Chapter 34: Cerberus's Resolve
Inside the shop, the heavy silence was broken only by the sounds of two people enjoying their meal.
It's worth mentioning that Clow Reed, despite his dignified appearance, was completely engrossed in the two desserts Ren had brought him. One was a Whiskey Brownie with walnuts, and the other was a dense Chocolate Almond Cake.
Both dishes had their unique textures—one fudgy, one airy—and a sweet aroma that made them irresistible.
Even Clow Reed, a person who pays great attention to etiquette and mystical balance, was now eating like a little boy who couldn't stop snacking. He had even licked a crumb off his thumb.
After Natsume finished eating his Tamagoyaki, he sat there quietly, watching Ren. The silver-haired Shopkeeper was reading a book and drinking red tea, exuding an aura of calm that Natsume envied.
After some hesitation, Natsume stood up. He clutched the hem of his shirt.
"Shopkeeper?"
"Hmm?" Ren looked up.
"Can I... come back to this shop? Is it allowed?"
Ren smiled warmly. "Of course. Repeat customers are always welcome. Especially guests who can bring interesting stories to pay for their meals."
Natsume smiled, a genuine expression of relief. Then he reached for his wallet. "Shopkeeper, how much is it in total?"
Ren glanced at him and said casually, flipping a page, "One hundred yen~"
"Oh... Huh? One hundred yen?!"
Natsume blinked. That was barely the price of a convenience store onigiri.
"What's wrong? Too expensive?"
Natsume rarely showed a surprised expression, but his eyes were wide. "No... nothing. I just suddenly feel that it truly lives up to being the Shopkeeper's shop... One hundred yen is really too little for this kindness."
Ren chuckled. "Tamagoyaki is, at most, just an egg and some sugar. Why would I charge so much? And your story about the forest spirits was also very valuable payment."
Natsume was taken aback, then smiled shyly.
He placed a 100-yen coin on the table with a soft clink.
"Goodbye, Ren-san. Goodbye, Mr. Reed."
After saying goodbye, he opened the shop door.
Looking at the ray of moonlight spilling in from his world, Natsume murmured softly, "So warm.... I will be back."
After speaking, he stepped out, and the door closed behind him.
Clow Reed pushed up his round glasses, the lenses flashing. He smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Ren's shop is truly amazing. Whether it's the cuisine, the shop itself, or Shopkeeper Ren, they are all wondrous existences~ It feels like a nexus of fate."
Ren's lips curved slightly as he sipped his tea. "That's why so many wonderful people gather here, in this wonderful shop, eating wonderful dishes made by a wonderful Shopkeeper, and then sharing wonderful stories~ It's a virtuous cycle."
Clow Reed nodded and said, teasingly, "In that case, I'm a wonderful person too~"
"Aren't you? You certainly act like one."
"Heh.... Shopkeeper Ren's words really give one a feeling of warm sunshine.... You flatter an old soul."
"A good evaluation. Much better than their evaluations, indeed~"
Clow Reed was stunned, then smiled curiously. "Those girls who like you? The ones you mentioned earlier? Do you mind telling me what their evaluations are?"
Ren sighed, putting down his book. He counted on his fingers. "Playboy. Big pig's trotter. Heartbreaker. Scum. Dense protagonist. And so on and so forth...."
"Hahaha!"
Clow Reed couldn't help but laugh, a sound like wind chimes. He waved his hand. "If it's Shopkeeper Ren, then these words become compliments~ It means they care enough to be angry."
"But I'd rather they give me more derogatory terms that make them leave me alone. These 'compliments' don't make me sound like a good person~"
"Hahaha! Shopkeeper Ren is unexpectedly witty."
"Life is long," Ren murmured, looking at the ceiling. "But sometimes it's also short. You have to find some fun, don't you?"
Clow Reed paused. His smile faded slightly into something melancholic.
"Is that so... Thank you for your guidance, Shopkeeper Ren. I think this simple truth is the best answer to my current dilemma..."
Ren didn't know exactly what Clow Reed was talking about—likely his impending death and succession plans—but he knew that Clow Reed had understood something he couldn't grasp before. Humans (and powerful magicians) are such peculiar creatures; perhaps in a certain moment, a single sentence or image can suddenly make them understand a problem that has plagued them their entire lives.
Clow Reed chatted with Ren here for a long time, discussing magic theory, parallel worlds, and cooking tips. No other customers came in between. Ren was also happy to have someone intelligent to alleviate his boring night.
As the sun rose outside (in Ren's world), painting the sky in hues of pink and gold.
Clow Reed finished his last sip of wine. Just as he was about to get up to leave, he heard a rush of footsteps from upstairs.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Before he could ask, he saw Cerberus.
With messy bedhead hair and dressed in oversized pajamas, she pounced directly from the stairs like a flying squirrel.
"Master! Master! Master! Catch me! Catch me! Catch me!"
Ren was stunned. He instinctively stood up, smiled, and shook his head.
He opened his arms.
Whump.
He steadily caught the pouncing Cerberus.
The dog-girl became visibly happier after being caught by Ren. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, her red eyes fixed on Ren without blinking.
Clow Reed was taken aback. He tilted his head. "Master?"
Ren smiled, adjusting her weight. "This is the Hellhound I was talking about. Cerberus. Isn't she cute?"
Clow Reed was startled. He looked at the girl radiating immense demonic energy.
Then he smiled. "As expected of Shopkeeper Ren, even his pet is so amazing. A legendary beast. But she really is a cute girl~"
Just as Cerberus was about to say something aggressive, she heard Ren say gently, stroking her hair.
"More like family than a pet. And Cerberus is very well-behaved. She really is cute~"
Cerberus's dog ears (which had popped out) twitched violently. Her tail (also popped out) wagged wildly behind her like a propeller. A very happy, dopey expression appeared on her face.
She rubbed her cheek against Ren's chest in his arms.
Clow Reed squinted slightly at this scene. His magical sight activated.
"Hmm...."
Clow Reed looked at Cerberus twice. He felt as if his mental energy had been significantly depleted just by analyzing the bond.
"Shopkeeper Ren's pet... this family member is truly excessively powerful... and devoted."
Cerberus heard this. She turned her head to look at Clow Reed over Ren's shoulder. Her expression shifted from puppy love to predator.
She tilted her head and sniffed.
"Master! Master! Master!" she whispered loudly. "This guest's life... it seems to be in tatters... It smells like old paper burning."
Ren was startled. He lowered his head to look at Cerberus. "What do you mean?"
"Hmm... It means he won't live long! His soul is preparing to leave!"
Ren looked at Clow Reed.
Clow Reed simply wore his usual smile. He wasn't offended. He said softly, as always, "That's right... I am nearing the end. But I don't intend to prolong my life... It is time."
Ren didn't say anything. He thought of Clow Reed's earlier mention of bringing a customer—Yuuko—presumably someone he wanted to entrust to him before he passed. It really seemed like he was arranging his affairs.
Ren nodded, accepting this. Then he said to Cerberus, distracting her, "Cerberus~ Did you do something last night? I feel a weight on my hand."
Cerberus's eyes darted away for a moment but quickly turned back. She said softly, burying her face in his neck, "I signed a Life Contract with Master! So if Master dies, Cerberus will follow Master! I won't let you go alone!"
Ren looked at his dog's clear, honest eyes.
He sat down on a stool, keeping her on his lap. He playfully pinched Cerberus's nose.
"Aren't you afraid of something happening to yourself~? Dying is scary."
"No fear! No fear! No fear! There's no need for a reason to give to someone! You said that, Master!"
Clow Reed's heart also quieted down upon hearing this. To give without reason...
Ren smiled and shook his head. "You girl~ Why are you awake so early? It's barely dawn."
"Hmm.... I dreamed of Master leaving me, and then I woke up! So I came to check!"
"You~ You worry too much."
Ren paused. "Oh, right, Cerberus. If you die with that life contract, what happens to me?"
"Then I die~ Master lives."
"Is there no way to share life with the contracted person? To protect them back?"
Cerberus shook her head.
Before Ren and Clow Reed could speak, Cerberus's eyes lit up. She directly said, "But a Master-Servant Life Contract can! It's different! It doesn't revive the contractor, but if the Master doesn't die, the servant won't die either. Even if they die, they'll be revived by the Master's mana! It's a stronger bond!"
Hearing this, Clow Reed's eyes were full of surprise. He leaned forward. "Miss Cerberus, are there any conditions for learning this contract?"
Cerberus shook her head and said, "It's a small magic~ Basic demon stuff. As for conditions.... the contractor must agree! And love the Master!"
Ren ignored the excited Clow Reed. He pinched Cerberus's little face again.
"Then why don't you sign that contract instead? The Master-Servant one? That way, you won't be in danger if I die~ You could live on."
Cerberus shook her head very firmly. Her ears flattened.
"No! No! No!"
She shouted, gripping his shirt.
"Anyone who can defeat Cerberus must be very powerful! If I sign that contract... if Cerberus doesn't die when Master is attacked... they will definitely know that this contract was signed! They will torture me to get to Master! Or use me as a hostage! Then they'll find Master, and it'll be over! So! Absolutely not! I will die first! No, no, no!"
She would rather die instantly than be used as a weakness against him.
Ren looked at the excited, terrified Cerberus.
His heart warmed. It melted.
This dog... so adorably foolish...
He hugged her tightly. "Okay. Okay. No Master-Servant contract. Just us."
Clow Reed watched them, a single tear escaping his closed eyes. "Beautiful."
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