Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 205 - The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Finale (1)

Chapter 205 – The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Finale (1)

 

“There.”

Kyras, the Conspirator, who had been surveying the surrounding area with ninjutsu, pointed toward something.

A completely ordinary rock. Just a little larger than average.

“I hope this one’s the real one.”

The Nameless Demon King swung the Shower Trident, wrapped in an indescribable darkness, toward the boulder.

Craaaaaack!

Empty space itself was torn apart. The very fabric of space ripped open, revealing the entrance to a cave that had been hidden within.

“Excellent!”

They had found the Whisperer’s hideout.

Finding a hidden enemy was unquestionably a positive act.

“Fwooo!”

The Demon King took a deep breath, absorbing that positive concept to the fullest, before immediately stepping into the cave.

The Conspirator silently followed behind him.

Elvira cautiously spoke.

“Could there be traps inside?”

There undoubtedly would be.

Even so, the self-proclaimed Demon King and the Half-Elf ninja walked confidently into the cave, as though nothing that had happened could possibly stop them.

‘Yes… That’s how it should be!’

Truthfully, Elvira hadn’t asked because she was genuinely worried.

As someone assigned to support the two of them, she merely felt obligated to say something, even if only for appearances.

“Oho?”

As expected, the cave’s interior was no ordinary natural cavern.

An unimaginably vast space, completely swallowed by darkness so dense that even high-level explorers would struggle to see.

Countless lines of every imaginable color floated through the air, stretching endlessly from one end to the other.

“This is the Whisperer’s unique domain… Loom of Possibilities.”

Lowering his stance with the dagger, Lord’s Companion in hand, the Conspirator spoke.

“It visually manifests every possible future… allowing them to be directly grasped… and manipulated.”

“So… knowing we’d come… He’s begun His Final Stand.”

Drawing both sword and shield, Elvira smiled brightly.

“It looks like… We’ll accomplish Sir Karr’s mission… without much difficulty.”

The sort of line that someone who’d let their guard down would utter just before suffering a spectacular disaster.

Naturally, she’d said it on purpose, hoping to invoke a negative jinx.

She simply couldn’t resist seeing what sort of amusing reaction the Demon King and the ninja would give.

Rummmmble!

Sure enough, moments later, the dark cavern shook violently.

The earth trembled until up and down, left and right, became almost impossible to distinguish.

Then, the countless lines of possibility all began flowing in a single direction.

“Hah!”

Kyras curled his lips into a smile.

“Zmurtal is struggling.”

“Conspirator. What phenomenon is this?”

“He probably used Dominion of Fate.”

The Whisperer’s unique Mystery, obtained from the Great Monster. Dominion of Fate.

“For roughly the next ten minutes… every strand of fate… will flow only in Zmurtal’s favor.”

“What a tremendous Mystery!”

“The side effect is… that it’ll burden him with countless calamities afterward. But if he has no intention of worrying about what comes next… that’s hardly important.”

“Hah! What a truly desperate struggle!”

Despite the severity of the situation, neither of them made even the slightest move to hurry.

“At this point… no matter how hard we search… finding Zmurtal will be difficult. Of course… if I exert myself… something like fate won’t be able to stop me.”

“A magnificent attitude. One can never become truly great… while bound by destiny.”

“Shall we head straight there?”

“Wait a little.”

“Why?”

Resting the trident upon his shoulder, the Demon King smiled as he leisurely admired the Whisperer’s unique domain.

“Because… Grand Duke Karr… would probably prefer… for the situation to worsen a little more.”

“…That man is a pervert.”

“And that’s precisely what makes him magnificent!” 

“It seems you’re the same kind of person.”

“We certainly got along well. In both mind… and body.”

“What does ‘our bodies got along well’ even mean…?”

“Grand Duke Karr gave truly incredible massages.”

Watching the two oddballs calmly continue their conversation, Elvira quietly put away her sword and shield again.

‘…A little weak.’

The two of them were certainly unusual.

But compared to Karr, they were surprisingly normal.

Whooooosh

While Elvira quietly suppressed her disappointment, absently rubbing the back of her neck, the countless lines of possibility continued surging onward, toward darkness so deep that not even an inch ahead could be seen.

 

***

 

Destiny was tipping.

“…Hm?”

Adrian, captain of the Night Noble Expedition, who had been frantically wandering throughout the palace while avoiding the monster, blinked in surprise.

“Why is there so much blood…??”

By an extremely, extremely fortunate coincidence, he’d discovered a hidden passage he normally would’ve overlooked.

Following it, he entered a massive storage room. It appeared to be a facility used for storing ritual materials.

A sweet scent of blood wafted from one wall.

“…Oho.”

His vampire instincts shouted enthusiastically: ‘Drink it!’

“Alright!”

Meanwhile, Jerix also realized that an incredible stroke of luck he absolutely couldn’t afford to miss had arrived.

“To think… There were still talents like these remaining… within the pointy-ears’ kingdom!”

By the time the mysterious change in the unique domain, combined with Mek’s trap, had reduced the Invincible Expedition to only Jerix and the Tiger Beastman knight Melsion… a Mind Dominator from the Valterium Empire suddenly appeared.

Mek, who had remained behind to observe until the tournament staff arrived, stared in shock.

“…Commander of the Mage Corps?”

The leader of the Imperial Mage Corps, the force regarded as the Empire’s greatest asset.

The Archmage Lunnent, said to have mastered all six schools of magic. A ghost mage, who never originally appeared in the labyrinth Final Stand, had appeared.

“For the Empire!”

“Submit to the Empire!”

“UOOOOOH!”

Alongside thousands of citizens of the kingdom, now completely brainwashed into soldiers who devoted every fiber of their being to the Valterium Empire.

“Don’t surrender so easily! Only then… can I teach you… What true despair feels like!”

Bzzzzzz—!!

Lunnent’s staff shone brilliantly, its magic crushing the minds of every explorer simultaneously.

“…Ghh!”

“Don’t collapse!”

“Focus!”

While the moderate Association members writhed under the Archmage’s assault, Jerix lightly shook his head, casting off the pounding headache pressing against his mind.

Then, he launched a sphere layered with a total of eleven Mysteries.

BOOOOOOM!

Room of Deception… Mek’s ultimate trump card… shattered, returning freedom of movement.

Chuckling, Jerix looked toward the dumbfounded moderate explorers.

“How fortunate. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Destiny was twisting.

“So… you truly won’t go down without a fight, Zmurtal”

Flutter. Flutter.

Surrounded by butterflies, the Half-Elf leisurely stretched, having finished observing.

“But… what should we do about this?”

Allowing a golden butterfly to settle upon his index finger, Karr murmured expressionlessly.

“The possibility… of you struggling like this… was one I’d already witnessed.”

 

***

 

An enormous World Tree towered before us.

Its branches reached into the heavens, grasping and constricting the sky.

Its trunk was so immense that ordinary tools couldn’t even measure its circumference.

It was the second-oldest World Tree on the Eastern Continent.

 

[Spirit Tree — World Tree No. 2]

[An ancient tree treasured dearly by Meterder. Merely remaining nearby grants Elves countless blessings upon their bodies. Fortunately, the same also applies to a Half-Elf like you!]

 

“Isn’t it truly magnificent?”

“…Isn’t it just a really big tree?”

Fafnir answered indifferently, his small Dragonblood wings fluttering as he descended.

Beneath us, centered around World Tree Number Two, stretched the vast blue Great Lake.

“Hurry.”

Fafnir headed toward an especially thick root rising above the water’s surface.

Upon it stood a palace, whose architecture embodied the Meterdegus Kingdom’s love of nature.

“Coming!”

I hurriedly landed upon the roof, covered in leaves and flowers.

Thump. Thump.

With an excited heart, I slowly removed my flying equipment, storing it within my subspace.

“…Hm.”

Nothing happened. There was always a chance that a Mind Dominator of the Valterium Empire had placed a trap upon the rooftop.

Unfortunately, this time I’d missed out.

Still, it was too early to be disappointed. The palace itself might possess anti-intruder defenses.

“I’ll open the entrance first.”

I raised my left hand, firing [Death · Flame · Transformation].

Fwoooosh!

The natural wooden wall and floor burst into flames, forming a passage of appropriate size.

[Stop!]

Just as I prepared to step forward, Truthy warned me.

[The palace is absolutely filled with traps created using Blood Warrior-class Mysteries. Exactly as you wished!]

“…Oh.”

Unexpected new content, perhaps.

But what of it? As expected, the Palace of Floskere in Final Stand was nothing less than a treasure trove filled with difficult, painful, and wonderful hardships.

“So… the palace itself has become a fortress.”

Peering through the passage I’d burned open, Fafnir spoke calmly.

“It seems Adrian of the Night Noble Expedition… put forth quite a bit of effort. That vampire’s abilities… make this rather dangerous.”

“Exactly.”

I nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s what makes it so wonderful.”

Then, bringing both hands together before me, I addressed Truthy.

“Equip it.”

Clank.

Using the Wealth That Transcends Space Truthy had devoured during the previous offering ritual, it equipped Demon Suppressor on my hand.

“Would you mind… if I went first?”

“Do as you please. I’ve no desire to push my body beyond its limits.”

“You simply don’t understand true joy.”

Before Fafnir could change his mind, I threw myself downward.

The moment I landed… every trap meticulously prepared by the High Vampire activated simultaneously.

Ratatatat!

Blood ropes wrapped around my body, binding me in an embarrassingly compromising fashion.

Rumble…

Blood spikes and blades burrowed into every part of me.

“…Why did you leave me behind and go to school?”

“Goldie. Are you going to stab me?”

“Yes. I did.”

“Traitor.”

“This company only pity people without parents while they’re children. Did you think working here was some kind of joke?”

And on top of that… a wide variety of blood-colored mental attacks, targeting not only people, but the world itself.

“…Ahahahahaha!”

I was alive. I truly was alive.

Whoooooosh!

I immediately expelled the overwhelming excitement through Evil Freezing Wind, erasing the Blood Warrior-class Mysteries.

“Heh.”

Fafnir jumped down after me, laughing quietly.

“Golden Crow. You’re surprisingly entertaining to watch.”

“Are you spying on my private life? Pervert. Hmph.”

“You’d enjoy it if someone really did.”

“No. What exactly do you take me for?”

“A hardship-addicted pervert.”

[An accurate assessment!]

“Ahahahahaha!”

The palace’s naturally refreshing fragrance, mixed with the foul scent of artificially added blood.

Enjoying those two completely contradictory sensations, I ran forward without hesitation.

The High Vampire’s meticulous craftsmanship violently ravaged both my body and my mind.

Whoooooosh—!!

Every so often, I continuously unleashed Evil Freezing Wind until the palace interior soon resembled a giant freezer.

“Golden Crow. Do you know where the King is?”

Interrupting me while I was enjoying myself so thoroughly.

“Just follow me.”

I answered vaguely, breaking through one chain of traps after another.

Today really was a feast of stimulation, wasn’t it, my heart? Enjoy it to your heart’s content.

[Ahead lies a massive artifact chamber specialized in security, public order, and defense.]

Unfortunately, Truthy soon discovered the entrance to the King’s hidden chamber.

Fwoooosh!

Crackle!

I unleashed crimson flames and black lightning simultaneously, attacking the troublesome wall.

Normally, one had to solve an intellectual puzzle to unlock it. But now, this was a time for the body… not the mind… to suffer.

“It doesn’t burn easily.”

“Well… it is the royal palace. t’d be stranger if it burned well.”

“Move. You won’t get through using ordinary elemental Mysteries.”

Fafnir casually began chewing the wood and vines forming the wall, as though they were food.

Immediately, the beautiful scales covering the Dragonblood’s body transformed into wood of a mysterious color.

“It’s this way.”

Then, Fafnir simply walked through the wall.

Click.

A door appeared within the very wall that even Truthy hadn’t known how to overcome, swinging wide open.

[?? What exactly did he just do? It resembles Sin: Gluttony, but the underlying principle is completely different!]

“There’s a maze-like passage ahead. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Having thoroughly enjoyed my hardships, I walked forward feeling refreshed.

Then…

“Oh? Isn’t that my friend?”

A familiar voice echoed from the corridor ahead.

Turning, I saw an astonishingly unique, avant-garde monster shambling toward us.

“Lord Pierre? My friend?”

“Indeed. It’s good to see you.”

“You’ve become absolutely magnificent.”

“My friend… You look just as impressive.”

“Hm. You both look splendid.”

The countless eyes growing across Pierre’s body turned toward Fafnir.

“And who might you be?”

“This is Lord Fafnir. He’s formed an alliance with me.”

“Oh. My friend’s ally… is my ally as well.”

“A pleasure.”

“Well. At first glance… You don’t seem incompetent. So… I’m pleased to meet you too.”

Fafnir shook one of the three hands Pierre extended.

The third and fourth members of House Lee.

Watching my alternate characters…  who were practically my own children… getting along so well couldn’t help but warm my heart.

“Shall we go then? To escort His Majesty the King. Lord Pierre… would you like to come as well?”

“I was already heading this way. One of the Association’s vampires fled here.”

“Perfect.”

And so, the three of us walked side by side through the palace’s secret passageways.

“Ahahaha.”

“Heh, heh.”

“Hmph.”

It was an incredibly cheerful procession, filled with blooming smiles.

The House Lee Dream Team. Operation Cooperative Chaos… commence.