Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 132 - Don't Slander Him!

Chapter 132 — Don’t Slander Him!

 

“Yes! I’ll write up a detailed report and submit it before the end of today!”

Having finished giving her report, Reina, the labyrinth management priestess, spun around excitedly in place.

‘They reached the 10th floor in just one week!’

The priesthood that managed the labyrinths of District 6, Seeking Lantern, had already uncovered the hidden piece of the Tower of Trials. Clearing the 10th floor faster than the sixteen-day record set during the era when Fist King Graik built the tower.

Since attempting it recklessly could easily result in serious injury or death, they had never made the information public to explorers. Yet the Moonlight Expedition, led by the cultist Karr, had achieved the astonishing feat in only seven days.

‘I knew my intuition was right!’

Karr, cultist of the Twisted Truth, would become a great explorer. The intuition she’d felt after witnessing the cultist and the tiger beastkin girl emerge from Fire Ant Nest once again resurfaced.

‘…What’s this?’

Trying to calm her excitement, Reina sat down in her chair. Suddenly, a sharp pain throbbed inside her head.

A warning sent by Marvelous Intuition, the Tier 3 Mystery of Artein’s priests.

“Excuse me.”

Startled by a voice suddenly calling from behind, she spun around. Standing there was a cultist whose eyes were covered by a filthy blindfold. The last person she’d expected to see. 

For a split second, Reina nearly let out a decidedly unharmonious scream.

“…Yes! What can I do for you, Lord Turakos?”

The Church of the Murky Rainbow.

Its leader, Turakos. Although fewer than two hundred followers were worshipping the Evil God Radmie, he was still the head of a religious order and therefore deserved proper respect.

“Karr.”

Turakos spoke in a slightly excited voice.

“I want to know everything about that half-elf.”

“…”

As requested, Reina told him everything known about Karr. After quietly listening to her explanation, Turakos vanished without a trace.

‘Will everything be alright…?’

Reina looked up toward the sky. Watching the fluffy clouds drift lazily overhead, the anxiety she’d just felt quickly melted away.

‘I’m sure he’ll handle it somehow!’

If any problem arose, Karr would surely solve it himself somehow. If anything, the more dangerous it became, the happier he’d probably be.

That was the intuition she felt.

 

***

 

Tower of Trials. Trial Sewers.

The two labyrinth expeditions carried out simultaneously both concluded successfully.

Unlike Team Two, whose expedition had proceeded smoothly without anyone getting hurt, Team One, which had fought relentless battles without rest, returned covered in minor injuries.

“Get some proper rest.”

Back home in our cozy Cultist Town. Pendrick, who had suffered in place of the physically weak cultist, laid Marlin down upon a bed on the second floor.

“Karr.”

As he was heading back downstairs, Marlin suddenly called out to me.

“What is it? Want me to read you a bedtime story before you sleep?”

Delighted, I hurried back upstairs. There were two Marlins lying on the bed.

A clone created using Rabbit Division, the Mystery Yallen had taught her.

“Which one’s the real one?” / “Which one’s the real one?”

[Fake / Real]

“I honestly can’t tell them apart.”

“Even with Eyes That Perceive the Truth, I can’t distinguish which one is real.”

[>:(]

The cranky Mystery trembled indignantly. But seeing Marlin giggle proudly made me smile as well.

“Sleep well. See you tomorrow. Want me to sing you a lullaby?”

“…I’m not that young, you know?”

She refused, but I steadfastly sang a verse of a song currently popular in Pletica while pulling the blanket up over her.

“You worked hard. Tomorrow we’ll all stuff ourselves with meat.”

“Okay…!”

I gently tapped Marlin on the forehead as she smiled brightly, then headed back downstairs.

Afterward, Pendrick and I made our way toward Odilon’s mansion.

“…I’m dying.”

Pendrick muttered as he trudged along.

“You really overdid it…”

Cradled in her lover’s arms, Astrimia let out a mental sigh.

“Lord Karr, I don’t think Pendrick should move his hands carelessly for a while.”

“That’s how it looks.”

Even at a glance, Pendrick’s wrists were in terrible condition. It was probably because this had been his first time fighting with proper swordsmanship, and he’d failed to control his strength.

“But I still feel great.”

Naturally, our ever-positive Pendrick wasn’t discouraged by mere injuries.

“The three of us all improved tremendously this time. Marlin even reached Level 3. Isn’t it all thanks to the homework Captain gave us? You’re amazing, Captain!”

“Not at all. Rather, you all are the amazing ones for conquering the Tower of Trials in only one week.”

Even taking over ten days wouldn’t have been unusual. Yet they’d conquered it in just seven, even obtaining the hidden piece.

Thanks to that, Reina, the labyrinth management priestess, had excitedly purchased the information. Since it concerned the expedition of a distinguished guest of the Harmony Church, she’d even boasted that she’d pay above the normal market rate.

“Now that I think about it… We really did accomplish something incredible.”

Pendrick laughed cheerfully.

“You should praise us a lot!”

“Would you like me to pat your butt?”

“…I’d rather you didn’t!’”

Before I knew it, I found myself having to soothe Astrimia, who was angrily shaking her jade-colored blade.

“Pendrick. Don’t overexert yourself for now. I’m planning to visit a remarkable healer before long.”

“…You mean Saint Seraphina?”

“She goes by that name as well.”

Team One’s injuries still needed treatment. And I also had to remove the lingering side effects of Ritual Usurper from myself. There was every reason to visit her.

“…Captain.”

Pendrick suddenly looked at me seriously.

“Is Saint Seraphina… a monster?”

A rather unexpected question.

Still, Marlin had happily chattered all the way home about everything that had happened during their conquest of the Tower of Trials, so I more or less understood the situation.

“So you’ve finally learned about that.”

Smiling with the profound air expected of a cultist, I continued.

“Saint Seraphina is indeed a monster.”

“…”

Pendrick’s expression stiffened slightly. Understandably so.

The saint he’d admired so deeply was actually an inherently vicious monster… It was as cruel and shocking as discovering that Santa Claus wasn’t real.

“…Would you be disappointed if I said that?”

“…Huh?”

I lightly tapped Astrimia’s jade-colored blade with my index finger while looking into Pendrick’s eyes.

“Saint Seraphina is indeed human. She’s simply a little different from everyone else. Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

The genius swordsman’s expression, which had briefly turned serious, brightened once more.

“Even if the Saint had been a monster, it wouldn’t change the fact that she possesses a shining heart. It’s surprising, but I can understand.”

“She would’ve been delighted to hear you say that.”

Nodding, I looked up at Odilon’s mansion, which we’d finally reached.

“For the record… Saint Seraphina really isn’t a monster.”

“…She isn’t?”

“This is a secret, but… back then, Lady Artein wasn’t harmonious enough to appoint a monster as Her Saint.”

Whoosh.

Through the mark, the Artein of the past manifested Her will.

‘An undeniable statement!’

Pendrick hugged Astrimia with a much more relieved expression.

“…I would’ve respected her even if she’d been a monster. But… somehow, I’m still relieved.”

“Then why did Saint Seraphina possess Heaven Ear, a Mystery unique to monsters?”

“Perhaps she obtained it from the Record Stone?”

“But the Tower of Trials was built long after the Saint died…”

I leisurely watched the couple sink into thought before pushing open the mansion doors.

“If you keep thinking about it, you’ll eventually find the answer. Especially someone as brilliantly intelligent as the beautiful Lady Astrimia.”

“Oh, Lord Karr, honestly!”

Leaving behind Astrimia happily dancing with joy, I descended underground.

The basement of Odilon’s mansion… a place that had never once been used as a torture chamber. In the center of the room, an undead sat tied to a chair, bathed beneath the dazzling light of an expensive mana lamp.

“You’re here.”

Lounging lazily in a comfortable chair, Odilon glanced toward me before signaling his butler with a nod.

Sergius bowed politely before pointing toward Brownmane.

“As requested, I interrogated this outlaw. Surprisingly, he cooperated quite obediently. We obtained a considerable amount of information without much difficulty.”

“Really? Fortunately, he accepted my polite request.”

Walking over to Brownmane, I gently patted his head. I was merely expressing my gratitude, yet for some reason, the horse beastman undead trembled all over.

“He never attempted to deceive me by omitting parts of the truth. He truly told us everything he knew.”

“Above all else, I despise lying!”

Brownmane abruptly lifted his head, earnestly appealing to his honesty. His effort to improve my opinion of him was admirable, but I wasn’t the sort of promiscuous cultist who opened his heart to just anyone.

“Mr. Brownmane.”

“Yes!”

“From this point onward… if you speak without permission, you’ll enjoy a pleasant interview underground with the earthworms.”

“…”

The horse beastman undead immediately clamped his mouth shut. After staring coldly at Brownmane, Sergius resumed his report.

“However, there was a magical restriction preventing him from speaking about certain information. It caused some trouble, but we managed to determine, more or less, the identity of the man called the leader of the Silent Alliance.”

“That couldn’t have been easy.”

“I asked well over a hundred questions designed to circumvent the restriction. Only after countless successive questions did we finally uncover a clue.”

Pausing briefly, the butler slowly stroked his chin, his brow furrowing.

“The leader only revealed his identity to outlaws of vice-guild-master rank or higher. He wouldn’t even meet them until after filling their minds with numerous magical restrictions and completely making them his own.”

An incredibly meticulous, almost obsessive method.

“I could sense an obsession bordering on fixation. He absolutely did not want anyone discovering his connection to the Silent Alliance.”

“Then… would it be fair to say he’s someone who can’t rest unless everything is handled with excessive thoroughness?”

I asked meaningfully. Sergius smiled faintly.

“Yes. And quite coincidentally… the eldest young master of House Brites, Master Nicholas, also happens to be a perfectionist bordering on obsessive.”

Nicholas Brites.

Unlike Odilon, the illegitimate son born from a one-night affair, Nicholas was the legitimate eldest son born to the family head and his lawful wife.

“…Ah!”

Listening to the conversation, Brownmane let out a startled sound. Then, remembering my warning, he hurriedly sealed his lips shut.

While gently stroking the undead’s head, I spoke.

“Butler. Surely you’re not suggesting that the dignified and serious Master Nicholas secretly runs an outlaw guild and orders them to carry out all sorts of filthy missions?”

Truly, it was nothing short of an outrageous slander.

“I absolutely will not tolerate such baseless accusations!”

“My apologies. I nearly ended up portraying the noble young master, who pursues flawless perfection, as some coward relying on dirty schemes.”

“Reflect upon your actions.”

“I shall.”

As the two of us respectfully defended the reputation of the eldest young master together, Odilon, who had been inhaling Comforter smoke, clicked his tongue.

“…Butler. From now on, stop agreeing with Cultist Karr’s nonsense.”

“Understood.”

Despite answering obediently, he casually winked at me, making it obvious he had no intention of obeying such an unreasonable order.

“I sincerely hope we don’t end up with yet another teammate who enjoys making ridiculous jokes.”

“There you go again. I know you’re secretly thinking, ‘Cultist Karr… I can’t live without you anymore!”

“…Delusions that are advanced qualify as mental illness. You should ask Saint Seraphina to cure you.”

After giving the deeply frowning young master a refreshing wink, I turned back to Sergius.

“Butler. So what’s the conclusion?”

“That we shouldn’t slander Master Nicholas?”

“Something like that. Then how about we all shout ‘Don’t slander him!’ three times and wrap things up neatly?”

“…”

At last, Odilon squeezed his eyes shut. Standing behind him, Rosalia silently took a fan from her shadow and began fanning the unusually overheated young master.

Smack!

Then she accidentally scratched his nose with it.

“…You exploration maniac. Please just keep your mouth shut.”

“Butler, move on.”

“Very well.”

True to form, the experienced butler resumed smoothly.

His expression once again filled with disdain as he looked toward Brownmane.

“The mastermind has been identified… Ah, pardon me. We have absolutely no idea who it is. However, we did clearly identify the anonymous informant who provided information about the one responsible for destroying the Black Sword Guild… a fact that had been concealed by the same magical restriction.”

Brownmane, who had quietly listened until now, blinked blankly. Apparently, he couldn’t understand how they’d figured it out when the restriction had only allowed him to give vague answers.

“Once again… quite coincidentally, it turned out to be someone we know.”

The butler’s eyes, heavy with the weight of many years, grew even colder as he spoke in a low voice.

“It was one of the Dark Shadows assigned to guard Lady Flora, the second young lady.”