Arlon knew he had already been caught.
But Zephyrion only smiled and said, "So, it is like that..." before continuing as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
He wore his glasses, and the oppressive pressure that had seemed to crush everyone's spirits lifted.
Of course, there had been no real pressure to begin with—it was all in their imagination. Fear alone had created the weight they felt.
Zephyrion was fully aware of this. He had merely wanted to test them. Among the group, only Arlon seemed relatively composed. Experience tales at empire
As Zephyrion's expression softened with the addition of his glasses, the imagined pressure dissipated completely.
If he had exerted real pressure, they wouldn't have even made it to the floor—they'd have been obliterated.
Relief washed over the players. Carmen clung to Evan's arm for support, while Evan himself was struggling to stay on his feet.
After giving them a moment to recover, Zephyrion spoke again.
"Thank you for coming all this way. Please, take a seat. We have important matters to discuss."
At his words, Nora flicked her fingers, and chairs materialized around Zephyrion's desk.
Like many in Kelta, Nora was exceptionally powerful. As a Beastman magician—a rarity comparable to a Dwarf barbarian—her abilities were extraordinary.
Everyone took a seat, except for Arlon the guide, who was instructed to remain standing.
Zephyrion's expression turned serious as he addressed Arlon. "First, let me extend our gratitude and present your reward, Mr. Arlon."
He continued, "Thanks to your efforts, we were able to uncover threats within Trion and avert a catastrophe."
The players were shocked to hear that. Since this wasn't an "event", they didn't know there was a threat looming around them before Arlon found it out.
"Thank you, Lord Zephyrion," Arlon replied humbly. "But I was simply in the right place at the right time. The true hero here is Miss Shirl."
Zephyrion's expression darkened slightly. "Too much humility can be a mistake. Regardless, Shirl is currently under trial. I suggest you refrain from praising her for now."
Though Zephyrion believed in Shirl's innocence, he couldn't allow anyone to openly commend someone still facing trial.
"Thank you for the warning, Lord Zephyrion. I will keep that in mind," Arlon said, bowing slightly.
"Good!" Zephyrion's voice brightened slightly. "Now, your reward. Of course, you'll receive a monetary prize, but that alone doesn't seem sufficient. Is there anything else you would like?"
Arlon had been waiting for this moment but hesitated to reveal his request in front of everyone.
"Sir," he said carefully, "may we have a private discussion later? I also have some important matters to report."
Zephyrion regarded him for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Please wait in the next room. I'll join you when we're finished here."
Zephyrion glanced briefly at Arlon's real body as he spoke, and Arlon immediately understood. He needed both himself and the copy present.
The copy exited through a door leading to the other half of the floor, leaving the others behind.
Zephyrion turned back to the group, his tone growing more serious. "Now, let us proceed. What I am about to share must remain confidential.
"Not that anyone would believe you if you told them, even you may not," he added with a faint smile, "but regardless, I ask for your discretion."
Zephyrion took a deep breath since he would give some shocking information.
"You are not in a game, everything you see is real."
---
The copy entered the other half of the floor, which resembled a long corridor.
Rooms lined both sides, their doors either closed or slightly ajar. As he walked slowly down the hall, he glanced into the open rooms out of curiosity.
One room appeared to be a gym, another resembled an arena or training ground, and yet another looked like it could be a spa.
Before he could inspect more rooms, one of the doors opened, and a butler stepped out, bowing slightly.
"Sir, my apologies for my late arrival. I wasn't informed that someone would be coming," the butler said politely.
"Ah, it's fine," Arlon replied. "Lord Zephyrion asked me to wait here until his meeting is over."
"I see. Please, follow me," the butler said, gesturing for Arlon to follow.
He led Arlon into one of the rooms, which was designed like a blend of a drawing room and a library.
The room was furnished with two sets of cushioned chairs and a table in between—perfect for private meetings.
Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with volumes that gave the space an intellectual yet elegant air. Arlon hadn't seen a library of this size anywhere in Trion before.
Despite the minimalistic design, the room was adorned with flowers, similar to the rest of the floor.
"You can wait here until Lord Zephyrion returns. I'll bring some refreshments shortly," the butler said, bowing again before leaving the room.
Left alone, Arlon's curiosity was piqued by the shelves of books. However, he hesitated to touch them, unsure if their contents were confidential.
This was, after all, a government building.
The sheer size of the library surprised him—he hadn't seen anything comparable even in Agema, where the largest collection he'd come across was a single bookshelf.
---
No one spoke after Zephyrion's announcement.
"Sigh..." Zephyrion exhaled, his frustration evident. "You think this is some kind of NPC quest or whatever you call it. But it's not. Everything here is real."
The players exchanged uneasy glances. An unspoken pressure filled the room—if anyone openly believed him and it turned out to be a joke by some game developer, they would be humiliated.
And honestly, the chance of that being true seemed much higher than the alternative.
Arlon broke the silence. "He's telling the truth. This isn't a game."
Maria chuckled nervously. "Come on, Mr. Arlon. This isn't the time to join the joke. Let him finish his scripted dialogue." Her tone betrayed her disbelief.
"There's no script," Arlon replied firmly. "Think about it. Do you really believe there's a game where you spend two entire weeks doing nothing during an event?" He referred to their long journey to Kelta and the subsequent waiting for the meeting.
"Or, do you think there's an AI sophisticated enough to simulate millions of unique characters, each acting in line with their own personalities?"
The room fell silent as the players considered his words.
The first to believe was June. She had harbored suspicions ever since she noticed the similarities between the two Arlons. Initially, she thought Arlon the guide was either a player or a GM.
But the more she reflected on it, the more things didn't add up—the nuanced dialogue, the overly intricate quests, and the unique gameplay.
Shirl's trial was supposed to be a straightforward escort mission. Why would a game go to such lengths for something like that?
When June shared her thoughts aloud, the others still laughed nervously, but her words planted seeds of doubt.
Carmen, meanwhile, was consumed by a different fear. If this wasn't a game, then she had killed someone—or something—with her own hands. Even if they were Keldars, it still weighed on her conscience.
Zack, on the other hand, felt a growing sense of unease. If this were real, his actions against the NPCs could have serious consequences.
Confusion gripped everyone.
"Please, listen," Arlon urged. "I understand this is hard to accept, but this is the truth. That's why I suggested you train here. Normally, players don't need training in games, but you can develop abilities outside the usual skill system."
His statement caught everyone's attention.
"Prove it," June said immediately.
"How?" Maria asked skeptically.
"Show us something that can't be part of the game's skill system," June suggested, and the others nodded in agreement.
Arlon obliged, performing simple but impossible feats. With magic, he wrote the names of Earth's continents in midair, then conjured a floating world map and made it orbit the room.
The display left everyone stunned—except Carmen, who turned pale and bolted to a corner to throw up.