Chapter 157: Male Lion (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 157: Male Lion (3)

The newbie was wearing a goblin mask. Strictly speaking, I was the newbie here and this person was a returning user, but... Sorry. Since it had been a while, they needed to be caught up on what had changed, right? Or they needed to listen carefully to the patch notes from their seniors.

"S-Stop..."

When Goblin spoke with obvious difficulty, I immediately dropped my murderous intent. However, if I left off here, I'd just be branded as a temperamental asshole.

"That's it?"

I decided on today's lines by recalling my parting words from last time. When putting on an act, the important thing was consistency. "I heard there was a newcomer inside, but..." I muttered with disappointment, as if I'd had certain expectations but everything had gone predictably. As if to imply that this hadn't just been bullying, but me trying to learn what level this person was at. "How boring."

Like that was my only goal, I took my eyes off of Goblin and scanned Fox, as well as Crescent Moon and Deer, to show them that I would be very disappointed if this meeting failed to entertain me like last time's.

"Keke, don't worry, Lion, I have something that will interest you again."

I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even answer, just sat there with my chin on my hand.

If Clown is saying that, then it must be really important information.

Was this why people pushed around their subordinates? I kept pretending to be indifferent.

Rattle.

When the time came, the door to the Round Table closed. This meant that no more members would be joining. However, there was one thing to deal with before the meeting began in earnest.

"Goblin, snap out of it."

"How funny. They've always pretended to be so great."

"Keke, but unlike last time, Mr. Lion was being considerate! Ha! I'm starting to get embarrassed for you." At Clown's words, Fox and Deer laughed in agreement.

"This is definitely... not like back then."

"Yeah. I was even able to endure it this time too."

As the two of them glanced at me as if to thank me for being considerate this time around, I flinched inwardly. The reason for that was simple.

That was my maximum output...

This was the maximum amount of murderous intent that I could turn on and off freely. I had practiced countless times after watching the head of the Karlstein family use it in real life, but it turned out that when I used it seriously, I couldn't turn it off at will. Well, it was good that they had interpreted this as me being considerate. This was why people should try to at least seem powerful.

"S-Sorry. I'm fine now." Anyway, Goblin also came to their senses. Although as soon as our eyes met, they turned away, apparently traumatized by what had just happened.

This one definitely seems inferior to the other four.

Just look at Fox—she had taken my true murderous intent for a lot longer but was just cautious and wary of me, not afraid.

"So, who should start?" Fox asked, glancing at Clown.

Clown just shrugged. "You should enjoy the best delicacies at the end, right? How about starting with Mr. Goblin?"

"Ahem, why not." Soon, Goblin cleared their throat and relayed their information as if to make up for their unseemly behavior earlier. "Everyone already knows that Ludwig, the High Priest of the Stars, was missing."

"And?"

"The culprit was Orcules. They kidnapped him and used him like a slave."

Was this prick a priest? Was that how they knew? The thought occurred to me, but the light emitted by the jewel on the Round Table was red.

"Keke, I guess more than half of us know that already."

This left a bitter taste in my mouth. It hadn't even been two weeks since I brought the letter to the temple. Everyone who knew, including Baekho, must already know about me...

"You'd better get used to it. If you want to satisfy those two, ordinary information won't cut it," said Fox.

Huh?

"I didn't know about this. Perhaps this will cause the temple to offer their support to the palace." From what Crescent Moon was saying, it seemed the two weren't aware of this information.

So the red light came on because Clown, Deer, and I knew about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this?

I clicked my tongue unwittingly. Had these two been watching me this whole time?

Clown jumped to his feet and freaked out at the other three. "Hey, do the unspoken rules mean nothing? I thought we decided not to openly reveal whether we knew the information or not."

"Sorry. I just felt bad for Goblin."

"We looked past it when it was just us. But there's a newcomer, right? So let's all be careful. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

Oh, so that was the original rule. It made sense—if things kept proceeding in this way, the people who did and didn't know certain information would inevitably be revealed. That was something that had been bothering me, but thanks to Clown, it was sorted out.

But for some reason, I don't think he spoke out because of me...

Something like this had happened at the last meeting, too.

"Crescent, don't be too discouraged. Most wouldn't know the information you just shared."

And back then, Clown had been the first to say it.

Did he determine that that last bit of information could be used to infer his identity?

I wasn't certain, but it seemed possible.

However, if that assumption is true, Clown is either a priest or a member of the underground city. It must be one of the two.

The latter seemed more likely. I couldn't imagine Clown working in a temple. Well, it was possible that he was putting on an act like me.

That's not important right now.

Soon, I returned my attention to the meeting and listened to the next bit of information Goblin revealed. Perhaps it was a shock that the previous information gave off a red light. "The Goddess of the Stars has given a blessing."

At the next announcement, a green light came on right away. Was this something that even Clown didn't know about?

"I want to buy information on who the blessing was given to," said Clown.

"I'm not sure..."

"Keke, information even a paladin doesn't know? I guess the temple is really keeping it hidden?"

"You said you wouldn't talk about things like that!"

"Oh, my bad. But this is something everyone knows already. Why are you being so sensitive?" At that, Goblin glanced at me, and Clown laughed like they were being ridiculous. "Do you think he cares about you?"

"And?"

"The culprit was Orcules. They kidnapped him and used him like a slave."

Was this prick a priest? Was that how they knew? The thought occurred to me, but the light emitted by the jewel on the Round Table was red.

"Keke, I guess more than half of us know that already."

This left a bitter taste in my mouth. It hadn't even been two weeks since I brought the letter to the temple. Everyone who knew, including Baekho, must already know about me...

"You'd better get used to it. If you want to satisfy those two, ordinary information won't cut it," said Fox.

Huh?

"I didn't know about this. Perhaps this will cause the temple to offer their support to the palace." From what Crescent Moon was saying, it seemed the two weren't aware of this information.

So the red light came on because Clown, Deer, and I knew about this?

I clicked my tongue unwittingly. Had these two been watching me this whole time?

Clown jumped to his feet and freaked out at the other three. "Hey, do the unspoken rules mean nothing? I thought we decided not to openly reveal whether we knew the information or not."

"Sorry. I just felt bad for Goblin."

"We looked past it when it was just us. But there's a newcomer, right? So let's all be careful. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

Oh, so that was the original rule. It made sense—if things kept proceeding in this way, the people who did and didn't know certain information would inevitably be revealed. That was something that had been bothering me, but thanks to Clown, it was sorted out.

But for some reason, I don't think he spoke out because of me...

Something like this had happened at the last meeting, too.

"Crescent, don't be too discouraged. Most wouldn't know the information you just shared."

And back then, Clown had been the first to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say it.

Did he determine that that last bit of information could be used to infer his identity?

I wasn't certain, but it seemed possible.

However, if that assumption is true, Clown is either a priest or a member of the underground city. It must be one of the two.

The latter seemed more likely. I couldn't imagine Clown working in a temple. Well, it was possible that he was putting on an act like me.

That's not important right now.

Soon, I returned my attention to the meeting and listened to the next bit of information Goblin revealed. Perhaps it was a shock that the previous information gave off a red light. "The Goddess of the Stars has given a blessing."

At the next announcement, a green light came on right away. Was this something that even Clown didn't know about?

"I want to buy information on who the blessing was given to," said Clown.

"I'm not sure..."

"Keke, information even a paladin doesn't know? I guess the temple is really keeping it hidden?"

"You said you wouldn't talk about things like that!"

"Oh, my bad. But this is something everyone knows already. Why are you being so sensitive?" At that, Goblin glanced at me, and Clown laughed like they were being ridiculous. "Do you think he cares about you?"

Goblin huffed in displeasure but didn't argue. I impassively made a mental note.

Goblin Mask = Paladin.

In any case, the meeting continued. After Goblin was Fox beside them. "There will be a double-digit Numbered Item at the Sky Auction House next month."

A double-digit. In other words, a numbered item between eleven and ninety-nine would be put up for auction. But I wondered if the clown's warning to keep to the rules had been effective. No one spoke after that, but the air grew heavy like everyone was sizing up their competition.

Whew, I need to reach the Sky Auction House too.

The Sky Auction House was located in Karnon, the imperial capital. To enter Karnon, I needed to gain more fame or raise my adventurer ranking and accumulate accomplishments. That would take at least a year.

I don't even have the money to buy a double-digit Numbered Item. I'll have to pass on this one.

I neatly tucked that thought away. Not only did I not know what kind of item it was, but even if I had the money, it would be better to use it on Garphas' Necklace, which I got at the count's banquet.

"The royal family is coming up with a plan to conquer Noark." After Fox, Deer offered up some information, and a green light appeared. So Baekho had been right about the conquest. As advised, I planned not to go anywhere near that.

Next came Crescent Moon. "Equipment allegedly owned by the Dragon Slayer, a member of Orcules, was put on the black market. Even though it wasn't his sword, it's clear he has run into misfortune."

The green light came on once again. I barely managed to keep my composure as I continued to rest my chin in my hands. His stuff was on the black market? But I only stole the Dragon Slayer Sword. I was taken aback at first, but I quickly pieced things together in my head.

It would be correct to assume that what Baekho said was true.

The Dragon Slayer had lost his memory, probably thanks to the same drug that woman had used on me back then. The person who had collected the remaining equipment and sold it on the black market would have been the same one who fed him the drug.

Since we were going clockwise from Goblin, it was finally Clown's turn next. Everyone's eyes were full of high expectations after the tone he set earlier. "Hmm, Lion, would you like to go first?"

"You must be pretty confident."

"Of course. If we only say boring things that we all know here, Mr. Lion might not come back next time."

I chuckled and nodded, signaling that I had no intention of going along with his games, so we should go in order.

"Well, that leaves me with no choice. Mr. Lion's information could be more interesting!" Clown shrugged flippantly. Then, bending his body to a bizarre extent, he stretched and announced in a playful tone, "Within the next three years, a spell capable of binding up to six people will be created."

These words were followed by silence. Everyone shifted their gaze to the center of the round table.

"It's a green light..."

That meant that Clown's words were true. Or at least, he believed they were.

"Holy... I didn't know that was possible."

"The guild, the royal family, the clans... everything will change."

Despite the tacit rule the clown had mentioned earlier, everyone openly expressed their astonishment. That was to be expected. Not only would this widen the range of floors an adventurer could be active on and change basic team composition, but it would also be the same as increasing someone's chances of clearing the game several times.

Six people will be able to enter the last floor?

Five and six were completely different. Whether it was Times Ten mode or Times One Hundred mode, this meant combinations and strategies that had been impossible in the original game were now possible.

In the middle of all this, Clown stared only at me, like he didn't care about the reactions of the others at all. "So, what do you think?" The eyes hidden beyond the small holes in his mask met mine. The emotions contained in them were very clear.

He's like a child asking to be praised.

I chuckled and opened my mouth, though only to the point that it didn't harm the character I was crafting. "This is rather interesting."

One compliment sticker earned.

There was a saying that praise bred willingness. Well, getting whipped several hundred times would do the same, but in terms of efficiency, there was a huge gap. What truly made people passionate was the future. They desperately longed for rewards.

"Ahem. So, it's your turn, Mr. Lion." Clown, having received a gold star, awkwardly averted his eyes and changed the subject.

As if they had been waiting for this, all eyes turned to me. Thanks to the bomb Clown just dropped, everyone's eyes were shining.

...What to choose?

In truth, I had already prepared some information to release here in advance, but the quality of the information offered had gone up too much. Perhaps thanks to the words I had parted with last time, it felt like everyone was pulling out all the stops today. The Clown, in particular, had come with a clear goal in mind. Information about the six-person binding spell? I would never have gotten to hear about that if it hadn't been for my mysterious act.

Whew, I mean, it's a good thing, but...

It created more of a burden on me. What should I tell them? Of course, it wasn't that I didn't have information that would meet their sky-high expectations.

But if others know about these things, it will affect me too.

The problem was choosing information that was useless even if they knew it, like the Vamdemon. Besides, bringing up the labyrinth while everyone else was talking about the outside world would be kind of weird in terms of flow.

Hmm, that would be best.

Soon, after carefully weighing the consequences of releasing this information, I made a decision. "You were curious about the blessing earlier." I looked at Clown as I spoke, implying I was giving him a reward for being the one to entertain me.

"I don't want to reveal the reason—"

Clown misinterpreted my intentions, so I cut him off. "The blessing came with a holy relic."

"Sorry?"

"A new holy relic has appeared in the world through a blessing from the Goddess of the Stars."

Clown, who sat there dazed for a moment like he didn't believe what he'd just heard, came to his senses. Peering at the jewel's green light, he cautiously asked, "...Can we hear what kind of holy relic it is?" Unlike his usual playful tone, his voice was now cold and subdued.

So, the holy relic is what's important to you. Not who received the blessing.

I laughed happily and answered, "If you bring me another interesting story."

"Keke, still, I'm glad to hear you'll be returning." Clown laughed frivolously as usual, but I could sense it. The next time I came, I'd be able to hear more interesting information, although I couldn't imagine what it would be.

"I'll look forward to it."

And when that time came, I would probably say this: No fun.

Goblin huffed in displeasure but didn't argue. I impassively made a mental note.

Goblin Mask = Paladin.

In any case, the meeting continued. After Goblin was Fox beside them. "There will be a double-digit Numbered Item at the Sky Auction House next month."

A double-digit. In other words, a numbered item between eleven and ninety-nine would be put up for auction. But I wondered if the clown's warning to keep to the rules had been effective. No one spoke after that, but the air grew heavy like everyone was sizing up their competition.

Whew, I need to reach the Sky Auction House too.

The Sky Auction House was located in Karnon, the imperial capital. To enter Karnon, I needed to gain more fame or raise my adventurer ranking and accumulate accomplishments. That would take at least a year.

I don't even have the money to buy a double-digit Numbered Item. I'll have to pass on this one.

I neatly tucked that thought away. Not only did I not know what kind of item it was, but even if I had the money, it would be better to use it on Garphas' Necklace, which I got at the count's banquet.

"The royal family is coming up with a plan to conquer Noark." After Fox, Deer offered up some information, and a green light appeared. So Baekho had been right about the conquest. As advised, I planned not to go anywhere near that.

Next came Crescent Moon. "Equipment allegedly owned by the Dragon Slayer, a member of Orcules, was put on the black market. Even though it wasn't his sword, it's clear he has run into misfortune."

The green light came on once again. I barely managed to keep my composure as I continued to rest my chin in my hands. His stuff was on the black market? But I only stole the Dragon Slayer Sword. I was taken aback at first, but I quickly pieced things together in my head.

It would be correct to assume that what Baekho said was true.

The Dragon Slayer had lost his memory, probably thanks to the same drug that woman had used on me back then. The person who had collected the remaining equipment and sold it on the black market would have been the same one who fed him the drug.

Since we were going clockwise from Goblin, it was finally Clown's turn next. Everyone's eyes were full of high expectations after the tone he set earlier. "Hmm, Lion, would you like to go first?"

"You must be pretty confident."

"Of course. If we only say boring things that we all know here, Mr. Lion might not come back next time."

I chuckled and nodded, signaling that I had no intention of going along with his games, so we should go in order.

"Well, that leaves me with no choice. Mr. Lion's information could be more interesting!" Clown shrugged flippantly. Then, bending his body to a bizarre extent, he stretched and announced in a playful tone, "Within the next three years, a spell capable of binding up to six people will be created."

These words were followed by silence. Everyone shifted their gaze to the center of the round table.

"It's a green light..."

That meant that Clown's words were true. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Or at least, he believed they were.

"Holy... I didn't know that was possible."

"The guild, the royal family, the clans... everything will change."

Despite the tacit rule the clown had mentioned earlier, everyone openly expressed their astonishment. That was to be expected. Not only would this widen the range of floors an adventurer could be active on and change basic team composition, but it would also be the same as increasing someone's chances of clearing the game several times.

Six people will be able to enter the last floor?

Five and six were completely different. Whether it was Times Ten mode or Times One Hundred mode, this meant combinations and strategies that had been impossible in the original game were now possible.

In the middle of all this, Clown stared only at me, like he didn't care about the reactions of the others at all. "So, what do you think?" The eyes hidden beyond the small holes in his mask met mine. The emotions contained in them were very clear.

He's like a child asking to be praised.

I chuckled and opened my mouth, though only to the point that it didn't harm the character I was crafting. "This is rather interesting."

One compliment sticker earned.

There was a saying that praise bred willingness. Well, getting whipped several hundred times would do the same, but in terms of efficiency, there was a huge gap. What truly made people passionate was the future. They desperately longed for rewards.

"Ahem. So, it's your turn, Mr. Lion." Clown, having received a gold star, awkwardly averted his eyes and changed the subject.

As if they had been waiting for this, all eyes turned to me. Thanks to the bomb Clown just dropped, everyone's eyes were shining.

...What to choose?

In truth, I had already prepared some information to release here in advance, but the quality of the information offered had gone up too much. Perhaps thanks to the words I had parted with last time, it felt like everyone was pulling out all the stops today. The Clown, in particular, had come with a clear goal in mind. Information about the six-person binding spell? I would never have gotten to hear about that if it hadn't been for my mysterious act.

Whew, I mean, it's a good thing, but...

It created more of a burden on me. What should I tell them? Of course, it wasn't that I didn't have information that would meet their sky-high expectations.

But if others know about these things, it will affect me too.

The problem was choosing information that was useless even if they knew it, like the Vamdemon. Besides, bringing up the labyrinth while everyone else was talking about the outside world would be kind of weird in terms of flow.

Hmm, that would be best.

Soon, after carefully weighing the consequences of releasing this information, I made a decision. "You were curious about the blessing earlier." I looked at Clown as I spoke, implying I was giving him a reward for being the one to entertain me.

"I don't want to reveal the reason—"

Clown misinterpreted my intentions, so I cut him off. "The blessing came with a holy relic."

"Sorry?"

"A new holy relic has appeared in the world through a blessing from the Goddess of the Stars."

Clown, who sat there dazed for a moment like he didn't believe what he'd just heard, came to his senses. Peering at the jewel's green light, he cautiously asked, "...Can we hear what kind of holy relic it is?" Unlike his usual playful tone, his voice was now cold and subdued.

So, the holy relic is what's important to you. Not who received the blessing.

I laughed happily and answered, "If you bring me another interesting story."

"Keke, still, I'm glad to hear you'll be returning." Clown laughed frivolously as usual, but I could sense it. The next time I came, I'd be able to hear more interesting information, although I couldn't imagine what it would be.

"I'll look forward to it."

And when that time came, I would probably say this: No fun.