Chapter 72

“Thank you for attending the sixteenth Round Table.”

A man in snow-white robes bowed to the more than thirty people before him.

“Personally, I am delighted that we have exactly the same number of attendees at this regular conference as we did last time.”

He had put some effort into preparing that joke, but the people seated around the round table responded coldly.

“Haha... My apologies.”

Alteron, a high-ranking devotee of the Third Holy See, which worshipped Rashin, god of light, scratched his forehead sheepishly.

He ranked eighty-ninth in the overall continental rankings and third among healers, but even he found the presence of those gathered in the hall intimidating.

“It was a joke. Give the man a little reaction, will you? Our moderator isn’t wrong, either. We had no fewer than three people replaced at the last meeting.”

The man who broke the silence was enormous. This was Barkman, forty-eighth in the overall continental rankings and the number-one berserker.

“You ruined two of those three yourself. Are you speaking up because you feel guilty?”

“Ruined, my ass... They came at me looking to die, so I obliged. They picked a fight without a thought for all the experience they’d lose.”

‘Picked a fight? You started it.’

‘That monster smashed three clans and stole their mana-stone mining rights. Getting runes is going to be even harder now.’

‘Tsk, tsk...’

Hostile gazes pricked at Barkman from all around as he laughed heartily.

“What? If you’ve got a problem, meet me outside afterward.”

As though sensing those looks, Barkman glanced behind him and spoke in a growl.

“Please refrain from causing needless trouble. I realize this is your first Round Table, but I’m sure the administrators explained the rules.”

A woman addressed him.

“Do you take everyone gathered here for a joke?”

“Ahem... That wasn’t what I meant.”

She had a slender frame less than half his size, yet, astonishingly, a few words from her changed Barkman’s attitude.

‘Just what you’d expect from the head of Moonshadow...’

Slender as she was, no one here would underestimate her.

Kanae, eighth in the overall continental rankings.

The number-one assassin and head of the assassin organization Moonshadow, she was also the highest-ranked player attending this meeting.

“Ahem. The agenda for this Round Table is simple.”

With order restored, Alteron began speaking as though he had been waiting for his chance.

“I’m sure you all know that the Phoenix Corps recently cleared the tenth floor of the Labyrinth Tower.”

TAP.

He paused to take a breath, then produced something from inside his robes.

‘Oh... At last.’

‘Is that what they mentioned in that exclusive interview recently?’

‘To think they’d reveal it at the Round Table.’

‘Kerga, you sly fox...’

Their private thoughts differed, but every gaze converged on the item lying on the table.

“The Phoenix Corps agreed to reveal one of its three reward items exclusively to the Round Table.”

Name: Serpent’s Slough

Grade: S

Description: Skin shed by Beraden the Infinite.

“This is a quest item connected to Beraden, one of the continent’s seven great mystical beasts. According to the information gathered so far, it is related to a Unique class.”

David, the representative of the [Phoenix Corps] attending the conference, continued.

“I’m sure you all understand the value of a Unique class. Bidding starts at 1,000 gold.”

“1,500.”

“2,000.”

“2,500.”

At David’s words, the people in the hall began raising their bids as though they had been waiting for this.

“Ugh. If they want to hold an auction, why not just use the marketplace? Why bother doing it here...?”

Jane watched them, muttering in bewilderment.

“Your first Round Table, is it?”

The old man seated beside Jane struck up a conversation.

“I came once with my uncle.”

“Your uncle? Ah, yes. You must be the young woman who accepted that World Quest.”

The old man looked at the [Uldia Alliance] nameplate in front of Jane and recognized her.

“Yes. That’s how I ended up here as their representative, though it’s more than I deserve.”

“Heh heh. You really are an entertaining bunch.”

Watching Jane with interest, the old man offered his hand first.

“My name is Galahad.”

“...!”

Jane could not hide her surprise at his name.

“The Ray Master?!”

“It’s a little embarrassing, but yes, that is one of my nicknames.”

“It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Oh, an honor is going too far... I’m just an old man who doesn’t know when to stop.”

The Ray Master.

It was the epithet given to Galahad, who used light magic rather than magic based on the usual five elements.

Light was an extremely niche element: its magic was terribly difficult to control, and the variety of spells was limited.

He stood at 178th in the overall continental rankings and twenty-third among mages.

He was by no means weak, but compared with the others gathered at this conference, his rankings were somewhat lacking.

Even so, no one underestimated him.

That was because he was one of only three players to have defeated Kerga, reputed to be the strongest player in [Evil Tale], in the Colosseum arena.

Despite his appearance, he was an arena fanatic and a pioneer who had challenged the prejudice that mages were weak in player-versus-player combat.

“In any case... I’m bored, too. I understand we can’t skip the auction, but... I was actually hoping we’d discuss the unexplored region first.”

“Oh! You too, Galahad?”

“So you feel the same.”

The two looked at each other and nodded, pleased to find themselves in agreement.

“Do they hold an auction every time?”

“It’s unavoidable, really. There are a few more items to come, so try not to get too bored.”

“How is it any different from the marketplace?”

“For one thing, the sums involved are on another scale.”

“10,000!!!”

As though to prove Galahad’s point, the bids had already gained another digit.

“T-ten thousand gold? How much money is that, exactly?”

“Heh heh. The truth is, those bids aren’t really coming from the people calling them out.”

“... What?”

“They’re coming from the sponsors behind them.”

For large clans, sponsors were all but indispensable.

At these conferences, held once every six months, sponsors would invest directly in items.

“Hmm... That’s certainly an astonishing amount, but I still don’t see why they need to gather here for an auction.”

“The truth is, every transaction here is also connected to the sponsors’ money laundering.”

“W-what?”

Jane could hardly believe her ears. It was something she had never even considered.

“In a marketplace auction, the system records the amount directly. Do it this way, though, and that doesn’t happen.”

Looking as though he understood her reaction, Galahad continued.

“Besides, if they’re going to spend money anyway, they might as well buy the best items. The Round Table itself was created at the sponsors’ suggestion.”

“... How disappointing. I thought this was some grand conference. You’re telling me it’s just a gathering for laundering money?”

“Don’t think too badly of it. The fact remains that we need their support to conquer the Labyrinth Tower.”

But Jane pursed her lips in displeasure.

“A game should be played like a game.”

“Haha, you’re right. This is what happens when people drag all their real-world concerns into it. I’m glad someone like you obtained a World Quest.”

Galahad laughed.

“No, perhaps you were able to obtain it precisely because of who you are.”

“What do you think about the person who cleared the black fog? My guess is it’s the rookie who kept breaking Kerga’s records.”

“That does seem likely.”

“Then just how many titles would that make? If that person beat not just the time attacks for the existing dungeons, but all the new dungeons as well...”

“Heh heh. Who knows?”

Galahad stroked his chin and chuckled.

“They might be stronger than me.”

“Oh, now you’re joking. They’ve only just reached level 50!”

“You don’t seem to understand how powerful titles are yet. Long ago, before Kerga arrived, there was an enormous guild on the central continent called the True Dragon Sect.”

“The True Dragon Sect?”

“It was eight years ago, so you might not know them... But when Kerga first came to the central continent, he had a run-in with them.”

Galahad looked a little flushed, as though recalling a fond memory.

“More than thirty players from the True Dragon Sect fought Kerga, who had only just reached level 50.”

“Don’t tell me...?”

“He won by a landslide.”

Jane’s eyes wavered at his words.

“Kerga was that impressive with the titles from the Dark Forest’s three great dungeons. So what will this person be like?”

Jane swallowed.

Unlike her, whose interest had been little more than vague curiosity, Galahad was already anticipating the changes that lay ahead for the central continent.

‘... Huh?’

At that moment, Jane sensed something strange.

The hall, filled with the clamor of incessant bidding just moments earlier, had fallen silent.

Though no one said anything, they had all been paying attention to the man they were discussing.

Jane remembered what Gareth had told her.

“See? They’re no ordinary people.”

Galahad patted Jane’s shoulder, looking as though he found it all rather entertaining.

“They’re all waiting for a new wind to blow.”

Whether it would carry bloodshed or good fortune remained to be seen.

* * *

WHAM!!!

Crimson blood sprayed in every direction.

“... Gah!”

Ricky went flying and crashed into a cage.

“You bastard...! Are you insane?!”

“You’re the insane ones. What? You locked him up because he didn’t pay protection money? What kind of fucking bullshit is that?”

Woojin seized the fallen Ricky by the collar and hauled him up.

‘H-how is he so strong...?’

“Open the cell. Now.”

“I-I can’t! He borrowed equipment from the militia and lost it! We even drew up a contract!”

“Really? Fine, let’s give you every benefit of the doubt and say that’s true. Then what are all those wounds on his body?”

A chill ran through Ricky, and his face went pale.

“Th-that was... to make an example...”

“An example?”

“There’s pain adjustment anyway...”

“Never mind the pain. Did it never occur to you that beating someone that badly could break even a sane person’s mind?”

“I-I didn’t kn—”

“Then find out for yourself.”

THWACK!!!

Woojin smashed his scabbard into the fallen Ricky’s calf.

“A-aaargh!”

With a dull crack, his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

“No, w-wait...!”

“Why? Or did you do it knowing exactly what would happen?”

SHING.

A sharp blade touched Ricky’s throat.

“In that case, I really will kill you.”

“E-eek!”

Ricky tried to escape, dragging his broken leg behind him.

“Aaaargh...!”

Woojin drove his sword into the thigh of the awkwardly crawling Ricky, who rolled about screaming.

BANG!!!

At that moment, the jail door burst open.

“Stop!”

“You bastard! How dare you! Do you have any idea where you are?!”

The militia members who poured in leveled their weapons at Woojin and shouted.

“Where am I, then?”

SLASH.

As if making a point for them all to see, Woojin slit Ricky’s throat.

“What’s so special about this place that you get to throw people into cells and keep them locked up?”

His footsteps rang out, one after another, as Woojin walked past Ricky’s corpse toward the militia members.

“Haaaah!”

The militia member at the front swung his sword at Woojin.

“...!”

His sword bit into Woojin’s shoulder.

He had put everything into the attack, yet Woojin simply stood there, staring at him.

THUD!!!

Gripping the blade embedded in his shoulder, Woojin pulled it free and slowly pushed it toward the militia member.

“Huh? Wh-what...?”

As his own sword crept toward his throat, the man could not hide his bewilderment.

THUMP!!

Overpowered by Woojin, the militia member lost his balance and fell to the floor.

“G-ghh!”

He strained with all his might, but the blade kept drawing closer, like the blade of a guillotine.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

He screamed and thrashed, but—

THUNK!!!

The blade came straight down.

THUD.

Woojin kicked the severed head toward the militia members standing in a daze.

HISSS...

As it rolled, the head turned to ash and vanished in a curl of smoke.

“Doesn’t seem all that special to me.”

An atmosphere as heavy as his fury began to bear down on everything around him.