Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. – Chapter 18 – Dark Clouds Rumble, Rumble

Author: Cireng

Chapter 18 – Dark Clouds Rumble, Rumble

Meterd, the God of Nature and Abundance.

A deity who ranked around third among the camp of the benevolent gods.

He had originally possessed authority on the level of a chief deity, but his standing had declined somewhat.

The reason was his characteristically petty personality, with Fertilizer Sprout, the curse inflicted upon elves who worship evil gods, being the most representative example.

【Pretty one, I can’t quite see. Could you lift it a little higher?】

Without a word, I pulled my shirt all the way up. Sue’je let out a hearty laugh before speaking with interest.

【Fertilizer Sprout. The curse the God of Nature places upon elves who worship evil gods, right? You’re asking for a Mystery that can bypass the side effects it causes.】

I hadn’t even explained my situation yet, and he had already guessed correctly.

That was because this wasn’t his first time dealing with something like this.

【Honestly, Meterd is so narrow-minded. When preaching his doctrine, he acts like some magnanimous god who embraces everyone with the vastness of nature, but when it comes to things like this, he immediately puts on a stern face and starts punishing people.】

“You’re absolutely right.”

[The Wise One nods, saying that the filthiest of the evil gods has, for once, spoken the truth.]

The evil gods had achieved a miraculous moment of unity.

It was teamwork that only manifested when they were criticizing the benevolent gods.

【That’s why all the beastfolk abandoned his faith and left. I seriously want to fry his mouth with lightning.】

Although Sue’je boldly continued his insults with unmistakable malice and resentment, he spoke in little more than a whisper.

It was the survival instinct of the only evil god who had swallowed his pride and accepted reality.

【…Let’s stop talking behind his back here. If Meterd somehow overheard us, our already tiny group of followers might end up targets of an inquisition.】

“You’re right. Considering the difference in your standings is probably several thousandfold, it’s best to keep a low profile.”

【Several thousand? What are you talking about? In terms of followers, it’s at least tens of thousands of times!】

Chuckling over that unfortunate fact, Sue’je soon spoke again in a serious tone.

【Pretty one, I’ll leave before that petty god starts eavesdropping on us. I’ll also grant the Mystery you wanted, so use it well. I don’t need to explain how to make use of it, do I?】

“Who do you think your cultist is? Of course I know.”

【You adorable thing!】

Crack.

Another small tattoo appeared beneath the magnificent lightning emblem.

[Second-Tier Mystery – Dark Clouds Rumble]

[Enhances another attribute by half of the amount that an ability score has been reduced for various reasons.]

A passive skill that increased one stat by half the amount another stat had been reduced.

It was a Mystery capable of exploiting the mechanics of Fertilizer Sprout, a curse that permanently reduced Strength and Agility to 1.

Since it was only a Second-Tier Mystery, it could only apply to either Strength or Agility.

Even so, it was one of the core components of the Immortal Cultist build.

【No matter how blue and clear the sky may be, it’s meaningless once dark clouds gather!】

With those satisfied words, Sue’je’s presence making electricity crackle across my entire body finally disappeared.

“So it’s over.”

Marlin immediately realized the ritual had ended and began wiping down the altar, which had become slightly stained with the Black Sword Guild leader’s blood.

“What kind of Mystery did you receive this time?”

“The King of the Defiled Skies, Lord Sue’je, bestowed upon me a truly excellent Mystery.”

Following the instructions for Dark Clouds Rumble, which had just settled into my mind, I spread both hands and concentrated.

Crackle!

The newly engraved tattoo tingled, and lightning of two different natures flickered over each of my hands.

When I pressed my palms together, strange electricity flowed through my bloodstream before being absorbed into the tattoo.

‘Did it work?’

I needed to confirm it.

I’d been waiting for this moment.

I cleared my throat quietly.

“Status window.”

“Huh?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

I expected it to appear instantly.

Instead, my right eye still inexperienced at this sort of work hesitated for a moment before displaying several lines of text.

[Cultist of Twisted Truth, Kar ??? (Level 1)]

> Strength 1 / Vitality 3 (Increased!) / Agility 1

> Dexterity 2 / Senses 3 / Charm 20

> Knowledge ?? / Wisdom 19 / Faith 15

[Mysteries Possessed — [Eyes That Perceive the Truth ], [Web That Binds All Things], [Ghoul’s Mobility], [Veil That Defers Wounds], and the two lackey Mysteries bestowed by Sue’je.]

It was easier to read than last time.

Still, there was plenty of room for improvement.

“Eighty points.”

“Keep working on it.”

[:-/]

[If you abandon your faith in Sue’je, I shall strive even harder. If you refuse, I shall slack off instead.]

I dispersed the utterly ridiculous threat with a wave of my hand before checking my stats.

Because of Fertilizer Sprout, my already abysmal Strength and Agility had completely bottomed out.

Meanwhile, Dark Clouds Rumble converted half of my lost 2 Agility into 1 Vitality, raising it accordingly.

For now, the increase was rather pitiful.

But there was no need to be impatient.

This Mystery was a slow starter that truly shined in the late game.

‘And I still have Ghoul’s Mobility, too.’

Satisfied, I dismissed the status window and left the basement with the children.

Abel brought over a cup of fragrant tea from the kitchen.

“Patron, does that mean all we have to do now is wait for them to contact us?”

“Contact? You mean that young master you met at the library?”

“Yeah. My patron agreed to clear dungeons together with him. A really powerful assassin is joining us too.”

Marlin, who had been nibbling on the leftover meat from yesterday’s dinner, opened her eyes wide.

“An assassin? Kar, isn’t that the same Rogue class as me?”

“Looks like making you study wasn’t a waste after all.”

“…Don’t tell me… You’re planning to ditch me and form an expedition with that assassin instead?”

“How did you figure it out?”

I calmly answered while sipping my tea.

A moment later, Marlin’s wildly shaking pupils returned to normal.

“So you weren’t.”

“I was.”

“Figures.”

“How can you openly mock your patron like that?”

“Then explain things properly if you want my respect.”

“I don’t particularly want it, so you can just stay quiet.”

“…”

I leisurely endured Marlin’s glare for quite some time before kindly getting to the point.

“Simply put, a thief is a jack-of-all-trades. An assassin, on the other hand, is an important class that wins battles by taking the enemy’s life at the decisive moment.”

“Why is my class the only one that gets such a lazy explanation?”

“And the attendant serving the young master whom Abel and I met yesterday is an elf possessing perhaps the greatest talent imaginable as an assassin.”

Among Rogue-class companions, Rosalia was unquestionably considered top-tier.

Outstanding potential.

Excellent starting stats.

Exceptional cost-efficiency, growing rapidly even with minimal investment.

She was a remarkably capable assassin.

However, because she spoke so little that becoming close to her was practically impossible, she had one fatal flaw.

She was difficult to truly trust and rely upon as a teammate.

“Then at least when it comes to teamwork and cooperation, I’m the better explorer!”

I vigorously ruffled Marlin’s hair as she puffed herself up over such a trivial point.

“If her master gives an order, she’ll obey it absolutely. So if we build a relationship of complete trust with Young Master Odilon, you’ll eventually be able to form strong bonds with her as a professional explorer too.”

“…Getting close to that young master doesn’t sound easy.”

Remembering Odilon’s unbearably arrogant performance during our last meeting, Abel frowned.

“It won’t be easy. He views all relationships as either ‘connections destined to fall apart someday’ or ‘temporary alliances.'”

A young master with severely lacking interpersonal skills.

Fortunately for me, after countless repeated attempts, I’d already mastered the method of raising his affection.

‘One run should be enough.’

A single dungeon expedition was all it would take to shatter Odilon’s overwhelming distrust of others.

***

The next morning, while the air was still chilly.

“…”

Having unintentionally woken earlier than usual, I found myself lying in bed, engaged in a staring contest.

My opponent possessed vivid crimson eyes.

It was Rosalia, the assassin who had climbed through the second-floor window before sunrise and now silently stood by it, staring at me without saying a word.

“What brings you here?”

As expected, no answer came.

“Could you at least close the window first? It’s cold.”

Rosalia obediently did as requested before resuming her silent gaze.

‘What on earth is she thinking?’

She was such an extremely taciturn elf that even I didn’t truly understand her personality.

The other veteran players were probably no different.

“Did the young master send you?”

Nod.

Rosalia answered with nothing more than a small nod.

For some reason, I felt strangely moved.

At least she responded with gestures.

“Would it be alright if I slept a little longer? I’m still tired.”

“…”

“Understood. Then please head downstairs first. The children are still asleep.”

The silent elf quietly followed me downstairs, passing by the bed where the siblings lay sleeping peacefully side by side.

This reflected the existence of [Rapid Judgment], the trait that caused Rosalia to follow any instruction she deemed reasonable.

It was the greatest distinction between her and other assassins.

There was a reason I’d singled her out as my preferred dungeon companion.

No matter how capable someone was, a stubborn person who refused to listen to others would eventually get the entire expedition wiped out.

“Please have some.”

I handed her the tea Abel had made.

Rosalia stared blankly at it for a moment before lowering her mask slightly and taking a sip.

“Well?”

“…”

The corners of her eyes curved upward ever so slightly.

That much probably counted as expressing satisfaction.

“I’m glad. Don’t you think most elves would enjoy this?”

Without replying, Rosalia rummaged through her clothes and placed something onto the dining table.

It was a smooth, flat, semicircular object made of blue metal.

[Artifact — Connecting Fragment]

[An artifact that comes as a pair. It allows two people to converse regardless of distance.]

As someone possessing at least average learning ability, I didn’t ask the clichéd question, “How do you use this?” knowing no answer would come anyway.

After waiting for a moment, my eternal partner kindly explained instead.

[Project your will into it, and it will connect you with the other party.]

As expected of my right eye.

The explanation was rather vague, so I fumbled a bit.

Still, it was helpful enough for me to successfully activate the artifact.

— Kar, Cultist of Twisted Truth.

— I have found a dungeon suitable for evaluating whether we are worthy of cooperating with one another.

True to the young master’s terrible personality, he skipped any greeting and went straight to business.

— [Earth Elf’s Tomb].

— I’d like to make that our destination.

— What do you think?

Just as I’d expected.