Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 155 - South Continent Expedition — Land of Frozen Ice (5)

Chapter 155 — South Continent Expedition — Land of Frozen Ice (5)

 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A gigantic snow penguin radiating savage ferocity strode forward with imposing dignity. The ground shook violently with every step it took.

“…What is that?”

Bartimir, who had been suppressing the advancing army of Snow Karrs by crushing the lower halves of their bodies, blinked blankly.

“…Are penguins normally such terrifying creatures?”

Penguins were animals found only in neighboring dimensions, such as the Glacier Realm. No one present could satisfy Bartimir’s burning curiosity.

“So that’s why they instinctively inspire fear. If we ever explore the Glacier Realm someday, we’d better avoid them, Sis.”

“We certainly should.”

Just as Veldora nodded in agreement with Tilda’s muttering…

“Now isn’t the time for thisss!”

Karr came running over, bouncing cheerfully. When Veldora turned around, the blond Half-Elf formed a heart with both arms.

“…Gold Crow, could you please act seriously for once?”

“Uh… I don’t think that’s Karr.”

“What?”

At Marlin’s words, Veldora widened her eyes and looked again. Karr winked and poked both cheeks with his index fingers.

“…No, that’s definitely Gold Crow.”

“I think it’s an illusion. I couldn’t hear any footsteps at all. Iquiril, don’t you think so too?”

Kuruk!

The spirit beast snow squirrel Iquiril, perched atop Marlin’s head, chirped energetically.

She had simply followed Karr’s instructions and played with it at first. But they had become close much more easily than expected, to the point that she no longer wanted to leave her.

“I didn’t sense its presence at all either.”

Veldora, who had been grinning foolishly while looking fondly at Iquiril, suddenly shook her head.

“But anyone can tell only Gold Crow would behave like that.”

“Well… that’s true…”

While the two explorers, nearly the same height, whispered to each other in confusion, the blond Half-Elf approaching them suddenly spread both arms wide. Then it winked and struck an alluring pose.

“You guys have pretty good instincts! As for me, I’m [The Eye That Whispers Falsehoods], the terminal of the Wise One and a fragment of the Great Divine Beast! Now then, applause!”

“……”

Clap clap.

Since nobody applauded, kind-hearted Marlin reluctantly clapped. Satisfied, The Eye That Whispers Falsehoods stood before Veldora and pointed toward the gigantic snow penguin.

“Master says stop that thing as much as possible. Message delivered!”

“…We only need to hold it back?”

“Yep. Just buy time, and then a problem-solver will appear with a ‘Ta-da!’ and beat that giant penguin into submission!”

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that. Okay, fine. I made up the ‘beat into submission’ and ‘Ta-da!’ parts.”

“…Understood.”

“Do your best!”

The illusory Half-Elf spun gracefully in place before disappearing into thin air.

“So it really was an illusion…!”

Only then did Veldora accept that it hadn’t been the real Karr.

She addressed everyone.

“It seems Gold Crow has something planned. I don’t know exactly what it is, but let’s hold it back as long as possible and buy time!”

There wasn’t enough time for any more detailed instructions. Even now, countless Snow Karrs were advancing.

“And Miss Sea-Origin Elf!”

“Why are you calling me?”

The Sea-Origin Elf, Aira, tilted her head.

“Come help me stop the giant penguin!”

“Understood.”

“Everyone else, please handle the Snow Gold Crows!”

Leaving only those urgent instructions, Veldora’s figure disappeared in an instant.

Aira rode the water generated beneath her feet as though flying through the air, approaching the giant Snow Replica.

“…Will just the two of them really be enough?”

Marlin asked cautiously. Yet the members of the Nunun Bear Love Guild calmly continued holding back the advancing Snow Karrs.

“When this expedition is over, I’m confessing to Roni.”

“I support you. But don’t come near me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to get close to someone who’s about to die.”

Even while casually chatting, the sharpness of their attacks never diminished. Their precision was almost miraculous, targeting only the knees and shins so the Snow Karrs couldn’t advance.

Honestly, Marlin hadn’t realized how incredible these explorers were until now.

“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Tilda smiled brightly while continuously throwing daggers emerging from the subspace within her gauntlet.

“My sister’s the strongest shaman there is. At least among explorers Level 6 and below.”

“…Really?”

“Marlin, stop asking questions and focus.”

Bartimir picked Marlin up from behind and shouted.

“We win if we just hold out! Let’s go!”

“Uoooooh!”

“Yaaaah!”

The two friends, equally childish at heart, roared together.

Kururu!

Iquiril also stood up on its hind legs and cried out. Its voice was utterly adorable, but perhaps because it was a spirit beast, it somehow carried an imposing presence.

Marlin gently stroked the snow squirrel beneath its chin before gripping a dagger in one hand and a throwing knife in the other.

“I’ll show you just how amazing I am, Iquiril!”

Now she could confidently say things like that without feeling embarrassed. After all, there was a certain problematic Half-Elf nearby who did nothing but say and do embarrassing things.

“Let’s go!”

Kururu!

The battle on the snowfield was entering its final stage.

 

***

 

Fwoooosh!

Brilliant crimson flames shot toward the giant penguin’s rear. The blazing fire of Rank 5 [Death · Flame · Transformation].

Part of its body melted, but it was simply too enormous. The damage was insignificant.

— The blizzard must protect the city.

An emotionless voice echoed from the mouth of the giant Snow Replica bearing the form of an Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor.

— Intruders shall not be tolerated. None shall enter.

Whooom!

Its enormous wing swung. It was merely a casual flap, yet it unleashed an ice shockwave of overwhelming power straight toward me.

Needless to say, I couldn’t dodge it. So I transformed my entire body into black lightning.

BOOM!!

The snowfield erupted violently.

Had I not chosen to become lightning, I would probably have shattered into countless pieces of ice-Half-Elf by now.

— Do not defile the homeland of the great race!

The giant Snow Replica advanced. Toward the explorers holding back the army of Snow Karrs.

“Truthy, does that thing also have a mana stone around its heart?”

[Analysis Result — No. Hundreds of mana stones are distributed evenly throughout its entire body. Destroying it in one strike is impossible.]

Was this because it was the product of the second dungeon enhancement? It didn’t seem easy to stop. And that made my blood boil with excitement.

A powerful enemy difficult to overcome… To me, it was nothing more than a gatekeeper standing before the reward awaiting me after immense hardship, thoroughly frisking my entire body with irritating meticulousness.

“For now, I suppose I can’t fall deeply in love with it…”

Perhaps because the blizzard was carefully controlling its movements, I couldn’t make eye contact from any angle. Meaning [Sin: Lust] couldn’t focus its attention on me.

[That damned Mystery is useless when it actually matters!]

“Truthy. Falsethy. Go together and distract it.”

Thud. Whoosh.

The moment I gave the order, my right eye leapt out as a blind crow, while the projected illusion from my left eye also took flight.

Caw! / Caw!

The two blind crows flew gracefully beside one another. Eyes were meant to work in pairs to perceive the truth. Likewise, the “Eye” Mystery bestowed by the Wise One displayed its true power only when both worked together.

CAAAAW!

Caw! Caw!

The blind crows fluttered about directly before the giant Snow Replica’s face.

WHOOM!

Apparently irritated, the giant Snow Replica suddenly swung its wing. It was far too slow. One crow easily dodged, while the other passed harmlessly through because it was only an illusion.

Caaaw?

Caw! Caw!

They even cried out mockingly.

— The blizzard shall no longer fall for the Half-Elf’s tricks.

The giant snow penguin finally gave up and resumed its heavy march. It would no longer be toyed with by the crows. But that was fine. They had bought enough time.

Splashhhhh!

Not long afterward, water suddenly appeared in empty air. At first, a single droplet. Then several spheres. Eventually, countless anchors of water formed, driving themselves into the giant Snow Replica’s lower body.

— Meaningless. Pointless.

The blizzard spoke as though the effort was laughable. Yet the giant monster’s movements came to a halt.

“Meaningless? That’s nonsense.”

The Level 7 Tracker, Sea-Origin Elf Aira, smirked while continuously launching water into the air from her hands.

The Sea-Origin Elves’ innate Mystery… [Origin of Pure Water]. A simple yet powerful Mystery capable of generating water directly from one’s body.

“From this moment onward… You won’t take another single step.”

Rumble…!

Water anchors continued forming endlessly, driving themselves into the giant Snow Replica’s lower body.

“Gold Crow. Prepare your attack.”

Veldora walked over beside me, raising her grotesque scythe before her face.

“I’ll show you my true strength. The strength you couldn’t imitate during the guild battle.”

Whoosh…

Veldora’s figure wavered like smoke.

“My goodness.”

It seemed I was about to witness something truly rare. I immediately settled down nearby.

“The foundation of the world is color. The colors that compose truth.”

Shamans belonged to the Priest class. Yet they didn’t worship gods. 

Spirits. Spirit beasts. Money. Good deeds.

A shaman’s object of faith was whatever being, object, or concept stirred the strongest feelings within themselves.

“Ancestor. I’m about to paint the world, so lend me your strength.”

The being Veldora placed her faith in was the founder of the prestigious Ires Shaman family.

“When this expedition ends safely… I’ll offer you the strongest, most delicious liquor imaginable!”

The price was alcohol… the very thing her ancestor loved most.

Specifically, the famously potent dwarven liquor from the Eastern Continent.

Fwoooosh!

Every trace of color drained from Veldora’s body, spreading across the world. The area covered only our surroundings. Just enough to encompass the giant Snow Replica.

“With my colors… I shall cover the world.”

The world coated in Veldora’s colors transformed. The snowy field became a sunny landscape filled with tiny trees and grass.

We, and even the giant Snow Replica, all transformed into small, adorable versions of ourselves.

The Shaman class’s ultimate technique… its Unique Domain.

“[Veldora’s Forest].”

Within the world transformed into something utterly adorable, only Veldora retained her original height.

She lightly leapt. Though it looked effortless, she soared upward, landing atop the now much cuter giant snow penguin’s head.

Slash!

Swinging her scythe, she split the center of the Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor’s replicated head with a charmingly tiny slash.

“[Veldora’s Forest] is a Unique Domain that enhances the physical abilities and Mystery powers of both my friends and me! Hurry and join me!”

Veldora swung her scythe once more. Another massive slash split the giant monster’s head apart.

“…Amazing.”

Power, combining both style and practicality, unfolded before my eyes. This was exactly why I never preferred the Shaman class.

Cultists, Necromancers, Thieves… they all had that feeling of rolling around in garbage.

But this… was simply inhumanly powerful.

“Gold Crow! Hurry up and join the attack!”

“But… Am I included among your ‘friends’?”

That was a very important matter.

“…I’ll include you, so hurry!”

“Understood. My friend, Lady Veldora.”

After Pierre, I’d gained another friend.

Filled with joy, I extended my left hand and unleashed flames. The full power of [Death · Flame · Transformation] flew forth like something straight out of a children’s cartoon.

Fwoooosh!

Cute little flames engulfed the giant Snow Replica. Its enormous body of snow and ice slowly began melting.

— The blizzard shall not yield to something like this!

The giant penguin wildly flapped its wings. Ice shockwaves exploded in every direction, freezing everything nearby.

Whoooooosh—!

The blizzard also grew even more violent. The giant Snow Replica’s body rapidly healed as the snowstorm and icy winds struck it.

“…It’s much stronger than we expected.”

Landing beside me after dodging a shockwave, Veldora bit her lip.

“It’s fine.”

I continued pouring out flames as I spoke.

“As I said before… We only need to buy time. And thanks to [Veldora’s Forest], we’ll manage.”

“…I’ll trust you for now.”

Veldora nimbly leapt around, swinging her scythe repeatedly.

“So you truly are an incredible shaman.”

Aira also created even more water anchors, further restricting the giant monster’s movement.

“Let’s keep this up!”

“Would you like me to perform my victory dance that fills people with strength? Or perhaps some adorable aegyo and pouting?”

“…No thanks!”

“Neither do I.”

“You’re both rather shy. I understand.”

Surely, they simply wanted to secretly witness my cutest techniques later, where nobody else could see.

— The blizzard shall drive out all intruders.

The giant Snow Replica became even more violent. Relentless ice shockwaves. The blizzard heals its entire body continuously.

“…Ugh.”

After enduring for several minutes, Veldora was finally struck. 

Part of her right leg froze solid. Her concentration faltered.

The Unique Domain shattered, and the world returned to normal.

“Are you alright?”

I hurried over, melted the ice from her leg, and quickly handed her a Life Recovery Potion.

— Now the Half-Elf’s end draws near.

The giant snow penguin turned toward me, slowly raising both wings.

— The city shall regain its peace. Everything according to the rulers’ will.

“Is that truly what they wanted?”

I looked up at the sky where the blizzard raged.

“Eliminating everyone who approaches the city. Do you truly believe that’s what the departed residents wished for?”

— The blizzard is not mistaken.

After the Ultimate Frost Battle, the Emperor Clan left the city, and the blizzard created to protect it had remained abandoned for countless years, blindly driving everyone climbing the mountain into delirium.

Drive away, intruders.

That alone was its purpose in life.

— If this continues… someday the rulers shall return.

I nodded slightly, then suddenly turned toward the ruins. An extraordinary presence was rising from the city of ice.

“You’re not entirely wrong.”

That was correct. The Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor Clan… would indeed return.

BOOM!

Right now.

“How noisy.”

A tiny, adorable penguin race member flew from the ruins, landing before me. The last resident of the Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor Clan, the one whose body I’d covered with snow, quietly muttered as he stood up.

— …?

The raging blizzard weakened for a brief moment.

— The ruler…?

“So… you’re the Delirium Blizzard.”

The Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor resident rotated his wings, stretching his neck from side to side.

Then suddenly, he released an overwhelming killing intent.

“To mistreat rightful visitors. What kind of insolence is this?”

— My ruler, the blizzard acted appropriately–

“Your thought processes have overloaded.”

The Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor resident casually flicked one wing.

BOOOOOOM!!

In stark contrast to the simplicity of the gesture, an avalanche of overwhelming scale descended from the sky, crushing the giant Snow Replica’s body.

“Wake up.”

Then… The blizzard ceased in an instant.

The Snow Karrs charging toward the ruins were simultaneously absorbed into the snow and disappeared.

“…Huh?”

“What…?”

I gave the dumbfounded Veldora and Aira a thumbs-up.

“Ta-da! The battle is over.”

The Ultimate Frost Battle Emperor Clan was a race equal to dragons… the strongest race of all.