Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 40

For now, since no one is sure who the doppelganger is, everyone sits spaced out in groups of two or three, with faces that don’t let their guard down.

I opened my subspace openly, partly to change the atmosphere and partly to reduce some tension, and took out a bundle of thoroughly dried firewood for a campfire.

“Oh my… Is that a subspace artifact?”

An exclamation that would naturally come out if you knew the price outside. I let out a low breath at the sight of the woman pointing her finger at me.

And the ill-tempered hunter shows no change in expression, while the dwarf narrows his eyes and stares at my ring.

“I thought you looked like a Noble Lord, but it seems you’re not from a minor family.”

“Wow, that’s incredibly expensive. Actually, I’ve only heard rumors about it, but this is the first time I’ve seen one in real life.”

The young man’s eyes sparkle a little.

Everyone’s reactions are pretty normal.

In response to their reactions, I just shrugged my shoulders once, then piled the firewood in the center of the people and lit it.

The Archer without a bow was just looking around at their reactions and then quietly approached to warm his hands by the campfire.

Half-gloves that only cover the index and middle fingers. He definitely seems to be an archer.

It wasn’t a particularly cool place, but perhaps because everyone had been tense, their expressions softened as the warmth spread.

Taking advantage of this, I even set up a scene by taking out a chair from among the items I had gathered from my room in the castle and sat down alone in front of the campfire.

Honestly, I’d like to bring out chairs for Luna and Kane too, but in this atmosphere, even if I offered them chairs, they wouldn’t sit down because they’d be guarding me.

As it was getting to be a hungry time, I also took out marshmallows and bread and started roasting them on sticks.

“Everyone should have some emergency rations, right? Let’s take them out and eat while we talk.”

I smiled as I handed a piece of well-roasted marshmallow and bread to Luna and Kane.

Luna looks cute eating the marshmallow, stretching it out while maintaining a somewhat solemn face as she remains vigilant.

“I… Don’t have any food because I got separated from the companion who had our rations.”

As the Archer says this somewhat dejectedly, the assassin shrugs and opens his mouth as if mocking.

“I have some, just dried fruits though.”

Shaking a pouch that seems to contain fruit, he approaches a little closer to the fire like the archer and holds out his palms to warm them.

“Come on, who would entrust all the food to one person in case something happens in the Labyrinth? Like me, huh? Like me… Huh? Why is there a hole here……”

The dwarf is foolish than I expected.

Everyone’s reactions are varied.

“I’m in the same situation. I left the food with the bear I was traveling with… I didn’t expect to get separated from those kids……”

Based on their reactions, it seems the Archer, Dwarf warrior, and Druid without animals don’t have food.

I spoke while chewing on bread that was slightly charred on the outside, giving off a savory smell as the butter seemed to seep in due to being roasted just right.

“For now, if the doppelganger has transformed into someone else, they might not have minor items, right? How about we start by distinguishing those without food?”

I emphasized that I wasn’t forcefully classifying them and spoke as if asking for opinions, but is there anyone here who would say no to my words?

“Of course, we all know that not having food doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a doppelganger, right?”

Everyone looks around and eventually becomes yes-men, casting their votes after I add this additional comment.

Three people’s faces crumple at this.

“No, what are you saying? I was really here. It’s just that my pouch disappeared.”

“No… I didn’t expect to get separated from my companion.”

The Dwarf and Archer grumble with dejected faces, but when the Druid silently moves away first, they reluctantly back away with faces that seem to say they have no choice.

They gather near the altar, slightly apart from each other, due to unspoken pressure.

“Still, it’s true that they don’t have personal rations, which is basic in the Labyrinth. I think it’s a good idea to keep a little distance.”

The young man speaks as if trying to soothe them, and the assassin takes a bite of tough dried fruit, snickering at the Archer, Dwarf, and Druid who have backed away, even waving his hand at them.

“Too bad, this is all necessary, you know. I can’t take your side.”

He speaks as if joking and then warms himself comfortably in front of the campfire, his eyes scanning Kane.

Meanwhile, the Hunter taps the shoulder of the swordsman who hasn’t made any movement.

“Don’t you have any either?”

At this, the swordsman looks at Luna with tense eyes and then hesitantly takes out a pouch of jerky from his pocket in response to the Hunter’s words.

“Then shall we talk about how each of us ended up here?”

I speak arrogantly as if openly using every Trait like a fish in water, and Luna’s expression becomes strange.

It’s a face that seems to say, “Young Master, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?” But Luna, don’t worry. I have a plan.

‘From the start, this is a game I can’t lose.’

[Replication(S)] [Magic Power(C)] [Patience(B+)] [Replication(A)] [Gluttony(B)]…

I can already see everything.

However, there are reasons why I’m not immediately pointing out, “It’s that guy, that guy!”

First, I don’t know for sure how powerful the doppelganger is.

Second, whether the people gathered here are really all there is.

Third, whether we can really trust the inscription on that altar.

Anyway, from my perspective, I can definitely know who the Imposter, or doppelganger, is, so there’s no need to rush.

I’ll act after I’m sure we can take down the doppelganger with minimal damage on our side.

In my words, the Hunter, who has been frowning since earlier, chews on dry bread and suddenly scowls.

“Who do you think you are? Why are you acting like a Leader, huh?”

At his words, I smiled, lounging in a posture that’s bad for my body but good for my mood, wiggling my legs that are stretched out in a way that would break my back.

“Suggesting that we separate those without food for a moment wasn’t just my unilateral statement. Besides, wasn’t the suggestion to have a conversation brought up as a way to find the doppelganger? Do you have an inferiority complex?”

“What the…!”

“Ah, it’s so noisy, really. Mister, if you don’t want to be more suspicious, why don’t you calm down? Don’t you know that if things go wrong, we could just kill someone and start by pouring their blood into a bowl?”

As the Hunter growls and grabs his weapon, the assassin boldly rebukes him, pointing his thumb towards our party as he speaks.

“Do you think everyone’s enjoying this situation? And isn’t it convenient if someone steps up to lead the proceedings?”

“That’s what I’m saying. We’re all on edge, so let’s talk peacefully, shall we?”

As everyone belatedly chimes in, the man who was grabbing his weapon reluctantly blows out a breath through his nose and plops down on the ground, while the archer opens his mouth a bit dejectedly from a distance.

“I don’t want to be suspected, but I’m… Okay……”

However, his face looks regretful as he stares at the crackling flames as if longing for the campfire.

And from my perspective, watching all of this, it’s quite ridiculous and amusing.

“Well, who wants to start talking?”

This time, I took out grapes and a Codex from my subspace, placing the Codex under the grape bowl like a pot holder.

Subspace is really nice. It keeps things fresh.

The sweet scent of ripe grapes quickly fills the air.

I handed a bunch of grapes each to Kane and Luna, then tossed one into my own mouth.

“Hmm. First of all, to prove that one isn’t a doppelganger, shouldn’t their actions before coming here be clear? It means that someone with gaps or oddities in their story could have been attacked and replaced.”

At the Dwarf’s words, the assassin speaks with a slightly smiling face, as if trying to lighten the mood, looking around.

“First of all, they say that a doppelganger can’t grasp all common sense just by eating one or two people, so I think if we just talk about various things, we might notice something off, don’t you think?”

“Ah, that’s a good point too.”

In response to their words, I swallowed the grape in my mouth and opened my lips.

“I’ll start. My movements were…”

I told them a bit of a story about being injured and having trouble with my leg, so I sat in the chair.

Our party encountered a few monsters in the lower and middle levels, and we used a compass to dig down the shortest path possible, we’re the only ones here with all party members present.

“So shouldn’t we exclude the three of us first?”

In my words, everyone looks at Luna as if they had planned it.

“Hmm. But didn’t that rabbit-eared girl arrive at the latest?”

“That’s right, and she looks rather weak too.”

At the words of the assassin and the Druid, the swordsman mutters, “She’d be easy to kill too,” and the middle-aged Druid speaks again.

“I think there’s a high probability that the doppelganger targeted her first, my lord.”

As the arrows suddenly point towards Luna, she blushes as if surprised and stammers.

“I… I’m not. I really……”

I’m sorry, Luna. But now is the time for you to step aside.

“That’s right. Besides, even if she’s not a doppelganger, if we absolutely have to kill someone now, wouldn’t she be the choice with the least loss?”

At the assassin’s cold words, the Young man shakes both hands with a surprised face.

“But… Still, without definite evidence.”

“Yeah, she could be an Archer like me or maybe a magic user.”

“Guys. What are you saying? It’s even stranger that she’s wearing split skirts and gaiters without wearing a mage’s robe. Does she usually dress like that?”

“But……”

The Archer and the young man look like they’re getting drawn in by the assassin’s words.

“Besides, considering that non-humans are often used as slaves, wasn’t she originally the Noble Lord’s maid? It wouldn’t be a big sacrifice compared to that handsome swordsman next to her.”

“If she’s that suspicious, couldn’t we just kill her and see?”

Even the swordsman who had been keeping quiet joins in, and the hunter also slightly touches his weapon.

As the atmosphere becomes increasingly ominous, the young man opens his mouth as if to meditate.

“Don’t suddenly… Shouldn’t the others also tell their stories?”

“Haa… No, I’m not saying we should do anything right away. But if she’s suspicious, shouldn’t she at least move away a bit?”

“If it’s just that much……”

In the end, even the young man glances at me.

Thanks for the help, you guys.

“Think about it carefully too. You, the handsome swordsman there. What do you think? Doesn’t that girl seem different from usual?”

Kane stares at Luna expressionlessly and then stands next to me again, watching the assassin who speaks as if challenging until the end.

I let out a breath, going ‘Hmm,’ at their words, then opened my mouth.

“You’re right, Luna, go over there for a bit.”

“Young Master…!”

“Are you really suspecting her?”

I slightly shook my head, imperceptibly to others, at Kane’s low whisper.

Then I smiled kindly at Luna, who was whimpering as if wronged, tugged her ear once and stroked it, sent her over there, and then asked a question.

“By the way, are doppelgangers usually that strong? Adventurers who enter the Labyrinth aren’t that weak, right?”

At my question, everyone sits down or leans against the wall in a slightly relaxed posture, as if they don’t think there will be a knife fight right now, and someone answers.

“I hear there are differences in strength even among doppelgangers.”

Once one person speaks up, everyone starts to add their own comments.

“They say if they’re lucky enough to devour the corpse of a strong adventurer, they become stronger.”

“Or their basic abilities increase as the number of individuals they’ve consumed grows.”

I gently tore a slightly over-roasted, crispy croissant, put a piece of chocolate and a brown, nicely roasted marshmallow in the exposed layers, waited for the chocolate to melt a bit, then put it all in my mouth.

“Hmm, can doppelgangers be killed just by stabbing them like normal people?”

I asked with a slightly muffled pronunciation as I chewed, and a man with a full beard scratches his rough cheek as he speaks.

“I heard that’s the case if they’re in a transformed state, not their original form.”

“Original form? You mean the doppelganger’s original form?”

“That’s right. I suppose they must have an appearance before eating someone, right?”

“And to change from their current form to another, wouldn’t they have to revert back once?”

After that, I slowly ate delicious food alone while talking. At some point, Kane stopped eating even when I offered.

So, to summarize roughly, doppelgangers become stronger depending on the strength of those they’ve eaten, but there are limits, and they can’t use 100% of that power.

And in their original form, they can only be killed by magical attacks… Things like that.

Actually, I didn’t drag out the time to find out these things.

I smiled at Luna, who was standing in a corner with a gloomy face, separated from me for the crime of arriving late, and grabbed the Codex under the now empty grape bowl.

“Luna.”

“Yes?”

“Kane.”

“I’m ready.”

Reliable as always.

I threw the bowl into my subspace as I stood up, opened the Codex, and smiled slowly.

“Now, kill everyone.”