Chapter 197: Master Key (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Master Key (2)
The Watchers of the Round Table was a secret community created for the exchange of high quality information. When I first came to this place, the existing members were curious about my relationship to the Master. The reason for this was simple. The Master, who had been recruiting members through the private messaging function, had apparently disappeared one year ago. The members believed they could hear recent news about the Master from me, and once my character concept for Lion was established, our supposed acquaintanceship was assumed to be fact. For my part, I had consistently answered any related questions with "no comment."
"I refuse to answer."
If I said I knew him, I was worried about possible repercussions in the future. If I said I didn't, that wouldn't match my mysterious vibe. But had I gotten greedy without realizing it?
"Could it be that you also know where the Master is?"
At our second gathering, I had shrugged at Fox's question, as if to say, Bring me something interesting, then I'll tell you. I had rested my chin on my hand and acted utterly relaxed, like some sort of all-powerful being. Everything I did in that moment had clearly been intended to cause a misunderstanding.
"Didn't you invite him, Master? I'm certain that's what he said..."
And I seemed to have pulled it off because Fox sounded very confused. The other masks also seemed to be wondering what was going on.
"Hmm, I invited him?" The Master touched his chin, clearly trying and failing to remember doing that. As a result, the other masks turned to me with eyes full of questions and curiosity about my identity.
"If not for Master, how did this guy get in here?" Fox murmured.
Goblin presented a theory. "Perhaps he used the invitation code from last time."
Clown refuted it. "Idiot. Don't you know that the invitation code expires after just one month, so you can't reuse it?"
"Is that true, Master?"
"What Clown said is true."
"Then..." When their master agreed, the looks directed toward me turned sharper. "Mr. Lion, why did you deceive me into thinking that you were acquainted with Master?" Fox asked in a cautious tone.
I held my breath for a moment and closed my eyes. It would be a lie to say I wasn't taken aback by the Master's sudden appearance, but losing my composure would ruin everything. I quickly decided on the stance I would take. "I didn't deceive you." After all, I never claimed that I knew him with my own lips. They just misunderstood. If I pushed forward with this approach, they wouldn't be able to say anything against me.
Well. They'll sense that something is off, but...
From my murderous energy to tidbits of information, hadn't I offered them enough? They wouldn't be able to reach the truth—that I was a cybercriminal—with this, anyway.
"You didn't?"
Opt for the most shameless method. That was what this Lion character was about. "It's just as I said. Is there something wrong with your ears?"
"N-No... it's not that..." I didn't release any murderous energy, yet Fox was clearly spooked.
I chuckled out loud and was about to point out that I didn't say anything and that they were the ones who had misunderstood.
But just then, the Master looked at me and spoke. "Everyone, stop. I don't know the details of what conspired here, but he did not deceive anyone."
Huh?
"I see it now. Who you are."
For an instant, my heart skipped a beat. Of course, the sensation was only fleeting. He knew who I was? That was impossible. Even the Master was just the host of a private chat room, so how could he?
"Haha, although, I thought you would choose a tiger."
That laughter shut me up, not because he had hit the nail on the head, but because I had no idea what he was talking about. I just chose silence. Not talking would get me at least halfway there.
"Or a soldier."
That interpretation was not wrong.
A soldier, huh?
I now saw who this old man was mistaking me for—Sergeant Lee. A literal sergeant, and the nickname of the unfortunate player who had been dragged into this world on the day of his discharge from the military, Baekho Lee.
"Haha, there's no use pretending otherwise. You are the only one who received a non-expiring code from me."
Come to think of it, it made perfect sense for the Master to reach this flawed conclusion because Baekho had transferred the code to me. With a mask on, there was no way he could tell me and Baekho apart.
Should I consider this a good thing?
I wasn't sure yet. The key issue was how close Baekho and the Master were.
"I never thought you would come here. When I first came to see you, you mocked me and said what I was doing was pathetic. I am a little curious. Why did you change your mind?"
I easily came to a conclusion.
They weren't that close.
Mocked? Fine. There were plenty of bickering friendships in the world.
"Oh, I didn't tell you. The pill I took was a prototype, so I can only stay here for an hour."
However, Baekho could only log into the community for one hour. Therefore, it would be impossible for him to participate in this gathering in the first place considering the entry time was between 3:00 and 3:10 in the morning. And yet this guy didn't know this, something Baekho had told me the first day he met me?
I can see the basic picture.
The Master didn't know much about Baekho. Thus, it was possible for me to pretend to be him.
"Although I was the one to suggest it first, there really is nothing for you to gain by participating."
Clown grumbled at that. "Hehe, nothing to gain? Master, aren't you looking down on us too much?"
"Oh, sorry if I offended you. But this fellow is an incredible man, you see."
"Hmm, is that so?" Clown's eyes began to glow as the Master praised me.
I quickly scanned the other masks. Their gazes weren't much different from Clown's, filled only with surprise—perhaps even more than when I told them high-quality information, like the Stone of Revival's existence.
"I've never seen Master recognize someone like that..."
"I didn't think he was that influential," Crescent Moon exclaimed while Deer looked somewhat angry. Fox flinched as soon as we met eyes and dropped her head. It seemed she felt guilty about suspecting me earlier.
What should I do?
As I watched the situation unfold, my apprehension mounted. There was a saying that said that a crisis was an opportunity, as could be seen by the change in everyone's looks already. If I pulled off pretending to be Baekho, it would be a big help to my act in the future.
"I see it now. Who you are."
For an instant, my heart skipped a beat. Of course, the sensation was only fleeting. He knew who I was? That was impossible. Even the Master was just the host of a private chat room, so how could he?
"Haha, although, I thought you would choose a tiger."
That laughter shut me up, not because he had hit the nail on the head, but because I had no idea what he was talking about. I just chose silence. Not talking would get me at least halfway there.
"Or a soldier."
That interpretation was not wrong.
A soldier, huh?
I now saw who this old man was mistaking me for—Sergeant Lee. A literal sergeant, and the nickname of the unfortunate player who had been dragged into this world on the day of his discharge from the military, Baekho Lee.
"Haha, there's no use pretending otherwise. You are the only one who received a non-expiring code from me."
Come to think of it, it made perfect sense for the Master to reach this flawed conclusion because Baekho had transferred the code to me. With a mask on, there was no way he could tell me and Baekho apart.
Should I consider this a good thing?
I wasn't sure yet. The key issue was how close Baekho and the Master were.
"I never thought you would come here. When I first came to see you, you mocked me and said what I was doing was pathetic. I am a little curious. Why did you change your mind?"
I easily came to a conclusion.
They weren't that close.
Mocked? Fine. There were plenty of bickering friendships in the world.
"Oh, I didn't tell you. The pill I took was a prototype, so I can only stay here for an hour."
However, Baekho could only log into the community for one hour. Therefore, it would be impossible for him to participate in this gathering in the first place considering the entry time was between 3:00 and 3:10 in the morning. And yet this guy didn't know this, something Baekho had told me the first day he met me?
I can see the basic picture.
The Master didn't know much about Baekho. Thus, it was possible for me to pretend to be him.
"Although I was the one to suggest it first, there really is nothing for you to gain by participating."
Clown grumbled at that. "Hehe, nothing to gain? Master, aren't you looking down on us too much?"
"Oh, sorry if I offended you. But this fellow is an incredible man, you see."
"Hmm, is that so?" Clown's eyes began to glow as the Master praised me.
I quickly scanned the other masks. Their gazes weren't much different from Clown's, filled only with surprise—perhaps even more than when I told them high-quality information, like the Stone of Revival's existence.
"I've never seen Master recognize someone like that..."
"I didn't think he was that influential," Crescent Moon exclaimed while Deer looked somewhat angry. Fox flinched as soon as we met eyes and dropped her head. It seemed she felt guilty about suspecting me earlier.
What should I do?
As I watched the situation unfold, my apprehension mounted. There was a saying that said that a crisis was an opportunity, as could be seen by the change in everyone's looks already. If I pulled off pretending to be Baekho, it would be a big help to my act in the future.
More importantly, I think I can learn about Baekho through this old man.
The returns were obvious. But what about the risks?
There really aren't any.
Come to think of it, if this didn't work out, I could just reveal that I was Baekho's friend. After all, birds of a feather flocked together. While the Master had mentioned that Baekho was a big man, as his friend, I would seem like I was on a somewhat similar level.
Okay, just do it.
Making my decision, I broke my long silence and spoke to the Master first. "What should I call you here, sir?"
"Hmm?"
"I can't call you what I usually do."
"Why not? Just call me Gramps like back then. And get rid of that honorific too."
"Okay, Gramps." Even as I smoothly changed my demeanor, my head was spinning.
I almost screwed it up from the start.
To think they spoke so casually to each other. Thanks to that, I realized one more thing. Baekho was a proud Korean Confucian, but he had spoken so casually to an older person?
Forget not being close, looks like they didn't get along.
I had a sense of how to approach this guy now, and so, I made up for my earlier misstep. "You have strange tastes. I was trying to help you save face," I said like I really didn't get him.
I didn't know if I properly pulled it off, but the Master let out an eager laugh. "Haha! Yes, that's more like you. Anyway, let's end this conversation here. It's nice to see you after so long, but I don't have much time."
"Master, what do you mean?" Fox asked.
"Due to certain circumstances, I don't have much time in here."
"Pardon? What on earth has happened to you since—"
"Enough," The Master cut her off and dismissed the question. "I understand that Miss Fox would like to ask me many questions, probably to do with why I disappeared without a word and what I mean by running out of time. But I cannot tell you those things."
"Are you really in such a rush?"
"No, it has nothing to do with time."
When the Master firmly put his foot down, Fox did not push further. Instead, she asked one last question. "Then... when will you return?"
"Well, I don't know about that. But I'll come back in a year. If there is something I need to inform you of before then, I may come sooner."
"Hehe, that means you came to tell us something urgent today, Master?"
"Clown, it is as you say." At the Master's declaration, all the attention that had been focused on me turned to him again. This was perfect for me—even the contents of his speech itself.
Come back in a year...
To put it simply, that meant that I didn't have to worry about my lies being exposed at every gathering. But my curiosity outweighed my relief.
I don't think he's lying that he doesn't have time... What kind of situation is he in? And what's this urgent news?
With many questions buzzing through my mind, I focused on listening and watching the Master. It wasn't just me—all the masked members of the Round Table did the same. As a result, a foreign silence fell.
"Hey, don't be so nervous. Rather, it is safe to say that this is good news." The Master waved his hands as if to dispel the tension in the air and slowly parted his lips. "In two years, a binding spell capable of binding up to six people will be created. That means the number of keys to open the Gate of the Abyss will increase to six!"
The silence turned oppressive. The members glanced at each other awkwardly and said nothing.
The Master tilted his head at this. "Huh, why do you all look like that? I thought you would be more surprised..."
That's because you're one step behind.
A six-person binding spell was information valuable enough to shake up the entire city for at least several months. However...
"...You revealed this news already? Eh, no wonder your reactions were so bland." Realizing that Clown had mentioned this in the last summit, the Master sounded somewhat disappointed. "But that's kind of a surprise. Clown, I didn't expect you to tell them something like that. Have you taken a liking to the people here now?"
"Hehe, of course not. I was just curious about how a certain someone would react." Clown looked at me with his characteristic laugh.
Following his line of sight, the Master glanced at me with a look that seemed to be full of meaning. I was nervous that he was going to say something to me.
Zzzzzz.
But just then, the Master's body began to shimmer like a hologram. "Darn, it's already time for me to leave."
"Master!" Fox shouted in disappointment, but he just shimmered even more in response.
But even in a situation like this, the Master looked solely at me. It was a very unpleasant and uncomfortable gaze. We were only looking at each other, but it felt like he was seeing right through me.
In the end, I couldn't stand it and asked, "Do you have something to say to me, Gramps?"
"It's not Gramps, it's Old Man." A voice resonated through my head like a Secret Voice spell. It was clear who the owner of the voice was. "That's what that damn kid called me."
God damn it. No wonder he let that slide so easily.
He knew from the start?
Without realizing it, my body stiffened slightly. Of course, the movement was so insignificant that it was difficult to capture with the naked eye, and it only lasted an instant.
"Hmm, in truth, your response was so smooth that I'm confused even now. But judging by your rapid increase in heart rate, I guess you really aren't that kid."
What the—he was just feeling me out?
"Don't worry. I feel no reason to interfere with whatever you're doing here. I am just curious. But unfortunately, I don't have time today. We will talk about who you are next time we meet." With that, the Master's body dissipated before my eyes like fog.
"Ha." I laughed out loud, the nonsensical kind of laugh that came out when one experienced something too ridiculous to process. There really wasn't a single son of a bitch in this world that was easy to deal with, huh.
More importantly, I think I can learn about Baekho through this old man.
The returns were obvious. But what about the risks?
There really aren't any.
Come to think of it, if this didn't work out, I could just reveal that I was Baekho's friend. After all, birds of a feather flocked together. While the Master had mentioned that Baekho was a big man, as his friend, I would seem like I was on a somewhat similar level.
Okay, just do it.
Making my decision, I broke my long silence and spoke to the Master first. "What should I call you here, sir?"
"Hmm?"
"I can't call you what I usually do."
"Why not? Just call me Gramps like back then. And get rid of that honorific too."
"Okay, Gramps." Even as I smoothly changed my demeanor, my head was spinning.
I almost screwed it up from the start.
To think they spoke so casually to each other. Thanks to that, I realized one more thing. Baekho was a proud Korean Confucian, but he had spoken so casually to an older person?
Forget not being close, looks like they didn't get along.
I had a sense of how to approach this guy now, and so, I made up for my earlier misstep. "You have strange tastes. I was trying to help you save face," I said like I really didn't get him.
I didn't know if I properly pulled it off, but the Master let out an eager laugh. "Haha! Yes, that's more like you. Anyway, let's end this conversation here. It's nice to see you after so long, but I don't have much time."
"Master, what do you mean?" Fox asked.
"Due to certain circumstances, I don't have much time in here."
"Pardon? What on earth has happened to you since—"
"Enough," The Master cut her off and dismissed the question. "I understand that Miss Fox would like to ask me many questions, probably to do with why I disappeared without a word and what I mean by running out of time. But I cannot tell you those things."
"Are you really in such a rush?"
"No, it has nothing to do with time."
When the Master firmly put his foot down, Fox did not push further. Instead, she asked one last question. "Then... when will you return?"
"Well, I don't know about that. But I'll come back in a year. If there is something I need to inform you of before then, I may come sooner."
"Hehe, that means you came to tell us something urgent today, Master?"
"Clown, it is as you say." At the Master's declaration, all the attention that had been focused on me turned to him again. This was perfect for me—even the contents of his speech itself.
Come back in a year...
To put it simply, that meant that I didn't have to worry about my lies being exposed at every gathering. But my curiosity outweighed my relief.
I don't think he's lying that he doesn't have time... What kind of situation is he in? And what's this urgent news?
With many questions buzzing through my mind, I focused on listening and watching the Master. It wasn't just me—all the masked members of the Round Table did the same. As a result, a foreign silence fell.
"Hey, don't be so nervous. Rather, it is safe to say that this is good news." The Master waved his hands as if to dispel the tension in the air and slowly parted his lips. "In two years, a binding spell capable of binding up to six people will be created. That means the number of keys to open the Gate of the Abyss will increase to six!"
The silence turned oppressive. The members glanced at each other awkwardly and said nothing.
The Master tilted his head at this. "Huh, why do you all look like that? I thought you would be more surprised..."
That's because you're one step behind.
A six-person binding spell was information valuable enough to shake up the entire city for at least several months. However...
"...You revealed this news already? Eh, no wonder your reactions were so bland." Realizing that Clown had mentioned this in the last summit, the Master sounded somewhat disappointed. "But that's kind of a surprise. Clown, I didn't expect you to tell them something like that. Have you taken a liking to the people here now?"
"Hehe, of course not. I was just curious about how a certain someone would react." Clown looked at me with his characteristic laugh.
Following his line of sight, the Master glanced at me with a look that seemed to be full of meaning. I was nervous that he was going to say something to me.
Zzzzzz.
But just then, the Master's body began to shimmer like a hologram. "Darn, it's already time for me to leave."
"Master!" Fox shouted in disappointment, but he just shimmered even more in response.
But even in a situation like this, the Master looked solely at me. It was a very unpleasant and uncomfortable gaze. We were only looking at each other, but it felt like he was seeing right through me.
In the end, I couldn't stand it and asked, "Do you have something to say to me, Gramps?"
"It's not Gramps, it's Old Man." A voice resonated through my head like a Secret Voice spell. It was clear who the owner of the voice was. "That's what that damn kid called me."
God damn it. No wonder he let that slide so easily.
He knew from the start?
Without realizing it, my body stiffened slightly. Of course, the movement was so insignificant that it was difficult to capture with the naked eye, and it only lasted an instant.
"Hmm, in truth, your response was so smooth that I'm confused even now. But judging by your rapid increase in heart rate, I guess you really aren't that kid."
What the—he was just feeling me out?
"Don't worry. I feel no reason to interfere with whatever you're doing here. I am just curious. But unfortunately, I don't have time today. We will talk about who you are next time we meet." With that, the Master's body dissipated before my eyes like fog.
"Ha." I laughed out loud, the nonsensical kind of laugh that came out when one experienced something too ridiculous to process. There really wasn't a single son of a bitch in this world that was easy to deal with, huh.