Vol. 4 Ch. 16

**Q:** What’s the benefit of being bound to the [Chef]?

**A:** You get a more sumptuous lunch than everyone else!

Using her role to her advantage, Rosvisser managed to gather quite a bit of food, and she and Leon enjoyed a meal together in the communal kitchen.

After lunch, the couple sat down to review the clues and item cards they had gathered.

First, they examined a handful of scattered clue cards:

- **[Two friends were once favored by the Princess; the three have been close friends since childhood.]**

- **[Although the Queen deeply loves the Princess, she seems to have another agenda.]**

- **[Among the eight players, there are at least two lone wolves. They are isolated but possess unique advantages.]**

- **[There is a special scene within the castle. Completing a task within the scene will trigger a 'Fate of All.']**

"So... Moon and Aurora's friends group should be part of the confirmed good side," Leon mused, his gaze slowly shifting to the clue card about the [Queen].

"But this card says that Claudia's [Queen] identity has another purpose. If all players on the good side have the main task of protecting the Princess and finding the Black Sacred Stone, then what could the [Queen]'s other purpose be?" he wondered.

Rosvisser shook her head. "So far, Claudia hasn’t shown any signs. She barely speaks during meetings, so it’s hard to deduce her main objective."

Her observation was accurate; it had been hours since the game started, yet Claudia hadn’t joined anyone in traveling around or contributed much during the meetings.

With such scarce information, they couldn’t deduce her intentions.

"No worries, the game’s just begun. As more clues surface, we’ll be able to piece together the answer," Leon reassured her.

"Mhm."

Next, they examined a clue card about the [Lone Wolf].

This was the card Leon found most intriguing.

Before acquiring this task card, he hadn’t realized there was another lone wolf in the game besides himself.

Who could this other lone wolf be...?

Was it Rosvisser, the one bound to him right now?

Or was it the mysterious [Queen] Claudia?

Leon’s thoughts drifted, but he had no clear answer.

"So there really are lone wolves in this game, and there are at least two of them," Rosvisser commented, flashing a playful look at Leon. "Who do you think it is?"

Leon responded instantly, "Of course, it's Claudia. Who else could it be?"

The first skill a seasoned lone wolf must master: deflect blame at all times!

The Queen raised an eyebrow and continued, "But didn’t you just say my sister could be a lone wolf, too?"

"Your sister could be, and Claudia could be. It says 'at least two,' right?"

"Mhm... you could be one too."

"Your Majesty, please, spare me. I swear I’m a true good guy."

Rosvisser chuckled, resting her delicate chin in her hand as she gazed at Leon with sparkling eyes, drawling, "But I... like men who are a little bad."

"I’m a lone wolf, Your Majesty."

Rosvisser playfully punched his arm. "Oh, come on. Who do you think you’re fooling?"

Leon, internally: You all saw it, right? I was honest, but she didn’t believe me!

The two shared a laugh and then turned to the last clue card.

"‘Special scene can trigger "Fate of All"?’ Not sure what that means. There wasn’t a rule like this in our family games," Rosvisser said.

"But from the looks of it, it means if one person completes a specific task, the effect will apply to everyone, right?"

Rosvisser nodded, "Makes sense."

They didn’t dwell on this clue card and instead laid out the item cards they had collected over the morning.

There were three in total:

- **[Super Influence]**

- **Effect:** Upon using this item card, your vote count becomes '5'.

- **Note:** Can only be used once.

- **[Detective]**

- **Effect:** Can be used on any player to check if they have 'killed' another player within the last six hours.

- **Note:** Can only be used once, no range restriction.

- **[Avenger]**

- **Effect:** If you witness a 'kill' firsthand, you gain the ability to 'kill' for fifteen minutes.

- **Note:** Lacks a card to classify ‘kill’ types; unable to kill empty-handed.

Compared to the enigmatic clue cards, the item cards were more straightforward and far more rare, so the couple only managed to find these three during the morning.

But including the **[Mint Tea]** from earlier, that made it four.

"They’re all here."

Rosvisser glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and calculated the time, saying, "Our ‘bond of undying affection’ is about to wear off, so let’s divide these items."

Leon was taken aback. "Why does this feel like we’re splitting assets in a divorce...?"

Rosvisser rolled her eyes, then jabbed a finger into his chest.

"If you want a divorce, keep dreaming. I’m going to, torture, you, for life." She poked him with each word.

Leon nearly became a pincushion.

"Alright, let’s divvy them up."

Rosvisser looked at the stack of cards on the table, then handed **[Mint Tea]**, **[Super Influence]**, and **[Avenger]** to Leon.

She kept **[Detective]** for herself.

"The tea was already promised to you. As for Avenger, you wander around more, so the chances of you witnessing a ‘kill’ are higher than mine," she explained calmly.

"What about Super Influence? You should keep it."

"No, you take it."

Leon blinked, suddenly touched.

Despite all their bickering, she still cared about him!

Leon was about to thank her. "Than—"

"If I keep it, I’ll just end up voting you out next time. Five votes, instant knockout!"

"..."

The sentiment vanished instantly.

Just like this morning, a few hours of flirtation didn’t prevent them from opposing each other during meetings.

It was no different now.

Even after spending six hours together, gathering and analyzing information, it wouldn’t stop the Queen from voting against Leon at the next meeting.

You all have your own game roles—lone wolves, queens, and all that—but I, as the Queen, have one mission: to defeat Leon Cosmod in every game and challenge we play!

They packed up the cards, and then Rosvisser stood up, patting Leon on the shoulder.

"This afternoon we’ll be on our own again. As always, don’t get yourself killed before I find a ‘kill card,’ alright?"

With that, the Queen clicked away in her heels.

Leon watched her tall, retreating figure with a smile, then pocketed his item cards and left the kitchen.

The game was still in full swing.

As clues surfaced, everyone became more engrossed in this hidden struggle.

Yet, only a third of the game had passed.

The rest… would be filled with even more unknowns and danger.

---

After dinner, Leon planned to rest in his room before preparing for the night’s activities.

He wanted to move the Black Sacred Stone hidden in the communal kitchen to a new location.

Just then, the Memory Stone in his pocket emitted an NPC voice:

"Someone has opened the castle’s alchemy room, releasing a contagious disease. Go to the [Doctor]'s room within an hour to obtain the antidote. If you miss the deadline, you will be eliminated."

Leon frowned slightly. "Alchemy room... contagious disease..."

He recalled the clue card he and Rosvisser had found earlier about a "special scene triggering a 'Fate of All.'"

Could the alchemy room be that ‘special scene’?

And the contagious disease, the 'Fate of All'?

Pondering, Leon made his way to his eldest sister Isha’s room.

When he arrived, Moon and Aurora were just leaving.

"Daddy, did you get sick too?" Moon asked.

"Yep, I’m here to ask Aunt Isha for the antidote."

"The antidote is sweet, Daddy. You have to try it!" Moon chirped.

Leon chuckled. Little do you know, Dad tried it in the first round.

And guess why Dad got sick? Because of your mom.

"Alright, I know. By the way, did you find any useful clues this afternoon?"

"Oh, we found—"

Moon started, but quickly corrected herself. "Nope, Moon and Aurora didn’t find anything!"

Although her expression screamed ‘I’m lying,’ Leon still humored her with a smile.

"Okay, take your medicine and go to bed early. No staying up late."

"Yes, Daddy!"

The two girls walked off hand in hand.

Leon entered the room.

"You’re the last one to come for the antidote," Isha said from behind her desk, where a single dose remained.

It was orange-flavored, judging by the color.

Leon approached the table, looking down at the candy, but didn’t pick it up right away.

"Sis, you must have seen the Memory Stone’s message, right? Someone opened the alchemy room, infecting us all."

Isha muttered in frustration, "That jerk! Why open the alchemy room out of nowhere, making me work overtime?"

"Who do you think opened it?" Leon asked, hoping his clever sister might offer some insight.

But Isha shook her head. "No idea… everyone’s been here for

the antidote, even I, the [Doctor], had to take it or I’d be eliminated. So who opened the alchemy room… I have no clue."

Leon pondered, "So if we figure out who opened the alchemy room, we can find a [wolf], right?"

"Yes, I think so. Do you have any clues or intel about the [wolf]?"

Leon thought for a moment. "There’s some intel about the [Queen]. It says she loves the [Princess], but has another agenda. So I suspect Claudia might be one of the [wolf] faction."

"That makes sense... We should question her closely at the next meeting."

"Got it."

"Now take the antidote, don’t let the time run out," Isha said, nodding at the candy by Leon’s hand.

Leon picked up the candy, hesitated briefly, then popped it into his mouth.

"Remember, the meeting is at eight," Isha reminded him.

Leon nodded, then turned to leave Isha’s room.

Once the door closed, he hurried back to his room.

He rushed to the bathroom, spit out the candy, and rinsed his mouth.

Then he took out the **[Mint Tea]** Rosvisser had given him, opened the cap, and drank it all in one gulp.