Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 144

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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 144: C-rank Dungeon – South Continent Expedition (5)
I disposed of the foul-smelling two-legged creature reeking of rot.
Crackle-snap!
I burned away the slime clinging to my entire body with black lightning.
No matter how much of an Unclean Merchant and Socialite I might be, I couldn’t possibly tolerate being treated like a half-elf utterly devoid of cleanliness.
Click.
Okail had deigned to convey his will to me after a long while.
‘A disappointing outcome.’
He didn’t seem particularly satisfied.
The plan—to masquerade as captain using Transformation and seize the chance for a direct confrontation with Kraken—had been too transparent in its objective, I suspect.
How difficult it is to please someone as contrary as he is.
“Please forgive me this time. I shall soon undertake something worthy of capturing your interest.”
It was about time an urgent letter came flying from the 5th District anyway.
“In your next life, may you be born a sentient creature who bathes once a day.”
I stepped carefully on the slimy head of the dead two-legged creature and straightened my back with deliberate caution.
Using Spatial Transfer Treasure, I sent the Demon Suppressor into my belongings, then fixed my gaze on the deep blue Soul Stone I held in my hand.
《Treasure – Kraken’s Soul Stone》
《Upon absorption into the soul, you gain access to Kraken’s dominion. However, a portion of your body will rot each time you exercise this power.》
A Soul Stone is a quasi-relic imbued with the rank of a Divine Beast.
A treasure that grants partial access to celestial power.
Generally, one could only obtain such a thing when a Divine Beast—capable of resurrecting in the heavens even after death—gifted it to a sentient being it favored before departing.
Crackle!
The exalted one was absolutely disgusted, insisting that I absolutely must not accept the power of that foul-smelling creature into my body.
Why are families always like this?
“In exchange for absorbing this Soul Stone, I shall later spend one day dressed as you wish and do whatever you desire.”
Click!
The deal was struck.
Before the exalted one’s capricious mind could change, I quickly pressed the Soul Stone against my forehead.
– Kwuweeeek!
Along with the repugnant voice of the two-legged creature echoing in my mind, the deep blue Soul Stone smoothly absorbed into my body.
《Kraken’s dominion has seeped into your soul! I can already smell it! :D》
And thus I became a half-elf completely defiled.
By now, the lord of the Disgusting Deep-Sea Cult manifested within the Dungeon must surely be drooling while watching me.
Of course, being a prim and proper Socialite who gives her heart only to the evil god of reality, nothing desired will come to pass.
– Hey, you there!
As I floated adrift in the sea and straightened my body, which creaked from the aftermath of battle, a large sparrow-shaped spirit came flying toward me.
‘Solmiran’s Mainstay’—the essential entity that kept the ship operating.
It was the wind spirit that had been suspended from the highest mast.
– Are you okay!? You just got wrapped up in Kraken’s tentacles and your body got smashed and everything went crazy!
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
I answered, spreading both arms wide, and the spirit tilted its head in confusion.
– Really? Why are you okay?
“Half-elves are naturally toughened by getting hit frequently in daily life.”
– I see!
The spirit, quickly convinced, landed on my shoulder.
– I’ll take you back!
Flapping its wings enthusiastically, the spirit flew up and set me down on the deck.
The situation on the deck was also drawing toward conclusion.
“…Nadeun’Sap!”
First Mate Whitefeather cried out the exalted one’s name and swung his cudgel with all his might.
A powerful blow wreathed in crimson aura.
“Careful!
Expedition Leader Brinya shoved an expedition member aside and received the attack with his head.
Clang!
Despite wearing no armor whatsoever on his crown, the sound rang out as if metal had struck metal.
“…What a mad blockhead!”
“Astrímia!”
While Whitefeather stood taken aback, Pendrick unsheathed Astrímia, wreathed in starlight aura.
Slice!
The head of the grotesque seagull joiner tumbled cleanly away.
“That was a refreshing blade strike!”
Brinya laughed heartily, seized Whitefeather by the head, and bellowed.
“Behold! Even your strongest is reduced to this! From now on, anyone who resists will have their limbs crushed and be thrown alive into the sea!”
Though the dwarf’s cry came from the bow, his stentorian voice carried all the way to the stern without difficulty.
Soon the demoralized sailors surrendered one by one, kneeling in submission.
“Would you like some help?”
I approached Bartimir, who was still pummeling a rough-looking sailor, and spoke casually.
“Mom!”
My good-natured Demon-type daughter beamed and threw her arms around me, spinning us both in place.
“…Did I hear that wrong?”
“…I wish you had.”
Tilda and Rael of the Eyebeam Bear Love Guild stifled their laughter, but Bartimir paid them no mind whatsoever.
“I missed you! Did you catch the Kraken all by yourself?”
“Yes, I did. Impressive, is it not?”
“Very much so!”
“Then pat my bottom to show your delight.”
“How wonderful, my dear mother!”
Pat-pat-pat!
Bartimir enthusiastically struck my rear end repeatedly.
“Please, both of you, do be mindful of the others’ stares! Especially you, Kar!”
Merlin’s face flushed as she pushed us toward the railing.
Pendrick and Luxerion then walked over to us.
“Captain, you’re safe.”
“Indeed. And how have you been?”
“We’ve been fine…”
“But how were things for you, Kar?”
Luxerion continued carefully.
“I never expected you to become a slave as a criminal. You must have endured terrible treatment…”
“I certainly received ‘poor treatment’—particularly from the bad sailors who sought me out without the captain’s knowledge.”
“Did they hit you? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
Merlin’s eyes filled with concern.
I simply smiled quietly and placed a hand on her head.
“…Why aren’t you answering?”
“I have no wish to wound your heart with the truth.”
“What on earth happened to you…!”
As Merlin seized my shoulders and shook them, I gave her a thumbs up.
“Members of the South Continent Expedition!”
Brinya set down his hammer, clambered up the mast, and shouted.
“Thanks to your efforts, we have successfully dealt with the evil god worshippers who were plotting mischief! Tell me, expedition member—do you think this was an unfortunate incident?”
The member he pointed to shook his head firmly.
“No, sir! It was not!”
“Correct! Talendros, who governs all fortune in this world, always reminds us: luck is not something you wait for while lying idle—it is something you seize for yourself!”
The dwarf’s stubby hand struck the air forcefully.
“We have just endured the curse of falling into the schemes of evil god worshippers, thereby clearing our karmic debt! Now all that remains is to grasp the good fortune that will come as its reward!”
This was not mere rationalization.
The second-in-command of the Holy Divine faction.
Talendros, god of fortune and wealth, was indeed a deity who bestowed luck more frequently upon those who possessed such wholesome conviction.
“Having safely overcome this crisis, let us rest with lighter hearts until we reach the South Continent! You have all worked hard!”
Brinya descended from the mast, kicked the surviving second mate, and thrust his hammer toward the man’s face.
“You focus on navigation. If I catch you causing trouble again, you know what happens, yes?”
“…I shall do my very best!”
“Then move! Don’t dawdle!”
“Aye!”
The second mate hurried off to urge on the surviving sailors and resumed command of the ship.
Brinya then approached me, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked up.
“Who are you? You’re not part of the expedition, but your face is familiar.”
“I am one of the criminals you purchased as a slave.”
I held out the chain, wearing the Slave Collar via the Spatial Transfer Treasure.
“Feel free to ‘use’ me as originally intended.”
“……?”
“Wait, please!”
Brinya was staring at me blankly, so Beldora hurried forward.
“This person is, well… one of our companions!”
“A companion, you say?”
“Yes! Before we boarded, this one regarded the captain and crew with suspicion, so rather than join as an expedition member, he came aboard as a slave to conduct a secret investigation.”
“But surely an investigation could be conducted just as well if you boarded as an expedition member?”
“…The crew would be cautious in front of us, but they wouldn’t let their guard down in front of a slave, would they?”
Beldora presented a rational explanation I hadn’t even written down in my guide, and the dwarf finally nodded his head.
“Thank you, Beldora. You understand my thinking well.”
“…But is that really the reason you did it?”
Even as Beldora smoothly offered an excuse to the expedition leader, he narrowed his eyes as if his own thoughts differed.
I kept my hand resting on Merlin’s shoulder and nodded.
“Of course. There couldn’t possibly be any other reason, could there?”
…….
Rosalia suddenly appeared at my side, fixing me with an intense stare.
“…Very well. I won’t deny that self-interest played a part. Satisfied?”
…….
The fastidious assassin finally withdrew her questioning gaze.
“…So you’re a fellow who shares the dream of setting foot on the South Continent? Honestly, I don’t quite understand it, but that’s not the important part!”
Brinya, stroking his grass-like beard, suddenly thumped his chest heartily.
“Since you’re skilled enough to dispatch that grotesque creature single-handedly, I’ll gladly welcome you as an expedition member!”
“Well, you could leave me as a slave if you prefer.”
“What? Hahahaha! You’re quite the entertaining one!”
He thought I was joking.
It was genuine.
“I look forward to your great contributions!”
The dwarf tapped my leg a couple of times before rushing over to the crew members operating the ship’s controls and began barking orders.
Now the crew wouldn’t dare harbor thoughts of resistance.
The captain Kiate and the first mate Whitefeather, the core forces, were dead.
“Everyone has worked hard.”
I’d successfully stopped the machinations of the Disgusting Deep-Sea Cult.
Now there was only one thing left to do aboard ship.
Wait.
《Time remaining until arrival at the South Continent — approximately 3 days.》
The [South Continent Expedition] survey had only just finished its first half.
***
The expedition members’ quarters.
I lay comfortably in a hammock.
For four days straight, except during mealtimes.
“Comfortable?”
Merlin poked my head repeatedly with her index finger, nails retracted.
“Yeah, it’s comfortable. I’d like to harden like this and become stone.”
The balance between stimulation and tranquility was more important than anything.
If one pursued only pleasure and dopamine, the brain would deteriorate, so I had to maintain a balanced life.
“But couldn’t you at least take off the collar?”
“Why? Such an exquisite ornament.”
“…Father, what should I say in a situation like this?”
Luxerion shook his head with a gentle smile.
Merlin sighed and poked my ribs, then spoke again.
“We’ve lost the chance to fulfill the hidden condition now, so we should concentrate on exploring the South Continent….”
The Hidden Clearing Condition for [South Continent Expedition].
Eliminate only Captain Kiate and the fallen Divine Beast Kraken without inflicting any harm on the other crew members.
Without prior information, it would have been difficult to discover.
Moreover, Kiate hid himself meticulously, and Kraken had a pattern of fleeing into the sea when his vitality dropped below half, so defeating only the two of them was also considered a difficult feat.
“Be glad for half the reward, then.”
I rocked gently in the hammock, swaying side to side.
“Most exploration expeditions can’t even kill Kraken and end up getting wiped out. We’ve survived intact so far, so if we work hard on the remaining half, we’ll have successfully cleared it.”
I fingered the chain attached to the collar, then suddenly sat up.
“Now it’s time.”
《Time remaining until arrival at the South Continent — about 30 minutes!》
“Want to take a walk on deck together?”
“…….”
I touched the chain absently as I spoke, and Merlin regarded me with a fixed stare before turning to look at Luxerion.
“Is there perhaps a Secret Art to correct one’s disposition?”
“There is no Secret Art that can reform character without side effects. There is a method of injecting ‘order,’ but it’s far too extreme for me to recommend.”
“I see….”
“Would you consider becoming my master, Priest?”
“…I shall at least hold the chain so you’re not bored.”
When we all climbed onto the deck, the surroundings were shrouded in a mystical, swirling mist.
– Blow harder, blow!
A spirit in the shape of a sparrow was churning up wind to scatter the fog.
After driving it back for some time, at last the beautiful seascape revealed itself.
“…Wow!”
Merlin’s tail shot straight up at the sight of the place I’d indicated.
Beyond the blue sea.
Near the horizon, a continent gleamed with piercing beauty.
“Is that the South Continent? It’s so beautiful! Is it all ice?”
“No. Not all of it.”
“Then what’s the rest…?”
“…….”
Did I need to tell her now?
I patted the back of Merlin’s head as her ears perked up eagerly, and spoke.
“You should always keep Sky Ear activated on the South Continent.”
Late in the South Continent Expedition.
The actual difficulty level.
B-rank.
“Otherwise you’ll be buried in snow before you know it.”

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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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