Chapter 342: Grace, Gains, and Closure [Bonus - PS]

Chapter 342: Grace, Gains, and Closure [Bonus Chapter PS]

Just then, another voice called out to Rudy from the restaurant entrance. "I just heard the precinct rumors that you resigned this morning! Is that true?"

The man walking toward their booth was Commissioner Vane, who had officially retired the previous evening.

Rudy furrowed his brow in deep annoyance. "Why are we constantly getting disturbed today?"

Rudy quickly briefed Vane on the situation regarding Ben’s guild revival. The story immediately piqued Vane’s curiosity.

"I will join the guild as well," Vane decided instantly, pulling up another chair. "Retirement is nowhere near as fun or relaxing as I thought it would be. I am already bored."

Rudy scoffed, shaking his head. "It has not even been twenty-four hours since you retired, Vane. How can you possibly be feeling bored already?"

With that sudden, unexpected influx of veteran talent, the new guild already boasted six official members, including Solomon and Iris, although they wouldn’t be present for daily operations.

Solomon turned to Ben. "You can take it slow. Recruit whoever you want, and do not worry about the funds. My little sister, Jasmine, will be awakening her innate talent in a little over a year from now. I will ask her to join this guild as well when the time comes."

Ben looked at Solomon, a deeply emotional smile breaking across his weathered face. "Thank you, Solomon. Serah always trusted you completely. She must be smiling down from the heavens right now, seeing what you have done for us. You have become a great man, Solomon."

Solomon didn’t say a single word in response, although the sorrowful look in his silver eyes revealed exactly how much the sentiment meant to him.

"Since you are the one reviving the guild and providing the foundation," Ben continued, his voice thick with emotion, "I want you to be the one to name it. I would like you to give our guild its official title, and when the time comes, I will choose that name."

Solomon mentally cursed himself. ’Why is everyone asking me to name things?! I literally suck at this!’

He racked his brain for a suitable, intimidating title. But then, he vividly recalled a late-evening conversation he had shared with Serah on the rooftop terrace three years ago. They had been discussing their future, and the future of the struggling, unnamed guild.

She had mentioned a specific name she really liked...

Solomon smiled softly, the memory bringing a rare sense of peace to his mind. "The name of the guild will be Grace."

Ben thought the name over for a few seconds and nodded approvingly. "Grace. It is a very good name. It feels like something Serah would have chosen."

The group spent the next hour discussing logistical details. Paul eagerly took over the administrative planning, jotting down notes and outlining the corporate registration process.

While they were busy debating the renovation and reconstruction of the headquarters, Solomon quietly excused himself, grabbing Iris by the hand and slipping out of the restaurant.

Solomon walked back to his neighborhood, a profound sense of closure settling over his mind. He had accomplished everything he had originally set out to do. In fact, he had achieved far more than he ever thought possible.

’I came back to this city purely for revenge,’ Solomon thought to himself, his pace slowing as he approached his street. ’But I gained so much instead. The three years of waiting in the dark, the humiliation, the struggle... it was absolutely worth it.’

He stopped on the sidewalk, looked up at the sky, and closed his eyes, letting the warm rays of the sun wash over his face.

When he finally pushed the front door open and stepped into his house, he found Professor Balzac already sitting comfortably in the living room, waiting patiently for his return.

Solomon greeted the professor, ruffled Jasmine’s hair, and gave Barbaros a thorough petting. His parents, Johan and Elara, were bustling around the kitchen. They had meticulously packed an absurd amount of homemade food, fresh pastries, and snacks for Solomon to take back to the academy.

They were currently organizing the heavy bags near the doorway.

They had already booked a private cab to drop Solomon and Balzac off at the central portal terminal downtown, and they were simply waiting for it to arrive.

In the meantime, the family sat down around the dining table for one final meal together. Solomon ate quietly, an uncharacteristic wave of emotion tightening his chest. This short vacation had been incredibly chaotic, but it had also provided him with gains and deeply satisfying emotional closure.

Once they finished dinner, Solomon grabbed Iris by the hand and took her outside for a short walk down the quiet street, needing a private moment to explain the situation to her.

"Can I not come with you?" Iris asked, her dark eyes reflecting the streetlights. "It is my sworn duty to serve you."

Solomon stopped walking. He looked down at her, speaking with a calm, gentle tone he rarely ever used with anyone outside of his family. "If I could take you with me, I absolutely would have. But the academy has strict barriers. Furthermore, it is no longer your duty to serve me. You are no longer a slave."

Iris froze. A look of existential shock washed over her face. She went completely silent for a long moment before quietly asking, "Then what am I? What is the purpose of my existence?"

"That is what you have to figure out for yourself," Solomon explained softly. "A true purpose is not something other people can just assign to you or tell you to do. You have to find it. Which is exactly why you need to stay here with my family. You need to learn about this world and discover how normal life actually works."

"I already know how this world works," Iris protested, crossing her arms. "I learned everything from the videos on the magical device."

Solomon chuckled and shook his head. "Not everything can be learned just by reading a book or watching a video on a screen. There are complex emotions, social dynamics, and human connections that must be experienced firsthand to be understood."

Iris didn’t say anything in response. She stared at the pavement, remaining completely quiet, but she was visibly upset by the impending separation.