Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 210 - I'm Going to Bear Pendrick's Child

Chapter 210: I’m Going to Bear Pendrick’s Child

 

“Looks like it’s over.”

Pierre crossed all three pairs of his arms and looked up at the World Tree.

Fwaaaaash!

An intense light was pouring down from beyond the heavens.

It was proof that the spatial teleportation circle had activated… and, for all practical purposes, meant the tournament had ended.

“…It seems Lord Jerix failed to stop the Golden Crow’s expedition.”

The tiger beastman knight, Melsion, lowered his axe.

His entire body was covered with bugs, ropes, flowers, ice, and all sorts of other things that Fafnir had planted on him.

“You fought well. At least you managed to protect the bracelet until the very end, so you won your battle. But I lost the war.”

Fafnir muttered with a mocking smile as he surveyed the palace rooftop.

Members of Fafnir’s expedition were sprawled across it, each missing one or more body parts.

That monstrously powerful tiger beastman had struggled until the very end and eliminated four explorers.

“Was it called [Grand Chaos Disruption Field]? I almost got into real trouble. Melsion’s physical abilities became far stronger than I’d ever anticipated.”

“Indeed.”

Scratching his head with the handle of his axe, Pierre turned to the side.

A gigantic white bear was quietly looking down at the tiger beastman.

“If this fellow hadn’t joined the fight midway through, Melsion would’ve reunited with Jerix.”

“……”

Melsion silently lowered his head.

“Have you no shame, Melsion?”

The moderate faction member, ‘Great Bear’ Miruel, transformed into his woodland elf form before continuing.

“You acted exactly like the filthy brute you are, reeking of blood and sweat. How fitting for a disgusting beastman.”

“…Hm?”

Pierre blinked.

“Wasn’t the moderate faction… true to its name? Seeking harmony among all races through moderation? Yet you’re making discriminatory remarks?”

“They’re both part of the Interracial Association anyway. These days, everyone in the Association besides the chairman is an idiot.”

As Fafnir stacked the unconscious members one atop another, he glanced indifferently at the elven druid.

“The complete end of discrimination and persecution against other races was impossible from the very beginning. Even those shouting about unity among all races are like this.”

“Hmm… That’s rather bittersweet.”

“Though honestly, whether the moderates win or the hardliners win, it has nothing to do with you, does it?”

The dragonblood looked at the oddly shaped dog beastman, his face completely devoid of emotion.

“You seem more like an outlaw than anything else. Am I wrong?”

“You’re right.”

Pierre nodded without the slightest hesitation.

“How did you know?”

“You spent the entire time giving off a strange killing intent while looking at me like I was prey. How could I not notice?”

“Impressive that you caught on. I thought I’d hidden it well.”

Pierre’s mouth split all the way to his ears.

“Heh… Grow well, my friend. I look forward to the day I plunder you.”

“I’d welcome it. It’s not easy finding a ‘legal corpse.’”

The two explorers clasped hands.

“Until the day I kill you, you are my friend.”

“Until the day I devour you, I’ll consider you a worthwhile ally.”

Murder. Cannibalism.

Experts in two different fields smiled at one another with expressions of differing intensity… each looking forward to the day the other would become the victim.

 

***

 

The conquest of [The Final Stand] wasn’t over yet.

“I’ll activate it.”

With only Pendrick, Perin, and Astrimia, who wasn’t a participant but was treated as a ‘weapon,’ still remaining, I activated the teleportation circle carved into a branch of the World Tree.

Fwaaaaaa!

My vision distorted for an instant.

The same sensation as when entering a labyrinth swept through my body, and when it ended, we were no longer atop World Tree No. 2, but standing near another World Tree.

“Is that… Number 32?”

“That’s right.”

I looked up while continuously stroking the head of Perin, the wolf who had accomplished a great feat, nestled in my arms.

It was certainly enormous, but after spending so long looking at World Tree No. 2, it appeared relatively small.

 

[Sacred Spirit – World Tree No. 32]

[A World Tree located on the outskirts of the Eastern Continent. Compared to No. 2 it’s nothing but an insignificant young sapling, but it’s still a sacred spirit, so it remains quite miraculous.]

 

“Lord Karr, do you think Marlin managed to finish the conquest by herself?”

“Normally, she would have been more than capable.”

“But right now she’s… no, she’s basically just an ordinary little kid!”

“Correct.”

Marlin normally possessed a mentality far more mature than her peers.

Thanks to [Grand Chaos Disruption Field], however, she had become nothing more than an innocent child.

Although her body had grown even larger than that of an average adult.

“Truthy. Falsethy.”

‘Cawww!’

‘Caw!’

The tangible crow and the illusory crow popped out from my eye socket.

“Go find Marlin. If she’s wandering around, guide her here. The Interracial Association members should all be gathered at the finish point, so she shouldn’t be hard to find.”

‘Caw!’

‘Caw!’

“Falsethy, you can speak even in crow form, can’t you?”

“Jeez. But when I’m in this form, I feel like I should caw!”

The two crows flew off into the nearby forest.

Astrimia watched the real and fake birds flap away before asking me,

“You’re not just planning to stand here doing nothing, are you?”

“I was planning to stand perfectly still like a boring scarecrow without saying a word.”

“Hmph!”

The beautiful elf lightly chopped at my side with the edge of her hand.

Using my palm like a shield to block her hand-blade technique, I spoke again.

“Very well. We’re going to search for the hidden piece, so please follow me.”

“Okay.”

“And Lord Pendrick?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“From now on, would you mind speaking completely freely, saying whatever comes to mind?”

“That’s hardly difficult, but… why?”

Crackle!

“Because someone here wishes for it.”

The tournament was essentially over now.

It was time to devote myself wholeheartedly to my religious life.

“Lady Astrimia, more beautiful and radiant than anything beneath the heavens?”

“What is it?”

“Forgive my boldness, but… may I embrace Lord Pendrick?”

“…Do you think I’ll allow it or not?”

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

Her hand-blade, wrapped in a somewhat rounded aura, swept across the half-elf’s back.

Chzzzt. Crackle!

“I already said no. Give up, Su’eje.”

[Hatred — That filthy evil god is getting more shameless by the day!]

“Then perhaps… may I simply place a hand on his shoulder?”

“Hmm… That much should be fine.”

“Whew. Thank you.”

In the end, I traveled while holding onto the shoulder of the peerlessly beautiful swordswoman, feeling the extraordinary muscles beneath it.

The method for obtaining the hidden piece in [The Final Stand].

First, stand near World Tree No. 32.

“And next…”

From here onward, mysterious powers couldn’t be used. It was a hidden piece that had to be found using only sight and smell.

Fortunately, borrowing the power of a magical beast was permitted.

“Perrin, could you find the direction where you smell the sea?”

‘Ruff!’

Perin sniffed around.

Soon, he fixed his gaze in one direction and barked softly.

“That way?”

‘Awooo!’

“Good boy. Well done.”

I walked toward the scent of the sea while vigorously petting the baby wolf’s head.

‘Arf! Arf!’

His adorable tail wagged rapidly.

Personally, I preferred the sturdy adult Perrin who resembled Targon, but this childlike appearance wasn’t bad either.

I think it’d be nice if the second child were a small magical beast.

“Lady Astrimia, more beautiful than the countless stars shining in the heavens?”

“…What now? No.”

“Please hear me out first.”

“Go ahead.”

“May I perhaps bear Lord Pendrick’s child?”

“Hiyah! Hiyah…!”

The aura-wrapped hand-blade, now a little sharper than before, repeatedly slashed across my arm.

Naturally, it didn’t leave so much as a scratch.

“Come now, please grant your permission. People can have children even if they aren’t lovers, can’t they?”

“…Seriously, whenever I spend time with Lord Karr, my values and common sense keep getting shaken.”

“May I take that as permission?”

“Hmm… Pendrick, what about you?”

The beautiful swordswoman smiled brightly.

“If the Captain were to bear my child, it would be my honor.”

“Oh my.”

Covering my mouth shyly while blushing, I watched as Astrimia puffed up her cheeks and smacked both of us across the back.

“Honestly! We’re just creating a life-form using Mystery, so why do you two keep making it sound so weird?!”

“Naturally, because of reactions like the one you just gave.”

At moments like these, I was half alive.

Not quite as stimulating as pain, but pleasant enough.

“Since we’re on the subject, may I collect a little of your hair and blood?”

“Of course!”

I carefully gathered a few strands of the peerlessly beautiful swordswoman’s hair, along with a small amount of her blood, and stored them in a vial.

‘Sniff, sniff.’

Perin curiously sniffed the materials that would become part of my second child.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

As we chatted happily, we reached our destination.

A cliff overlooking the blue, frigid sea.

Looking down, powerful waves crashed violently against the cliffside.

“Perrin, if you climb down, there should be a cave about halfway down the cliff. Could you bring me the item stored there?”

‘Ruff!’

Perrin immediately nodded and energetically climbed down the cliff.

Astrimia frowned.

“Will he be alright? He’s just a baby.”

“There’s no need to worry.”

“Whenever you say those words, that’s exactly when I get the most worried…!”

“This time, I truly mean it.”

“…This time?”

“Ahem.”

Avoiding her gaze, I continued.

“Right now, Perrin only looks like a baby. Mentally, he’s actually more mature than before.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, he normally has a much larger body, doesn’t he?”

“He’s only pretending to be a baby wolf because she wants to receive more affection from me.”

“That’s adorable!”

Since he’d be able to transform into a baby wolf outside the labyrinth with a little practice, I would have to shower him with even deeper parental love in the future.

‘Awooo!’

Not long afterward, Perin climbed back up the cliff with ease.

Wrapped around his slightly longer tail was the item I’d asked him to retrieve.

A wave-shaped crown adorned with a shining pearl.

“Oh? What’s this? It looks incredibly valuable at first glance.”

“As expected of someone who’s currently an artifact… You recognized it immediately.”

I accepted the crown and placed it on my head.

“This is a holy relic.”

“…What?”

A holy relic bestowed upon the world by Sphet, the God of Oceans and Purification… the One who commands colossal tidal waves.

[Friend of the Storm].

“Why is a holy relic in a place like this…?”

“Its divine power had been exhausted, so it was placed here as a sort of retreat.”

“…Is it really alright to take something like that?”

“If it stayed here in reality, it would eventually be destroyed by the Valterium Imperial Army. If I take it and restore its power instead, wouldn’t that make me a praiseworthy cultist who’s done Heaven a favor?”

Whooosh!

As if responding to my words, the modern-day Artein sent down Her will.

“An admirable thought indeed!”

“As expected, Lady Artein is the only one who truly understands my heart.”

After making a heart shape in the air and storing [Friend of the Storm] in my subspace…

‘Caw!’

A blind crow flew toward me.

“Falsethy, you can return from far away instantly anyway.”

“Come on! Why do you always ruin my sense of romance?!”

The crow illusion grumbled as it was absorbed into my left eye.

Then the scenes Falsethy had witnessed flooded into my mind.

—Please stay safe, Your Majesty!

On a coastline at the edge of the Eastern Continent… the adult Marlin entrusted King Hariel to the merfolk allied with the Kingdom of Mederdecus.

Chiiing!

A water-colored gate appeared.

Applause and cheers from Interracial Association members erupted from every direction.

…That was where Falsethy’s memories ended.

“It’s over.”

While massaging Pendrick’s shoulders, I smiled at the two lovers.

“Now then, shall we escape from the chaos and return to our usual selves?”

B-Rank Labyrinth. [The Final Stand].

With the refreshing sea breeze blowing pleasantly across us… the conquest was complete.