Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 35

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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 35: D-rank Dungeon – Blood Feast Banquet (5)
Whoosh!
Flame erupted forth, searing Hyeol Joe’s tongue and palate with a hot, stinging burn.
Fire and lightning.
Two forces of power had begun to consume Hyeol Joe.
Both his outer hide and inner flesh were roasting evenly.
— Screech…!!
Hyeol Joe, who had been hopping on both legs, let out a raw cry of agony before his wings began to thrash wildly.
He meant to drag me up into his domain—the sky.
I couldn’t let him have his way.
I fastened the Shell to my lower jaw that I’d been carrying in my grip and shouted.
“Rosalia!”
Before I’d even finished speaking, Rosalia was already rushing at Hyeol Joe.
Crack!
Another heavy kick landed squarely on his body.
Hyeol Joe, still in the motion of taking flight, went soaring over the cliff edge and plunged into the sea below.
And of course, so did I, impaled on his beak.
— Screech!
The sudden, forced immersion sent Hyeol Joe into a desperate thrashing frenzy.
For all the world he looked like a red swan, yet apparently he couldn’t swim at all.
“You should really broaden your horizons and see what the sea has to offer sometime. The little fish that feast on corpses are quite charming.”
This was why neglecting culture only hurt yourself.
I wrenched myself free from his beak while he flailed and twisted about.
《Your remaining Life Force: 20/100》
《Your remaining Mental Force: 30/100》
“Thank you.”
Despite pushing overwhelmingly on the offensive, I’d come dangerously close to death.
A Level 3 Named Boss indeed.
This creature was a formidable opponent—too much for me to defeat in my current state.
And yet.
A smile spread slowly across my lips.
‘This is how a monster battle should be…!’
I had no desire for a easy victory.
To have one’s life threatened by a monster, to have one’s Life Force drained to the brink, to wage a desperate struggle with a mind slipping into delirium—
Only such perilous, thrilling, and intense combat could truly be called a proper conquest.
“Hyeol Joe.”
I seized his body as he barely clung to consciousness and thrashed his wings, then converted my entire form into Lightning Conversion.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Dark lightning met its conductor friend—the sea—and excited, began to dance wildly.
“Hold on.”
A brutal duel had begun, one where only death could end it.
The time limit was until my Mental Force reached zero.
“If you survive to the end, I’ll count it as your victory.”
Conversely, if Hyeol Joe fell before that, the win was mine.
— Screech!
“Right, right—let’s both abide by fair sportsmanship and accept the result.”
The outcome would be decided soon.
Perhaps Hyeol Joe instinctively sensed that his life hung in the balance.
The creature, which had been struggling only to ascend skyward, suddenly lashed out with his talons.
Just as his massive claws were about to tear through me.
A Shadow Sword plunged down into the water’s surface.
Swish.
From the sword’s shadow, a red-haired elf burst forth and leaped into action.
…….
Merely by appearing, her killing intent and aura caused Hyeol Joe to falter.
“Much obliged.”
I seized the opening created by the Level 5 Assassin herself, converted my entire body into lightning, and tore through Hyeol Joe’s form.
Crackle-crackle!
Even struck by the electrifying body slam, he refused to fall.
— Screech….
I managed to move my contorted body just enough for it to scoop me up in its beak.
It was going to chew the prey that had caused it such suffering into submission.
“You’ve got quite the patience, I’ll give you that.”
I acknowledge the willpower that endured the shattering pain coursing through its entire body.
But the match wasn’t over yet.
After all, I never said I’d surrender if I could survive a lightning strike.
“Go.”
-Screeeech!
The blind raven, which had been waiting for its turn all this time, shot out from my right eye socket and tore straight into Hyeol Joe’s gaping mouth.
It didn’t volunteer as an appetizer.
Crunch, crunch-crunch.
The exterior had hardened enough to endure Rosalia’s kicks without flinching, but what about the inside?
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
Blood began to pour from Hyeol Joe’s mouth in torrents.
-Shriek!
It thrashed its head, wings, and legs in agony.
Keeping my distance to avoid being caught in the chaos, I soon saw a small beak peek out—the one that had devoured Hyeol Joe’s right eye.
-Caw!
After consuming what remained of its other eye, the raven burst through the crown of its head and soared powerfully into the air.
Unlike Hyeol Joe, which would never return to the sky.
-Gurgle….
Hyeol Joe, its head caved in at the center, collapsed to one side.
Zing.
A Gate appeared above Hyeol Joe’s charred corpse, connecting to the outside world, and the sky stained itself crimson like blood as if to herald the victory.
Hyeol Joe Blureev.
Hunt successful after a fierce struggle.
The surging adrenaline began to subside, and the aftermath of the brutal battle finally caught up with me.
‘Good grief, my head….’
A crushing headache bore down as if massive thorns were piercing my brain.
-Caw!
The Eye That Pierces Truth, which had been doing aerial tricks in the sky, drunk on victory, rushed back to its eye socket and displayed text in panic.
《Your remaining Mental Force: 7/100》
《Had Hyeol Joe lasted only a moment longer, you would have surely met death. Appreciate your capable ally!》
It had rushed back not out of concern for me, but to take credit.
“Yes, thank you so much.”
《Ahem. :)》
As I lay sprawled on my back, dulled by the headache, Rosalia came and dragged me up onto Hyeol Joe’s corpse.
I let myself be dragged while I spoke.
“Please carve out that lovely rear end. There should be both Mana Stones and Blood Stones there.”
The red-haired elf made a deep incision into Hyeol Joe’s flesh with her dagger and extracted blue and red stones.
The blue ones were Mana Stones.
They were quite large, so they’d fetch a good price.
Though they were cheaper compared to the red ones.
《Jewel – Blood Stone》
《A precious gem refined from the blood consumed by Hyeol Joe over time, accumulated in its body. Magicians, alchemists, and gem craftsmen will pay dearly—treasure it well.》
I’d obtained a Blood Stone, which commanded a steep price since demand was high but the only source was the Blood Feast Banquet.
“…….”
Rosalia stared at the gem that matched her hair and eye color, then approached with long strides and tucked it into my arms.
Then she lightly touched near my heart where the puncture had been.
“Aaaah! You’re trying to kill me!”
“…….”
“Don’t give me that look. I know I’m being a bit of a baby about it, but that doesn’t mean you have to look at me like I’m pathetic.”
I spread both arms while meeting the gaze of the assassin whose expression remained inscrutable.
“I can’t put any strength into my body, so would you carry me? Thank you as always.”
When I activated ‘Hold Me,’ Rosalia, who had been studying my face intently for a moment, lifted me into her arms.
A so-called princess carry, and surprisingly, the posture was quite stable.
“Let’s get going and rest. We still need to recruit Pendrick, and there’s so much to do.”
D-rank Dungeon.
Blood Feast Banquet.
Though my body ached a little, the commission was complete, I had secured a Blood Stone, and the dungeon was conquered.
***
Jewel Lord Guild Headquarters.
“…Erik.”
The moment I laid out the corpse of the young gem craftsman—now turned to mineral—the guild master Tabirek and the other guild members’ faces darkened.
They must have clung to the thinnest thread of hope all this while.
That perhaps he hadn’t died in the dungeon, that he’d managed to cling to life through sheer stubbornness.
I regretted crushing that fragile wish, but there was no choice.
I was merely a cultist who offered the living as sacrifice—not a saint capable of raising the dead.
“You’ve earned your rest.”
Tabirek wiped away the moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes and handed me a neatly wrapped bundle of gold coins.
“That’s ten gold for the commission fee.”
Rosalia, standing beside me, glanced my way before turning her gaze to her own shadow.
It was a wordless complaint—compared to the five hundred gold my young master had given me, this sum seemed paltry indeed.
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t deny it was a meager amount, but truthfully, the corpse retrieval commission had only been a pretext to cross into the third sector.
Had I truly cared about compensation, I would have sought out a client offering a more generous fee.
Still, having obtained the Mana Stone and Blood Stone for Pendrick, I could tell myself I’d done some good work in honor of the young gem craftsman who met a meaningless death in the dungeon—and that balanced the scales well enough.
“And as promised, we’ll provide you with a tool of our guild’s own making.”
The gem craftsman class specializes in creating jewelry and equipment utilizing finely worked precious stones.
Tabirek gestured with his arm toward the guild’s storefront adjacent to the street.
The main merchandise consisted of bracelets, necklaces, gloves, belts and similar items embedded with gems and precious metals of varying sizes.
To be honest, it was hard to praise the quality even with empty flattery.
“Feel free to choose what you like! They’re all serviceable pieces.”
Tabirek, apparently unwilling to resort to outright lies, refrained from boasting as dwarves typically do—about some “masterpiece crafted by the divine inspiration bestowed by Solmiran herself.”
I examined the items slowly, then casually broached the subject.
“Would it be possible to place a custom order?”
“Of course! What sort of item do you need?”
When I’d come to accept the commission, Tabirek had pulled out a photograph of gloves, and I glanced at them now.
A Spatial Storage Tool.
A sort of inventory.
“I’m looking for a tool like your gloves, master—something that allows me to retrieve and store items with equal convenience.”
“Ah, something like that? We can certainly make it for you. What form would you prefer?”
There was a piece of equipment I’d wanted to possess ever since I first opened my eyes as the cultist Kar.
“I need a ceremonial stole—that long band that drapes over the neck like a scarf.”
A stole.
Or, in another tongue, a stole.
The equipment symbolized the clergy, and wearing one made it somewhat easier to commune with the divine when conducting rituals or offering prayers.
And besides, it looked rather distinguished.
“That shouldn’t be too difficult. Though to craft it, we’ll need a gem from one of the dungeon’s monsters.”
“Would it be something like this?”
I produced a Blood Stone that matched his requirements perfectly, and Tabirek’s eyes widened in surprise.
“My word, a Blood Stone! That’s more than sufficient. I’ll craft you something of supreme quality—just wait a few days!”
Looking at the other merchandise, I had doubts whether he truly could, but I decided to trust him for now.
There was no cost to faith, and it made no sense to distrust before even beginning.
“I’ll start work today itself, so do come back in about five days to check on the progress!”
“Very well.”
Leaving the Jewel Lord Guild Headquarters, I made my way toward the Cry of Lambs inn, where Pendrick was staying.
Pat, pat.
Rosalia, who had been walking in silence, gave a small shrug as she gazed in the direction of the inn.
“You’re wondering whether Pendrick has made his decision, are you? Yet only half a day has passed—you’re being far too hasty. We should browse the market, eat some snacks, catch a play, and wait with a peaceful mind.”
“…”
I’d casually suggested we spend a few days enjoying ourselves, but the assassin who knew nothing of amusement merely stared at me in silence.
She simply wouldn’t budge.
It seemed I would soon need to deploy my trump card—the one method guaranteed to sway this elf.
“Still, I suspect he’s already made his decision by now.”
Pendrick’s desperation ran that deep.
His cursed lover was wasting away, dying bit by bit.
Creak.
As I stepped through the inn’s door, a swordsman worth Surah’s attention approached us, cradling a cloth-wrapped sword in his arms.
The blade was bound tightly in cloth.
“Pendrick.”
“Ah, Cultist Kar! Welcome.”
“Why are you carrying a sword?”
“I thought it was about time you arrived, so I brought it along.”
Pendrick met my gaze and smiled faintly.
“I’d like to join your expedition, Kar. You will cover the contract penalty for me, yes?”
Rosalia’s eyes widened slightly, and I nodded, my expression darkening into something appropriately cultist.
“Of course. Excellent. A wise choice indeed.”
“Then, keep your promise.”
Pendrick’s expression stiffened slightly as he held out the sword cradled in his arms toward me.
A faint voice then drifted from the folds of the thick cloth.
– Are you the cultist who said you would heal me?
Pendrick’s lover was Ego Sword.

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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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