"Well, somehow we ended up connected, one way or another."

"Oh... is that so?"

GM and the Elder chuckled warmly, exchanging kind words in the cozy atmosphere.

Ibaekho, watching them with a deeply displeased glare, began grumbling under his breath.

"Hah, does that treacherous bastard even have a backbone?"

Honestly, I felt much the same way. How can they laugh so foolishly? If it weren't for that old bastard, none of this would have happened—.

"Hmm, I'd rather call him a smart friend."

"...Huh?"

"Isn't a rational and young friend also polite?"

At that moment, Parmel Harbae seemed to defend GM.

Is GM some kind of figure who holds weight among the old-timers? I don't know for sure, but even Parmel Harbae was no different from Auril Gavis when facing him.

"Long time no see, Master."

"Ah, Ruin Genesis... Good to see you. How have you been all this time?"

"How could one say they've been well or not?"

"I'll take that as having been well."

"By the way, Master, you haven't changed at all from before. Somehow, it feels like I'm the only one aging."

"Heh heh, you still seem young."

It seemed ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) they were about to share light small talk after a long time, but that moment didn't last long.

"Since we're meeting after a while, may I ask you just one thing?"

"Go ahead."

Hardly had permission been given when Parmel Harbae delivered a heavy statement.

"Master, have you already attained immortality?"

"Heh heh, that's quite a difficult question to answer right from the start."

"If it's hard to answer, you don't have to—."

"Still, if I had to answer just one thing—."

Auril Gavis interrupted Parmel Harbae and opened his mouth, as if advising a child.

"Eternity doesn't exist in any world, Ruin Genesis."

"......"

"Everything inevitably changes eventually. Even that which we thought would never change."

"......That's quite a philosophical answer."

Parmel Harbae quietly nodded as if genuinely impressed, but Ibaekho just snorted.

"Philosophical my ass. To put it simply, if you keep hitting, they eventually die, right?"

"You seem especially irritable today."

"How could I not be? It's obvious you were the one who locked us in there."

Not wanting to continue small talk, Ibaekho hid nothing of his anger and moved straight to the point.

"You should be thankful I haven't attacked you yet."

As usual, he used strong words and started a power struggle, but unfortunately, this time the opponent was no pushover.

"Haha... the one who should be thankful is you."

"Hah! Thankful?"

Seeing Ibaekho exhale disdainfully, Auril Gavis scattered an intense glare.

"Then you should be thankful."

"......"

"For the reason I still haven't 'disposed' of you."

As soon as the words ended, the atmosphere shifted palpably.

"......"

It felt like soft air had sprouted steel thorns. Auril Gavis stepped forward, dominating everyone with just the atmosphere, and continued.

"Baekho, do you still not understand? The reason I interfered was to avoid 'disposing' of you."

His words were far more direct and threatening than Ibaekho's talk of whether to attack or not.

"But if you keep straying like this, I will have no choice but to 'reconsider.'"

Ibaekho looked somewhat intimidated. Well, no matter who he was, even he had to concede to this old man.

"......So what exactly do you want? And Briat? He seems to have been planted next to me for quite some time."

"Briat was your guide."

"What? Guide...?"

"You're a person of interest. You need at least one person to show you the right path, so you don't stray."

I couldn't believe how brazen that line was, even listening from the side. But that's how this world is.

"......"

A savage world where the weak can't even raise their voice. Especially for Ibaekho, who had enjoyed the privileges of strength for so long, there was nothing more to say to such an attitude.

"Just say it."

After a long silence, Ibaekho spoke in a somewhat resigned voice.

"What do you want from me... just say it..."

The emotion felt from that short question wasn't bitterness. It was simply strong. Ibaekho, this guy, had been worn down by all this time.

"Hmm... I don't particularly want anything from you."

"......What?"

"By now, you must know you're defective."

Auril Gavis looked at Ibaekho and spoke clearly and precisely.

"I never once wanted you. Never wished for you to come here. So, I don't really understand why you hate me. Isn't your direction wrong?"

"......"

"Well, if I had to wish for something, it would be just one thing. Know your place and stay quiet."

"......"

"As a supporting role, act like one. Don't try to change the story."

Faced with Auril Gavis's sharp words, Ibaekho remained silent. But his bloodshot eyes spoke volumes.

How deeply humiliated he was. Of course, Parmel Harbae, with zero empathy, seemed not to care.

"If Ibaekho is a supporting role... then we must be supporting roles too?"

Parmel Harbae's eyes lit up, only interested in that part.

"Are you upset about that?"

Auril Gavis asked, but Parmel Harbae shook his head.

"Not really. I'm long past the age to think I'm the main character..."

"Past the age?"

"What good is being the protagonist of someone else's story?"

"......That sounds very meaningful."

Auril Gavis glanced at Parmel Harbae with suspicion, but the old man showed no reaction and moved on.

"By the way, are you acquainted with Flyer and Aures?"

"Hmm......"

"I don't think there's any particular connection with those two."

Auril Gavis looked between Jaina and Leg Auress with a troubled expression. Then...

"I've met her once before."

Jaina honestly admitted the connection first.

"She told me that by offering a sacrifice to Karui, I could recover my lost memories. It was from that person."

"......So that's how it was? And what about Aures?"

"Uh... I... I've seen him a few times beside the lord starting from when the royal forces invaded Noark city?"

His tone sounded like a lie to anyone. Parmel Harbae and even Ibaekho narrowed their eyes, and Auril Gavis shook his head and spoke a somewhat shocking truth.

"Aures is from the same world as Ruin Genesis."

"......What?"

"Is that true? That person was a demon spirit too...?"

Apparently no one in the party knew this information...

"All six of us are demon spirits..." This is not just a demon spirit dream team.

It's more than coincidence. I remembered being amazed before that more than half were demon spirits, but not just half — all of them.

"Um... what about Briat?"

At that moment, Jaina looked at Auril Gavis, trailing off. Seems like she was thinking the same.

"Briat is a pure-blooded resident born and raised in this world."

Hmm, so out of seven, six are demon spirits. Somehow, that feels strange. Because demon spirits have always been a tiny minority in any group.

Ghost Busters were special among demon spirits for exactly that reason.

"What kind of bullshit is 'pure-blooded resident'?"

Ibaekho grumbled, displeased with the term, but Auril Gavis didn't even respond.

"Oh, I never expected Aures's hometown to be the same as mine. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Ah ha... haha... I didn't mean to deceive... I only just realized we have the same hometown now."

"Well, that's not something to bring up first... Looks like we'll have plenty to talk about. I'm curious about your world."

"Ah ha ha... Ask anything. Honestly, my memories are hazy, but I'll tell you everything I can recall."

I could imagine Auress and Parmel Harbae sitting side by side during breaks, chatting about all sorts of things...

"I can't really picture that..." I was secretly surprised to learn Auress was a demon spirit and organizing my thoughts.

"Excuse me, sir?"

GM cautiously addressed Auril Gavis.

"Do you know where we are now...?"

"Are we outside the walls or inside? Or somewhere else?"

"Yes... Well, since the Baron and I happened to be outside, we got caught up in this..."

"Well... from your perspective, that could be."

"......Yes?"

GM tilted his head at the cryptic answer, but Auril Gavis didn't elaborate and returned to answer the previous question.

"This place is somewhere outside the walls. It is very meaningful to me."

"Oh... is that so...?"

"So please understand that I cannot tell you the exact location."

"Yes...? Then—."

"Don't worry. It doesn't mean I intend to keep you here."

"Ah ha ha... Is that so? That's really a relief. We didn't plan such a long journey..."

GM laughed, farting politely at the culprit who really had no backbone. Still, thanks to someone playing that role, things were progressing.

"If you don't intend to keep us, then you're letting us go as is?"

Ibaekho asked bluntly with a sour expression, and Auril Gavis nodded slowly.

"Of course. But only if you promise one thing."

"...Speak."

"I didn't intend to be so straightforward, but now that it’s come to this, I'll be frank."

"No, come on, just say it already—."

"Don't seek answers elsewhere."

Ibaekho flinched slightly at Auril Gavis's words, then smiled awkwardly.

"What kind of nonsense is that? If you want a promise, shouldn't you be more clear?"

"Then I'll be more direct."

"......"

"Baekho, I know well why you aim for the palace."

"But...?"

"But don't even think of going near it. There's no answer you seek there anyway."

Auril Gavis said nothing about penalties if the promise was broken.

He had said it many times already. If Ibaekho disobeyed, he would be ‘disposed of.’ And Ibaekho knew that too.

"Then where exactly is the answer?"

Ibaekho asked just one thing more, and Auril Gavis smiled kindly.

"Aren't you explorers?"

He patted Ibaekho on the shoulder.

"Find your answers in the labyrinth."

As if there was no evil at all.

"All the answers you seek are there."

Looking at Auril Gavis speaking in his gentle voice, I thought of Karui. Now that I think about it, this old man resembles Karui in that he always toys with people.***

With his words gone, Auril Gavis waited calmly without pressing for any more from Ibaekho.

"......"

"......"

The pressure was heavy yet comfortable. It didn’t take long before Ibaekho raised the white flag.

"Ah, okay. Okay. Got it. What you mean is, don't touch the palace? Fine, I won't. That's that."

If he's surrendering, he could tone down that cocky attitude.

'What... does he want?'

While thinking that, Ibaekho continued with a cheeky tone.

"But you’re not perfect either, huh? Running around and cleaning up messes like this."

"......?"

"You know, right? It seems you don’t like the labyrinth being closed. Actually, this all happened because you saved Noark from annihilation, right?"

"So what exactly do you want to say?"

"Nothing in particular... just saying. Since you appeared in front of us like this, I thought maybe you’re having trouble too."

In other words, he was fishing to see if his guess was right.

"But judging by your reaction, I guess I was right?"