Chapter 571: The Last Gathering (1)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 571: The Last Gathering (1)

My eyes opened to a customization room lined with dozens of unique outfits and even more masks. I donned my usual blue suit and slipped my lion mask over my face, my every movement quick and efficient.

This was routine to me at this point. Not to brag, but after coming here almost every month for years, I could probably find my outfit and put on every piece with my eyes closed.

"This is... the last one."

I was disappointed, of course, but the realization also left me strangely sad. Recently, the information I'd been getting from the Round Table wasn't nearly as game-changing to me as it used to be, but...

My feet refused to move, so once I was done changing into my suit, I let my mind wander as I took in the other masks and clothes on display.

And then, a thought struck me, a memory of a conversation I'd almost forgotten.

"The most similar to your destiny..."

Back in my early days as a Watcher of the Round Table, I was told that new members instinctively chose the mask that most closely resembled who they were destined to be. So why had I chosen the lion's mask? Although it was better than a Goblin or an Orc, I still didn't understand my choice.

To be honest, I like tigers more than lions.

So, years after choosing my mask, I took a moment to reflect on what it might mean, hoping to come up with an answer. However, when nothing came to mind, I moved on to my next question.

Why was Fox a fox?

Why was Goblin a Goblin?

And what was with Deer?

Rather than an actual deer, his mask was more just a plain mask with antlers attached to it.

"...I don't know."

I couldn't stay here puzzling over this forever, so I slowly meandered out into the hallway. And then, as I walked down the red carpet I had walked down so many times before, another thought occurred to me.

If my comrades ever came to the Round Table, which masks would they have chosen?

Ainar would be a golden retriever...

I came up with masks for all the members of the Anabada Clan, like Amelia and Erwen, and then threw in my past allies like Raven, Rotmiller, and even the dwarf too. And though it wasn't intentional, I left Missha for last.

Missha is...

She was much easier than the others. Although at first glance it wouldn't seem like a good fit for someone of the Red Cat Tribe...

She's closer to a puppy than a cat.

Not any ordinary puppy, of course. The mask that I felt would suit her best was one that was hidden in a shadowy corner of the customization room—the dog mask covered in deep scars and grooves.

The problem was that I'd probably left at least a few of those scars myself.

Enough.

I shook off the thought and came to a stop.

"Pshehe... you're finally here. I was a little worried that I wasn't going to get to say goodbye."

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...

I was going to be a little upset if someone skipped.

But thankfully, the masks I had grown so accustomed to after all these years were all there looking back at me.

Deer, Crescent, Fox, Clown—these were the original members who'd been here when I first joined the Round Table. After that came Goblin, who I'd gotten to know in the months that followed, and Queen, who entered under the orders of the GM a while later. Even the mysterious, relatively recent trio of Black, Wolf, and Butterfly were present.

Everyone was in their seats and staring up at me in silence.

What, were they waiting for me to give some sort of speech since this was the last meeting of the Round Table? I couldn't say, but I stuck to my persona until the bitter end and ignored them to take my seat.

Boom!

Usually, once the door closed and I was in my seat, the meeting started right away, but today proved to be a little different. Rather than immediately beginning the meeting, they all talked.

"So, this is the last one... It feels like I've been struck by lightning."

"Yeah... I guess starting next month, we won't have a place to meet anymore?"

"Well, I suppose I'll at least be able to get a good night's sleep for once. I was always tired the day after the forums opened."

A deep melancholy underpinned each of these comments—even Queen's, who was an admin herself.

"...It is a shame. There are still things we have yet to figure out."

In response to this brief insight into Queen's feelings, Goblin glanced her way before carefully asking, "Then... can't you just keep the doors open?"

"That's not possible. We have our reasons."

"Could we possibly... hear what those reasons might be?"

"Sorry, Mr. Crescent. I can't get into the details. However, if I were to say one thing... this decision was not one we wanted to make."

"...Did the royal family really pressure you into shutting things down?"

"No comment, Ms. Fox."

As expected, the star of this conversation was Queen. As one of the admins, she would have the most insight into what was going on here.

But it seemed there were those who had been hoping for someone else to step in and run the show.

"...So he's not here today?"

"Who?"

"Master," Wolf mumbled. "I thought maybe Master would show up today."

Queen nodded in agreement. She had shown a keen interest in the Master during prior meetings.

As I scanned the room, taking in the conversation, my eyes eventually landed on Goblin as he quietly raised his hand.

"Do you have something to say?" Queen prompted.

"It's... nothing much... but since this is our last meeting, how about we exchange names?"

This suggestion made everyone do a double take, and the members who heard it right the first time stopped to stare at him in a way that conveyed just how absurd they found the idea.

However, Goblin persevered. "It's just... all of us meeting here was a happy accident in the first place. If we go our separate ways, there's no telling when or if we'll be able to see each other again. We could be helpful to each other out there in the real world... or if we made a new meeting place just like this one outside—"

"Mr. Goblin. Please stop."

The person to put an end to Goblin's nonsensical ramblings was Fox.

"The reason this group was created in the first place was to provide a space with guaranteed anonymity," she argued. "With that in mind, who would ever reveal their real names?"

Deer, Crescent, Fox, Clown—these were the original members who'd been here when I first joined the Round Table. After that came Goblin, who I'd gotten to know in the months that followed, and Queen, who entered under the orders of the GM a while later. Even the mysterious, relatively recent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trio of Black, Wolf, and Butterfly were present.

Everyone was in their seats and staring up at me in silence.

What, were they waiting for me to give some sort of speech since this was the last meeting of the Round Table? I couldn't say, but I stuck to my persona until the bitter end and ignored them to take my seat.

Boom!

Usually, once the door closed and I was in my seat, the meeting started right away, but today proved to be a little different. Rather than immediately beginning the meeting, they all talked.

"So, this is the last one... It feels like I've been struck by lightning."

"Yeah... I guess starting next month, we won't have a place to meet anymore?"

"Well, I suppose I'll at least be able to get a good night's sleep for once. I was always tired the day after the forums opened."

A deep melancholy underpinned each of these comments—even Queen's, who was an admin herself.

"...It is a shame. There are still things we have yet to figure out."

In response to this brief insight into Queen's feelings, Goblin glanced her way before carefully asking, "Then... can't you just keep the doors open?"

"That's not possible. We have our reasons."

"Could we possibly... hear what those reasons might be?"

"Sorry, Mr. Crescent. I can't get into the details. However, if I were to say one thing... this decision was not one we wanted to make."

"...Did the royal family really pressure you into shutting things down?"

"No comment, Ms. Fox."

As expected, the star of this conversation was Queen. As one of the admins, she would have the most insight into what was going on here.

But it seemed there were those who had been hoping for someone else to step in and run the show.

"...So he's not here today?"

"Who?"

"Master," Wolf mumbled. "I thought maybe Master would show up today."

Queen nodded in agreement. She had shown a keen interest in the Master during prior meetings.

As I scanned the room, taking in the conversation, my eyes eventually landed on Goblin as he quietly raised his hand.

"Do you have something to say?" Queen prompted.

"It's... nothing much... but since this is our last meeting, how about we exchange names?"

This suggestion made everyone do a double take, and the members who heard it right the first time stopped to stare at him in a way that conveyed just how absurd they found the idea.

However, Goblin persevered. "It's just... all of us meeting here was a happy accident in the first place. If we go our separate ways, there's no telling when or if we'll be able to see each other again. We could be helpful to each other out there in the real world... or if we made a new meeting place just like this one outside—"

"Mr. Goblin. Please stop."

The person to put an end to Goblin's nonsensical ramblings was Fox.

"The reason this group was created in the first place was to provide a space with guaranteed anonymity," she argued. "With that in mind, who would ever reveal their real names?"

"That's true... but I can't help but feel like I'd regret it if I didn't at least ask..."

"Pshe, it's cute that you think that way. Well, my identity was already revealed, so I don't really care either way... Ah, but I guess you're in the same boat, Goblin. Pshehe, that's pretty clever of you, actually. Proposing a trade where you alone wouldn't have anything to lose!"

"N-No... that wasn't what I was trying to do..." Goblin sputtered, clearly flustered by Clown's jeering.

Unexpectedly, it was Queen who came to Goblin's rescue. "Mr. Goblin, you don't need to explain yourself. Everyone knows that that wasn't your intention."

"...R-Really?"

"Yes. You're just upset about this being our last meeting, isn't that right?"

"Yes... that really was all..."

We could all hear in his voice that he didn't want this to end.

You know, this isn't high school graduation or anything, man.

This guy got way more emotionally attached to things than he let on. Or was that just his personality the whole time and I hadn't realized? It seemed he truly was the weakest link in the Round Table.

By the way, isn't it about time we get started?

Even if we were all disappointed that this was the last time, it wasn't like we were here to exchange fond farewells and see each other off.

As if reading my mind, Fox took the initiative to end the small talk and officially begin the meeting. "Now that that's settled—"

"Wait." One of the original members, Crescent, cut her off before she could really get going. "Could I make a suggestion?"

"...A suggestion?"

"We don't know what might happen in the future, but this truly could be the last time we're ever together like this. So..." Crescent glanced around at everyone and said, "How about we change the rules a little for our final meeting?"

"...Change them? What do you mean?"

"Let's go around asking questions of each other one by one. We must all have some questions we've always wanted to ask someone here."

"Hmm..."

A certain glint appeared in the eyes of each member of the Round Table. I could tell they weren't too eager to try out Crescent's idea.

Picking up on the shift in mood, Crescent quickly threw in one more rule.

"Of course, you don't have to answer any questions you deem too invasive. If you want to skip, you can just do a normal turn. What do you say?"

Silence fell over the room as the suggestion lingered in the air. While most of us kept quiet to gauge the others' reactions, one person felt no need to conform and slashed through the quiet with glee.

"Pshe, are you dense?" Clown cackled. "Who would answer any questions if you add a clause like that? We'd all just share the information we prepared like usual."

Everyone had been thinking the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠same thing, even if none of us had said it out loud. If there wasn't a penalty attached to skipping, there was no need to play along and answer the question, and if we did play along, it would likely only benefit the asker. Other people might not be interested in the question being asked or its answer.

"...Please forget my suggestion."

In the end, even Crescent agreed that he'd been shortsighted and rescinded his proposal. After eying the others to make sure no one else would interrupt, Fox took charge, and the meeting began.

"That's true... but I can't help but feel like I'd regret it if I didn't at least ask..."

"Pshe, it's cute that you think that way. Well, my identity was already revealed, so I don't really care either way... Ah, but I guess you're in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠same boat, Goblin. Pshehe, that's pretty clever of you, actually. Proposing a trade where you alone wouldn't have anything to lose!"

"N-No... that wasn't what I was trying to do..." Goblin sputtered, clearly flustered by Clown's jeering.

Unexpectedly, it was Queen who came to Goblin's rescue. "Mr. Goblin, you don't need to explain yourself. Everyone knows that that wasn't your intention."

"...R-Really?"

"Yes. You're just upset about this being our last meeting, isn't that right?"

"Yes... that really was all..."

We could all hear in his voice that he didn't want this to end.

You know, this isn't high school graduation or anything, man.

This guy got way more emotionally attached to things than he let on. Or was that just his personality the whole time and I hadn't realized? It seemed he truly was the weakest link in the Round Table.

By the way, isn't it about time we get started?

Even if we were all disappointed that this was the last time, it wasn't like we were here to exchange fond farewells and see each other off.

As if reading my mind, Fox took the initiative to end the small talk and officially begin the meeting. "Now that that's settled—"

"Wait." One of the original members, Crescent, cut her off before she could really get going. "Could I make a suggestion?"

"...A suggestion?"

"We don't know what might happen in the future, but this truly could be the last time we're ever together like this. So..." Crescent glanced around at everyone and said, "How about we change the rules a little for our final meeting?"

"...Change them? What do you mean?"

"Let's go around asking questions of each other one by one. We must all have some questions we've always wanted to ask someone here."

"Hmm..."

A certain glint appeared in the eyes of each member of the Round Table. I could tell they weren't too eager to try out Crescent's idea.

Picking up on the shift in mood, Crescent quickly threw in one more rule.

"Of course, you don't have to answer any questions you deem too invasive. If you want to skip, you can just do a normal turn. What do you say?"

Silence fell over the room as the suggestion lingered in the air. While most of us kept quiet to gauge the others' reactions, one person felt no need to conform and slashed through the quiet with glee.

"Pshe, are you dense?" Clown cackled. "Who would answer any questions if you add a clause like that? We'd all just share the information we prepared like usual."

Everyone had been thinking the same thing, even if none of us had said it out loud. If there wasn't a penalty attached to skipping, there was no need to play along and answer the question, and if we did play along, it would likely only benefit the asker. Other people might not be interested in the question being asked or its answer.

"...Please forget my suggestion."

In the end, even Crescent agreed that he'd been shortsighted and rescinded his proposal. After eying the others to make sure no one else would interrupt, Fox took charge, and the meeting began.

"Then first is... Deer. Would you be so kind?"

"Sure."

The first to go this time around was Deer, a knight of the palace. As you'd expect, the information he gave was concise.

"There is a very high chance that the royal family has nothing to do with the community shutting down."

"Offering up a theory as fact... You know that you need to produce enough evidence to make us believe it, right?"

"The royal family intended to use the community as a means to gather and share information with the expedition group they sent to Basement Floor One. If they knew they were going to shut down Ghost Busters the month after, they would never have pursued that plan in the first place."

"Or maybe it's just that they kept their real plan a secret and you weren't in the know?"

In other words, perhaps he was the only one in the palace who wasn't aware of what was going on behind the scenes. To that, though Deer was visibly infuriated, he didn't say a word.

The possibility was definitely there.

"All of you can decide for yourselves." Deer handed off responsibility to us, and the other members ended up giving him the okay.

The reason for that was simple.

"An expedition group..." Wolf grumbled to himself. "I knew that they intended to take control of the new area, but I didn't expect the palace to send their own people down to the basement..."

There were still a few people at the table who hadn't even known of the expedition group's existence before Deer brought it up. Although Wolf was the only one to admit it out loud, Clown probably hadn't known about it either, given that he was from Noark.

Well, I was still a little surprised that information like that got the okay.

Maybe it's because this is the last meeting? They all seem inclined to be a little more generous today.

In any case, we moved on to the next person, Fox.

"According to a trustworthy source, the expedition group has already joined up with Baron Yandel and is now traveling with him."

The information Fox offered up was about our quest. I knew it was unavoidable. She had been stuck on Basement Floor One for months now. There was no way she'd have any other new information to share.

"But... that isn't actually that useful, is it?"

However, Queen levied a complaint about Fox's attempt, and the other members nodded in agreement. Fox needed to give a second piece of information.

"Bjorn Yandel has acquired the essence of Bellarios."

Hah, so it came to this.

Although I didn't like when any of my personal information was leaked on principle, this wasn't actually that big a deal. There'd already been so many witnesses around when I got the essence that I'd known from the start that news would spread the moment we got back to the city.

"By Bellarios... you mean that rank-three monster."

"That man... How many rank-threes does he have now?"

"Could we also know what color essence it was?"

"Pshe, that barbarian only cares about getting buffer, so isn't it obvious?"

"From what I've heard, even aura doesn't work against him... and now he won't be weak to magic anymore either."

It once again hit me just how famous Bjorn Yandel had become as I listened to each of the members comment on this new information.

"Then... let's move on to the next person."

Perhaps not wanting me to be the main topic of conversation any longer than necessary, Fox quickly hurried the meeting along.

"Haha, then I'll go."

It was Wolf's turn next. He was a seasoned veteran who supported and defended Auril Gavis, the old man who served as the Master of the Round Table, to a nearly suspicious degree.

"Auril Gavis is currently residing outside the city walls."

And the information he gave was also related to the old man this time around.

Outside the walls... Looks like Baekho Lee's guess was right.

It was a short snippet of information, but because of the subject matter, it was given the green light without argument.

"Then next..."

The meeting continued after Wolf's turn without hiccups.

"Recently... I received a blessing—a revelation. It was a prophetic dream."

"Pshe, you and those blessings of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yours—"

"In that prophetic dream, Bjorn Yandel died."

Goblin shared with them information about a prophecy that had already been dealt with like it was breaking news. A few people practically had question marks floating over their heads at this shocking reveal, but Goblin didn't elaborate and ended his turn there.

Yeah, that was how you pulled off a proper scam.

In any case, the people after him followed his lead and kept things short and sweet as well.

"...Ghost Busters will never reopen."

Queen used her turn to put a nail in the coffin.

Crescent talked a bit about the dwarves' plan to create a new Genesis Treasure.

And Butterfly, Black, and Clown seemed to want to conserve their strength during this first round, as they passed their turns with information that was average at best.

"Now it's... the last person."

Finally, my turn came.

As always, everyone turned to look at me expectantly. However, I completely ignored all of them, my gaze trained on one person in particular.

Crescent was looking at me with more desperation than anyone else. I found that I couldn't quite meet his eye.

"Let's go around asking questions of each other one by one."

The reason Crescent had suggested we change the rules was because of me. If this really was our last meeting, he no doubt had something he wanted to ask me about.

Hah... I already know what I'm going to say, but I can't seem to get myself to actually say it.

In truth, the information I was going to share had been decided before this meeting even started. There were things I needed to say before this group disbanded for good. And so, I forced my lips to part.

"The Stone of Revival..."

Crescent's eyes sparkled. But only for that one, brief moment.

"...can only be used on the body of a person..."

The spark began to flicker.

"...who hasn't been dead for very long."

And with those few words, I snuffed the hope in a man's eyes out entirely.

At the same time, something Baekho Lee said earlier rang through my mind.

"But hey, aren't you a hypocrite? You're constantly lying and manipulating people too."

Be it Missha, Baekho Lee, or whoever else...

Maybe I didn't have any right to judge them.

"Then first is... Deer. Would you be so kind?"

"Sure."

The first to go this time around was Deer, a knight of the palace. As you'd expect, the information he gave was concise.

"There is a very high chance that the royal family has nothing to do with the community shutting down."

"Offering up a theory as fact... You know that you need to produce enough evidence to make us believe it, right?"

"The royal family intended to use the community as a means to gather and share information with the expedition group they sent to Basement Floor One. If they knew they were going to shut down Ghost Busters the month after, they would never have pursued that plan in the first place."

"Or maybe it's just that they kept their real plan a secret and you weren't in the know?"

In other words, perhaps he was the only one in the palace who wasn't aware of what was going on behind the scenes. To that, though Deer was visibly infuriated, he didn't say a word.

The possibility was definitely there.

"All of you can decide for yourselves." Deer handed off responsibility to us, and the other members ended up giving him the okay.

The reason for that was simple.

"An expedition group..." Wolf grumbled to himself. "I knew that they intended to take control of the new area, but I didn't expect the palace to send their own people down to the basement..."

There were still a few people at the table who hadn't even known of the expedition group's existence before Deer brought it up. Although Wolf was the only one to admit it out loud, Clown probably hadn't known about it either, given that he was from Noark.

Well, I was still a little surprised that information like that got the okay.

Maybe it's because this is the last meeting? They all seem inclined to be a little more generous today.

In any case, we moved on to the next person, Fox.

"According to a trustworthy source, the expedition group has already joined up with Baron Yandel and is now traveling with him."

The information Fox offered up was about our quest. I knew it was unavoidable. She had been stuck on Basement Floor One for months now. There was no way she'd have any other new information to share.

"But... that isn't actually that useful, is it?"

However, Queen levied a complaint about Fox's attempt, and the other members nodded in agreement. Fox needed to give a second piece of information.

"Bjorn Yandel has acquired the essence of Bellarios."

Hah, so it came to this.

Although I didn't like when any of my personal information was leaked on principle, this wasn't actually that big a deal. There'd already been so many witnesses around when I got the essence that I'd known from the start that news would spread the moment we got back to the city.

"By Bellarios... you mean that rank-three monster."

"That man... How many rank-threes does he have now?"

"Could we also know what color essence it was?"

"Pshe, that barbarian only cares about getting buffer, so isn't it obvious?"

"From what I've heard, even aura doesn't work against him... and now he won't be weak to magic anymore either."

It once again hit me just how famous Bjorn Yandel had become as I listened to each of the members comment on this new information.

"Then... let's move on to the next person."

Perhaps not wanting me to be the main topic of conversation any longer than necessary, Fox quickly hurried the meeting along.

"Haha, then I'll go."

It was Wolf's turn next. He was a seasoned veteran who supported and defended Auril Gavis, the old man who served as the Master of the Round Table, to a nearly suspicious degree.

"Auril Gavis is currently residing outside the city walls."

And the information he gave was also related to the old man this time around.

Outside the walls... Looks like Baekho Lee's guess was right.

It was a short snippet of information, but because of the subject matter, it was given the green light without argument.

"Then next..."

The meeting continued after Wolf's turn without hiccups.

"Recently... I received a blessing—a revelation. It was a prophetic dream."

"Pshe, you and those blessings of yours—"

"In that prophetic dream, Bjorn Yandel died."

Goblin shared with them information about a prophecy that had already been dealt with like it was breaking news. A few people practically had question marks floating over their heads at this shocking reveal, but Goblin didn't elaborate and ended his turn there.

Yeah, that was how you pulled off a proper scam.

In any case, the people after him followed his lead and kept things short and sweet as well.

"...Ghost Busters will never reopen."

Queen used her turn to put a nail in the coffin.

Crescent talked a bit about the dwarves' plan to create a new Genesis Treasure.

And Butterfly, Black, and Clown seemed to want to conserve their strength during this first round, as they passed their turns with information that was average at best.

"Now it's... the last person."

Finally, my turn came.

As always, everyone turned to look at me expectantly. However, I completely ignored all of them, my gaze trained on one person in particular.

Crescent was looking at me with more desperation than anyone else. I found that I couldn't quite meet his eye.

"Let's go around asking questions of each other one by one."

The reason Crescent had suggested we change the rules was because of me. If this really was our last meeting, he no doubt had something he wanted to ask me about.

Hah... I already know what I'm going to say, but I can't seem to get myself to actually say it.

In truth, the information I was going to share had been decided before this meeting even started. There were things I needed to say before this group disbanded for good. And so, I forced my lips to part.

"The Stone of Revival..."

Crescent's eyes sparkled. But only for that one, brief moment.

"...can only be used on the body of a person..."

The spark began to flicker.

"...who hasn't been dead for very long."

And with those few words, I snuffed the hope in a man's eyes out entirely.

At the same time, something Baekho Lee said earlier rang through my mind.

"But hey, aren't you a hypocrite? You're constantly lying and manipulating people too."

Be it Missha, Baekho Lee, or whoever else...

Maybe I didn't have any right to judge them.