Chapter 372: Black Star (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 372: Black Star (5)
Surprisingly, talking to Hyeonbyeol was easy. Considering our relationship and the fact that we were both hiding things, I thought it would be much more awkward.
She never crosses a line once someone draws it, which is very convenient.
The economy, culture, politics, and administration—there were plenty of topics we could connect on without figuring out each other's identities, and so we spent a good chunk of time discussing those things freely.
"The library... we might have seen each other once or twice in passing."
"Do you go often as well?"
"Just when I have time."
"True, there's no better way to get information than books."
When I checked the time, I saw that about two hours had passed since I first stumbled across Hyeonbyeol.
Wow, I didn't even notice the time. What should we talk about next?
While I was thinking about this, Hyeonbyeol spoke cautiously. "But hey..."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"What kind of people are your friends?"
I tilted my head at her. "...Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"I'm just curious," Hyeonbyeol replied nonchalantly. "Since it was actually your fault that you didn't have any friends."
"...Huh? You're just going to upper-cut me out of the blue like that?" I asked, dazed.
Hyeonbyeol scrambled to clarify. "No, that's not what I meant... I just meant that your criteria for having friends was always whether you considered them a friend or not. In reality, there were probably a lot of people who thought of you as a friend. You know, those people who message you every New Year's or on birthdays."
"Hey, those aren't friends. They're acquaintances."
"That's what I'm saying. It's your way of thinking that's the problem."
I had a lot to say to that but I didn't argue with her because I could see what she was trying to convey.
"That's why I was surprised. The friends you have now... are people you consider friends too."
"Yeah...?"
"To be honest, I don't know what kind of magic was cast on you that you've changed so much. What kind of people are they?"
...Is the fact that I have friends now really so strange that she would say this?
That kind of left a bad taste in my mouth, but I still gave her an answer. "They're trustworthy. To the point where I wouldn't worry even if they were standing behind me holding a knife."
"Hmm, so you were able to build a deep trust because you had to fight together with your lives on the line?"
"I guess so?"
"But isn't that just colleagues, not friends?"
Uh... Yeah, but...
"Considering the society we're in, colleagues, or comrades, are considered more than just friends but an even closer relationship—"
"So they're just colleagues."
I couldn't reply. Well, what did it matter whether they were friends or colleagues? The key here was that we were important people to each other.
"...What is that?" she asked suspiciously. "That look in your eyes?"
"Come to think of it, you didn't have any friends, either."
"There were tons of people who thought of me as a friend, okay?"
I know that, but you're like me. Someone who cares more about your own thoughts and feelings than what others think.
"So, have you made any friends here?"
"...I don't need them. I'm going back, anyway."
"Really? I guess that's that, then."
When I chuckled, Hyeonbyeol shot me an indignant look, but it didn't last long. "Huh?" She suddenly flinched. "I just heard a ding! in my ears."
"Ah, looks like you got a message."
"A message...?"
"Did you post something on the Exchange?"
"No, but I did send in a proposal on a post from someone looking to buy information. I thought it would be convenient to earn some GP. How do I check the message?"
"You can't see it here. You have to see it for yourself on the computer."
"...Then I guess I'll have to check it later."
"Just go see it now. Seeing as the reply came late, it looks like there must have been a message from another seller."
When I gave her the okay, Hyeonbyeol's expression brightened. It seemed she also thought this was the most reasonable course of action. "Then I'm sorry. I'll be back soon."
"Huh? You'll be back?"
"...Are you going to leave?"
"If I wait here, you'll be in a rush to finish. No need to do that. I'll see you again next time. Besides, you said this is your first time in the community. Instead of being here with me, you should check out the other pages."
"That's... true." As expected, when I made a logical argument, Hyeonbyeol nodded without objection. "Then I'll see you next month."
"Yeah, take care of yourself."
We even exchanged brief goodbyes. Well, they should have been goodbyes, anyway.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
Hyeonbyeol didn't answer.
"Ah, you want me to go first? Then—"
Right when I was focusing my mind on leaving the chat, Hyeonbyeol urgently grabbed my sleeve. "Wait! Um." She averted her eyes, staring off at a random corner of the room. "How do I get out...?"
Huh, no wonder she was alone in this empty chat. She's strangely dense about the weirdest things.
"Were you..."
...Stuck here because you didn't know how to get out, not because you were waiting for someone?
***
"Twenty-two... years ago?" the pale man asked, pressing his lips together.
"Yes," the woman answered. "That's what he said. And the jewel on the Round Table turned green. But how? That was before the community was even created, right?"
The man kept his mouth shut. Actually, his mind was more preoccupied with other things—like the masked man he met after taking over the spiritual world from the old man he presumed to be Auril Gavis.
"It's your choice whether you believe me or not. I just came here to warn you."
At first, the man pretended to be someone else, but when his ploy was exposed, he gave the GM advice that almost sounded more like a threat.
"There were tons of people who thought of me as a friend, okay?"
I know that, but you're like me. Someone who cares more about your own thoughts and feelings than what others think.
"So, have you made any friends here?"
"...I don't need them. I'm going back, anyway."
"Really? I guess that's that, then."
When I chuckled, Hyeonbyeol shot me an indignant look, but it didn't last long. "Huh?" She suddenly flinched. "I just heard a ding! in my ears."
"Ah, looks like you got a message."
"A message...?"
"Did you post something on the Exchange?"
"No, but I did send in a proposal on a post from someone looking to buy information. I thought it would be convenient to earn some GP. How do I check the message?"
"You can't see it here. You have to see it for yourself on the computer."
"...Then I guess I'll have to check it later."
"Just go see it now. Seeing as the reply came late, it looks like there must have been a message from another seller."
When I gave her the okay, Hyeonbyeol's expression brightened. It seemed she also thought this was the most reasonable course of action. "Then I'm sorry. I'll be back soon."
"Huh? You'll be back?"
"...Are you going to leave?"
"If I wait here, you'll be in a rush to finish. No need to do that. I'll see you again next time. Besides, you said this is your first time in the community. Instead of being here with me, you should check out the other pages."
"That's... true." As expected, when I made a logical argument, Hyeonbyeol nodded without objection. "Then I'll see you next month."
"Yeah, take care of yourself."
We even exchanged brief goodbyes. Well, they should have been goodbyes, anyway.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
Hyeonbyeol didn't answer.
"Ah, you want me to go first? Then—"
Right when I was focusing my mind on leaving the chat, Hyeonbyeol urgently grabbed my sleeve. "Wait! Um." She averted her eyes, staring off at a random corner of the room. "How do I get out...?"
Huh, no wonder she was alone in this empty chat. She's strangely dense about the weirdest things.
"Were you..."
...Stuck here because you didn't know how to get out, not because you were waiting for someone?
***
"Twenty-two... years ago?" the pale man asked, pressing his lips together.
"Yes," the woman answered. "That's what he said. And the jewel on the Round Table turned green. But how? That was before the community was even created, right?"
The man kept his mouth shut. Actually, his mind was more preoccupied with other things—like the masked man he met after taking over the spiritual world from the old man he presumed to be Auril Gavis.
"It's your choice whether you believe me or not. I just came here to warn you."
At first, the man pretended to be someone else, but when his ploy was exposed, he gave the GM advice that almost sounded more like a threat.
"So that was your name."
Then he forcibly learned his name.
"...Master, your hands are shaking."
The man reflexively lowered his head and saw that his fingertips were trembling slightly. It had already been twenty years, but still. Of course, he knew now that the energy that had constricted his body back then had been murderous intent.
Squeeze.
The man gripped his knees with shaking hands and forced them to stop quivering. As the saying went, ignorance was bliss. At times, it was more terrifying to know something than it was to not know. He couldn't imagine how many people someone had to kill to be capable of that kind of murderous intent.
But to think that had been Lion...
It had been so long ago that he hadn't been able to make the connection right away. Now that he thought about it, it all made sense—the fact that Lion knew his name was Yurven Havellion and the ridiculous murderous intent Soul Queen reported.
He said three months...
The GM felt both scared and relieved at the same time. If he had been prideful and immediately disregarded the threat, he might have made an enemy of that man. However, as afraid as he was of him, he needed to know more about him. If Lion really was the strange man he encountered that day twenty-two years ago, what was he after? That would be the key to figuring this out.
It was three years ago that he reappeared in the community.
His nickname was Elfnunna. He was under the impression that he wasn't an evil spirit from somewhere other than Earth, but there was no way of knowing for sure. The man was too secretive for him to come to any concrete conclusions.
As soon as he entered the community, he met with Baekho Lee, then immediately joined the Round Table.
If so, what was the reason? A clue to that lay in the conversation they had twenty-two years ago.
"Auril Gavis..."
"Isn't that the name of the game's creator?"
After the GM took over the community, that man warned him to be wary of Auril Gavis, the old man who passed on his admin rights. This man had dragged them into this world and didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it.
"Excuse me. You're busy thinking."
Slowly, the thread began to unravel. Lion was Auril Gavis's enemy.
And the reason he reappeared in the community after twenty years... was because the Master of the Round Table... was Auril Gavis?
Nickname 0720 was the creator of the Watchers of the Round Table, and someone he had assumed was an evil spirit from another realm.
No, there are too many holes in this theory too.
"Soul Queen, you said the Master of the Round Table has visited the Round Table once, is that correct?"
"Yes. I wasn't there at the time, but that's what I heard."
"And the two seemed to be close friends."
"Yes. Apparently, all the members were surprised because it seemed like a casual relationship."
"I see..."
The thread looked like it was finally unraveling, but he soon hit another wall. It felt like the more he dug, the more he sank into quicksand. Auril Gavis, Master, Lion, Baekho Lee—the GM had no idea what any of them wanted. No matter how hard he tried to piece it all together, he ran into contradictions due to a lack of information.
"So that was your name."
Then he forcibly learned his name.
"...Master, your hands are shaking."
The man reflexively lowered his head and saw that his fingertips were trembling slightly. It had already been twenty years, but still. Of course, he knew now that the energy that had constricted his body back then had been murderous intent.
Squeeze.
The man gripped his knees with shaking hands and forced them to stop quivering. As the saying went, ignorance was bliss. At times, it was more terrifying to know something than it was to not know. He couldn't imagine how many people someone had to kill to be capable of that kind of murderous intent.
But to think that had been Lion...
It had been so long ago that he hadn't been able to make the connection right away. Now that he thought about it, it all made sense—the fact that Lion knew his name was Yurven Havellion and the ridiculous murderous intent Soul Queen reported.
He said three months...
The GM felt both scared and relieved at the same time. If he had been prideful and immediately disregarded the threat, he might have made an enemy of that man. However, as afraid as he was of him, he needed to know more about him. If Lion really was the strange man he encountered that day twenty-two years ago, what was he after? That would be the key to figuring this out.
It was three years ago that he reappeared in the community.
His nickname was Elfnunna. He was under the impression that he wasn't an evil spirit from somewhere other than Earth, but there was no way of knowing for sure. The man was too secretive for him to come to any concrete conclusions.
As soon as he entered the community, he met with Baekho Lee, then immediately joined the Round Table.
If so, what was the reason? A clue to that lay in the conversation they had twenty-two years ago.
"Auril Gavis..."
"Isn't that the name of the game's creator?"
After the GM took over the community, that man warned him to be wary of Auril Gavis, the old man who passed on his admin rights. This man had dragged them into this world and didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it.
"Excuse me. You're busy thinking."
Slowly, the thread began to unravel. Lion was Auril Gavis's enemy.
And the reason he reappeared in the community after twenty years... was because the Master of the Round Table... was Auril Gavis?
Nickname 0720 was the creator of the Watchers of the Round Table, and someone he had assumed was an evil spirit from another realm.
No, there are too many holes in this theory too.
"Soul Queen, you said the Master of the Round Table has visited the Round Table once, is that correct?"
"Yes. I wasn't there at the time, but that's what I heard."
"And the two seemed to be close friends."
"Yes. Apparently, all the members were surprised because it seemed like a casual relationship."
"I see..."
The thread looked like it was finally unraveling, but he soon hit another wall. It felt like the more he dug, the more he sank into quicksand. Auril Gavis, Master, Lion, Baekho Lee—the GM had no idea what any of them wanted. No matter how hard he tried to piece it all together, he ran into contradictions due to a lack of information.
Grit.
Still, he knew one thing for sure. Even now, somewhere out there, giants in a league he had no hopes of ever joining were pursuing their own agendas with great determination.
"...At this point, I have no choice but to admit it."
"Admit what?"
The man pressed his lips together. The admin of the community? The GM? The oldest player? Even if countless players described him like that and looked up to him, that didn't change the facts. Ultimately, he was nothing more than a weakling compared to these people.
"Soul Queen, it seems a lot of things are happening out of our sight."
"Yes, I've been feeling like that more often lately too."
"We will have to work harder in the future." Rather than despairing, the man accepted his shortcomings and moved on.
Then, as if the heavens themselves had decided to honor his resolve, Soul Queen suddenly said, "M-Master! Lion is in the Korean chatroom, and there are two participants—"
"Who is the other person?"
"A user called HS123. Someone I helped onboard earlier. Th-they were Korean!"
"...So it's a new member from this go-around." The man hurriedly doled out instructions. "Send them a message. I need to meet with them."
An opportunity like this may never come again.
***
It was a small room with a bed to one side and a computer desk to the other. Hyeonbyeol Kang thought this was kind of funny.
"This space is a manifestation of your imagination and sense of self."
That was what the guide told her when she first entered the community. Although the woman couldn't see it for herself since Hyeonbyeol's mental barrier was so thick, apparently this room was based on the first place that came to her mind. It was supposedly the place she thought she should be, or where she felt the most stability.
How funny. To think that's here.
Hyeonbyeol smiled cheerlessly. She knew this was the place, but the most important part, that person wasn't here.
"...Focus on doing what you need to do."
Hyeonbyeol scanned the room before sitting down at the computer desk. After checking the message she received, she frowned.
What the...? This isn't a message from the buyer.
Setting aside the annoyance she felt, she combed through the contents of the message carefully. This was because of the nickname of the sender.
Soul Queen... that's the guide woman I met when I first came in.
Hyeonbyeol didn't know why, but that woman was requesting to meet with her.
Click, click.
Without much hesitation, she entered the password written on the note and entered the chat. A strange man and a familiar woman were seated inside the room.
Elfnunalove? What's with that nickname?
Hyeonbyeol felt a visceral discomfort from the get-go but she didn't let it show.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I am Elfnunalove."
"Yes. Hello. How can I help you?"
"I have something to discuss with you, Ms. HS123—"
"Please just call me 'you.' It's a bit weird to be called that out loud."
"Ahaha, I understand. It can be like that." At Hyeonbyeol's request, the man burst into a good-natured laugh. She was dumbfounded.
You understand yet chose that nickname?
She studied the man with cool stoicism and quickly made a call.
Anyway, if he's going to take an overly accommodating stance despite the obvious edge in my voice... There must be a reason for that.
Hyeonbyeol did not intend to underestimate the man in front of her in the slightest. He seemed a bit dopey for some reason, but judging someone by their outward appearance was a foolish thing to do. The woman nicknamed Soul Queen was an administrator, so there was no way the man she was serving as counsel for could be an ordinary person.
Someone who might be the GM personally called to see me, a newbie...
There was no need to think too hard about it. The timing of the message, that creepy nickname, and the strangely submissive attitude... when combined, there was only one possibility.
This has something to do with Hansu.
Her assumptions were correct.
"You are Korean, yes?"
"Um, excuse me, but can we get straight to the point? I don't have much time."
"Haha, I understand. This is your first visit, after all. Twelve hours isn't enough to check everything out."
Hyeonbyeol didn't bother answering. And as always, that method proved incredibly effective.
"I see you are a woman of few words. Then I will get straight to the point. What is your relationship to the user Elfnunna?"
"Why should I answer that?"
"I will give you GP."
"I met him for the first time today. But what about him?"
"Hmm..." The man with the strange nickname of Elfnunalove seemed to contemplate whether or not she was telling the truth before letting her know the reason why he called her here. "I want to buy information on Elfnunna."
"Are you telling me to investigate him? We met today."
"Even trivial information is fine. I heard Koreans have a tight bond. If HS123—no, if you approach him, he will let down his guard a little."
"...And the payment?" Hyeonbyeol asked carefully.
The man's response was short and to the point. "Anything your heart desires."
"...And do you know what I desire?"
"Whatever it is, we have the power to make it happen."
"Is...that true...?" Hyeonbyeol set aside her indifference, the corners of her mouth rising. That was only natural. She had no intention of stepping away from this conversation for the sake of loyalty. That would be a foolish thing to do.
Hansu is such a klutz... I don't know what he did, but it looks like he ended up with these two on his trail.
Her eyes crinkled.
Grit.
Still, he knew one thing for sure. Even now, somewhere out there, giants in a league he had no hopes of ever joining were pursuing their own agendas with great determination.
"...At this point, I have no choice but to admit it."
"Admit what?"
The man pressed his lips together. The admin of the community? The GM? The oldest player? Even if countless players described him like that and looked up to him, that didn't change the facts. Ultimately, he was nothing more than a weakling compared to these people.
"Soul Queen, it seems a lot of things are happening out of our sight."
"Yes, I've been feeling like that more often lately too."
"We will have to work harder in the future." Rather than despairing, the man accepted his shortcomings and moved on.
Then, as if the heavens themselves had decided to honor his resolve, Soul Queen suddenly said, "M-Master! Lion is in the Korean chatroom, and there are two participants—"
"Who is the other person?"
"A user called HS123. Someone I helped onboard earlier. Th-they were Korean!"
"...So it's a new member from this go-around." The man hurriedly doled out instructions. "Send them a message. I need to meet with them."
An opportunity like this may never come again.
***
It was a small room with a bed to one side and a computer desk to the other. Hyeonbyeol Kang thought this was kind of funny.
"This space is a manifestation of your imagination and sense of self."
That was what the guide told her when she first entered the community. Although the woman couldn't see it for herself since Hyeonbyeol's mental barrier was so thick, apparently this room was based on the first place that came to her mind. It was supposedly the place she thought she should be, or where she felt the most stability.
How funny. To think that's here.
Hyeonbyeol smiled cheerlessly. She knew this was the place, but the most important part, that person wasn't here.
"...Focus on doing what you need to do."
Hyeonbyeol scanned the room before sitting down at the computer desk. After checking the message she received, she frowned.
What the...? This isn't a message from the buyer.
Setting aside the annoyance she felt, she combed through the contents of the message carefully. This was because of the nickname of the sender.
Soul Queen... that's the guide woman I met when I first came in.
Hyeonbyeol didn't know why, but that woman was requesting to meet with her.
Click, click.
Without much hesitation, she entered the password written on the note and entered the chat. A strange man and a familiar woman were seated inside the room.
Elfnunalove? What's with that nickname?
Hyeonbyeol felt a visceral discomfort from the get-go but she didn't let it show.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I am Elfnunalove."
"Yes. Hello. How can I help you?"
"I have something to discuss with you, Ms. HS123—"
"Please just call me 'you.' It's a bit weird to be called that out loud."
"Ahaha, I understand. It can be like that." At Hyeonbyeol's request, the man burst into a good-natured laugh. She was dumbfounded.
You understand yet chose that nickname?
She studied the man with cool stoicism and quickly made a call.
Anyway, if he's going to take an overly accommodating stance despite the obvious edge in my voice... There must be a reason for that.
Hyeonbyeol did not intend to underestimate the man in front of her in the slightest. He seemed a bit dopey for some reason, but judging someone by their outward appearance was a foolish thing to do. The woman nicknamed Soul Queen was an administrator, so there was no way the man she was serving as counsel for could be an ordinary person.
Someone who might be the GM personally called to see me, a newbie...
There was no need to think too hard about it. The timing of the message, that creepy nickname, and the strangely submissive attitude... when combined, there was only one possibility.
This has something to do with Hansu.
Her assumptions were correct.
"You are Korean, yes?"
"Um, excuse me, but can we get straight to the point? I don't have much time."
"Haha, I understand. This is your first visit, after all. Twelve hours isn't enough to check everything out."
Hyeonbyeol didn't bother answering. And as always, that method proved incredibly effective.
"I see you are a woman of few words. Then I will get straight to the point. What is your relationship to the user Elfnunna?"
"Why should I answer that?"
"I will give you GP."
"I met him for the first time today. But what about him?"
"Hmm..." The man with the strange nickname of Elfnunalove seemed to contemplate whether or not she was telling the truth before letting her know the reason why he called her here. "I want to buy information on Elfnunna."
"Are you telling me to investigate him? We met today."
"Even trivial information is fine. I heard Koreans have a tight bond. If HS123—no, if you approach him, he will let down his guard a little."
"...And the payment?" Hyeonbyeol asked carefully.
The man's response was short and to the point. "Anything your heart desires."
"...And do you know what I desire?"
"Whatever it is, we have the power to make it happen."
"Is...that true...?" Hyeonbyeol set aside her indifference, the corners of her mouth rising. That was only natural. She had no intention of stepping away from this conversation for the sake of loyalty. That would be a foolish thing to do.
Hansu is such a klutz... I don't know what he did, but it looks like he ended up with these two on his trail.
Her eyes crinkled.