Comeback 5

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Soul Queens finally raised the white flag.

It seemed she had realized how foolish it was to think she could maintain an upper hand over me…

“Psst, what a ridiculous woman. You acted all bold when he exposed the GM’s identity, but now that it’s about you, you’ve tucked your tail between your legs.”

The queen didn’t respond to the clown’s scornful words and simply endured. It was almost pitiful, considering the status she had quickly built at the Round Table.

But…

‘It would be a waste to end it like this.’

Accepting her surrender here would be foolish.

Soul Queens seemed quite sensitive to hierarchy.

It would be wise to make sure she remembers her place, just as I did with the goblin I met in the cave when I was first summoned to this world.

Who stands above, and who stands below.

“I…”

I tapped my finger on the chair once more as I spoke.

“Why should I?”

At my brief question, Soul Queens flinched before responding in a small voice.

“If you stop here, we won’t be hostile to you, Mr. Lion.”

Her words implied that not only would she refrain from banning me from the community, but she wouldn’t hold me accountable for exposing the GM’s identity either.

Her uncharacteristic, indirect approach made me laugh coldly.

After all, wasn’t this like an offer made to an equal?

“You still haven’t learned.”

I tapped the chair’s armrest again, the difference being that this time I didn’t hide my displeasure.

“If there’s anything you desire, please… tell us.”

Soul Queens spoke cautiously, watching my reaction.

Thus…

“I want nothing from you.”

She clearly didn’t understand what I was saying, so I made it plain.

“Nor do I fear you.”

At least not outwardly.

If dealing with the admins bothered me even a little, would I have come at her so hard without any hesitation? To her, I must look like a madman, completely out of control.

So…

“I’ll ask one last time.”

I asked Soul Queens again.

“Why should I?”

“That, that’s…”

Of course, she couldn’t come up with a reason.

The people she had dealt with up until now all had their own desires, after all. It’s no wonder her usually smooth tongue was tied when faced with someone completely different.

But…

She was a smart woman in many ways.

Threats didn’t work, nor did offering rewards.

To persuade someone like me, what should she do?

After a long internal struggle, she reached her conclusion.

Give up on persuasion.

And…

“I was… wrong…”

She sought mercy.

The last resort for the weak, who have nothing left to offer, is to plead for the strong’s mercy.

“Please… forgive me…”

“She finally seems to understand her position. Pssit.”

Ignoring Clown’s ridicule, Soul Queens, just like I had told Deer Horns earlier, lowered her stance.

Looking up at me, she spoke with difficulty.

“I will never… offend you again, Mr. Lion… So, please… forgive my mistake today…”

Honestly, I was quite impressed.

No matter what, I didn’t expect her to humble herself this much. Was she really that shaken by the fact that I knew everything about them?

“…”

“…”

Looking around, I saw the other members glancing between Soul Queens and me, not uttering a word.

They were all curious—would I accept her apology?

‘The hierarchy has been established…’

I looked down at Soul Queens and said,

“Much better.”

Yes, this was it.

***

“The queen’s nickname is Soul Queens. I won’t reveal her real name.”

I placed my hand back on the Round Table, signaling the end of my turn, and received the green light.

“Hoo…”

At that moment, tension seemed to release, and the members who had been watching the situation let out a deep breath.

Soul Queens was no different.

“Thank… you…”

Her words of gratitude, spoken as if she were peeling off her own skin.  I didn’t bother to respond, and an awkward silence lingered for a moment.

It was Deer Horns who carefully broke the atmosphere.

“…What about the meeting? Will it continue?”

With my turn over, the second round had ended.

There were times when the meeting would go on for four or five rounds, but ending it here wouldn’t be strange.

So, what decision would they make?

“I-I’ll stop here…”

Having been chastened after her failed boldness, Soul Queens spoke while watching me.

Somehow, it felt like if I asked her to stay, she’d say ‘Yes…’ and remain, but…

It wouldn’t change much if she stayed alone.

“Then, I’ll stop here as well…”

Goblin, who had barely passed the turn after receiving two red lights in this round, also announced his withdrawal, and naturally, the meeting began to wind down.

‘Tch, it’s over already?’

It was a bit disappointing that the Round Table, after my first appearance in two years and six months, had ended after only two rounds, but there was nothing I could do.

‘Still, having made my presence known today, I’m sure next month’s gathering will be more interesting.’

“…Pssit, well, let’s all prepare a bit more diligently for next month. Of course, assuming Lion Mask graces us with his presence again!”

The Clown, while speaking to the other members, kept sneaking glances at me.

It was a behavior that could almost be considered cute.

What he really wanted to ask was whether I would return next time.

Swoosh.

But answering kindly didn’t seem cool, so I left the Round Table without responding to the Clown’s question.

And then…

“Hoo…”

As soon as I returned to Han Soo’s room, I let out a deep breath and collapsed onto the bed.

The killing intent I had been exerting must have taken its toll; I felt incredibly fatigued.

‘I’ll probably sleep like a log until tomorrow evening.’

But that was a problem for the future me. The present me still had work to do.

The first of which was organizing information.

‘I doubt anyone will think I’m Bjorn Jandel after today’s display…’

I began reviewing everything that had happened at the Round Table.

While the comeback had been successful, it wasn’t flawless. After all, I couldn’t live in the shadows forever.

As soon as word of my survival spreads, the same suspicions will arise again.

Of course, I have several ways to handle it.

Having traveled through the past, I now had plenty of cards to play.

‘I can think about that when the time comes…’

What was really important was something else.

If I’m honest, during the Round Table, it almost made me lose my composure.

[The original source was Misha Karlstein, wasn’t it?]

Misha Karlstein.

Why did she spread such rumors?

[Isn’t it obvious? That woman is one of Lee Baek-ho’s allies now.]

And how did she end up with Lee Baek-ho?

No matter how much I tried to imagine, I couldn’t connect the dots.

However, if I were to make a guess…

[Lee Baek-ho possesses the Stone of Resurrection.]

That seemed like the key point.

For example, it’s possible Misha had no choice but to ally with Lee Baek-ho to save me.

‘…Am I just being too hopeful?’

Ha, if only I’d been sent back a year earlier. 

The two-and-a-half-year gap felt especially frustrating now.

But what can I do? This is the situation I’m in.

‘In any case, if Misha’s goal was to save me… then what does Lee Baek-ho want?’

I had no idea.

There was still too little information.

The only thing we had in common was being Korean, and we hadn’t even spoken for very long.

We hadn’t even had a real conversation.

‘I’ll think more about Lee Baek-ho after I learn more about him.’

I closed my eyes and continued organizing my thoughts.

GM, Auril Gavis, Amelia, Noark, and the royal family… There were countless things to think about, with no clear priority.

“…”

After a long time of following my thoughts like a brainstorming session, I eventually sat back down at the computer and spent the rest of the time reading posts I hadn’t checked earlier.

How much time had passed.

‘I expected some kind of message from GM or Soul Queens, but nothing came.’

Without any lingering attachment, I moved the cursor.

I doubted that continuing to scrutinize things would reveal anything groundbreaking, and there wasn’t much time left until the community closed.

Click.

As I clicked the logout button, a flash of light filled my vision, and soon, darkness descended.

A bedroom where all the windows were boarded up, allowing not a single sliver of moonlight to creep in.

“Hehe, you’re awake now…”

Erwin was looking down at me.

***

Erwin Fornacci di Tersia.

Current master of pure bloodlines, and contractor of the Spirit King.

She had been granted the “Divine Tree Bow,” a treasure of the fairies, and had earned the title of Blood Spirit Queen through her feats in battle.

One of the Seven Masters.

And…

[Pssit, what is that crazy woman planning now?]

[Whatever it is, it’s going to be bloody.]

The only one of my companions who had sacrificed everything for my revenge.

[No matter what anyone says, you’ll always be Bjorn Jandel to me.]

The woman who told me she didn’t care if I was an evil spirit or not.

Though, I couldn’t exactly feel thankful or touched by that dedication.

It was too much—far too much.

So, why was she so obsessed with me?

At first, I thought it was because of her obsession stat.

After all, three of the essences she had consumed—Goblin Archer, Iron Hill Tracker, and Cannibaro—had “Obsession” attached to them.

Given that she’d lost her sister and soon after someone else close to her, it made sense that this might have been a trigger.

But…

“Are you… fully awake now? Want to take a walk? The moon is beautiful tonight…”

That was Erwin from two years and six months ago.

After receiving full support from her family, enough to make even noble children envious, Erwin had replaced most of those essences.

The problem was that the new essences weren’t all that positive either.

From the patrol golems of the Sixth Floor Island, she gained +45 Defense Mechanism.

From Calban, the wolf beast that shifts from passive during the day to aggressive at night, she gained +30 Impulse and +30 Distrust.

From the Metcrow, a fourth-tier monster, she gained +24 Ownership, and from two other essences, -30 Control and +40 Deficiency were added.

Individually, none of these stats were enough to cause severe mental issues, but gathered together like this, they were bound to affect her daily life.

Once I realized this, I made sure to be careful not to provoke her.

If Erwin’s mind snapped, the situation would become unmanageable.

Up until now, that’s how I handled things.

But…

“Oh, right…! I also bought a necklace. With this, I can always know where you are, no matter where you go—”

I couldn’t keep pushing this off forever.

This wasn’t my style.

Thud.

I roughly swatted away Erwin’s hand as she casually touched me.

“…Huh?”

Erwin’s surprise was clear on her face.

“A-Are you angry? Why, why…”

Erwin, her eyes trembling in confusion, searched for an external reason for my change in behavior.

“Come to think of it… there was a loose plank in the living room.”

It had been a plank I’d considered tearing off out of frustration.

But perhaps she interpreted it differently.

“Amelia Rainweilz. That bitch… Did she come here? Is that why, why you…”

Erwin’s delusions spiraled as she began trembling.

Her eyes were now brimming with killing intent.

To be honest, seeing her like that in the dead of night was enough to send chills down my spine.

But…

“Amelia didn’t come.”

So what if she’s scary?

Running away just because something is frightening would go against my principles.

I didn’t back down when I was wrongly imprisoned in the guild’s underground cell.

I didn’t back down in Larkaz’s maze when I faced the dragon slayer.

I didn’t back down in the battle of Noark, where I earned my title as a giant.

I survived because I always faced things head-on.

And so.

“Why… why do you still call that woman by name?”

To her question, I responded without hesitation.

“Because she’s my comrade.”

Erwin’s reaction came after a brief pause.

“…Th-That! I’ve told you over and over again that you don’t need someone like her anymore, because I—”

Yes, she had said that many times.

But.

“Why should you decide that?”

“That, that’s…”

Erwin was at a loss for words.

I didn’t feel sorry for her.

Perhaps because I had just worn the Lion Mask mask a few hours ago, my words flowed naturally.

“You’re being insolent.”

“…!”

Erwin’s eyes widened.

At that moment, I roused my sleeping muscles.

Because really, what do you expect a mentally unstable person to do next?

“…Who are you?”

“I am Bjorn Jandel.”

“L-Lies… you’re an evil spirit…”

Then, a dark aura began to swirl around Erwin’s body.

It was the Spirit of Darkness, her signature weapon.

Thump-thump-thump-thump.

Sensing danger, my heart pounded wildly.

I had prepared myself for this, but standing before her now, the pressure was immense.

However, the more intense the pressure, the clearer my thoughts became.

‘Who am I?’

I am a Barbarian warrior who overcame all manner of adversity.

Bjorn, son of Jandel the giant.

The only player to clear the original game with original difficulty.

The ruler of the Round Table, with the heart of a lion.

Clench.

As soon as I recalled my true identity, my chest swelled with pride, and courage welled up within me.

So, before this resolve could fade…

“Even now, it’s not too late to take it back. Just say it was a mistake you made while asleep—”

“Erwin Fornachi di Tersia.”

I spoke to her.

“There’s something wrong with your mind.”

Yes, when there’s a problem, you fix it.

“Stop talking and come at me.”

In the way I’m best at.