Chapter 289: Big Fish (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: Big Fish (1)
There was no second knock. As if the first knock was just to alert me that someone was coming in, the door opened right away without the knocker even asking for permission.
Creak.
It was an old man who entered. He had thick gray hair and wrinkled skin, but he didn't carry the characteristic air of fragility that usually accompanied an elderly person. There was no shakiness in his gait, and his back was straight with no hunches.
"Hmm." Even without words, the distinct temperament conveyed in his movements and the look in his eye was telling me that this old man was dangerous. "Judging by your outfit, you must be from Earth," the old man muttered curtly, giving me a once-over. "How did you get here?"
For a moment, my mind went blank. How should I answer? Judging by his outfit, it seemed he was definitely an evil spirit from another realm. I chose silence for now. Rather than hastily open my mouth, I decided to get the other side to speak first so I could get a better grasp of the situation.
Well, that was the plan, but...
"Incredible. Three rank-three essences already. It's been a little over a year since you people were brought here." This old man was reciting my personal information even though I hadn't said a word.
Damn it, where the hell do you get an ability like that?
"This is piquing my interest for the first time in a long while. Forget about how you got here, tell me this first: who are you?" I didn't respond. "Are you just going to keep staring at me like that?"
Anyone else might have been wary of a visit from an uninvited stranger, but the old man instead sounded friendly as he urged me to answer.
Jeez, what do I say?
Should I just tell him I was from the future? I did have that thought, but it remained just a thought. It wouldn't be wise to give out too much of my own information while I still didn't know anything about the other person.
"I'll ask the questions first."
"Oh? Then will you answer my questions too?"
"To some extent." I took advantage of my opponent's curiosity and seized the upper hand. As confused as I was, he must have been equally as curious about who I was. I was going to use this to obtain as much information as possible.
"Go ahead."
As soon as the old man gave me permission, I asked this question first: "What is your name?"
"Haha, my name, huh?" The old man laughed like he found the question anticlimactic, but his name was important to me because I had the advantage of coming from twenty years in the future. A name that was unknown now may not be in my time. With the right questions, I might even be able to find out what this guy was doing in the future. "Seeing as you want us to introduce ourselves, it seems you know your manners." The man then laughed welcomingly. "I am—"
But the moment he was about to speak, the old man suddenly frowned and shut his mouth. The frown only lasted a moment, though.
"Sorry. Something has come up out there, so I will have to resume this discussion later." The old man put a dignified end to our conversation and proceeded to make an unexpected proposal. "It would be rude to leave you here. Hmm, what to do... Will you come with me?"
I thought about this for a moment and replied that I would. What was I going to do in this room alone? If I followed this old man out there, I might be able to obtain more information.
"All right, you skinny fellows have courage. Anyway, going out like that will attract the attention of the other members, so here, put this on." When the old man waved his hand, an outfit suitable for a person from this era appeared out of thin air. But was that not good enough for him? "Ah, it would be best to cover your face too."
The old man even made me a white mask on the spot. What was this convenient ability? It could probably only be used in the spirit world, right? With that thought in mind, I put on the clothes and mask.
"Is it uncomfortable?"
"No, it fits just right."
"Haha, I should equip this place with something like this next time. There may be some people who don't want to show their faces. Now, then. Let's go."
After that, I followed the old man out of the room. As we walked, he gave me a few words of warning.
"Whoever you see inside, don't show any surprise or let them know that you know them. No, if possible, just keep your mouth shut like earlier and observe."
"What if someone talks to me first?"
"That won't happen, but even if it does, I will take care of it."
Well, if you say so.
Even as I walked behind the old man, I continued to inspect my surroundings. The more I did, the more I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. I'd gotten the same vibe from the room I was in earlier, but it really did feel similar to the mansion where the Round Table was located.
The fact that there are no windows is the same too.
Of course, details such as the decorations on the wall, the location of the room, and the width of the hallway were all different.
But something about writing it off as pure coincidence doesn't seem right to me.
I didn't dismiss it as just a flight of fancy and continued to scan the area. After who knows how long of that, the old man stopped walking down the hallway and slowly opened a large door. "We're here."
What is this place?
Surprisingly, there was a round table inside, the same Round Table that sat in the room I'd been in and out of countless times while wearing the mask of Lion. When I took a closer look, though, there were quite a few differences from that place. First of all, no jewel in the center of the Round Table distinguished truth from lies, and the room was also a bit smaller.
But it's similar.
Other than that, it was almost identical. From the pattern engraved on the edge of the Round Table to the obscure picture frames hanging on the wall, most details were consistent with the room where the Round Table met twenty years from now. But how?
Is this old man the Master?
Perhaps that was the identity of the old man standing in front of me now—the mysterious man whom I'd met just once before and who created the Watchers of the Round Table. Well, there was also the possibility that one of the other people here had simply modeled the Round Table after this place.
Anyway, let's think about this later.
Momentarily flinching at the familiar sight of the Round Table, I quickly came to my senses. The Round Table wasn't important right now. What was important were the four people sitting around it—three men and one woman. They looked our way as soon as the door opened.
"Who is that man behind you?" They showed a strong interest in me and the mask I wore. In a way, it was kind of similar to the first time I participated in the Round Table.
Geez, look at those eyes.
It was as if there were thorns in their eyes. Every time their gazes honed in on me, my skin stung and it felt a little like getting stabbed.
"You do not need to take an interest in who this man is." Unlike how he spoke to me earlier, the old man was firm and harsh with these guys. Everyone instantly settled down as he laid down the law, and he got straight to the point. "I heard there was trouble while I was gone. Of course, I trust that you lot are not foolish enough to forget the rules of this place, but I should hear this out first. What happened?"
The old man even made me a white mask on the spot. What was this convenient ability? It could probably only be used in the spirit world, right? With that thought in mind, I put on the clothes and mask.
"Is it uncomfortable?"
"No, it fits just right."
"Haha, I should equip this place with something like this next time. There may be some people who don't want to show their faces. Now, then. Let's go."
After that, I followed the old man out of the room. As we walked, he gave me a few words of warning.
"Whoever you see inside, don't show any surprise or let them know that you know them. No, if possible, just keep your mouth shut like earlier and observe."
"What if someone talks to me first?"
"That won't happen, but even if it does, I will take care of it."
Well, if you say so.
Even as I walked behind the old man, I continued to inspect my surroundings. The more I did, the more I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. I'd gotten the same vibe from the room I was in earlier, but it really did feel similar to the mansion where the Round Table was located.
The fact that there are no windows is the same too.
Of course, details such as the decorations on the wall, the location of the room, and the width of the hallway were all different.
But something about writing it off as pure coincidence doesn't seem right to me.
I didn't dismiss it as just a flight of fancy and continued to scan the area. After who knows how long of that, the old man stopped walking down the hallway and slowly opened a large door. "We're here."
What is this place?
Surprisingly, there was a round table inside, the same Round Table that sat in the room I'd been in and out of countless times while wearing the mask of Lion. When I took a closer look, though, there were quite a few differences from that place. First of all, no jewel in the center of the Round Table distinguished truth from lies, and the room was also a bit smaller.
But it's similar.
Other than that, it was almost identical. From the pattern engraved on the edge of the Round Table to the obscure picture frames hanging on the wall, most details were consistent with the room where the Round Table met twenty years from now. But how?
Is this old man the Master?
Perhaps that was the identity of the old man standing in front of me now—the mysterious man whom I'd met just once before and who created the Watchers of the Round Table. Well, there was also the possibility that one of the other people here had simply modeled the Round Table after this place.
Anyway, let's think about this later.
Momentarily flinching at the familiar sight of the Round Table, I quickly came to my senses. The Round Table wasn't important right now. What was important were the four people sitting around it—three men and one woman. They looked our way as soon as the door opened.
"Who is that man behind you?" They showed a strong interest in me and the mask I wore. In a way, it was kind of similar to the first time I participated in the Round Table.
Geez, look at those eyes.
It was as if there were thorns in their eyes. Every time their gazes honed in on me, my skin stung and it felt a little like getting stabbed.
"You do not need to take an interest in who this man is." Unlike how he spoke to me earlier, the old man was firm and harsh with these guys. Everyone instantly settled down as he laid down the law, and he got straight to the point. "I heard there was trouble while I was gone. Of course, I trust that you lot are not foolish enough to forget the rules of this place, but I should hear this out first. What happened?"
The old man spoke in the same tone one would use to scold small children, and an awkward silence fell in the hall. Given the fact that they were all averting eye contact every time his eyes passed over them, it seemed like they were trying to figure out who was going to take one for the team.
The first to step forward was a middle-aged man built like a mountain. "I'll say this in advance, but we have no intention of feuding with each other. However, this man keeps encouraging us to take outrageous action. "
At the man's criticism, a nearby man in black frowned. "How is suggesting killing the king outrageous?"
"Ha, you think I don't know why you want to kill the king? Do not try to drag us into your personal, greedy plans."
"Kagureas, are you still holding out hope of returning after decades of fruitless attempts?"
"Of course. As is everyone here. Oh, though you should be removed from that list now."
"How funny. If you wish to go back, shouldn't that make you all the more willing to help me? The palace likely holds the big secret that would be the final answer to all our questions."
"...Laying a hand on the king is too dangerous. There isn't even a guarantee that the palace holds any clues as to how to return."
It was obvious what the conflict was about—on one side, there were the fanatics who wanted to kill the king to obtain clues, and on the other side were the fence-sitters who thought that was too dangerous and wanted to find another way. The conversations of evil spirits twenty years in the past were quite fascinating, and I was listening intently when my mind went blank at the next thing the middle-aged man said.
"I don't care what you do on your own. Whether you establish Orcules or not doesn't affect me."
What? Establish Orcules? Could this be the founder?
I had stumbled on an unexpectedly big fish. Suddenly, I remembered what the old man had said earlier. What was it again? Something like, don't be surprised about who you see inside. If this was the leader of Orcules we were talking about, that warning was warranted. After all, this was a legend shrouded in mystery that no one knew anything about. I never expected to run into him here.
"But Lord Ruingenes is different." Just then, the middle-aged man glanced at an individual with the appearance of a child and then continued speaking. "If you attempt to persuade him with your nonsense, I will not stand idly by."
My mind temporarily went blank again.
Huh? Ruingenes is...
Belbev Ruingenes was the true name of Fallen Scholar, who was once the head of one of the greatest magical schools but had become a criminal after tampering with forbidden magic.
"Do you really believe he can perfect dimensional magic?"
"I do. I believe in that much more than a foolish plot to kill the king."
Staring at the child who was calmly sipping tea without paying any mind to the people discussing him, I clenched my fists.
Slurp.
Seriously, this kid is Fallen Scholar...? Jeez, what is this lineup?
After learning the identities of the two giants, I naturally became interested in the two people who remained.
I've never heard of the name Kagureas.
To start, this was my first time hearing the middle-aged man's name. The woman hadn't talked at all so I had no information on her. Just who the hell were these people?
Just then, the old man opened his mouth and quieted the hall. "I understand the situation now, so stop it, all of you." He wasn't particularly charismatic or anything, but the members were instantly cowed when he spoke. "Leave, everyone. I have more pressing matters to deal with today, so let's discuss this at a later date."
"Pressing matters?" The woman who had only been listening the whole time finally opened her mouth at the old man's words. "Is it related to that person behind you?"
"It is."
When the old man readily affirmed that, all eyes focused on me again. He's more important than us? That was what their looks seemed to be saying.
But while everyone else kept those thoughts to themselves as they waited for the old man to elaborate, the woman spoke up again. "Who is that person? I think this is the first time you've brought someone here. And why are they wearing a mask for no reason?"
The old man answered the same way he did before. "Never mind that. Will you all step outside now?"
When the old man issued another order for them to leave, everyone got up one by one, starting with the woman.
"Haha, we're finally alone." When everyone left, it was like a mask slid off the old man's face. His benevolent smile instantly returned. "Then let's continue our conversation. How far did we get?"
"...You were about to say your name."
"Oh, right." He laughed like an old man who lived next door, the kind who talked about how you'd feel the same when you got older and introduced himself without hesitation. "If you're from Earth, my name might be one you're already familiar with. Nice to meet you. I am Auril Gavis."
Auril Gavis, the author of the Complete Book of Rifts—and the creator of the game Dungeon and Stone.
The old man spoke in the same tone one would use to scold small children, and an awkward silence fell in the hall. Given the fact that they were all averting eye contact every time his eyes passed over them, it seemed like they were trying to figure out who was going to take one for the team.
The first to step forward was a middle-aged man built like a mountain. "I'll say this in advance, but we have no intention of feuding with each other. However, this man keeps encouraging us to take outrageous action. "
At the man's criticism, a nearby man in black frowned. "How is suggesting killing the king outrageous?"
"Ha, you think I don't know why you want to kill the king? Do not try to drag us into your personal, greedy plans."
"Kagureas, are you still holding out hope of returning after decades of fruitless attempts?"
"Of course. As is everyone here. Oh, though you should be removed from that list now."
"How funny. If you wish to go back, shouldn't that make you all the more willing to help me? The palace likely holds the big secret that would be the final answer to all our questions."
"...Laying a hand on the king is too dangerous. There isn't even a guarantee that the palace holds any clues as to how to return."
It was obvious what the conflict was about—on one side, there were the fanatics who wanted to kill the king to obtain clues, and on the other side were the fence-sitters who thought that was too dangerous and wanted to find another way. The conversations of evil spirits twenty years in the past were quite fascinating, and I was listening intently when my mind went blank at the next thing the middle-aged man said.
"I don't care what you do on your own. Whether you establish Orcules or not doesn't affect me."
What? Establish Orcules? Could this be the founder?
I had stumbled on an unexpectedly big fish. Suddenly, I remembered what the old man had said earlier. What was it again? Something like, don't be surprised about who you see inside. If this was the leader of Orcules we were talking about, that warning was warranted. After all, this was a legend shrouded in mystery that no one knew anything about. I never expected to run into him here.
"But Lord Ruingenes is different." Just then, the middle-aged man glanced at an individual with the appearance of a child and then continued speaking. "If you attempt to persuade him with your nonsense, I will not stand idly by."
My mind temporarily went blank again.
Huh? Ruingenes is...
Belbev Ruingenes was the true name of Fallen Scholar, who was once the head of one of the greatest magical schools but had become a criminal after tampering with forbidden magic.
"Do you really believe he can perfect dimensional magic?"
"I do. I believe in that much more than a foolish plot to kill the king."
Staring at the child who was calmly sipping tea without paying any mind to the people discussing him, I clenched my fists.
Slurp.
Seriously, this kid is Fallen Scholar...? Jeez, what is this lineup?
After learning the identities of the two giants, I naturally became interested in the two people who remained.
I've never heard of the name Kagureas.
To start, this was my first time hearing the middle-aged man's name. The woman hadn't talked at all so I had no information on her. Just who the hell were these people?
Just then, the old man opened his mouth and quieted the hall. "I understand the situation now, so stop it, all of you." He wasn't particularly charismatic or anything, but the members were instantly cowed when he spoke. "Leave, everyone. I have more pressing matters to deal with today, so let's discuss this at a later date."
"Pressing matters?" The woman who had only been listening the whole time finally opened her mouth at the old man's words. "Is it related to that person behind you?"
"It is."
When the old man readily affirmed that, all eyes focused on me again. He's more important than us? That was what their looks seemed to be saying.
But while everyone else kept those thoughts to themselves as they waited for the old man to elaborate, the woman spoke up again. "Who is that person? I think this is the first time you've brought someone here. And why are they wearing a mask for no reason?"
The old man answered the same way he did before. "Never mind that. Will you all step outside now?"
When the old man issued another order for them to leave, everyone got up one by one, starting with the woman.
"Haha, we're finally alone." When everyone left, it was like a mask slid off the old man's face. His benevolent smile instantly returned. "Then let's continue our conversation. How far did we get?"
"...You were about to say your name."
"Oh, right." He laughed like an old man who lived next door, the kind who talked about how you'd feel the same when you got older and introduced himself without hesitation. "If you're from Earth, my name might be one you're already familiar with. Nice to meet you. I am Auril Gavis."
Auril Gavis, the author of the Complete Book of Rifts—and the creator of the game Dungeon and Stone.