Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. – Chapter 156 – Southern Continent Expedition – The Land of Emptiness

Author: Cireng

Chapter 156 – Southern Continent Expedition – The Land of Emptiness

Inside the ruins of the Glacial Battle Emperor race. The streets were littered everywhere with the traces of my disabling the intrusion prevention devices with my own body.

“What a mess.”

Peep, peep, peep.

The final surviving member of the Glacial Battle Emperor race toddled along with adorable little steps, leading us onward.

[Last Survivor Pingpi (Glacial Battle Emperor, ??? years old). Presumed to be the foolish fellow who remained in the city until the very end after all of his kin had departed. His existence is of such a high rank that detailed information cannot be read.]

“It couldn’t be helped, Lord Pingpi.”

Walking close behind him, I shook my head wistfully.

“When a city overflowing with incredible technology suddenly appears right in front of your eyes, anyone who thinks, ‘Hmm, it looks dangerous, so I shouldn’t go inside,’ must be someone born under a curse and tragically deprived of any aesthetic sense.”

“…You’ve got a good eye.”

Pingpi gave a small nod.

“It can all be repaired soon enough anyway. Besides, we were the ones who gave a proper visitor a poor reception, so this much is only fair. I understand.”

The Glacial Battle Emperor race wasn’t so brutally cruel as to mercilessly shatter the body and mind of everyone who approached their city.

They only thoroughly crushed enemies who approached with malicious intent until they could never stand properly again, turned them into ice statues, and left them to suffer forever.

A gentle race, in other words.

“Thank you for your generosity.”

“No. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was left behind to maintain this place, yet I intended to abandon my duty and sink beneath the glacier….”

Pingpi stroked his beak with his wing.

Because of the enormous biological differences between races, ordinary people would have trouble recognizing it, but his body language expressed that he felt so apologetic that he had no words.

“In any case, let me thank you once more. Thanks to you, I was able to turn back from my disgraceful decision to abandon my duty and flee.”

Marlin poked me in the back.

“Karr, how exactly did you help him?”

“Nothing special. He was dead, so I brought him back to life.”

“…Since when did ‘resurrection’ become something so easy?”

“It is easy. For the Glacial Battle Emperor race.”

“The blonde one’s correct.”

Turning his tiny head toward Marlin, Pingpi spoke.

“As long as enough snow covers our bodies, our souls rise once more from beneath the depths and return to life. No matter how much time has passed.”

The Glacial Battle Emperor race’s innate racial trait was essentially resurrection. One of the many reasons why they were counted among the strongest races.

As a half-elf who had absolutely nothing to boast about except my beauty, I felt such overwhelming inferiority that, strangely enough, I found myself in a good mood.

“Lord Pingpi, may I ask you something?”

Pendrick, the owner of [Boundless Sociability], naturally struck up a conversation with a penguin race member he’d only just met.

“What is it?”

“If it’s not rude to ask, when was this city built? And where did everyone else go?”

“It’s not a particularly interesting story. I don’t know much about the exciting parts myself.”

As Pingpi walked, he glanced around the deserted city.

“We’ve lived in these snowy mountains since the distant past. I don’t know exactly since when.”

“Your entire race?”

“The documents recording all of our history are stored beneath the city. There are so many that no one except the archivists has ever bothered reading them.”

By now, Expedition Leader Brinya had probably finished deciphering almost all of them with great enthusiasm. Meaning this expedition was nearly over.

“So I can’t tell you when the city was built. But I do know exactly why everyone left.”

Pingpi suddenly looked up toward the sky. The first clear blue sky we’d seen since arriving on the Southern Continent.

“My people departed beyond the highest heavens.”

“Ah… Do you mean they ascended as divine beings?”

“No. Higher.”

Pingpi pointed upward with his short wing.

“A mysterious world above the heavens. A suffocating void where mysterious darkness lurks, where even the sun and moon are nothing more than two among countless sources of light. They went to conquer that place.”

Simply put… They advanced into space.

Considering what outer space represented and actually was in this world, I was once again reminded of just how astonishing the Glacial Battle Emperor race’s technological prowess truly was.

“The void above the heavens… I don’t fully understand it, but it’s obvious they set out to accomplish something incredible. No… perhaps they’ve already accomplished it?”

Pingpi chuckled at Pendrick’s joking remark.

“I’m sure they did.”

“Though it’s an achievement without much meaning.”

Suddenly, the penguin turned toward us, his aura becoming faintly chilling.

“After all… this world is fake, isn’t it?”

“…”

Fake. A word that never would have been chosen unless one had discovered the truth surrounding their world.

Since Aira, the ghost of the labyrinth, had switched places with Lucius to guard Brinya, I could finally speak freely.

“Personally, I prefer the prettier term, ‘a small world filled with possibilities,’ rather than the bleak word ‘fake.’”

“Hmph. Too long.”

“The longer a name is, the more valuable whatever bears that name becomes.”

That’s why the Immortal Cult Build originally had a forty-nine-character name, though Yoonji unfortunately compressed it into its current version for practical reasons.

“…But how did you figure it out?”

Marlin quietly asked. The next moment, she flinched and hurriedly hid behind me.

“…”

Pingpi gave Marlin and the Iquiril perched atop her head an unusual look before facing forward again.

He continued walking in silence before finally answering.

“I simply sensed it instinctively. The existence of the ‘outside world.’”

“…Captain, is that common?”

“Of course not. Rank has nothing to do with it. Even heavenly gods are often trapped within the labyrinth.”

Aside from exceptions like Seraphina, who learned the truth of the world by eavesdropping with [Heaven’s Ear], breaking the labyrinth’s laws was normally impossible. One shouldn’t even recognize the appearance of Gates. Even if someone walked out through a Gate right in front of you, you were supposed to feel absolutely nothing strange.

“Things like this happen occasionally.”

Speaking with the calm demeanor of a seasoned explorer, Veldora continued.

“Lord Pingpi is reasonable, so it’s fine. But there have been cases where someone learned the truth of the world, fell into despair, and began attacking explorers indiscriminately. So, Moonlight Expedition Team… be careful.”

“Um… Lady Veldora?”

“Yes, Pendrick?”

“But if someone as powerful as Lord Pingpi attacked us, wouldn’t we just die without being able to do anything? Since you’re so experienced, do you know some way of dealing with it?”

“…”

Veldora suddenly pulled out a hideous scythe and began carefully sharpening its blade.

“Don’t worry. At least I have no intention of attacking you.”

Pingpi absentmindedly rubbed his own head.

“Even if this world is fake, that doesn’t make me fake. I breathe. I think. Therefore, I am a genuine living being, a genuine intelligent being. Being resurrected once again reminded me of that.”

“…”

The heavy topic left the atmosphere as cold as the city’s freezing air.

“…Asmi.”

Unfortunately, even Pendrick, the usual problem solver in situations like this, was staring thoughtfully at his lover, lost in contemplation.

There was no help coming from him. Guess that meant it was my turn.

Just as I was about to perform an irresistibly adorable aegyo-filled dance to lift everyone’s spirits after this unexpectedly heavy revelation…

“We’ve arrived.”

Pingpi, who had silently toddled the whole way, came to a stop.

Before us stood our destination. An elegant building resembling a work of art.

[Location – Temporary Storage Facility for Glacial Battle Emperor Possessions]

[Before departing for the Void, the Glacial Battle Emperor race created new tools with renewed resolve and left all of their old belongings here. It seems there may be all kinds of rare artifacts!]

Chiing.

Placing his wing against the lock, Pingpi disengaged it and opened the door.

Then he spoke casually.

“Go inside. Take one item each.”

***

The standard reward for the Southern Continent Expedition. A collection of precious Glacial Battle Emperor weapons.

Since encountering members of this race in reality was virtually impossible, these were unquestionably among the finest rewards obtainable from a C-rank labyrinth.

“Woohoo!”

“Our hard work paid off!”

“Let’s go!”

The explorers from the Nunun Bear Love Guild hurried inside with bright smiles.

Before entering, Veldora looked at me.

“No matter how anyone looks at it, you were the star of this expedition, Golden Crow.”

“Why so formal? Weren’t we supposed to be friends?”

“…Hmm. Golden Crow… you.”

“That’s more like it.”

The corner of Veldora’s lips curled upward before she continued.

“Anyway, what I wanted to say is this. Our guild won’t touch the very best items. All we needed was the honor of clearing an unexplored dungeon.”

“Actually, what I enjoy is the process of conquering a dungeon itself, so I don’t really need to yield anyth–”

Stab!

Marlin dug her fingernail into my side, cutting me off. Veldora gave her a grateful nod before entering the building.

Then my wicked patronized child, having injured her patron, turned toward the rest of the party.

“Shall we go in too?”

“Let’s go!”

With Bartimir pushing me from behind, the Moonlight Expedition Team entered the warehouse as well.

***

Inside, it was almost as cold as a freezer. All sorts of blue-themed tools were neatly arranged upon shelves of ice.

“Hmm… This one’s good… that one’s good too…”

After examining several items, Bartimir energetically waved me over.

“Moooom! Pick some good ones for me!”

“Certainly.”

The moment I nodded… Voices began calling out from every direction.

“Ah? Captain, could you pick mine too?”

“Me too!”

“Please help me as well!”

“…”

Like baby birds searching for their mother, every single member looked only at me.

The life of a talented celebrity really was exhausting.

As captain, I decided to become everyone’s friendly recommendation fairy.

“Big Sis, take that dagger. It’s an artifact that inflicts frostbite on whatever it cuts. Your current one is decent quality, but the performance isn’t even comparable.”

“…?”

“There’s no poison here, so just take that one.”

“…”

Rosalia quietly lowered her ears a little before obediently taking the dagger.

“Sir Bartimir, take that belt over there. It greatly increases your strength while worn.”

“Mom’s the best!”

“Sir Pendrick, those gauntlets over there. They’ll make your sword faster and sharper whenever you use swordsmanship.”

“As expected of our captain!”

“Sir Lucius, the buckler beside them would suit you. It flies around on its own and blocks incoming attacks. It also has the added benefit of reminding one of Saint Seraphina’s [Clericium].”

“An excellent choice. Thank you.”

Thanks to our wealthy young master, aside from the money-crazed teenager, none of us were particularly greedy for wealth. Artifacts, however… Every explorer desired those.

As they should.

“Karr, what about me?”

“Marlin.”

“Naturally, you should take the finest artifact this labyrinth has to offer.”

I confidently pointed toward the greatest reward. A set of frozen sardines.

“Take those.”

“…What am I supposed to use them for?”

“They’re delicious.”

“…”

Marlin immediately began jabbing my side over and over.

Grrk!

For some reason, Iquiril also started slapping my shoulder repeatedly with its little paws as though harboring a grudge against me. To calm the furious Marlin, I hurriedly massaged her shoulder.

“Just wait a little. It’s simply because the item isn’t here.”

“…Can I really trust you?”

“Of course. Surely you don’t distrust your patron?”

“I do.”

“This time I feel like you’re going to make a tiger-shaped doll out of snow and say, ‘Isn’t this the greatest artifact?’ just to tease me.”

“Just what kind of person do you think I am…?”

Swallowing my disappointment, I reluctantly erased the prank I’d already planned from my mind.

“Guess it’s time for me to choose one too.”

I’d already decided on the optimal reward. I picked up an artifact tucked away in the corner. A rather elegant blue ring engraved with mysterious patterns.

Marlin and Iquiril watched with curious eyes.

“Oh… What does that do?”

Grrk?

“While wearing it, the power of ice-element mysteries increases.”

It was an artifact perfectly suited to the Immortal Cult Build, which required regular use of [Evil Freezing Wind].

“But is that a ring? It looks a little too big.”

“It can be a ring, a bracelet, or whatever you want. It resizes.”

Shrrk.

I infused it with my will, and it expanded to the perfect size. Exactly large enough to fit around my neck.

“What do you think? I’m planning to wear it around my neck like this.”

“…”

Marlin stared at me strangely before gently petting Iquiril’s head.

“He’s really such a weird person. Right?”

Grrk!

Iquiril nodded its tiny head.

“Marlin, you’re only saying that because you don’t know. These days, close-fitting necklaces are all the rage on the Western Continent.”

“But no matter how generously I look at it… that looks more like a collar than a necklace.”

“Exactly. That’s what makes it good.”

“…Do whatever you want.”

“Why are you giving up on me? Try stopping me a little harder.”

“No.”

Grrk.

“Why are you giving up too?”

While I was trying to persuade the resolute Marlin…

“You seem close to Iquiril.”

Pingpi waddled over and looked up at her.

“Ah, yes! We’ve been together for a few days, so we’ve become close.”

Grrruk!

“…”

Watching the thoughtful penguin, I took out the cube-shaped artifact I’d previously retrieved from the underground storage room in the ruins. Pingpi’s eyes widened.

“…Golden-haired friend. You know something you shouldn’t.”

[That’s certainly true….]

Holding the cube in one hand, I gently patted Marlin’s shoulder with the other.

“I’d like to give this child that. I’ve already prepared everything necessary.”

“…”

The last surviving Glacial Battle Emperor silently stared at us before opening his beak.

“Very well. Wait for me in the plaza.”

Leaving only those words behind, Pingpi waddled away.

“…Why did he react like that just because he heard I was close to Iquiril? And why was he so surprised by that cube?”

“What else?”

I lightly tapped the bewildered Marlin’s head before placing the cube into her hands.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’d give you the greatest reward this labyrinth has to offer.”