Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 49 - The Decisive Difference

Chapter 49 – The Decisive Difference

 

“I seriously can’t believe it!”

Huzetis, his face completely flushed red, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Little brother, do you still not understand what you’ve accomplished? You were the first people to conquer the City of Pleasure, an unconquered dungeon that had remained uncleared for a full ten years since it first appeared!”

The first conquerors of a dungeon.

The greatest honor an explorer could receive had fallen into the hands of a newly formed expedition team whose name wasn’t even known yet.

Not only had we uncovered a Hidden Piece that had remained undiscovered for ten years, but we had also successfully conquered a C-rank dungeon despite being short on both levels and manpower.

“An achievement like this is enough to shake not just the Third District, but all of Pletica! The Glorien Family might even try to recruit you!”

Perhaps because he was completely drunk, he was spouting utterly ridiculous nonsense.

The Glorien Family.

The enormous power that governed the First District would never accept a treacherous Cultist or a cowardly Assassin into one of its expedition teams.

Naturally… A rookie swordsman whose career had only just begun wouldn’t even be considered either.

“The Glorien Family?! Am I really that amazing…?!”

Unfortunately… Pendrick had already become a full-fledged drunk and had entirely lost his ability to think rationally, so he accepted every word of the intoxicated dog beastman’s nonsense without question.

The genius swordsman then turned toward me with sparkling eyes.

“Honestly, it still didn’t feel real until now… but I finally understand! Captain, you really gave me an incredible opportunity! Caaaptaiiin! I’ll serve you for the rest of my liiife…!”

“…”

Since there weren’t enough seats, Astrimia was resting in her lover’s arms.

She let out a mental sigh.

Beside us, Huzetis slung an arm around Pendrick’s shoulders.

“To be honest, I originally came here intending to recruit only you two, the half-elf and the Wood Elf, to our Heteromorphic Species Association. If the two of you joined us, we’d become much stronger. But now… I want to bring little brother Pendrick too!”

“…Huzetis. He’s human.”

Mek covered his face with one hand and shook his head.

Unfortunately…

The drunken dog beastman martial artist didn’t seem capable of hearing his goblin companion anymore.

“Everyone! Did you know this?! The expedition team that discovered the Hidden Piece of the City of Pleasure and conquered it for the very first time is right here!”

Huzetis climbed onto his chair and began loudly boasting about our expedition’s achievements.

“So, apparently, there was this gigantic monster called the Corpse King, and these three people brilliantly defeated it through sheer ingenuity! Isn’t that incredible?!”

Our method of conquering the dungeon was rapidly becoming more and more exaggerated in real time.

Strictly speaking… It wasn’t entirely false.

But it certainly sounded as though we’d casually killed a Level 9 Corpse King.

“Ugh… this guy, seriously…”

Even while staggering drunkenly,

Mek tried to pull his companion back down.

I stopped him from stopping him.

“Leave him be. He’s personally spreading word of our expedition’s magnificent achievement for us. Why stop him?”

“…Well, if you’re fine with it.”

Sitting beside the goblin, I watched Huzetis drunkenly break into song before casually asking,

“Sir Mek, how has Invincible Father been doing lately?”

“…”

Mek, who had been laughing drunkenly until that moment, suddenly stiffened and looked straight into my eyes.

Without breaking eye contact, he rested his chin on the table and quietly took out a cigar.

“How did you know?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? Lidni knows everything.”

“Hah… I should’ve realized back when you won over ten thousand casino coins just by playing cards.”

Lighting the cigar, the goblin slowly looked me up and down.

“You possess a Mystery related to knowledge or information, don’t you? That’s how you managed to discover everything about the Hidden Piece.”

“Correct. Sir Mek, you should also devote yourself to Lidni. Then you’ll come to understand every truth in the world.”

“If your Evil God’s Mystery really lets you obtain information about every dungeon, then honestly… that’s worthy of worship. Could it even provide more knowledge than Artein’s Mysteries?”

Perhaps even he realized how absurd that sounded.

The goblin quickly calmed himself.

“…Mm. Thinking about it, that can’t be true. There probably aren’t even a hundred followers of your god across the entire continent.”

“An accurate estimate. Honestly, how great could someone with fewer than three-digit followers possibly be?”

I respected Lord Lidni more than anyone.

Even so… I was the type of Cultist who couldn’t rest unless objective facts were stated clearly.

“I have to admit, something doesn’t add up. Isn’t it less that your Evil God is incredible and more that you’re exceptionally perceptive?”

“I’ll accept that flattering compliment without denying it.”

“…Brother, if you’d become a priest of the Harmony Church instead, you’d probably have become a far more famous explorer. Intelligence is obviously Artein’s domain.”

Wisdom and Knowledge were even listed separately as stats.

They were clearly different concepts.

If one asked who was the wisest deity at the current point in time… the answer was naturally Artein, the goddess who governed brilliant wisdom.

“This is a secret, but Lord Lidni, who’s honored with the title ‘The Wise One, ‘ once suffered a complete strategic defeat against Lady Artein back when he had far more followers than he does now. Honestly, people ought to call him ”The Well-Informed One” nowadays, but he stubbornly refuses out of pride.”

[The Wise One strongly recommends that you stop bombarding people with the truth!]

Ignoring Truthy’s protest, I leisurely sipped my beer.

Mek watched me with curious eyes.

“…You’re completely different from other Cultists. Normally, if someone insulted the Evil God they worshipped, they’d explode in rage.”

“Yes. I’m different. There’s definitely a difference.”

The ways I differed from ordinary Cultists.

I had someone under my protection.

I had companions who fought beside me.

And I possessed an immense amount of knowledge.

And… There was one decisive difference.

I could serve multiple Evil Gods simultaneously.

And before long… There would be one more deity joining the ones I served.

‘Please continue waiting patiently, Lord Lriria..’

It was time… To become a Triple Cultist.

 

***

 

Tonight truly was a wonderful night.

A full moon floated high in the sky.

People staggered drunkenly through the streets.

It wasn’t exactly a breathtaking sight…

Yet the pleasant buzz of alcohol somehow made this ordinary world seem extraordinary.

“Hahaha! Shall we go, little brother?”

“Let’s!”

At some point, Pendrick and Huzetis had become sworn older and younger brothers.

With their arms around each other’s shoulders, they staggered toward the night market.

Astrimia, strapped to Pendrick’s back, swayed helplessly from side to side.

She seemed uncomfortable, but being fully aware of how precious she was, he Ego Sword refrained from speaking in crowded places.

So she held back her complaints.

“…I should get going. My stomach feels awful.”

Completely drunk and barely able to walk, Mek extended his hand.

“If you ever come to the Fifth District, visit the headquarters of the Heteromorphic Species Association and ask for me, Mek. I’ll treat you properly.”

“Understood. Buy me something expensive.”

“Uh… only ‘slightly’ expensive. Anyway, see you next time. And from now on… don’t drink too much!”

For some reason, he repeatedly warned me never to overdrink before waving goodbye and disappearing.

As I watched Mek’s retreating back…

Rosalia suddenly grabbed my wrist and began walking south toward our inn.

“You want to head back already? Couldn’t we play around a little longer? I heard there’s a bard orchestra performing at the theater.”

“…”

The red-haired elf quietly pointed at my face…

Then traced an X in the air with her fingertip.

“Hm. Are you saying I’ve had too much to drink?”

Well… I’d recklessly consumed two whole glasses of alcohol.

To other people, I probably looked like an absolute mess by now.

“I’m fine. Aren’t we having a perfectly normal conversation like always?”

Despite hearing my voice and tone, which sounded no different than usual…

The taciturn elf simply shook her head.

Thus, Rosalia led me back to our room at the inn, The Sheeps’ Cry.

She forcibly laid me down on the bed, pulled the blanket over me, turned off the mana lamp,

and quietly left.

[Your face is currently as red as Rosalia’s hair. I recommend going to sleep immediately.]

Even Eyes That Perceive the Truth recommended sleeping, so I had little choice but to obey.

“Alright. Just one last thing before bed.”

The room was wrapped in cozy darkness.

Outside, Dreaming Path was even quieter than usual thanks to the late hour.

The atmosphere was perfect for performing a ritual.

From my subspace, I took out the greatest treasure I’d obtained during our last dungeon expedition.

Then I carefully placed it in the center of the room.

A majestic cobra statue spewing flames.

It was crafted so vividly that it almost seemed ready to slither to life at any moment.

I knelt respectfully before the idol.

“O One who blankets the earth in gloomy twilight and summons inevitable death.”

The curtains swayed.

Even though the window wasn’t open, a hot wind began blowing through the room.

“This Cultist, Karr, offers his prayer to the Silent One.”

Silence.

A suffocating stillness gradually filled the room.

‘Whoosh.’

A flame appeared above the cobra idol’s head.

Smaller than a candle flame.

Fainter than a firefly.

A tiny, fragile light.

“Please answer my call.”

The faint flame trembled precariously, as though responding to my voice.

Then… As the quiet darkness deepened further…

【H-Hello….】

A revelation barely echoed within my mind.

The Watcher of Lonely Silence.

The great deity who ruled over the flames of life and death.

Lriria. personally addressed this insignificant half-elf Cultist.

【D-Did… y-you call… for me…?】

If his voice sounded timid… nothing like the commanding presence she’d possessed in the future… then that was surely just my imagination.

There was no way someone who had once stood as the chief deity of the Evil Gods would actually sound so withdrawn.

“Actually, no. I was trying to call someone else. Why did you answer instead, Lord Lriria?”

【I-I thought so….? Forgive me. I shall leave….】

“No. I did call for Lord Lriria..”

【A-Ah… hahaha… it was just a mischievous joke….】

If I continued teasing him the way I teased Marlin, he really might leave.

So I quickly stopped.

“O Watcher of Lonely Silence. I wish to become your Cultist.”

【Y-You truly wish… to become my Cultist…?】

Even through the faint revelation… I could hear the bright happiness in his voice.

“Yes. How may I earn the honor of serving your silent flames?”

The requirements for becoming a Cultist serving Lriria…. the Cultists of Lonely Silence…  were even simpler than Su’eje’s, whose only requirement had been appearance.

【T-There are… no qualifications. F-From this day onward… You are my believer….】

Evaluation criteria: None.

【Y-You don’t even have to practice the faith….】

“How could that possibly be?”

【I truly desire… nothing.】

“Even so, surely there’s something you wish from me? Please tell me honestly. I want to offer sincere devotion.”

【Something… I wish for…?】

Lriria. pondered for a long time.

Finally… After an extended silence, the Silent One delivered another revelation.

【T-Then… I have one request.】

【Please… just don’t abandon me….】

Current number of Lriria’s followers: Including me… only three.