Chapter 576: Return (2)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 576: Return (2)

Fox, Wolf, Goblin, Queen, Butterfly, and then me and Auril Gavis.

The seven of us sat there as an unsettling static electrified the room that housed the Round Table. Honestly, though, how else could we have taken a bomb like that? The people here were all seasoned veterans who had been sucked into a strange world years ago and stuck here ever since.

"Go..."

"...home?"

And it was because they had been in this place for so long that they knew even better than most. Opening the Gate of the Abyss to return home was next to impossible. That was why they had mostly accepted their new lots and tried their best to live fulfilling lives here.

But now...

"What's wrong? Do you not like that prize?"

Things had changed.

The source of this upheaval was Auril Gavis, the man who created Dungeon and Stone. That man had suddenly declared that he could make the impossible possible. That if we played his game and won, he would give one of us a ticket home as a reward.

"Hmm, I thought that would be enough by way of compensation."

It was an offer that any other player would have rushed to accept like a moth driven to a flame, yet the members of the Round Table were calmer than expected. To be fair, who were these people but individuals who had managed to carve out a place for themselves in this brutal, deadly world? They knew better than anyone that the safest response when presented with something that seemed too good to be true was suspicion.

"...I want to hear what the game is first."

"If we have to agree to play before you'll tell us what it is, then I decline..."

As such, rather than wag their tails and come running, they decided to collect information first to make an informed decision.

"Expecting you to agree without knowing what you're agreeing to? Oh no, I would never," Auril Gavis magnanimously replied. "The game I have prepared is very simple."

It was truly bizarre. If you heard him speak, you'd think he was any ol' friendly, neighborhood grandpa, but to those of us around the table, that wasn't the case at all.

When Auril Gavis paused, the maskless faces around us tensed.

What kind of game would it be? He wasn't so senile that he would tell us to get up and kill each other right here and now, right?

The old man's voice cut through my musing. "It's a quiz."

The game ended up being one that no one here could have expected.

"A...quiz?"

"It's the exact type of quiz you're thinking of right now, so don't look at me with such suspicion," he chided.

"I wasn't— I'm just curious how this will work..."

"Ah, I haven't told you that yet. You simply need to provide the right answer to my questions. True or false—you just need to select one of those two."

"A true-or-false quiz..." Goblin echoed under his breath, sounding troubled.

Auril Gavis elaborated a bit more. Though I wasn't sure if I could call it elaborating.

"The quiz will proceed until only one person is left. Ah, also, you can give up whenever you wish."

"Heh...?" Butterfly seemed to take that as an insult, a sentiment that was shared by the other members. Not even getting eliminated, but giving up on a true-or-false quiz? Just what was he playing at?

"Are you saying you expect there to be a scenario where we might need to give up?"

In response to Queen's pointed question, the old man provided a vague answer. "Who knows? I simply wish to leave the option open in case you come to that decision. I respect your freedom of choice."

Respect our freedom? Bullshit. We had been dragged here while playing a video game in the comfort of our own homes.

My desire to curse him out was overwhelming, but I swallowed it back. Doing so wouldn't help me anyway.

"In any case, I think I've given an adequate explanation, so if you want to join, please say so now." The old man proceeded to ask which of us were opting in, and the others were quick to decide.

"Are you being truthful when you say that there is no penalty for giving up or getting eliminated?"

"Don't worry. Didn't I already tell you? This game is meant to be compensation for me taking off your masks."

"Then, if that's the case... I will participate as well."

Queen, the last one still weighing her options, finally joined the game, and with that, everyone was in.

Oh, except for me, of course.

"Sorry, but you can't play," he said, turning to me. "But don't be too upset. You can't return home this way anyway, right?"

Rather than "can't," it was more like he had no intention of letting me do so. He needed me to keep growing stronger so I'd open the Gate of the Abyss someday.

"Heh... so Lion isn't like the rest of us? That's interesting."

The keen look in Butterfly's eyes intensified, but Auril Gavis soon clapped his hands to recapture their attention.

"Let's not waste any more time and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get to it."

I suddenly noticed that there were now two paddles in front of everyone, one with an "O" and one with an "X." It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was like a real live minigame.

...This old man is definitely planning something.

I'd just have to wait and see what his angle was.

"All right, then the first question."

And low and behold, as soon as the game began, I immediately understood why the old man made sure to clarify that we could forfeit in the middle.

"Fox is a wizard—true or false?"

Someone let out a strangled gasp.

"If true, put up the 'O,' and if not, the 'X,'" Auril Gavis instructed.

This wasn't a quiz about getting the right answer.

Unease once again swept through the room. Although she tried her best to school her expression, Fox couldn't fully mask her shock.

"Uh..." Goblin, who knew exactly who she was, looked even more rattled as he glanced at her.

It seemed that Queen had also picked up on the real objective of this game. "Hmm..."

The other two apparently hadn't caught on yet, though.

"Heh... can't we just put up the same paddle Fox puts up? The question's about her."

"Hoh, not a bad strategy."

And so, everyone's attention was on Fox. She took a moment to think over her options before raising a paddle.

"It's the 'O.'"

"So you really are a wizard. You did fit the mold. Hey, Master? Shouldn't you tell us if we're right now?"

"Are you saying you expect there to be a scenario where we might need to give up?"

In response to Queen's pointed question, the old man provided a vague answer. "Who knows? I simply wish to leave the option open in case you come to that decision. I respect your freedom of choice."

Respect our freedom? Bullshit. We had been dragged here while playing a video game in the comfort of our own homes.

My desire to curse him out was overwhelming, but I swallowed it back. Doing so wouldn't help me anyway.

"In any case, I think I've given an adequate explanation, so if you want to join, please say so now." The old man proceeded to ask which of us were opting in, and the others were quick to decide.

"Are you being truthful when you say that there is no penalty for giving up or getting eliminated?"

"Don't worry. Didn't I already tell you? This game is meant to be compensation for me taking off your masks."

"Then, if that's the case... I will participate as well."

Queen, the last one still weighing her options, finally joined the game, and with that, everyone was in.

Oh, except for me, of course.

"Sorry, but you can't play," he said, turning to me. "But don't be too upset. You can't return home this way anyway, right?"

Rather than "can't," it was more like he had no intention of letting me do so. He needed me to keep growing stronger so I'd open the Gate of the Abyss someday.

"Heh... so Lion isn't like the rest of us? That's interesting."

The keen look in Butterfly's eyes intensified, but Auril Gavis soon clapped his hands to recapture their attention.

"Let's not waste any more time and get to it."

I suddenly noticed that there were now two paddles in front of everyone, one with an "O" and one with an "X." It was like a real live minigame.

...This old man is definitely planning something.

I'd just have to wait and see what his angle was.

"All right, then the first question."

And low and behold, as soon as the game began, I immediately understood why the old man made sure to clarify that we could forfeit in the middle.

"Fox is a wizard—true or false?"

Someone let out a strangled gasp.

"If true, put up the 'O,' and if not, the 'X,'" Auril Gavis instructed.

This wasn't a quiz about getting the right answer.

Unease once again swept through the room. Although she tried her best to school her expression, Fox couldn't fully mask her shock.

"Uh..." Goblin, who knew exactly who she was, looked even more rattled as he glanced at her.

It seemed that Queen had also picked up on the real objective of this game. "Hmm..."

The other two apparently hadn't caught on yet, though.

"Heh... can't we just put up the same paddle Fox puts up? The question's about her."

"Hoh, not a bad strategy."

And so, everyone's attention was on Fox. She took a moment to think over her options before raising a paddle.

"It's the 'O.'"

"So you really are a wizard. You did fit the mold. Hey, Master? Shouldn't you tell us if we're right now?"

At Butterfly's question, Auril Gavis nodded. "Congratulations. You were all correct. Then, we'll move on to the next question. Goblin is a paladin."

It was then that Wolf and Butterfly also realized what was happening.

The room went so quiet that no one walking past would believe that a game was being played inside. In the silence, people raised the paddle with the "O" on it, and the round progressed.

"Queen has never stepped foot in the labyrinth."

"O" was the answer to the third question.

"Wolf is the captain of a clan."

"O" again for the fourth.

"Butterfly is a citizen of Noark."

And as expected, "O" was the answer for the fifth question as well.

At this point, I was almost beginning to question why "X" was even an option to begin with.

"All right, then it's time for the sixth question."

With the first round over, the old man's gaze slid back over to Fox, and everyone knew what that look meant. By now, we had all already noticed that this wasn't a simple game of true or false. It was a scheme to expose people's identities disguised as a simple game of true or false. With the true nature of the game now common knowledge and one round behind us, it was obvious the difficulty of the questions would go up in the next round.

"I will say this one last time: I respect your freedom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of choice, so if you want to forfeit, you may do so whenever you wish."

Respect our freedom...

Although I had dismissed that as a cruel joke before, the weight of those words was different this time. He had even offered the members a sort of "taste-testing" round, so to speak. Any doubt as to whether he knew our true identities had already been erased from the minds of every person at this table. The quality of the personal information revealed would begin to increase with every passing turn.

"What happens... if we give up here?"

Auril Gavis answered Queen's question without missing a beat. "Nothing. Oh, but since we'll be continuing with the game, you'll need to leave. One spectator is enough."

"And what guarantee do we have that you'll really send us home at the end of this?"

"What can I say here to get you to believe me? Faith is the only antidote for doubt."

"If you can produce any sort of supporting evidence—"

"If you can't trust in me, then there is only one thing for you to do: leave. So, what will you choose?"

Anyone would tell you that those were the words of a scammer, but Queen couldn't afford to get up and leave now.

Auril Gavis chuckled. "I knew you would stay. The fact is, this is your only chance of returning home, correct?"

Queen didn't respond.

"Lighten up. It'll all be worth it if you stay here until the end and emerge victorious. Ah, or shall I give you some time to think while I go consult with our mutual friend? About whether I should proceed with this or not, of course. Just like back in the old days, when you—"

"It's fine... Continue."

Queen cut him off with obvious displeasure, and Auril Gavis agreed and continued his game with palpable glee.

Since no one made a peep except to move their paddles, it only took about three minutes to get through another round.

"Fox has killed an innocent adventurer to steal their money."

"Goblin has received a prophecy from Reatlas before."

"Wolf is currently residing in District Seven."

"Queen is a noble."

"Butterfly is a member of Orcules."

I wasn't sure why Fox was the only one to get targeted with a question like that about her past, but the second round finished in a flash.

"...Hey, Master? I'll stop here!"

Butterfly forfeited.

"For some reason, I get the feeling that my name will come up in the next round. Well, it's not like I need to hide it, but it's a little... well, you know? Especially since I'm still not even sure that you can really send us back home."

"I understand your decision. Then could you leave?"

Butterfly nodded at his request and then turned to the rest of us for a cheerful goodbye. "Let's all meet up sometime in the outside world!"

The fact that she was only in her early twenties lent her a bubbly, friendly air. Yet, and maybe this was because I had learned through this game that she was a citizen of Noark and a member of the criminal organization Orcules...

Why does that sound like a threat?

I couldn't ignore the prickle of foreboding I felt. Even though I still didn't know who she was, there was no way she was a normal person.

"I... am also going to stop here."

In any case, it seemed that watching Butterfly cut her losses and walk out made her come to her senses, as Fox also announced she was forfeiting.

"Hmm, I didn't expect you to make that choice, Ms. Fox. Weren't you once more desperate to return than anyone else?"

"I was... but after dying and coming back, that all started to feel silly to me. The life I have right now is already worthwhile." Following that incredibly candid answer, Fox gave Auril Gavis a curt nod. "Still, I'm grateful for what you did for me back then. No matter what your intentions were, if you hadn't taken me in, I wouldn't be alive today."

"...Don't mention it. Even without me, you would've been fine by yourself, Ms. Fox."

"Then could I take a moment to say goodbye before I leave?"

"Do as you wish."

At that, Fox turned and looked everyone in the eye—Wolf, Goblin, Queen, and then me.

"I guess we somehow ended up with a smaller group. It's a shame. I didn't think we'd go our separate ways without a proper goodbye."

"...Neither did I," Queen was slow to admit.

"Still, it's good to see each other's faces. It feels like we're actually, finally getting to connect as human beings."

"Is... Is that so?"

"Yes. At least for me, though I'll admit it freaked me out a bit at first. But whether you end up going home or not, I hope you live a good life. Genuinely."

Queen fell silent at Fox's blessing. It was obvious what she was thinking. She must have been wondering why Fox would say that—what her angle was. But in the end, she was forced to acknowledge that there was no hidden agenda at work.

"...Thank you," she whispered.

Fox gave Queen a bright smile before shifting her gaze to the next person. She skipped right over Wolf, with whom she had only a brief acquaintance, and landed on Goblin for only a moment. However, maybe she figured she could just talk to him outside, because she didn't offer him any parting words before looking over at me.

"To be honest... I have something I want to say to you. May I?" When I granted her permission to proceed with a small nod, Fox quietly asked, "If your life is truly boring, how about you take off your mask and make a friend?"

Uh...

"Then your life here will become a lot more interesting."

Wait, why was she assuming that I had no friends?

I wasn't sure, but my lips quirked up when I heard the next few words out of her mouth.

"Just like mine did."

Thank you.

At Butterfly's question, Auril Gavis nodded. "Congratulations. You were all correct. Then, we'll move on to the next question. Goblin is a paladin."

It was then that Wolf and Butterfly also realized what was happening.

The room went so quiet that no one walking past would believe that a game was being played inside. In the silence, people raised the paddle with the "O" on it, and the round progressed.

"Queen has never stepped foot in the labyrinth."

"O" was the answer to the third question.

"Wolf is the captain of a clan."

"O" again for the fourth.

"Butterfly is a citizen of Noark."

And as expected, "O" was the answer for the fifth question as well.

At this point, I was almost beginning to question why "X" was even an option to begin with.

"All right, then it's time for the sixth question."

With the first round over, the old man's gaze slid back over to Fox, and everyone knew what that look meant. By now, we had all already noticed that this wasn't a simple game of true or false. It was a scheme to expose people's identities disguised as a simple game of true or false. With the true nature of the game now common knowledge and one round behind us, it was obvious the difficulty of the questions would go up in the next round.

"I will say this one last time: I respect your freedom of choice, so if you want to forfeit, you may do so whenever you wish."

Respect our freedom...

Although I had dismissed that as a cruel joke before, the weight of those words was different this time. He had even offered the members a sort of "taste-testing" round, so to speak. Any doubt as to whether he knew our true identities had already been erased from the minds of every person at this table. The quality of the personal information revealed would begin to increase with every passing turn.

"What happens... if we give up here?"

Auril Gavis answered Queen's question without missing a beat. "Nothing. Oh, but since we'll be continuing with the game, you'll need to leave. One spectator is enough."

"And what guarantee do we have that you'll really send us home at the end of this?"

"What can I say here to get you to believe me? Faith is the only antidote for doubt."

"If you can produce any sort of supporting evidence—"

"If you can't trust in me, then there is only one thing for you to do: leave. So, what will you choose?"

Anyone would tell you that those were the words of a scammer, but Queen couldn't afford to get up and leave now.

Auril Gavis chuckled. "I knew you would stay. The fact is, this is your only chance of returning home, correct?"

Queen didn't respond.

"Lighten up. It'll all be worth it if you stay here until the end and emerge victorious. Ah, or shall I give you some time to think while I go consult with our mutual friend? About whether I should proceed with this or not, of course. Just like back in the old days, when you—"

"It's fine... Continue."

Queen cut him off with obvious displeasure, and Auril Gavis agreed and continued his game with palpable glee.

Since no one made a peep except to move their paddles, it only took about three minutes to get through another round.

"Fox has killed an innocent adventurer to steal their money."

"Goblin has received a prophecy from Reatlas before."

"Wolf is currently residing in District Seven."

"Queen is a noble."

"Butterfly is a member of Orcules."

I wasn't sure why Fox was the only one to get targeted with a question like that about her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠past, but the second round finished in a flash.

"...Hey, Master? I'll stop here!"

Butterfly forfeited.

"For some reason, I get the feeling that my name will come up in the next round. Well, it's not like I need to hide it, but it's a little... well, you know? Especially since I'm still not even sure that you can really send us back home."

"I understand your decision. Then could you leave?"

Butterfly nodded at his request and then turned to the rest of us for a cheerful goodbye. "Let's all meet up sometime in the outside world!"

The fact that she was only in her early twenties lent her a bubbly, friendly air. Yet, and maybe this was because I had learned through this game that she was a citizen of Noark and a member of the criminal organization Orcules...

Why does that sound like a threat?

I couldn't ignore the prickle of foreboding I felt. Even though I still didn't know who she was, there was no way she was a normal person.

"I... am also going to stop here."

In any case, it seemed that watching Butterfly cut her losses and walk out made her come to her senses, as Fox also announced she was forfeiting.

"Hmm, I didn't expect you to make that choice, Ms. Fox. Weren't you once more desperate to return than anyone else?"

"I was... but after dying and coming back, that all started to feel silly to me. The life I have right now is already worthwhile." Following that incredibly candid answer, Fox gave Auril Gavis a curt nod. "Still, I'm grateful for what you did for me back then. No matter what your intentions were, if you hadn't taken me in, I wouldn't be alive today."

"...Don't mention it. Even without me, you would've been fine by yourself, Ms. Fox."

"Then could I take a moment to say goodbye before I leave?"

"Do as you wish."

At that, Fox turned and looked everyone in the eye—Wolf, Goblin, Queen, and then me.

"I guess we somehow ended up with a smaller group. It's a shame. I didn't think we'd go our separate ways without a proper goodbye."

"...Neither did I," Queen was slow to admit.

"Still, it's good to see each other's faces. It feels like we're actually, finally getting to connect as human beings."

"Is... Is that so?"

"Yes. At least for me, though I'll admit it freaked me out a bit at first. But whether you end up going home or not, I hope you live a good life. Genuinely."

Queen fell silent at Fox's blessing. It was obvious what she was thinking. She must have been wondering why Fox would say that—what her angle was. But in the end, she was forced to acknowledge that there was no hidden agenda at work.

"...Thank you," she whispered.

Fox gave Queen a bright smile before shifting her gaze to the next person. She skipped right over Wolf, with whom she had only a brief acquaintance, and landed on Goblin for only a moment. However, maybe she figured she could just talk to him outside, because she didn't offer him any parting words before looking over at me.

"To be honest... I have something I want to say to you. May I?" When I granted her permission to proceed with a small nod, Fox quietly asked, "If your life is truly boring, how about you take off your mask and make a friend?"

Uh...

"Then your life here will become a lot more interesting."

Wait, why was she assuming that I had no friends?

I wasn't sure, but my lips quirked up when I heard the next few words out of her mouth.

"Just like mine did."

Thank you.