Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 77

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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 77 Sanctuary of Purification: The Final Battle (3)
Bartimir, carrying me on his back, bounded eagerly back toward the Sanctuary of Purification.
Around the temple, enormous pure white circular shields were planted in the ground like a fence, and the demon army could not push beyond them.
“What is that thing? We can come and go as we please, but they can’t.”
“It is the power of Tyreon, the armor relic. Only those who hold faith toward Artein are able to pass through that shield barrier without obstruction.”
“Ah, so we’re believers of the Harmony Faith in this Dungeon, right?”
“More precisely, we are of the Guardian Faith.”
Thanks to the Dungeon’s mechanics, despite being a public socialite and dark mage from the Cathedral Age, I could move freely in and out.
However, under sustained attack, the barrier would hold for at most three days.
By then, reinforcements from the Rheumes Kingdom should arrive, so theoretically we could endure comfortably—but when had a Dungeon ever favored explorers?
‘Another variable could still emerge.’
Just as unexpected developments had surfaced in the past Nightmare World, where a future Leria unexpectedly appeared and healed the Death King, something unforeseen might occur here too.
But as long as I didn’t grow careless, I could respond swiftly to whatever came.
I’d already warned the saint that emergencies could strike at any moment.
“Everyone, be vigilant of the right flank!”
As we approached near the pure white shield barrier, a familiar voice rang out.
Valentin, vice-commander of Order’s Spear.
The holy knight, nicknamed the “Heresy Smasher,” was tearing through golems and automatons with brutal efficiency.
“Artein watches over us, so neither our will nor our flesh shall ever be broken!”
Crack!
Most of the non-biological monsters advancing toward them were caught up in Valentin’s onslaught and destroyed.
He fought with such valor that even while the other holy knights battled fiercely, they kept glancing over to admire his combat.
“Illia!”
“Yes, understood!”
Holy Knight Illia infused sacred power into a rounded sacred instrument, and an impassioned hymn full of urgency befitting the battlefield flowed forth.
– Heretics, tremble in fear. Innocents, hide behind us.
A gust of crimson light whirled through the air, breaking the momentum of the golems and automatons that had been charging blindly, while our allies’ morale surged uncontrollably.
“Glory to Artein!”
“Blessings upon the saint!”
“Forward!”
Bolstered by future-age technology, the holy knights overwhelmed the incoming golems and automatons with fierce determination.
For now, there seemed no risk of being pushed back.
“Phew, they fight incredibly well.”
As we stepped inside the shield barrier, Bartimir caught his breath and muttered.
“Is it because of the saint’s Secret Arts?”
“Not only the effect of Spotless Earth, but also the difference in level. After all, this is a C-rank Dungeon.”
Golemopia is an A-rank Dungeon, but the main forces of the non-biological legions don’t emerge until much later.
Protecting the saint and enduring for three days was a conquest condition suited to explorers at the level between 5 and 6.
“Now, let’s go help them.”
“You got it!”
“Let’s go!”
At once, Bartimir unwound the bandages around both arms and, gripping me in his hands, rushed onto the battlefield along with Pendrick, who had wrapped his aura around Astrímia.
“My body feels so light!”
Bartimir ranged freely through the enemy ranks, slashing and crushing countless golem demons.
On a battlefield, the demon race becomes several times stronger than usual.
Death and destruction overflow with murderous intent, fear, hostility, and rage—the very fuel that empowers them.
So despite being only a Level 3 dark mage, he was displaying combat prowess nearly equal to a Level 5 warrior.
– Inferior demon detected. Commencing elimination.
“Come at me!”
When the swordsman-type elite combat golem swung its heavy blade, a deep gash opened across Bartimir’s ribs.
Yet he only laughed with delight, grinning widely.
Wielding the mana-imbued bandages like a paired greatsword, he split the golem’s waist and decapitated the automaton in a display of prowess that rivaled ancient legend.
– Don’t push yourself too hard, Pendrick!
“Got it!”
Meanwhile, Pendrick was fighting earnestly as well.
Whoosh!
Of course, he wasn’t rampaging like Bartimir, but methodically cutting down each entity one by one.
This was thanks to Astrímia’s appropriate pacing control.
– Strange sword-wielder. Marked as caution target.
“Strange? How could you say that about someone so beautiful!”
Pendrick, caught up in a shameless provocation that mocked his beloved, suddenly charged forward with reckless abandon.
Golems and puppets, each flaunting their own distinct style, pierced his body with metal weapons as if they’d been waiting for this moment—
Clang!
Bang!
But in the next instant, the prodigy swordsman’s body hardened into black iron stronger than steel, deflecting every attack.
[Resisting Body].
Trusting in the Secret Art that reshaped his flesh in response to any wounding strike, Pendrick pushed forward boldly and swung his sword in wide arcs.
“For Artein!”
This reckless style of combat was only possible because Lucius would handle the healing.
— No! Pendrick, calm down!
The minor downside that Astrímia was in a panic could simply be overlooked.
After all, didn’t one kiss of affection melt away any anger?
《A promising warrior has picked up the bad habit of straining himself because of you….》
I blurred the text before my eyes and walked toward the battlefield.
Snap-crack!
Might as well stretch properly and join in.
***
The second night of the golem monster wave.
Despite the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, the war against the non-biological legion maintained a stalemate.
Level 9 Priestess.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Holy Maiden Seraphina’s formidable presence alone bound and pressured the entire enemy force.
‘Things are proceeding smoothly.’
For now, even among Tier 9, the Holy Maiden and her order of holy knights—blessed by the [Spotless Earth], a high-performance Secret Art that ranked among the finest—could hold back countless enemies.
At least, that was true at this moment.
By the fourth day, they would begin to falter helplessly, just as the original history foretold.
— Executing temporary forces reposition.
At the command of a certain Level 7 elite combat golem, the monster legion retreated in unison.
Last night had taught them bitterly that darkness weakened their kind, and nightfall was when Artein’s influence—protecting the weak—grew most potent.
《Those golems and puppets from the future are individuals with maximized learning capacity. They refuse to experience the same crisis twice.》
The sight of the Holy Maiden alone sweeping away elite combat golems of Level 7 the previous night had been nothing short of overwhelming.
The non-biological legion wouldn’t take unnecessary risks until stronger units arrived.
For us, bearing such tremendous pressure as individuals, that was fortunate.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
In the makeshift command center constructed before the temple from a parasol and wooden planks, the Holy Maiden spoke in a voice dampened with exhaustion.
She had removed her helmet and tucked it against her flank, her bangs matted with sweat.
“We’ve held out another day because of your collective efforts.”
“No, we simply fought with all our strength.”
Pendrick answered respectfully, displaying the virtue of modesty.
Chirp, chirp!
The exalted one had sent down the insidious will that ‘our handsome one has a charming way of laughing brightly.’
Admiring another man and not me….
A small, adorable jealousy peeked its head out.
“We only need to hold out one more day.”
At Seraphina’s words, the commander of the Torch of Purification nodded his head.
“We’ve sent our fastest holy knight, so reinforcements should arrive in about half a day. Word just came through—they’re expected to reach the Rheumes Kingdom shortly.”
“That’s welcome news indeed.”
Bartimir laughed brightly with a smirk, and the Holy Maiden gave a faint smile in return, her gaze turning to me.
“Now only Kar remains. The rest of you may retire. We must discuss matters that others should not hear, so please withdraw the guard detail temporarily.”
“Understood.”
After the personnel had left.
Seraphina, awkward in her heavy armor, steadied herself by grasping the parasol pole.
“Do you truly believe we need only endure through tomorrow?”
“…In theory, yes.”
“Exactly. But there’s one thing that troubles me.”
“I was just thinking the same. Shall we each share our thoughts? I’ll begin.”
The problem I envisioned was new content.
A variable that never appeared in the game—an unpredictable element difficult to anticipate in advance.
“Dungeon Strengthening.”
I continued, watching Seraphina, who fidgeted uncomfortably in her armor.
“B-rank dungeons and above have a certain probability of experiencing a shift in the world itself, causing the difficulty of conquest to spike dramatically.”
“This Dungeon is ranked C-tier, as far as I know. So the phenomenon you just described shouldn’t apply—under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t have mentioned it at all. It seems you’ve had some extraordinary experience in the past?”
She was a saint devoted to the goddess of clear wisdom; complex explanations weren’t necessary.
“That’s correct. I’ve witnessed an anomaly before—a C-rank Dungeon undergoing unexpected strengthening.”
“Then you’re saying the same thing might happen again this time.”
“We can’t be certain yet. But it never hurts to be cautious, does it?”
“That’s a fair point….”
Seraphina nodded slowly, her expression grave.
“I’ve harbored similar concerns myself. We’ve prepared far more thoroughly than history’s original record suggests. Especially thanks to the information you provided, we managed to hastily acquire Lightning-related Public Mystery skills, which has given us considerable advantage.”
That much was undeniable.
Accounting for our numerical disadvantage, the tide of battle had tilted decisively in our favor.
But could that hold true going forward?
“Perhaps our continuous advantage is causing the demon army’s main forces to advance faster than originally scheduled.”
“I share that assessment, Seraphina.”
Their opinion converged.
“Artein always emphasizes this: to truly protect the weak, one must always prepare for emergencies. That’s why we live in constant vigilance against crisis.”
“Oh, I do the same. Whatever I undertake, I always keep the worst-case scenario in mind.”
《The hypocritical goddess and you do indeed share similar perspectives, but your purposes and intentions are surely anything but identical….》
“I’ll ensure everyone knows not to lower their guard until the very end.”
The saint, who had been sighing and stretching her back occasionally as if her spine ached, turned her gaze toward the boxes stacked in the corner of the base.
“And the items you requested are in there.”
“Thank you so much.”
I dragged the heavy box to the center of the base and set it down.
Creak.
As I forced open the long-rusted lid, blue-tinted stones gleamed from within.
Each one bore intricate magical arrays and circuits—Mana Cores from golems and constructs.
I brought another box and opened it to find it packed with smaller human skulls.
“Those are heads from a patient afflicted with ‘Head Proliferation Syndrome,'” the saint explained.
She frowned slightly.
“It’s a condition where additional heads continuously grow from the back of the skull. We didn’t know how to dispose of them, so we’ve kept them in storage.”
“I’ll handle the disposal of all of it.”
“But, will just this be sufficient?”
Seraphina glanced skyward briefly, gauging the moment, before speaking.
“The heads aside, aren’t the Mana Cores somewhat inadequate as offerings?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Is that so.”
“Would you ask me why?”
“Why is that?”
“Well, you see….”
My lips had been itching to explain for so long—finally, someone was listening!
“Mana Cores are the vital component in a golem or construct’s operation and self-formation. Dark magic concentrates a spirit without will into a crystal, and through complex processes, a self emerges. That’s why they’re acceptable offerings to the evil gods. They possess soul, mind, and body all together.”
I could have elaborated further, but given the circumstances, I decided to stop there.
I retrieved the ritual materials from the spirit form’s subspace, looking up at Seraphina.
I asked hesitantly, just to be safe.
“If you don’t mind, would you be able to assist me?”
“That’s quite a request to apologize for.”
The saint deliberated for a moment before responding.
“Still, I suppose I can help you with this.”
For the first time in history, a ritual offering was about to unfold with the saint’s assistance.
“But don’t you serve more than just one pioneer of Twisted Truth?”
Seraphina studied me briefly.
“Which evil god will you be offering to?”
《:)》
Zzzt.
Writhe-writhe.
The evil gods were all suddenly attentive.
The materials were limited, so unfortunately I couldn’t satisfy everyone.
I uttered the name of the one I’d already decided upon.
“I’ll make offerings to Ridni and Sue-je.”
Then I caressed the drooping serpent tattoo on my left hand.
“I lied. Leria, do have hope.”
Today’s ritual offering will be an important foundation drawing Buildr one step closer to completion of the Immortal Faith build.

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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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