Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 31 - D-Rank Dungeon: The Bloodbird's Banquet (1)

Chapter 31 – D-Rank Dungeon: The Bloodbird’s Banquet (1)

 

Pendrick couldn’t answer immediately.

“…Could you give me a little time?”

It wasn’t an easy decision to make on the spot.

Since I already knew what choice he would eventually make, I readily nodded.

“As I mentioned earlier, we’ll be staying at this inn for about five days. Think it over carefully and give me your answer. For the record, we’ll cover any contract cancellation fee, so you don’t need to worry about the financial burden.”

I stood up and demanded that the red-haired elf display the exemplary manners an elder should have when meeting someone younger.

“Big sis, pay the bill.”

“……”

Rosalia took out ten gold coins.

Far more than the meal and lodging combined should have cost.

Pendrick hurriedly waved both hands and accepted only two gold.

“I’d feel guilty taking an eight-gold tip! I’ll just take this much! Ehehe… Though if you have extra to spare, I certainly wouldn’t complain!”

Even though my proposal from moments ago had undoubtedly thrown his thoughts into turmoil…

He smiled and spoke lightly without letting it show.

As an apology for dropping such a difficult matter on him during work, I took out another gold coin and placed it in his hand.

“Thank you very much!”

Pendrick bowed deeply before handing us two keys.

“You’ll be staying in the rooms matching the numbers on these keys. If you need anything, just let me know.”

After pocketing the keys, we left the inn.

Now that our stomachs were full… It was time to get to work.

Treating it like an after-meal stroll, I leisurely admired the lively city as we walked.

Crunch.

“As expected, fruit from District Five really is the best.”

While happily munching on an apple I’d bought from the eastern marketplace as dessert…

We headed toward the area where our client was waiting.

The northern part of District Three.

The Thorny Path of Diligence, where countless guild headquarters were gathered.

Walking down the street lined with flags fluttering above every doorway…

I found the guild building listed on the request form.

 

[The headquarters of the Jewelwine Guild, a gemcrafting guild. They’re not especially successful, but they’re an ordinary group of mediocre craftsmen making a decent living. This place has no reason to exist, so seize an opportunity to burn it down.]

 

The guild’s emblem, a wine bottle filled with colorful gemstones, stood out prominently.

As we approached… A sturdily built dwarf who had been anxiously scanning the street whipped his head toward us.

“Are you perhaps the cultist who was supposed to come today?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Oh, Lady Solmiran!”

Calling upon the name of the Goddess of the Sun and Craftsmanship, our client hurriedly thumped his own chest.

A dwarven greeting.

Their arms were too short for handshakes.

“Welcome! I’m Tavirek, Guildmaster of the Jewelwine Guild!”

 

[Guildmaster Tavirek of the Jewelwine Guild (Eastern Continent Dwarf, 78). Ever since one of his beloved young guild members died in a dungeon recently, he’s been anxious every day. Watching the little fellow fidget without helping him wouldn’t be such a bad choice… it is rather amusing.]

 

By human standards, Tavirek was only in his mid-twenties.

He extended his left hand.

His gloved palm faced upward, revealing a small emblem depicting a hammer inside the sun.

‘Hummm…’

The symbol glowed faintly.

Then… A photograph fluttered out as though printed by a magical device.

“The ugly brat here… He’s the guild member who died in the dungeon a few days ago.”

The picture showed a youthful human with an innocent smile.

An explorer who couldn’t have been older than his mid-teens.

“To be honest, he was hopeless. He had no talent. Anything you asked him to do, he’d mess up. There wasn’t a single thing he could do properly. He was completely beyond saving.”

Stroking his thick beard… Tavirek let out a sigh.

“But… He was a good kid. He possessed the most important virtue of all.”

“So he did.”

“We dwarves of the Eastern Continent despise incompetence. But he was the exception. No matter how often people scolded him… He never lost heart. Seeing him keep smiling and trying his best… It was impossible not to grow fond of him.”

Lost in memories for a moment…

The dwarf finally shook his head and looked me in the eye.

“Please. Bring back that lad’s body before the day’s over. Given the nature of the dungeon he entered… If we leave him there much longer, his corpse will be ruined.”

“I understand. I’ll return as swiftly as the Goddess of Peace and War, who rides winged horses across the world.”

“If you complete the request successfully… I’ll add one of our guild-made tools on top of the payment.”

Items classified as tools weren’t on the same level as Artifacts or Masterpieces.

Even so… Their quality far surpassed ordinary equipment.

A guild this size couldn’t afford to hand over anything extraordinarily valuable…

But why would I refuse extra gifts on top of the money?

“The Harmony Church said you’ve only just become a Bronze explorer. Would you like someone to guide you?”

“There’s no need. Lord Lidni knows everything.”

After slipping the photograph into the leather bag Marlin had once used…

I gave Tavirek the sort of confident farewell gesture that would reassure any client.

“I’ll complete the job safely. Please rest easy until I return.”

With the client’s earnest request in mind…

We headed straight for the dungeon that had claimed the life of one young explorer.

Leaving behind the southern lodging district… The eastern marketplace… And the northern guild quarter…

We entered the western district. The Climbing Trail of Challenge.

A street where an unusually high concentration of dungeons appeared.

‘Was it because of mana resonance?’

I vaguely remembered developer Kato Roger explaining it on one of his MiTube videos.

He’d uploaded countless minor bits of worldbuilding.

Though honestly… His explanation had been long, dull, and forgettable.

Most likely, it was simply lore invented to justify why each street in District Three had its own distinct identity.

‘Still… It’s quite a sight.’

Upon entering the Climbing Trail of Challenge…

I deliberately slowed my pace to take everything in.

A lone door standing inexplicably between buildings.

A suspicious goblin statue is standing rigid beside the road.

An inn whose appearance shimmered like an illusion.

Though their shapes and sizes varied… Every single one was a dungeon entrance.

Simply looking at them filled me with dopamine… Excitement… Anticipation.

“Big sis, if I collapse while walking, don’t panic. I’ll just be too happy.”

“……”

Rosalia stared blankly at me before slowly shaking her head.

Why was she giving me such a dumbfounded look?

“Everyone ready?”

“Let’s strike it rich!”

“Please… let a Mystic Tome drop today…”

Listening to the chatter of explorers preparing for their expeditions…

We approached the entrance to the dungeon in question.

An alley nestled between two large buildings of exotic architecture.

Ordinarily… Its perpetual shade would have made it the perfect gathering place for thugs.

Instead… Bright mana lamps illuminated every corner.

The long line of waiting explorers confirmed we’d found the right place.

“One at a time! Hey! You there! No cutting in line!”

The queue stretched on like people camping overnight for a major product launch.

Fortunately… We didn’t have to wait long.

“Next!”

I handed both my identification badge and Rosalia’s to the dungeon management employee wearing a gray wolf insignia on his shoulder.

After giving them only the most cursory glance…

He lazily pointed behind himself.

At the end of the alley… Resting on bare dirt without even stone paving…

Lay the rotting head of a foul-smelling animal.

[Entrance to the Bloodbird’s Banquet.]

“Uh… Go on in.”

The employee casually jerked his chin before immediately calling for the next explorer.

Unlike District Six, whose dungeons were managed by the Harmony Church…

District Three offered absolutely no helpful services, like explaining dungeon mechanics.

If you entered without properly studying the strategy beforehand… Then you deserved to die.

That was the operating philosophy.

The Gray Wolf Guild, which governed District Three, was famous for its lax policies.

‘No wonder all the rookies end up dead.’

Granted… Being forced to learn through trial and error did sharpen one’s judgment and thinking.

But… There were simply too few safety measures.

The dungeons had practically become unofficial dumping grounds for crime.

I couldn’t say I liked the Gray Wolf Guild’s management style.

“Let’s go.”

Stepping lightly onto the rotten earth surrounding the decayed animal head…

My vision instantly shifted.

The next moment… We stood upon a vast open grassland.

 

[D-Rank Dungeon – Bloodbird’s Banquet]

[A popular dungeon due to the valuable rewards that sell for high prices. There are many competitors, so secretly eliminate them all, one by one, with great care.]

 

“Let’s do our best today.”

“Let’s all help each other out.”

“May the best team win.”

Because this dungeon openly permitted conflict and sabotage between explorers…

The parties that had entered ahead of us exchanged nothing but impeccably polite words before scattering.

After all… If you earned someone’s grudge here… You might vanish beneath the dungeon soil without anyone ever knowing.

“……”

Watching them… Rosalia pointed toward the explorers.

Then turned her thumb downward.

“You think they’re all cowards? It can’t be helped. Most people explore dungeons simply to make a living.”

Of course… That wasn’t why I’d entered.

“Now then. Let’s go enjoy ourselves.”

Why waste precious time competing against other explorers…

When wandering through a dungeon itself was already more fun than enough?

 

***

 

Bloodbird’s Banquet.

A dungeon recreating the era when the human-led Balterium Empire waged its great wars of conquest across the Northern and Eastern Continents.

It contained a section of a towering mountain range whose countless peaks seemed to compete to reach the heavens.

Its clear condition wasn’t difficult.

Defeat the boss.

However… Unlike The Earth Elf’s Tomb, which shared the same objective… Only a single monster appeared here.

The boss itself. The Bloodbird.

And because of that one creature… The dungeon was ranked D.

‘I wonder where it is now.’

Standing on the plains at the foot of the mountains…

I deliberately chose a secluded spot unlikely to be disturbed by other parties before scanning the sky.

By this point in history… Sue’je had already become a fallen deity whose glory had faded.

The sky was brilliantly clear, painting both eyes and heart in vivid blue.

The ever-burning sun… Unchanged in both past and present… Had already drifted slightly westward.

“Lady Rosalia. The Bloodbird should currently be on the mountain farthest from here.”

The assassin standing quietly beside me tilted her head slightly.

“You’re wondering how I know? This dungeon takes place immediately after a war between the Imperial Army and the Beastfolk Resistance. At this very moment… The Bloodbird is circling the entire mountain range. It’s feeding on the hearts of those who died in battle. That’s its staple food.”

That… Was why the dungeon bore the name Bloodbird’s Banquet.

The entire mountain range was effectively an all-you-can-eat buffet prepared just for the creature.

After quietly considering my explanation… Rosalia turned slightly toward the mountains.

“You want to hunt it immediately? Let’s not exhaust ourselves so early.”

The Bloodbird was Level 3, the same level as the Lurker Ghoul. But because it counted as a boss… It ranked among the strongest creatures of its level.

Naturally… Rosalia herself could defeat it with ease.

The real problem… Was the sheer number of competitors.

“The Bloodbird carries a valuable gemstone called a Bloodstone inside its body. That’s why explorers constantly hunt it. They’ve all come thoroughly prepared. So even for you, Big Sis, claiming it first would be difficult. There’s no rush. We can ignore it for now.”

There was something even more important than hunting the Bloodbird.

“First… Let’s go retrieve that young gemcrafter who died in the dungeon. So he can finally rest in peace as soon as possible.”