Chapter 198 - Master Key (3)

Master. The man who had created the private chat room called Observer of the Round Table. When he vanished without a trace, the members all let out deflated sighs.

"Whew, he really is gone."

"... Something about that felt different from leaving a chat room."

"Yes, more like logging out..."

Their voices were filled with nothing but questions. Well, I felt much the same way.

"Don't you have to go back to your room to log out?"

"Judging by his parting words, it seemed more like he was being kicked out."

His situation differed from Lee Baekho's in several ways. Baekho had taken an 'early pill' from the start, limiting his time to one hour. But Master? Something had happened to a man who'd previously had no problems. And not in reality, but in his use of the community, Ghost Busters.

Had someone else reached the same conclusion?

"Just what could Master be going through...?"

"Heh, whatever it is, one thing is certain."

"Certain?"

Clown lowered his voice in response to Fox's question.

"His year-long disappearance without a word has something to do with the GM."

Silence fell for a moment. Not so much from shock as from everyone turning things over in their heads. Most seemed to agree with his guess.

"True, that does seem most likely."

"But there's a contradiction. If Master really was penalized by the GM, how could he show himself here again?"

"He's always been so mysterious. This space was created with magic, so perhaps he found some sort of magical solution?"

"Th-then that means our Master might be an even better mage than the GM who created this community!"

"Quite possible indeed. Heh."

The members continued exchanging all kinds of theories, and I listened quietly, finding their discussion rather interesting. Of course, that didn't last long.

"... Um, Mr. Lion, do you happen to know anything?"

Before long, their attention naturally turned to me. It was only to be expected. I'd been pretending to be Lee Baekho, calling Master 'old man' right in front of them. They must have thought I might know something.

But...

"Who knows?"

How the hell would I know? I was just as curious about his identity. Of course, I had absolutely no intention of saying so. That would ruin my image.

"Right, I see. So even you, Mr. Lion..."

Admitting ignorance didn't suit 'Mr. Lion.' Something like this, on the other hand...

"I do have an idea."

I cut Fox off with that brief remark. Her disappointed tone instantly shot up.

"An idea? I-is that really true? No, I don't mean I doubt you, Mr. Lion..."

The eyes visible through Fox's mask were now brimming with anticipation. The same went for the others, for that matter.

'... Actually, I don't have a clue.'

What remained of my modern-day conscience stirred, but I forcibly ignored it and cut Fox off again.

"P-please, tell us. What in the world happened to Master—"

"Enough."

"... Huh?"

Apparently assuming I would tell her, Fox stared at me blankly. But there was no need for a lengthy explanation. A slight shrug was enough. Everyone here knew what that gesture meant by now.

"You mean we should bring you something interesting. Hehehe."

If they wanted something from me, they had to bring something of equivalent value. That was the ironclad rule 'Mr. Lion' had established at the Round Table. So how would 'Fox' answer?

"... All right."

Just as expected. Fox was the one who had shown a particular obsession with Master's recent circumstances and the like.

"But the bar will be a little lower for me, right? It's not even certain. You only have an idea..."

I didn't bother answering, and Fox soon heaved a deep sigh. After Clown had taken the 'sacred relic' bait and Crescent Moon had gone crazy over the Stone of Resurrection, she apparently hadn't expected to end up in the same position herself.

"I feel as though I've gained a fellow sufferer. Life will be hard for you too now, Miss Fox."

At Crescent Moon's words of consolation, Fox gave a bitter, resigned laugh. This meant the quality of the information would improve even further.

'... Just Stag Horns and Goblin left, then?'

Setting aside my satisfaction, I spoke indifferently.

"How boring."

"..."

"Haven't we had enough chitchat?"

"Yes, let's begin the meeting."

I'd put out enough bait. Time to reel in the catch.

* * *

It was already my fourth meeting, following the third one where nobody had shown up. Goblin went first.

"The Magic Tower is putting its heads together to find a way through Noark's barrier."

At first, everyone's reaction was essentially, Why is he stating the obvious? But Goblin's additional explanation convinced them.

"Apparently, the process requires at least a certain amount of Divine Power. They say they should at least be able to shorten the time until the barrier comes down."

"So their research has yielded some results."

"Yes, exactly."

In short, the curtain of mana protecting Noark might be stripped away soon. Though who knew how it would actually turn out.

'Raven estimated about two years... '

Goblin finished his turn by saying that the Magic Tower had since set a goal of reducing that to six months. Stag Horns was next.

"The royal family has developed a new type of identification tag. It's a magical device in the form of an engraving that can't be forged. They seem to have been preparing it for a while, and distribution to explorers will begin next week."

"Next week...? Isn't that rather unhelpful? It's not the kind of information we can profit from in advance, either."

"Then here's one more thing. The royal family is keeping an eye on the clans that have stopped exploring to play it safe."

"What exactly do you mean by 'keeping an eye on'?"

"Judging by the atmosphere, I can't say for sure, but I expect they'll face substantial disadvantages in one form or another."

"... I see."

Fox seemed to be trying to hide it, but her relief at Stag Horns' information was obvious. I made a mental note of that reaction.

'Fox probably belongs to a clan. She wouldn't be an ordinary member. Could she actually be a clan master?'

Of course, that was still only speculation, so I listened to the next speaker. It was Fox's turn.

"The major clans are preparing a large-scale boycott."

"What sort of boycott?"

"What else? Collectively refusing to enter the Labyrinth. There's already plenty of discontent over the recent campaign, and something happened recently that added fuel to the fire."

"Ah, that. I know what you mean."

Crescent Moon chimed in as though he knew the story.

"Bjorn Jandel, correct?"

Huh? Why was my name coming up here?

"Yes, exactly. They exiled a perfectly good explorer to Bifron over something that would ordinarily have ended with a fine."

Oh, that...

"Enforcement may be their jurisdiction, but most clans interpreted it as a warning to us."

"Public opinion must be poor."

"Yes. There are even people saying that if we back down any further, we might be forcibly conscripted next time."

The moment my name came up, my hands froze and my lips went completely dry, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice my reaction. Nor did anyone seem interested in Bjorn Jandel.

'Whew, that nearly gave me a heart attack.'

Anyway, after Fox answered a few additional questions from Stag Horns, the third turn came to an end.

"All right, who wants to go next? Shall we keep going clockwise?"

"... Clown, would you mind going first?"

"Well, if you insist."

At Crescent Moon's request, Clown took the fourth turn without complaint.

His was the turn I had secretly been looking forward to most. But had he failed to find any 'interesting' information this time?

"Honestly, I don't think this will interest Mr. Lion, but I'll give it a try anyway."

Unlike when he'd discussed Unity magic, Clown began speaking as though he merely wanted to get his turn over with.

"Just before the blockade, Noark sent several people up to the surface. Their objective, apparently, is to kill a single explorer! Surprising, isn't it?"

"Assassins... Do you know who the target is?"

"Who knows? Even I don't know that much. Heh!"

With a smile whose true meaning was difficult to read, the fourth turn ended. Clown didn't even ask whether I'd found it interesting. Then again, how could he have known? This was the most interesting thing I'd heard today.

'Assassins sent by Noark... '

One person came to mind the moment I heard it. Amelia Reinweils. Could she be one of the assassins they'd sent up? Judging by her stats, she did seem perfect for the job.

'Then is Auriel Gabis their target?'

The thought occurred to me, but somehow that didn't seem right. Her claim that she was searching for him for personal reasons hadn't sounded like a lie. Anyway, I'd think about that later.

"It's my turn now."

The long-awaited fifth turn began. This time, the spotlight was on Crescent Moon, who desperately wanted the Stone of Resurrection. Judging by how he'd asked whether our promise still stood, he seemed quite confident. Just what had he prepared?

"Do you all remember when I mentioned traces of the Sacred Relic Thief?"

"Of course."

As Crescent Moon cautiously broached the subject, the other masked members nodded. All except Goblin, to be precise.

"What? The Sacred Relic Thief?"

Goblin, who hadn't attended that meeting, tilted his head, but no one paid him any mind.

"So what is it? More information about the Six Treasures?"

Fox made no attempt to hide her curiosity, and Crescent Moon nodded. Then he made a shocking statement.

"The Six Treasures no longer exist."

* * *

The Six Treasures. The keys to reaching the final floor, where the Gate of Abyss stood.

"... What do you mean, the Six Treasures don't exist? I don't understand at all."

"Is this reliable information? Not just something you believe?"

"Heh, this is rather shocking."

"H-how could they just disappear?"

Since everyone here was a Player hoping to return home, it took only a moment for confusion to fill the room. But had Crescent Moon more or less expected this reaction? He simply continued his explanation in a bitter voice.

"I wish it were merely a mistake on my part. But this is an undeniable fact. The Six Treasures exist nowhere in this world."

"W-were they destroyed or something?"

"At least, that is the conclusion we reached."

"B-but those are indestructible items!!"

Apparently badly shaken, Goblin raised his voice in a whine. And then a wash of green light poured from the gem embedded in the center of the Round Table. It meant the statement above was true.

"So they really... The Six Treasures really might be gone."

Stag Horns muttered hollowly, and silence hung over the room for a while after that. Crescent Moon was the first to speak.

"Well? Did you find it interesting?"

That was a very difficult question to answer. I'd intended to call it boring somehow, but...

'How the hell am I supposed to call this boring?'

Crescent Moon had kept his eyes fixed on me throughout his explanation. He must have caught even the way I'd stiffened the instant I heard it.

'What do I do?'

After a brief deliberation, I made my decision. Calling this boring would be a poor choice. So...

"You're quite resourceful."

Better to give credit where it was due and cut my losses elsewhere.

"Does that mean..."

Crescent Moon's breathing grew heavy, as though he thought the Stone of Resurrection was finally within reach. I said briefly,

"To be honest, that was rather impressive."

Of course, admitting this would cost me a lot. Never mind having to tell him about the Stone of Resurrection; once Crescent Moon got what he wanted, he wouldn't fetch information with the same enthusiasm. Besides, it didn't fit the image I'd built for Mr. Lion. My carefully prepared 'Make Mr. Lion Laugh' challenge, cleared on the first try? That would be a serious loss of face.

But...

I grinned. There was no problem. Right now, I wasn't Bjorn Jandel. I was a veteran hiding behind the 'Mr. Lion' mask, wasn't I?

'Okay, that should do for my lines.'

The moment I finished the final check in my head, I asked Crescent Moon,

"How on earth did you find out?"

As though what had surprised me wasn't the disappearance of the Six Treasures, but something else. To be precise...

"Very few people should know the Six Treasures are gone."

As though, unfortunately, it was something I already knew.

"...!"

Crescent Moon's eyes widened as he caught the implication. But perhaps realizing that I was scamming him was a step too far. He didn't even question it.

"... I see. You already knew."

He merely sounded resigned, his voice sinking weakly.

If even this wouldn't do, what on earth would satisfy me? I could practically feel that despair reaching me through the air. This wasn't a particularly good situation for me, either.

"Hehehe..."

Clown's awkward laugh alone made that clear. This would affect every member who had taken the bait.

Right. With that in mind, I gave an audible chuckle and said,

"You can obtain the Stone of Resurrection on the ninth floor."

I could at least give him a consolation prize. Honestly, I did feel a little bad.