Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 145

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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 145: Southern Continent Expedition – Land of Pure White
Snow falls.
Thump-thump.
Ceaselessly.
The Southern Continent was a land of pure white, endlessly buried beneath heavy snow.
Whoosh!
The Artein of old showed signs of considerable excitement.
‘Pure white! Pure white! The most excellent of lands!’
A response fitting for the “Pure White Artein.”
But the contemporary guardian of all mankind maintained silence, seemingly ashamed of his past self.
“The Southern Continent—!”
Brinya, the expedition leader, leapt from the ship and landed first upon the frozen earth, raising his remarkably short arms high.
“It’s beautiful! Solmiran, have I truly arrived at this land?”
The dwarf who had finally set foot on the Southern Continent could not contain his emotions, and continued searching for the one who burns eternally.
“Oh….”
“This is the Southern Continent…!”
“How splendid!”
The expedition members, who had joined to earn the honor of exploring an unknown continent, gazed around the pristine landscape with wonder.
The members of the Moon Expedition Party and the Eyebeam Bear Love Guild felt the same.
“Wow….”
Merlin’s tiger ears, visible above the thick winter hat, twitched constantly.
“It’s even more beautiful to see in person!”
“Doesn’t it bother you that this continent doesn’t actually exist?”
“It sure does!”
“Don’t get too absorbed. You might not want to leave if you do.”
The Dungeon sometimes manifests ideals and hopes that don’t exist in reality.
One can reunite with departed loved ones, or enter worlds where despair and melancholy have ceased to exist.
Of course, these are all elaborate traps.
The most ideal form of deception to bind an explorer’s feet forever.
“From B-rank onward, rather than subjugating through brute force, many unconventional variants emerge that render the mind excessively comfortable—making simple strength alone insufficient for clearing them.”
“And the Southern Continent Expedition falls into that category as well?”
“That’s right.”
The Southern Continent Expedition is a Dungeon that exhausts both body and mind.
The physical body has already suffered greatly on the journey here; now came the turn of the spirit.
Though the flesh would hardly find comfort either.
“It’s so cold….”
Tilda, dressed in winter clothing nearly as thick as a bear’s fur, stood motionless and trembled.
“…It’s already difficult.”
Her elder sister Veldora likewise stood swollen like a roly-poly doll.
The Ires sisters, originating from the 1st District where warmth reigns year-round, were weak against the cold.
That’s why the conquest guide had instructed them to purchase warm clothing and various cold-weather countermeasures from the city beforehand.
“Please take cold-prevention medicine diligently until the clearing is complete.”
…….
“Why are you looking at me that way?”
“Because you’re speaking something rational and sensible, Golden Raven. It’s startling.”
“You still harbor resentment from the Guild War impersonation incident, I see. That wounds me somewhat.”
Kar pressed both hands to his eyes and made a whimpering sound, leaving Veldora with an expression she could scarcely put into words.
“Kar, isn’t that clothing rather cold?”
Lucius withdrew a Portable Heat Device from the pocket dimension of the rosary with the small shield attached, distributing them while examining the Sky Invader from top to bottom.
Even in long-sleeve mode, his concern remained evident.
“Priest, I find the cold agreeable.”
To dispel his worry, I wrapped the Brilliant Faith like a scarf around the iron chain at my neck.
“How is that so?”
“An environment where one’s entire body grows gradually cold merely from walking is itself a factor that impedes exploration, is it not? The bitter cold is truly a grace and blessing bestowed by the deity of snow and severe frost.”
Merlin, who had been listening quietly to my words, tapped the priest on the shoulder.
“Don’t take what Kar says too seriously. Just pretend to listen and let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was then that Merlin was teaching the well-meaning priest the disquieting art of ignoring others’ words.
“Come on, move it—!”
At Brinya’s cry, the slaves—their shackles and manacles removed, collars alone remaining—began groaning as they transported the heavy cube-shaped device.
“Put it down there!”
Thud!
A cube the size of an ordinary adult human descended onto the frozen ground.
“Members of the Southern Continent Expedition, observe!”
Kick!
The cube responded to Brinya’s foot and swelled suddenly into a sprawling structure.
A massive log dwelling with a leaf-shaped crest affixed beneath the roof.
《Artifact — Portable Wooden House》
《A portable dwelling crafted by the ‘Emerald Tower’ on the Eastern Continent. Spacious enough to accommodate all expedition members. Heated to comfortable standards.》
“This is the base of our Southern Continent Expedition!”
A tool with multiple schools of Secret Arts woven together in layered complexity.
One of hundreds of thousands of reasons why Mages were considered a cowardly, broken Class.
“A genuinely expensive Artifact, commissioned at considerable cost! Inside you’ll find a lounge, hot springs, potion storage, and all manner of facilities — please use them freely!”
Bartimir, wearing nothing but a fur cap added to his usual outfit, muttered beside her.
“Too comfortable. That’s precisely why I dislike it.”
“I share the sentiment.”
“Right?”
“…Which part, exactly, do you dislike?”
The beautiful Artifact blade answered Veldora’s question quietly.
– Whenever Kar says something strange, you must accept it as presented. It took me a while to reach this point as well.
“…I see.”
“That’s quite uncalled for, Astrímia. Truly disappointing.”
Anyone listening might think I do nothing but babble uselessly all day.
I speak only truth, nearly always.
“Now I shall outline the expedition schedule!”
Brinya, standing atop the ladder his thrall had brought, boomed out his words.
“In truth, there is no such ‘schedule’! For I cannot shackle your yearning to inscribe your names in history with a mere timetable born from my meager faculties!”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
“Waah!”
The expedition members erupted in unified cheers.
“Roam freely across the Southern Continent, investigating ecosystems, researching environments, making discoveries unknown to the world! When exhaustion takes hold, return to base, recover, and venture forth once more!”
The Portable Wooden House functioned as a sort of exploration hub.
A sanctuary where one could return when Stamina or mental reserves bottomed out, recover, and depart again.
It was precisely because of this base that whether Brinya survived the attacks of the heretic cultists or perished would dramatically shift the difficulty of our exploration.
“With that wooden house, we can conduct stable exploration.”
Bartimir glanced at me, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“But Mother has no intention of using it, does she?”
“Truly our daughter.”
Naturally, I had no intention whatsoever of resting at that sanctuary.
I would leave immediately to clear the Dungeon and not return.
“You won’t even enter it…?”
Veldora, flustered, hesitated for a moment, then began closing her eyes and nodding a few times as Astrímia had advised—
“…What on earth are you saying!”
She failed.
“Why would you forsake a comfortable place to rest and drive yourself to the absolute brink!”
“One encounters experiences impossible to feel in daily life. Isn’t that the true reason every explorer ventures forth on expeditions?”
“…That’s a fair point.”
Tilda nodded beside me.
“Hmm…”
Veldora’s eyes darted about as if searching for words, then clenched her fists with obvious frustration.
“You’re not wrong, but… you still need to preserve your life so you can enjoy the next expedition, don’t you?”
“Precisely. That is why I have prepared the safest possible clearing strategy.”
“……”
Veldora exchanged quick glances with her younger sister Tilda, the wood elf Rael, and the beast warrior Baric.
The members of the Eyebeam Bear Love Guild all bore expressions that seemed to carry the same meaning.
“Golden Raven, you’re strange, but your competence is undeniable. We felt it clearly in combat and clearing aboard the ship.”
“I am a rather capable Half-Elf.”
“…Sigh. Let’s combine our strength and clear this together. We’ll show you our guild’s true power.”
“An excellent decision.”
I extended my right hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, Veldora grasped it and shook.
“The expedition begins!”
Brinya, standing at the top of the ladder, bounced on his feet and shouted.
“Whenever you wish to deploy slaves into the hazardous zones, just say the word and I’ll bring them!”
Some of the expedition members who were preparing to depart began examining the slaves one by one.
Send criminals into danger first.
It was such an inhumane tactic that not everyone accepted it, but several members were eyeing their “tools” with gleaming eyes.
“We’ll be taking slaves with us as well.”
I held up the chain attached to the collar.
“Starting now.”
An upgraded version of deploying ordinary slaves.
Throwing in Kar, who possessed superior Stamina stats.
……
The adventurers from the Eyebeam Bear Love Guild fell silent, then began murmuring among themselves.
“Will this really be okay?”
“Should we act separately…?”
“But it seems too dangerous.”
Meanwhile, our team members showed no objection or doubt, simply accepting it.
“Oh my goodness.”
Merlin burst out laughing and playfully yanked the chain taut.
“Lead us well.”
“Trust only me.”
I tapped Merlin lightly on the forehead.
“I’ll devote myself to keeping everyone from falling.”
***
The second half of the Southern Continent Expedition conquest needed to be divided into two groups.
“Our Exploration Expedition will depart first.”
At the foothills of the mountain range near the base.
I looked around at the adventurers and spoke.
“The Eyebeam Bear Love Guild will wait at the base, and once we send a signal, you can simply follow the path, checking the markers we leave behind.”
Tilda, who was directing slaves to set up a signboard reading “Southern Continent Expedition,” glanced sideways at the expedition leader.
“With that eager-beaver idiot of a dwarf, no less?”
“That’s correct.”
The standard route of the Southern Continent Expedition proceeds on the assumption of Brinya’s survival.
If we failed to protect him and he died midway, no strategy in the world would guarantee clearing it.
“That’s why we’re entrusting the escort to the Eyebeam Bear Love Guild, who are stronger than us. Level 7 expert Half-Elf Aira will also be joining us.”
Aira, who had been the captain’s escort sailor, was newly hired as the expedition leader’s bodyguard.
Since Brinya was a generous-hearted dwarf who paid no mind to trivial silver, it was a remarkably unconventional reassignment.
“Why don’t we all go together from the start, with us going first instead?”
It was a question typical of Merlin.
“It’s because of the characteristics of this pure white icy land.”
The natural environment of the Southern Continent is harsh.
Relentless blizzards pour down.
Cold that freezes skin entirely.
And there’s one more decisive reason.
“The bitter cold of the Southern Continent freezes the heart itself.”
“…How so?”
“It reads people’s memories and persistently attacks their minds. Won’t let them rest easy.”
That’s why we can’t all move together holding hands.
A larger group only increases danger from multiple directions.
“Normally, we should have been searching through the entire Southern Continent from now on. Days, weeks—relentlessly.”
The third stage of conquering the Southern Continent Expedition.
Aimless search and investigation.
Without any clues, it could take up to a year—long-form content.
Of course, as always, being with me lets us skip the tedious middle steps.”
“Fortunately, I don’t need to wander about lost.”
“…But you’re coming here for the first time—how do you know the way?”
“Thanks to this magnificent Sacred Object, the Sky Invader.”
The Sky Invader.
A Sacred Object that reveals the location of all that is noble, holy, or pure.
This undiscovered land itself belongs to something pure that the dirty authority of Suevé wants to defile.
“But in this vast Southern Continent, there exists one place. A place that is… unclean.”
“Pardon?”
Veldora’s eyes went wide.
“Wait. The Southern Continent is only now being touched by human feet for the first time. How could there possibly be an ‘unclean region’?”
……
I answered while wearing a dark smile that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a socialite’s face.
“The world contains far more things beyond the comprehension of rational minds than one might think.”
“…Don’t smile like that. It’s frightening.”
I patted Merlin’s back as she jabbed me sharply in the ribs, then gazed up at the towering mountain range.
“Well then, shall we begin our pleasant expedition?”
Anticipate this, my heart.
For you are about to indulge in spiritual trials most thoroughly.

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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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