself.

Wriothesley first looked at the Knave before looking back at Isaac. He then curled up a soft smile before speaking. "Not really. I've just known her from... some colleagues, that's all."

"I believe everyone in Fontaine who has read the newspaper has heard of the Duke of Meropide." The Knave answered as she also took her eyes off Wriothesley.

"Ah, I see. That makes more sense now." Isaac nodded his head in understanding, acting as if everything had just clicked in his mind.

"Well, that's enough from me." Just then, Wriothesley finished drinking from his cup and stood up. "I should be heading off soon."

He then took out some Mora and placed it stacked on the counter, right in front of Isaac.

"Once more, the brew was rich." Wriothesley complimented Isaac as he paid for his drink. "If I find myself some free time again, I'll drop by once more."

"Of course. Great minds who think alike are always welcomed in my humble cafe." Isaac smiled softly at him as he took the stack of Mora. He then bid him farewell. "Have a good day, dear customer."

"Thanks." Wriothesley nodded as he turned around. But not before looking at the Knave one last time from the corner of his eyes.

With a light smirk, he spoke to her with a concealed sarcasm hidden in his tone. "It was nice chatting with you. I hope to have another wonderful time next time we meet."

"I could say the same, Your Grace." In response, the Knave didn't turn her head and merely replied with a cold tone. "May we meet again in the future."

Lightly scoffing at her response, Wriothesley didn't say anything further and turned around before walking away.

Ding~

And just like that, the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide had departed, leaving only Isaac and the dangerous Harbinger in the cafe.

'...why is she here again?' After seeing Wriothesley leave, Isaac turned his eyes to the Knave and warily looked at her. 'She's not here to... hurt me, is she? Heavens, I hope not.'

Just then, while Isaac was in the middle of his thoughts, the Knave, who was stirring her green tea, spoke. "You and my children have been working on the same movie, have you not?"

'Why's she asking that?' Curious to her question, Isaac reciprocated and answered her question. "That's right. Lyney and Lynette have been good actors so far. They're great at it "

"They also said the same to you." The Knave said as she closed her eyes for a moment. "They told me about your excellent acting skill, almost as if you were experiencing your character's every bit of sensation— projecting it to the audience."

Isaac thought he was praising her, but a moment later, her tone became cold and heavy, immediately forcing a tense atmosphere between them. "Truly a great performance, Monsieur Isaac. Or should I call you..."

She then opened her eyes, revealing her crimson-red crossed eyes, looking directly at Isaac with nothing but a menacing glare. Her lips parted, uttering another name: "Gehrman?"

"..." Isaac, upon hearing this, almost jumped out of fright. But he restrained himself and kept a composed composition.

Lifting his head, his warm amber eyes locked in with her and he spoke as calmly as possible. "Gehrman? I don't get what you mean. Have you confused me with someone else?"

The Knave, upon hearing this, scoffed coldly. She then lifted her green tea and took a sip before speaking. "You know, I'm not an avid believer of coincidences. But when they stack up too high, you can't help but see a common pattern among them."

"The establishment of your cafe, the grand thievery, the controversial gift, and the abduction of the Archon..." She recounted every major operation Isaac had done in order while speaking calmly. "All appear to be disconnected, yet share one common denominator."

"A lead actor was present in all of them, pushing the plot of the performance forward." She said as she put down her teacup before looking up at Isaac. "In just a short amount of time, they had caused quite the stir in Fontaine."

"Isn't that right, Monsieur Isaac?"

"...Is that so?" Isaac, who was originally frightened of the Knave since earlier, was now, on the contrary, calm both internally and externally.

Staring at the Knave eye-to-eye, his warm amber eyes locked in with her red crossed eyes, and a moment of silence enveloped the two.

"Hah..."

Then, a soft sigh escaped Isaac's mouth. He then put his hands behind his back and looked at the Knave before smiling softly. "So what's your purpose here, I wonder?"

"To determine if you are an obstacle to be eliminated." The Knave didn't sugarcoat her words and went straight to the point. "You are a strange variable. And determining your worth is how I'd deal with you."

"My worth, eh? Haha..." Upon hearing this, Isaac first smiled before bursting into a laugh. "I see."

'I didn't think it would come to this so easily...' He thought as his warm amber eyes squinted.

"Then, are you interested in what I have to offer?" He asked with a calm façade. "To show my worth."

"It depends if it will be in my best interest. If not, well..." She said to him but didn't continue her sentence, knowing he knew what she meant.

Upon hearing her answer, Isaac nodded lightly before opening his mouth and uttering his offer.

"Are you interested in a collaboration?"

"And by collaboration, you mean?" The Knave asked him while maintaining her cold tone.

"Well, you are aware of the current situation of Fontaine, yes?" He said as he looked outside the cafe, and onto the streets. "I believe you, too, know that the prophecy is slowly coming true."

After saying this, Isaac turned his head back to her and continued speaking. "What I want to do is simple. It's to find a way to minimize that catastrophe's casualties as minimal as possible."

"Minimize... You aren't trying to stop it?" The Knave asked as her eyes squinted and looked at him solemnly as she spoke with a heavy tone.

"Prophecies cannot be stopped, and can only be prepared for." Isaac lifted his hand as he tapped his temples while smiling at the Knave. "Arlecchino, I want to offer you a collaboration that would benefit the Hearth, Fontaine, and... Heh, me."

Upon hearing Isaac's offer, the Knave became silent for a moment, and took the moment to listen to him, seemingly interested in his offer. Still, her menacing and solemn look was present on her face. "I'm listening."

Isaac, with his hands behind his back, softly smiled at her before speaking.

"Are you interested in crowning a king?"

"A... Nameless King."


Capítulo 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.


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