Chapter 310 - Round Table (4)

The Witch of Earth is alive.

I had several reasons for recycling that information. The first was that it let me screw over Auriel Gabis, who had been eagerly waiting to hear what information I would offer.

Like so.

“Hah...”

Apparently at a loss for words, the old geezer merely groaned, his eyes filled with disbelief. The sight warmed my heart.

Not that this was my only reason for bringing it up.

Which brought me to reason number two.

This was pretty useful information. My source? Myself. After all, just how shocked had I been when I first heard it? With a little exaggeration, it had nearly scared the life out of me, though unlike these people, I hadn't let it show.

Simply put, it was perfect for making myself look important.

I slowly swept my gaze over the other members, studying their reactions.

They were all the same. At first, their faces said, What? What's he talking about? Then, belatedly grasping the meaning, they all turned toward a single spot: the center of the Round Table, where the jewel lay.

Toward the place that would hold the truth.

“It's green.”

The jewel soon lit up green.

“Then that means he's telling the truth...”

“At the very least, he believes it to be true.”

I smirked as the members gasped in amazement.

Good. That should establish my credentials.

'Anyway, so he hasn't told them things like this?'

That was the third benefit.

Posing this question let me gauge how much information Auriel Gabis had shared with these members. If he were close enough with them to freely share valuable information like this, the jewel wouldn't have lit up that way.

'Well, I more or less expected as much when I found out he hadn't even told them his name.'

Oh, and there was a fourth reason, too.

It let me share this information with the members. After all, the game had never even mentioned that the Witch of Earth was alive. My interpretation was that the old geezer who made the game had deliberately tried to conceal that fact.

And so...

'Yep. Nothing beats exposing something someone's trying to hide.'

What I had just done was as good as poisoning this group. I didn't yet know how potent that poison would be—whether it would prove lethal or merely cause a brief tingle...

'But judging by his face, like he's chewing on shit, I'd call it a success.'

The four veterans attending this gathering now knew a secret Auriel Gabis had wanted to conceal.

It was bound to trigger some sort of chain reaction down the line.

One Auriel Gabis wouldn't want.

“To think the Witch of Earth was alive. I shall have to research that subject as well.”

“The royal family must have known and concealed it. Perhaps this could prove to be their sore spot.”

The childlike Scholar of Destruction mulled over my words with scholarly eagerness in his eyes, while the Commander of Orculus's eyes shone like those of a warrior who had acquired a fine sword.

And then...

“If the witch really is alive... where is she now?”

The woman repeated the very question I had asked Auriel Gabis.

And here she looked so bright, too.

“What's your name?”

At my question, the woman in the lavish dress frowned. Then she spoke quietly.

“... Ravi.”

Ravi.

I couldn't even tell whether it was her first or last name. In fact, I wasn't sure it was her real name at all.

Tsk. I'd been planning to look her up later.

“But why do you ask?”

The reason was obvious. She was the only person here whose name I didn't know. Of course, I couldn't tell her that.

“Because you asked a foolish question.”

“...?”

“Do I have any reason to answer you?”

It would have been ridiculous to address them politely when I spoke so casually even to Master, so I simply treated them as my inferiors.

Had that stung a little?

“...”

Ravi glared at me, nibbling her lip.

With a year of experience as Mr. Lion under my belt, I judged this the perfect moment to offer a carrot.

“However.”

“...?”

“If you tell me something interesting, I might answer your question.”

Ravi faltered at my arrogant words, then nodded as though she understood. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she opened them again and looked at me.

“You want us to prove ourselves, too. Fine.”

A competitive gleam flickered in her almost glaring eyes.

I'd expected something along those lines. After all, these were handpicked elites Master had gathered. How proud must they be? Of course they'd be furious to hear this sort of thing from some mysterious man they'd only just met.

“...”

And she wasn't the only one. The other members looked a little provoked by my words, too.

Okay, that should be enough bait...

'Hm?'

Suddenly sensing someone's gaze, I turned to find Auriel Gabis staring fixedly at me.

With a look that said, Just what the fuck is this guy?

* * *

The meeting proceeded clockwise, starting with me.

Well, to put it simply...

“My turn now, I take it?”

The old geezer seated to my left went second.

Naturally, I pricked up my ears. He had to offer information that half this room full of veterans didn't know. Surely it would be something useful—

“Then let me begin.”

Auriel Gabis offered his information.

“Miss Ravi, the Witch of Earth is where everyone's wishes lead.”

Ha. This crafty old geezer.

I'd been planning to use that on my next turn.

'Well, he probably anticipated that. That's why he said it first.'

Having seen me use Information Recycling, he must have decided he needed to eliminate that option before he could see the real cards in my hand.

The jewel flooded with light—green, of course.

As if following custom, the members each murmured their impressions.

“Where wishes lead...”

“Could that mean the Labyrinth, then?”

“That is one possible interpretation, but in a sense, it could also mean beyond the walls.”

Hmm. So it didn't point to anything specific for them, either.

“Now, now. We can discuss this later. For the moment, let's keep going.”

With Auriel Gabis moderating, the discussion wound down and the gathering resumed.

The middle-aged man was next.

His name was...

'Kagureas.'

Right, that was it. Amelia had said she'd never heard that name, either.

Maybe it was an alias.

“Haha. This is my first time doing something like this, so I'm not quite sure what to say.”

“Relax. Someone like you must have something. An important piece of information others are unlikely to know.”

“Well, yes, but...”

Kagureas, a rugged, muscular middle-aged man, glanced around at us as though wondering whether he could reveal it here, then sighed.

“With Master here, I can't just offer some trifling detail and be done with it. I'll simply say it.”

“Go ahead.”

“There is a portal beneath the royal palace.”

Excuse me...?

When the green light came on, questions burst from everyone except Auriel Gabis.

“A portal? Does it connect to the Labyrinth?”

His turn had already passed, so he had no reason to answer, but Kagureas shrugged and answered anyway.

“I only found out by chance, so I don't know much, but I don't think it connects to the Labyrinth.”

“This is... extremely interesting.”

“Then where in the world might that portal lead...?”

As the Scholar of Destruction murmured in a manner far older than his apparent years, the four participants' gazes naturally shifted.

Toward me and Auriel Gabis.

“...”

“...”

They all kept their mouths firmly shut, but the hope in their eyes was unmistakable.

Surely you two know?

Eyes full of questions, yearning for answers. A look I'd encountered countless times as Mr. Lion.

“... Heh heh.”

Auriel Gabis merely chuckled.

And I...

“...”

Stayed silent without so much as twitching, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Experience had taught me over and over that doing this was more than half the battle.

Its name: Male Lion Style.

Second Form: Stay Still.

Of course, even while employing the Second Form, I was hard at work sorting through my thoughts.

'A secret involving the royal palace... Maybe he belongs to a faction aligned with the royal family.'

Kagureas.

Just who was this man?

Unlike the Commander or the Scholar of Destruction, I knew absolutely nothing about him, which only made me more curious.

But perhaps someone disliked letting the silence drag on pointlessly.

“Then it is my turn.”

Having opened with that, the Scholar of Destruction offered his information without dragging things out.

“Life force is the principle behind the Labyrinth's cycle.”

A question mark immediately appeared in my mind.

And perhaps I wasn't alone.

“... Lord Luingenes, could you explain that a little more simply? Unlike you, we know nothing about magic.”

“More simply? Very well.”

At Kagureas's request, the Scholar of Destruction elaborated.

“Contrary to popular belief, the Labyrinth is not sustained by mana. For it to continue its cycle as it does now, it requires a resource.”

To me, it sounded like an alien language.

But did this Ravi woman know something about magic, too?

“... And you're saying that resource is life force.”

As she spoke in a tone of understanding, the Scholar of Destruction nodded.

“But what of it? I doubt anyone here is curious about how the Labyrinth works.”

Kagureas sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

Honestly, I felt much the same. After all, what use was knowing that—

“Tsk. How tiresome.”

When the Scholar of Destruction clicked his tongue, Kagureas clamped his mouth shut.

It amounted to a muscular man treading carefully around a little kid, but seeing it in person, it wasn't hard to understand.

Despite his childlike appearance, the Scholar of Destruction radiated an air that made him difficult to cross.

“May I explain in your place?”

“As you wish.”

Ravi spoke on behalf of the Scholar of Destruction, who seemed a little sulky.

“The fact that life force is the raw material for magic crystals means the Labyrinth is sustained by life force. If I've understood correctly... it turns everything on its head.”

“What do you mean?”

“It isn't that discovering the Labyrinth allowed humanity to rebuild and this city to survive.”

Ravi continued.

“The Labyrinth has been able to survive because this city exists.”

It felt as though I'd been struck in the back of the head.

No, wait...

Seriously? If what she said was true, then...

“... The explorers who died in the Labyrinth were essentially fuel. And the royal family must have known that, too.”

Perhaps thinking along the same lines, the Commander voiced the conclusion I'd just reached.

And...

“Well, that's how I understand it.”

Ravi shrugged and glanced at the Scholar of Destruction.

“At the very least, there is no doubt that life force is the resource sustaining the Labyrinth's cycle. Suspicion toward the royal family would be a reasonable inference from that.”

“I-I see...”

“Now, will that suffice? I should think it at least as valuable as some vague information about an unidentified portal beneath the royal family's palace.”

At the Scholar of Destruction's pointed remark, Kagureas smiled awkwardly.

“Haha, don't be angry. People like me can't understand a thing unless you explain it all.”

... Was this guy a barbarian, by any chance?

Something about the way he spoke felt familiar, but that was far too great a leap to make about his race.

Explorers of his sort were a dime a dozen.

“Miss Ravi's turn now, then?”

At Auriel Gabis's words, all eyes turned to the woman.

I was looking forward to it a little myself. Not only had the previous two pieces of information been extremely interesting, but this woman had also taken my provocation head-on.

Even if she couldn't put me in my place, she'd want to prove she was at least on a similar level.

“It is my turn.”

At last, she spoke.

And offered a piece of information I hadn't anticipated at all.

“The primordial dragon is dead. You may not have known, but it happened more than ten years ago.”

I was dumbfounded.

She'd looked so grave that I'd expected some incredible revelation.

'That's it?'

I nearly snorted, but the jewel shone green.

Auriel Gabis would obviously have known, so that meant the other three were hearing this for the first time.

“... I see. No wonder the Draconic human tribe has been so quiet lately.”

“So that was what happened.”

“To think he died after surviving the age of immortals. What a pity.”

The three nodded in understanding, as though they'd heard a rare piece of hidden history.

Their reaction initially felt strange, but on reflection, it made sense.

The fact that the Dragonslayer, Ligar Vagos, had killed the primordial dragon and stolen his people's treasured sword had only become known after a new primordial dragon was chosen.

'Which was around this time, then...?'

I hadn't studied history, so I couldn't remember the exact year, but I thought that was right.

'Still, I never imagined they'd kept it so tightly under wraps that even these people didn't know.'

I smacked my lips in disappointment.

Had she missed that reaction?

“Well? Would you consider that an interesting story?”

“Hard to say.”

I didn't understand why they were reacting that way to the death of the Draconic human tribe's chieftain in the first place. Nor could I understand why she was acting so proud of it.

Weren't the previous pieces of information clearly far more valuable?

So I simply spoke honestly.

“I don't find it particularly valuable.”

“... I find that hard to accept.”

Ravi glared at me, her pride seemingly wounded. There was a trace of suspicion in her eyes, too.

She probably wondered whether I was putting on an act just to belittle her.

'Come on. If you're going to act so smug, bring something more interesting.'

If only for the sake of getting quality information, I needed to take her down a peg here.

And so...

'Time to bring out the Third Form?'

Idly tapping my chair, I spoke.

“It isn't my turn yet, but I'll offer another piece in advance.”

“What do you mean—”

Now, now. How dare you interrupt Mr. Lion while he's speaking?

If I played this right, I might get to pass my turn for free, so I continued in one breath without giving her room to interrupt.

“The one who killed the primordial dragon is a dragonkin named Ligar Vagos.”

“... Huh?”

The woman, who had been about to protest, stopped short with a start.

Then, after a brief pause, light washed over the jewel.

It was green.

“...”

“...”

A silence all too familiar to me.

In that silence, I looked at Ravi and spoke, as though kindly explaining something to an insect crawling on the ground.

“Well? Do you accept it now?”

Its name: Male Lion Style.

Third Form: Contempt for the Weak.