Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. – Chapter 199 – The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Tension

Author: Cireng

Chapter 199 – The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Tension

The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony, Finals.

The evening of the tournament’s first day.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this.”

The axe raised by the Tiger Beastman knight came crashing down upon the thigh of the Wood Elf druid.

Crunch.

“Ghk…!”

One of the Elf’s legs was severed, blood spraying in every direction.

Even so, the Elf explorer instantly created an arrow from leaves and fired it.

His body had been switched, meaning it wasn’t even one of the Mysteries he originally used.

Yet the ambush was executed with astonishing speed.

Ting!

However, that final desperate act of resistance, drawn forth with the last of his strength, was effortlessly blocked by the axe blade.

“A splendid attack.”

The Tiger Beastman picked up the severed leg, handed it back to its owner, then tore the bracelet from the Elf’s wrist.

Snap.

With that, the last remaining member of the Flower Garden Expedition had been eliminated.

“I made a clean cut. If it’s our Association’s healers they’ll have no trouble reattaching it perfectly… Are You satisfied now?”

Grinding his teeth, the explorer with only one remaining leg looked up.

“Sir Jerix! Does trampling your fellow Association members who strive toward the same goal finally make you feel better?!”

“No. It does not.”

Jerix the Invincible, currently occupying the body of the Level 8 Tiger Beastman knight Melsion, wore a bitter smile.

“I don’t take pleasure in this either. But it is something that must be done… For the sake of ultimate harmony.”

“…What meaning is there in harmony built upon blood and screams?! If You slaughter the innocent… humanity’s ancient hatred and prejudice will only deepen!”

“You’re right.”

Jerix slowly shook his head, meeting the moderate explorer’s eyes.

“That’s precisely why I must lead everything myself.”

“What do You…?”

“You’ve done well. Recover yourself now.”

Without another word, Jerix turned away, fastening the axe to his back before touching the wounds on his shoulder.

Blood continued dripping from injuries sustained during the battle with the Flower Garden Expedition.

“Fighting in someone else’s body certainly isn’t easy. Even so… there wasn’t the slightest flaw in your movements.”

An elderly Goblin, who had been waiting nearby, spoke respectfully.

The original owner of the body Jerix now occupied… Melsion.

The two explorers had exchanged bodies through Fateful Fortune.

“Were any of you injured? Other than yourself?”

“Hardly at all. However… Laon lost his bracelet.”

“…I’m sorry!”

The Eastern Continent Dwarf repeatedly bowed his head.

Jerix slowly waved a hand.

“It’s alright. We defeated an expedition composed entirely of veterans. The fact that only one of us was eliminated is an excellent result. Though… It’s somewhat disappointing that we seriously wounded only two executives.”

Among the Flower Garden Expedition they had just defeated, only two members held executive positions.

Far too few to tip the balance between the moderates and the hardliners.

“Hurry. Find another moderate expedition.”

“Yes!”

The Green Orc explorer, receiving guidance from the Lion Beastman who originally owned his body, focused his vision.

One of his eyes turned completely white. Strange, distorted characters appeared within it.

Spirit Eye. An eye capable of controlling and commanding spirits that still wandered the world after death.

“…Find the moderate explorers.”

“Keeeeee”

A bizarre sound echoed. The surrounding air rapidly grew colder.

Soon, forms visible only to those possessing souls of sufficient rank began rushing throughout the world.

“…Sir Jerix.”

While the spirits searched, a Troll explorer cautiously spoke.

“The Chairman realized our intentions. So why did he still allow the moderate expeditions to participate? He could’ve simply ignored the tournament entirely… and avoided taking such risks.”

It was a reasonable thought.

If one knew nothing about either the Chairman or Jerix.

“That kind of response… is no different from an idiot burying his head in the ground… pretending the crisis doesn’t exist.”

Jerix chuckled, opening and closing his hand.

“If this tournament ends accomplishing nothing… then I’ll simply wait for the next opportunity. On the other hand… if I truly give everything I have… and still fail… I’ll abandon the cause completely.”

“…Without continuing to lead us?”

“I have no wish to abandon my ideals. However… defeat is something I cannot permit. The moment the title of Invincible loses its meaning… every plan I’ve made becomes meaningless, and I become nothing more than an ordinary outlaw.”

Chairman Blackbeak understood that as well. Which was why he’d deployed the elite members of his own guild into the tournament.

“Besides… Blackbeak isn’t the sort of person who casually overlooks problems standing before him. If he discovers filth that needs cleaning… he’ll thoroughly eliminate it… and scrub the place spotless.”

Jerix, who absolutely could not fall, and the Chairman, who could never ignore a problem before him.

The battlefield where those two opposing natures collided was none other than the Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony.

“…I’ve found them, Sir Jerix.”

Before long, the Green Orc explorer spoke.

“They’re near World Tree Number Two.”

“Which expedition?”

“……”

He hesitated. That alone was enough for Jerix to understand.

“…Mek’s expedition?”

“…Yes.”

“Lead the way. We’re moving.”

“Yes!”

Watching the Green Orc walking ahead, Jerix tried desperately to suppress the memories pressing painfully against his heart.

“Father.”

Yet the harder he tried to push them away, the heavier they became.

“I… I’m carrying his child.”

“If you continue with your plans… You’ll never get to meet your grandchild.”

‘How laughable.’

He’d already prepared himself to walk willingly into hell if necessary. Yet his thoughts had become clouded by a child that hadn’t even been born.

No matter how he thought about it, there was only one explanation.

‘…Perhaps I’ve finally grown old.’

Even the Goblin known as the Invincible was, before his family, nothing more than a frail old man.

***

Before long, darkness settled over the world.

Night. The time most favored by an assassin of House Brites.

“Dark!, Dark!”

Furthermore, my Fresh Companion, the Crimson Death Rose, also became far livelier after sunset.

It was a species that performed photosynthesis beneath moonlight, not sunlight.

“Moonlight!, Moonlight!”

Rustle.

I allowed my precious companion to bloom upon my shoulder.

Having reached the Sixth Tier, its petals had become an even deeper crimson.

The flower proudly lifted its face toward the moon, guided by Selvaran.

Pour.

I took a watering can from the shadows and sprinkled water mixed with plant nutrients over it, while quietly observing our surroundings.

A silent forest, filled only with birdsong and the cries of insects.

Tall, slender houses built around the trunks of gigantic trees stood here and there.

The unique residential style found only in Floskere, the great forest-city.

“Mmmmm….”

At that moment, Astrimia, who had been standing still with her eyes closed, raised a hand, pointing toward one of the houses.

A circular home wraps itself around the tree like a spiral staircase. Fragrant blossoms bloomed all across its exterior.

“Oh!”

It was so beautiful that Perrin’s eyes sparkled as his wings fluttered excitedly.

“He’s inside that house!”

“…Are you sure?”

Pendrick, the impudent monster who never spoke politely to his Master, narrowed his eyes.

Apparently unconcerned that her own child lacked proper manners, Astrimia cheerfully hugged his muscular arm.

“What’s with that look? You doubt your Master?”

Ever since earlier, the Half-Elf captain had continuously been using the ceremonial sacred relic, Sky Invader, to locate One So Pure You’d Want to Defile Them.

Neuamshi. The great shaman maintaining the absurdly vast unique domain, Chaos Disturbance Field.

“Are You really certain this time?”

Marlin, who had removed Mask of Caprice because of the sweat from walking so long, asked cautiously.

“I am.”

“But Captain… You also said that before… And before that… And before that.”

“……”

Astrimia briefly looked up toward the sky, hidden behind thick branches.

After avoiding everyone’s gaze for a moment, she suddenly looked back at us and winked.

“You’re all so cruel! How can you doubt this captain… after seeing such beautiful looks?”

“……”

Marlin began fanning herself with Mask of Caprice.

“Well. I suppose it can’t be helped. I understand finding him is difficult.”

The Great Shaman Neuamshi’s hideout changed locations continuously in real time.

Unless one approached personally to verify it, finding him through Mysteries and tools alone was almost impossible.

“Now we’re close enough! Eyes That Perceive the Truth will pinpoint the exact location! Come on! Let’s go in! Fighting!”

Despite the Half-Elf captain’s enthusiastic encouragement, the atmosphere remained heavy.

Everyone except the captain… whose stamina overflowed endlessly… was utterly exhausted.

They had walked nonstop all day, fighting Blank Soldiers whenever they appeared.

“…Saved.”

“…Ugh.”

Only after entering the house, filled with a refreshing fragrance, did the members collapse onto the floor.

“Let’s see now….”

Seemingly incapable of tiring, Astrimia immediately began searching, assisted by Eyes That Perceive the Truth.

Cooling my sweat-soaked back, I quietly sat down in a chair beside the window.

“……”

I sensed a presence. Six people. Enough number that I were almost certain it was another expedition.

Just as we’d finally stopped to rest, our competitors had arrived.

“…Another expedition?”

The Half-Elf, who had just come downstairs, immediately stood after hearing my report.

“Are they coming toward us?”

“Yes.”

“…Then they must also be searching for Neuamshi. If that’s the case… they probably aren’t from the Association.”

“Why?”

Brightfeather asked.

Astrimia shrugged.

“The Hidden Piece Discovery objective is only worth thirty points. Association expeditions have no real reason to pursue it. Neither the hardliners nor the moderates care about winning this tournament.”

Which meant there was only one expedition likely to search for the Hidden Piece as we were.

The Fafnir Expedition.

The only neutral force in this tournament is led by the Dragonblood Fafnir.

“I suppose… we can’t simply hand Lord Neuamshi over to them.”

I nodded toward the Half-Elf captain.

“I’ll go take a look.”

“Please do!”

To an assassin of House Brites, darkness was a far more familiar friend than light.

Using Shadow Tribe, I entered the world of shadows and moved silently.

“……”

Above the shadows, I could see the Dragonblood captain, Fafnir.

I also saw the expedition members, their sturdy physiques belonging to races with outstanding physical abilities, including Werewolves.

“Hmm?, Hmm?”

The Crimson Death Rose suddenly let out a puzzled sound.

Although the world of shadows was treated as a separate dimension, I lowered my voice just in case.

“What is it?”

“Strange!, Strange!”

“How?”

“Same!, Same!”

I couldn’t understand.

Perhaps later, I should ask Little Sister Astrimia to find me a Mystery capable of reading plants’ thoughts.

For now, I carefully observed the Fafnir Expedition.

Then, I vaguely understood what the flower had meant.

‘…They’re identical.’

Every single one of them wore the same expression. None of them showed a trace of emotion.

No… their faces were filled with emptiness.

“Dangerous!, Dangerous!”

“Yes. They do seem dangerous.”

“Careful!, Careful!”

“I will.”

Just as I prepared to return to my companions…

Crunch.

Suddenly, orderly footsteps echoed through the forest. Around twenty of them.

Soon, their owners emerged one after another.

“……”

Blank Soldiers. The same enemies our expedition had fought countless times already.

However, mixed among them were Beastman Blank Soldiers wearing gas masks.

They wouldn’t be easy opponents.

“A perfect number.”

At last, the Dragonblood Fafnir, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, spoke.

Every member, including Barkkuk, the Werewolf I’d seen during the two-versus-two preliminary rounds, stared at the Imperial soldiers with exactly the same expression.

“……!”

The Imperial soldiers charged the Fafnir Expedition all at once. The battle that followed was utterly one-sided.

Crunch!

Slash.

Craaack!

Human and Beastman Blank Soldiers alike had their necks snapped, their waists severed, their bones crushed apart… all within moments.

The explorers of the Fafnir Expedition mercilessly butchered every enemy.

No one spoke.

Every face wore the exact same expression.

“Kuu….”

“Kiiii….”

Maengmaeng and Silsil, frightened, buried their faces against my body.