Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 48 - Only the First Step at Last

Chapter 48 – Only the First Step at Last

 

“Gooo!”

Having finished his task, Maku gently patted each of the three members of our expedition on the head with his long trunk before tearing open space and returning to where he came from.

Only then did Pendrick collapse onto the ground with a faint smile.

“…Is it over?”

“It is.”

“I feel like I’m dying.”

The Corpse King’s mental pressure, along with the backlash from using the Second Star, Merak.

Having suffered tremendous strain both physically and mentally, it was only natural that he was completely exhausted.

“You all worked hard. You too, sis.”

“…”

Rosalia, who had been supporting herself on me, stood on her own and lightly tapped my forearm three times.

I sat down beside Pendrick…

Then decided I couldn’t stay sitting and flopped down beside him.

We lay there for a while, absentmindedly staring up at the pure white sky.

Then I casually asked,

“Pendrick, how was your first expedition as a member of the Moonlight Expedition Team?”

“It was so much fun…”

He answered immediately.

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“But it was ‘way’ too hard, wasn’t it? Are you planning to keep doing expeditions this grueling from now on?”

Did that even need answering? The answer was obvious.

“Thank you so much, Sir Karr.”

Astrimia, who was resting on Pendrick’s chest, turned her blade toward me of her own accord.

“Thanks to you, I was freed from the curse. You’ve shown me a kindness I could never repay with words…”

“Kindness? Come now. Between companions, let’s just call it helping each other a little. You don’t need to repay me. This half-elf named Karr is the type who feels like he could fly after hearing a simple thank you.”

“I understand.”

Astrimia laughed softly before speaking together with Pendrick.

“Thank you sincerely for helping us.”

“Thank you, Captain!”

Feeling deeply satisfied, I merely nodded while lying on the ground.

Then I suddenly spoke.

“Didn’t I tell you? You were right to trust me first. I didn’t betray you in the end, did I?”

“Honestly, the fact that you ‘didn’t’ betray us feels more like a betrayal!”

“Judging by that reaction, perhaps I should’ve betrayed you once after all.”

While Astrimia and I joked around…

Rosalia brought over the treasure chest that had appeared together with the gate.

The reward for clearing Nightmare World.

It contained items worthy of all the hardship we’d gone through.

“Lady Rosalia, would you open it for me?”

The red-haired elf nodded and immediately opened the lid.

Inside… Three rewards rested quietly.

A plant nutrient glowing with mysterious colors.

A rather elegant-looking scabbard.

And… A white Mystery Tome usable by every class.

“Huh?”

Astrimia, ever quick to notice things, was the first among us to realize something.

“They all seem like rewards that each expedition member wanted.”

“That’s right. After all, in dreams, anything is possible.”

If one successfully cleared Nightmare World, each explorer received a personalized reward tailored to something they supposedly needed.

However…

It was limited to rewards that could normally appear in C-rank or lower dungeons.

And it wasn’t necessarily something the explorers themselves actually wanted.

Fortunately, judging by everyone’s expressions…

No such disappointment had occurred.

“Lady Astrimia, your wisdom truly is as beautiful as your blade.”

“You’re stating the obvious!”

“Actually, Captain, you’re quite handsome yourself.”

“You’re stating the obvious as well.”

We exchanged warm compliments while collecting our respective rewards.

“…”

Rosalia’s reward was Meterd’s Mercy, a potion resembling plant fertilizer.

It could increase the Tier of the Wood Elf’s innate growth-type Mystery, Fresh Companion.

“Asmi, what do you think?”

“It’s pretty cozy!”

Pendrick and Astrimia’s reward was the Hall of Swords, an artifact scabbard capable of storing multiple swords at once.

And… My reward.

It was a Mystery Tome that appeared in First District dungeons, places Cultists normally couldn’t enter.

Making it incredibly difficult to obtain at this point.

 

[Tier 3 Mystery Tome — Fragment of the Colossus]

[Physical status ailments can no longer affect your Vitality. However, their mental effects are doubled. It has drawbacks, but it suits your disgustingly primitive and crude fighting style perfectly.]

 

Pain would remain.

The mental burden would increase.

But at least… My HP would no longer be affected.

With this… I’d be able to fight even more recklessly in the future.

And I’d be able to learn certain Mysteries much more boldly.

“Is everyone satisfied with their rewards?”

Just like after the Bloody Bird dungeon…

I used my “Please Carry Me” move on Rosalia.

“Then let’s head back and get some proper rest.”

Although Rosalia shook her head… She still effortlessly picked me up.

Watching the scene… Pendrick smiled.

“You two really get along well.”

“…”

“Haha, Miss Assassin. Don’t glare at me like that. Anyone can see you two are close. Right, Asmi?”

“I thought you two were best friends?”

“That’s right. Lady Rosalia and I are bound together by irreplaceable friendship and camaraderie. We could even drink each other’s blood. Noona, you like me more than your young master now, don’t you?”

“…Die.”

“Mm. Please don’t pinch my side. I think you tore off a little flesh.”

“Honestly, you brought that upon yourself.”

Thus…

The Moonlight Expedition Team’s first expedition as a three-member party ended amidst playful banter.

C-Rank Dungeon Nightmare World.

After several days of hardship… It was finally conquered.

 

***

 

Third District.

Eastern Lively Promenade.

Among the many establishments lining the bustling eastern streets,

the largest tavern, Wise Drinking… was completely packed yet again today.

Lively. Bustling. Noisy.

If you didn’t pay close attention… You could barely hear the person sitting right beside you.

It was incredibly chaotic.

Even so…

It was absolutely worth visiting despite the noise.

“Kyaaa… this tastes amazing!”

Pendrick grinned brightly after already emptying three beer mugs the size of an orc’s fist.

“The beer at Silence of the Lambs, where I used to work, wasn’t bad either, but it still can’t compare to beer personally managed by Eastern Continent dwarves.”

“Dwarven craftsmanship is famous for being unmatched. And this establishment brews its beer using wheat grown directly by elves, so naturally the depth of flavor is beyond what other taverns can imitate.”

I took a bite of the golden-brown grilled sausage we’d ordered.

The beer was excellent.

The other dishes were equally incredible.

The only disappointment was that they didn’t serve dishes I personally loved… like whole raw onions smothered in wasabi.

“Miss Assassin, what do you think? Does it suit your taste?”

At Pendrick’s cheerful question, the elf, who had lowered part of her mask while drinking, slightly raised her chin.

“…”

“So… does that mean it’s good?”

The genius swordsman still wasn’t close enough to the overly taciturn assassin to understand what she meant.

Of course… Since we’d become complete best friends,

I immediately translated.

“It tastes decent, but it’s a little lacking. Her palate has simply grown accustomed to even finer liquor. That’s roughly what she means.”

“…That tiny movement contained a sentence ‘that’ long?”

Astrimia, resting against the back of the chair beside Pendrick, sounded completely bewildered.

“I don’t think I’ll ever become close to her.”

“…”

Rosalia apparently had no particular desire to become closer to the Ego Sword either.

Without the slightest concern, she placed some fresh salad onto her plate.

Then she reached into her shadow and took out a vial filled with purple liquid.

It was the poison she’d won at the casino… Bleak Future.

Drip.

Smiling faintly with her eyes, Rosalia generously poured the poison… which dissolved one’s internal organs over the course of a year after ingestion, all over her vegetables.

A dressing so extreme that not even trendy short-form influencers would dare imitate it.

“Uh… that’s certainly a unique sauce.”

“…Please stop her, Sir Karr!”

“Sis, give me some too. After trying it with you last time, I found that sensation of my digestive organs collapsing wasn’t bad at all.”

“Aah! I forgot–you were the crazier one!”

Pendrick is desperately trying to force himself to look interested.

Astrimia trembling in horror.

“Mmm…”

And… Rosalia quietly hummed in satisfaction as she chewed her purple salad.

Watching the expedition members who had conquered Nightmare World together enjoy food and drink without worry…

Made me smile for no reason.

‘Is this what it feels like to be a captain?’

“Everyone. For today alone… let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest.”

We’d suffered enough over the past few days because of the dungeon.

At least today… Let’s have all the fun we wanted.

Truthfully… I intended to rest not just today, but for two… Three… Even four days if possible.

‘Nod.’

Rosalia also nodded her approval.

Apparently, even she had no intention of refusing to relax at a time like this.

“Captain, may I order one more drink?”

“You may order ten more if you’d like. If you want, order the most expensive side dishes too.”

“Ooh! Captain! You’re incredibly generous!”

“I have plenty of money. People may misunderstand because I’m a Cultist, but I didn’t steal it. I earned it proudly by conquering dungeons.”

“Haha. Then I won’t hold back. Today’s a good day, after all!”

Pendrick called over a server and ordered the dwarf head chef’s signature seafood dish.

It was then…

“Greetings.”

A dog beastman that reminded me of a Border Collie confidently strode over to our table with his arms crossed.

 

[Strong Martial Artist Huzetis (Dog Beastman, 34). Though he has a somewhat loose tongue, he’s good-natured and gets along with many races. An executive of the Heteromorphic Species Association, so it’s worth befriending him. However, he has an aggressive personality and may pick fights for no reason.]

 

Huzetis. A Level 6 Warrior-Martial Artist.

Quite a famous dog beastman explorer, standing beside him was a much smaller companion, awkwardly shifting his feet.

A goblin I recognized.

“…Hey, brother.”

Mek, the diligent goblin who valued honor over money, grimaced while giving me a nod.

“I came in for a drink and happened to spot you guys. I told this mutt about what happened in the last dungeon, and he suddenly went crazy, saying he absolutely had to come talk to you.”

After giving his lengthy explanation, the goblin grabbed his companion’s thigh, trying to drag him away.

“You’ve seen their faces already, right? Let’s go.”

“Wait a moment.”

Refusing to budge, Huzetis stared directly at me before speaking.

“You’re a half-elf?”

“Indeed. It should’ve been obvious from my charming appearance alone.”

“You look pretty scrawny. Feels like your head would explode if someone poked it.”

“That’s probably true.”

If someone jabbed my forehead with a finger… It would likely leave quite a nice hole.

Next… The dog beastman martial artist turned toward the elf, happily eating her purple salad.

“And you’re a Wood Elf. No matter how stealthily you move, there’s no way you’ll dodge my fists.”

“…”

Perhaps because her meal had been interrupted… Rosalia’s gaze became ice-cold.

Huzetis met her stare without backing down. A Level 6 Assassin.

A Level 6 Martial Artist.

The unexpected staring contest between two Silver-Badge explorers…

Was ended by one genius swordsman blessed with extraordinary friendliness.

“I’m not sure what brought you here, but since things turned out this way, why don’t you join us? Beer always tastes better the more companions you have.”

Pendrick pulled out a chair… Then gestured toward it with both hands in welcome.

Huzetis stared blankly for a moment.

Then… As though hypnotized… He sat down.

“We just ordered the chef’s special. I heard it’s packed with seafood and has an incredibly rich broth.”

“…Is that so? Somehow that makes my mouth water.”

“Me too! I’m sure it’ll be delicious. Apparently, they only use ingredients that every race can eat. I wonder what it tastes like?”

“Hoh! Does such a miraculous dish exist?”

Just moments earlier, Huzetis had looked ready to throw punches at any second.

Now… He’d instantly become a goofy middle-aged man swept along by Pendrick’s enthusiasm.

“…”

Only after Rosalia finally resumed eating her poison-covered vegetables while still glaring at the dog beastman… Did Mek breathe a sigh of relief.

“I thought you guys were about to fight…”

“Sir Mek, since fate brought us together, why don’t you sit too? I’ll treat you to celebrate our successful conquest.”

“I won’t bother refusing.”

Although it had become an impromptu gathering…

Thanks to Pendrick’s uncanny ability to befriend anyone, the atmosphere remained surprisingly warm for quite some time.

“Hic…”

Having drunk copious amounts of the beer I recommended, the now-tipsy Mek grinned foolishly as he spoke.

“Do you know how shocked I was earlier? I was just lazing around near the dungeon exit. Then suddenly, another door appeared beside the illusory inn entrance, leading to the City of Pleasure!”

“That must’ve startled you.”

“Don’t even mention it. It had never happened before. Everyone nearby, including me, instinctively realized it.”

‘”Ah… Those guys just discovered the hidden piece.”

Besides Mek… Many explorers waiting nearby to enter other dungeons had witnessed us proudly emerging after conquering Nightmare World.

By tomorrow… The entirety of the Third District would know that our expedition team had discovered the hidden piece.

It was simply too great an achievement not to spread.

But… It was still far too early to celebrate with complete satisfaction.

‘So… our name has finally begun to spread.’

Only the first step.

The Moonlight Expedition Team’s journey… Had only just begun.