An adequate ratio of ice to liquid raised a glass of soda to a whole new level.
I shook the glass a little to cool it before taking it in one gulp. After all, the taste would be watered down if I let the ice melt, right?
«¡Kah...!»
Yes, that was it. I had really missed this flavor. Most things in this world were tolerable, but I didn't have soda. He could get a ghost of that bubbly feeling in his beer, but even that was totally different from the modern carbonation he craved.
...Should I go back?
The taste was enough to rekindle my desire to return home, which had almost faded. Someone should tell Baekho. In the time he spent preparing that plan with the Renaissance Stone or whatever, he could have given me a few cups of soda and I would have seriously reconsidered returning to the real world.
«Sir, please serve me another one».
After drinking a glass, I ordered another. However, this time I didn't drink it in one gulp, but rather savored its flavor.
«You... seem very happy for some reason».
Wow, what a way to sour the atmosphere. I was the kind of person who got angry immediately when people said things like that to me.
«Alright, then tell me», Auril Gavis said after giving me a little more time to enjoy my drink. «How did you meet her?»
«Ah, ¿la Bruja?»
«Yeah. The truth is that I don't understand it. No matter how you look at it, you were never in a position to have met her...»
Hmm. «Why are you so sure about that, sir?» I said, narrowing my eyes.
He remained silent again, staring into space as he racked his brain looking for an excuse.
To be honest, it was disturbing. Had he really been watching my every move? All this time? As?
The old man chose to dodge my question. «Well, chronologically speaking, I'm sure you didn't meet her on Basement One Floor. And from what I remember, you were very busy before that, between establishing your clan and the Magic Tower and all that. Didn't you also defeat two Ground Lords at that time?».
Well, it was true that he had been very busy. In addition to everything I had to do, I also had to deal with Count Alminus' accusations against me. But that didn't mean I believed his weak excuses.
«Oh, you've already drunk it all. Give it to me. I'll serve you another one». He quickly picked up my cup again to refill it again. Although it may sound strange, in a sense, this old man was quite predictable in some ways. He knew when he had an advantage or disadvantage in a situation and always adapted to it.
«Sir, even if you do that, I can't answer you for free. I want to get something out of this too».
When I set my conditions, his expression lit up with fury, as clear as day, since he had taken off his mask as soon as we were alone. «Free? What do you mean? Am I not giving you all these drinks?».
«Yes, and I thank you».
«When someone is genuinely grateful...»
Hey, don't push.
«If everything could be solved with soda, why would we have money and mana stones?». I asked mockingly. «In your world, wouldn't giving someone a drink solve everything?».
His expression hardened. «Every time we see each other, I remember again that you have a talent for pissing people off».
The air in the room dropped several degrees when the man who was walking around smiling like a friendly neighborhood grandfather made a sudden 180-degree turn. And? It wasn't my first rodeo, and at this point I felt like I had a good idea of what was moving this guy.
«Don't pretend you're angry. It won't work», I told him, getting rid of his anger as if nothing had happened.
His expression softened, returning to normal as if he had never been looking at me. «Haha, you are not an easy customer. So... what do you want from me?»
Since the stick wouldn't work, I could only use the carrot.
«There must be something you're looking for», he hinted. «Isn't that why you're doing all this?»
To be honest, there was nothing in particular. Or, rather, I had so many things that I wanted to ask him what I was having a hard time deciding on one. I needed to sort them by priority level.
I could ask him what he's doing, but it would be too broad.
In the end, I decided on a more specific question.
«Why are you trying to close Ghostbusters?» I asked him, focusing on the reasons for his latest move.
«Hmm, can I just answer you? Here there is no longer any jewel that helps you discern truth from lies».
His tone implied that he would immediately make another gem if I asked him to, but I refused. «Okay, so answer me. And it's not like I can trust you one hundred percent, not even with the gem».
«So you yourself will decide if what I say is true».
«Yes, so please give me a proper answer. If you lie here and get caught, you miss it».
«Do I miss it?»
«Because I won't believe anything you say in the future.»
That might sound childish, but it would be a decent threat. If this old man wanted to pull my strings, he needed to maintain a friendly enough relationship with me to approach them.
«Hmm ... »
But why was this old man looking at me lasciviously like that instead of saying something?
«What is it about?» asked. «Do you have anything to say about it?».
«No.
«If not, why haven't you started talking?».
As he gave her a look telling her to stop the nonsense, Auril Gavis finally spoke. «It's just quite admirable. Your attitude towards trust».
What the hell was he referring to now?
The old man continued, ignoring my obvious confusion. «If someone betrays you, you make sure to punish them yourself. That's what trust means to you».
Wasn't everyone like that? Were there people who were stabbed in the back and then laughed at?
Despite the questions that were running through my head, I fell silent and listened.
«Just as stricter laws reduce crime, your trust or lack thereof also acts as a deterrent that...».
Yeah, it doesn't matter, I couldn't sit here listening to this guy chatter. I was trying to make it look like I was a control freak who couldn't trust anyone unless I had the upper hand at all times.
«Sir», I asked you directly, »maybe you are not right in the head? How did you come to such a conclusion from the question I asked you?».
«Hmm ... »
«Remember, you were the first to betray me. How could I trust anything about you after that?».
«So your colleagues are different?»
Obviously.
...it was the answer I tried to give, but for some reason, I didn't dare say it. The old man's words echoed in my ears.
«If someone betrays you, you make sure to punish them yourself».
Punishment. Maybe that was what he was doing to Missha. In any case, I changed the subject.
«Let's move on. Answer the question I asked you. Why are you trying to shut down the server?»
«If I answer you, will you answer me too?»
«I'll think about it», I responded without wasting a second, "if the information you give me is worth it".
In other words, he was willing to stand him up at any moment. Without a doubt, Auril Gavis would know how to read between the lines and realize that my answer was vague and promised nothing.
«Clear. Then decide after hearing what I have to say».
Despite this, he accepted my conditions without question.
«Wow, sir. Today you are very calm», I commented.
«...Could you stop sudden changes in tone? It seems like he's treating me like a child».
«Oh, don't listen to me». With a benevolent smile, I asked: «So, the answer?».
He let out a sigh. «The reason I close Ghost Hunt is simple. This place is not having a positive effect on the players. He's not doing what I wanted him to do».
«A positive effect?»
«This place is no different from a safe haven for players. They can talk about the homes they left behind and share their loneliness with people who are in the same situation.»
«And how is that bad?»
«It's a problem. People who conform to the status quo are doomed to conform».
«Ah...» In a way I understood what he meant. Honestly, a simple glance at the community bulletin board corroborated his claim. There were a lot of messages there talking about renting, getting married, or even having children here.
«Our old friends are the same. A few years ago, they would never have given up on an opportunity like this».
So the old man was still bitter about how badly the contest went. Well, it's fair.
«So you're going to get rid of him? Because if the server stays, won't they worry about going home?»
«Something like that.»
That meant he was definitely hiding a lot more information.
«That's it, what do you think? Has it been enough?», he asked.
«No. I would have answered your question if you had given me some big secret, but I have come to the conclusion that the quality of your information is too low to exchange my information about the Witch».
Basically, I was going to have dinner and leave. However, unexpectedly, Auril Gavis took the news in stride, with a calm expression. It was as if the conversation could end right there and he had nothing to lose. Was he pretending to keep his mask in check?
In the end, I was the first to break up. I couldn't leave without getting anything out of this, not when I had been given the rare opportunity to sit with him. «So... can't you leave the community alone? I'll give you information about the Witch if you do».
In reality, he wasn't saying this out of a genuine interest in preserving the Ghostbusters. I was just curious how he would respond to...
«I'm afraid that's not possible».
Yes, so he refused. Which meant that closing the community was a higher priority for him than learning more about the Witch. But why? No matter how he looked at it, players becoming complacent couldn't be the only reason.
He decided to conclude. «So it seems that our meeting today has come to an end».
«I guess so. It's not like you're going to give me more information even if I ask for it, right?».
«Haha, you need to trust others more».
«Yes I trust. But only in those who deserve it».
With those empty words, our conversation came to a natural stopping point.
«Then I'm leaving», he announced. «I have something else to do before the community closes its doors, but I'll see you later».
«Okay. I don't know when that will be, but I hope you're willing to tell me everything that's going on in your head when the time comes», I offered.
«It's a strange way of looking at it. I would tell you everything right now if you were willing to trust what I say».
Every word was a lie.
I made fun of his nonsense and Auril Gavis laughed. Apparently, I expected that reaction. «I don't know if you'll believe me, but I'll offer you one last piece of advice».
«A tip? I'll listen to you, so go ahead».
«They are Lee.»
«¿Is he alive...?»
«Don't get too close to that friend of yours.» The advice blinded me sincerely, but I didn't have a chance to ask him what the hell he meant. «That's all. We'll see you in the future».
Auril Gavis left the Round Table.
I stared blankly at where I had been, and then quickly shook myself out of my daze. A sudden possibility had crossed my mind.
There are Lee...
Tal leads...
I wasn't sure, but maybe...
Was he the reason why Auril Gavis had decided to close the Ghostbusters? Just as someone would burn down a house to kill a spider, perhaps they had destroyed the server to make sure Baekho Lee and I could no longer communicate.
Well, that was just a theory.
«Old scoundrel. You haven't said anything clearly», I grumbled, and then let out a sigh that echoed in the empty room.
There was a sudden silence.
Empty chairs surrounded the Round Table, now deprived of its jewel.
It really seems like the end of an era.
Even knowing that I had to leave and get back to my business, I didn't dare move. Somehow, despite myself, I still didn't believe it.
Deer and Crescent were gone after the first round, and with the sudden arrival of Auril Gavis, the rest followed suit one after another.
Grifo.
I picked up the León mask I had taken off to drink the soda and put it back on my face. It would probably be the last time I would wear it.
I had grown fond of him.
«This is really the final…»
The words took a while to come out of my tongue, and even once outside, they couldn't completely fill the empty room. I didn't expect a happy, friendly farewell like a high school graduation or anything like that, but I never thought it would end like this.
Maybe it was because of that?
«However, I can't feel any gratitude towards you».
«Do you think this is a game? You believe it?»
For some reason, his words resonated in my mind.
I quickly shook my head to clear it.
Don't think about that. We haven't come here to make friends.
I smiled regretfully and left the mask on the table before taking one last look at the empty room.
«...No. Nothing fun».
And with that, the last Round Table meeting came to an end.
***
After witnessing the end of the Round Table, I returned to Hansu Lee's room. I lay down on the bed and vegetated for a while before working up the courage to get up and check my inbox.
I have a message...
Despite what I expected, it wasn't from GM.
[De: HS123]
HS123-el mensay era de Hyeonbyeol.
I guess we couldn't say goodbye properly thanks to Baekho.
What was inside? When I clicked it open, the text appeared on my screen.
[Before, when I asked you about revealing our identities, I know you objected, but I've decided that I'm going to start doing whatever I please like you. Administrators may be able to take a look at our inboxes, so I can't tell you who I am in this message, but...].
The crux of his message is in the last line.
[Meet me outside.]
Outside...
Well, if I was going to do that, I'd have to get out of the maze first.