Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 367, 368, 369

   

C367, 368, 369

Chapter 367: Responsibility (5)

Episode 367: Responsibility (5)

She was almost 2 meters tall.

But thanks to her good proportions and slim muscles, she didn't look bulky.

However...

'It feels strange to be looking up at her.'

She must have removed the Bone Knight essence.

Ainar's current appearance felt unfamiliar.

I had only seen her smaller form for the past few months.

Well, I did have some memories of her original form...

'...But she looked much younger back then.'

She had matured significantly.

Well, maybe it wasn't just her appearance, but her aura?

"Haha! It happens, people doze off while reading. Are you discriminating against me because I'm a barbarian?"

"I... I'm not! I, I really—"

"Just kidding! Just kidding! I promise I won't do it again, so please forgive me. Okay?"

Her hearty laughter and confident tone were impressive. She knew how to use her barbarian traits to her advantage, creating a friendly yet persuasive atmosphere.

I was honestly impressed.

She had learned how to use her barbarian charm.

"...Alright."

The librarian reluctantly agreed, and Ainar, true to her word, started reading again.

'She can even read now?'

I felt a surge of pride.

I kept glancing at her, pretending to read my own book, and then...

"Hmm..."

Ainar frowned.

She seemed to be struggling with a certain word.

But even here, Ainar's growth was evident.

"Hey, buddy!"

She called out to me without hesitation.

"...Are you talking to me?"

"Haha, what a strange fellow! Is there anyone else here? Can you come over and read this for me?"

Wow, she even called me 'buddy' and asked for help.

Did she see me as a fellow barbarian?

"Don't be scared! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"...I'm not scared. I'm just surprised. I heard barbarians hate humans."

"That's just a stereotype! Well, I used to think that way too, but I realized there's no reason to hate them."

Hmm, it seemed like she didn't mistake me for a barbarian.

And she didn't seem to recognize me as Bjorn Yandel either.

I moved to her table.

"I'm reading this, but I don't understand this word. Can you tell me what it means?"

"This is... 'logistics'. It's a military term for managing and supplying resources."

"Logistics? What's that? Sounds delicious."

Wait, she can't even read this word, but she's reading a military strategy book?

I was dumbfounded, but I answered her question.

I then glanced at the other books she had piled up.

There were various books besides military strategy.

Most of them were about history.

'...She's reading these?'

"Anyway, thanks! Now I can finish reading this!"

Ainar thanked me and returned to her book.

I went back to my own table.

And after a while...

I couldn't hold back my curiosity.

"Why are you reading those books?"

"Huh? Are you picking a fight with me?"

"No, I'm just..."

"Haha! Don't worry! I know I'm a bit different!"

Wow, she's good at controlling the conversation.

Ainar laughed heartily and then continued in a serious tone.

"The warrior I respected the most loved reading books."

"..."

"Well, I can't even compare to him... But someone has to do it."

Her voice was tinged with sadness.

I remembered what Erwen and Raven had told me about Ainar.

'She declared that she would become chieftain after I died.'

It was a bold declaration, made in front of her grieving tribe.

At first, they were skeptical, but as time passed, they started to accept her.

She was practically the next chieftain now.

"But... it's a bit disappointing..."

Ainar suddenly looked at me and clicked her tongue.

"...What do you mean?"

"You would have been quite handsome if you were a barbarian."

"...Really?"

"Anyway, it's fate that we met, so let's introduce ourselves properly. I'm Ainar, Frenelin's second daughter. You?"

"Lihen Schuitz."

I told her my alias, and Ainar repeated it as if memorizing it.

Then she handed me a few books.

"Here, take these."

"Why... are you giving me these?"

"It's a gift for becoming friends."

Seriously, who gives library books as a gift?

I couldn't even take them out of the library.

"...Thank you."

I awkwardly thanked her, and Ainar chuckled.

"You're welcome. It's what a superior species should do."

"...Superior species?"

"Ah, that's a bit of a difficult word, isn't it? You wouldn't understand as a human..."

Ainar looked around and then whispered to me.

"Barbarians are actually the most superior species in this world."

"...Huh?"

"Read those books. Then you'll understand if I'm telling the truth."

I looked at the titles of the books she had given me.

[The Secret of the Heart, The Selfish Superior Gene]

[Barbarian III - Why Did the Mages Covet Their Hearts?]

[Seven Reasons Why You Shouldn't Antagonize Barbarians, Learned from the Sacred Relic War]

...They were all about barbarians.

__________________

"Aren't you reading?"

"...I am."

Ainar kept glancing at me, so I had no choice but to read the books.

I was a bit curious, too.

Maybe the content was actually normal, despite the titles...

'...No way.'

The author was unknown, but the content was all the same.

It was all about how amazing barbarians were.

What was the author thinking?

The author clearly wasn't a barbarian. And no one in their right mind would publish a book like this for barbarians.

Thud.

I gave up trying to understand and closed the book.

Ainar looked at me, her eyes sparkling.

"How was it? Good book, right?"

"...It was certainly interesting."

"Hehe, don't be too discouraged. Humans aren't that inferior. It's just that we're special."

"..."

"Did you know that the illiteracy rate among barbarians is 99 times higher than that of humans? But even so, we've managed to maintain and pass down our traditions for thousands of years. No other race has done that."

"..."

"Ah, and also, do you know why barbarians can't float in water? It's because our soul density is much higher than that of other races."

"...Do you even know what 'density' means?"

"...Ahem, there's a reason why only barbarians can get the Spirit Engraving!"

She didn't.

"It's because we have the purest and cleanest souls..."

I stood up.

"...Huh? Where are you going? We just started talking."

"Sorry, but I just remembered something I have to do. I'll see you around."

"...Okay? If you have to go, then I can't stop you. Bye."

I was happy to see Ainar, but I couldn't stay any longer.

If I did, I would have to listen to her talk about barbarians all day.

'I'll be safe here.'

I moved to a secluded corner and started reading a new book.

This time, it was about current events.

There were quite a few books that compiled newspaper articles from the past year.

'So these are the policies the royal family implemented to support low-level explorers.'

I was reading through the book, gathering information, when my hand suddenly froze.

I saw a familiar name in an article from a year ago.

[Nail Urbanes, 7th District Guild Master, Resigns Due to Personal Reasons, Not Political Disputes.]

That guy retired?

I was intrigued and continued reading.

[Nail Urbanes, who was actively involved in guild affairs and even considered running for Guild Master just two years ago, suddenly resigned. Those who knew him speculated that his daughter's death a year ago had a profound impact on his decision.]

His daughter's death a year ago?

"...Was she his only daughter?"

I didn't know.

We weren't close.

'Well, I should at least check.'

I found a book with articles from a year ago and started searching.

And I soon found what I was looking for.

[Julian Urbanes, Eldest Daughter of the Urbanes Family, Announces Engagement to Alminus Trading Company Executive.]

First, there was an engagement announcement.

And then...

[Julian Urbanes Dies on Her Wedding Night.]

Three months later, there was a death announcement.

The cause of death was a fall.

She had fallen from the 3rd-floor terrace, headfirst, while drunk.

[Nail Urbanes Insists It Was an Accidental Fall, Not Suicide, After Receiving Compensation Claim.]

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

We weren't close, but I knew her circumstances.

I couldn't help but feel responsible.

'I shouldn't have looked into it...'

__________________

One day, two days, three days, four days...

Time flew by in the city.

Well, there were a lot of things to do at the beginning of the month.

Exchanging vouchers for money, selling equipment, and so on.

And then it was time for the payout.

"This is more than enough to pay off the debt."

"Th-then we don't have to sell the house?!"

"That's what I was going to talk about. I'm thinking about postponing the repayment."

"W-why...?"

There was still plenty of time until the due date.

And I had to invest this money first.

"Ah... if, if you say so... I, I can't stop you... But why are you going to use that much money...?"

"I'm going to buy a ship."

"...A ship?"

Erwen was confused, but Amelia seemed to understand.

"That's a good idea. If you're not going to participate in the war anymore, it would be convenient to have a ship."

"Exactly. I'm planning to explore the 6th floor next time."

I had joined the war as a mercenary, but we had already earned enough money to buy Vol-Herchan's essence.

There was no reason to keep fighting.

We would make a lot of money, but I had other priorities.

"Explore the 6th floor? Where are you going?"

"The Submerged Island."

"...Submerged Island? Was there an island with that name on the 6th floor?"

Even Amelia didn't seem to know about it.

Well, Raven would definitely know, but...

Anyway, I briefly explained the characteristics of the Submerged Island, and both Erwen and Amelia seemed to have heard of it.

"An island hidden beneath the sea... Ah, I think I heard about it."

"I think my sister told me about it!"

"But can we even go there with just the three of us? We don't have a navigator."

"That's why we're looking for one now."

"...Looks like we'll be busy again."

Thankfully, they agreed to my exploration plan without any objections.

And from the next day, we started searching for a ship and a navigator.

Time flew by...

"Where's Erwen?"

"She's sleeping."

"Really? You didn't have to come."

"...I came just in case. If you don't like it, I won't come next time."

Uh, I didn't say I didn't like it...

"Ahem, thank you for coming."

"...How is that a thank you?"

Well, if you think so...

I chuckled and checked the clock on the desk.

And then...

"I'll be going then."

"Okay."

As soon as I closed my eyes, the world was engulfed in a white light.

「Character's soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」

Okay, let's turn on the computer first.

------------------------------------

Chapter 368: Black Star (1)

Click, click.

I checked the chat rooms first, using the mouse.

It was one of the first things I always did when I logged into the community.

[Long Live Korean Independence] - 0 users online.

The Korean chat room where I first met Lee Baekho.

As expected, there was no one there.

‘Well, it would be nice to meet him and talk, but…’

I moved to the free forum. The forums were usually flooded with posts after the community opened.

It was the best time to catch up on the events of the past month.

[Breaking News: Viscount Lamreond Dies During Expedition]

-I heard the captain of Orculus took him down with four others.

-They’re saying the Chief of Staff, who was acting commander during the expedition, is the most likely candidate to take over the vacant position.

[these99: The weakness of [Wall of Thousand Gold] has been revealed, so the rear isn’t a safe haven anymore.]

[└SecureId7: It’s still a safe haven. They barely lost anyone. The only difference is that there will be more patrol teams.]

[stevencastle: Wait, isn’t the Chief of Staff that Eltora Terserion guy?]

[└OP: Yeah, the Prime Minister’s son.]

[└stevencastle: Damn it, I’m never going to the 3rd Corps. I’ve never had a good experience with that guy.]

As expected, the forums were mostly filled with posts about the war.

[Anyone heard about the Blood Spirit Marquis?]

-She killed that Lighthouse Keeper guy from Orculus, is it true? I heard the Blood Knight, the Corpse Collector, and the Wailing Witch were also there.

[marcelone: It’s confirmed information. It wasn’t a solo kill, she worked with the Golden Mage.]

[└OP: Wow, really? They used to be companions, I guess they’re not on bad terms.]

[marcelone: There are a lot of speculations because the enemy was so strong. It doesn’t make sense for even the Blood Spirit Marquis to have killed the Lighthouse Keeper, who was a support class, against those opponents.]

Damn it, there are people who are suspicious.

If there were doubts even here, then there might be an investigation going on outside.

Click, click.

I continued reading the posts.

And after some time…

Ding!

I received a message.

[Sender: Ghost master.]

The sender was ‘Ghost master’, the GM’s nickname, but I wasn’t surprised.

System messages and announcements were usually sent under that name.

90% of the messages in my inbox were from the GM.

But…

‘I can’t help but feel nervous.’

I clicked on the message, knowing it was inevitable.

And as expected…

[I apologize for the late reply, things were a bit hectic last time. Let’s meet if you’re free.]

…I had received an invitation from the GM.

_____________________

It wasn’t surprising.

I had expected him to contact me.

It was actually stranger that he waited this long.

‘Honestly, I thought he would contact me immediately after the last session.’

I had revealed his identity at the Round Table.

And SoulQueens would have told him.

‘But he waited until the next session…?’

There were two possibilities.

He wanted to meet me after carefully considering the situation.

Or he wasn’t in a position to receive messages while the community was active.

Well, it wasn’t important.

‘So what should I do…?’

I contemplated, staring at the message.

I didn’t think the GM would ban me even if I refused his invitation. After all, I had acted like a big shot while wearing the Lion mask.

He wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of me, especially since he almost died after banning Lee Baekho.

‘…Let’s just meet him.’

I closed the message window and entered the secret chat room’s password.

‘0720? Is it some kind of anniversary?’

I had a thought, but it wasn’t something I had to worry about.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The monitor flashed, and I opened my eyes.

I was in a luxuriously decorated study.

“…….”

The faint scent of books.

It was a familiar place.

I had been here once.

It was when the rumors about dimensional collapse were spreading. I had come here to get information from a man.

[Elfnunalove]

The man with that strange nickname.

I didn’t know he was the GM back then.

Well, it must be the same for him.

“It’s been a while, Elf Noona. Or should I call you Lion?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I ignored his probing question and sat down on the sofa across from him.

He smiled fakely.

“Your tone has changed a lot. Or is this your true self?”

I ignored him again.

“…….”

“You’ve become quite taciturn.”

“…….”

“Then I’ll ask you directly. I don’t believe in fate. What do you want from me?”

What I want…

“Why do you think I want something from you?”

“Your first meeting with me might have been a coincidence, but the second one definitely wasn’t.”

Right, that’s how he interpreted it.

It really was a coincidence.

“You were the one who invited me to the chat room.”

“Yes, I did. But looking back, it was strange. You specifically asked about the Tarutein School and the mage, Shanel Pergang, in your post.”

“…….”

“I can’t help but think that you were trying to lure me in. You deliberately posted something I would be interested in.”

This guy is funny.

What would I even gain from that?

“It’s a bit creepy, now that I think about it. You knew that much about me.”

It was a ridiculous leap in logic, but I didn’t bother refuting him.

“…You didn’t call me here to talk about this.”

“Are you avoiding the question?”

Avoid?

Damn it, I can’t tell him the truth.

“Think what you want.”

“I will.”

“So why did you call me here?”

I firmly took control of the conversation.

He chuckled and answered.

“That’s a strange question. You’re the one who called me.”

Huh? What is he talking about?

“…….”

I remained silent, confused, and he continued.

“I don’t know how you found out my real name. But you told SoulQueens my name because you wanted to meet me, didn’t you?”

Uh…

This is embarrassing.

I was lost in thought.

But as always, I didn’t hesitate.

“Indeed.”

If that’s how it’s going to be…

“You’re not an idiot.”

…let’s change the strategy.

____________________

“…What do you mean…?”

He looked at me, his voice trailing off.

I shrugged.

“……!”

He was also testing me.

He was clearly trying to get information by asking me questions.

If I agreed, it would be a fact check for him, and if I disagreed, he could eliminate one possibility.

He wouldn’t lose anything even if he was wrong.

Therefore…

‘Let him be wrong.’

I opened my mouth.

“Yes, I want something from you.”

It wasn’t a bad situation.

It wasn’t just a bluff, there were things I wanted that only the GM could do—

“Then you could have just contacted me quietly.”

Ah, that…

“That’s no fun.”

He interpreted it as he wanted.

“…Well, I think you did it to threaten me, but…”

Well, think what you want.

I got back to the main topic.

“So, aren’t you going to ask?”

“……Ask what?”

“What I want from you.”

“…….”

He stared at me and then sighed.

“Alright. Tell me. What do you want from me?”

I answered after a brief pause.

“Unban Lee Baekho.”

That was the only thing I needed the GM’s help with.

If Lee Baekho could access the community, I could talk to him. And I also needed to find out more about our cat.

But could it be that he was expecting this request?

“…So that was your goal.”

The GM’s expression was surprisingly calm.

Well, it wasn’t unusual for players to form groups based on nationality.

“So Lee Baekho told you about my identity?”

He seemed convinced that we were in cahoots.

There was no reason for me to answer.

“Well.”

“What… what are you two planning?”

“There’s no reason why I can’t tell you.”

“…Yes?”

He looked dumbfounded, as if he hadn’t expected this answer.

Geez, at least listen to the whole sentence.

“If you bring me something of equal value.”

I continued, and he frowned.

“Are you… talking about interesting information?”

Right, so he also heard about it.

He tapped his knee with his index finger as I remained silent.

“Hahaha…”

He suddenly started laughing.

It was creepy.

“You seem very confident.”

His tone had completely changed. It was cold and threatening.

“I’m not completely lacking in confidence.”

“We’re similar then.”

“Are you refusing?”

He answered without hesitation.

“Yes. I have no reason to comply with your demands after you revealed my identity and are now making unilateral requests.”

“…….”

“If you want me to unban Lee Baekho, bring me something of equal value.”

He stood up and looked at me as if asking if I had anything else to say.

Well, at least he gave me time to speak.

“It’s a shame.”

I spoke with genuine regret.

“That you think I’m here to make a deal.”

He tilted his head, confused.

What is he pretending not to understand?

I could tell he was scared of me from our first meeting.

[Your tone has changed a lot.]

He maintained a polite attitude, despite my rude tone.

[…Well, I think you did it to threaten me, but…]

He felt threatened by my actions.

[Then you could have just contacted me quietly.]

And he expressed disappointment rather than anger.

Therefore…

“I’ll give you three months.”

“…Are you threatening me?”

I didn’t answer.

As always, the interpretation was up to the listener.

He then said,

“…Even Lee Baekho couldn’t do anything to me.”

Damn it, saying that in such a small voice only made him seem more pathetic.

And there was something I had to correct.

“To be precise, he almost killed me.”

“…….”

“Do I seem as soft as him?”

“…….”

He didn’t answer.

Therefore…

“Remember. Three months.”

“…….”

“I’ll come find you after that.”

It was my turn to leave.

____________________

“Phew… I feel alive again.”

I collapsed onto the bed as soon as I returned to Lee Hansu’s room, exiting the chat room.

It was an experience I had countless times while wearing the Lion mask, but it was still exhausting.

‘I didn’t expect it to go this smoothly.’

My original plan was to find out how much he knew about me.

And maybe bring up Lee Baekho.

Yes, that was the plan…

‘…but I didn’t expect him to be this afraid of me.’

My thoughts changed after talking to him.

Magitechnician, Yurven Habelión.

An unidentified powerful figure.

It seemed like his position as the GM was a source of anxiety for him, and I was able to quickly pick up on that.

‘But it didn’t seem like the royal family was wary of him, even though his identity was revealed.’

As I calmly replayed the conversation, I had a thought.

He would be ruined if the royal family found out he was an evil spirit.

But why was he only wary of direct threats?

‘…Does he have connections in the royal family? Someone who can cover up the evil spirit issue?’

If he did, I wanted to know who it was.

‘…His last words were a bit strange too…’

I recalled his question before I left the chat room.

[Password. You didn’t say anything about the password.]

It was a rather unsettling experience.

Why was he asking about the password? It seemed like it meant something.

[…….]

I didn’t understand, so I remained silent, and he interpreted it as an answer.

[…So you’re really not connected to him?]

[…….]

[Sorry for keeping you. I’ll see you again soon.]

Damn it, that was creepy.

‘0720…’

What was he trying to confirm by mentioning that number?

------------------------------------

Chapter 369: Black Star (2)

I couldn't dwell on the GM for long.

It wasn't a topic that would yield any answers, no matter how much I thought about it.

It was more efficient to focus on what I could do.

For example, browsing the internet.

Click, click.

Unlike in the modern world, browsing the internet here wasn't just for entertainment. It was a precious time to gather and organize information for my survival next month.

“…Keuh, keuh, keuh…”

Ah, why is this so funny?

It's embarrassing.

Click, click.

Time flew by as I browsed the forums.

And…

‘It’s about time.’

…it was time to enter the Round Table.

____________________

A study with an antique atmosphere.

The white man sitting there was deep in thought, his fingers interlocked.

“I can’t believe he’s on Lee Baekho’s side.”

He had considered the possibility, but it wasn’t a desirable situation.

Lee Baekho alone was a headache, practically uncontrollable, and now there was another variable.

“…Just who is he?”

‘Elfnunna’ joined the community about three years ago.

And Lion appeared at the Round Table around the same time.

In other words…

‘He deliberately pretended to be a newbie and infiltrated the community.’

Then why did he join?

His combat power seemed to be on par with Lee Baekho’s, and judging by his superior information network, he must have built his own faction…

‘…Watchers of the Round Table.’

The man had tentatively concluded that his goal was to enter that secret chat room.

Nickname 0720.

An otherworldly evil spirit who had secretly infiltrated the community, created the club ‘Watchers of the Round Table’, and even recruited big shots like the Corpse Collector.

He suspected that he might be connected to Lion.

But…

‘He didn’t seem to know anything about it.’

He thought Lion would react somehow if he saw that password…

But he didn’t.

He didn’t react at all, even when he mentioned it at the end of their conversation.

He seemed completely clueless.

Well, maybe that was also an act…

‘But if he’s really not connected, then did he join the community to easily contact Lee Baekho?’

Hmm, maybe.

The man considered various possibilities.

That’s when…

“Sorry, there was a problem with the forums, so I couldn’t come right away.”

A white woman appeared in the study.

Her nickname was ‘SoulQueens’.

“So, what did you call me for?”

She sat down on the sofa across from him and asked, and the man briefly explained what had happened.

“I met with Lion.”

“…I see. How did it go?”

“He threatened me. To unban Lee Baekho.”

“So… what are you going to do?”

It was a question the man had been constantly pondering.

He didn’t know anything about Lion…

Except for the fact that he was a player from Korea.

Clench.

The man unconsciously clenched his fist.

‘Those damn Koreans.’

It was unfair.

He had only met a few Korean players since creating this community. Korean players were rare.

They were outnumbered by most Western countries.

But what about their results?

Lee Baekho, who had joined much later, had become an unstoppable force.

And now there was ‘Elfnunna’.

‘And ‘Elfnunna’ is also highly likely to be Korean.’

It made him wonder if they were genetically superior.

‘Damn it, I forgot to ask if he chose that nickname because he was related to ‘Elf Noona’. Well, he probably wouldn’t have answered anyway.’

The man believed that ‘Elf Noona’ was the most likely candidate to clear the original version and enter this world.

She was the only one who consistently played the original version while everyone else was looking for shortcuts and playing the cheat versions.

“Master?”

“Ah, I was lost in thought.”

The man snapped out of his thoughts at the woman’s call and gave her an order.

“You’re right. We don’t have any information about him.”

“…….”

“So please find out more. But don’t provoke him.”

The woman hesitated for a moment and then answered.

But her tone was different from her usual confident self.

“…I’ll try.”

Her voice was filled with reluctance.

_____________________

I put on my mask and walked through the quiet hallway, arriving at the Round Table room.

Everyone was already there.

“…You’re here! I was worried!”

Clown, who seemed relieved to see me, even stood up to greet me.

“…….”

Queen awkwardly averted her gaze when our eyes met.

Well, there was the incident from last time…

And she must have heard about my meeting with the GM.

“…….”

I sat down, and the Fox mask was in front of me.

She briefly made eye contact…

“Tsk.”

I felt a pang of regret every time I saw her.

If it weren’t for the sudden time travel, I could have used that opportunity to find out her identity—

“Um…”

That’s when, as I was feeling regretful…

“Did I do something wrong…?”

…Fox cautiously asked.

I didn’t understand at first, but I soon realized why she was asking.

‘Ah, she’s talking about me clicking my tongue.’

It was like throwing a small stone and accidentally killing a frog.

It seemed like she wasn’t the only one who was watching my reaction, the others were also being cautious…

But I didn’t feel like explaining myself.

“Well.”

I gave an ambiguous answer.

Fox gulped nervously.

She must have thought she had made a mistake.

Damn it, I felt a bit bad…

‘Let’s just change the subject.’

“Then let’s begin.”

It was time for the meeting to start anyway, as the entry period was over and the door was closed. The other members also stopped worrying about Fox’s ‘mistake’ and focused on the present.

“I’m already excited to hear what kind of interesting stories we’ll have today. Heh heh.”

“Then we’ll start from that side?”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards Stag Antlers, who was sitting to my left, at Crescent Moon’s question.

It was an unspoken rule of the Round Table.

We had to start from my left so that I would be the last one to go.

They would share information first, and then I would evaluate it and share my own information in return.

Damn it, I chose the perfect seat.

“…I’ll go first.”

Stag Antlers calmly shared the information he had prepared.

“The issue of integrating evil spirits into the nation was brought up at the royal council meeting for the first time in 150 years. Of course, it was immediately dismissed due to opposition.”

It was a difficult statement to understand unless you had experience in government.

In other words…

‘What the hell is he talking about?’

I didn’t understand either.

But it wasn’t a problem.

There was always someone at the Round Table who would ask questions when they didn’t understand something.

“Integrating evil spirits…? What do you mean…?”

Goblin asked timidly, and SoulQueens explained.

“It’s a proposal to accept evil spirits as citizens instead of treating them as enemies. It was proposed 150 years ago, but it was rejected for various reasons.”

“I, I see… But it’s strange to hear that from the royal family…”

“Pfft, it sounds to me like they’re running out of soldiers—”

“Well, at least we know that you don’t know anything about the royal family’s military strength.”

“…Why are you always picking on me?”

“Oh my, what a sense of self-importance. I was just stating a fact.”

Clown didn’t say anything more as SoulQueens chuckled nonchalantly.

He was strangely weak against her.

Maybe it was because she had verbally abused him several times?

‘Clown is such a bully…’

Anyway, Stag Antlers’ information received a green light on the first try, and the turn naturally passed.

It was Goblin’s turn.

“Ahem, the Leathlas Church received a divine message a few days ago.”

“That’s… not all, is it?”

“Haha, of course not. Anyway, it was a rather strange message.”

“Just get to the point. Stop dragging it out, it’s just pathetic.”

Goblin glanced at Clown, as if asking why he was always picking on him, and then revealed the content of the divine message.

“The King’s bloodline has embraced the black star, so help the one who will become its master.”

“……?”

“That was the message.”

Leathlas, the Goddess of Stars.

It was a divine message from the goddess who governed the fate of souls, so it was open to interpretation.

“Black star… Is it referring to rebellion?”

“It could also mean they’re colluding with Noark.”

“But… ‘help the one who will become its master’…”

“Maybe the Queen is pregnant. And the baby is black. Heh heh!”

“…How can you say such a vulgar thing?”

“What? What’s wrong with being black? Are you accusing me of racism?”

Clown chuckled as if he had just told a funny joke, but the other members’ reactions were cold.

This guy must have been a loner.

That’s why he played [Dungeon and Stone]—

‘Damn it.’

I stopped thinking, feeling my self-esteem plummeting. The conversation about the divine message was ending anyway.

After all, most divine messages were like that.

No matter how much you analyzed and speculated, you wouldn’t know its true meaning until later.

“It’s my turn now.”

Crescent Moon was the third to go.

He had brought valuable information about the Genesis Artifact before, but not lately.

And unfortunately, it was the same today.

‘Ugh, he’s always bringing up the war.’

Well, it might be helpful someday…

But I wasn’t leading a faction, so it wasn’t something I could benefit from.

Next.

“The royal family has started sharing their warship building technology with civilians. It seems like they had no choice because they need to repair the damaged warships quickly. We might even see large clans using warships soon.”

Fox’s information was also about the war.

As expected of her, she logically explained the information and its implications, but that was all.

‘The information is a bit underwhelming for a first round.’

The only things that piqued my interest were the divine message and the ‘integration’ proposal that was brought up at the royal council meeting.

‘Accepting evil spirits… will that day ever come?’

I briefly entertained the thought, but I didn’t have high hopes.

Stag Antlers had said…

…that it was just a brief mention, and it was immediately dismissed.

“Pfft, then it’s my turn now, isn’t it?”

It was finally Clown’s turn. But unfortunately, his information was also useless to me.

No, to be precise, it was harmful.

“The Lighthouse Keeper is dead.”

Clown, who started with that statement, then proceeded to reveal my information.

“They say it was the Blood Spirit Marquis’s achievement, but the truth is completely different. It wasn’t her, but that strange man she’s with.”

“…Strange man?”

“Yes, I thought she was using him as a replacement for Bjorn Yandel after seeing him use the Orc Hero’s [Gigantification] essence…”

“Lihen Schuitz. The royal family is keeping an eye on him.”

“Pfft, is that his name? Anyway, I’ll tell you more about him since I hope there will be more information about him at the next Round Table.”

“…….”

“I don’t know where he came from, but he was a monster. Even the four of us couldn’t kill him.”

“……There was someone like that?”

“Wait, there wasn’t anything like that in the Golden Mage’s report. Are you sure?”

“Would the jewel have emitted a green light if I was lying?”

The members were shocked and intrigued by Clown’s words.

‘Ugh, this is going to be a problem… they’re all going to investigate me…’

I sighed inwardly.

‘What the hell, why is she staring at me?’

I glanced to the side, and SoulQueens was staring at me.

She was muttering something.

Softly, so that only I could hear.

“Gigantification… joined three years ago… Blood Spirit Marquis…”

Don’t tell me, she’s figured it out?

No, maybe she was just organizing her thoughts, trying to reach a conclusion.

And she wasn’t the only one who felt a sense of dissonance.

“Wait a minute, what if he’s not a replacement, but the real deal? [Gigantification] isn’t a common essence. And I heard he also absorbed the Ogre’s essence…?”

Goblin was the first to speak.

“Well, I don’t think the Blood Spirit Marquis, crazy as she is, would use a stand-in and call him ‘mister’…”

Fox nodded in agreement.

“Pfft, what are you guys talking about? Bjorn Yandel is dead.”

Clown scoffed at their suspicions.

But…

“What if he’s alive? And he’s been secretly training? Then it would make sense for the Golden Mage to omit that from her report.”

Stag Antlers muttered.

“That makes sense. He was exposed as an evil spirit soon after. He might have faked his death because of that.”

Crescent Moon agreed.

And…

“If Bjorn Yandel is really alive…”

Queen looked at me and said,

“That coincides with Lion’s disappearance.”

All eyes were on me.

Are you Bjorn Yandel?

They wanted to ask me directly, but they were hesitant.

‘Well, I knew this might happen.’

But I didn’t feel cornered.

This could be solved with an alibi.

“That again?”

I placed my hand on the jewel.

And…

“You all seem curious about me, so I’ll go first this time.”

…I said, as if mocking their suspicions.

“I joined this community…”

“…….”

“…twenty-two years ago.”

The jewel emitted a green light.

Trial

I like Korean novels (Murim, Dukes, Reincarnation, etc, etc, etc)

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