"Could the rankings be biased?"
"Or maybe I have some hidden role thatâs causing the discrepancy?"
"Do you thinkâ"
Rosvisser raised her hand, cutting off Leon's spiraling over-analysis.
"Youâve assisted too much."
Leon blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by 'assisted'?"
"Hmph. Look for yourself."
Rosvisser pushed the memory stone toward Leon.
He glanced down at the detailed task data displayed for him. At least seven or eight tasks were labeled as "Assisted Completion," while the actual "Completer" column showed either Moon or Muse.
"So basically, you spent all your time helping the girls with their tasks, but the ones you personally completed are too few, which is why your ranking is so low."
Relieved, Leon exhaled a long breath.
"I thought I was just getting old."
"Well, youâre almost thirty soon. For a human, thatâs no small number," Rosvisser quipped mercilessly.
Leon shot her a look but chose not to bicker further. Instead, he turned his attention back to the rankings.
First place was Aurora. Second was Noa. Third was Rosvisser herself.
However, the two names ranked below Leon were rather unexpected.
"Eighth is Helena; ninth is Constantine."
Leon scratched his head, puzzled.
"Tsk. The Fire Dragon being at the bottom I can understand, but Helena? Sheâs been with you for an hour. How did she end up so low?"
Rosvisser shook her head slowly. "I donât know either... Could they both be the ghost players?"
According to their earlier theory, the less efficient someone was, the lower their ranking would be, which increased the likelihood of them being a ghost player.
It made sense for Constantine, but Helena? The soft, sweet, and innocent Sea Dragon Princess hardly seemed like a ghost.
"After all, white stockings represent justice!" (Struck through in their thoughtsâback to business.)
Neither Leon nor Rosvisser were naive enough to be completely swayed by appearances. After all, the identity cards were drawn randomly, and anyone could be a ghost player.
Even someone as outwardly pure and harmless as Helena couldnât escape suspicion.
"Still, we canât conclude anything just because theyâre at the bottom," Leon said, pushing the memory stone back to Rosvisser. "The data from the [Overseer] card is just a reference point."
Rosvisser nodded and stowed the stone away. "Got it. So, whatâs your plan now?"
Leon thought for a moment before responding, "Constantine has the [Roster] prop card. It automatically checks a playerâs identity every two tasks he completes.
"But since his efficiency is ranked second to last, he canât have used it more than three times at most."
"Earlier, when we regrouped, Aurora mentioned that the two ghost players donât know each otherâs identities. This creates a contradiction between the tasks, the ghost playersâ strategies, and Constantineâs [Roster] card."
Rosvisser listened attentively. "A contradiction?"
Leon nodded.
"Yes. A ghost player canât complete too many tasks; that would only help the good players clear the game faster.
"But if Constantine is a ghost, he wouldnât be able to accumulate enough contribution points to activate the [Roster] and identify others."
"So, if he keeps playing passively, he wonât find his ghost teammate, and the [Roster] card becomes useless. After all, there are only two roles in this game: good players and ghosts."
Rosvisser processed the analysis, gaining a clearer understanding of the current situation.
"So, we just need to focus on observing Constantine?"
Leon nodded. "Thatâs the plan. Watching Constantine canât hurt. In the meantime, you and the kids should keep working on tasks to find the source of the plague."
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, gesturing to his bracelet.
"But your fatigue state hasnât been resolved yet. Is that fine?"
"No problem. These tasks arenât difficult. I can finish most of them in under fifteen minutes. As for the basement, I donât plan on going there. Worst case, I still have a prop card to delay poisoning."
Leon paused briefly and added,
"Besides, dragging out the fatigue state might even mislead Constantine into thinking Iâm up to something."
Rosvisser wasnât entirely convinced. "If anything, that would make him more cautious. Constantine isnât the type to underestimate you after your first encounter."
Leon chuckled. "Now youâre cracking hell jokes too."
Standing up, he ruffled Rosvisserâs hair affectionately.
"Iâm off to shadow the fire-breathing dragon. You take the kids and focus on the tasks. Stay safe."
"Got it. You too."
Leon was just about to leave when Rosvisser called out to him.
"Wait a second."
"Whatâs up?"
Turning back, he saw her leaning against the table, holding a small cake in her hand.
"Want a taste?"
"No thanks."
"Tch, boring."
Rosvisser took a bite of the cake, but before she could swallow, Leon swooped in with surprising speed. He wrapped an arm around her waist, leaned in, and stole the bite from her lips.
"The ones in your hand arenât as good, but the ones in your mouth? Those deserve a proper tasting. Thanks, Your Majesty!"
"...Youâre insane!"
Leon waved playfully from the doorway, a smug grin on his face as he left the kitchen, the stolen cake still in his mouth.
Now it was time to execute their plan.
"Youâre really going to follow me, Leon?"
Constantine stared at him, visibly exasperated.
Out of nowhere, Leon had popped up and suggested they team up for tasks.
While it felt like a weasel greeting a chicken with "good intentions," Leon wasnât even a weaselâhe was far more cunning. His sudden offer was undoubtedly part of a scheme.
"Iâm not trying to follow you. I just canât find Moon and the others right now," Leon said, hands clasped behind his head as he strolled leisurely ahead.
Constantine glanced at Leonâs bracelet, noting its yellow hue.
"You havenât even completed the task to lift your fatigue state?"
Leon paused momentarily, his mind racing through possibilities before settling on the perfect excuse.
Turning back, he looked at his bracelet, then at Constantine, and replied with a cryptic smile,
"No rush. For me, lifting the fatigue state isnât particularly important. Donât you think so, Constantine?"