Chapter 199 - Master Key (4)

The Stone of Resurrection was on the ninth floor.

In truth, finding it with that clue alone was all but impossible. Crescent Moon probably knew that too. After all, he had also played this sadistic game.

But perhaps even that much was like rain after a drought.

"Wh-why...?"

Putting his joy aside, Crescent Moon asked me, "Why would you do me such a favor?"

He seemed desperate to know the reason, but as Mr. Lion, there was only one answer I could give.

"Because it sounds more entertaining that way."

Crescent Moon pressed his lips together for a moment, as if pondering my true intentions, then shuddered.

"You... are a truly frightening man."

Huh? Where did that come from?

Not knowing what he meant, I simply watched him with my chin resting on my hand. Did he belatedly decide he had made a mistake?

"... Please forget I said that. It was uncalled for. I care not what sort of man you are. If I can obtain that item, I would offer you even my soul."

Having murmured those words as though making a resolution, Crescent Moon added with a touch of self-mockery, "Though I am sure you already know all about my circumstances."

I couldn't make any sense of that.

Seriously, how would I know?

'Why the hell did he get that idea?'

I mentally retraced what had happened at the Round Table, but couldn't work out why. So, once again, I kept quiet. As always, that was enough to get me halfway there.

"Just as I thought... You truly did know."

I didn't bother denying it. Wouldn't it be a little ridiculous to say no at this point?

Instead, I changed the subject as if the matter didn't interest me.

"My turn now, then."

As I spoke, the masked faces turned toward me. They seemed eager to hear what I would tell them this time. Feeling oddly sheepish, I offered one of the pieces of information I had prepared.

Like the tidbit about Bandemon, it was interesting to hear but useless in practice. It didn't even have the impact of the Stone of Resurrection.

"Heh, this time it's something I knew as well."

Despite the Round Table's gem glowing green, Clown gave me a somewhat disappointed look.

Of course, that wasn't my problem. Besides, rather than blaming me, Clown seemed to consider it his own fault for failing to bring anything entertaining.

"If everyone's willing, I'd like to keep going. What do you all say?"

Perhaps everyone had prepared plenty after missing a meeting, because the gathering continued even after we completed a round.

I consistently offered the same sort of information and passed my turn. Before long, we were starting our third round.

"I-I'll bow out after this turn."

Goblin, who went first, struggled through four red lights before finally managing to finish his turn and raising the white flag.

Though they weren't quite as badly off as Goblin, perhaps everyone else was running out of material too.

"Hmm, then I suppose I'll stop here as well."

With even Fox announcing her withdrawal, we naturally agreed to end the gathering after this round.

I wasn't particularly disappointed.

'I think I've heard pretty much everything worth hearing.'

I had been completely in the dark about how things were developing since the conflict between Noark and the royal family began. Now, I was finally getting a feel for it.

The situation was the exact opposite of the rumors circulating in the city.

'As I thought, the royal family has a much stronger advantage.'

The failed campaign had inflicted heavy losses, but the same was true of the underground city. Going by what these people said, Noark's lockdown felt more like a desperate last stand.

'They've even made identification tags that can't be duplicated, so I won't need to make any major changes to my plans. There don't seem to be any immediately dangerous developments, either.'

I quietly shifted my gaze to the Round Table. A green light was glowing in response to the information about Orculus that Crescent Moon had just shared.

"... That leaves only you, Mr. Lion, doesn't it?"

The members' attention naturally focused on me. For some reason, all their eyes were sparkling.

'Tch. No need to put me on the spot.'

I tapped my fingers against the armrest, considering for a moment.

What should I use for the finale?

I already had something picked out, but perhaps something else would suit the mood better. In fact, it wasn't long before a suitable idea came to mind.

TAP.

I grinned and stilled my fingers.

It wasn't one of the things I had prepared to share here, but...

"Goblin."

"Y-yes?"

Caught completely off guard by my sudden address, Goblin even stammered.

Looking straight at him, I said, "Come to think of it, you said something earlier. That the 'old man' might be a more skilled mage than the GM who created this community."

"A-ah! Yes, I did, but..."

Goblin trailed off, seemingly unable to fathom my intentions, while Fox brightened.

"Could this be information about Master?"

She was doing better than Goblin, who appeared utterly clueless, but...

"Wrong."

Ignoring Fox entirely, I addressed Goblin as though there was a fundamental misunderstanding I had let slide earlier.

"The GM didn't create this community. To be precise, he remodeled a place that already existed into its current form."

Like a parrot, I repeated exactly what Lee Baekho had once told me.

At once, the members' gazes converged on a single point: the gem embedded in the center of the Round Table.

"... It's green."

That was the result I expected, so I wasn't surprised. I hadn't personally verified it or anything, but I didn't doubt this information in the slightest.

"... To think it wasn't the GM who made it."

"Hehehe. That's news to me as well."

"Then who did create this place?"

The members, who had been spilling out questions, fell silent simultaneously, as if by prior agreement.

Once again, their gazes converged on one spot.

On the only person here who could answer that question.

'Okay, looks like I've got their attention.'

In that charged silence, I spoke in a voice devoid of expectation. Devoid of any emotion at all.

"I hope next time will be a little more entertaining."

That was what I told them.

This way, they'd bring something more useful next time.

* * *

"He's gone..."

A heavy silence lingered in the Round Table chamber after Mr. Lion left.

The reason was simple: his parting words. Or, to be precise, the emotion carried in his voice.

"... Is he angry with us?"

Clown snorted at Fox's murmur.

"Heh. I think you give us too much credit, Fox. Do you really think we're worth getting angry over to him?"

"That's..."

Fox started to object, but pressed her lips shut instead. She had remembered what Master said earlier.

["Someone of your caliber has nothing to gain by attending this gathering, does he?"]

A secret gathering whose very name was unknown to ordinary Players. Fox had made good use of the information she obtained here.

That was why she had struggled to accept it at first. But now that she had heard Master's words, there was no point denying it.

This place offered Mr. Lion no benefit whatsoever.

'No, perhaps it's not quite right to say none whatsoever?'

A bitter smile crept onto Fox's face.

["I hope next time will be a little more entertaining."]

Entertainment.

Something that could relieve even a little of his boredom.

In short, a diversion.

If Mr. Lion wanted anything from this gathering, that was all.

But how had they done so far?

They hadn't even managed that much. And yet they had simply sat there, expecting him to tell them more...

"... We must have looked pathetic."

"We must have. He's a different sort of man from Master, after all. Though they do resemble each other a little."

Fox tilted her head at Stag Horns' words.

"... Resemble each other?"

It was Crescent Moon who answered her.

"At the very least, since he arrived, we haven't had occasion to feel Master's absence, have we?"

She was beginning to understand what they meant.

Master had been that special to the Round Table. He had brought the current members together, and it was he who had shared precious information and knowledge that none of them had known.

"The difference is that Mr. Lion isn't the sort to go around doing charity work like Master. Heh."

"Charity work..."

"What? It's not as though I'm wrong. Or do you really believe Master created this place to obtain information, Fox?"

Fox didn't argue.

No, she couldn't. Everything was just as Clown said.

Master had always known everything. And he had shared it unstintingly, like a teacher in a classroom full of students.

"Heh. Isn't that why you're so devoted to Master in the first place, Fox?"

This time, Fox didn't deny it.

"... You're right. If I hadn't thought he was helping us out of kindness, I wouldn't have considered him my benefactor."

It was entirely thanks to Master that this gathering had endured. Its recent state was proof enough.

Until Mr. Lion arrived, there had been only four regulars. Attendance had plummeted as soon as Master disappeared.

Hadn't the other members, like Goblin, merely dropped in occasionally to check whether Master had returned before leaving again?

'If the others find out someone like him has joined, they'll probably keep attending too. Just like Goblin.'

For some reason, she felt strange.

But Fox set those feelings aside and focused on the conversation among the remaining members.

The topic was Master, who had appeared for the first time in a year.

No, strictly speaking, they were discussing Mr. Lion, who seemed to be acquainted with him.

"Mr. Lion must be someone whose name we've heard at least once. If Master calls him 'remarkable,' there can only be a handful of possibilities."

"True. He even treated the infamous Corpse Collector like a child."

"A child... Yes, he did say that once. Hehehe."

Once again, it was time for speculation.

"That last piece of information was s-significant too. The GM didn't create this community... How could he possibly know even that?"

"Who knows? Perhaps he's acquainted with the GM."

"... The GM we only ever hear rumors about?"

"That may be true for us, but this is the man who called Master an old man. There must be a world we know nothing about."

"I see..."

Seeing Goblin's apparently genuine admiration, Clown asked, "What's gotten into you today, though? Last time, you treated everything we said like a leap of logic."

"... That was before I knew much about him."

"Hehehe. So those eyes of yours aren't just knotholes after all?"

At Clown's thinly veiled mockery, Goblin cleared his throat and looked away.

Then Stag Horns spoke.

"More importantly, was I the only one who noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"I sensed mental intent when Master left."

"Ah, if you mean that, I sensed it too."

"Hold on, both of you. Mental intent? Are you saying they used 'Thought Transmission'?"

Fox was genuinely surprised.

Thought Transmission was a kind of telepathy, an ability usable only in this space—a spiritual world. Its principle was similar to Bloodlust: conveying mental intent to another person in the form of words.

"Even Master said that was difficult to use..."

"Hehe. Why are you so surprised, Fox? Did you think Mr. Lion couldn't manage even that?"

"..."

His tone was somehow irritating, but she had nothing to say in response.

Thinking it over calmly, she realized Clown was right. It wasn't so surprising. Hadn't the man unleashed that much Bloodlust at their very first meeting?

It would be stranger if he couldn't use Thought Transmission.

"Anyway, that means Master and Mr. Lion spoke before Master left?"

"Yes. No doubt they had something to discuss in private."

"And you don't know what they talked about either, Clown?"

"Isn't that obvious? Master and Mr. Lion are practically monsters!"

Fox smacked her lips, unable to hide her lingering disappointment.

If only she knew what they had discussed, it might have offered a clue to Master's circumstances...

"Heh. Still, it wasn't a complete loss."

"What? What did you gain?"

Clown's next words snapped Fox back to attention. Seemingly pleased by the way she pricked up her ears, he chuckled.

"I couldn't sense it at all."

"Please, could you explain just a little more?"

"Mr. Lion's mental intent! I concentrated with everything I had, but I couldn't sense the slightest trace. Unlike Master's, which I could at least faintly detect."

Fox, who knew a fair amount about Thought Transmission, froze.

How could she not? However playfully he spoke, as he always did, there was nothing trivial about what he was saying.

"Wait. You mean..."

When Fox couldn't bring herself to finish, Clown voiced what he had 'gained' today in her stead.

"Yes. Perhaps Mr. Lion is an even greater monster than Master."

The truly shocking conjecture left everyone speechless.

Silence fell.

"Um..."

Then Goblin cautiously spoke up.

"Couldn't Master simply have done all the talking before he left? That would also explain why you couldn't sense any mental intent, Clown... N-no, why are you all looking at me like that? I was just saying. Just saying! It's not as though I actually believe that!"

The silence continued for some time afterward.