Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 67

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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 67: You’re Being Far Too Romantic
The topmost floor of Odillon’s Mansion.
I was conducting my worship for one of such elevated standing.
“First, I’d like to convey to Targon my intention to participate in the guild tournament.”
I spoke while chewing a piece of cheese, and Odillon sipped his wine without expression.
“So you’re leaving after all.”
“Didn’t you already give your consent willingly?”
“Go ahead and try if you like. That’s what I said then — are you such a fool that you can’t tell sincerity from mockery?”
“You didn’t coldly refuse me, and instead chose to respect my wishes — that amounts to willing permission, doesn’t it?”
“…Fine. Do as you please.”
Behind the young master’s small shake of his head, Rosalia also swayed her own gently back and forth.
Having brought their hearts into alignment, could I not claim credit for fostering harmony between the two?
Artein, I have accomplished yet another task.
“You’re my business partner, but on paper you’re under my authority. I founded the expedition, after all.”
Odillon spoke again while observing Rosalia nervously pouring wine as she always did.
“So I’ll be the one to meet Targon.”
“You’ll go all the way to the Third District? I’m worried you might collapse during the journey.”
“…I’ll bring Rosalia with me.”
“But is there truly any need for you to go personally?”
“There is.”
Odillon, having cast a reassuring glance at the bodyguard secretary who had spilled the wine after all, placed the Comforter between his lips.
“The Grey Wolves Guild might try to bind you with terms unfavorable to you. Best to be cautious about that.”
“That’s a fair point.”
I was merely an explorer, and my counterpart was the Grey Wolves Guild, one of Platea’s countless guilds.
While Targon himself, the upper-rank warrior, would harbor no schemes, the true problem lay with his secretary, the thoroughly profit-minded jewel elf Elvira.
One careless moment and I might find myself cheerfully signing away my freedom in a contract of unpaid servitude.
That said, I would have preferred to negotiate the contract terms directly, but for now it was wiser to defer to Odillon’s judgment.
“Understood. I’ll leave all matters concerning the guild tournament contract entirely in your hands. You already handle the tedious paperwork for the explorers under your employ anyway.”
“That’s right.”
Odillon nodded listlessly and exhaled a long plume of smoke he’d been holding in his mouth.
“And you mentioned you’d be using the benefits provided by the Harmony Church?”
“That’s correct.”
I continued speaking while meeting his gaze directly, following the elevated one’s will.
“As you already know, a Socialite who has built a certain renown can participate in ‘Service’ under the guidance of the Harmony Church.”
“Honestly, it’s laughable. Calling that a benefit. Next they’ll be forcibly dragging Socialites away for labor and calling it a blessing.”
As befits someone with severe distrust of human relationships, his mockery was unparalleled.
“Please don’t say that. This really is an opportunity that doesn’t come easy.”
“An opportunity? Just nursing sick people from the past?”
Patient care in the Dungeon, set against a time period of the past.
That was the Tier 2 Credit Score benefit for Socialites that the Harmony Church provided.
Odillon rested his chin on his hand and drew up one corner of his mouth.
“Go ahead and do as you wish. I won’t stop you.”
“Hmm, couldn’t you just talk me out of it instead?”
“Why would I? Do you also dislike pointless caregiving?”
“That’s not it. When someone tries to dissuade you from difficult work beforehand, it only makes the burden feel heavier. Then, when I finally complete the task successfully, the sense of accomplishment doubles, making everything feel more refreshing and worthwhile.”
…….
The young master, who had been grinning, covered his face with his hand.
The red-haired assassin also closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.
Artein, I have once again brought harmony into being.
“…Socialite Kar. Speaking with you alone drains my energy rapidly.”
To that extent, I was a being of special significance, which amounted to praise in a manner of speaking.
“Thank you. I’ll go prepare.”
“Wait.”
Odillon, calling me back, furrowed his brow slightly as he spoke.
“You said that Rigbert, one of the sub-guild masters of the Grey Wolves, was a traitor who sold information to the outside.”
“That’s correct.”
“…That’s odd. Isn’t it?”
I gave a small shrug of my shoulders.
“A closest friend and most trusted subordinate who walked beside Targon since the guild’s founding commits betrayal, and moreover escapes the perception of a Level 9 Berserker. It doesn’t sit right.”
“Then what would you call a ‘natural’ occurrence?”
“By now, Targon’s probably figured it out too—not in detail, but in broad strokes.”
Odillon set down the Comforter and narrowed his eyes.
“The Six Apostles you mentioned last time. They’re involved in this, aren’t they?”
……
There was nothing to say.
No need for elaboration—the answer was clean enough without it.
“Yes.”
I glanced at Odillon, then at Rosalia, and finally looked up at the ceiling.
Beyond that veil, the moon would be hanging full and bright in the sky by now.
“One of the Six Apostles we’ll eventually face possesses a Deception Art so masterful it can deceive even a Level 9 Berserker with senses superior to most monsters.”
The kind of miraculous skill that had fooled Targon completely.
A meticulous precision so chilling that not a single other guild member had caught on.
Honestly, an adversary I’d find troublesome to confront.
“Still, at least there’s worthy opposition ahead.”
I will explore the Nightmare Dungeon and prevent the Apocalypse.
Before that, I intended to eliminate all six of the Apostles who would try to obstruct our progress for their own purposes.
“You don’t regret it, do you? Sharing a secret that the world might one day face the Apocalypse?”
The young master answered without hesitation.
“Our house has always carried heavy, cold truths, yet we conduct our daily lives without flinching. Information, after all, is merely a commodity for profit.”
His aide also spoke without pause.
“Not at all.”
The answer I’d expected, but hearing it spoken aloud brought a measure of peace.
“Good. Let’s work hard then.”
A world where the Dungeon exists—a single drop of rain falling on my arid heart.
No one will be allowed to threaten the fate of this world.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
***
The next morning.
I stood gathered with my companions before our house in Believer Town, ready to depart for Service together.
“It would be wise to warm up your body thoroughly.”
First Servant.
Myself, Socialite Kar.
“So it’s a Dungeon that can only be entered if accompanied by a Socialite who has received the Harmony Church’s blessing? Intriguing.”
Second Servant.
Dark Mage Barthimir.
– …The path ahead looks rough.
“Still, we might as well give it our all!”
Third Servant and weaponry.
Swordsman Pendrick, and the Ego Sword Astrímia of Joy.
The siblings are about to enter the final stage of basic training and plan to leave them behind, while Rosalia is scheduled to go to the Third District with the young master.
So the members participating in this expedition and Service were all we had.
– Kar, is there actually a reason you have to do this Service?
While her boyfriend warmed up, Astrímia voiced her doubts.
– I had Pendrick look into it separately, and apparently it’s all just hard labor with no real reward—even the Harmony Church dreads it?
“You’re right, it is hard labor.”
– …What?
“Let me be clear from the start. You will all be performing Service with no real merit and no meaning whatsoever.”
Pendrick blinked slowly, while Barthimir twisted his mouth into a wry smile.
“Moreover, beyond mere hardship, you’ll face mortal danger. You will repeatedly find yourselves in situations where your lives are threatened.”
– Wait. You’re saying we have to risk our lives just to perform Service…?
“That’s correct. But despite these dangers, you must go.”
I met the eyes of each member in turn, then finally gazed at the Ego Sword resting in the artifact sword sheath.
“Because if we succeed in every objective, history itself will change.”
But that’s not all.
“We will obtain rewards that will prove invaluable for future expeditions. And we will become honored guests of the Harmony Church, receiving treatment far more noble than anything we’ve known before. When we eventually attempt the Nightmare Dungeon, such standing could secure us tremendous aid.”
– …That made me even more anxious. Are you sure this is just Service?
Astrímia trembled the blade slightly.
– Could it be that we’re going to root out some sinister secret organization that’s been scheming in the shadows all this time?
“It is ordinary Service. The difference is that the danger will exceed your imagination. If any of you truly wish not to go, please speak now.”
Despite the ample warning, none of my companions expressed any intention to refuse.
“My life could be in danger? How wonderful!”
The demon who understood the true pleasure of exploration answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“I’m a bit anxious, to be honest, but I’ll go anyway. You’d never ask us to do something impossible!”
The prodigy prosecutor—a monument to optimism and charm—simply grinned.
Astrímia, meanwhile, hesitated at length before releasing a mental sigh.
– I have to go, if only to see what happens. Given your nature, it’s bound to be spectacularly dangerous…!
《The wise one’s eyes gleam with light. She eagerly anticipates what new actions you will take to quench your thirst and longing for fresh knowledge!》
I could guarantee she wouldn’t be disappointed.
Though there might be situations that would give her cause for some concern.
“Ah, you’ve come out already!”
After a brief wait, Valentin approached our group.
“Good morning, Valentin. May Artein’s blessing light your path today.”
“And may the eternal guardian’s gaze rest upon us all this morning, Kar!”
After shaking my hand cordially, the holy knight introduced the two Harmony Church members standing behind him.
“This is Lucius, a priest of the Lamp of Inquiry. His role is to detect any changes within the Dungeon.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Explorer.”
The somewhat drowsy-looking priest bowed his head respectfully.
In truth, we’d crossed paths before—he was the Dungeon’s administrative priest overseeing the Hidden Ghoul Pack’s Lair.
《Now I can finally befriend this unremarkable fellow and take advantage of him!》
Next came the turn of the holy knight with such lucid, piercing eyes—the one who’d accompanied Valentin before.
“This is Ilia, the youngest of the Spear of Order.”
“Pleased to meet you. A follower of the Twisted Truth, Kar.”
The greeting was identical to last time, and her posture was stiff, unnaturally rigid.
She was alive, and yet something about her felt jarringly wrong in every way—as if lively warmth had been completely drained away.
《Ilia, the vagrant-born holy knight (human, 22 years old). She committed crimes but was blessed with “Order” in her mind. How sickening—the disciples of that hypocrite goddess!》
Still, forced redemption seemed preferable to rotting in a prison cell.
Actually, thinking about it again, choosing to abandon one’s evil deeds through genuine will and repentance was an even harder, more difficult trial—so perhaps her path was the better one after all.
Then came my turn to introduce our companions.
“This kind-looking demon dark mage with bandages wrapped around his body is Barthimir.”
“Pleasure.”
Barthimir gave a small wave as his greeting.
“Wow. You really do look kind.”
At Ilia’s AI-like reaction, Astrímia inside the artifact sheath Hall of Swords let out a small yelp of alarm.
“And this is Pendrick, a prodigy swordmaster from the Eastern Continent.”
“…I wouldn’t say all that, but in any case, I look forward to working with you.”
After the awkward introductions concluded, Valentin spoke to me.
“Now I’ll guide you to the Dungeon. Please follow me.”
The holy knight led us to the Artea Monastery we’d visited before.
Or rather, near it.
“Sir Valentin, I heard that the Dungeon we’re entering this time is a recreation of a place closely connected to the Harmony Church. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
Valentin smiled, baring white teeth at Pendrick’s straightforward question.
“That’s fascinating, isn’t it? How did a Dungeon connected to the Harmony Church just happen to appear right near the Church’s monastery?”
“It happens occasionally due to a particular flow of mana that’s difficult to explain theoretically. It’s not common, though.”
The creator Mewtube had posted a detailed video explanation of this phenomenon once.
But it was so complex and obscure that I retained nothing from it.
“It’s just ahead!”
A gauntleted hand pointed to the Dungeon’s entrance.
A pristine white pillar jutting abruptly against the monastery’s stone wall.
In its overall form, an innate dignity could be faintly sensed.
《An entrance leading to the Sanctuary of Purification.》
Despite being near the entrance, there were no explorers about.
Not everyone could enter it, and even if they could, it likely wouldn’t draw a crowd.
“Good morning. A follower of the Twisted Truth, Kar.”
The administrative priest greeted Valentin, then turned toward me and began firing questions in rapid succession.
“You’re genuinely going willingly to serve, correct?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve received sufficient explanation?”
“You gave me thorough details.”
“You haven’t had a change of heart, have you?”
“It seems it will never change.”
“…I understand.”
As the priest withdrew, Astrímia whispered in a voice only I could hear.
– What kind of Dungeon is it that you’re asking about so persistently?
“It’s nothing serious.”
– …I know perfectly well it’s absolutely not nothing!
At that moment, Lucius, whose eyes had met mine, glanced at Valentin before covertly pursing his lips in warning.
‘Escape while you can. This is a truly dreadful Dungeon.’
Despite having met only once, he was trying so earnestly to help me.
I nodded vigorously and answered with only the shape of my lips.
‘Thank you. I will absolutely venture in.’
A truly dreadful Dungeon, then.
It was a romantic confession that made my heart flutter as though drifting weightlessly through the sky.

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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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