Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 201 - Interracial Grand Harmony Festival – Total Chaos (2)

Chapter 201: Interracial Grand Harmony Festival – Total Chaos (2)

 

“They’re taking far too long.”

The heart of Floskere.

Near the great lake, where one could admire up close the majestic No. 2 World Tree towering high enough to seem as though it pierced the heavens, six explorers concealed themselves.

The Night Nobility Expedition. An elite hardline expedition led by the Level 8 explorer Adrian.

“It seems we’ve arrived a little too early.”

Expedition Captain Adrian, currently possessing the body of one of his companions, leisurely sipped what looked like blood-red grape juice with a smile.

“It is only because we are excessively superior.”

“Exactly, hehehe.”

“Ahem. Don’t laugh so vulgarly.”

Every member of the Night Nobility Expedition shared the same class: Blood Warrior.

Under the tournament rules, their races all had to be different, but thanks to Adrian’s Mystery, [Bloodline], he could transform everyone’s bodies into those of vampires.

Moreover, their Mysteries were also completely identical, making them arguably the expedition with the greatest advantage.

“Honestly, it’s almost disappointing.”

The elf explorer, despite his elegant appearance, spoke in a thoroughly underhanded tone.

“If this were a real tournament, we’d have won in a landslide!”

“It can’t be helped. The greater cause is more important than our personal gains.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Hehehe.”

“…Everyone, please stop speaking so crudely!”

Just as Captain Adrian was paying more attention to his companions’ manner of speech than the conversation itself…

Flap-flap-flap!

One of the bats scouting around the lake flew back and reported through ultrasonic cries.

“They’ve arrived.”

Adrian immediately sprang to his feet…

Then hurriedly sat back down before rising again slowly and gracefully.

The other members followed suit, each awkwardly trying to stand with elegant dignity.

“Come, my Night Nobles.”

Fwoosh!

All six members beat the crimson wings sprouting from their backs and flew toward the location where the other expedition had been spotted.

It was now night, when Solmiran’s influence had weakened. The perfect time for vampires to move about confidently, with nothing to fear.

“Good evening.”

Adrian, the first to arrive, landed with impeccable elegance.

The expedition approaching from the direction of the great lake was not affiliated with the Interracial Association.

“You all are… um… ah. Hey, what was it again?”

As Adrian nudged the demon attendant beside him with his elbow, his companions silently mouthed, “Nobility! Nobility!” causing him to hurriedly correct himself.

“Dragu. Do you remember the name of that beastkin expedition?”

“Ummm…”

“‘Ahem.'”

“Hehehe… It was the Hyena Expedition.”

“Ah, that’s right. Now I remember.”

To be honest, they weren’t worth worrying about. After all, they had barely passed the preliminaries with a poor score.

“I have little interest in explorers unaffiliated with the Association, but as one of the Night Nobility, I cannot simply ignore those who have steeled themselves to participate in this tournament.”

With a refined gesture, Adrian formed crimson claws of blood.

“Come at us with everything you’ve got. Please… do try not to disappoint us.”

“Oh?”

The youthful-looking rabbit beastkin standing at the front of the Hyena Expedition scratched his head with the handle of his axe before stepping forward.

“A vampire, huh? Nice to meet you.”

“…”

He had merely spoken. Yet in that instant, Adrian felt an overwhelmingly intense survival instinct… the sort a vampire almost never experienced.

‘…What the hell is this guy?!’

He was terrified.

The pressure and atmosphere surrounding the rabbit beastkin evoked an instinctive, biological fear. It was as though the very concept of slaughter had taken human form.

“…Everyone.”

At Adrian’s signal, his companions solemnly ignited blood in their palms.

“Be careful. They’re no ordinary opponents.”

They were formidable enemies. Perhaps even more troublesome than any of the moderate expeditions.

“…Heh.”

The youthful rabbit beastkin chuckled softly and leveled his axe.

“I’ll warn you in advance. If you don’t fight with everything you’ve got, you might be in danger. The killing intent that boils inside me every single day is difficult even for me to suppress.”

 

***

 

“U… urrgh…”

The blood-soaked werewolf writhed on the ground like an insect.

“Shut up.”

It was making too much noise, so I cut off its tongue. While I was at it, I tore open its mouth as well.

Much quieter now.

“You should’ve just backed off after being eliminated.”

I smiled as I shoved the severed tongue back into its mouth.

“This is self-defense.”

I was threatened. I’m merely returning what I was given.

Thunk!

I drove my dagger into the back of its neck. There was no need to worry about killing it.

Werewolves were an almost-immortal race with extraordinary toughness.

Besides, because of Jerix, the Association President had brought every healer in the Association into the Labyrinth.

Even if I left it on the verge of death, they’d restore it completely.

Crunch…

Slowly dragging my dagger down along its spine, I carved out a river of blood.

“Heh… hehh…”

This wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

I thrust my hand into its wound and directly forced the Crimson Death Rose’s Burn Poison inside.

A poison obtained when [Refreshing Companion] reached the Sixth Tier… It inflicted agonizing, searing pain.

“UOOOO… OOO…!”

The werewolf’s movements gradually slowed.

Yet it still seemed to have some strength left, so I repeatedly used [Extreme: Pierce], punching three holes through its back.

Hmm.

In that case, maybe it’s more like a pretzel than a donut.

Well, it seemed sufficiently “educated” now, so I casually kicked it forward.

Thud.

A fittingly loud sound for such a massive body. Everything suddenly became quiet.

When I looked around, everyone was staring at me.

“…Grr…?”

Wolf Pendrick let out a low growl.

Naturally, I couldn’t understand what it meant.

“Oh…”

Despite one of his own members being brutalized, Dragonblood Fafnir merely regarded me with interest.

Whatever.

I wiped the blood from around my eyes before leisurely grinding the fallen werewolf’s head beneath my foot.

“…”

What a shame. I wanted to keep going.

I wanted to hear more desperate screams and cries.

I wanted to devote my entire mind to the sensation of splitting muscle and tearing flesh.

Not enough. I’m thirsty. So thirsty… Just a little more.

‘…No.’

Unable to stop my trembling hands, I began carving into the fallen werewolf once more.

Then, suddenly… An unfamiliar voice echoed inside my head.

‘You promised me… that you’d live an ordinary life, just like everyone else…’

Who are you? Why are you interfering with me?

Who are you… to speak with such bittersweet tenderness?

Crunch.

I don’t know.

Ignoring the voice, I plunged my dagger into the werewolf’s side.

“UOOO…!”

Its agonized scream made my heart pound.

Stimulation. The stimulation that made my withered heart beat. My heart thundered louder than ever before.

Thunk.

I stabbed my dagger into one of its thighs, a place I’d barely touched yet.

Just as I was about to carve away a huge chunk of flesh along with the fur… That unfamiliar voice rang through my head again.

‘You said that once we got proper jobs out in society, we’d all go to the beach together… the three of us…’

Why do you keep stopping me?

I don’t even know who you are.

I don’t want to know.

I violently shook my head and gripped the dagger with both hands.

Even if I cut off its thigh now, Jerix had done similar things. Surely I wouldn’t be reprimanded too harshly.

Besides, it wasn’t a serious wound for an immortal werewolf anyway.

“…This really won’t do.”

Pendrick, now back in his wolf beastkin form, approached while lightly shaking his head.

Then he grabbed both of my arms.

“Hmm.”

Fafnir and the others had already stopped attacking. They were simply watching me.

“That’s enough.”

“Let go.”

“I can’t. No matter how much they crossed the line first, isn’t this going too far?!”

“…”

The blazing heat coursing through my body began to cool.

A mere monster was lecturing me? How dare it.

Slash.

I severed the wrist of the monster holding my hand.

“…Ghk?!”

Pendrick clutched his severed wrist as he staggered backward. Like his master, the wound regenerated almost immediately.

Even so, he no longer dared approach me recklessly.

“You need some education. So you’ll never try lecturing me again.”

I stepped on the shadow beneath my feet.

Instantly appearing behind the monster, I swung my dagger.

[Extreme: Severance].

A crimson arc carved through empty space as the dagger slashed across Pendrick’s back.

“…Hng!”

But he immediately swung his arm backward.

Crunch!

The blow struck the back of my hand. I was sent flying.

The instant I hit the ground, I slipped directly into the shadows without even changing my fallen posture.

“Whiiine…”

“Squeee…”

Maengmaeng and Silsil rubbed themselves against me as though begging us not to fight.

‘No, don’t!’

Even the Crimson Death Rose tried to stop me.

I ignored them.

I didn’t care what things that weren’t even human had to say.

‘…Please don’t.’

Then that mysterious child’s voice echoed once more.

“…Who the hell are you?”

Why? Ever since earlier, my hands had kept trembling.

My vision was growing blurrier.

I forcefully shook my head, driving away the voice that was slowly filling my mind, before moving behind Pendrick again.

Crunch!

After landing a spinning kick into his side, I hurled the dreamlike shuriken that had formed in my hand toward his broad back.

[Phantasmal Shuriken].

A Mystery that revived painful memories from the past. No matter how newly born a monster was, forcing it to relive its past should freeze it for at least a moment.

“…This might hurt a little.”

But instead of freezing… Pendrick immediately turned around and threw a punch.

Crunch!

The tremendous force struck my solar plexus. I was helplessly launched backward into the trunk of a giant tree.

For a moment, I nearly lost consciousness.

“…Urgh.”

I barely managed to regain my senses and stood, about to step into the shadows again… But Pendrick rushed over.

He shoved both hands against my shoulders, pinning me against the tree.

He was so unbelievably strong that even after I scattered poison powder, he didn’t budge an inch.

“…Let go.”

“…”

“I said, let go!”

I repeatedly kicked the monster’s body.

Ignoring it, Pendrick stared silently at me for a moment before quietly speaking.

“1228.”

A number. Just four meaningless digits.

The moment those seemingly insignificant numbers reached my ears…

“…Ah… ah.”

A single memory flooded my mind.

The mountain behind the neighborhood on the day the daylight snow had fallen.

The day I found Yoonji’s pitiful corpse.

December 28th.

The day I embraced her buried body… For the first and last time in my life…

I wept uncontrollably.

“…Captain?”

“…Sir Pendrick.”

All strength left my body as I slumped.

“I’m sorry.”

Unable to meet his eyes, I lowered my gaze.

“What you just witnessed… is my true nature.”

I had been born a broken half of a person.

Without blood, screams, and suffering, my withered heart simply wouldn’t function.

Since I thought it wouldn’t suit the image of an assassin, I’d deliberately asked for my memories from before arriving in this world to be sealed away.

But it had been too much.

“…Even if you’re disappointed, I have no excuse.”

The disappointment, fear… Or even hostility… Of someone once close to me.

Those weren’t unfamiliar feelings.

“…”

Pendrick, still in his wolf beastkin form, silently released me.

“Captain.”

His voice called to me. There was a faint laugh mixed into it.

When I cautiously raised my head, I saw the bright smile unique to that super-genius swordsman.

“Why would I be disappointed? It was nothing more than a common ‘accident’ that happened during an expedition. Wasn’t it?”

“…”

Pendrick truly was on another level. Who else could smile so warmly at the very person who had cut off their hand?

“Everyone makes mistakes. This time, it just happened to be your turn.”

“…Is this how you managed to win Lady Astrimia’s heart as well?”

The moment I forced the corner of my lips upward and made that pointless joke…

Flutter.

A jade-colored butterfly suddenly emerged from my body and melted into my mind.

Then the scenery of that day expanded.

Things I had never seen before came into view.

“…Ha.”

Why had I only remembered now?

Why hadn’t I recalled it until this moment?

‘Let’s find them.’

A hand resting on my shoulder.

That voice, finally returning to me with perfect clarity.

That day… I hadn’t found Yoonji alone.

‘Let’s find the bastard responsible.’

The hand on my shoulder trembled.

Back then, I’d thought they were trembling with rage.

But that wasn’t it.

They weren’t suppressing anger.

They were suppressing laughter.

‘Let’s avenge Yunji.’

The “Second”… the one who had killed Yunji… Kept speaking while his shoulders trembled ever so slightly.

Wearing a grief-stricken expression. An expression as though he were mourning the loss of his precious younger sister.

 

***

 

Flutter, flutter, flutter.

“Ahahahahaha!”