Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 122 - So They Weren't My Friend?

Chapter 122 — So They Weren’t My Friend?

 

Head butler Sergius was the leader of the Faint Shadow agents who served under the Young Master. Someday, he intended to pass that position on to Marlin, who could be called his prized disciple, but that was still a story for the distant future.

“Welcome, Sir Karr.”

The basement, which was absolutely never used for any sinister purpose.

Sergius, who had been organizing information gathered by the Faint Shadow agents operating under false identities throughout District 6, welcomed me.

“What brings you here? Has Rachel been causing trouble, or perhaps refusing to follow orders?”

“Not at all. Lady Rachel has actually been an excellent housekeeper.”

Thanks to Rachel taking charge of all the household chores, the quality of life for both the siblings and me had improved considerably.

Abel, in particular, seemed extremely satisfied now that he could devote himself entirely to cooking instead of handling the housework.

“I see. Then I should give Rachel a raise.”

After nodding, Sergius asked once more,

“So, what did you come here for?”

“By any chance, do you have a spare communication device from the Magic Tower?”

“Of course. I’ll give you one.”

Sergius walked over to a shelf packed with supplies, retrieved an object shaped like a small book, and handed it to me.

A communication device manufactured by the Tower of Voracious Reading. An expensive item compatible with every other communication tool produced by the Magic Towers.

“As expected of the Head Butler. Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. If something is merely expensive, it poses no obstacle for us.”

Well, the wealth of House Brites far exceeded even that of the Ash Wolf Guild. Although Odilon had been expelled from the family, he was probably still receiving an allowance.

After all, it wasn’t his own fault that he’d been exiled.

Before leaving the basement, I casually asked,

“By the way, has Lady Michelle still not come back today?”

“…”

Letting out a deep sigh, Sergius adjusted his tie for no particular reason.

“…I’m not entirely sure where she is myself. Lady Michelle travels from city to city, enjoying herself, and only returns whenever she feels like it.”

Michelle Brites. Odilon’s mother.

An 8th-Level thief ranked 11th among the Twelve Heroes. If she ever joined us, she’d become an incredibly dependable expedition member.

Unfortunately, meeting her at all was difficult.

“We did receive word from her recently.”

He sighed again.

“It seems she got drunk… and beat someone up. Again.”

Michelle was living proof that skill and character are not proportional.

The reason she lived in a villa in District 6 instead of at the family estate wasn’t that she’d been bullied or pushed out by political rivals. It was simply because she caused trouble so constantly that she and her innocent son had both been thrown out.

“Sir Karr. If you happen to know a way to cure such a reckless personality, please tell me.”

“Give up. That’s an incurable disease. She won’t even listen to her own son. What good would my advice possibly do?”

“…That’s unfortunate.”

Perhaps memories of spending years cleaning up after an extreme troublemaker had surfaced. For a moment, Sergius stared blankly into empty space.

“Anyway, I should return to my work.”

“Understood. Once our next expedition is over, I’ll have something I’d like to ask of you. Would that be alright?”

“Of course.”

“That’s a relief.”

After bidding the butler farewell, I headed to the room at the far end of the second floor.

A room filled with the scent of nature. There was a soft bed, comfortable sofas, snacks for light refreshments, and a full tea set. On the ceiling was a cute crescent moon character complete with eyes, nose, and mouth.

 

[Location — Moonlight Expedition Lounge]

[A lounge prepared for you and your expedition members using House Brites’ immense wealth. Simply remaining in the room gradually relieves fatigue.]

 

“Karr’s here!”

“You’ve arrived.”

The siblings, who had been chatting with Pendrick, both wagged their tails simultaneously.

“Boss! Finished with your business? Should I gather everyone now?”

“If you do, I’ll reward you with a kiss on the cheek.”

“Eek! I’ll pass on that one!”

Laughing cheerfully, Pendrick left the room.

After sitting down on the plush sofa, I casually tapped Marlin on the head before taking out the communication device I’d just received.

Using it was simple. Open the book-like device, then enter a number composed of digits and letters.

“The Tower of Voracious Reading is always with the citizens of Pletica!”

After the Magic Tower’s promotional waiting message ended…

“You finally contacted me.”

A dry voice emerged from the device.

Hunter Pierre. The third son of House Lee.

“Are your preparations complete?”

“Yes. Completely.”

It was time for the first operation of the Copy Alliance.

“Our expedition will enter the labyrinth tomorrow morning. Will that work for you?”

“Perfect. We plan to deploy thirteen people on our side. Can you handle them?”

“Certainly.”

“Very well. Then please give us a proper welcome.”

Pierre calmly ended the call.

Marlin, whose ears had perked up throughout the conversation, tapped my shoulder.

“Karr, who was that?”

“A friend.”

After patting the back of her head, Marlin narrowed her eyes.

“Karr… you have friends?”

“Didn’t you ask me that before? Of course I do. We’re not particularly close yet, though.”

“…If you’re not close, then you’re not friends.”

“Really? I didn’t know.”

Then… did that mean the neighbors in Cultist Town who flinched every time I merely greeted them… weren’t my friends?

Today… Karr’s world collapsed.

“Our patron wouldn’t be leisurely chatting with a friend for no reason.”

Abel quietly spoke.

“Could it be… you’re planning to explore a labyrinth with another explorer?”

“Close, but not exactly.”

Taking a sip of spirit water from the Magic Tower refrigerator, I continued,

“My friend is going to lead a whole bunch of outlaws here to rob us. Then our expedition simply defeats the outlaws.”

“…What?”

“…Excuse me?”

Both siblings’ tails immediately stiffened.

“We shouldn’t end up with sore muscles when it’s time to fight the outlaws, so let’s all get plenty of rest today. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all!”

Marlin grabbed my right arm and shook it.

“What are you trying to do this time?!”

“Marlin. You’re making me dizzy.”

“You pushed yourself way too hard during the guild battle! You’re supposed to rest for a while!”

“How could I possibly do that?”

I’m human too. I can’t live without taking appropriate breaks.

But… I don’t want those breaks to last too long.

If peace continues for too long, it starts to feel as though I myself don’t truly exist in this world.

“Didn’t I tell you before? I’m going to keep running toward my goal without stopping. So when things become difficult later, no complaining.”

“…You did.”

The Moonlight Expedition had to keep charging relentlessly toward its destination.

“Marlin. That wasn’t just a joke to lighten the mood.”

Someday, I would conquer the Nightmare Dungeon. Together with the companions I’d personally gathered one by one. The labyrinth we’d enter next would become another step toward that ultimate goal.

“…Even if it’s hard, it can’t be helped.”

Marlin let out a small sigh before immediately squaring her shoulders again.

“Now that I think about it, I already decided back when we conquered the Fire Ant Nest that I’d gladly accept hardship. So there’s no reason to be shocked anymore. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll give it my all!”

“Well done.”

I vigorously ruffled Marlin’s hair. After waiting a little while, the other members gradually arrived at the lounge one by one.

“What’s going on?”

Bartimir, who had been training, trudged over and immediately sat down on my lap.

“…”

Next, Rosalia entered through the door as casually as ever and took a seat on a chair near the sofa. Maengmaeng rested on her right shoulder.

“Kii!”

And on her left shoulder bounced a pure white pseudo-slime I’d never seen before.

“Big Sis, what’s that one’s name?”

“…Silsil.”

“What a wonderful name. You’re the best, Big Sis.”

When I held out my hand, Rosalia, unlike the sulking Young Master, quietly returned my high five.

“I’ve brought everyone, Boss!”

Lastly, Pendrick arrived together with Lucius, who had been delayed because he’d come from the Monastery of Artea.

“Greetings, Sir Karr.”

Apparently, he’d hurried over because Lucius was breathing just a little heavily.

I waited until our priest had caught his breath, then gently moved Bartimir aside before stepping into the center of the lounge.

“From this point onward, I’ll explain the Moonlight Expedition’s upcoming schedule.”

I’d already planned roughly a year’s worth of future activities.

Although… nothing had been completely finalized.

I’m a J, so I possess the thoroughly organized and systematic goal of changing my plans whenever I feel like it, depending on the situation.

“First, I have good news. Tomorrow morning, we’ll enter a labyrinth, and my outlaw ally will follow us inside to rob us.”

“Oh!”

“…”

Bartimir, who understood the true joy of exploration, cheered. Everyone else fell silent.

“Um… Sir Karr?”

Astrimia, cradled in Pendrick’s arms, cautiously spoke up.

“Now that you’ve won the guild battle, outlaws will naturally start targeting you anyway. So why deliberately invite them?”

“I’ll explain now. After all, am I not a cultist particularly gifted at giving logical explanations?”

Placing an apple-flavored candy into Marlin’s mouth as a snack, I continued.

“As I mentioned during the Ash Wolf Guild’s victory banquet, your current abilities are still far from sufficient. Ah, except for Big Sis, of course.”

I gave Rosalia a thumbs-up. She quietly nodded.

“So, the labyrinth I’ve selected this time focuses primarily on strengthening the expedition’s overall combat power.”

Without Rosalia, the Level 6 assassin, our current lineup was far too weak to even think about entering high-grade labyrinths.

Therefore… our next expedition would be a training-focused exploration meant to gradually improve everyone’s abilities.

“Look forward to it. A heavenly training camp prepared just for all of you.”

“Captain… isn’t it usually called hell training?”

“Why would I ever send my precious expedition members to hell? If you’re going to suffer anyway, it’s much better to sweat in the peaceful environment of heaven.”

“Oh! That’s actually an incredible way of looking at it!”

The positivity monster Pendrick excitedly shrugged his shoulders, prompting Astrimia to let out a dry laugh.

“So… what exactly do the outlaws have to do with the training?”

“The two are unrelated matters. Which is why we’ll once again split into two teams during this expedition.”

As I spoke, I swept my hand through the air like an orchestra conductor.

Fwoosh.

Four tiny, adorable golden crows materialized in midair, fluttering throughout the lounge.

[Illusion].

A 5th-Tier Mystery of Catastrophic Upheaval, obtained by offering the Eclipse Wyvern whose soul far surpassed my own as a sacrifice.

Its mental burden was enormous, so I couldn’t use it frequently or for long.

“The members chosen by these lovely golden crows will form Team One.”

The elegantly flying crows each landed upon one expedition member.

Marlin. Pendrick. Bartimir. The three who had learned martial Mysteries from the Ash Wolf Guild’s vice guildmasters. And finally, Lucius.

“Although you’ve all successfully inherited those martial Mysteries, you still aren’t accustomed to using them.”

Martial Mysteries required considerable practice before becoming fully ingrained.

“So use this labyrinth to properly train yourselves. Priest Lucius, please support the others.”

“So everyone else becomes Team Two?”

“Exactly.”

Myself. Abel. Rosalia. The members who didn’t currently require intensive training.

As for me, I needed to raise the tiers of my growth-type Mysteries, but doing so after reaching Level 5 would be far more efficient.

“Team One trains. Team Two deals with the outlaws. Simple enough, isn’t it?”

“Mom, which labyrinth are we going into?”

The excited demonkin asked.

“I have a feeling it’s that place. Am I right?”

“I imagine so. Surely we aren’t thinking of different labyrinths.”

“Want to say it together?”

“Gladly.”

We counted to three.

Then spoke simultaneously.

“[Tower of Trials].” / “The Tower of Trials!”

As expected, our hearts were perfectly in sync.

I sat on the armrest beside Bartimir, draping an arm around my demon daughter with his gentle features.

“Certainly a labyrinth that’s incredibly grueling… but excellent for training.”

“As a labyrinth management priest of the Lamp of Inquiry, I’m familiar with countless labyrinths.”

Lucius murmured calmly.

Marlin cautiously asked,

“What kind of labyrinth is it?”

“Sir Karr. Would you mind if I explained instead?”

“Of course. In situations like this, the labyrinth management priest should explain than me.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

Smiling gently, Lucius began explaining in his calm, pleasant voice.

“The Tower of Trials is a labyrinth managed by our Church of Harmony. Its rank is…”

He paused deliberately before finishing.

“B-Rank.”

Our next expedition… would become the Moonlight Expedition’s first conquest of a B-Rank labyrinth.