Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 120 — Of course you wouldn’t have felt it
The guild that emerges victorious in a Guild War formally receives the right to administer the 3rd District through an Awarding Ceremony.
However, the current king of Pletika, who ascended twenty years ago, dislikes needless pageantry, so these days the procedure has been considerably simplified.
“When will they arrive?”
Outside the Ash Gray Wolf Guild Headquarters.
As I stood at a distance, watching all the guild members lined up in orderly fashion, Merlin let out a bored yawn.
“It’s already been quite some time….”
The right to administer the 3rd District is finalized when a knight from the Royal Guard comes to present the king’s gift through an Awarding Ceremony.
But an hour had passed, and the knight still hadn’t appeared.
“It’s just a power play, that’s all. A delightful traditional game that happens every year the Guild War is held.”
They come deliberately late.
An indirect warning, you might say—that the power you enjoy means nothing before the throne, so don’t act recklessly.
Given that the Guild War itself was instituted because the guild that once managed the 3rd District staged a rebellion, you could say this tardiness had a rather rational justification behind it.
“…Ah, finally, they’re coming.”
After waiting another hour.
The knight finally strolled leisurely across the street toward us.
A typical sight—a man in full plate armor.
A human male in his mid-thirties, with a neat mustache and a prominent jaw, exuding an air of ease.
《Serban Moricard, the Tardy Knight—human, thirty-four years old. The sort of fellow whose greasy mustache you’d want to rip right off. Despite his punchable appearance, his soul carries considerable dignity.》
“Have I kept you waiting long? My apologies. Urgent business came up on the way.”
The knight Serban, grinning smoothly, came to stand before Targon.
Despite the considerable difference in build, he showed no sign of intimidation—truly fitting for a knight.
“Shall we begin?”
“Let’s get it done.”
“Well then, my congratulations.”
The knight Serban reached into the empty space of a pocket dimension and, fumbling about, withdrew a sculpture and handed it over.
《Gold Dragon Sculpture》
《A golden sculpture depicting a majestic dragon soaring through the air. Should you carelessly attempt to sell it, a curse shall befall you—an honorable proof that the rights and authority to administer the 3rd District have been bestowed upon you.》
Once that is handed over, the ceremony is complete.
For such a brief affair, he was two hours late.
“And Ash Gray Wolf again, of all things….”
Serban let out a small chuckle.
“To be honest, I thought this time it might actually change. There was that incident where all the private Secret Arts information leaked, wasn’t there?”
A remark difficult to parse as sincere or mockery.
Naturally, the Warrior Targon showed no particular reaction, though inwardly he must have been displeased.
The information leak was connected to the death of his close vice-guildmaster Rigoberto—a tender wound indeed.
“Word has it that because of some Half-Elf Ninja, the Guild War nearly fell into chaos? His Majesty was greatly angered upon hearing the news.”
The knight held Targon’s gaze directly, smirking.
“Had it not been for an unprecedented victory through Hidden Piece, the Guild War would have vanished into history, and the right to administer the 3rd District would have been reclaimed by the throne.”
“…….”
“You were fortunate. Thanks to enlisting a talented Socialite, you avoided the worst outcome.”
Bartimir, listening silently beside me, muttered softly that he wanted to land a punch.
Abel nodded in agreement.
But Targon remained completely unmoved by the knight’s blatant provocation.
“Is there anything else?”
At the gray orc Warrior’s bland question, Serban’s expression twisted slightly.
“…Nothing at all.”
“Then shall we call it done?”
Apparently finding his own response a bit awkward, Serban scratched his head a few times before turning to leave.
The Awarding Ceremony was finished.
Targon handed the sculpture to Elvira, then walked straight toward me.
“Thank you again for the Guild War. And thank you for attending this unnecessary ceremony as well.”
“Not at all. I wanted to see it through to the end anyway.”
“Are you heading back to the 6th District now?”
“That’s my plan.”
“I understand.”
The orc Warrior gave a slight nod, then bent at the waist and spoke in a low voice.
“Be careful.”
A warning that came somewhat out of nowhere.
As I waited quietly for him to continue, Targon’s brow furrowed.
“That knight just now. He peered at you seven times with a Secret Art. Did you notice?”
“Of course not, sir.”
Intimidated by Targon’s presence, I’d turned away in a fluster—but I was still Level 8.
A named-rank knight like myself could hardly have missed something suspicious if a Level 4 Socialite had been poking around.
“But I understand his intent. You needn’t worry overmuch.”
If I just kept exploring diligently as I was doing, he’d show his hand in time.
It was a distant concern, though—something to address later, not now.
“I see. Very well.”
Targon bobbed his head slightly and extended a massive hand toward me.
“You’ve worked hard. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Until we meet again, sir.”
Warriors don’t linger over farewells.
Targon turned and headed straight into headquarters.
Elvira gave me a small bow and followed him back inside.
“Well, it’s truly over now.”
Abel, tired from standing so long, tapped his thighs absently.
I set my hand on Abel’s head and spoke.
“Then let’s head home.”
Back to our quiet, comfortable 6th District.
***
In the 6th District Slums lay a hideout once used by the Black Sword Guild.
A small but cozy space tucked away in the depths below ground.
It was hidden so carefully that its existence was nearly impossible to detect from above.
“Search every inch of the place.”
The guildmaster of the Hyena Guild, a branch of the Silent Alliance.
A cat Beastman with one eye covered by a patch—Karsha—issued the order, and the guild members began moving freely, tearing the hideout apart.
All of them were Hunters by Class.
Some were even Trackers, specialists in reconnaissance, so they found what they were looking for quickly.
“Found it, Guildmaster.”
A guild member called out.
He held a dagger stained with Resentment in one hand.
“Let me see.”
Karsha took it at once and examined the dagger carefully.
With the Investigation Mystery Secret Art at her disposal, the guildmaster quickly grasped all the information connected to this weapon, and her brow furrowed.
“That’s the one. Our little thief’s favorite.”
The dagger favored by Black Sword Guild’s guildmaster, Maken.
An ordinary weapon, but through countless killings, it had accumulated tremendous Resentment.
That wasn’t all the information she’d uncovered.
“…Sylvan Elf poison?”
There were hardly just one or two Sylvan Elves in the world, so identifying whose poison it was based on that alone was nearly impossible.
But.
The perpetrator who’d reportedly annihilated the Black Sword Guild happened to be in frequent contact with a Sylvan Elf assassin.
“I don’t think we need to investigate further.”
Karsha settled into what appeared to be the Black Sword Guildmaster’s personal throne-like chair.
“The Black Sword Guild was eliminated by a Sylvan Elf assassin from Brités acting on orders from the Half-Elf Kar. That’s what I think—does anyone disagree?”
It wasn’t the act of a tyrannical boss asking with a predetermined answer.
“What about this angle?”
“This is my take on it.”
Several guild members voiced their thoughts freely.
It was a culture unique to the Hyena Guild—unusually distinctive for a criminal organization.
A guild where everyone enjoyed plundering and killing Explorers in a light, pressure-free atmosphere.
“Well… the upshot is that there’s a very strong chance the Half-Elf Kar was behind the Black Sword Guild’s destruction.”
Karsha scratched her ear with her pinky and turned her gaze to a guild member who’d remained silent.
“What do you think?”
All the gathered guild members looked at the brown-haired dog Beastman.
A promising young outlaw who’d only recently joined the guild yet seized control of all his seniors with an unusual aura.
A top recruit in whom the guildmaster had considerable faith.
Pierre answered in a dry voice.
“I think the same.”
“Right?”
That it was merely the opinion of a newcomer only made the guild leader and the other guild members feel more at ease.
The track record he had displayed and proven was far beyond imagination.
“Good. Now I can make a report that our leader will actually be pleased with.”
Karsha’s mouth curled upward.
“The Half-Elf Kar will be captured alive and brought in. Even for a leader as cautiously excessive as ours, evidence this clear won’t warrant any reproach.”
“Guild leader, the issue is how we’re supposed to capture him.”
The Beastman vice-guild leader opened his mouth in a dry voice.
“If we go about this too recklessly, the Public Security Force could mobilize — but I suppose I don’t need to tell you that.”
“…That’s true enough.”
The Public Security Force, one of four royal direct-order units, normally only guarded the borders between districts.
Each district’s security fell to the Milky Way to handle.
But when a serious incident occurred, they would mobilize immediately to arrest the culprit or conduct an investigation, and when they did, ‘any problem whatsoever’ was resolved very simply.
“If we get caught by the Public Security Force, we’re finished too. So… we wait until he enters the Dungeon and follow him in. What do you think?”
“That’s probably the best option….”
“I don’t see any other way.”
“Let’s do that!”
The vice-guild leader and all the guild members agreed to the classic method of quietly following an Explorer as he entered the Dungeon.
“Guild leader.”
At that moment, Pierre, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
Karsha’s eyes perked up with interest.
“What is it?”
“If we’re to avoid detection, I’d say we should only send a small elite force. The rest should stay back in the 4th District.”
“That way, even if the worst happens, the rest can escape?”
“Precisely.”
“Hmm.”
It was a persuasive argument.
The Public Security Force had likely already caught sight of them on the crossing into the 6th District.
They hadn’t all traveled together, instead splitting into small groups, but the Public Security Force were sharp enough to see through such tactics in no time, so one had to remain vigilant.
“Understood. We’ll do as you say.”
“I’ll participate in the capture operation and direct the effort, so if you could let me take along whichever guild members I wish, I’d be grateful.”
“Done. Anyone have objections?”
No one raised their hand.
Why would anyone refuse when this clever, skilled fighter Pierre would even provide direction?
“Good. Decision made.”
Karsha stood up on his chair and threw both arms up high.
“Our target is the Half-Elf Kar! Lads, it’s hunting time!”
The guild members cheered quietly, careful not to cause too much commotion lest the Harmony Cult’s holy knights take notice.
…….
Pierre smiled, waving one arm casually.
‘My preparations are complete.’
Now everything depended on Kar’s readiness.
He didn’t feel this operation would fail.
The driving force behind the Guild War championship was hardly going to struggle against a handful of ‘fake outlaws’ that Pierre had specially selected.
‘My heart is pounding.’
Pierre felt a pure emotion for the first time in a long while.
Anticipation.
The hope that he might take one step closer toward the Hidden Truth.
‘Please, don’t disappoint me.’
***
“Kar! Just a little faster!”
I was running through the 6th District with my siblings.
Our morning run—something we did without fail unless something special came up.
Since Tavireck hadn’t finished the work yet, my left arm was still missing, throwing off my balance and giving me the frequent joy of tumbling to the ground.
“Sponsor, please focus on running instead of letting your mind wander.”
“…Right.”
My Stamina had now surpassed the level of a criminal, so I didn’t tire easily.
Still, my speed was slower than my siblings’, so matching their pace meant pushing myself a little harder than comfortable.
“Huff—wheeze!”
After five laps, we arrived at Odillon’s Mansion.
I sat down heavily on the ground, catching my breath.
My clothes were drenched with sweat, but it was worth every drop.
《Through sustained training, your ‘Stamina’ has increased by 1!》
“…Status Window.”
It had been so long since I’d used the function that Astrímia hesitated for a moment before the text appeared.
《Twisted Truth Socialite Kar ???(Level 4)》
Strength – 1 | Dexterity – 2 | Faith – 17
Stamina – 12 | Perception – 3 | Wisdom – 19
Agility – 1 | Charm – 21 | Knowledge – ??
Now my ‘Stamina’ had reached 12.
If I activated both Ghoul Mobility and Life Reversal Action at full strength, it would spike to at least 23 or higher.
I could say I’d become a proper aspiring immortal by now.
“Kar.”
Merlin, who had collapsed beside me, wiped the sweat from her brow and spoke.
“When are you planning the next expedition?”
“Why? Getting restless already?”
“It’s not that. Astrímia wants to know in advance when you’ll be heading into the Dungeon next.”
“Then tell her this.”
I spoke as I tidied her disheveled hair.
“I’m planning to go tomorrow morning.”
“…Couldn’t you rest a bit longer?”
“Where’s the time to rest? The dear Dungeons are waiting for me.”
“Patron, what rank of Dungeon will you be entering this time?”
“I’ll explain that when all the members have gathered. But remember this much for now.”
I gazed at the siblings, whose ears were perked up attentively, and murmured softly.
“This expedition will be the most difficult one yet.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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