Chapter 76 - Ghost Busters (5)

The secret Public Security division reporting directly to Raphdonia's royal family.

“What? He came back beaten to a bloody pulp?”

The man let out an incredulous laugh at his subordinate's report. He did not even know where to begin venting his anger.

“Tell me this first. Why did he approach the target? My orders were to tail him, nothing more.”

“... I believe he acted on his own initiative in the field.”

“You believe? Are you playing games with me? Give me a straight answer.”

“He says he thought identifying a barbarian who had only been exploring for three months would be easy.”

The man heaved a deep sigh.

It was not entirely incomprehensible. Most evil spirits who had been here for less than a year were hopelessly naive. Merely sidling up to them and pretending to share their predicament was enough to make more than half confess their identity. Even among the remaining half, most gave themselves away through their expressions.

“And he says there was no such reaction?”

“Yes. Apparently, the barbarian frowned as soon as he heard him, then angrily demanded that he stop using difficult words and speak plainly. It may be quicker for you to see for yourself.”

The subordinate took a button from his pocket—a specially made video-recording orb. When he held it against the crystal ball on the desk, the events at the scene played back.

The man replayed the recording over and over, closely studying the changes in the barbarian's expression, his eyes, and the movement of his facial muscles.

[“America? Taiwan? Europe? Where are you from?”]

The fool responsible for this blunder had certainly approached far too carelessly...

Even so, this reaction was decidedly unusual.

[“What are you talking about? Stop using difficult words and speak plainly.”]

The answer came without so much as a breath's delay.

An ordinary evil spirit would grow flustered and rack their brain trying to work out who they were dealing with. But what had this barbarian done?

[“Wow, you almost fooled me. You're really good at acting. Didn't you get here three months ago?”]

[“Acting? Didn't I tell you not to use difficult words?”]

His vocabulary and manner of speech.

[“Then let me ask you something simple. Are you an evil spirit?”]

[“What's the point of hiding it now? Yes, I am. So...”]

His thinking and his questions.

[“Enough. You need say no more.”]

[“What? What do you mean—”]

[“The chieftain told me. Kill every evil spirit you see.”]

And his response.

Every part of it was distinctly different from the evil spirits they had encountered before. No, it actually matched the particular reactions seen only in those who were not evil spirits.

“Even those unwilling to reveal their identity usually choose to evade the issue in that situation.”

But what had this barbarian done?

The instant he made his decision, he confronted the situation head-on. Without the slightest hesitation—just as a barbarian would.

After a moment's consideration, the man reached his final conclusion.

“He certainly doesn't seem to be an evil spirit.”

Bjorn Jandel.

Just as that name had caught their attention, the evil spirits would have taken an interest in him as well. But he had only gained his renown a few days ago.

‘The “gathering” hasn't even been held yet. Given the timing, he couldn't have heard about our methods...’

All the circumstances pointed to him not being an evil spirit. For that matter, it was doubtful whether he could have reacted that way even if he had known about the secret Public Security division.

Above all, the reported incident at the Guild had made an impression.

Accused of a crime he had not committed and facing death, he had apparently broken out of jail and run amok. No matter how he looked at it, that was not something those evil spirits, so fond of putting on refined airs, would do.

A barbarian with no regard for anything was another matter.

Therefore—

“Bjorn Jandel is cleared of suspicion.”

The man stamped the report in blue, placed it in a file, and put it in the cabinet. Watching him, his subordinate breathed a sigh of relief.

“... That's a relief.”

“Yes, it is. Had he come back beaten to a bloody pulp by an evil spirit, I would have killed him myself.”

“Then what disciplinary action will you take?”

“He approached the target without authorization during a surveillance mission. Suspend him for three months, dock his pay for the following twelve, and postpone his promotion review until next year.”

“I'll pass that along.”

After his subordinate left the office, the man sat alone, lost in thought for a while.

‘He earned an epithet in his third month without being an evil spirit...’

Regardless of this incident, he seemed well worth keeping a close eye on.

‘Was he truly born with a hero's destiny? The count might take a liking to him.’

This city was always short of talent.

* * *

「The character's Fame has increased by +1.」

「The character's Fame has increased by +1...」

「...」

* * *

‘Morning already...?’

I had spent the entire night wide awake because of the letter I had found last night.

Was its content genuine or not?

After turning it over in my mind until sunrise, I sighed.

‘It does seem genuine, at least...’

But that was only a gut feeling. I couldn't be certain.

So as soon as day broke, I gave myself a quick wash and went outside. First, I intended to find out about this pill.

Of course, there was every chance this was another evil spirit hunter trick...

‘No, that's all the more reason to let them see me investigating it.’

Think about it from a local's perspective. Someone had broken into my room and left a pill and a letter written in unreadable characters. Naturally, I would want to know what they were.

To a local, that would be creepy as fuck.

“You hadn't come by for days, so I thought you'd forgotten our arrangement. Apparently not?”

That was why I visited the Magic Tower. I figured a mage, one of this world's intellectuals, might know something.

And she did know about it. Far more than I had expected.

“Oh, you received that pill? I guess you really have made a name for yourself.”

That was Raven's reaction when I showed her the letter and pill.

“A name for myself?”

“Yes. So you don't need to worry too much. I've heard everyone gets one once they become even a little famous.”

Raven looked at the letter and clicked her tongue regretfully.

“Still, it's a shame. I wish you'd come to me right away.”

For the record, the letter was blank. Perhaps some sort of magic had been applied to it, because the writing had vanished less than ten minutes after I finished reading it.

“Aren't you curious too, Mr. Jandel? What on earth did the evil spirits write in the letter they sent you?”

“Evil spirits?”

“Oh, I hadn't told you that part. An evil spirit wrote that letter.”

“I did not even know it was a letter. You really are impressive.”

When I casually slipped in a compliment, Raven gave her characteristic little nasal hum. Then she launched into her usual oversharing mode.

“Well, of course you wouldn't. This isn't something ordinary people know about. Could you hand me that pill?”

“Here.”

“Do you know what this pill is?”

“No.”

“It was made by an extremely skilled mage. One with tremendous knowledge of mental magic, dimensional magic, and alchemy, at that.”

“So what is the pill?”

In response to my brief question, she gave a lengthy preamble about how numerous mages had worked to decipher its formula, before finally getting to the point.

“Taking this pill allows you to enter a specific spiritual world.”

“A spiritual world?”

“Oh, was that a little too difficult? It's easier to think of it as a kind of alternate dimension. Your body remains asleep, while only your mind travels somewhere else.”

Raven continued her explanation. In summary, it went like this:

1. Taking the pill summons you to a specific spiritual world at midnight on the fifteenth of every month.

2. The evil spirits are probably exchanging information there among themselves.

3. Many people had therefore taken the pill to infiltrate it, but were found dead the following morning, having coughed up blood.

I flinched at that part.

“They were found dead?”

“Yes. So don't ever take it out of curiosity, Mr. Jandel.”

“Wait. Is it not simply poison?”

“Oh, come on. What do you take us mages for? I swear there are no such ingredients or formulas in this pill.”

“Then what about those who died?”

“Well, there are many theories about that... The leading one is that they have a way to distinguish people who aren't evil spirits. The soul is separated from the body, causing the body to die.”

“... A dangerous pill.”

I meant that sincerely. Didn't that mean the moment I swallowed it, my life would be in that bastard's hands?

Sure, I now more or less believed that whoever sent the pill was a Player... But I had no information about what sort of person that Player was.

“Anyway, it definitely isn't poison. It's not in the official records, but I've heard that a captured evil spirit testified about this gathering. That means it isn't a poison that kills everyone who takes it.”

“I see.”

“Oh, and there's one other unusual detail. Apparently, they take on the appearance of their souls there, so you can't tell who they actually are at all.”

Now that was welcome news. It also answered most of my questions.

Was this why connections mattered? Without knowing a mage, I would never have heard any of this anywhere.

Still, I asked one last question.

“Is there any way to identify someone who has taken this pill?”

“Absolutely not. If there were, we'd have caught all the evil spirits.”

I see.

Now I understood why the sender had been so confident that anonymity was strictly guaranteed in the community.

“On that note, could I study this pill?”

“I do not mind if it counts as today's session.”

“How petty, after I answered all your questions. Forget it. It's not as though I'd discover anything more by studying it anyway. Now, if we're done chatting, sit down here.”

I sat in the chair as instructed. I didn't bother asking whether it was an execution device designed to crush people's skulls.

“Then let's begin.”

“... Make it quick.”

Because by now, I knew.

BZZZZZZT!!

This chair was a magical device built for drawing blood.

* * *

The day's research ended at around four in the afternoon. That meant I wouldn't have to bother coming to the Magic Tower and wasting my time until next week.

“Oh, so that's the man everyone's been talking about lately?”

“I hear Master Hernecyon was the one who coined the epithet Little Valcan...”

“Someone so exacting thought that highly of a barbarian? How extraordinary.”

As I left Raven's private laboratory, I saw mages gathered in the lobby. They were all looking at me.

Was this the power of fame?

‘Last time, they treated me like some experimental material lying around...’

It really brought home how much my reputation had grown—

“He absorbed an Orc Hero's Essence, didn't he?”

“Allu says he even has a Vampire's Guardian Essence.”

“Indeed... this is quite rare.”

They weren't looking at ordinary experimental material, but exceedingly precious experimental material.

Of course. Why would these bastards give a damn about an explorer's fame?

“You there! Could you come over here for a moment?”

“I am busy.”

“No, it'll only take a moment—”

“I am hungry. I cannot.”

I all but fled the Magic Tower, pushing through stares several times more uncomfortable than usual.

‘It's an awkward time to visit the library. I'll just head back and rest.’

I took about an hour to return to the inn, sorting through my thoughts along the way, then collapsed onto the bed. Taking out the pill, I studied it closely.

My thoughts deepened as though my mind were sinking inward.

‘A community that guarantees anonymity...’

The biggest reason I had avoided contact with other Players was the risk. Once even one other person knew, it would no longer be a secret.

But from what Raven had said, this place sounded no different from a virtual space on the web.

Well, before, I had wondered what good contacting other Players would do me anyway... But now my thinking had changed a little.

‘Those people would certainly know more than I do.’

I wasn't talking about hidden pieces or secret information within the game. If someone else knew something like that, there was no way I wouldn't know it too.

But this was another world, not a game built on decimal numbers. With the risk of exposing my identity reduced, the advantages stood out more than before.

‘I'll have to see it myself to know for sure, but getting information a step ahead wouldn't be bad.’

For instance, what methods the evil spirit hunters used, or whether the Explorer Guild had created new rules and was testing them out.

Joining the community would give me easier access to that sort of up-to-date news. In short, I would gain a secret source of information.

‘I'm not getting my hopes up, but they might even know a way home.’

After staring at the pill and deliberating for a long time, I made my decision.

‘Taking it would be the better choice after all.’

That was the conclusion I reached after carefully weighing the risks I would bear against the returns I could gain.

That didn't mean I intended to take it right away. I needed time to check for other risks, and besides...

‘No matter how well they guarantee anonymity, someone sent the invitation.’

Think about it. What if invitations were sent to three people, and all three joined the community?

The sender would be able to deduce who those three were and what they really were.

‘If I'm going to take it, waiting at least three to six months would be safer.’

Of course, if the community didn't operate the way I imagined, all these assumptions would be meaningless.

But...

‘It's not as though I urgently need information right now.’

I would take my time and wait patiently. Just as I always had.

Better safe than sorry, as the saying went.

* * *

A laboratory on one of the Magic Tower's upper floors.

[00 : 01]

The moment the clock's minute hand passes midnight, a man reclining in a chair opens his eyes. He immediately rises and contacts someone through a crystal ball.

“SoulQueen, did we get any new members this time?”

He tried to hide it, but the anticipation and excitement in his voice were plain to hear. Before long, however, deep disappointment crossed his face.

[“There weren't any.”]

“Whew. Then I suppose he really isn't a Player.”

[“That's very likely. So what will you do about the letters we didn't send out this round?”]

The man considered it for a moment.

Originally, seven letters should have been sent before this gathering. This time, however, one had been sent to only a single person. There was something he wanted to verify.

But...

“We shouldn't delay things any further just because of my unreasonable insistence. Could you send the remaining letters out in sequence before the next gathering?”

[“Yes, I'll pass that along.”]

Their brief conversation ended there. Silence once again filled the laboratory.

“I had such hopes when I heard he'd chosen a shield at his coming-of-age ceremony.”

The man exhaled and murmured to himself.

“He wasn't the one, either.”

At this point, he was beginning to wonder whether the rumor circulating among the Players might have been true. His devotion as a fan had kept him denying it all this time, but...

‘Really, the idea that someone could have organized all that vast data alone was absurd to begin with...’

Did the person he revered truly exist? Or had he merely been someone from the game company, as so many suspected?

It had already been twenty years since the man opened his eyes in this unfamiliar world.

Cracks were slowly beginning to form in his faith.