Surviving The Game As A Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 571

There was an absolute excuse called survival.

Because there was that one proposition to survive in this messed-up world, all my actions became ‘things that had to be done.’

And…….

“……I see.”

Crescent Moon was a victim of ‘things that had to be done.’

“To think it can only be used if the corpse remains…….”

When I first came to this round table, I was a very insignificant being.

Everything I encountered outside could lead to my death, and I had to wander around bars every evening to get information.

So, I put on the lion mask.

To get the information I needed, I took someone’s wishes hostage and toyed with them.

Because honesty is a sin in this world.

Because the moment you look weak, you’ll be torn apart.

Because the more I gained, the safer my companions and I would be.

At that time, I sincerely thought so.

But…….

“As expected, legends and reality are different…….”

What about now?

I’m still worried about ‘survival,’ but I’ve become much stronger than before.

I became the chief of a tribe and a noble.

The Yandel family was now a proper noble family belonging to the Melves, the interspecies noble alliance. Thanks to that, I no longer had to rely on the information of the round table like before.

But I’m still wearing the lion mask and deceiving everyone.

Why is that?

The answer came quickly.

The Queen, the Clown.

The wolf and the unidentified black mask, and the butterfly, who seemed to have connections with Auriel Gavis.

I want to gain benefits through the information they bring.

Yes, that much was sincere.

But…….

“…Thanks to you, I can give up on my vain dreams now.”

Soon, I realized.

I could no longer use ‘survival’ as an excuse.

Just as there can’t be white paper next to black ink.

“But I can’t say thank you.”

Now, that was just me.

Deceiving and intimidating someone somehow, and linking it to my own gain.

A type of human I used to hate.

I, who had been rolling and rolling with the sole purpose of surviving in this world, had become such a human before I knew it.

“…….”

A heavy silence fell.

Even the Clown, who would usually sneer, saying it was the fault of the one who was deceived, watched the situation quietly without opening his mouth.

How much time had passed?

“I…….”

Breaking the long silence, Crescent Moon rose from his seat.

“I… I’ll be leaving now. It seems there’s nothing more to gain here.”

In fact, with those words, Crescent Moon left the round table before anyone could say anything.

“Uh… he, he really left……?”

An anonymous community where each other doesn’t even know each other’s names.

In fact, if they leave like this, there’s no telling when they’ll meet again. However, even knowing that, I couldn’t bring myself to say it until the end.

The words of apology, ‘I’m sorry.’

“…….”

I wondered if it would be a loss to say it.

Thinking such things inside.

***

Whether Crescent Moon left the round table or not.

The last gathering of the round table continued.

It might seem a bit heartless, but in fact, it was natural considering the essence of this place.

From the beginning, we were all in a business relationship.

“Tsk, he really left. How boring.”

The Clown’s nonsense was ignored by everyone as they gritted their teeth, and the second round began.

The first turn was Deer Horn.

But…….

“Is this…….”

Instead of spitting out information, Deer Horn looked at me and asked.

“Do you really think this is fun? You?”

A voice and gaze that were obviously aggressive.

We weren’t that close usually, but was he a bit shocked that Crescent Moon had left like that?

“Mr. Deer Horn…… P-Please calm down a bit…….”

Soon, the Goblin spoke as if trying to stop Deer Horn.

Not only him, but the other members were also looking at him with worried expressions.

However, Deer Horn didn’t care at all.

“Is giving hope to someone desperate… and then taking it away just a form of entertainment for you? Is that why you said it quickly, thinking today was the last day?”

If I were to make an excuse, it wasn’t exactly like that.

The reason I said it today was actually more out of a sense of responsibility… no, it was more accurate to call it guilt.

My obsession with ‘fun’ at the round table?

It was simply to create a character called the Lion Mask. No, to be precise, it was to deceive the members using it and manipulate them to my liking.

“Lion Mask. You’re definitely a big shot, incomparable to someone like me. But I still have to say what I have to say.”

“…….”

“You’re just a broken human being.”

It was the nth time I had heard that story.

Well, when I first heard it from Baekho, I just let it go in one ear and out the other…….

At this point, the cause must be with me.

I’m broken.

Even by the standards of this barbaric world, I’ve already crossed the line.

And as proof of that.

‘Should I use killing intent?’

I naturally think first about how the Lion Mask would have acted after hearing those words.

In my head, I was already muttering short words like ‘How interesting,’ and unleashing killing intent.

Because that was easier and more helpful to me.

“Tsk, shouldn’t you stop? It’s hard to watch. Know your place, Deer Horn.”

In the same vein, I just watched the Clown’s reaction as he stepped forward like a bodyguard.

“……How amusing. Clown, no matter how much you try to flatter him, do you think he’ll even care?”

“I already know that, so it’s none of your business. Tsk, stop the nonsense and hurry up and finish your turn. Everyone’s just waiting.”

At the Clown’s words to do his job, Deer Horn quietly rose from his seat.

“What is it? Ah, don’t tell me you’re planning to end it here too?”

“I have no intention of becoming the subject of his amusement until the end, trying to pick up even one thing—.”

“Then get out of here quickly. Don’t waste time.”

The Clown cut off Deer Horn’s words and spoke coldly, and Deer Horn watched the Clown silently for a moment.

And…….

“This place wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

He left, leaving behind incomprehensible words.

And once again, silence returned.

“Ahaha… the atmosphere has become strange again!”

The Wolf awkwardly laughed, trying to break the frozen air.

“It’s true that everyone was friendly when the Master was here! But, what can we do? He’s not here.”

Oh my, as if he’s not a Master-lover.

“Well, two people are missing, but let’s continue what we were doing. It’s a shame to end it like this, isn’t it? There won’t be another time when we all gather like this—.”

“Rather than that…… How about we try what that Crescent Moon guy said earlier?”

It was the suggestion of the Butterfly Mask, who had been watching the situation with a constant sense of enjoyment.

“Instead, this time, let’s answer honestly no matter what. Ah, of course, revealing your identity is an exception. How about it? It’ll be a good change of pace, I think.”

“……Well, I’m fine with it, but isn’t the identity reveal too subjective?”

“Hey, what’s the problem when we have this gem? When you refuse to answer, you just put your hand here and say one word. Then we can tell if you’re just making excuses or if you really can’t say it.”

“Shouldn’t we get consent first?”

The Queen pointed out one part sharply, and the eyes revealed through the Butterfly Mask curved long.

“Hee, you’re doing it again, sis.”

“……Why am I your sister?”

“It’s obvious. You look older than me.”

“…….”

Unfortunately, the Queen couldn’t make any rebuttal.

Looking at the Queen, the Butterfly Mask led the conversation as if suggesting a vote, and eventually, a vote was held.

And…….

“Six in favor and two against.”

Surprisingly, the majority vote passed.

The only votes against were the Queen and the Black Mask.

“Lion Mask, you’re in favor……? Why?”

“Tsk, Queen, do you still not know him? It’s because it seems fun!”

Whether it’s fun or not doesn’t matter.

Because there was something I wanted to confirm before leaving the round table.

“Haa… Anyway, since it’s come to this, I’ll follow along. But let’s set the rules clearly before we start.”

After the Queen’s request, we had a short discussion and took time to set the rules.

“To summarize, when it’s your turn, the answerer receives one question from everyone. The answerer decides which question to answer. That should be it.”

“When are you going to start like this? Let’s do it quickly? Sis?”

“……Ms. Fox, may we start?”

“Yes. It’s okay.”

Soon, the Fox, who was in charge of the answerer role, nodded, and they took turns asking questions one by one.

“I remember you didn’t follow the Master well in the past… Is that feeling still the same?”

The Wolf Mask, who mentions the Master whenever he speaks.

“I’ll… pass.”

The Goblin just passes.

From my perspective, who is skilled in all sorts of trickery, it was a very disappointing play. Rather than passing, it would have been better to ask a less important question as if it were important and make them answer that.

Anyway, after that, most of us, including me, passed, and as a result, the Fox received two questions.

“You seem to know the events that happened on the first basement floor in great detail. Are you perhaps inside?”

“…Isn’t that too much of a probe into my identity?”

“Hey, who would know who you are among so many people?”

“……Then I’ll answer.”

When the question order ended, the Fox chose one of the three questions and answered.

“You asked if I still think of the Master as a benefactor.”

“Oh, you chose my question.”

“To answer, ‘No, I don’t.’ Because I didn’t know that the Master was Auriel Gavis back then.”

“Hmm… Even though the wicked royal family was involved in him gaining notoriety. I understand. What a shame.”

That was the end of the Fox’s turn.

The next was the Wolf, and the Wolf received a total of four questions.

And…….

“I will answer the question that the Queen asked.”

The Wolf chose the question that the Queen had asked.

“The Queen’s guess is correct. Auriel Gavis has the power to prevent the Ghost Busters from being shut down.”

As soon as I heard it, I thought it was important information.

‘If you interpret it differently, doesn’t that mean Auriel Gavis intervened to shut down the community……?’

If that’s the case, what is that old man up to again? I’m worried for no reason, but there was nothing I could do right now.

“Then it’s Mr. Goblin’s turn.”

And so, the Goblin’s turn arrived.

The Goblin received three questions, which was more than the Fox but one less than the Wolf.

And…….

“I, I’ll answer Ms. Fox’s question…….”

The Goblin ended his turn by answering the question that the Fox had thrown as a team play.

“The Pope of the Leatlass Church doesn’t have much time left. The next Pope is almost decided to be a young saint…….”

It was information that could be called insider information, but not many people were interested.

Was it because everyone wanted to pass their turn quickly?

“Then it’s finally the Queen’s turn, tsk.”

The Queen, who was next in line after the Goblin, received the most questions so far, five in total.

And she revealed the answer to what everyone was curious about.

“Since everyone knows the situation to some extent, I’ll tell you. There’s one device needed to operate this spiritual world. And that device has slowly started to lose power.”

“…So that’s why you’re shutting it down?”

“Yes. I’ve looked for a way, but I couldn’t solve it.”

“Auriel Gavis… If he helps, it’s possible to revive it, right…….”

“Yes. But, it doesn’t seem like that will happen.”

With that, the Queen’s turn ended, drawing a clear line. Skipping the vacant seat of Crescent Moon, we arrived at the Butterfly Mask’s turn.

“Hee… But I wonder if you have any questions for me?”

In fact, in a way, that was the real reason why I voted in favor of this truth game today.

There was something I definitely wanted to confirm with the Butterfly Mask.

However, instead of stepping forward to ask a question first, I watched the situation.

And as expected.

“Yes, I have one.”

Soon, the Fox raised her hand and spoke the question I wanted to ask instead.