As Fox left, the already reduced number of people dwindled further.

Wolf, Goblin, Queen.

Now, only three participants remained in the game.

Auril Gavis murmured while looking at the empty round table.

“I’ve prepared diligently, so it’s a bit disappointing. Only three left already.”

It wasn’t that he disliked the situation; it was more of a surprise.

Well, I could understand that feeling.

I myself found this development a bit unexpected.

‘I didn’t think the return tickets would be given up so easily.’

Losing anonymity and having your identity exposed?

In this world where evil spirits are subject to immediate execution, it’s extremely dangerous. But if only one could return home, none of that would matter.

So I thought a chicken game would unfold.

But…

The Jester and the Black Mask left from the start, Butterfly quickly quit, and Fox gave up saying living in this world wasn’t so bad.

They started leaving one after another even before the real game had begun…

“Then, you’ll continue.”

Just as Auril Gavis was about to resume the OX quiz, Goblin cautiously raised his hand.

“Um… I will quit here too…”

The third quitting declaration following Butterfly and Fox.

Auril Gavis clicked his tongue.

“Is that so? Then leave quickly.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me why…? I’m not complaining or anything… just curious…”

“…Alright, what’s the reason? Did Fox’s words change your mind?”

“Uh… well… I can’t say it had no influence…”

“No influence?”

“I… don’t quite know how to say it…”

“Enough, just say it.”

Auril Gavis said irritably, and Goblin averted his gaze and muttered quietly.

“I have a bad feeling.”

Hmm, Goblin’s intuition is trustworthy.

I too thought that right away, but on the other hand, Auril Gavis seemed hardly worried.

“I see. Now that I know the reason, leave quickly. Ah, do you need time to say goodbye?”

“Oh, yes… just briefly…”

Goblin then spoke to everyone.

“I once heard from a friend at a language school that even brushing past someone’s clothes is fate. If that’s true, being dragged into this strange world and meeting while wearing masks is no ordinary fate. S-some of you might even know who I am.”

A long prelude.

But the main point was very short.

“So, if you have to kill me, please spare me. Aren’t we all players?”

What did he want to say?

“…Is that all?”

“Eh? Ah, yes… that’s all I wanted to say.”

“Then go.”

“Ah… yes… then goodbye, everyone…”

As Goblin left, Queen and Wolf exchanged awkward looks.

Suddenly, only two remained for the finals…

‘Is this the real endgame from now on?’

That thought came first, but the situation then moved in an unexpected direction.

“I’m quitting here too.”

At those words, Auril Gavis showed genuine emotion for the first time.

“…What’s your reason?”

His voice was angry, more than just displeased.

Well, it made sense. He seemed to have prepared something, but nothing was going well.

“The reason is simple. I don’t trust you.”

“Distrust, huh… I do have the ability to send you home.”

“Yes. Maybe that’s true. No, I think it’s highly likely you have that ability. But still, I don’t trust you.”

Queen glanced at Wolf and added.

“That person is closely connected with you, isn’t he?”

It seemed Queen was worried.

That she might be toyed with endlessly, exploited for her wish to go home.

“Even if he planned for that person to win in the end, I have no way to know. To decide the winner now, Wolf would have to quit, but I don’t think Wolf would make that choice.”

A very rational judgment.

But it clearly was influenced by seeing others quickly quitting.

“The greetings are done, so I’ll be going now.”

Queen left without a farewell, and so the OX quiz winner was decided anticlimactically.

“Uh… huh…?”

The winner with the sweet reward was Wolf Mask.

Wolf seemed dazed, as if it didn’t sink in, but then snapped out of it and asked excitedly,

“Gavis, so… can I really go home now?”

Did he not get the mood?

I didn’t know, but as a bystander, it was a great show.

“Of course. A promise is a promise.”

“Th-thank you…! I really thank–”

“Now, would you please keep your mouth shut for a while?”

When it came to the OX quiz, he seemed full of excitement.

‘He’s mad, mad.’

A very rare spectacle.

“…”

“…”

When Wolf finally realized the mood and closed his mouth, a heavy silence settled.

Yet did he have courage even now?

“So… when… do I get the reward…?”

Wolf asked Auril Gavis again about the reward.

“I’ll come to you when the time comes. So, wait outside for now.”

His voice was deeply irritated.

Wolf didn’t press further and bowed.

“…Yes. Then I’ll wait outside, Gavis.”

With Wolf gone, only two remained at the round table.

I, quietly watching, finally spoke.

“Will you really send us home?”

Since only two remained, the question carried the meaning of ‘tell the truth.’ But that sly old man wouldn’t answer honestly.

“Hmm, what do you think?”

“Well, honestly, I don’t think it will end well.”

“You lack faith in me.”

An utterly ridiculous remark.

Then maybe act trustworthy sometimes.

“Anyway, it’s a pity. If we had played a few more rounds, you would have enjoyed watching.”

“Enjoy watching? You have unique tastes.”

“I won’t deny it… but isn’t that your place to say?”

Well, I couldn’t deny it either.

What I did behind this mask wasn’t much different from this old man’s behavior.

I asked bluntly.

“So why did you do all this?”

Apologies for unmasking or anything like that were just excuses.

But I still didn’t understand why he prepared this OX quiz game.

What on earth was the reason?

“Faith is no different from gambling. I hope you return this time as much as you risk.”

“But?”

“Before talking with you, I wanted to show you something. But… now it’s ridiculous to explain with words.”

“You’re good at saying ‘it’s a secret’ for a long time.”

“Heh, then maybe you’re good at making everything simple and clear?”

Damn, an old man who won’t say a word but expects others to talk.

The more I saw him, the more disgusting he was, but as someone raised in a Confucian country, I endured. We met after a long time; I couldn’t waste this opportunity.

“Enough. I have a question.”

“Question? Ask.”

“How did you find out about me?”

It was a question I intended to ask when only the two of us were left.

Because it didn’t feel like he was probing.

[Actually, isn’t this place more or less something you made?]

That old man came into the round table today and said that the moment he saw me.

Simply put, he knew the Seeker mask was ‘Nibels Enche’ whom I met 20 years ago.

‘Actually, from how he talks, it seems he even knows I am Bjorn Yandel.’

Anyway, before we start the real talk, I needed to check how much he knew…

“But you speak briefly sometimes and at other times at length?”

“Why, do you want me to call you ‘sir’ now?”

I smiled and asked, and Novelight Auril Gavis responded welcomingly.

“Uh… will you? Now that everyone left, I don’t need to pretend to be a Seeker…”

Apparently, he was a bit uncomfortable with my blunt speech.

“Well, fine. Let’s do that. It’s not hard. So, what about the answer? Is it a secret too?”

“Ah, you asked how I found out about you? The answer is simple. I waited and waited for 20 years. There was so much information that it was easy to find out you were Bjorn Yandel.”

Hmm, that made sense.

But here came a contradiction.

“But then, why didn’t you recognize me immediately when we first met at the round table?”

“Well, from your perspective, we hadn’t met yet. I judged it better to wait longer.”

“And now is that time?”

“About right. Until now, I tried to avoid meeting you as much as possible… but there was one thing I wanted to confirm as soon as possible.”

Ah, right, he said he came with questions for me.

“Then speak quickly. What do you want to know?”

Coolly asking as if he’d tell anything, the old man quickly took the chance and asked.

“You said you met a witch here at this round table, right?”

“Yes. And?”

“I want to hear the details of where and how you met the witch.”

It felt like deja vu.

The exact same question Wolf asked me earlier.

‘Ah, since I didn’t answer, he came in person?’

Hmm, that seemed reasonable.

That meant this information was important enough for him to revise his original plan.

Looking at it another way…

‘So I’m the boss?’

Realizing that, I was already sitting back arrogantly with crossed legs.

A natural instinct of a K-Barbarian who senses an advantageous situation like a ghost.

“…”

Auril Gavis looked at my attitude change with suspicion but said nothing.

‘Okay, so he’ll just put up with this much.’

Tap tap.

My eyes caught the discarded OX signs that the old man had conjured with a single gesture.

‘Come to think of it, he said he regained all authority?’

I smirked and ‘asked’ Auril Gavis.

“Excuse me, sir? I’m thirsty, could you make me a cider?”

“…?”

“With lots of ice, very refreshing.”