197 Episode Master Key (2)
Watcher of the round table.
A secret community created for better quality information exchange.
When I first came here, the existing members were curious about the relationship between me and the Master.
For a simple reason.
It’s already been a year since the Master who recruited members through the direct message disappeared.
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Members thought they could hear from me about the Master’s current situation, and after the concept of ‘Investigator’ was established, it was firmly established that they were acquaintances.
All related questions were consistently answered with no comments.
[The answer is no.]
To answer that I know, I’m worried about the future.
To say that I do not know, I made a decision because I thought that it did not fit the concept of mysticism.
But maybe I was greedy without knowing it.
[…] … Do you even know where the Master is?]
At the second meeting, I made the gesture of shrugging at the fox’s words.
As if there’s nothing you can’t tell us if you bring something interesting. He shrugged his chin sullenly and relaxed as if he had become an absolute man.
It was clearly intended to be a misunderstanding.
“… … Wasn’t the Master invited? I’m sure he said the same thing… … .”
In fact, whether the intention worked well, the fox mask had a very confused voice.
The other masks were wondering what the situation was.
“Hmm, did I invite you?”
The Master touched his chin as if he didn’t know at all.
At this, the eyes of the other masks gathered on me.
Eyes full of doubt and curiosity about who I am.
“If not the Master, how did he get here?”
“Maybe you have used the invitation code you received before?”
The goblin made a guess at the fox’s murmur, which the clown refuted.
“It’s stupid. Don’t you know that the invitation code has expired in just one month and can’t be used?”
“… … Is that real, Master?”
“The clown’s words are true.”
“then… … .”
As the Master agreed, his gaze toward me became more explicit.
“Why did you trick me into saying you know the Master… … ?”
A fox mask that asks me questions in a cautious tone.
I stopped breathing and closed my eyes for a moment.
It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t embarrassed by the sudden appearance of the Master, but losing my composure will ruin things.
I quickly decided the position I would take.
“I didn’t cheat.”
There has never been a time when I said that I knew each other with my own mouth.
you just misunderstood
If you push it like that, they won’t have much to say.
‘Well, you should feel a little uncomfortable, but… … .’
From half-obsessed lives to various information.
Where have you shown one or two so far?
You won’t get to the truth that I’m a cyber thug with this anyway.
yes, so… … .
“Didn’t you cheat?”
Let’s go out boldly.
In the first place, ‘Investigator’ is such a character, isn’t it?
“Literally. Do you have any problems with your ears?”
“Oh, no… It’s not like that… … .”
The fox mask was greatly embarrassed when our eyes met even though it didn’t breathe life.
I laughed out loud.
And even though I didn’t say anything, I tried to play the prepared line saying that it was yours who misunderstood.
But then.
“Everyone, stop.”
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Master looked at me and said.
“I don’t know the details of what happened between you, but he didn’t lie.”
‘… … yes?’
“Now I know. who you are.”
For an instant, my heart pounded.
Of course, that time was only a fleeting moment.
Do you know who I am? It’s ridiculous.
After all, a master is just the moderator of a private chat room, how do you know that—
“Shhh. I thought you were on the tiger side.”
I shut my mouth at the sound of Master’s laughter.
Not because I was stabbed, but because I couldn’t understand a single word of what you were talking about.
I just chose silence.
Judging that at least half of it will go even if you save your words.
“A soldier or something.”
That judgment was not wrong.
‘I’m a soldier… … .’
Now I know.
Now, who did this old man mistake me for?
***
Sergeant Lee.
Literally translated, this sergeant… … .
The nickname of Lee Baek-ho, an unfortunate player who was brought to this world on the day of his discharge.
“It’s no use pretending not to. Because you’re the only one who gave me a code that never expires.”
If you think about it, it was a misunderstanding that the Master had no choice but to make.
Isn’t that the invitation code that Baekho Lee gave to me?
There’s no way I can distinguish Lee Baek-ho from me while I’m wearing a mask.
‘… … Do I have to say this is a good thing?’
I still don’t feel it
It seems that the key is how close Lee Baek-ho was with the master… … .
“I didn’t know you were coming here. When I first visited, didn’t he dismiss me for doing something pathetic?”
“… … .”
“I’m a little curious. How did you change your mind?”
The conclusion was reached without much thought.
‘It wasn’t close.’
The expression ‘shavings’ is a good thing.
Because in the world there is a close relationship with each other.
However… … .
[Oh, I didn’t tell you that. I’ve only been here for an hour because the first pill I took.]
Baekho Lee is only here for an hour.
Therefore, it is impossible to participate in this assembly, where the entrance time is between 3:00 and 3:10, in the first place.
But you don’t know this?
The one you told me the first day we met?
‘The estimate is coming soon.’
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Master doesn’t know much about Lee Baek-ho.
In other words, it means that it is possible for me to pretend to be Lee Baek-ho.
“It’s not something I said before, but if you’re the only one, there’s nothing to gain from participating here.”
The clown murmured as if grunting at the Master’s words.
“… … Fisht, you got nothing. Doesn’t the Master look at us like children?”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. But he’s such a great friend.”
“Hmm, that’s right… … .”
A clown whose eyes lit up at the Master’s praise.
I quickly looked at the other masks as well. It wasn’t much different from the clown.
It was just full of surprises.
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Maybe more than when I spit out advanced information like a ‘resuscitation stone’.
“I think it’s the first time the Master makes such an evaluation… … .”
“I didn’t know it would be like this.”
A crescent moon that vomits elasticity and a deer antler with a somewhat resentful expression. Oh, by the way, as soon as our eyes met, the fox flinched and bowed her head.
It looks like something I had suspected before was caught.
‘What do we do?’
Seeing this makes me even more worried.
There is a saying that a crisis is an opportunity.
As you can see by looking at the eyes of the members who have already changed.
If you succeed in pretending to be Lee Baek-ho, it will be of great help to you in the future.
‘More than anything else, I think I’ll be able to find out what kind of kid Lee Baek-ho is through this old man.’
return is certain.
So what about the risk?
‘… … There’s nothing particularly risky, right?’
Come to think of it, if it doesn’t work, then it’s enough to reveal that you’re Lee Baek-ho’s friend.
Isn’t there an old saying called Yuyusangjong?
As long as the Master mentioned that he is a great person, my friend, I would also look like Lee Baek-ho.
‘Yes, let’s run.’
After making the decision, I broke the long silence and spoke to the Master first.
“What should I call you here?”
“yes?”
“You can’t sing like you normally do, can you?”
“Why not? Just let it be an inspiration like back then. Get rid of those strange words.”
“Yeah, inspiration.”
It was terrifying even though he changed his posture naturally.
‘I was almost tempted from the start… … .’
Hopefully, it must have been a half-talking relationship.
Still, thanks to you, I realized one more thing.
Lee Baek-ho is a proud Korean Confucian.
But how do you gossip with an older person?
‘Beyond that they are not close friends, they seem to have a bad relationship at all.’
I have a rough idea of how to deal with it.
So, naturally, I added words and made up for the mistake I just made.
“Your taste is very strange. Even if you try to save noodles, you say you don’t like it.”
Tuo’s words that I can’t really understand.
I’m not sure if it worked, but the Master laughed as if excitedly.
“Shit! Yes, this is how you are. Anyway, let’s end this talk here. It’s nice to see you after a long time, but I don’t have time.”
“… … Master, are you running out of time?”
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be here for a while.”
“yes? What the hell happened to you—”
“stop.”
The Master sighed briefly and dismissed the doubts.
“I understand that Miss Fox will have many questions to ask of me. Why did I disappear without a word, I must say something right now. But I can’t tell you.”
“Is the time that tight?”
“No, it has nothing to do with time.”
The fox did not force any more at the words of the Master who cut and drew the line.
Instead, I asked one more question.
“then… Will you come again next time?”
“Well, I don’t know. But I’ll be back in a year. If we have something to tell you before that, we can come sooner.”
“Pishit, that means that I have something urgent to tell you today. master.”
“Clown, do as you say.”
All the attention that had been focused on me at the Master’s declaration of shock turned to that direction.
It’s a much better situation for me.
Even the content itself.
‘Come back in a year… … .’
Simply put, it means that you don’t have to worry about being exposed to lies at every meeting.
However, right now, curiosity was greater than that relief.
‘I don’t think it’s a lie to say I don’t have time… … . What kind of situation are you in? What else do you need to tell us urgently?’
In the midst of many doubts, he stared at the Master, paying attention to his ears. Not just me, but all the masks.
A strange silence formed naturally.
“Hey, don’t be too nervous. It is safe to say that it is rather good news.”
The Master, who was waving his hand as if to ventilate the heavy air, slowly opened his mouth.
and… … .
“In two years, a bonding magic that can hold up to six people will be created. The number of keys that can open the door to the abyss increases to six!”
Silence pressed the hall.
The members glanced at each other with awkward eyes and didn’t say anything.
The master tilted his head at this.
“Uh, why is everyone looking like that? I thought you’d be even more surprised… … .”
That’s the back book.
***
That there will be a 6-person bonding magic.
It is certain that the information will be valuable enough to shake the entire city for at least a few months the moment it becomes known.
However… … .
“… … You said this first? Eh, somehow everyone seemed to have a boring reaction.”
After learning that this was what the clown had been talking about at the last meeting, the Master cut his mouth.
“But it’s a little surprising. Clown, I didn’t expect you to talk like that here. Now, do you like the people here a little bit?”
“Fisher, is that possible? It’s just that people are curious about what it’s like to be surprised.”
A clown looking at me with his characteristic laughter.
Following that gaze, the Master glances at me with meaningful eyes.
I was nervous because I wanted to say something.
However… … .
jiggle.
From that point on, the master’s body began to vibrate like a hologram.
“Hey, it’s already time to leave.”
“master!”
The fox shouted as if it was a pity, but the more he did, the faster the roaring speed became.
Even in that situation, the Master only looked at me.
It was a very uncomfortable, but reluctant look.
I’m just staring at you, should I say that it feels like I can see inside?
“Inspiration, is there anything you want to say?”
In the end, I couldn’t stand it and asked.
And then.
[Not an inspiration, but an old man.]
The voice reverberated in my head, like telephonic magic.
It was clear who the owner of the voice was.
[That damn kid called me that.]
Shit.
Somehow it seemed like it was going to be too easy.
‘Did you notice from the beginning?’
Without realizing it, my body stiffened a little.
Of course, it was so small that it was difficult to detect it with the naked eye, and the time was close to an instant.
However… … .
[Hmm, actually, the reaction was so natural that I was still confused. Seeing his heart rate increase so much, it must have been that he wasn’t really that kid.]
No, was it just a guess?
[Don’t worry. No matter what you do here, I have no reason to disturb you.]
“… … .”
[I’m just curious, unfortunately I don’t have time today. Let’s talk about who you are when we meet later.]
At the end of those words, the master’s body dispersed in front of his eyes like a mist.
“under.”
I laughed out loud.
It was similar to laughing out loud without realizing it when I went through something so absurd.
There aren’t really any good kids in this world.