Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 169 - A Mystical Spell That Recharges Motivation

Chapter 169 – A Mystical Spell That Recharges Motivation

 

We had successfully recruited Brightfeather, a Tier 1 companion.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of it. The God of Fortune, Talendros, had an instinctive disgust for “gains obtained too easily.”

“…Wait a second?”

Sylphren pushed his goggles up onto his forehead and frowned. Brightfeather met the Fire Elf’s crimson eyes and flinched.

“Brightfeather, this is the kind of decision you should think about carefully.”

“…I-I guess so?”

“Good grief. Just keep thinking it over for now.”

Letting out a small sigh, Sylphren set down the flight gear he had just finished repairing and held it out to me.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

“And don’t forget your Coexistence Tour stamp.”

Thunk.

A stamp bearing the logo of the Interracial Association was pressed onto a sheet of paper. The design depicted a pair of wings. 

As I accepted the paper and stored it in my subspace, Sylphren gave me a strange look.

“You said you’re a Cultist of Twisted Truth? Even though you’re a half-elf?”

“Would you like me to show you my flourishing Rot Sprout?”

“…You’re really something else. How in the world did you become a rising star? There’s no way the knowledge-type Mysteries granted by an evil god are that useful.”

[Annoyingly enough, that’s a perfectly logical and objective question!]

“Your name’s Karr, right? You’re the captain?”

“That’s right. I’m Karr, the half-elf captain of the Moonlight Expedition Team.”

“…Your expedition’s name is just as strange as your personality.”

Sylphren scratched the back of his head as he glanced at Brightfeather, who now looked like someone who had committed a crime.

“According to Association rules, Coexistence Groups are treated as expedition teams. So technically, it’s perfectly fine for him to belong to both. I don’t really have grounds to stop him.”

An expedition team was essentially like a crew. There was no issue with belonging to several at once.

It would have been a different story if Brightfeather belonged to the Unity Guild, whose guildmaster was also the head of the Association. But only Association members with outstanding exploration achievements could join that guild.

At present, Brightfeather was still nothing more than an ordinary member who hadn’t distinguished himself.

“But to be honest… I’m still very uneasy about sending this kid into an expedition led by a cultist.”

“I completely understand.”

Sylphren’s concern was entirely reasonable. If our positions had been reversed, I wouldn’t have casually sent Marlin or Abel into an expedition led by a cultist either.

“After all… In an emergency, a cultist might sacrifice their teammates as living offerings… or simply use them as tools for their religious practices.”

When I acknowledged that calmly, Sylphren’s expression, which had gradually begun heating up, befitting a Fire Elf, softened somewhat.

“Well… Since you’ve got a Celestial on your team, someone who’d never associate with evil people… I suppose you’re not a cruel person.”

The fake Celestial, now the center of attention, calmly nodded without changing His expression. Then He gently stroked my head.

“I guarantee it. Captain Karr is a diligent, faithful, upright, and honest half-elf, unlike ordinary cultists.”

“Sigh…”

Sylphren let out another long sigh before beckoning to the hesitant parrot Birdfolk.

Brightfeather hurried over.

“Brightfeather. Have you thought it through again?”

“Y-Yeah…!”

Nod. Nod.

He nodded so vigorously that the many necklaces hanging from his neck clattered noisily together.

“I think… I might’ve decided too hastily…!”

I quietly moved the cupcake toward my left. Brightfeather’s two differently colored eyes unconsciously followed it.

“Uh… I feel like maybe I want to join again…”

“…This isn’t something you should decide based on food.”

“Ah! Right!”

At Sylphren’s words, Brightfeather’s resolve wavered back and forth once more.

I’d expected this. Which was why I’d brought another gift.

“Please take a look at this too.”

I handed Brightfeather a small box. He carefully accepted it.

The moment he opened it, his eyes grew wide.

“Wow… There are so many gemstones…!”

A collection of gemstones in every imaginable color. Long ago, they had been a hidden reward from The Earth Elf’s Tomb.

A teenager obsessed with money had originally taken them, but I bought them back by paying her twice their value in gold.

“I’ll give you all of them. And every gemstone we obtain during future explorations will belong to you as well, Sir Brightfeather!”

It was a remarkably generous offer. Fortunately, every member of our team except Marlin had little interest in money.

“Wooooow…”

Brightfeather’s constantly wavering eyes finally settled. Apparently sensing the shift in his heart, Sylphren smiled as though he had no choice.

Even so, he clearly hadn’t withdrawn his opposition yet.

“It seems you still have something to say?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Sylphren vigorously ruffled Brightfeather’s hair.

“Aaah! My hairrr!”

“As you can see…he’s, well… How should I put it? A very, very, very, very slightly slow, but kind friend?”

“Oh. That’s actually a pretty good description.”

“Anyway… That’s why I’m always worried.”

The speed-crazed Fire Elf, Sylphren, captain of the Sky Flight Corps, had acted as Brightfeather’s guardian since childhood.

Winning Brightfeather’s heart with gifts alone was easy enough. But unless I convince this elf as well, we wouldn’t be able to explore together.

“So… If you don’t mind… I’d like to spend some time observing you personally to figure out what kind of person you really are.”

Exactly the proposal I’d expected. The method of proving both my strength and my character would naturally be one I liked very much. Wasn’t Pletica a city where personality evaluations, making friends, competitions, sports, everything… was done inside labyrinths?

“How about we explore a labyrinth together?”

Even wasting time thinking about it felt unnecessary.

“That sounds absolutely wonderful.”

There wasn’t the slightest reason for me to refuse.

“…Sylphren.”

However, I knew not everyone would feel the same. Brightfeather visibly panicked, his whole body trembling.

“D-Do I… D-Do I h-have to… go exploring too?”

“…Of course. If you’re joining their expedition, you’ll have to explore eventually.”

“Uwaah…”

To me, it was merely another exploration. To this parrot Birdfolk, it was something entirely different.

Pendrick became absurdly powerful the moment he joined. Brightfeather, however, required one essential step beforehand.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“U-Ummm…”

“Sir Brightfeather.”

I lowered myself slightly so our eyes met. There was a gift more valuable than cupcakes or gemstones.

“I already know the condition you’re suffering from.”

The penalty trait: [Fear of the Unfamiliar].

A condition that causes overwhelming fear toward any unfamiliar situation. For an explorer who constantly had to face new environments, it was arguably the worst trait imaginable.

It was the primary reason Brightfeather had always been underestimated.

But as players researched the game more deeply, that evaluation changed.

“If you come with me… I’ll cure that condition.”

Even an inborn constitution could be changed. Just as I’d overturned the fate that should have permanently separated Pendrick and Astrimia.

“Will you come with us?”

I slowly extended my hand. Brightfeather stared at my slender fingers for a long moment. Then he glanced once toward Sylphren.

Finally, he cautiously reached out and grasped my hand.

“Please take care of me…!”

 

***

 

“Fweeeee!”

Sylphren’s sturdy long-tailed tit, Bingbing, landed deep inside the forest.

“You just eat this!”

Brightfeather picked a beautiful mushroom growing beside the roots of a nearby tree. It looked poisonous, but in reality it was a highly beneficial medicinal mushroom.

I accepted it and took a bite.

Shiiiing.

A gate immediately appeared beside us.

Sky Village… casually cleared.

Which was exactly why I’d never considered it worth exploring.

“Get inside.”

“Fweee!”

Bingbing disappeared into the Beast Tamer-exclusive spatial artifact, the birdcage.

Passing back through the gate, Sylphren lifted his goggles and spoke.

“You choose our next labyrinth. Just make it something short. We’ve got the Association executives’ regular meeting in a few days.”

“Understood. So, a difficult and exhausting labyrinth that doesn’t take too long to clear.”

“…Uh. I never said it had to be difficult… Though I guess that’s fine. Brightfeather, what about you?”

The one addressed gave no reply. He was too busy eating the third cupcake I’d given him.

“Hehehe… Huh? What’d you just say?”

“…Nothing. Enjoy your cupcake.”

“Then let’s head out. I’ve already picked a labyrinth in District 5.”

The fake Celestial, Reficul.

The curse collector Demon, Bartimir.

Sylphren and Brightfeather of the Sky Flight Corps.

The labyrinth that the five of us would tackle together was located atop a small hill within District 5.

“Oh? Isn’t that Sylphren?”

As we approached the entrance, the Association member assigned to manage the labyrinth greeted him.

“What brings you here? Actually exploring for once instead of flying around?”

“Well… Circumstances. And this person…”

The dog beastman turned toward me. One of his ears twitched.

“…Huh?”

“That’s right. I am the clever half-elf known as Golden Crow, Karr. Would you like a handshake?”

“Haha! Nice to meet you!”

Back and forth. He shook my hand enthusiastically. Then I placed my hand on the massive claw embedded in the ground… the labyrinth entrance, and entered.

“Hmm!”

Reficul stepped inside first, looking around with interest.

A vast wilderness stretched endlessly in every direction. No matter where one looked, there was nothing but crimson earth meeting the horizon.

 

[E-Rank Labyrinth — Endless Wilderness (:D)]

[As long as you follow the normal method properly, it’s a fairly manageable labyrinth. That is… if you’re judging only the labyrinth itself!]

 

“This is the E-Rank labyrinth, Endless Wilderness.”

“Quite expansive, isn’t it?”

“Ohhh…”

Reficul smiled, stroking His chin thoughtfully.

“If this were merely an ordinary E-Rank labyrinth… Captain Karr would never have bothered exploring it. There must be something especially interesting hidden here. This should be fun.”

“…”

Sylphren eyed the fake Celestial suspiciously.

“Are you really a Celestial? The way you talk sounds awfully…”

“Naturally I am. I love everything positive in this world.”

“Hmmm…”

As expected, the insight possessed by an elf over a hundred years old couldn’t be underestimated. Fortunately, Sylphren wasn’t the type to spread rumors about a “suspicious Celestial.”

Leaving him merely suspicious was good enough.

“…Uwaaa…”

Meanwhile, Brightfeather cowered in fear at the sight of the endless wilderness. He wrapped both his face and body inside his wings. At this rate, we couldn’t even begin exploring.

Fortunately, I knew the mystical incantation that could ignite the motivation of a parrot Birdfolk afflicted with Fear of the Unfamiliar.

“Sir Brightfeather.”

I spoke quietly.

“Did you know? The hidden reward in this labyrinth is a gemstone-crafted item that shines in brilliantly different colors.”

“…!”

“I promised that every gemstone we find during exploration belongs to you. Naturally… that one will be yours as well.”

The wings covering his face and body spread wide.

“I’ll do my best…!”

Motivation successfully restored.