Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. - Chapter 98

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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 98 There’s no way I could have learned something as repulsive as that Secret Art.
“That’s not an unreasonable request.”
Targon nodded and turned his gaze toward Odillon.
“The clause about selecting and taking whatever you want from the vault is already included in the contract. I agreed because Brutes’ second son persuaded Elvira.”
“…To be precise, I gave up.”
Secretary Elvira let out a hollow laugh.
“He kept repeating the same thing for four days straight, so I just conceded. Since he’s so much younger than me, I thought I’d give him a break, wouldn’t you say, young master?”
A gem elf with a pathological hatred of losses, abandoning her negotiation of her own accord.
I was so proud of our stubborn young master that I impulsively reached out my hand.
“What?”
“High five.”
“I refuse.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.”
I grasped the young master’s wrist—drier than any Socialite’s—and forced our palms together.
Elvira, who had been watching the scene with curiosity, held up three fingers.
“If you achieve victory in the Guild Competition, you may select three items from the vault and take them with you.”
Three items was a remarkably generous reward when considering the value of what the Ashgray Wolf Guild kept in storage.
Delighted, I attempted another high five, but the young master frowned and placed Rosalia between us instead.
Targon then gestured toward his secretary with his chin.
“Now follow Elvira and meet the guild members who are scheduled to compete in the Guild Competition. They’ll all welcome you warmly. The problem is Vice Guild Master Yalren, but….”
Secretary Elvira let out a snort from beside him.
“I have a feeling that with Kar, you’d somehow manage to pull off some trick and make him submit.”
“Trick? I’m a model Socialite who pursues only fair and square competition.”
“I’m sure you are.”
Targon snorted lightly and extended a hand the size of my entire face.
“In any case, until the Guild Competition is over, I’ll consider you a member of my group and protect you to the very end.”
Ranked second among the Twelve Heroes.
The protection declaration from the undisputed strongest Warrior in Pletica was in itself an enormous privilege.
“It’s truly an honor.”
“I hope you’ll become the driving force behind our Guild Competition victory.”
“I intend to be, naturally.”
We exchanged a handshake marked by such a dramatic size difference it was almost like an adult and a child.
“Now, please follow me.”
Following Elvira’s guidance, I headed toward the Training Ground located near the Guild Headquarters.
“…Socialite Kar. It’s your turn now. Make sure you do well.”
Odillon had reached his physical limit and returned to his quarters leaning on Rosalia’s support.
That young master gets completely exhausted just from conversation.
“Here we are.”
Soon after, we arrived at the Training Ground.
A building nearly as large as the headquarters itself.
It had a plain appearance that didn’t reflect the guild master’s excessively eccentric taste.
“Everyone should be gathered here. Let’s go inside.”
Following Elvira through the entrance, I was greeted by the sight of majestic wolf paintings covering the ceiling, walls, and floor.
Moreover, stone statues depicting wolves howling were placed throughout the space, and there was even an enormous wolf’s face hanging prominently from the ceiling.
“Not even actual wolves, werewolves, or wolf-folk would love wolves this much.”
“…The guild members’ persuasion only affected the exterior.”
At the secretary’s bitter-tinged words, the guild members sitting on the tiered seating along the Training Ground’s wall all at once hung their heads low or let out sighs.
“You’ve arrived, Elvira?”
“Good day to you.”
One guild member, who had been staring up at the wolf face hanging from the ceiling with visible distaste, trudged forward.
An exceptionally tall human with an impressive muscular build and bronze skin.
A typical barbarian from the Northern Continent.
《Brunelda Nabld, the Combat-Obsessed (Human, 29 years old). One of the Ashgray Wolf Guild’s Vice Guild Masters. A rank difference prevents acquiring deeper information.》
“It’s an honor to meet you, Vice Guild Master. I’m Kar, a Socialite of the Twisted Truth, temporarily joining as a guild member.”
After my respectful bow, Vice Guild Master Brunelda turned to face me, casually waving his hand and drawing closer, then began to regard me in silence.
I met his gaze without speaking, then suddenly realized I was being far too presumptuous for a newcomer, and hastily poked my cheek with my index finger.
“…What?”
“Before the atmosphere got too tense, I showed you my ultimate charm. What do you think?”
“…….”
Brunelda and Secretary Elvira blinked vacantly for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
“Ah. So this is that ‘mad golden raven.'”
“Yes….”
Why had such a vivid descriptor suddenly attached itself to golden raven?
“Wow, it’s great to meet you!”
Just as Brunelda stepped back, rubbing the nape of his neck, a dwarf with an almost childlike appearance who had been sitting in the back suddenly bounced up from his seat and spoke.
《Yalren the Ambitious (Western Continent Dwarf, 39 years old). Also one of the vice-guild masters of the Ashgray Wolf Guild. I cannot read information beyond that.》
“So you excavated a Hidden Piece from the Sanctuary of Purification and became a distinguished guest of the Harmony Church?”
There was a certain intentionality beneath his cheerful expression as he bounced about, but I answered without betraying anything.
“It just happened that way.”
“Wow, am I having a conversation with one of the future Twelve Heroes right now? I’m really curious what kind of remarkable feats you’ll accomplish in the Guild Competition!”
《True meaning: I don’t know what the future holds, but right now you’re nothing but a greenhorn. I can’t imagine what you could possibly accomplish stepping into the Guild Competition.》
The words that Truthsayer lifted with malice were not of an ordinary sort.
Dwarves of the Western Continent with human-like childish appearances were generally quite different from their boisterous Eastern Continent counterparts—they often hid their true feelings beneath a pleasant exterior.
“All I ask of Kar is nothing much. I just want to see you doing your best!”
In reality, it meant ‘no matter how hard you try, you’re unlikely to achieve anything.'”
A euphemism so thoroughly roundabout it was almost taking the long way to nowhere.
Because of their long history of exploitation as slaves to humans, dwarves of the Western Continent had developed a culture of concealing their true intentions, and most of them wielded this manner of speech.
“By the way, the guild members competing in this Guild Competition, including myself and Brunelda, all have at least eight years of exploration experience.”
It probably meant something like ‘why are you showing off when you barely have any experience.'”
《A brat I’d love to punch right now!》
But honestly, I didn’t mind at all.
For someone who had endured the mockery and abuse of the evil spirit Department Director Choi—masked as ‘ordinary conversation’—everything about this felt endearing.
And besides, with such a cute appearance, how could I possibly dislike him?
“Since you saw through the identity of the fake Rigoberto that no one else knew about, everyone acknowledges your ability as a Socialite serving the Evil God of Knowledge Lidni. Don’t you all agree?”
The two ordinary guild members who received his gaze hurriedly nodded.
“But since you haven’t yet challenged any B-rank or higher Dungeons, I’m just a bit worried whether you’ll adapt well to this Guild Competition!”
The elf and sheep-person guild members who met my eyes laughed awkwardly.
Though we’d only just met moments ago, we had already achieved perfect communication with just a glance.
“Brunelda! What do you think?”
“Hmm.”
Brunelda examined me slowly from top to bottom, then spoke curtly.
What a Northern Continent barbarian had to say was predictable.
“We’ll find out if we fight.”
“…Pardon?”
While Yalren hesitated, Brunelda slowly drew a sword with an antique appearance.
The creator’s favorite weapon—a katana.
In this world where such island nations did not exist, it was called a Katana.
《Artifact – Nightfall》
《Can use the Secret Arts [Scattering Night] and [Gathering Night].》
It was a treasure nearly as valuable as Astrímia, if not quite.
The fact that it granted two Secret Arts without any conditions was already absurd in terms of performance.
“From this moment on, I won’t budge an inch from this spot. I won’t use any Secret Arts either.”
Brunelda raised Nightfall lightly and pointed it at me with the blade’s tip.
“If you can make either of my feet move even the slightest bit from this position, that’s your victory. If you beat me, no one will raise any objections to your participation in the Guild Competition.”
While it might have sounded easy on the surface, considering the gap in our levels, it was nearly impossible.
It was on the order of difficulty of lifting an elephant with human strength.
“Brunelda? You trained hard again today—aren’t you tired?”
“Yalren. I said I would do this.”
“…….”
Brunelda cut off the Western Continent dwarf with a chilling voice and met my gaze again.
“What will you do?”
“Of course I must accept. It’s an opportunity to face off against the famous ‘Northern Continent Rhinoceros,’ Brunelda. It’s truly an honor.”
“At least you have the right mindset.”
I stood facing Brunelda and took a step back to open some distance.
Once we’d separated to an appropriate distance, the robust Northern Continent barbarian shouted with full force.
“Come at me!”
Merely standing still and watching for an opening is what amateurs do.
I extended my left hand at once.
Whoosh!
Fire Flame Magic tore through the air with tremendous force.
Brunelda swung the Nightfall lightly and cut through the flames.
“A human severing fire…? Not quite Targon’s level, but a monstrously talented fighter!”
In truth, Brunelda was a Tier-2 swordsman, standing just below Pendrick who held Tier-1.
Of course, that was his peak rating—in a real fight right now, even our prodigy swordsman couldn’t scratch this northern barbarian’s skin no matter what miracle occurred.
“Mere Secret Arts like that will never move me. Don’t you have anything more?”
The question dripped with naked disappointment.
A trap.
If I backed down and abandoned the match here, the northern barbarian would be sorely disappointed and fail me outright.
I shook my head and raised my left hand.
“From here on, I shall face you with sincerity.”
***
A soft rustling.
From Kar’s left eye, a phantom sprang forth.
“Hehehehe!”
A second Kar.
A phantom brought to life by the Eye of Whispering Falsehood itself.
“What should I do, Master Kar?”
“Distraction. Draw his attention as much as you can.”
“Got it!”
The fake Kar answered cheerfully, even throwing his arms up, before his mouth suddenly stretched wide open.
Screech!
His tongue elongated, rushing toward Brunelda.
The Bewildering Tongue.
A Secret Art where the tongue extends at length while taste dulls slightly—a minor drawback for the deception.
Naturally, the Nightfall was drawn through the air at near-invisible speed, but the Eye of Whispering Falsehood had no substance to cut.
“Ha! Just an illusion, right?”
“…Such petty tricks have no effect on me.”
Kar knew as much, of course.
Which was why he’d prepared the next stage.
Whoosh!
Savage flames advanced savagely forward.
They were all cut down by Brunelda’s swordplay and died away, but Kar paid it no mind and continued pouring them out relentlessly.
Until the entire vicinity became an inferno.
When the flames had grown so large they touched the ceiling, Kar took a deep breath and swallowed the fire before him whole.
“…Ugh, ah.”
His throat scorching.
His stomach searing with heat.
“Ahaha!”
“Ahahaha!”
“Aha!”
A cascade of overlapping voices.
The Eye of Whispering Falsehood was scattering here and there, bursting into laughter.
“Ahahaha!”
Kar laughed along gleefully and leapt straight into the flames.
“Is this truly all you have?”
The advance of the flames still hadn’t reached the northern barbarian.
A mysterious swordcraft that severed the very fire.
And yet the flames pressed relentlessly forward.
Interspersed between them came the fake Kar’s thick tongue, darting through the air.
“…Everyone move to the corners!”
The entire Training Ground grew scorching hot.
As Yalren and the guild members evacuated, the duel between swordsman and flame continued unabated.
Whoosh!
The Fire Flame Magic burning fiercely.
Whoom!
The Nightfall cleaving apart every approaching wall of flame.
At this rate, combat seemed as though it could continue forever, yet Brunelda had not yet unleashed his full power.
‘If this continues, he’ll eventually collapse from exhaustion.’
The fact that he stood his ground fearlessly against an opponent so much stronger than himself—that alone was admirable.
I wanted to praise him.
If I patted his back too hard, it might snap, so I’d have to be gentler.
But regardless of my true feelings, I had to assess the situation coldly.
“If this drags on any longer without resolution, I’ll end it myself!”
Brunelda roared, gripping his sword with both hands for the first time.
A blade that didn’t even rank among Secret Arts.
Yet capable of cleaving most opponents in a single stroke.
Just as the Level 8 swordsman prepared his final attack.
“Brunelda.”
Suddenly.
A massive gray orc stepped calmly from within the flames.
Targon.
Guild Master of the Ashgray Wolf Guild.
“Want to have a match?”
…….
And the great warrior Brunelda idolized, requesting duels with him every single day.
“Guild Master, why are you here…?”
By any logic, it made no sense.
This was clearly a Socialite’s manipulation.
My head said so, but my heart disagreed.
“What are you doing? I came because I wanted to fight you. Is that not allowed?”
“…You’re the Guild Master, though!”
“Of course I am. That’s because I am.”
Brunelda could not swing his blade.
More precisely, he had been guided not to.
Thunder Thump.
A Secret Art of the Unclean Merchant that caused facial expressions to shift toward the target’s point of focus.
“Come here. Give it a try, Brunelda. Swing that blade of yours.”
Thunder Thump’s effectiveness was minimal if the target’s Charm stat was low, but in the hands of a half-elf, even high-level adventurers could be deceived for a moment.
Right now, Brunelda was momentarily captivated by Targon’s overwhelming presence.
“Hup.”
So his reaction came just slightly too late.
“…Hgh!”
The instant Targon seized his leg, Brunelda wrenched himself free.
But he slipped just barely to the side of the designated spot.
“You moved.”
Kar, now back in his true form, declared it with an expressionless face that sent an involuntary chill down my spine.
“I win.”

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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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