Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 208 - The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Finale (4)

Chapter 208 – The Grand Gathering of Interracial Harmony – Finale (4)

 

Slice.

I was cutting off my toes. Starting with the little toe on my right foot.

“How about one?”

Clink.

“Not enough? You’re so greedy, O Confusing One!”

Slice. Slice.

I severed my fourth toe as well and placed it upon the temporary altar.

“How about this much?”

Clink. Clank.

“Continue.”

He really was merciless.

“Will you only be satisfied after devouring every one of Kar’s toes forever?”

Although the Grand Chaos Disturbance Field had switched body and mind, a ritual of self-sacrifice had to be viewed through the lens of philosophy, not biology.

Once an offered body part was forever separated from the essence of my existence, no trick could ever restore it.

Fortunately, the laws of the world weren’t so stingy as to forbid prosthetic limbs, so the sense of loss could still be compensated for.

Crackle.

Suddenly, the Exalted One offered me a rather shocking proposal.

“My goodness. If I offered that, you’d roast Sir Jerix with overwhelming lightning? Hm….”

I couldn’t help seriously considering it, but in the end, I shook my head.

“My collarbone forms the very core of my allure. No matter how Exalted You are… I can’t compromise on that.”

Squirm.

When I refused Su’eje’s suggestion, the Silent One cautiously voiced another idea.

“That won’t do either. The flesh of my butt is far too important for proper patting.”

[The Wise One recommends offering eight fingernails instead!]

“I refuse. What if I’m captured by enemies one day? They might torture me by pulling out my fingernails one by one. I need to save them.”

[…Stop preparing for things like that….]

In the end, only one choice remained.

The Confusing One, who desired the perfectly reasonable offering of toes.

Clink. Clank.

“Only the five on my right foot? How merciful. Very well.”

With a joyful heart, I cut off the rest of my toes.

The final one remaining… my big toe, I severed slowly, overcome with emotion.

“Farewell, Big Toe. When I placed You inside Chief Choi’s mouth… it truly felt as though I possessed the entire world.”

I’ll never forget you. After gently stroking it one last time with heartfelt affection, I cut it off and placed it upon the altar.

Presentation was the soul of every meal. I carefully arranged the toes, then artistically scattered the blood across the altar.

The ritual preparations were complete.

“Okail.”

Skipping all unnecessary prayers, as befitted the Confusing One’s nature, I lit the candles placed on either side of the temporary altar.

“I offer you my beloved toes.”

A ritual of self-sacrifice. The permanent offering… the toes of my right foot.

“Please enjoy them. In return… prepare the stage.”

Clank!

Chains burst forth from the tattoo upon my thigh, swallowing the toes whole.

Since the offering was so small, the meal ended quickly.

Then, using the body of the cultist most beloved by the Evil God as the sacrifice, Okail began projecting His will into the world.

Crrrrrk.

My body twisted, its form beginning to distort. A transformation driven directly by divine power… one that utterly surpassed Fifth-Tier Transformation, which merely altered one’s essence and physical form.

“…Heh.”

Limping, I took a step forward.

“I shall present… the final Chaos… of this tournament.”

For the Evil God, sacrificing a mere five toes was nothing at all.

 

***

 

The Moonlight Expedition, escorting King Hariel, received the assistance of invisible spirits.

Their overall physical abilities increased. Their footsteps became swifter.

Even with those two tremendous blessing-like effects, it was difficult to shake off Jerix because of the overwhelming gap in rank.

“You’re quite quick.”

Jerix caught up to the Moonlight Expedition in no time, then stamped one foot upon the ground.

Rummmble!

A wall of stone rose before them. A basic Earth-element Shaman Mystery.

Though elementary, the user’s overwhelming ability made it resemble an enormous fortress wall.

“Your escape ends here.”

“…Tch.”

Marlin glared at the old Goblin, creating an ice dagger in her hand before throwing it.

The blade flew sharply through the air.

Tap.

Jerix casually flicked it away with a careless wave.

“Hand over your bracelets peacefully. I have no wish to fight you.”

“Hmph! You beat up fellow Association members for your own goals! Don’t pretend you’re so noble!”

A calm criticism, born from the perspective of a child.

The Goblin Chieftain, who had been smiling leisurely, momentarily found himself speechless.

“That’s right!”

Astrimia immediately seized the opportunity. As Karr had instructed, they had to make Jerix angry.

“You even beat up your only son! And now you’re pretending to be the good guy!”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Jerix sighed, absently rubbing the knee that had been injured earlier.

“Embarrassing though it may be… I still have no intention of stopping. If you refuse to surrender your bracelets… I’ll be forced to use greater force.”

“Boooo!”

“You stubborn old mule!”

“Idiot!”

“Dummy!”

“Rosalia! Brightfeather! Hurry up and boo Him too! Go!”

“……”

Following the beautiful temporary captain’s command, Rosalia… now a little girl… slowly lowered her thumb, waving it back and forth.

Brightfeather glanced around nervously, then cautiously spoke.

“Y-You pathetic old trash who’s obsessed with blood! Go smash your head against the World Tree and die alreadyyy…!”

“…That was a bit excessive.”

“No. That was excellent.”

Pendrick stepped forward, removing Mask of Caprice.

There was no need to keep talking. There existed a much more effective way to enrage Jerix.

“Lord Mek is my friend, and as you can plainly see… I’m Human.”

“…A Human entered this tournament?”

Jerix awkwardly looked away, then his eyes instantly turned icy.

The overwhelming presence and killing intent he had been suppressing erupted violently.

He glared directly at the beautiful swordsman, his murderous aura alone enough to make even bystanders break into cold sweat.

“Sir Jerix.”

Even so, Pendrick met his gaze without flinching.

“True harmony cannot be achieved… through coercion and oppression.”

“What could a mere Human possibly know?!”

WHOOOOSH!

Wind shot forth from Jerix’s hand.

A raging gale, sharp as countless blades.

Pendrick calmly swung his sword.

Whoom.

The wind was cut apart.

“Harmony built through force… is nothing more than incomplete harmony… one that contains conflict and discord.”

“…An insolent brat.”

Blood vessels bulged within Jerix’s eyes as he lowered his stance.

An ominous aura began flowing through the Goblin’s now unimpressive body.

“…Everyone… prepare for battle.”

Astrimia formed a sword from the starlight aura and stood beside Pendrick.

“What happens next… will be entirely your own doing.”

Boom!

The Chieftain stomped once. Behind him, countless Goblins appeared.

“Goblin Sanctuary.”

Jerix’s unique domain.

Its object of worship… Goblins.

Though unable to manifest it across the world because of the higher-ranked Grand Chaos Disturbance Field created by Great Shaman Neuamshi, someone as powerful as Jerix could circumvent that limitation by constructing the world inside his own body instead.

“Hehehe.”

“Kuhih.”

“Kihihik.”

Laughter echoed everywhere. Not all of them were real, but each possessed a degree of substance.

Pendrick hesitated for a moment, then smirked.

“…Perhaps I shouldn’t have spoken.”

“Probably not!”

“But it can’t be helped!”

A moment later, the countless Goblins charged the expedition all at once.

“…Let’s go!”

Just as Pendrick cried out and swung his sword…

Whoosh!

A dark green arrow, fired from far away, pierced straight through every Goblin before them, erasing them all.

“…?”

Astrimia widened her eyes, turning toward the direction from which the arrow had come.

She saw nothing. Even with eyesight befitting her beauty.

Whoosh!

Then two more arrows arrived, destroying dozens more Goblins.

“…Ah!”

Brightfeather suddenly spread his wings in surprise.

Jerix, continuing to advance wave after wave of newly created Goblins, narrowed his eyes.

“Wonderbeak! He’s the strongest explorer directly under the Chairman…!”

“…So… you escaped after all… only to interfere until the very end.”

Wonderbeak. One of the two moderate explorers, Jerix, had failed to seriously injure.

An Association executive. The Hunter, known as The Miraculous Archer, provides covering fire from an impossibly distant location.

“…He’s on our side?”

Astrimia regained her confidence, pointing boldly at Jerix.

“Sir Jerix! Let’s show Him what we can do!”

Though she spoke confidently, inside, she was desperately calling one name.

‘Sir Karr, please hurry and do something!’

If it was their strange, yet incredibly capable Half-Elf captain, surely… somehow… he’d solve this situation.

That belief had been forged through everything they’d experienced together.

“It still won’t matter!”

The newly created Goblins surged forward even more fiercely.

Pendrick and Astrimia stepped forward, their swords flashing.

“Hyaah!”

Brightfeather ignored everything except Jerix himself, firing continuously at the Goblin hidden among the crowd.

“……”

Rosalia repeatedly emerged from, then vanished into, the shadows surrounding Jerix, constantly searching for an opportunity to steal his bracelet.

Meanwhile, Marlin used Gléléré of Frost to freeze the stone wall Jerix had created.

Soon, the wall froze solid.

“Hyaaaah!”

Crash!

With her now-powerful physique, one punch shattered it completely.

“Quick! Get on my back, your Majesty!”

“…My thanks.”

Though the title sounded somewhat awkward, King Hariel climbed onto the sturdy Tiger Beastman’s back without hesitation.

“Let’s go!”

Marlin sprinted once more. Thanks to the spirits, her extraordinary speed would allow her to reach the branch where the teleportation circle awaited in an instant.

“…How troublesome.”

With a wave of Jerix’s hand, every Goblin simultaneously hurled spheres of raging wind forward.

“…Ghh!”

“Ah!”

The violent gusts blasted the swordsman lovers away in opposite directions.

Whoosh!

Another arrow flew from an unimaginably distant location… only for dozens of Goblins to intercept it with their own bodies, throwing themselves forward.

“…Ah!”

Brightfeather’s bracelet was pierced, sending his tumbling helplessly to the ground.

Without pausing, Jerix lowered his palm.

Every Goblin slammed both hands against the ground.

Crunch!

Rosalia, who had been waiting within the shadows, was forcibly dragged into the open.

“……!”

“Time for you to rest.”

Snap.

The bracelet on little Rosalia’s arm was effortlessly removed.

“Since I can’t fight with my full strength… It’s actually more troublesome.”

Walking leisurely, Jerix stopped before Pendrick, who was just getting back to his feet.

“But… I can fight you seriously.”

“……”

The Goblin Chieftain grabbed the shoulder of the Human swordsman he despised.

“Do not resent me. This is all something your Human race brought upon itself.”

“…No! Pendrick!”

Just as Astrimia threw herself toward Jerix…

Step.

Suddenly, a set of footsteps echoed with unnatural clarity.

“…Hm?”

Jerix instinctively turned around. His eyes widened.

A Goblin. Rare pink hair. Immaculate attire. Graceful beyond measure.

“Father.”

A priestess of the Harmony Church. Mek’s lover. The Goblin, Serapiena, walked toward him with elegant steps.

“…How… are you here?”

That Goblin wasn’t even a participant in the tournament. Nor was she affiliated with the Association.

Logically, she couldn’t possibly be here. Jerix naturally knew that.

And yet… only one thought filled his mind.

‘You truly came all the way here!’

This place was now a stage, constructed by Okail, the Guide of Catastrophic Upheaval, through the power of the self-sacrifice ritual.

For at least two minutes, every firm lie governed by Okail would possess absolute persuasive power.

Violently shaking his head, the Goblin Chieftain silently stared at the approaching Goblin priestess.

“…Did you really come all this way… to stop me?”

“Yes.”

Smiling sweetly, Serapiena approached her future father-in-law.

Then, without warning, she tightly embraced the Goblin Chieftain’s small body.

“…What are you doing?”

“To be honest… I have a confession.”

Resting her face against Jerix’s chest, Serapiena whispered quietly, her expression filled with longing.

“The truth is… I love You… more than I love Mek.”