Fox, Wolf, Goblin, Queen, Butterfly.
And Auril Gavis and .
Seven people in total gathered in the round table room, and an uncomfortable silence fell.
Thinking about it, it was natural.
The round table mbers were old users who had been dragged into this strange world for at least several years.
“Back ho...”
“You an... you’ll send us back...?”
Because they had spent so long here, they knew even better. Achieving the goal of opening the Abyssal Gate and returning ho was nearly impossible.
That’s why most of them accepted life here and lived diligently.
But...
“Why, don’t you like the reward?”
The situation had changed.
The mastermind behind all this, [Dungeon & Stone]. And Auril Gavis, the very person who made that ga.
It was none other than him who spoke.
“If you play the ga and win, you will receive a ticket to return ho as a prize.”
“Hmm, I thought this was a decent reward.”
For any player, this was an irresistible offer they would rush at like moths to a fla, but surprisingly, the round table mbers remained calm.
And rightly so, who were they?
They were the ones who had survived this harsh world until now.
If sothing delicious was suddenly placed in front of them, the first thing they knew better than anyone was to be suspicious.
Just like this.
“...I want to hear what kind of ga it is first.”
“If I have to participate just to hear about it, then I won’t listen...”
Rather than imdiately wagging their tails and rushing in, the mbers tried to collect information first for a proper judgnt.
To their questions, Auril Gavis replied in a generous tone.
“There’s no way you have to participate just to hear about it. The ga I prepared is a very simple one.”
It was quite strange.
By his tone, he sounded like a kindly old neighbor, but from our position, it was anything but that.
“......”
Auril Gavis paused, and the mbers’ faces behind their masks tensed even more.
What kind of ga could it be?
Hopefully, he wasn’t senile and about to order them to kill each other or sothing.
At that mont, the old man finally spoke.
“It’s a quiz.”
No one there had expected that ga.
“A quiz... you say?”
“Yes, it’s the quiz you know, so stop looking at suspiciously.”
“No... I’m just curious about how it works...”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. When I ask a quiz, you just have to answer whether it’s true or false. It’s a multiple-choice quiz with only two options.”
“An OX quiz, then...”
Goblin quietly mulled it over with a doubtful voice, and Auril Gavis added more explanation.
Well, I’m not sure it counts as extra explanation.
“The quiz will continue until only one person remains. Oh, of course, you can quit midway.”
“Heh...?”
Butterfly made a sound like, ‘Look at this?’
Everyone felt the sa.
It wasn’t elimination by OX quiz but quitting? What on earth did that an?
“Do you an there might co a situation where we have to quit?”
The Queen asked bluntly, and the old man gave a aningful reply.
“Well, you might suddenly think so. I always respect your free will.”
Respect my ass.
They were all people dragged here while playing gas at ho.
I really wanted to snap sarcastically, but I just engraved patience in my mind and endured.
Nothing would change anyway.
“Anyway, I think that’s enough explanation. Anyone who wants to participate, speak up.”
Then the old man asked for participants’ intentions, and the ti was short.
“There’s really no penalty for quitting or being eliminated?”
“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say earlier? This ga is a paynt for removing your masks.”
“Then... I’ll try.”
The Queen, who hesitated until the end, declared her intention to participate, deciding the participation of all mbers.
Ah, except for .
“Sorry, but you can’t participate. But don’t be too disappointed. You can’t return this way anyway.”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t return; rather, they had no intention of sending back like this. I had to grow hard and open the Abyssal Gate soday.
“Heh... So I’m different from the Seeker? Sohow, this is interesting.”
With that, Butterfly’s gaze toward deepened, and Auril Gavis clapped his hands, gathering attention.
“Without wasting ti, let’s start right away.”
I realized belatedly that in front of each seat, O and X signs had been placed.
Well, now it really felt like a mini-ga.
‘...Surely this old man is hiding sothing.’
What trick was he planning?
I didn’t know yet...
“Now, here is the first question.”
As the OX quiz began, I understood why the old man said quitting midway was possible.
“The Fox mask is a wizard.”
“...!”
“Hold up the sign with O if you think it’s correct, X if incorrect.”
...This isn’t a ga to get the answer right.
At the mont the first question ca out, the awkward atmosphere surrounded the room.
“...”
Fox tried to keep a neutral expression but failed completely.
And...
“Uh...”
Knowing that situation, Goblin anxiously looked at Fox’s face.
“Hmm...”
It seed the Queen had realized the hidden truth in this ga.
Well, the other two hadn’t yet.
“Heh... why don’t we just follow the sign Fox holds? He is the quiz subject after all.”
“Oh, not a bad idea.”
All eyes turned to Fox, who seed to gather his thoughts briefly and then lifted his sign.
“A circle.”
“You really are a wizard. I sohow had that image. Hey, Master? Isn’t it ti to check the answer?”
At Butterfly’s question, Auril Gavis nodded.
“Congratulations. Everyone got the answer right. Then let’s move to the second question.”
“...”
“The Goblin mask is a paladin.”
Even Wolf and Butterfly, who were indifferent, realized Auril Gavis’s intention from then on.
“...”
“...”
The room beca so quiet it was hard to believe a ga was ongoing. People held up O signs, and a similar process continued repeatedly.
“The Queen mask has never entered the labyrinth.”
The answer to the third question was O.
“The Wolf mask is the leader of a clan.”
The fourth was O as well.
“The Butterfly mask is a mber of Noark.”
Naturally, the fifth answer was also O.
At this point, one might wonder why they even made X signs.
“Well, now it’s ti for the sixth question?”
After one round finished, the old man’s gaze moved back to Fox, and everyone knew what that gaze ant.
Everyone had long realized this wasn’t an OX ga.
A revelation ga disguised as an OX quiz.
That was the truth of this ga, and since one round ended, the next question would surely beco more intense.
“I’ll say one last ti. I respect your free will, so if you want to quit, just say so anyti.”
Respecting free will...
Earlier it sounded ridiculous, but now those words carried a different weight.
He even kindly gave a taste.
No chance he could know my identity. As turns passed, the amount of information to be revealed in front of everyone would only increase.
“What happens if we quit here...?”
The Queen asked, and Auril Gavis answered imdiately.
“Nothing at all. Ah, but since the ga continues, you’ll have to give up your seat. One spectator is enough.”
“How certain is it that we can return ho?”
“What would I have to say here for you to believe ? The only way to erase doubt is faith.”
“If you gave so credible evidence or sothing—”
“If you don’t trust , the only thing you can do is leave here.”
“...”
“What can you do?”
Though the speech was obviously like a scam, the Queen couldn’t get up and leave right away.
Auril Gavis laughed at that.
“I knew you’d say that. In fact, this is the only way you can return ho.”
“...”
“Cheer up. In the end, just stay until the end and beco the winner. Oh, or I can give you so ti to go ask that friend whether you can do this or not. Like you always did when sothing happened—”
“Enough... continue.”
The Queen interrupted irritably, and Auril Gavis cheerfully continued the OX quiz.
Thanks to everyone quietly holding their signs, one round took /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ about three minutes.
“The Fox mask once killed an innocent explorer to steal money.”
“The Goblin mask once received a prophecy from Reatlas.”
“The Wolf mask currently lives in District 7.”
“The Queen mask is a noble.”
“The Butterfly mask is a mber of Orculus.”
I don’t know why only Fox’s past story ca up, but the second round ended in a flash.
And...
“...Hey, Master? I’ll stop here!”
Butterfly declared quitting.
“I feel like my na will co out in the next round. Well, there’s nothing I can’t reveal... but it’s kind of awkward, right? And I’m not even sure if they’ll really send us ho.”
“I understand your judgnt. Then would you give up your seat now?”
When asked to leave, Butterfly nodded casually, then gave us a quick cheerful farewell.
“See you all outside soday!”
Saying that with a look in her early twenties made her seem quite fresh.
But maybe because of the OX quiz, I learned that Butterfly belonged to Noark, a criminal group called Orculus.
‘Why does her “see you outside” sound so unpleasant?’
But it didn’t feel like just a mood thing.
I doubted that person was a normal human.
“I’ll... stop here.”
Anyway, Butterfly left quickly at the right mont, and then Fox also declared departure.
“Hmm, I didn’t expect Miss Fox to make that choice. She was more desperate than anyone before.”
“That’s right... But after dying once and coming back, everything feels aningless. My life now is precious enough.”
Fox gave an honest answer, then bowed shortly toward Auril Gavis.
“Still, thank you for that ti. Whatever your intentions, if you hadn’t taken then, I wouldn’t be alive now.”
“...Thanks. Even if it wasn’t , Miss Fox would have survived well.”
“Then may I say goodbye before leaving?”
“Feel free.”
Fox turned and made eye contact with each person.
Wolf, Goblin, Queen, and .
“Sohow, the number of people got smaller like this. It’s a sha. I never thought we’d part like this without a proper goodbye.”
“...Indeed.”
“But it’s nice to see faces. It really feels like talking to people.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. At least to . At first, I was a bit surprised. Whether we return ho or not, I wish you all well wherever you are. I an that.”
The Queen was silent for a long ti at the blessing.
Her thoughts were obvious. She probably wondered if there was so aning behind those words.
Eventually, she must have realized there wasn’t.
“...Thank you.”
The Queen replied in a tiny voice, and Fox smiled briefly, ending the short conversation and shifting her gaze.
Wolf, who had a short connection, just glanced and passed.
Before Goblin, Fox fixed her gaze a mont.
But did she think it was okay to talk outside?
She left no special words for Goblin and looked at .
“Actually... I wanted to say sothing to Seeker. Is that okay?”
Fox nodded briefly, as if to encourage to speak, and cautiously opened her mouth.
“When life is too boring, why don’t you take off your mask and make a new one?”
Uh...
“Then surely life here will beco more fun.”
Why was that premised on having no friends?
I didn’t know, but I chuckled at what followed.
“I did that.”
That was a little touching.
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