Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 109 - Guild War — Sunlight (2)

Chapter 109 — Guild War — Sunlight (2)

 

The Conspirator’s ultimate goal was to obtain authority over District 3.

For that one goal alone, he had spent years painting an enormous masterpiece upon the canvas called Pletica with hundreds of underhanded schemes.

The Ash Wolf Guild, whose internal information had been leaked, had become an opponent that was actually manageable compared to normal.

And because of that, the explorers had formed a reasonably solid alliance.

‘Everything had gone exactly according to plan.’

The allied explorers would fight the Ash Wolf Guild, while he quietly slipped away, activated the Hidden Piece, and claimed Lumerlan’s Orb.

A strategy that eliminated every possible variable with excessive thoroughness.

In other words, a meticulous and foolproof strategy for victory.

But it had all fallen apart. Because of me.

“Die…!”

The Conspirator relentlessly pressed his attack without giving me a moment to breathe.

The Jewel Elf, disguised by Skin Cloak, wore an expression overflowing with frustration.

“Do you have any idea how much effort I poured into preparing for this Guild War?!”

Of course I did.

I knew all too well.

Which was precisely why I sabotaged it.

Like a cat gently knocking an expensive ornament one bought with time and money off a shelf just to watch it shatter.

“Perhaps you should devote that effort to making an honest living.”

Blocking every attack with the Earth Aura generated by the Avatar of Earth,

I transformed my leg into black lightning and launched a kick.

A move I named… Thunder Kick.

“…!”

The Conspirator flinched for only an instant after being electrocuted, then suddenly spat a poisoned needle from his mouth.

Ting!

I wrapped Aura around the spot on my face where it was about to hit and deflected it.

It was an attack pattern I already knew.

Immediately afterward, the Conspirator formed an elaborate series of hand seals, then breathed blue flames from his mouth.

Blue flames… Interesting, maybe I’d let this one hit me.

Fwoosh!

I accepted the incoming fire with my face.

“…?”

As the Conspirator stared wide-eyed,

I swallowed part of the flames burning across my face.

 

[Through the effect of [Sin: Gluttony], your body has acquired the properties of [Ninjutsu: Azure Flame]!]

 

“…That’s a little hot.”

I raised my left arm, which now flickered like living fire.

Whoooosh!

Crimson and azure flames “Artein’d” together… surged forward.

A collaboration between Sin-Flame-Fire and Ninjutsu: Azure Flame.

“…Tch!”

The Conspirator quickly formed another complicated set of hand seals.

A stream of water shaped as an Eastern dragon erupted from empty air, blocking the advance of the flames.

To wield water-and-ice Mysteries of that level from thin air… Impressive.

While briefly admiring it, I raised my right hand.

Just as I’d intended, the Conspirator was drenched.

Bzzzzzzt!

High-output black lightning raced toward him.

On this bridge, there was nowhere to dodge. Jumping off meant falling to his death. Standing still meant taking a direct hit.

“…Ghk!”

The only place left to evade… was the air.

The Conspirator leaped high. Immediately, I redirected the black lightning that had been racing forward, sending it upward instead.

Now that Black Lightning Bloom had reached the Fifth Circle, I could manipulate lightning almost instantly, allowing for seamless changes in direction.

Bzzzzzz!

A ninjutsu technique activated just in time, redirecting about half the lightning.

The Conspirator landed a considerable distance behind me, then threw two wheel-shaped shuriken.

They flew straight for my eyes… the one place I couldn’t protect with Aura.

CAAAAW!

The blind crow waiting nearby instantly darted forward, knocking both shuriken away with its wings.

Perhaps because every one of his threatening attacks had been effortlessly neutralized, the Conspirator’s face twisted.

“…It’s as though you’re reading my mind.”

“That’s correct. Lord Lidni knows everything. Reading someone’s thoughts is hardly difficult. If you’ve become interested in the faith of the Twisted Truth, then this cultist Karr would be delighted to–”

Before I could even finish my promotional speech, the Conspirator rapidly formed hand seals and spread poisonous mist throughout the area.

Ninjutsu: Ultimate Poison Mist.

Anyone touching it would lose huge chunks of life.

“…I won’t let you leave peacefully.”

Stepping back, the Conspirator produced a sinister-looking wheel-shaped shuriken.

The artifact Supreme Assassin.

Once thrown, it ignored everything in between and lodged directly into its target.

Seeing him use up his ninja resource, ‘Ninja Force’, without restraint, and pull out every Mystery and artifact he had, it was obvious.

He intended to kill me seriously.

“That looks like it’d hurt quite a bit.”

I raised both hands high, as though reflecting upon my actions.

“Please forgive me just this once. I’m sorry.”

“…Shut up!”

Just as the Conspirator was about to throw Supreme Assassin…

Slash.

Without warning, Brunelda burst through the sky itself, cutting into the Conspirator’s shoulder.

“I aimed for your neck. Not bad.”

“…Brunelda.”

Clutching his shoulder as blood gushed from the severed wound, the ninja dropped to one knee.

“A North Continent savage warrior resorting to sneak attacks… Aren’t you ashamed?”

“You’re not a warrior. So there’s no problem.”

Brunelda replied indifferently, gripping the katana Nightfall with both hands.

Surrounded. No escape. The Conspirator grimaced.

“Brat, don’t get cocky. Right now I’m still–”

“Yes, yes, I know. You’re still unable to fight at full strength, right? And yet you’ve managed to fight me to a standstill! You’re incredible!”

“…”

The Jewel Elf was momentarily speechless.

Brunelda swung his sword horizontally.

Slash!

The Conspirator’s head separated from his body.

A log, wrapped in the skin of the Jewel Elf Laenis, fell to the ground where he’d stood.

Brunelda lightly nudged it with his foot, then scratched her head with the hilt of his sword.

“So this is the Mystery you mentioned?”

“Exactly.”

Ninja Art: Escape Through Distorted Life and Death.

It was essentially an overwhelmingly upgraded version of that classic ninja technique found in countless stories.

Whenever he suffered a fatal injury, he left behind only a log and reappeared somewhere else, preserving his life.

An absurdly powerful survival technique.

“It can activate three times in total. Once all charges are spent, it takes at least half a year to recharge. We’ve already killed him once. He has two extra lives remaining.”

In other words… we had to kill him three more times.

That was the biggest reason the Conspirator was such a troublesome opponent.

“I see.”

Brunelda smiled with satisfaction.

“I like it. Honestly, killing him just once wasn’t enough. Besides, he still wasn’t fighting at full strength.”

I felt exactly the same.

Only when both sides fought with everything they had could the victor feel fulfilled and the loser feel satisfied.

“Tribe member Karr. You know where he’ll appear next too, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

The Conspirator might have been a veteran ninja.

But he’d chosen the wrong opponent.

“That gloomy ninja is already in the palm of my hand.”

He couldn’t possibly imagine it. That someone existed who knew every hiding place he could ever think of.

“Please take us to the place I indicate.”

“Gladly!”

Brunelda hoisted me onto his back once more and ran toward the location I pointed out.

BOOOOOOOM—!!

While we were moving, the Eclipse Wyvern unleashed another breath attack.

This time, the southern half of the ruins was annihilated.

Only the eastern and western sections containing the two towers remained.

KROOOO!

Despite its overwhelming destruction, the wyvern continued stomping furiously and beating its wings violently.

As if it had become completely enraged.

“Looks like Yallen is doing well.”

“It certainly does.”

Following my instructions, Yallen was currently provoking the Eclipse Wyvern into repeatedly using its breath attack.

The West Continent dwarves’ naturally gifted talent for provoking others was apparently effective even against mindless monsters.

“It’s fired twice. Only one breath remains.”

Once all its breath attacks were exhausted, fighting it would become somewhat easier.

Destroying all the explorers’ and ghouls’ hiding places was another useful side effect.

“We’re here.”

The Savage Taxi arrived at our destination. The entrance to the golden tower.

Climbing down from Brunelda’s back, I loosened up my left arm.

“Shall we begin?”

The delightful show of stealing away his extra lives.

 

***

 

The Conspirator crouched inside a cramped space.

‘…I need to endure for now.’

A Level 8 ninja.

The Conspirator had once dominated the Eastern Continent.

But he wasn’t always able to display his full power.

He still needed more time before he could overcome the innate limitations he faced every single day.

Furthermore, immediately after Ninja Art: Escape Through Distorted Life and Death was activated, all of his physical abilities temporarily declined.

Inside this labyrinth, where everyone’s Soul Rank was fixed at Level 5, that side effect was especially crippling.

‘First, I’ll wait until the side effects wear off. Then I’ll kill the cultist Karr.’

After that, he intended to pursue victory once again.

There was no realistic way to deal with the empowered wyvern.

His only option now was probably to aim for a dishonorable victory.

Defeating people like Targon or Luprite would be difficult, but perhaps he could somehow use the wyvern to accomplish it.

Tap. Tap.

‘…Huh?’

As he mentally pieced together an alternative strategy for winning the Guild War, soft footsteps suddenly echoed toward him.

Step… Step…

Eerie footsteps filled the silent space. Someone was approaching.

It made no sense.

‘…How?’

This was the very bottom floor of the golden tower.

Because of a mysterious mechanism, once an explorer ascended into the Inner Depths, they could never descend back here.

To return, one needed at least three Primordial Fragments and had to step on the stairs in a complicated sequence…

“As expected, when hiding, you should make use of the terrifying truth that the darkest place is beneath the lamp.”

The cultist of the Twisted Truth, Karr, calmly descended the stairs, his expression so emotionless it was terrifying.

“H-How did you know ‘this’ Hidden Piece too…?”

“I told you. Lord Lidni informed me.”

A lie. If that evil god truly possessed such vast knowledge, he would’ve become a popular deity long ago.

“Damn you!”

Drawing his dagger, the Conspirator charged.

At this distance, that strange evil god’s flames wouldn’t be usable…

Whoooosh!

Scarlet flames rushed toward him.

Fire imbued with the power of an evil god.

Both the Conspirator and Karr were swallowed by the inferno.

“Isn’t it nice and warm?”

“You lunatic…!”

Although flames raged everywhere, Kar showed not the slightest sign of pain.

What kind of half-elf was this?

The Conspirator hurriedly threw on a fire-resistant cloak, rushed past Kar, climbed the stairs, and escaped outside.

“So you’ve arrived.”

At the entrance to the golden tower, the Conspirator locked eyes with the North Continent savage, who stood gripping Nightfall with both hands.

Before the Conspirator had even appeared, Brunelda had already swung his blade through empty air.

Slice.

Following its master’s movement, a pitch-black slash carved through the space at the golden tower’s entrance.

The Non-Attribute Mystery contained within Nightfall… Gathering Night.

“This time’s different from that cramped bridge!”

Rolling sideways, the Conspirator formed hand seals with one hand.

Instantly, his figure multiplied into dozens.

Ninjutsu — Clone Multitude.

Countless clones charged Brunelda all at once.

“I’ll kill you!”

“You trampled all my efforts!”

“Disappear!”

Voices echoed from every direction. Daggers rushed in from all sides.

“Oh.”

Brunelda admired the sight for a moment, then casually swung his sword diagonally.

Slash!

An entire building near the golden tower was sliced clean in half.

“…Impossible.”

A long line appeared across the chest of the Conspirator, who had hidden among the clones while pretending to charge.

“…How did you know?”

“It would’ve been impossible not to.”

Smiling,

Brunelda dashed forward and swung again.

“Your killing intent reeks too much.”

Slash!

The Conspirator’s head flew off once more, and another log appeared in midair.

“Amazing!”

Karr emerged from the tower, clapping enthusiastically.

“Now that all his extra lives are nearly gone… Only one remains.”

 

***

 

“This is the worst possible outcome.”

Between two ruined buildings, three Slaughter Ghouls had gathered in a narrow alley.

“So the rest of our kin are all dead?”

“Not completely. But they’ll be attacked soon. That wyvern is rampaging.”

“To think things ended up like this even after joining forces with those cursed vampires…”

The Eclipse Wyvern had completely devastated the Inner Depths, which had already been in ruins.

Now, only half of the area still provides places to hide.

“What if we do this?”

The cleanest-looking of the three Slaughter Ghouls quietly proposed an idea.

“Even united, we can’t defeat the wyvern. So we should hide until the vampires kill it. I hate admitting it, but they’re stronger than we are.”

“That makes sense… It’s our only option.”

The Slaughter Ghouls immediately scattered in different directions.

The ghoul who’d proposed the idea remained leaning against the wall for a while.

Only after the others had gone a considerable distance did he quietly leave the alley, moving carefully so as not to attract attention.

‘If I go this way…’

The eastern outskirts of the ruined city.

Passing the final building, the ghoul reached the faintly glowing cave wall and began feeling along the ground.

Eventually, he found a slightly protruding handle and immediately pulled it.

Clunk!

After several powerful tugs, a hidden door in the ground opened, revealing a passage leading downward.

A hidden basement within the Inner Depths.

‘…This should be safe.’

A hidden location unknown to the world.

The Slaughter Ghoul… the Conspirator… ventured deep inside the basement.

‘This must be it.’

At the center of the innermost wall, inside a square recess, rested an old sack.

He checked its contents. Three yellow pills.

Gulp.

The moment he swallowed one, he felt his very presence disappear completely.

According to the information he’d received, this Hidden Piece erased one’s presence, making it easier to deal with the Light Wyvern.

Even taking a single pill ensured that, within Battlefield of Sun and Moon, no one could detect the user’s location.

‘Now it’s done…!’

He would simply remain hidden until the side effects of Escape Through Distorted Life and Death wore off.

Then, he could finally kill the cultist Karr.

Only then did he relax, leaning against the wall.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked.

Startled, the Conspirator instinctively covered his mouth and held his breath.

‘Not again…?’

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“…”

Remaining perfectly still, he listened as the unknown explorer’s presence gradually faded away.

‘Did they leave?’

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!

Someone suddenly began pounding violently on the basement door!

Clunk.

The Conspirator tensed his entire body.

Then, the door slowly opened.

Someone walked inside.

The blond half-elf.

Karr spoke, his face so devoid of emotion that it was chilling.

“If you were inside… Why pretend you weren’t? I’m hurt.”

Swallowing a heated breath, the Conspirator slowly backed away.

At that moment, he became absolutely certain.

‘…Those are the eyes of someone who could kill people without feeling anything.’

The Conspirator, a ninja, had murdered countless people.

The revulsion that came with killing had long since disappeared.

And yet…

“I’m actually a half-elf who gets offended more easily than you’d expect. So please be careful.”

Facing the cultist before him felt even more unpleasant than committing murder.