Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 173 - C-Rank Labyrinth – Giant Hunting Grounds (3)

Chapter 173 – C-Rank Labyrinth – Giant Hunting Grounds (3)

 

“You little flying pest!”

A giant’s massive palm swung through the air.

If it landed, it wouldn’t end with a simple broken bone. It was a devastating blow.

“Fweee!”

Bingbing, the sturdy long-tailed tit, narrowly avoided the giant’s hand with an acrobatic aerial maneuver.

Slash!

Sylphren followed up immediately. Taking full advantage of his curved blade, which was ideal for slashing, he carved a crimson line across the back of the giant’s hand.

“Gaaah!”

As the giant who had reached out howled in pain, another giant carrying a club came charging over.

“You brat!”

The club came crashing down. But even that was far too slow to hit Bingbing, whose specialty was speed.

“Hyaa!”

Bingbing darted aside with a nimble evasive maneuver. Immediately afterward, Sylphren infused his blade with flames and slashed again.

Slaaash!

A deep cut opened across the giant’s neck, and flames spread around the wound.

The perfect coordination between Sylphren and Bingbing continued tormenting the giants without pause.

“This little punk is too fast!”

“He’s driving me crazy!”

The two giants, their irritation reaching its peak, began rampaging even more violently.

BOOM!

CRASH!

They smashed and demolished the terrain they’d painstakingly reshaped to make hunting more entertaining, but Bingbing had already soared high into the sky. Putting a little distance between himself and the giants, Sylphren turned his head.

“Uooooh!”

Not far away, another group of giants was hunting members of other races.

Their prey was a dignified-looking Celestial. Perhaps because His appearance and apparent level didn’t seem very impressive, the giants were complaining that catching Him looked too easy…. At first, that is.

“Just stand still already!”

An enormous axe crashed down toward the Celestial. It was an attack powerful enough to kill even an orc a race born for combat in a single blow if it landed cleanly.

“Your strength is certainly impressive.”

However, no matter how powerful an attack was, it meant nothing if it couldn’t hit.

Not a single one of the giants’ attacks had connected. The Celestial simply hovered calmly in midair, yet every attack somehow missed Him.

“But your technique is practically nonexistent. If you wish to become true warriors, then learn some skills.”

The calmly flapping Celestial, Reficul, even had His arms folded as He lectured His enemies.

It was hardly the sort of gentle, warm attitude one expected from a Celestial.

‘…Is He really a Celestial?’

There were many transformation-type Mysteries in the world, but only an extremely small number of people could transform into a high-ranking race like the Celestials.

Still, Sylphren’s instincts told him Reficul belonged among that tiny handful.

He had no evidence. It was simply a feeling.

“Yaaah!”

ROOOAR!

A giant thrust forward with an enormous spear held in both hands, while a hunting dog lunged to swallow Reficul whole.

“Hup!”

Yelp…!

Reficul simply hovered there, letting the attacks slide past Him. The giant’s spear ended up piercing straight into the hunting dog’s mouth.

“You see? This is what happens when you lack technique.”

“Nooo! How dare you hurt our Koriparitditasker!”

“What an absurdly long name. I suppose that means you cherished it dearly. And the deeper the affection, the greater the anger.”

After muttering to Himself, Reficul climbed atop the spear-wielding giant’s head.

Shiiiiii…!

A crimson aura violently poured out from the giant’s body.

Crack!

The enormous crimson energy swirling in Reficul’s hand transformed into a gigantic spear. A spear covered in thick muscular arms. It drove straight through the giant’s torso.

“Grrrr…! I’m angry now!”

The giant race was so resilient that, despite coughing up blood by the mouthful, he immediately resumed swinging his spear.

“You’re still standing after that? As expected of a giant!”

Reficul laughed heartily, casually deflecting every attack.

Watching the entire exchange, Sylphren became certain.

‘That is absolutely not a Celestial!’

In the first place, Reficul hardly seemed interested in hiding it.

Honestly, every single one of Karr’s companions was extraordinary.

‘…Did this expedition become famous because everyone’s weird?’

It was precisely then… when Sylphren had guessed half the truth.

“You!”

A giant’s club grazed Bingbing’s side.

“Fweee…”

“Urgh!”

Bingbing was a monster renowned for its sturdy body.

Even so, the sudden impact proved too much, and the bird plummeted toward the ground.

The red soil imbued with Lriria’s energy immediately healed the injury the moment Bingbing touched it.

But during that brief instant, the giants completely surrounded them.

“Heh…! I caught him!”

“Get away! Whoever kills him first gets him!”

With giants surrounding them on every side, escape was impossible.

Even if they tried flying straight upward, they’d simply be shot down again.

“Fweee…”

“This isn’t your fault.”

Sylphren gently stroked Bingbing’s head while tightening his grip on his curved blade.

“Alright! I’ll smash him first!”

Just as the club-wielding giant swung with all his strength…

Whoosh!

An arrow flew into the back of the giant’s head.

“…Ghk!?”

The giant staggered. Then more arrows followed, embedding themselves throughout the bodies of the surrounding giants.

Not enough power to kill them. More than enough to make them hesitate.

“Ugh! It’s Lriria’s cursed flames!”

“It stings too much!”

“Lriria’s traitorous dog is here!”

Every arrow that had been raining down carried flames.

Blood-red flames. 

Nearly identical in color to the crimson earth of this wilderness.

“Greetings, you mighty yet dim-witted giants.”

A blond half-elf slowly descended, waving cheerfully.

“If it wouldn’t inconvenience you… Would you kindly become participants in my devotional service for Lord Lriria?”

Fwoooosh!

“Please remain where you are… And burn.”

The giants’ bodies erupted into flames all at once. It was a sight impossible not to find overwhelming.

“…Those are really cultist Mysteries?”

“Fweee…?”

Sylphren and Bingbing both stared blankly for a moment, before quickly recovering and taking to the skies again.

“Sylphreeeen!”

Brightfeather frantically waved both hands from the distance.

As Sylphren joined him, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt? Bingbing, lift your wing for me.”

“Fweee!”

Brightfeather inspected the wound near Bingbing’s wing, then carefully poured Vitality Recovery Potion over it.

Outside Sky Village or the inn, Brightfeather was normally timid and withdrawn.

Yet now, an emotion Sylphren had almost never seen shone within his eyes.

Courage.

‘…If he’s like this… I have no choice but to let him go.’

Fifteen years ago. After being rescued from life as the slave of a human noble, that parrot had spent every day inside a cage, silently staring longingly outside.

Now, at last, he looked ready to spread his wings.

 

***

 

“Uoooooh!”

The giants rampaged wildly.

Fwoooosh!

The Silent One’s flames consumed their enormous bodies like firewood.

The fire neither burned their skin nor dealt particularly heavy damage, yet the giants could do nothing but flail their limbs in panic.

“Lriria’s dog!”

“Kill him!”

“Grrrrrr!”

The giants’ already pitifully small amount of reason had long since vanished.

The flames had reignited their hatred toward the Church of Solitary Silence, which had betrayed them almost immediately after allying with them against the Orc Tribal Alliance.

Wriggle.

Perhaps pleased by such grand-scale worship, the snake tattoo writhed excitedly.

“They’re burning beautifully!”

Having finally reduced the spear-wielding giant to the brink of death, Reficul approached and placed a hand on my waist.

“Grand Duke Karr. Is this the feast you prepared for Me?”

“Yes.”

As a loyal vassal, I bowed respectfully before my lord, then gestured toward the giants with both hands.

“I’ve already warmed them up. Please go ahead and extract them.”

“As expected. You’re highly competent. You’re more than worthy of receiving My affection.”

“Please don’t merely say it. Show it through Your actions.”

“Hahaha! Come here!”

My lord vigorously patted my head and back.

His touch was astonishingly delicate… enough to send shivers through me.

After slowly reducing me to a helpless mess with only one hand, He immediately charged toward the nearest giant.

“You blond cultist! Die!”

The fake Celestial landed atop the shoulder of a giant that had only just managed to extinguish the flames.

He reached out His hand.

“Your insignificant anger… I shall claim it.”

Shiiiiii!

Crimson energy poured forth like rushing water. Moments later, the same crimson aura began flowing from every other giant as well.

“Your petty anger… is remarkably dense.”

Rustle…

The gathered crimson energy soon took the shape of a monster.

A gigantic beast, its entire body covered in countless arms. Even at a glance, it perfectly embodied the giants’ savagery and overwhelming strength.

“Grrrr… Kill…”

It had even inherited their somewhat lacking speech.

“Monster of Wrath. Embrace the parents who gave birth to you.”

“Kill!”

The enormous monster began pummeling the giants with its countless arms. For the moment, it was holding its own.

However, Reficul’s current rank as the fake Celestial “Reficul” was only Level 2. That wasn’t enough to suppress a race born with such overwhelming strength for very long.

“Falsethy.”

“Yeees!”

I summoned the illusory version of myself.

“Go bother the giants. Keep running away. Make them as angry as possible.”

“My favorite thing! I’m off!”

The fake Karr flew away, then immediately began performing a frenzied dance in midair, drawing every bit of attention imaginable.

“…Cultist!”

“Kill the monster and the cultist!”

“Graaah!”

Now, the giants wouldn’t have time to worry about us for quite a while.

“Shall we go, my lord?”

“Indeed.”

Accompanying my dependable superior, I headed back toward Brightfeather.

While steadily flapping my wings, I activated [Friends Forever!].

—My daughter, where are you?

—Getting the fourth preparation item!

His telepathic voice arrived faintly from a great distance.

—But this is surprisingly confusing!

—Originally, it was an annoying puzzle that had to be solved through small clues.

One had to decipher the meanings hidden within geoglyphs drawn into the earth at different locations, arrange stones correctly, and add certain lines, remove others… It wasn’t exactly easy the first time.

Of course, once you knew the solution, it was nothing more than a memory test.

—We’ll come to you.

—Okay!

I immediately checked the compass. Bartimir was southeast of our current position.

“This way. We’ll need to move quickly. Would everyone mind riding on Bingbing?”

“Fweee!”

“He says yes!”

“Thank you very much, Sir Bingbing.”

“As repayment, would you like to hear the children’s song I composed called Smiley Golden Crow?”

“Fweet!”

“He says no!”

Having mercilessly rejected my offer, Bingbing shot southeast at incredible speed.

“You’ll need to turn slightly left here.”

“Fweee!”

“Explorer Karr. If we keep flying like this… Won’t we just end up looping around and appearing on the opposite side again as I did earlier?”

“If you adjust your flight path according to the proper rules… you’ll eventually reach a hidden place that can’t be accessed normally.”

“Ahhh!”

After giving directions for several turns, we eventually reached a place that looked distinctly different from everything we’d seen before.

The earth wasn’t entirely red. Patches of yellow are mixed throughout the plain. At its center lay a deep crater.

“This… is where the culprit responsible for the endlessly repeating wilderness is hiding.”

My demon daughter lay face down near the upper edge of a geoglyph inside the crater.

After concentrating intently, he spotted us and shouted,

“Wait a little! I’m almost done!”

The moment Bartimir carefully sprinkled red soil onto the eye of a bird-shaped figure…

Rumble…!

The center of the geoglyph split apart, and a small pillar rose from beneath the earth.

Resting atop its flat surface was a fan-shaped stone fragment.

 

[??? — Fragment of Division (1/4)]

[Gather and combine all four, and something wondrous seems likely to happen!]

 

“I got them all!”

Bartimir scampered up the sloped ground, then combined the final Fragment of Division with the three already stored in his pocket.

Click-click-click!

The fragments rattled together. Then merged into one.

A perfect circle. One could hardly imagine a more ideal shape.

“SirBartimir. Excellent work.”

“So it’s finished now?”

“Yes.”

A circle was regarded as the perfect geometric figure.

Personally, I preferred crooked polygons with no parallel sides whatsoever, but mathematicians and philosophers alike all seemed to agree and circles also symbolized the heavens.

Because heaven was a perfect realm where the gods dwelled.

“Would you hold it up toward the sky?”

“Like this?”

Bartimir raised the completed circle, then opened his eyes wide.

“…There’s only one tiny crack.”

“Exactly.”

I raised an arm and pointed toward a single spot in the sky.

“Sir Brightfeather?”

“…Y-Yes?”

“I have a very simple favor to ask.”

It truly wasn’t anything difficult.

“Please. Pierce the heavens with a single arrow.”