Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 129

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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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Episode 129: B-Rank Dungeon – Trial Tower (5)
Brownmain, sub-guildmaster of the Hyena Guild, never engaged in plunder that lacked a safety margin.
His targets were exclusively explorers beneath his own level.
He attempted expedition-scale plunder only when his numbers decisively outnumbered theirs.
‘This is absurd.’
The lifeblood of plunder was safety.
Holding to that principle, he had always avoided situations that taxed both body and mind.
Which was why Brownmain, despite eight years of lawlessness, now found himself unable to hide his bewilderment.
‘I can’t see anything.’
The already-dim underground waterway had plunged into absolute darkness.
Even the Detection Mystery of the Hunter Class, which pierced through shadow, revealed nothing beyond an arm’s length.
Was it a Heretic Class Secret Art?
No—it was unthinkable that a Secret Art granted by an Evil Deity would possess such absurd power.
Crack!
Brownmain lashed the ground lightly with his whip and bellowed.
“Don’t panic, everyone! Gather in one place, backs together! It’s nothing but a parlor trick powered by an Artifact!”
At the sub-guildmaster’s commanding shout, the Hyena Guild members immediately converged, pressing their backs together.
“Use Detection Mystery and scout the perimeter! They’ll strike from the shadows now that visibility is gone!”
If they remained calm, they could manage even without sight.
Most of them were Hunter Class, specialized in reconnaissance and detection—a covert ambush should be impossible.
…….
Silence hung heavy.
How long had they been holding themselves rigid with tension?
Thud.
Something pierced the quiet—a sound of impact as it struck flesh.
Then light returned.
“…Don’t leave me behind!”
On the floor of the now-illuminated passage, a guild member stood with tears streaming down his face, reaching into empty air.
“What?”
“…No?”
The Socialite and Assassin had vanished along with the tiger-boy, and no one remained in sight.
Whoosh.
Before they could collect themselves from the shock, darkness rolled in again.
Thud, thud-thud.
The same sound as before, and then light flooded back.
“Aaah, a Magical Beast….”
“P-please, I don’t want to be swallowed!”
Two more guild members convulsed, their bodies wracked with spasms.
An eerie sight—staring at empty air while screaming in agony.
For the Hyena Guild members, accustomed to nothing but easy prey, it was spectacle enough to freeze the blood.
“Remain calm.”
As panic rippled outward, a guild member who had been quiet finally spoke.
Pierre, the Beast Tamer.
A prodigy whose terrifying prowess had bent the Hyena Guild to his will.
“We reviewed all the Guild War footage before coming here. Kar the Socialite serves multiple Evil Deities simultaneously. If that’s the case, something like this is entirely possible.”
When many dogs gather, even an elephant can be brought down.
It was roughly that caliber of argument, but no one could dismiss it as nonsense now that they were caught in Kar’s bizarre tactics.
Especially not when it came from the glacial Pierre.
“Furthermore, the abnormal reactions of the guild members are likely due to Assassin Class Secret Art. Best to identify the direction of the incoming attack and mount an immediate counterattack.”
“…Pierre is right! Don’t be afraid—respond with discipline!”
Whoosh.
Darkness engulfed the passage once more.
In the gloom, Brownmain poured all his focus into his hearing, deploying Slaughterer Class Secret Art to detect the assassin’s covert approach.
“Aaaagh…!!”
But his subordinates’ screams drowned out everything—he could hear nothing clearly.
Soon the area brightened again, and fresh victims were added to the toll.
The cycle repeated twice more.
‘Damn it all.’
Brownmain clenched his teeth until his gums ached.
No solution presented itself.
If I’d come with the guild master, I’d have seen through the enemy’s scheme in a flash and counterattacked!
Slash! Crack!
The sounds of things being cut and smashed echoed through the passage in sporadic bursts.
A Magical Beast tamed by the Beast Tamer Class screamed out in pain, its cries piercing and loud.
“Vice guild master.”
The area brightened again.
Only Brownmain and Pierre remained standing.
“This Socialite Kar seems to wield mysteries far more peculiar than expected. I think it best we withdraw for now.”
“Yes, I suppose we should….”
Retreat was shameful, but worse still would be collapsing to someone you came to rob.
Now was the time to fall back.
“…Wait.”
The moment the taciturn vice guild master turned to flee, he had no choice but to freeze.
“Stop.”
Another Pierre stood in the passage ahead.
“Ah, so it’s the Transformation you used in the Guild War.”
The Pierre standing beside Brownmain raised an eyebrow.
“Even though it’s my form, there’s not the slightest sense of wrongness. Like looking in a mirror.”
“A preposterous thing to say.”
The Pierre in the passage smiled faintly.
“You’re Socialite Kar, aren’t you? I have to admit—your Secret Art and acting are flawless.”
“You’re truly shameless, Socialite Kar.”
“That’s my line.”
“Have you heard the rumor? The Iraise sisters, victims of your impersonation, gnash their teeth in anger whenever they think of meeting you.”
“Ha, well then, you’ll need to avoid them as much as possible.”
Listening to the two Pierres exchange their casual banter, Brownmain felt his head spinning.
He had no idea.
Which one was the real Pierre, and which one was Socialite Kar.
‘…Stay calm.’
No matter how seamless the Transformation, it was ultimately a Socialite’s Secret Art.
There had to be some flaw.
Once he steadied his alarm and observed carefully, subtle differences did emerge.
The Pierre beside him was expressionless, as he’d always seen him. But the one in the passage had a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“That one’s the fake!”
Whoosh!
The Whip lashed out, coiling around the Pierre in the passage.
And then spines burst forth.
“…Quite a sting.”
Even as the spines choked his throat and dealt pain, the attacked Pierre only grinned.
This alone was proof enough of his right judgment.
From the Guild War footage, he’d already learned that Socialite Kar was the type who enjoyed pain.
“Pierre! Finish it.”
“Understood.”
The Pierre beside him drew a weapon.
Not the Axe he normally used, but a Dagger with a blade curved like a crescent moon.
“…What?”
“Hmm, you caught on?”
Just as Brownmain, having finally grasped the situation, was about to lash his Whip at the Pierre beside him—
Crash!
A downward kick from Rosalia, falling from above, struck Brownmain’s head.
A perfect hit.
The taciturn vice guild master couldn’t withstand it and lost consciousness.
…….
As Rosalia straightened up, Kar released his Transformation and returned to his true form.
Then he held up both thumbs.
“You’re the best.”
***
A small Magical Beast with disproportionately large ears was darting about violently.
At a speed impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Whoooosh!
Then, diving sharply, it hurled a headbutt down at them.
“…Ugh!”
Pendrick barely threw himself aside to dodge.
But he was fractionally too slow—the headbutt grazed his shoulder.
Even that glancing blow tore muscle and flesh to shreds.
“Are you all right, Pendrick?”
“No trouble at all. Just stings a bit!”
Pendrick laughed brightly as he spoke, but anyone could see his condition was far from good.
The same went for everyone else.
Every member of the team carried at least one serious wound.
Without Luxerion, they would have all been dead by now.
“…Here it comes again!”
But from fighting without sparing themselves, they had grown accustomed to the creature’s swift movements.
Whoooosh!
The Magical Beast dove sharply once more.
The battle wore on, and now its patterns were all too familiar—just predictable charges in a straight line, nothing more.
“I’ve got it all figured out now!”
Bartimir, the target of its attack, thrust his fist forward.
His fist, infused with the essence of the Rock Shattering Technique, collided with the creature’s headbutt.
Crackle-snap!
The result: a petrified hand defeated the creature’s stone body.
But since he’d met it properly head-on, the Magical Beast recoiled dazed, flying backward in a lazy arc.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Merlin emerged from hiding and drew his Dagger.
Brithes Dagger Technique.
The swift, secretive arc of his blade severed one of the creature’s ears.
Screee!
The level gap meant it took no great damage, but the creature’s body tipped off-balance.
Ting.
As Luxerion rang his bell, layers of protective barriers unfurled, enclosing both the creature and the team members.
An aggressive application that trapped the enemy with nowhere to escape.
“…At last, we have our opening.”
Pendrick, who had stored his Single-Edge Sword in the Hall of Swords, grasped the hilt of Astrímia.
Kar’s task for him was simple: don’t use Astrímia until reaching the 10th Floor.
They were on the 10th Floor now, so he was allowed to draw it.
“Astrímia!”
Respond!
The blue-green blade blazed with starlight aura.
Across his arms and legs, he wrapped black inner force in the manner of canine-type beast humanoid technique that Hyustis had taught him.
Pendrick charged at the creature, swinging Astrímia with its rippling aura.
Violent Gale Sword Art.
The first wind—whirlwind.
Crack-crack-crack!
His full-power diagonal slash, clean and refreshing, carved through the creature’s body with a fierce whistling sound.
Screeeee…
The Magical Beast’s bisected form dissolved into empty air.
Merlin, gripping his swollen ankle carefully, ventured to speak.
“…Is it really dead?”
“Merlin, your exploration knowledge is really lacking.”
“Why again?”
“You don’t even know some Magical Beasts revive after being cut apart?”
“Is that really true? I had no idea…!”
Fortunately, the nightmare of the bisected creature resurrecting never came to pass.
Magnificent!
Then.
A voice that seemed to belong to Martial King Gryke rang out thunderously from the empty air.
To think you’d clear the 10th Floor in just seven days! You’ll become the stars of the Northern Continent! My heartfelt congratulations!
Bartimir simply collapsed where he stood and grumbled.
“Forget congratulations—give us a reward instead.”
– Understood!
“…What?”
Crackle.
A dusty-brown Gate materialized in the heart of the Wasteland.
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
A large stone monument and a chest rose up beside the Gate.
– The chest contains a Trial Mark!
A voice rang out, crisp and clear.
– Wear it and all manner of training speed increases by roughly half — use it well!
“Ah… thank you?”
As Pendrick lowered his head, the voice from the void grew a touch louder.
– Don’t thank me so much — it’s nothing special!
“…So it really does have self-awareness?”
– And that stone beside it is the Stone of Records! Touch it and you can master a Secret Art possessed by one of the enemies you’ve faced so far!
Hidden reward of the Trial Tower.
Luxerion’s eyes widened.
“A worthy reward for all our hardship.”
“I wonder… was this what Kar felt like?”
Merlin laughed softly, then immediately contradicted himself.
“Actually, I don’t think so. This ‘satisfaction’ I’m feeling now must be something fundamentally different from what he experienced….”
“What does it matter!”
Bartimir tapped the crown of Merlin’s head and approached the Stone of Records, placing his palm against it.
“Ah, so this is how….”
The other members of the Expedition approached and pressed their hands to it as well.
Information about the enemies they had faced and the Secret Arts they wielded flowed into their minds.
“…Hmm?”
Pendrick, who had been smiling as he examined the details of the Secret Arts, suddenly widened his eyes.
The blade spirit cradled in his arms tilted her sword slightly.
– What is it, Pendrick?
“…….”
Pendrick fell silent for a moment, then whispered softly.
“The Secret Art that Seraphina used to eavesdrop on all the voices echoing inside the Temple — it was called Heavenly Ear, wasn’t it?”
– That’s right. Why do you ask?
“It’s just….”
“It’s on the list.”
Bartimir, who had already finished his selection, answered in his stead.
“The Magical Beast we fought last had the Secret Art called Heavenly Ear.”
– Is that so? That’s a curious coincidence.
“A coincidence….”
– Why do you say that like that? It’s not particularly strange for a Magical Beast to master the same Secret Art as a sentient being, is it?
“No, that’s true, but….”
Bartimir gazed up at the empty air with an enigmatic expression.
“Heavenly Ear is supposedly a unique Secret Art possessed only by the Magical Beast called Sky-Eared Bat?”
– …What?
What did this mean?
Why did Seraphina possess Heavenly Ear, a Secret Art that supposedly only belonged to a specific Magical Beast?
Astrímia, flustered, shook her blade, and Bartimir chuckled, turning his body toward the Gate.
“Your mother will give you the answer if you ask her, so don’t bother puzzling over it for now.”
B-Rank Dungeon.
Trial Tower.
“Clear—!”

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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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