Chapter 307 - Round Table (1)

A study filled with the soothing fragrance of wood.

'Nothing much has changed.'

As I looked around with that thought, one change caught my eye.

A white mask.

The very same white mask I had worn on my last visit hung on an otherwise empty wall.

'Am I supposed to wear it out there?'

I chuckled and put on the mask. Then I opened the door and stepped outside, and sure enough, an old man was approaching from the far end of the hallway.

Auriel Gabis.

A mysterious figure who might hold the answers to all my questions...

“Hoho, you've arrived. I've been waiting.”

And the old man who had been so delighted to hear that I had cleared the original, he hadn't even thought to hide his emotions.

“Have you been keeping well? After sending you off like that the other day, I was terribly anxious that something might happen to you.”

Even if he greeted me warmly, chuckling from the outset to put me at ease, I couldn't let my guard down.

I had seen it last time. The Commander of Orculus, the Scholar of Destruction, and the others—powerful figures who could hold their own anywhere—had been utterly cowed by his words, watching his every move.

“I've been fine. But what happened to the others?”

“Hmm? The others?”

“At the end, you said they'd broken the rules again, sent me away, and left.”

Only then did Auriel Gabis nod in understanding.

“Ah, you mean those failures.”

Failures...

That casually uttered word told me the real battle of wits had begun. The inscrutable old man's reason for freely using a word like “failures,” which was bound to put me on guard, was obvious.

'Looks like he didn't like being led around by the nose last time.'

It was a variation on the carrot and stick. The only difference was that the stick was used on other people, rather than the target.

“The failures should be gathered in that room, so don't worry. I showed them quite thoroughly that day what would happen if they caused trouble again.”

He established his authority by showing how mercilessly he wielded the stick against others, while treating his target with boundless warmth.

Yes, just like this.

“Ahem, that was inconsiderate of me. That must have been rather unpleasant for you to hear. But don't let it trouble you. I know better than anyone that you're different from them.”

Kindness in stark contrast to his earlier coldness.

The recipient of that kindness couldn't help thinking: I don't want to be on bad terms with this person. To avoid that, I need to reciprocate his goodwill.

That mindset took root naturally in the subconscious.

Well, I was immune to that sort of underhanded rhetoric.

“You're special. Aren't you?”

I answered the old man's question with a chuckle.

“I wouldn't know.”

“Hmm?”

“Cut the pathetic crap.”

You see, I couldn't stand carrots.

“... Crap? That's rather harsh, isn't it?”

At my provocative words, the old man's expression changed, and he stared straight at me. There was no prickling bloodlust, but his eyes and demeanor radiated an intense pressure.

Still, I didn't back down.

With someone like him, you had to make one thing clear from the outset: I wasn't the least bit afraid of being on bad terms with him.

“I didn't come here to have this sort of conversation with you.”

“Hmm...?”

“Enough. If all we're going to do is make small talk, send me back. Actually, I'd appreciate it if you made the arrangements so I never have to come here again.”

The old man acted flustered, then cried out indignantly.

“S-small talk? You were the one who asked what happened to them!”

Ah... he did have a point.

Things had gotten a little ridiculous.

But what was he going to do about it?

“So you're saying this is all my fault?”

Watching barbarians let rip wherever they pleased had taught me the importance of faith.

Unshakable faith in yourself.

That steadfast conviction built confidence, letting you press on without being cowed by any obstacle.

Therefore...

“No, I'm not saying it's your fault...”

“Apologize.”

I made my demand boldly.

“Wait, calm down. What have I even done to make you so touchy—”

Even if I was being unreasonable.

Even if I currently looked like Lee Hansoo, rather than a barbarian.

“So you won't apologize?”

“... Hoho. It seems you've come to think very little of me.”

At my repeated demands, the old geezer's face hardened. Unlike before, even the space around us began to ripple, which was deeply ominous.

To be honest, I was fucking terrified.

But...

“Apologize.”

Nothing changed.

So what if he got serious? Was he going to kick out the guy who'd cleared the original, or what?

“Whew... why on earth are you doing this?”

Eventually, the old geezer sighed and asked. The space around us had stopped rippling, too.

Just as I'd expected. It was obvious he'd been putting on an angry act to get out of this situation.

Though perhaps the anger itself had been real?

“Why do you keep provoking me? You weren't this ill-mannered last time.”

“You talk like you know me.”

I quickly continued.

“And you think I'm looking down on you? Weren't you the one who looked down on me first?”

“What are you talking about? Looked down on you—”

“Did you think I'd grovel if you called them failures and then said you'd been inconsiderate?”

“...”

Surprisingly, the old geezer didn't argue. He could have made any number of excuses—that it was a mistake, that he hadn't meant it that way—but after a brief moment of thought, he nodded.

“I see. You truly are different from the others...”

“...?”

“I apologize. Someone who cleared the original, which was deemed a failure, could hardly be ordinary, yet I treated you too lightly. I'll be more careful from now on.”

Uh, I hadn't been looking for such a heartfelt apology.

My plan had been to accept his empty apology and use it to gain a little more control over the conversation afterward, so I was somewhat taken aback.

'No, maybe he intended even this.'

“... Since you put it that way, I'll let it go.”

Normally, I didn't accept apologies that were nothing but words, but I accepted this one, thinking that any more barbarian antics might genuinely destroy our relationship.

The atmosphere softened a little.

“Now, instead of standing around here, let's have something to drink and talk in that room. Ah, is there a particular tea you'd like?”

Why ask when the answer was obvious?

“Lemon-lime soda.”

That had been on my mind from the start.

* * *

Ahh, that's the stuff.

Normally, that was what I should have been thinking right now. Yes, it most certainly should have been.

But...

'Why does it taste so bland?'

Was it because I'd asked for ice?

CLINK.

I set the glass, now empty except for the ice, on the table and thought for a moment. It wasn't that it wasn't refreshing, but the carbonation seemed weaker.

It tasted distinctly worse than last time.

'Could this old man have done something out of spite...?'

Just as that plausible explanation occurred to me and I shot him a sidelong glance, Auriel Gabis spoke.

“Now, I was thinking we might get down to business...”

It was rather funny. However you looked at him, he wasn't the sort of man who should have to tread carefully around a small fry like me.

'That must mean I'm that important to him.'

Though my efforts had played some part, the better he treated me, the warier I became. Nobody in this world treated you well without a reason.

Setting aside my concerns about the soda, I gave the matter some thought.

'Why is someone who's cleared the original so important?'

Hmm. I honestly had no idea.

Because I knew more about the game than other Players?

That was true, but it couldn't be the reason. The old man sitting before me was Auriel Gabis—the creator of the game.

Naturally, he would know everything I knew. If he needed a knowledgeable Player, all he had to do was share that knowledge.

So why was he so obsessed?

'That's what I'll have to find out now.'

“Ahem. What are you thinking about so intently?”

“Oh, sorry. My mind wandered for a moment.”

“Ha! With me sitting right in front of you!”

Auriel Gabis clicked his tongue in disbelief, apparently finding the situation absurd himself. Of course, that ill-mannered behavior didn't last long.

“Whew. Don't tell me you're starting again.”

“N-no. I only meant that this is refreshing, since it's been so long since I've been in a situation like this.”

“Oh, I see. I almost got the wrong idea.”

“... Are you a barbarian, by any chance?”

Huh?

Tsk, had I made it too obvious?

Though that struck a nerve, I kept my composure and brushed it aside as though he'd said something offensive.

“Is that supposed to be a question?”

“No, of course not. It was a joke.”

Judging by his expression, he really had been joking. Still, I'd better be more careful.

“Anyway, speaking of questions...”

“It's fine. Stop worrying and go ahead.”

With my permission, the old man promptly got to the point.

“Before we parted last time, we discussed fairness, didn't we? Since then, I've been thinking hard every single day—”

“Keep it short. Just the point.”

“I've made something that can resolve the issue.”

See? He could sum it up in one sentence.

“Hmm, something?”

“This.”

Rather than offer a lengthy explanation, Auriel Gabis pulled a fist-sized jewel from his inner pocket.

It was an extremely familiar object.

“This is...”

From above or from the side, there was no mistaking it. It was the jewel embedded in the center of the Round Table.

Huh. I'd never imagined this was how it had come to be.

Then was this old man really Master?

“... Are you reacting that way because you know what it is?”

“No, it just looks expensive.”

“Expensive... Hoho! This isn't something you can measure in mere worldly wealth... Ahem. I nearly went off on a tangent again.”

Having learned from his earlier experiences, Auriel Gabis stopped his own rambling and quickly explained the object.

“I made it by converting some of my authority within this spiritual space into an object.”

I didn't understand the principle behind it at all, but I didn't bother asking. For one thing, I doubted an explanation would help me understand...

And when you didn't know something, staying quiet was usually best.

“It's quite simple to use. Tell the truth in front of this jewel, and it lights up green. Tell a lie, and it lights up red. Would you like to test it?”

In truth, the moment it appeared, I'd dismissed the possibility that it was a fake, but I didn't let that show.

After all, wasn't he essentially giving me a free question?

“Auriel Gabis, are you over three hundred years old?”

I deliberately gave him a threshold. If I simply asked his age and he answered “one,” the jewel would turn red and that would be the end of it.

“... I am not.”

Auriel Gabis answered as though he understood my intention but was willing to indulge me.

Then...

WHOOOSH.

The jewel lit up red.

“That means it's a lie.”

Whoa, so he was over three hundred?

Complete Analysis of Ruptures II had been written a hundred and fifty years ago, so I'd just thrown out a rough guess...

What kind of monster was he?

Despite my inward astonishment, I didn't let it show.

“Well? With this, there should be no issue of fairness if we take turns asking one question each, should there?”

“Hmm, isn't this still a little questionable? You made it, so for all I know, you might be able to decide what color it lights up.”

An entirely reasonable objection.

Surprisingly, Auriel Gabis chose to tackle it head-on.

“I swear on my name. That is impossible.”

An oath...

That word brought back memories. I'd sworn oaths and then stabbed people in the back more times than I could count.

“That's hard to trust. Maybe if you swore on your parents.”

“M-my parents...?”

“Since you can't do it, you must have been lying after all.”

“Of course not! It's just... such an absurd suggestion that it caught me off guard. How could I stake people who are no longer even in this world?”

Had he never imagined that an oath on his own name would fail to convince me in the slightest?

Auriel Gabis pondered for a moment.

“Whether you believe me is your decision, but let me tell you this anyway. The oath I just swore was true, and now, without this object, I cannot even distinguish whether you're telling the truth or lying.”

“Huh?”

As I tilted my head, the jewel lit up green.

“Didn't I tell you? I used a considerable portion of my authority to make this one object. I can no longer even read the total capacity of your soul.”

“The total capacity of my soul...?”

“I mean I can no longer tell what ranks of Essences you possess.”

It lit up green again.

But did this old man realize that the more he did this, the less faith I had in him?

'Hearing him volunteer his own weaknesses only makes him more suspicious...'

Had he really rigged it somehow?

Just as the suspicion in my gaze was becoming blatant, he spoke.

“Do you remember the people you saw that day?”

“The ones you called failures earlier?”

“That's right. Despite what I said earlier, they're people whose name and abilities alone would earn them respect anywhere.”

“Name and abilities. That's two things.”

“... It's a figure of speech.”

“Anyway, what's your point?”

Auriel Gabis sighed and offered a new suggestion.

“How about we have our conversation in their presence? They don't know everything either, but they're more than capable of noticing and objecting if I tell an outrageous lie.”

“... What?”

The moment I heard that, my mind genuinely went blank.

What was this, a demo version of the Round Table?