Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 189 - This Is How a Half-Elf Survives

Chapter 189 – This Is How a Half-Elf Survives

 

The fierce battle that had been unfolding came to an abrupt end with an unexpected surrender.

“No…”

“…Huh.”

Melsion stood there with his mouth hanging open, while Jerix, who had been watching from behind, narrowed his eyes.

This probably wasn’t the kind of victory he had wanted.

After all, wasn’t he fighting for the grand ideal of complete harmony among every race except humans?

Especially for someone like Jerix the Invincible, winning in such a trivial fashion was hardly something that preserved his dignity.

“……”

The heated audience also fell silent, as though a bucket of cold water had just been dumped over them.

Whether they cared or not, I stood up by myself and shouted through the silence.

“That was an incredible match!”

Fafnir glanced at me, then casually hoisted his unconscious teammate onto his back before leisurely leaving the arena.

Only after the Dragonblood had disappeared did the spectators begin whispering again.

“…What was that?”

“Couldn’t he have held out a little longer?”

“Man, what a letdown.”

Even Perrin couldn’t hide his disappointment, frowning deeply.

“He seems to lack determination. Wouldn’t someone like that qualify as a ‘person it’s okay to beat up’?”

“No.”

“Understood….”

“And giving up was actually the wiser decision.”

“Why?”

I gently lifted Perrin’s chin, guiding his gaze toward the scoreboard.

Following where I pointed, Perrin tilted his head.

 

> [6th Place — Jerix & Melsion (Invincible Expedition) (850 Points)]

> [7th Place — Fafnir & Barkkuk (Fafnir Expedition) (840 Points)]

 

“That Dragonblood just now placed seventh, and yet even the Tiger Beastman and Goblin he fought only placed sixth.”

“How is that possible…?”

“Because the combat preliminaries aren’t about winning. They’re about demonstrating how well you fight. Sir Fafnir proved his abilities during that short exchange.”

He hadn’t been overwhelmed despite facing opponents whose souls were of a higher rank than his own.

He had even gained the upper hand for a brief moment using mysterious techniques whose principles were difficult to comprehend.

Naturally, that earned him a high score.

“He’d already earned enough points. There was no reason to continue fighting. The finals are tomorrow. Why waste unnecessary energy?”

“…A cowardly strategy.”

Perrin stared toward the direction where Fafnir had disappeared, clearly dissatisfied.

I patted the muscular monster’s broad shoulder before standing up.

“We’ve seen everything we came to see. Let’s go.”

“Will Master’s expedition qualify?”

“Of course.”

I looked once more at the names proudly displayed on the scoreboard.

 

> [3rd Place — Dmirik & Rosalia / Moonlight Expedition (920 Points)]

 

Third place. A result worthy of my expectations.

— Captain, we’re done over here!

Not long afterward, a familiar fabricated voice echoed inside my head.

Now that [Transformation] had reached the Fifth Tier, real-time communication across long distances had become possible.

— We got 930 points and placed fourth! First place went to some guy called Wonderbeak who’s gotten a bit famous lately.

— Good work. Come back.

— Yes, sir!

The fabricated being, who had been far away in the underground district, returned through my left eye.

At the same time, an image entered my mind… Marlin and Brightfeather embracing one another in joy after becoming the fourth team to escape the cube-shaped escape-room subspace.

“Perfect.”

Moonlight Expedition. Qualified for the finals of the Grand Interracial Unity Festival.

 

***

 

The lodging district inside the Interracial Association headquarters.

The luxury inn Sleeping Piglet.

Together with the expedition members who had all performed brilliantly in the preliminaries, I was enjoying our final banquet before the finals.

“At last. Tomorrow is the day.”

Taking a sip of warm milk instead of alcohol, I spoke.

“Everyone has memorized each other’s Mysteries and combat styles, correct?”

The B-Rank Labyrinth, Final Stand.

The finals would take place inside the labyrinth where expedition members swapped minds with one another.

“No matter whose body you end up occupying… you’ll need to adapt as quickly as possible. Now that we understand each other much better than before… it shouldn’t be overly difficult.”

Our strategy was simple.

Trust one another. Adapt quickly.

At least, that was our current strategy.

“If you awkwardly stumble around… an unfortunate accident may occur.”

Marlin, who had been diligently eating meat, looked at me.

“What kind of accident?”

“If someone dies while inhabiting another person’s body… the original owner of that body will be forced to continue living in the wrong one.”

“In fact… There are even famous explorers in Pletica who’ve spent the rest of their lives trapped inside someone else’s body.”

“…Ugh.”

Shaking her head vigorously, Marlin glanced toward Perrin, who sat beside her, tearing into meat with his bare hands.

“This person… His name was Perrin, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right. He’s a child I personally gave birth to. So please treat him kindly.”

“……”

“Why are you making that face?”

I gasped dramatically, wearing the expression of a horrified Half-Elf.

“Surely… you’re not planning to pinch him mercilessly under the excuse of disciplining someone younger… verbally abuse him… and even starve him?”

“…Why are you being so specific?”

“Personal experience.”

“For someone with amnesia… You certainly remember that well.”

“I dream about it often.”

“I see….”

Marlin exchanged an odd look with Iquiril.

“You all did great, friends.”

Mek, who had joined our celebration, raised his drink.

“We all somehow made it into the finals. To commemorate the occasion… would you care to enjoy an extremely intimate dance of love?”

“…I’ll pass.”

“Aww, why?”

“The finals are tomorrow. I can’t waste my energy doing weird things.”

Grinning, Mek slid a note across the table toward me.

“Here’s the list of finalists.”

I immediately picked it up and quickly scanned the contents.

Once I’d finished, I understood why Mek looked so pleased.

“The hardliners only have two expedition teams.”

Jerix’s Invincible Expedition and Night Noble Expedition, led by a high-ranking vampire explorer.

Everyone else belonged either to the moderates or remained neutral.

“Meanwhile… the moderates have three teams, including ours! And if we count your expedition too… that makes four!”

Mek happily tapped the table with his glass.

“The neutral teams include Hyena Expedition… and Fafnir Expedition. The Hyenas belong to a guild led by a friend of mine. They’re basically moderates as well.”

Although Pierre was technically an outlaw, during this tournament, he could safely be considered a moderate explorer.

At the very least, his ideals were far less extreme than Jerix’s.

“……”

Rosalia, who had previously fought alongside Pierre, glanced at me before slowly shaking her head.

Clearly, she regretted not being able to become friends with Pierre herself.

“And the Fafnir Expedition… is probably only interested in the tournament prize.”

“Really? That’s actually good news.”

“That Dragonblood… Fafnir or whatever his name was… looked incredibly dangerous. It would’ve been troublesome if he’d been a hardliner.”

Honestly, Fafnir might deserve even more caution than an ordinary hardliner.

He was simply that extraordinary an alchemist.

“So… that gives us five moderate expeditions… and only two hardliner expeditions.”

“Excellent! Kihihihit!”

Pierre, who had entered the tournament at my request.

And Fafnir, who had become an unexpected variable.

Thanks to those two, only two hardliner teams had advanced to the finals.

Originally, without any preparation, this tournament always heavily favored the hardliners.

“In that case… during the finals… all we need to do is eliminate the twelve hardliner explorers… including Sir Jerix.”

“Exactly!”

Mek loudly crunched into a cucumber.

“Father probably won’t give up. He’ll likely devise another plan. But at least… We’ll be safe for a while.”

“I understand. That’s good news.”

I stood up, stretching my body.

“Karr? Where are you going?”

“Where indeed?”

I decided to answer with actions rather than words.

“Perrin. Come.”

First, I slightly lifted my shirt, revealing my flat abdomen that stubbornly refused to gain any fat.

“I understand.”

Bowing respectfully, Perrin placed his hand against my stomach.

“Grrrrrr…!”

The enormous Beastman was instantly absorbed into my body.

“…You can actually carry that friend around inside you?”

“That’s right. Isn’t it fascinating?”

Since creatures born through Catastrophic Upheaval were subordinate to me, I could keep them inside my body.

“Swoooosh♪”

Making the sound effect myself, I activated [Transformation].

My appearance changed. Into a small, compact goblin.

“…What exactly are you trying to do?”

“Sir Mek. Just trust me.”

I raised the goblin equivalent of a thumbs-up… the thumb on one of my four fingers.

“I’ll have a conversation with Sir Jerix… and try convincing him to abandon his plans.”

From here onward, everything would be completely improvised.

 

***

 

District 5 contained many different natural environments.

Illegal reproductions of landscapes taken almost directly from the real Eastern Continent.

Because of spatial limitations, everything was naturally much smaller than the originals.

Still, thanks to spatial artifacts, they were large enough for people to enjoy peaceful country living.

Crackle…

As I walked alone away from Association headquarters, static electricity danced near my collarbone. A sophisticated pout from the Exalted One.

Placing a hand over the lightning tattoo, I whispered.

“Su’eje. Please permit me to be an unfaithful cultist… for just today.”

Crackle!

“Hm? In exchange… You want me to honor my promise from when I absorbed the Kraken Soulstone… twice over?”

Back then, I’d promised to wear whatever outfit He desired and do whatever He wished.

I’d secretly hoped to let that promise expire through the power of forgetfulness, but apparently He had been eagerly waiting all this time.

Well, considering I was practically the only active cultist of the Filthy Sky, it made sense He’d been looking forward to it.

“Very well. Let’s do that.”

Keeping my hand over my collarbone, I quietly continued.

“The day after the finals… I’ll declare it ‘Dress Up Cute Little Karr Day.’ We’ll do it once then… and once more after that.”

Crackle…!

The deal was struck.

[I’m already nervous and excited imagining what kind of appearance you’ll end up with. The Wise One grumbles that there’s no reason to indulge filthy Su’eje’s request!]

“Hm. In that case… to be fair… I’ll grant each of the other Evil Gods one wish as well. After all… when it comes to faith… I’m an exceptionally generous and promiscuous cultist.”

Wriggle…

The Silent One requested something rather unrealistic: ‘Create one thousand corpses in a single day….’

“Ah! We’ve arrived. So our conversation will have to end here.”

My destination had finally come into view.

Dew Meadow. A grassy plain with a gently flowing stream.

It was the same field we’d once visited while conquering Cherry Cherry Hill.

“To ensure a smooth performance… please observe proper theater etiquette… and quietly enjoy my lovely behavior for a while.”

Politely asking them to watch the corpse, I inspected my appearance one final time.

Short limbs, closer to a dwarf or gnome than a human or elf.

Green skin, the same color as the meadow stretching before me.

The appearance of a goblin… a race found across all three continents.

“Truthy. How do I look?”

 

[Even in the appearance of an ugly goblin, your beauty still shines. That’s partly thanks to your meticulous transformation, though surely [Dark Clouds Rumble] also played a role.]

 

[Dark Clouds Rumble]. The Mystery that subtly altered my appearance in ways favorable to me.

Combined with my Charm stat, it increased the success rate of deception, seduction, fraud, and similar actions.

Lightly nodding, I covered my mouth as I smiled.

“Hehe. Thank you for the kind answer… Sir Eyes That Whisper Falsehoods .”

[:/]

After dismissing Truthy’s peculiar reaction with a wave, I walked lightly across the field.

Toward the enormous tree standing proudly in the center of the meadow.

“…Huh?”

As I approached, a goblin lounging across one of the thick branches while eating a sandwich let out a foolish noise.

Smiling gracefully, I politely bowed.

“Good day. I came because I’d like to visit the Goblin Hometown Association meeting grounds.”

The Goblin Hometown Association.

Exactly as its name implied, it was a gathering place where all goblins belonging to the Association came together.

Naturally, its chairman was none other than Great Chieftain Jerix the Invincible.

“……”

“Excuse me… Is something wrong?”

Only after I tilted my head and asked whether the goblin hurriedly jumped down from the tree.

[Grez, Caretaker of the Goblin Hometown Association Meeting Grounds (Goblin, 24). Ugly.]

“…My apologies.”

Landing lightly on the grass, Grez immediately recovered his composure, offering me a horn hanging from his belt with both hands like a perfect gentleman.

“Welcome. Our Goblin Hometown Association welcomes every goblin equally, without discrimination.”

“Then… May I enter right away?”

“Of course. If you blow this horn… the entrance will open. You only need to blow lightly, there’s no need to use much force.”

“Thank you for the kind explanation.”

I responded with a simple smile… without adding any extra flirtatious tricks.

Grez instantly froze, as though he’d been turned to stone.

Finding the reaction pleasing, I couldn’t help smiling a little more brightly.

At once, the goblin’s already rigid face became noticeably flushed… proof that a certain emotion had overflowed far beyond what his heart could contain.

“Are you alright? You aren’t feeling sick, are you?”

“N-No!”

Pretending not to notice, I stepped closer, meeting his eyes.

Grez flinched violently. But after quickly regaining his composure, he smiled with all the confidence of a suave gentleman.

“The fragrance of the flower that is you… It is simply too intoxicating for me. For a moment… my vision nearly blurred.”

Wink.

A wink from someone obviously overflowing with confidence in his own appearance.

“……”

For a split second, I almost broke through the control of [Transformation]… whose Fifth Tier had strengthened its effects while also increasing the risk of my personality blending with the disguise, and revealed my true self.

How terrifying you are, Grez.

Fortunately, I was already immune to shameless flirting that ignored the other person’s feelings.

Without changing my expression, I immediately counterattacked.

“Hehe. What an interesting person you are.”

Tap.

My trump card. Lightly touching someone while smiling.

“…Ah.”

The goblin’s confident expression was finally overwhelmed by a full-scale invasion of crimson. Grez had fallen.

[:O]

Not long afterward, Truthy displayed words I couldn’t have welcomed more.

[Astonishment — A martial Mystery has manifested within your body: [Half-Elf Survival Techniques]….]

At last. I’d finally obtained it.

The martial Mystery born from the sorrow of a Half-Elf who’d had no choice but to rely on his one and only strength… his beauty… to survive.

 

[Martial Mystery — Half-Elf Survival Techniques]

[The art of seduction that makes use of a Half-Elf’s sole strength: beauty. Increases the Charm stat by 3 and grants tremendous bonuses to every form of seduction.]

 

Every coquettish smile, every cute little pout, every act of playful charm up until now… had all been for the sake of mastering Half-Elf Survival Techniques.

[To master a martial Mystery entirely on your own, this easily! The Wise One is amazed!]

“I’ll be going in now. Take care.”

I gently waved goodbye to the grinning goblin, then raised the horn to my lips.

Poooooo!

Operation: Recklessly Persuade Them for Okail, commence.