STGB Chapter 576

Episode 576 Return (2)

Fox Wolf Goblin Queen Butterfly.

And me and Aurl Gavis.

Uncomfortable silence settles in the round table room where a total of seven people are gathered.

When you think about it, it was natural.

The Round Table members are old users who have been brought to this strange world for at least several years.

“Go home…”

“Send me back…?”

They know better because they have been here for a long time. The fact that achieving the goal of opening the door to the abyss and returning home is close to impossible.

That is why most of them accept life here and work hard.

But…

“Why don’t you like the reward?”

Things have changed.

The culprit behind all this [Dungeon and Stone]. And the creator of the game, Auril Gavis.

He says no one else.

If you play the game and win there, he will give you a ticket to return home as a prize.

“Hmm, I thought this was a decent reward.”

It was a proposal that players would have no choice but to rush at like moths, but the members of the round table were surprisingly calm.

Also, who are these people?

These are the ones who have made it through this rough world so far.

He knows better than anyone else that if something appetizing is placed in front of his eyes, he must first be suspicious.

Just like this.

“…I’d like to hear what kind of game it is first.”

“If I have to participate but I can hear it, I will not listen….”

Members who want to collect information for proper judgment rather than wagging their tails right away.

Auril Gavis answered their questions in a generous voice.

“I have to participate, but I can’t hear it, isn’t it? The game I have prepared is very simple.”

It was a very strange thing.

If you look at the way he speaks, he seems like the grandfather next door, but from our point of view, who listens to it, it’s not at all like that.

“….”

As Auril Gavis pauses and pauses, the faces of the masked members become more rigid.

What game is it?

You’re not going to tell me to kill each other from now on because I’m senile, right?

While thinking about that, the old man’s mouth finally opened.

“It’s a quiz.”

It was a game that no one here could have expected.

“A quiz… you mean?”

“The quiz you know is correct, so stop looking suspiciously.”

“No… I was just curious how it would turn out…”

“Oh, I didn’t say that. If I give you a quiz in the future, you just have to guess the answer. true or not. It’s a multiple-choice quiz with only two choices.”

“You mean the OX quiz…”

As the goblin quietly pondered in a voice that sounded like he was uneasy, Auril Gavis added an additional explanation.

I don’t know if this can be considered as an additional explanation.

“The quiz will continue until there is only one player left. Of course, it is possible to give up halfway through.”

“Hey…?”

The butterfly said, ‘Look at this?’ I made a sound with the feeling of doing it.

Everyone felt the same way.

What did he mean when he said that he was giving up and not dropping out of the OX quiz?

“Does this mean that there may come a situation where you have to give up?”

Soon after, the queen asked a direct question, and the old man gave another meaningful answer.

“Well, you may suddenly feel that way, don’t you? I always respect your free will.”

Fucking to respect.

All of them are people who were brought in after playing games at home.

The desire to attack him with a sarcastic tone was like a chimney, but he endured it by carving a seal on his head.

No matter what I say, nothing will change.

“Anyway, it seems that this explanation is sufficient, so please tell me who will participate.”

Afterwards, the elderly had time to ask if they would like to participate, and that time was not long.

“Is it true that there is no penalty for giving up or dropping out?”

“Don’t worry. Didn’t I tell you before? This game is the price you pay for taking off your masks.”

“Then… I will try.”

The queen, who was worried until the end, expressed her intention to participate, and all members decided to participate.

Oh, except for me, of course.

“Sorry, but you cannot participate. But don’t be too sad. You can’t go back this way anyway.”

It’s not that I can’t go back, it’s that I don’t intend to return it this way. Because I have to grow hard and open the door to the abyss someday.

“Hehe… Are you saying that there’s something different between us and Saja? Somehow, I am interested.”

At the end of the butterfly’s eyes looking at me, Gavis drew attention by applauding.

“Let’s start right away without wasting time.”

I realized it belatedly, but before I knew it, there was a sign with OX written on it in front of each of their seats.

It’s like playing a real minigame.

‘…This old man must be hiding something.’

What kind of trick are you trying to do?

I don’t know yet…

“Okay then, that’s the first problem.”

As soon as the OX quiz started, I realized why the old man said it was possible to give up halfway through.

“The fox mask is a wizard.”

“…!”

“If you are right, O, if you are wrong, hold up a sign with an X on it.”

…This is not a game of guessing the right answer.

***

As soon as the first issue comes out, an awkward air surrounds it.

“….”

A fox who seems to be trying hard to manage his expression, but it doesn’t work at all.

And…

“Uh…”

Knowing the situation, the goblin looked at the fox’s complexion even more at a loss for what to do.

“Hmm…”

Apparently, the Queen also realized the truth hidden in this game.

Well, it seems that the other two are still there.

“Hehe… Wouldn’t it be okay to just follow the fox-sama’s sign? You are the quiz party.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound like a bad way.”

That’s how everyone’s eyes gathered on the fox, and soon the fox seemed to organize his thoughts for a while, and then lifted the sign.

“Circle it.”

“You really are a wizard. I thought it was that kind of image. Hey Master? Isn’t it your turn to check the answer?”

Soon after, Auril Gavis nodded at the butterfly’s question.

“Congratulations. All of them answered correctly. Then go straight to the second problem.”

“…”

“The goblin mask is a paladin.”

It was at this time that even the wolf and the butterfly, who were trying to do so, realized what Gavis’ intention was.

“….”

“….”

The hall became so quiet that it was unbelievable that they were playing a game. In it, people heard a sign with an O on it, and a similar process was repeated over and over again.

“The Queen Mask has never entered a labyrinth.”

The correct answer to the third question is O.

“The wolf mask is the leader of a clan.”

The fourth correct answer is O.

“The butterfly mask is a member of Noark.”

Of course, the answer to the fifth was also O.

In fact, at this point, I wonder why the X sign was made.

“Now then, is it your turn to ask the sixth question?”

Soon after one round was over, the old man’s gaze moved to the fox again, and there was no one who didn’t know what the gaze was trying to say.

That’s because everyone noticed that this isn’t an OX game.

An exposure game disguised as an OX game.

That is the essence of this game, and since one round was over, it was clear that the next question would be more serious.

“I will say it one last time. I respect your free will, so if you want to give up, just say it.”

The words respecting free will…

It didn’t even sound funny earlier, but this time the words had a different weight.

Didn’t they kindly even offer a taste?

Could he possibly know who I am? Such thoughts are now impossible. As each turn passes, there will be more and more information to be disclosed in front of everyone.

“If I give up here… what will happen?”

Auril Gavis answered the queen’s question immediately.

“Nothing. Ah, but the game still needs to be played, so you’ll have to step aside. One spectator is enough.”

“How sure are you that you can go home?”

“What do I have to say here for you to believe? The only way to erase doubt is faith.”

“If you present something plausible evidence or something like that—”

“If you don’t believe me, there’s only one thing you can do. to leave this place.”

“…”

“What can I do?”

Anyone can see that it was a fraudulent speech, but the queen could not leave the seat right away.

And seeing this, Aurel Gavis laughed.

“I knew you would. In fact, isn’t this the only way for you to return home?”

“….”

“Cheer me up. In the end, wouldn’t it be possible to stay until the end and become a winner? Oh, or I’ll give you a moment. Can I go out and ask him? can i do this or not As always, whenever something happens—”

“It’s okay… keep going.”

The Queen nervously cut off her words, and Auril Gavis continued the OX quiz again with a rather pleasant expression.

Thanks to everyone quietly listening to the signs, it took around 3 minutes to go around the whole lap.

“Fox Mask once killed an innocent explorer to steal money.”

“The goblin mask has been entrusted with by Leatlas.”

“Wolf Mask is currently residing in District 7.”

“The Queen Mask is noble.”

“The Butterfly Mask is a member of Orcules.”

I don’t know why only the fox came up with such a past story, but the second wheel ended in an instant.

And…

“…Hey Master? I’ll stop here!”

Butterfly Mask has made a declaration of abandonment.

“For some reason, I think the name will come out on the next wheel. There’s nothing I can’t reveal…. Isn’t that a bit like that? In a situation where you’re not even sure if you can really send them back home.”

“I understand your judgment. Then, would you like to leave now?”

At the request to leave, the butterfly nodded casually, then looked at us and greeted us cheerfully.

“See you all outside someday!”

With the appearance of a man in his early twenties, he looked quite refreshing.

However, thanks to the OX quiz, I learned that Nabi belongs to Noark and is also a member of Orculis, a criminal group.

‘Why does it sound so bad when I see you outside?’

However, I didn’t think it was simply because of my mood.

I don’t know who it is, but I don’t think he’s a normal human being.

“I… will stop here.”

In any case, the fox also declared a departure, as if he had come to his senses after seeing the butterfly mask quickly lose money at the right time and leave.

“Hmm, I didn’t know Miss Fox would make such a choice. Aren’t you more desperate than anyone else in the past?”

“I did… But once I died and came back to life, it all felt meaningless. To me now, my life right now is precious enough.”

After giving such an honest answer, the fox gave a short nod to Auril Gavis.

“Still, I was grateful for that time. If your intentions hadn’t taken me back then, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

“…Thank you. Even if it wasn’t for me, the fox sheep would have made it through.”

“Then can I say hello for a minute before we leave?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Soon, the fox turned her head and met each person’s eyes.

Wolf Goblin Queen and me.

“Somehow, there were fewer people like this. I’m sorry. I didn’t know that we would break up without being able to say hello properly like this.”

“…Iknow, right.”

“Still, it’s nice to see each other’s faces. It feels right to have a conversation with a person.”

“is that so?”

“yes. At least me. Although I was a little surprised at first. Whether you return home or not, I hope you live well wherever you are. I mean it.”

To the words of blessing, the queen did not answer for a long time.

That was obvious. I must have thought first whether there was any intention behind those words.

Eventually you will realize that there is no such thing.

“…thank you.”

Soon after, the queen responded with a voice the size of a mouse, and the fox smiled and then ended the short conversation and moved her gaze.

The short-lived wolf just looked at it once and passed it by, fixing his gaze in front of the goblin for a moment.

Did you just think it was okay to talk outside?

Without leaving a word for the goblin, he went over and looked at me.

“Actually… I have something I want to say to the investigator. Will it be okay?”

Joo-eok lowered his head briefly as if to try, and the fox cautiously opened his mouth.

“If life is very boring, how about taking off the mask and making friends?”

Uh…

“Then life here will definitely be fun.”

Why is the premise that you don’t have friends?

I don’t know, but I laughed at the words that immediately followed.

“Because I did.”

this is a little thrilling