Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 51 - As Long As It's Cute

Chapter 51 – As Long As It’s Cute

 

Heavy drinking inevitably brings a hangover.

“Ugh… I feel like I’m dying.”

I lay sprawled across the bed, groaning.

Not only did my head throb, but my stomach churned as well, making it difficult to think straight.

“…”

“Ah, thank you.”

Rosalia handed me a cup of cold water.

After drinking it, at least my thirst subsided.

“But why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something yesterday?”

Surely a law-abiding Cultist like me, the finest in District 6, hadn’t done anything strange while drunk?

I clearly hadn’t blacked out, yet parts of last night’s memories felt hazy.

As I carefully tried to recall what had happened…

Rosalia raised her thumb.

Thud!

She drove it down into my thigh.

It hurt as though I’d been struck by a rock.

“…Well, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did, but since I’m sincerely reflecting on it, please forgive me just this once.”

“…No alcohol.”

The fact that this normally taciturn elf had actually spoken aloud to warn me meant I’d definitely committed a serious offense.

I wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol to begin with, so I obediently accepted the verdict.

Press.

As if confirming the sentence, Rosalia pressed her thumb down even harder.

Then she lightly shook her head before sitting on the bed beside mine.

Leaning comfortably against me as though I were the backrest.

After relaxing for a moment, she suddenly held one arm out toward me.

“- Kyuu!”

Resting atop her gloved hand was a tiny, round, adorable purple slime-like creature busily bouncing around.

A lifeform created through the Third-Tier Mystery, [Venomous Follower].

It had been formed using “Bleak Future”, the poison she’d generously poured over her salad yesterday as dressing, combined with every poisonous substance she’d ever consumed.

A tiny bundle of lethal toxins.

“…Maengmaeng.”

The taciturn elf suddenly uttered a completely contextless word.

But judging from her eyes, I understood exactly what she meant.

“Is that its name?”

‘Nod.’

Rosalia tilted her head before bringing the newly named Maengmaeng right in front of my face.

“It’s incredibly adorable.”

Though… that was basically all the Mystery did.

Still… that was enough.

If something was cute, what more did it need?

Cuteness itself possessed destructive power rivaling even the deadliest weapons.

“Try directing your will and have it slowly come over to me.”

If the goal was simply poisoning enemies, then thanks to the reward from Nightmare World, her upgraded Sixth-Tier [Fresh Companion] was overwhelmingly more useful.

But personal preference mattered.

So I diligently taught her how to make use of Maengmaeng.

“- Kyuu!”

The little purple creature bounced cheerfully toward me before wriggling up my body.

“Once it gets close enough, have it launch part of its body like a projectile into the enemy’s mouth, or make contact with their skin. Preferably while they’re distracted by how adorable it is.”

Its cute appearance lulled enemies into lowering their guard.

Its tiny wriggling movements produced almost no detectable presence.

It was perfect for surprise attacks.

Just like this, even something that initially looked like useless junk always found a purpose somewhere.

The Immortal Cultist build also included numerous Mysteries that other explorers would never learn… or would actively avoid.

‘I’ll prepare that first.’

I pulled a Mystery Tome from my subspace.

It was Fragment of the Colossus, the tome I’d obtained from Nightmare World.

“I’m going to do a little reading.”

After asking Rosalia to remove Maengmaeng, who had begun crawling across Sky Invader and slowly melting my clothes,

I finally started reading.

Unlike Avatar of the Earth, which had taken ages to finish because of its absurd complexity, this one wasn’t especially difficult.

I finished it quickly.

[Congratulations: The Third-Tier Mystery, Fragment of the Colossus, has taken root within your body!]

Since I’d already learned it, I might as well test it immediately.

I lightly poked the little purple poisonous creature beside me.

“- Kyuu?”

While Maengmaeng tilted its round body adorably, just that tiny bit of contact caused excruciating pain throughout my entire finger.

A pain like being stabbed, burned, and torn apart simultaneously.

Yet… my finger looked perfectly normal.

That was Fragment of the Colossus at work.

[Fragment of the Colossus: Status ailments that target your physical body can no longer threaten your Vitality!]

Physical status ailments, such as Rosalia’s poisons, could no longer reduce my Health.

In exchange, the pain remained completely unchanged, while any status ailments affecting the mind would last twice as long and become twice as severe.

It was a Mystery with significant strengths and equally significant weaknesses.

In truth, its drawbacks outweighed its advantages, which was why most people ignored it.

But if used properly, it could exponentially increase my still-insufficient combat power.

[I’m looking forward to seeing how you make use of such an inconvenient Mystery. The Wise One is watching eagerly as well!]

“Lidni, I won’t disappoint you. I’m not the kind of Cultist who settles for ordinary growth.”

“- Kyuuuu!”

“Ow… Maengmaeng, don’t come any closer. It hurts.”

I rolled around on the bed trying to avoid the poisonous creature that insisted on clinging to me.

Just then…

“Uuuugh… Captain.”

Pendrick, who had recently changed careers from inn employee to customer, entered the room looking utterly miserable.

The hangover seemed to have left him barely conscious.

“Seriously, please scold him, Sir Karr!”

Apparently, she’d spent the entire night listening to the drunken conversation between a human and a dog beastman.

Astrimia, now resting inside her artifact scabbard, sounded thoroughly irritated.

As captain, I couldn’t ignore such a request.

So I spoke sternly.

“Pendrick, next time, make sure to eat side dishes while drinking. Humans can’t just keep guzzling alcohol like beastmen. You’ll ruin your body.”

“…That’s not the point!”

“I’ve properly scolded him, Lady Astrimia. From now on, he’ll practice healthy drinking by eating snacks along with his alcohol.”

Having delivered my flawless lecture, I got out of bed and prepared to head outside.

 Still looking pale, Pendrick sat in a chair and asked,

“Where are you going?”

“I have a few things to take care of. Lady Rosalia, shall we go together? Pendrick, would you like to come as well?”

“Sure. Though… shall we eat breakfast first?”

“Sounds good.”

We ordered the Inn Sheep’s Roar’s signature lamb steak, enjoyed our meal, and finally headed out.

The first thing we needed to do was something necessary before Pendrick could officially join the expedition team.

“Here’s the contract termination fee.”

“Fine. Take him.”

After paying the guild headquarters where Pendrick had belonged, the guildmaster let him go without the slightest hesitation.

He was an orc who looked somewhat dim-witted.

Apparently, he was every bit as slow as his appearance suggested, or perhaps simply lacked any real passion for managing his guild.

Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn’t have realized that the “super-genius swordsman from the Eastern Continent” whom Huztis had spent the entire night loudly advertising was actually one of his own trainee explorers.

“…This feels a little disappointing.”

Once we’d put some distance between ourselves and the guild building, Pendrick, lost in thought, finally spoke.

“I never imagined they wouldn’t even try to stop me. Honestly, I was expecting them to desperately persuade me to stay.”

“It simply means they weren’t much of a guild. Forget about them.”

“I’ll definitely become successful and make them regret letting me go.”

“They certainly will. Especially if you continue exploring alongside me.”

With our business at Pendrick’s former guild concluded, we resumed walking through the streets.

“So where are we going this time?”

“After uncovering a Hidden Piece, there’s something that naturally comes next, isn’t there?”

I intended to sell the information.

Not to the Harmony Church… but to the organization that governed District 3.

“We’re heading to the headquarters of the Ashen Wolf Guild.”

 

***

 

The Ashen Wolf Guild… the strongest explorer guild in Pletica and the organization governing District 3… stood deep within the northern Challenger’s Mountain Trail.

Pendrick, who’d never had reason to visit this far while still only an explorer trainee, stared blankly at the building.

“…It’s a wolf.”

An exceptionally accurate observation.

Directly before the inner wall separating the Central District from the outer districts stood a massive building designed in the shape of a wolf’s head.

 

[Headquarters of the Ashen Wolf Guild.]

[Because the guildmaster stubbornly insisted on a wolf-head design, an absurd amount of money went into construction. This is exactly why Gray Orcs are like this!]

 

The main entrance was located inside the wolf’s mouth, its teeth represented by sharply carved white stone.

Opening the door, which had even been painted red like a tongue, we stepped inside.

The first floor doubled as a tavern, used not only by guild members but by ordinary explorers as well.

[You’re not even allowed to smell alcohol anymore. >:(]

Wasn’t that taking things a bit too far?

Thinking that, I glanced sideways.

Rosalia was also silently glaring at me.

“…Forbidden.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Giving the unexpectedly overprotective assassin a thumbs-up, I headed toward one of the reception counters.

[Sell Dungeon Information]

“Welcome.”

The receptionist, wearing a uniform embroidered with a gray wolf on the shoulder, looked at me with obvious boredom.

“How may I help you?”

“I’d like to sell information regarding a Hidden Piece.”

“…”

The moment I showed my identification plate and mentioned a Hidden Piece, the previously indifferent employee visibly stiffened.

“Could you… perhaps be the expedition that conquered the City of Pleasure?”

Apparently… they’d been waiting for us.

This was an event triggered once an explorer reached a certain amount of Exploration Fame within District 3.

“…Please wait a moment.”

I nodded.

The employee hurried off, then returned shortly afterward and bowed deeply.

“We’ll escort you to the top floor, Explorer Karr. Your companions as well.”

A treatment entirely different from before.

We climbed several flights of stairs before being led into a reception room.

Sinking into one of the plush sofas, Pendrick looked around the luxurious room and smiled.

“Being somewhere like this… almost makes me feel like a famous explorer.”

“You’re already not an unknown trainee anymore. That musclehead dog beastman shouted your name and achievements all over town!”

“…Becoming famous that way isn’t necessarily bad, is it, Captain?”

“Correct. Explorers need fame by any means necessary. Once your popularity rises, your value increases as well. You might even attract sponsorship from wealthy patrons.”

Build your reputation through great achievements.

Prove your worth.

Receive generous financial and material support.

It was the most traditional path to success for an explorer.

“And in cases like ours, where an unconquered dungeon was cleared… the recruitment department of Milky Way may even come personally to invite us.”

Milky Way.

One of the organizations governing Pletica’s six districts, alongside the Harmony Church and the Ashen Wolf Guild.

When Mysteries residing within the body were observed using specialized detection tools, they resembled stars.

Since the major figures within the district-governing organizations sparkled like an entire night sky,

they had collectively earned that nickname.

“So it’s possible they invited us into this reception room specifically to recruit us.”

“Really?”

Pendrick leaned back against the sofa with a broad grin.

“Captain, thank you for everything over this short time. I think I’ll quit the expedition team and join the Ashen Wolf Guild instead.”

“Do as you wish. Just remember… if, one night, a taciturn red-haired assassin comes knocking on your door… accept that your time has come.”

“Ahhh! Then I’ll have to beg for mercy for old times’ sake!”

“Not a chance. Do you really think so little of Rosalia the Cold-Blooded Elf, who can kill even former comrades without hesitation if ordered to?”

“…”

Having listened to our nonsense long enough,

Rosalia gently frowned.

Then she raised her hand like a hammer and smacked my knee.

Compared to before, it felt very much like a sign she’d grown considerably more comfortable around me… a mildly painful expression of camaraderie and affectionate discipline.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

After we’d spent quite a while idly chatting, the reception room door opened.

A massive orc and a small elf entered.

The elf was clearly a secretary.

As for the orc…

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Targon, Guildmaster of the Ashen Wolf Guild.”

He was one of the twelve most renowned explorers in all of Pletica.