Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 145 - South Continent Expedition — The Land of Pure White

Chapter 145 — South Continent Expedition — The Land of Pure White

 

Snow fell. Endlessly. In thick, fluffy sheets.

The South Continent was a land of pure white, where heavy snow poured down without end.

Saaaaa—!

The Artein of the past seemed rather excited.

‘Pure white! Pure white! What a magnificent land!’

A reaction befitting the “Pure White Artein.” The present-day One Who Protects All remained silent instead, perhaps embarrassed by their former self.

“The South Continent!”

Leaping off the ship first, Expedition Leader Brinya landed upon the frozen earth and threw his rather short arms high into the air.

“It’s beautiful! Lady Solmiran, have I truly arrived upon this land?!”

Having finally set foot upon the South Continent, the dwarf could barely contain his emotions, repeatedly calling upon the One Who Burns Forever.

“Oh…”

“So this is the South Continent…!”

“Amazing!”

The expedition members, who had joined in hopes of earning the honor of exploring an unknown continent, gazed upon the snow-white landscape with expressions of pure wonder.

The Moonlight Expedition and the members of the Nunun Bear Love Guild were no different.

“Wow…”

Marlin’s tiger ears, poking out from beneath her thick winter cap, twitched nonstop.

“It looks even prettier in person! Isn’t it a shame this continent doesn’t actually exist?”

“It really is! Just don’t become too attached. You might end up not wanting to leave.”

A labyrinth sometimes manifested ideals and hopes that did not exist in reality. You could reunite with someone you’d long lost. Or find yourself in a world where concepts like despair and depression have ceased to exist.

Of course… they were all elaborate traps. The ideal snare to bind an explorer’s feet forever.

“From Rank B onward, rather than simply overwhelming you with hardship, labyrinths often take more unconventional approaches… making your mind excessively comfortable, for example. Many can’t be conquered through brute strength alone.”

“And this labyrinth is one of those?”

“That’s right.”

[South Continent Expedition] was a labyrinth that exhausted both body and mind. The journey here had thoroughly worn down our bodies. Now it was our minds’ turn. Though our bodies wouldn’t exactly have it easy either.

“It’s cold…”

Tilda, bundled up in winter clothing thick enough to resemble a bear, stood shivering in place.

“…This is already rough.”

Her older sister, Veldora, had puffed up into the shape of a roly-poly doll from all her layers.

The Ires sisters came from District One, where it was warm year-round. They were weak against the cold.

That was why I’d written in the strategy guide beforehand that they should purchase warm clothing and every possible cold-weather precaution before departing.

“Please make sure to take cold medicine regularly until the expedition ends.”

“……”

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Gold Crow… It’s unsettling hearing you say something perfectly normal.”

“You’re still harboring resentment over the Guild War impersonation incident and treating me with hostility. That saddens me a little.”

I covered my eyes with both hands and pretended to sob. Veldora responded with an expression beyond words.

“Lord Karr. Aren’t you cold in those clothes?”

While handing out portable heating devices from the subspace within the rosary attached to his small shield, Lucius looked me over from head to toe in my Sky Invader attire. Even in long-sleeve mode, he still seemed concerned.

“Father. I rather like the cold.”

To ease his worries, I wrapped Radiant Faith around the iron slave collar like a scarf.

“And why is that?”

“An environment where your body gradually grows colder merely by walking naturally increases the difficulty of an expedition. Such bitter cold is nothing less than a blessing bestowed by the God of Snow and Extreme Winter.”

Marlin, who had quietly listened, poked the priest in the back.

“You don’t have to take everything Karr says so seriously. Just pretend to listen and let it go in one ear and out the other.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Just as Marlin was teaching the kind priest the dreadful habit of ignoring what others said…

“Hurry up and move them!”

At Brinya’s shout, the slaves, now freed from their handcuffs and shackles but still wearing collars, began struggling to carry heavy cube-shaped objects.

“Set it down over there!”

Thud!

A cube the size of an adult human was placed upon the frozen ground.

“Comrades of the South Continent Expedition! Watch carefully!”

Tap!

The instant Brinya kicked the cube, it suddenly expanded into a large building. A massive log cabin bearing a leaf-shaped emblem beneath the roof.

 

[Artifact — Log Cabin Anywhere]

[A portable residence crafted by the Green Magic Tower of the Eastern Continent. Large enough to house the entire expedition. It also provides ample heating.]

 

“This… is the headquarters of our South Continent Expedition!”

It was an artifact combining Mysteries from multiple schools. Just one of the hundreds of thousands of reasons why mages were such outrageously unfair classes.

“It cost an outrageous amount to custom-order this artifact! Inside, you’ll find lounges, hot springs, potion storage, and every facility you could possibly need! Please use them freely!”

Bartimir, who had merely added a fur hat to his usual outfit, muttered beside me,

“It looks way too comfortable. I hate it.”

“So do I.”

“Right?”

“…What exactly is there to hate?”

At Veldora’s question, the beautiful artifact sword Astrimia answered quietly.

“Whenever Lord Karr says something strange, you should accept it exactly as it is. It took me some time before I learned to do that too.”

“…Is that so?”

“What do you mean by that, Lady Astrimia? You wound me.”

Anyone overhearing would think I spent all day spouting meaningless nonsense. When in fact, I almost always spoke nothing but the truth.

“Now then! I shall explain the expedition schedule!”

Standing atop a ladder carried over by the slaves, Brinya’s booming voice echoed across the snow.

“The truth is… There is no schedule! Because I refuse to bind your burning desire to leave your names in history… with a timetable concocted by my pitiful little brain!”

“Now that’s more like it!”

“Woooooo!”

The expedition members erupted into cheers.

“Freely explore every corner of the South Continent! Study its wildlife! Research its environment! Make discoveries no one has ever made! And when you’re exhausted… return to base, rest, and set out once more!”

Log Cabin Anywhere functioned as an exploration outpost. A place where explorers whose stamina or sanity had fallen to their limits could recover before venturing out again.

It was precisely because this base existed that the expedition’s difficulty changed drastically depending on whether Brinya survived the cultists’ ambush.

“With that cabin… our exploration will be much safer.”

Bartimir curled his lips into a smile as he looked at me.

“But Mom… You’re not planning to use it, are you?”

“As expected of my daughter.”

Naturally, I had absolutely no intention of resting there. I’d head out immediately… and never come back.

“You’re… not even going inside?”

Veldora froze in surprise. Then, remembering Astrimia’s advice, she closed her eyes and nodded several times…

“…What exactly do you mean by that?!”

She failed.

“Why would you deliberately push yourself to the very limits… when you have such a comfortable place to rest?!”

“Because exploration allows us to experience things impossible to encounter in everyday life. Isn’t that the true reason every explorer ventures into labyrinths?”

“…He’s not wrong.”

Tilda nodded from the side.

“Hmm…”

Veldora rolled her eyes, searching for something to say, before finally clenching her fist.

“What you’re saying isn’t wrong! But… If you don’t stay alive… how can you enjoy your next expedition?”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve prepared the safest strategy possible.”

“……”

Veldora quickly exchanged glances with her younger sister Tilda, the woodland elf Lael, and the beast warrior Varik.

Every member of the Nunun Bear Love Guild wore virtually the same expression.

“Gold Crow. You’re strange. But your abilities are unquestionable. After everything aboard the ship… I’ve seen enough.”

“I’m simply a very capable half-elf.”

“…Sigh. We’ll cooperate until the end. We’ll show you what our guild can do.”

“An excellent decision.”

I extended my right hand. After hesitating, Veldora shook it.

“The expedition begins!”

Standing atop the ladder, Brinya jumped into the air as he shouted,

“If anyone wishes to take slaves along for dangerous terrain… simply let me know!”

Some expedition members preparing to depart began inspecting the slaves one by one. Sending criminals ahead into dangerous areas. It was such an inhumane strategy that not everyone accepted it, but several members eagerly selected their preferred “tools.”

“We’ll be taking a slave as well.”

I raised the chain connected to my collar.

“Me.”

An upgraded version of the standard slave strategy. Throwing Karr… owner of overwhelmingly superior Vitality… straight into danger.

“……”

The explorers of the Nunun Bear Love Guild fell silent before whispering among themselves.

“Is this really okay?”

“Should we split up?”

“But that’s way too dangerous…”

By contrast, my own teammates accepted it without objection.

“Honestly…”

Marlin let out a quiet laugh and playfully tugged on my chain.

“Lead us well.”

“Leave everything to me.”

I lightly tapped her forehead.

“I’ll devote myself… to making sure no one falls.”

 

***

 

The latter half of the [South Continent Expedition] needed to be divided into two groups.

“Our expedition party will depart first.”

At the foot of the mountain range near the base, I looked around at everyone.

“The Nunun Bear Love Guild will remain at the base. When I send the signal… simply follow the trail of markers we’ve left behind.”

Tilda glanced toward Expedition Leader Brinya, who was using slaves to erect signs reading ‘South Continent Expedition.’

“Together with that overly enthusiastic idiot dwarf?”

“Exactly.”

The normal route of the [South Continent Expedition] assumed Brinya survived. If he died before the end, then no matter what anyone did, the labyrinth could never be cleared.

“That’s why I’m entrusting his protection to the Nunun Bear Love Guild, whose combat strength exceeds ours. Lady Aira, the Level 7 Sea Elf powerhouse, will also be accompanying you.”

Aira… formerly Captain Kiate’s bodyguard… had now been rehired as Brinya’s personal guard.

Only Brinya, a broad-minded dwarf unconcerned with petty grudges, could have offered such an extraordinary second chance.

“Why don’t we all go together from the start?”

That was a very Marlin-like question.

“Because of the nature of this pure white frozen land.”

The South Continent’s natural environment was merciless. Endless blizzards. Cold enough to freeze your skin solid.

And… there was one more decisive factor.

“The South Continent’s cold… freezes the heart as well.”

“…How?”

“It reads your memories and relentlessly attacks your mind. So that you’ll never truly be able to rest.”

That was why we couldn’t simply travel together. The larger the group, the more dangerous things became from every direction.

“Ordinarily… we would’ve had to search every inch of the South Continent from this point onward. No matter whether it took days… or much longer.”

The third stage of clearing [South Continent Expedition]: Aimless searching and investigation.

Without any clues, it could become long-term content lasting up to an entire year.

Fortunately, as always, traveling with me allowed us to skip those tedious middle steps.

“Luckily… I don’t need to wander around looking for the way.”

“…You’ve never been here before. So how do you know where to go?”

“Because of this magnificent holy relic.”

Sky Invader.

[Sky Invader]… the holy relic capable of locating anything noble, sacred, or pure. A land untouched by human feet was, by its very nature, something Lord Su’eje’s Vile Authority longed to defile.

“However… there is exactly one place on this vast Southern Continent… that isn’t pure.”

“…What?”

Veldora’s eyes widened.

“Wait. This continent has only now been reached by human beings. How could there possibly be an impure place?”

“……”

Wearing a gloomy smile befitting a cultist, I answered,

“There are more things in this world than intelligent beings can comprehend.”

“…Please stop smiling like that. It’s scary.”

As Marlin poked me in the side, I patted her back and looked up at the towering mountain range.

“Now then. Shall we begin… our delightful expedition?”

Prepare yourself, my heart. From this point onward, you’ll enjoy more than enough mental suffering.