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The conversation with him, unfortunately, ended quickly.

[Don’t think you’ll die easily.]

After throwing out one last taunt to that line, whatever was said, he remained silent.

I wondered if he was just pulling a “silent treatment,” but after thinking about it, that didn’t seem to be the case.

‘It’s more likely that he was so angry he smashed the radio.’

Yeah, the more I think about it, that seems more reasonable.

The trembling voice back then couldn’t have been faked—it was real.

Oh, and I’ve got some evidence to back this up.

After all, what kind of guy is he?

He was once known as the “Swordmaster” and now leads the ultra-famous terrorist group, Orchyullis.

Naturally, he’s incredibly strong and…

‘People like him really do all think the same, don’t they?’

It’s the exact opposite of “soft on the outside, tough on the inside.”

Statistically speaking, big shots like him don’t handle this kind of provocation well.

That’s because they never have to deal with people mocking them like this.

Ah, except for Baek Ho.

He’s undoubtedly a strong man of his time, but that’s because he’s Korean.

‘By now, he’s probably trembling with anger, rushing toward me.’

Of course, this is just wishful thinking, and I can’t be certain.

But still, it’s not like what I just did was meaningless.

At least I managed to get him to speak to me, didn’t I?

That alone should help loosen Amelia’s tight situation a bit—.

Static buzzed!

Suddenly, a familiar voice came through the radio amidst the noise.

‘Chancellor…?’

But since it was said in code, I couldn’t understand it. I quickly shot a glance at Vivian, signaling her to translate.

“…It’s the Chancellor. He’s telling each commander to leave the current channel.”

Hmm, so the eavesdropping on the radio ends here?

I didn’t feel particularly disappointed.

This was a predictable step from the moment I started drawing attention.

But the rapid string of radio communications that followed was puzzling.

[Breta Cie, Saela Sa.]

[Tiri Bi, Saela Sa.]

[Tiri Ei, Saela Sa.]

“What are they saying now?”

“It’s just a simple protocol. They’re stating the zone name and signing off…”

“Should we leave, too? It doesn’t seem like they’ll say anything useful from here on out. The number of people on the communication network is quickly dropping, too…”

“No, just stay put for now. You never know.”

Vivian gave me a look that said, ‘What do you mean, you never know?’ but followed my request without further complaints.

And after a while…

“It’s gone quiet.”

“Well, there are only two people left on the network now.”

So, besides us, there’s only one person left.

“Give it to me.”

I took the radio back from Vivian.

“Huh? What are you going to do?”

“I have a feeling they’re about to say something.”

“…Do you know who it is?”

Even without the crystal ball being destroyed, their communication network automatically cuts off anyone who dies, keeping the channel secure.

And now, only one remains.

What could that mean?

‘Who else could it be?’

And sure enough, soon after there were only two, a sound came from the radio.

[Click.]

It began with a sound like someone clicking their tongue, as if deep in thought.

“It’s been a while, Chancellor. Ah, should I say former Chancellor, or the leader of the rebels?”

I greeted him before he could introduce himself, but surprisingly, he responded as naturally as if we had spoken just days ago.

[You’ve always caused a stir wherever you go. It’s just like you to stir up trouble the moment you reappear.]

The conversation was strangely casual, like we’d been friendly until recently.

‘Well, it’s not exactly wrong, is it?’

Before I was imprisoned, I did have conversations like this with the Chancellor.

Well, back then, he was still the Chancellor of Lafdonia.

“If we’re talking about causing trouble, aren’t you one to talk?”

[Hmm, you might have a point this time.]

Even though we’re enemies now, for some reason, I let out a small laugh.

But there was no time for idle chit-chat.

“Why?”

[You always cut to the chase.]

“I don’t like wasting time.”

[That approach won’t always lead you to the answer. The truth is like a treasure hidden deep in a labyrinth—you can only find it after wandering lost for a long time.]

Oh, is this wisdom speaking because he’s older than me?

It sounds fancy, sure, but…

“What are you going on about? You’ve probably never even set foot in a labyrinth.”

That kind of line would sound cooler coming from someone with more experience, like Nara.

[Let me get straight to the point.]

“What, are you going to try to negotiate?”

At my question, he neither confirmed nor denied it.

Like an impatient businessman, he just laid out his terms right away.

[I’ll guarantee the absolute safety of your comrades.]

“How can I trust someone who’s been trying to kill us?”

[I’ve already given orders to my entire army: Bjorn Yandel’s comrades are to be captured alive, no matter what.]

I shot a glance at Vivian to confirm, and she nodded.

[For some reason, you’ve always been a problem for me. So I thought keeping your comrades alive might come in handy someday.]

Hmm…

It’s not a good sign when your enemy overestimates you.

But at least I learned something.

None of my comrades have been captured yet.

If they had been, he’d be using threats, not negotiations.

[So, what’s your answer?]

The Marquis’s question was followed by Astaroth’s sharp gaze in my direction.

He didn’t seem like he wanted to interfere; he was just watching to see what I’d decide.

‘Sigh…’

The answer I could give was already set.

“I refuse.”

[Why?]

Just like I did earlier, the Marquis wasted no time in asking for the reason.

But unlike him, I wasn’t going to waste time with unnecessary words.

I’d been waiting for this moment for so long, for the chance to say this to his face.

“I made a vow in Iselrock.”

[…]

“I’ll cut off the head of the bastard who planned all this.”

Despite my appearance, I’m actually a bit narrow-minded. That’s why I’ve never once crossed off a name written on my kill list.

[Yeah… I see.]

After a brief silence, the Marquis spoke in a somewhat bittersweet voice.

[In the end, we messed up from the very first step.]

It wasn’t an excuse or self-justification, but a resigned statement.

In that voice, I could even sense a small feeling of regret, and for some reason, it irritated me.

If he was going to regret it in the end.

Clench.

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t done it in the first place.

“You know as well as I do that you were the one who messed up the first step.”

My voice unintentionally came out a bit aggressive, but the Marquis didn’t react much. In fact, he even chuckled.

[Kuh, it’s not an unfamiliar situation. My life has always been like a tangled thread that gets more knotted the more I try to unravel it.]

Is he now reflecting on his life or something?

Well, I guess if I were fighting against the royal family, I’d probably do the same.

Anyway, further conversation would only be idle chatter, so I asked one last thing.

“What happened to Ragna Feprok?”

It might be the most personal question of all.

Yet, surprisingly, he answered straightforwardly.

[The child is sleeping, unaware of anything. In the safest place in the world. By the time he wakes up, it will all be over, one way or another.]

“The safest place in the world, huh? Wherever that may be, it sure is different from the way you treat your own son.”

[You, of all people, should know why that has to be.]

Well, that’s true.

The Marquis’ son is a malevolent spirit, after all.

That’s probably why they took Ragna, who was hiding away in the library, in the first place.

Oh, right. There’s something else I almost forgot to ask.

“…Was the woman in that hidden portrait in your office Ragna’s real mother?”

[Yes, she was a very kind woman.]

Huh, what’s with him answering so willingly all of a sudden?

I found it strange, but unfortunately, that was the end.

[Anyway, things have become clear now.]

“Weren’t they always?”

[Hah, but this moment holds special meaning for me. That lingering ‘what if’… That thought has made me a person stuck between two paths.]

I could dismiss it as the ramblings of an old man, but it felt more like something someone says right before an epiphany, so it wasn’t very welcome.

[Once this conversation ends, I’ll revoke the order to capture and replace it with a kill-on-sight directive.]

It’s starting to feel like something’s truly about to begin.

[During that process, some of those comrades you care so deeply for might die. No, they *will* die. I’ll make sure of it.]

“If you’re trying to threaten me, you’re doing it in the wrong order.”

[Isn’t that obvious?]

“…?”

[It’s not a threat.]

The tone of his voice made it clear that he was simply stating a fact, not making a threat.

[I just wanted you to know, that in the end, I wasn’t so different from you.]

Ironically, it was at this moment, for the first time, that I felt overwhelmed while speaking with the Marquis.

[Do you have any idea how much of a burden it was for me to smile in front of people like you all this time?]

“…”

[Now, it’s your turn to feel the pain I went through.]

Hah, who would’ve thought he had such a tough-guy side to him.

***

With his final words, the communication with the Marquis was cut.

“He’s gone…”

After confirming that the number of people connected to the communication network had dropped to one, I threw the now-useless radio into the burning building.

“Don’t let it bother you too much. It was nothing more than the curse of a betrayer.”

As he watched me, Astaroth spoke, as if trying to comfort me.

“You made the right choice.”

The right choice…

Yeah, I suppose so.

If I had given in to the Marquis’ offer, maybe no one would’ve died during this war, but afterward, a much bigger disaster would’ve followed.

“Then, as a reward, how about finally telling me why the Marquis started this war?”

“Impossible. His Majesty said you should hear it directly from him.”

Ha… It’s driving me crazy.

It’s not like this is some game where I have to figure everything out by going on adventures.

‘…Or is it?’

Now I can say it with certainty.

*Dungeon and Stone* is a damn trash game.

“There sure are a lot of them gathered already.”

As I grumbled to myself, Astaroth looked around and muttered to no one in particular.

In translation, he was basically saying it’s about time we start moving.

So, I set aside my thoughts about the Chancellor and did a quick summary of the current situation.

A burning city.

The rebels, ordered to stay back, were keeping a certain distance from us, and as time passed, reinforcements were arriving, bolstering their forces.

‘And I have no idea if Ruchenpraha is on his way to me or not.’

Not to mention that I still don’t know if Amelia, supposedly in District 4, or the Clan members hiding in the sanctuary are safe.

On top of that, the Marquis just had some kind of sudden epiphany and declared that he’s going to kill all my comrades…

[The spirit from another world, ‘————’, after losing three companions, finally realizes the path he must take.]

It’s unclear if the event I read about in the records happens during this war.

And that’s not all.

[Arua Raven! That wizard who was once your comrade is the traitor!]

Vivian also pointed out that the person who would betray me on the day of the imperial capital’s fall was Raven.

‘…Why can’t I seem to sort this out?’

I only wanted to quickly organize the situation, but it’s not going as smoothly as I thought.

“…”

It feels like my head is about to explode.

There’s too much to think about.

I even feel like I want to go back to the days when I was just surviving day by day in the labyrinth without a care.

Thump!

With the extreme stress, a sharp pain tightened around my chest.

But that’s why I emptied my mind.

Like a true barbarian.

‘…I’ll figure it out as I go.’

Besides, didn’t the Marquis say it himself earlier?

After wandering and wandering for a long time, you eventually find the answer.

So, let’s take it one moment at a time and push forward.

“Behel—laaaa!!”

Just like back in the days when my body was the only thing I could rely on.