Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 89

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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 89: D-rank Dungeon – Cherry Cherry Orchard (1)
Beneath a pink sky where the sun grinned brilliantly, in the midst of a colorful hill stood the outlaws, frozen in place.
They remained motionless, rooted to the spot.
“Damn it….”
Cold sweat dripped down unbidden.
Cherry Cherry Orchard was a dungeon as dangerous as Upper C-rank if you didn’t follow the Paper Fairy’s guidance.
It was essentially the same as being isolated in the middle of a lava lake.
“Don’t be afraid. Stay calm.”
As everyone stood in silence, shifting uneasily, a hooded outlaw spoke quietly.
He was the beast-kin explorer who had led the formation of this makeshift expedition for the raid.
Because he gave off such an extraordinary presence, everyone implicitly regarded him as the expedition leader.
“The situation is indeed hopeless, but it’s not time to abandon hope yet. After all, the clear condition is simply to eliminate seven specific magical beasts.”
“…True enough.”
“No matter what environment or creature we face, as long as we maintain composure, we can handle it well enough. It’s the foundation of exploration. Perhaps we’ll all come through unscathed.”
“It won’t be as easy as you make it sound, but there’s no alternative.”
Marcent, the demon-kin outlaw, nodded slowly.
“Fortunately, I have rather sharp instincts. From now on, I’ll be giving orders, and you’ll follow without question.”
In a typical outlaw expedition, such words would have drawn mockery and jeers—who do you think you are?—but no one voiced complaint.
Had anyone tried to provoke an explorer who constantly reeked of murderous intent and blood, they wouldn’t have survived this long.
“Understood. Let’s move carefully then….”
The outlaw expedition moved forward under the beast-kin explorer’s direction, heading toward the way the crow had flown.
– Squawk?
“Wait.”
When a squirrel made of grapes appeared, the beast-kin explorer unhesitatingly swung his hand axe, splitting its head in two.
Its tail, which had been writhing forward in grotesque elongation, drooped limply.
“That was dangerous. How did you know?”
“Grapes.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I don’t eat grapes. The seeds are troublesome.”
“…….”
Though the reasoning was difficult to grasp, thanks to the beast-kin outlaw’s cold insight, the expedition managed to hold up reasonably well.
They pressed forward, laboriously fending off the sudden attacks of confectionery creatures, but a casualty finally occurred.
Crash!
“Aaaaahhh!”
Where the colorful hill ended, a pancake crocodile suddenly surged up from a pool of hot honey, seized the nearest outlaw, and dragged him away.
“…….”
The death of a comrade was not regrettable.
Only the loss of one meat shield in emergencies was vexing.
Marcent twisted his face and turned his head absently, then flinched.
‘…Why is he smiling? The situation has been completely botched from the start.’
Because of the hood pulled over his head, only the beast-kin explorer’s mouth was visible—and it was curved in a bright smile.
It was certainly a cheerful grin.
Marcent trembled, seized by an eerie chill.
‘I absolutely won’t associate with him after this is done.’
This beast-kin was the kind he had no desire to keep company with, even as a seasoned outlaw.
***
Lucius was an ideal exploration companion.
“I’ve granted you all the blessing Clear Senses, which will make your Perception more acute. Now you should be able to respond a bit more swiftly when Kar gives orders.”
He was in every sense the expedition’s noble position—the healer.
He wasn’t capable of merely healing; he possessed various useful support arts, making exploration far more pleasant.
“Abel, there’s a large stone ahead… or rather, a candy. Please watch your step.”
What’s more, his respectful attitude toward the young siblings had already made Merlin’s eyes sparkle.
“He’s really capable!”
Having warmed to this new comrade, a former fellow-soldier from the Sanctuary of Purification, Bartimyr clapped the priest on the shoulder enthusiastically.
“We’ve got someone really amazing joining our expedition!”
“Thank you. Though perhaps a bit more gently….”
Thanks to Lucius’s blessing, we were able to follow the Paper Fairy’s guidance even more smoothly.
“Oh, there’s a bad child over there!”
The Paper Fairy, fluttering busily as it led the way, traced a circle in the empty air as it flew.
Now it was time to face our first “bad child.”
– Skree-ee-awk!
An otherworldly cry that delighted the ear just by hearing it.
Ahead of us, a red apple boar with roughly twenty human heads embedded across its body was tearing apart a squirrel made of bread.
《Apple Boar (Level 4)》
《A magical beast—a species of apple boar that sprouts the heads of those it devours upon its body. The taste is allegedly that of slightly spoiled apples, and it possesses no particular abilities beyond that. Though truly, what a repugnantly irritating appearance!》
“…Ugh.”
Even Merlin, who possessed the Eye That Pierces Truth, recoiled in horror and hid behind my back.
To be honest, I found it revolting too.
If it had only four heads or so, it might’ve looked almost charming.
“Sister.”
Rosalia rushed forward and severed the boar’s head in a single fluid motion.
– Shriek-eeee-eeeek!
The death cry from twenty human mouths rang out in unison—a sound so pitiable it tugged at something within me—but the cold-blooded assassin paid it no mind.
She swung her dagger three more times, finishing the creature off with clinical precision.
“Kar?”
Merlin tugged hard at my sleeve.
“Why on earth did we come here on an outing, anyway? The scenery is lovely and all, but…”
“This isn’t an outing yet. We’re exploring.”
“Ah, I see…”
As Rosalia returned—her work clean, the corpse dissolved by acidic venom—the Paper Fairy spread both arms wide and cheered.
“The bad child is gone! Thank you! Please, follow me once more!”
The guiding resumed.
Thanks to the crisp, refreshing background music that drifted through the air, the exploration proceeded without incident, even with a certain liveliness to it.
Yet something felt off.
As we pressed onward, the atmosphere grew increasingly dampened.
‘What is it?’
Surely it couldn’t be that everyone disliked the exploration itself.
That couldn’t be it—before we’d entered, Merlin had seemed reluctant enough, and now she was smiling contentedly, observing the orchard around us.
I examined each member of our party in turn before I understood what the real problem was.
“Merlin.”
“What is it?”
“Say something—anything. Try to lighten the mood. You’re the only one suited for it.”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
Everyone who had entered the Cherry Cherry Orchard was, by nature, poor at socializing.
Abel, who wasn’t particularly outgoing.
Rosalia, excessively taciturn.
Bartimyr, who showed interest only in matters that concerned him.
Lucius, whose propriety ran too deep.
Without Merlin and myself, this combination would have methodically focused on exploration alone until we’d cleared the dungeon.
“Wow, look at those strawberry flower beds over there! They’re so beautiful!”
Merlin attempted to spark conversation with slightly exaggerated gestures and tone, but garnered little response.
“Quite so.”
“……”
“The fully bloomed petals are indeed lovely. The strawberry fragrance is quite pleasant as well.”
“Sponsor, I shall gather these flowers. When you perform the blessing ceremony later, we can add them to the offerings, which should impart a fresh and pure fragrance to the tributes.”
None of them had any inclination to sustain a longer conversation.
After that, Merlin continued murmuring earnestly to herself for a time before finally drooping her shoulders and leaning in to whisper to me.
“Next time we explore, we simply must bring Pendrick…!”
“I think you’re right.”
The Moon Expedition Party had become a troupe of model explorers sorely lacking in humor—all because a single person was missing.
Pendrick, I miss you.
I hope you’re well wherever you are.
“We’ve arrived! This is the place!”
Because everyone was absorbed in the exploration, we soon reached the location of the third “bad child.”
The sweet Sugar Candy Sandbeach.
A vast expanse of blue-green Soda Sea.
Even the mere scent seemed to threaten my health with sugar overload, which somehow improved my spirits.
Had the tree that sprouted in the middle of the Sugar Candy Sandbeach not spoiled the view, I would’ve lingered there longer.
《Hair Tree (Level 3)》
《A tree upon which long strands of hair grow instead of leaves. It seizes living creatures that pass nearby and drains their life force to supplement its own nourishment.》
This time, Rosalia didn’t need to step forward.
I’d test the Prosthetic Arm in actual combat.
The serpent tattoo carved across my hand synchronized with the Spark of Glory within.
Whoooosh!
My left palm hissed open with a metallic click, and flames erupted forth, consuming the plant-type Magical Beast entirely.
Ah, that burns beautifully.
《Congrats — Fire Crafting has reached Tier 3》
From all the continuous use at the Sanctuary of Purification, the skill had finally advanced.
A new effect had been added now.
“You’ve worked so hard!”
The Paper Fairy cheered with abandon, fluttering near my face.
“Friend, thank you so much for helping! You must be so tired, right? Take a rest today, and help me again tomorrow!”
“Of course!”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”
The Fairy tapped her tiny nose against my face and flew off in some direction.
Today’s schedule ended there.
Cherry Cherry Orchard was a Dungeon that demanded two days of Exploration.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
After seeing the Fairy off, I turned to find the party members staring blankly at the Soda Sea.
It was a view worth the stare.
“How is everyone feeling?”
I spoke to them while resting my hand on Abel’s head as he gazed out at the sea.
“This is the Moon Expedition Party’s first vacation spot. Are you ready to enjoy yourselves?”
“Kar…!”
Merlin looked up at me with brightened eyes.
“You really came here to have fun? Not just using Exploration as an excuse for a break?”
“Haven’t I always said? I never lie about matters of Exploration.”
Cherry Cherry Orchard was a Dungeon perfectly suited for a day of rest and recuperation.
Though we wouldn’t be able to stay long thanks to the Outlaw Expedition, it would still be time well spent.
“Let’s camp here and enjoy tonight.”
Even Explorers needed rest sometimes.
“You’re free to do as you wish now. But be warned—it’s dangerous, so you absolutely cannot leave this beach.”
If Pendrick had been here, he would have laughed brightly and led everyone straight toward the sea.
But the party members who came with me this time were all people unaccustomed to ordinary leisure.
“…But what are we supposed to do here?”
Bartimyr, raised as an experimental subject of the Black Mage Guild and subjected daily to torture masquerading as research, had almost no experience simply resting by his own volition.
……
Rosalia, trained as an assassin of House Brittes with a life filled only by harsh and terrible training, found the very concept of ‘freedom’ unfamiliar.
“Abel, what do people usually do when they come to the beach? Isn’t it in any of your books?”
“I’m not sure…”
For the siblings, who had been too busy simply surviving day-to-day in the slums, a picnic was an alien concept.
Lucius, observing the hesitant party members, let out a small sigh.
“O Protector of All Mankind, there remain in this world so many who have not yet received your grace.”
Even Artein couldn’t solve this problem.
No matter how vast his divine power, he couldn’t intervene in the mortal realm merely to teach people how to play.
This kind of problem required someone close at hand.
Someone like me—a Expedition Leader charged with guiding all my members.
“Please, pay attention.”
I clapped my hands to draw everyone’s focus.
“The reason I brought all of you to Cherry Cherry Orchard was to fill in the missing memories you lack.”
The gap in their hearts wasn’t unique to the siblings—the others suffered similarly.
I couldn’t share in their emotional pain and sorrow, but as someone equally marked by deficiency, I had the power to help fill what they lacked.
“The young master distrusts the emotional bonds between people themselves, but I don’t wish to. When shared memories stack upon shared memories between us, I’m certain we’ll come to understand one another more deeply.”
Of course, that might not happen.
I hadn’t reached this conclusion through careful deliberation.
Perhaps, as Odillon’s creed suggested, close bonds might lead to tragic situations where everyone dies rather than having someone sacrificed so all might live.
But what did it matter?
“I want to become closer to all of you. I want to continue our Exploration as people who would willingly stake our lives for one another.”
Companionship and camaraderie endure longer when they transcend the realm of rationality.
I still vividly remember the unshakeable friendship of those subordinates who refused to betray each other, even knowing they could escape the director’s tyranny by making someone the scapegoat.
“Let’s start with something simple, then. Do you happen to have a shovel, Priest?”
I asked on a whim, but Lucius produced an Exploration Shovel from his dimensional pouch without hesitation.
Taking the shovel, I drove it deep into the Sugar Candy Sandbeach and spoke.
“First, I’d like you to bury my body in the sand, leaving only my head above ground.”
“Why would you do that?”
“The person who’s ‘it’ wears a blindfold and swings a club, trying to crack heads. It’s a one-time entertainment ordinary people enjoy at the seaside.”
“…Kar might survive that, but ordinary people would die, wouldn’t they?”
“That’s why I called it a one-time thing.”
…….
Merlin studied me for a moment, then offered a curious smile.
“It seems Kar needs to build up some memories first, doesn’t he?”
It was an observation I couldn’t very well argue against.

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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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