Chương 25: 23: Trust
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."
– Henry David Thoreau
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After separating from my group, I spotted Nayun exiting the dungeon with her team... and Rachel's team?
"Did they go the same way and still meet?"
I didn't want to bother talking to others just yet, so I waited until Nayun was alone.
I watched them closely, particularly Rachel and Nayun, who shared an unspoken rivalry. Rachel's expression also caught my attention—she had her head down, glancing around nervously. She looked... almost embarrassed. It was hard not to notice.
Once everyone dispersed from Nayun, I approached her casually, as I always did.
"Did you do well? Actually, which path did you take?"
"Yeonha." She responded, her tone oddly cheerful, even happy to see me. That's unusual.
"I took the sixth path. Obviously, it was pretty easy. Nothing too strange."
The last part piqued my curiosity. Nayun wasn't great at lying—or more accurately, at hiding her emotions.
"So, something strange did happen," I said, unable to suppress a small smile.
"Well, the strangest thing was that Oreki showed up."
Her answer stirred my thoughts. A strange sensation washed over me. Oreki being redirected by a trap to a different path didn't add up. If he ended up on the same path as Nayun's team, the trap must have been set specifically to separate them.
"A poisoned stake, a trap that diverts cadets to another path, nearly undetectable mechanisms..."
"Wait, Oreki was on a different path?"
Hmm? Did I say that out loud?
"Yeah, we were on the seventh path. That's why I found it weird. I don't see any reason to set up a trap like that to separate cadets from their team."
"So, do you think these traps weren't set by Cube?" she asked, trying to fully grasp the situation.
Nayun stared at me, her gaze sharp, as if organizing her thoughts and listening intently. That expression... she was changing quickly. Too quickly.
"It's just a hypothesis."
We would have continued, but a familiar figure with his ever-gentle expression appeared.
"What do you think about heading straight to Oreki? He's good at deductions, and he's clearly the focus here."
I sighed tiredly. Something told me this situation was only going to get worse.
"It's rude to eavesdrop on others, Kim Suho," I said, staring at him directly.
"No matter how many times I see him, he never looks like Cube's top ranker."
"Suho!" Nayun's tired, contemplative expression shifted to one of joy. Her eyes almost seemed to sparkle.
"Like a dog and its owner." I couldn't help but think about their dynamic.
Kim Suho scratched his head, a bit embarrassed for butting in.
"Sorry. I overheard by accident."
"It's fine. You'd probably get involved one way or another." And that was likely true. Oreki always seemed to attract influential people around him.
He was like some sort of magnet.
Nayun, feeling left out of the conversation, interjected.
"So, where is he? I haven't seen him since everyone left the dungeon."
"Actually, I saw Oreki a little earlier. He said he was heading to the infirmary. He looked pale, with a bloodstain on his forearm..."
They both looked at me, silently asking if something had happened to him.
"..."
I had completely forgotten he was injured and poisoned.
"I…" I shrank slightly, embarrassed, something they both noticed.
"Ah... he was poisoned... The blood and venom were caused by a trap."
They stared at me, their gazes piercing.
"I knew he was hurt, but with everything that happened, I let myself get carried away... Why did it lead to this?"
The shame lingered, but it was clear I had underestimated the gravity of Oreki's situation.
***
"Be more careful next time, kid. And come quicker."
An older nurse spoke to Oreki as she handed him detox pills. She was an elderly woman, standing just under 1.70 meters tall, with short gray hair, dark eyes, and only a few wrinkles.
"Take them all at once. It'll work more effectively." With that, she returned to her desk, engrossed in a book on human physiology.
"You're free to go back to your dormitory."
"Got it. Thanks for the help." Oreki bowed slightly in gratitude and left.
He closed the door behind him, but instead of heading to his dorm, he walked toward the building's exit. He wanted to make the most of their free day, as Cube announced they'd be conducting an internal investigation instead of involving external police or the Hero Association. This was only possible because no cadets had died or suffered serious injuries.
"Not 'seriously injured.'"
In other words, the Djinns embedded in Cube's higher ranks had successfully covered up the incident. A full external investigation would only happen after the second incident.
"I'll hunt those guys down."
He tossed the pills into his mouth and covered his lips with his hand. Concentrating slightly, he controlled his saliva, swallowing all three pills with ease.
"...Never doing that again," he shuddered at the feeling of saliva and pills sliding down his throat.
While mentally planning his training for the day, he felt three distinct sets of footsteps approaching. He'd memorized their patterns.
"Three outstanding cadets looking for me? Others would be jealous." His usual tone of calm confidence greeted the people he considered his friends.
"Always on high alert?" Chae Nayun spoke first, as usual.
Beside her were Yoo Yeonha and Kim Suho.
"Nah, you guys just make too much noise."
"You seem better than before, Oreki," Suho chimed in, noticing his complexion had improved slightly.
"Yeah, I was poisoned in the dungeon. But it's nothing serious."
That phrase stung someone's pride.
Oreki voiced his curiosity.
"So, why are you here? I doubt it's just to see me—unless Suho came alone."
"Looks like you think better of Suho than your team leader," Nayun teased, lightening the tense atmosphere.
"Yeah." Oreki didn't hesitate. "Let's cut to the chase. You want to know about the dungeon changes and suspect it wasn't the superiors' decision? If that's it, I disagree."
The trio in front of him exchanged surprised glances.
He waited a few seconds for a response or question.
Yoo Yeonha spoke first.
"Why do you think that?"
"The only ones with enough power or influence to make such changes are the superiors. The idea it wasn't them is almost impossible. The only alternative would be the Sage who controls Cube's system, but that's as unlikely as the superiors having no involvement."
Oreki's voice was honest, holding nothing back.
The trio absorbed the information provided by Oreki, reflecting on whether it could be true or if there was even a possibility of it being true.
Yeonha was the quickest to draw her conclusions and share them with the group. "This… makes sense, but I still think it's unlikely." She was as confident as Oreki in her answer.
And truly, it made sense to have doubts. The idea that the higher-ups might have interfered or intentionally tried to harm a cadet was an insult and could even warrant an investigation.
But Oreki had no fear. If he were caught, at best, he would be killed. At worst, he'd be tortured, brainwashed, and used by them.
He believed himself unbreakable—someone who could not be controlled or manipulated by others.
"It makes sense to doubt, but when it comes to existing in this world, corruption and rot will always persist," Oreki paused midway through his sentence and looked at the trio before him, focusing especially on Kim Suho. "But there are people who can change that."
This statement might have seemed strange to the two girls in the trio, but it still impacted them in their own ways.
Kim Suho was the most affected, looking at Oreki with a certain glint in his eyes. A light of trust that shone slightly brighter than before.
"We're getting off track," Nayun was the first to return to the topic they had initially wanted to discuss after a few moments. "That was a nice line, but you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Oreki let out his classic sigh. "I've already given my answer and opinion. What more do you want me to do?"
"What do you think about joining the investigation team for the missing cadets?" Kim Suho, who had been quiet until now, directed this question to Oreki, surprising the two girls.
As soon as Yeonha heard this, she immediately complained and scolded Suho. "Hey, you shouldn't just blurt that out."
The scolded Suho scratched the back of his head as if he had expected this reaction from her. "It's not a big deal. Oreki already knew about it."
Both Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha turned to Oreki, who now held a can of Coin-Cola that no one could tell where he'd gotten from.
He took a sip of the drink and simply nodded in confirmation.
This time, Nayun spoke, though she didn't seem to care anymore. "You already told him?"
"No, Oreki figured it out on his own when I asked him about something." Suho diverted his gaze from Nayun and back to the subject at hand. "So, will you join? Your help and decision-making skills would be excellent for this."
Oreki already had his answer planned a long time ago, but he pretended to think about it, not wanting to respond too quickly. "Sure, I'll join."
***
17:40.
The evening breeze was especially pleasant today. Cool, gentle, as if designed to ease any worries. On the Cube's rooftop, where silence felt absolute, I was seated next to Oreki, both of us in a lotus position, meditating.
Nothing but the light sound of the wind surrounded us. I could feel that we were immersed. No one would interrupt us here.
It had been quite a while since we started. Time seemed distorted as my mind drifted between thoughts and emptiness. Meditation was a relief for the tension I sometimes felt, and Oreki's presence, strangely enough, seemed to help me focus even more.
After a long moment, I took a deep breath, ending the exercise. The synchronicity between us was almost funny, as if we had planned it. Opening my eyes, I stayed there for a moment, staring at the sky. The stars shone brighter than usual, and the moon, which was beginning to rise, seemed to watch everything with serenity.
It was a moment of peace—one of those rare ones life in Cube rarely afforded us.
"This is the best moment to tell you this, Suho." Oreki's voice cut through the silence, firm yet calm. He was looking at the moon, as if his words were directed at it.
"Huh?" I took my eyes off the moon and turned my attention to him, curiosity overcoming me.
I tried to guess what he wanted to say. Coming from Oreki, I knew it could be important, especially with him being so serious like this.
He didn't seem to carry the usual confidence I always saw in him. He looked far too thoughtful to be himself.
Wait... I'm not the biggest reader, but this situation reminds me of something…
"It can't be that, right?"
I kept looking at him, trying to stay as calm as possible, not wanting to believe my own thoughts.
"You…" Oreki began slowly.
"Please stop." I was starting to panic. I felt sweat trickling down my body, even though today was quite cold.
"How would you feel if you found out the world used to be a story?"
"Eh?" I couldn't hold back the sound of doubt that escaped me.
"What?" Oreki looked at me, confused, until a flash of understanding crossed his eyes. "You thought I was going to confess?"
"..."
"..."
We both fell silent, staring at each other.
"Haha."
We ended up laughing, unable to hold back the restrained laughter.
"Seriously, Suho, that was a good one," Oreki remarked between chuckles, leaning back and covering his mouth with one hand.
"Hey, shut up!" I shot back, turning away, trying to hide the slight redness that had undoubtedly appeared on my face. "You're the one who started with this weird mood. Who wouldn't get tense?"
Oreki shrugged, still smiling. "Fair enough. But seriously, I was trying to get to something important."
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to maintain a serious tone. "Alright. What did you mean by the world being a story? Was that just a metaphor, or is there more to it?"
He paused, turning his eyes back to the moon as if searching for the right words. "Do you remember the training? When we made that bet and I said I'd tell you something important?"
"Yes, I remember. You told me you'd tell me something important. You even said I should trust you because it would be… wait."
"I think you've already figured it out."
I fell silent, processing. "This… sounds insane. How did you reach this conclusion?"
Oreki turned his gaze back to me, as serious as before. "It's not a conclusion. It's the truth. I can confirm a few things, but you need to form your own opinion."
It sounded insane, but Oreki was far too serious to be lying about something like this. He always seemed to speak the truth.
"...Alright." Even if he were lying, it wouldn't hurt to listen.
"Well, where should I start… Eren."
My mind froze.
"I'll wait for you to process that."
I silently thanked him. That was more shocking than I'd expected.
There were only two ways he could know that. Either he came from the same world as me, or what he said was true.
But… does that mean that I and the others…
"Go on," I said, my voice quieter than usual.
"These next details will be more specific, so…"
I nodded. He was genuinely concerned about this. It seemed like he wanted to convince me one way or another.
"Your world is called Akatrina. You were an orphan and grew up in a temple until you were adopted by a retired knight who visited the temple. He wanted a successor, and you were the perfect match. So, you became his apprentice and eventually a squire under the Order of Knights of Puharem."
"..."
Oreki took my silence as a cue to continue. "You discovered your master was sick with an incurable disease, and then one day, while swallowing your tears by his side, you met a princess named Prihi."
"I believe you."
It was almost impossible not to. This was something only I should know. I hadn't told my family or even my sister.
I swallowed hard.
I looked at him, unsure of what to say. It was one of those conversations you don't forget. I turned my gaze back to the sky. The moon seemed more distant now, almost indifferent, as if it knew all this and didn't care.
"Can I ask you about… the novel?"
He nodded. "If I can answer, I will."
"How did it end? The story?"
I spoke without thinking, hoping for at least a good ending.
Oreki thought for a moment, perhaps deciding how to phrase it.
"It was a good ending… Yes, you could call it that."
He sighed, content with that.
Even though I'd only asked about the ending, Oreki continued telling me more.
"The middle was sad… very sad, especially with Nayun and the protagonist. Story-wise, it was great. But now that this has become reality, it's bad."
I pondered over that. If the middle was sad, maybe I could help with that. And now, with Oreki, who knows almost everything…
"We could change a lot of things. That's what you're thinking, isn't it?" Oreki finished my thought with a smile.
I couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. It felt like I was an open book to him. "Yeah, you're right."
"Of course." He said confidently, but his voice quickly returned to its usual calm tone. "But if we do that, we'll have more problems than we already have. There have already been significant changes, and more will come."
"Like?"
"We have people similar to me who came to this world, changes to the characters that already existed, and other things."
"So, we're worse off than I thought." I couldn't help but sigh.
"This is good in a way."
"How?"
"We can just not care about the story. The protagonist, other than you, no longer exists, so we can do whatever we want and take advantage of what I already know." I was about to say something, but Oreki interrupted me. "We can even talk to others about it."
"That..."
The idea of telling other people is tempting, but who?
Oreki interrupted my thoughts. "I believe you're feeling overwhelmed with all this information, so I'll let you think it over for a while." He stood up and looked at me with his calm emerald eyes.
What he said reassured me a little. He seemed like a master at reading people, always saying just what was needed.
"Thanks." That's all I could say in response. I really need to process all of this properly.
Oreki gave me a slight smile. "Thanks for trusting me."
He took a step forward and jumped off the roof.
"..." I know I should be worried, but if it's Oreki...
Thup —
He landed just fine.
The moment I heard the sound of Oreki hitting the ground, my smartwatch went off.
Pling —
I checked to see who it was, and it was a message from Oreki.
— "The culprits behind the kidnappings are Yun Hyuk and Jayden. But don't do anything yet. The next kidnapping will be in two days, and I'll be the one kidnapped. So just relax and go with the flow."
This guy...
He really knows how to drop a bomb in a conversation and then act like nothing happened, huh?
— "Got it. I trust you."
I wrote a message back and sent it.
Ever since we talked at the museum, I've always felt an "aura" similar to Yoo Yeonha's around him. A more mature, calm, and confident air compared to others. But even with that "aura," Oreki was different. He seemed more carefree and indifferent to many things.
Even with the kidnappings. If he knew who the culprits were, why didn't he...
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