Leon wandered through the ancient castle alone, though not aimlessly.

First, he went to the spot where Aurora had been "killed."

It was at the doorway of a task room. At the time, he and his two daughters had just completed a group task. Before they could even celebrate, Aurora had been eliminated from the game.

Now, on the floor outside the room, a chalk outline had been drawn by the staff.

At the center of the outline were a few words:

"Friend B."

Aurora's in-game identity.

This was how the game marked the locations of "bodies."

Leon stood at the "crime scene," staring down at the chalk outline as he silently assessed the remaining players in the game.

"Noa, Muen, and Senior Claudia should all belong to the Good faction," he thought to himself. "The only two whose identities remain unclear are Roswitha and the eldest sister."

"One of them must be the other lone wolf."

"But Roswitha spent almost half the time paired with me earlier. I have a rough idea of all the item cards she's acquired."

"As for the times when she was acting alone... could she really have had enough time to pull off such a 'long-distance stab' mission?"

"And the eldest sister... there's no clue about her on the field, and that is, in itself, deeply suspicious."

"Did she use some sort of item to erase all information about herself? Or is it that we simply haven’t discovered any clues leading to her yet..."

Leon's scope for investigation narrowed significantly.

Just as Noa had mentioned during the earlier meeting—having a narrowed scope of inquiry was far better than wandering around blindly like a headless chicken.

Yet, even so, Leon couldn't ignore another possibility regarding the "long-distance stab."

Well, to call it a hypothesis wasn't entirely accurate. It was more of a vague conclusion informed by the current circumstances and some instinct a Dragon Slayer might have when facing a dragon.

This suspicion lacked definitive evidence, which was why Leon hadn’t confided in anyone about it.

After all, without knowing the identity of the lone wolf capable of executing the "long-distance stab," bringing it up recklessly might invite danger upon himself instead.

Lost in thought, Leon somehow found himself in another location.

Here, on the ground, there was another chalk outline.

"Guard."

“So this is little Helena's ‘body,' huh,” Leon muttered softly as he continued walking, deep in thought.

At one point, while exploring, Leon completed a solo task.

The reward was unexpectedly good—a [Detective] card. This card allowed the user to check whether a specific player had killed anyone within the past six hours.

The smae card Leon and Roswitha had previously found had been used by Roswitha to prove Leon's innocence.

Now, with fewer players remaining in the game, another investigative card like this became particularly crucial.

After all, the fewer the players, the more valuable the information such a card could provide.

Leon carefully pocketed the [Detective] card and continued wandering through the castle.

About ten minutes later, he noticed the silhouette of a staff member crouched at the corner of a hallway, seemingly drawing something.

Leon furrowed his brow slightly and quickly walked over to investigate.

By the time he arrived, the staff member had just finished his task and walked away.

Leon glanced sideways at the retreating figure before shifting his gaze to the spot where the person had been crouching.

And then, as if startled by what he saw, Leon instinctively took half a step back.

It was a small chalk outline.

At its center was written:

"Friend A."

Muen... had been killed!

For a moment, even Leon couldn’t wrap his head around the sudden, unexpected turn of events.

When? How? By what method... had the lone wolf managed to strike down Muen like this?

A wave of inexplicable fear began to creep across Leon's heart and take root.

Who would have thought a simple family-bonding game could leave such a psychological shadow?

After taking a moment to calm himself, Leon slowly squatted down, running his fingers lightly over the chalk-drawn words "Friend A," before letting out a bitter, helpless smile.

"Little Moon," he said quietly, "this time you didn’t even get a chance to enjoy your dad's tributes."

After this brief dark humor, Leon stood up, clapped the dust off his hands, and his gaze turned more serious and resolute.

Even if it’s just a game, don’t underestimate the "vengeful wrath" of a dad devoted to his daughters.

---

In the communal kitchen, Roswitha had just finished preparing a small cake, carefully placing it on her palm.

"Hope this comes in handy," she murmured.

"What needs to come in handy?" asked a familiar voice suddenly from the kitchen doorway.

Luckily, the queen had grown somewhat braver through this game and wasn’t startled this time.

Turning around, she saw Leon leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and body slightly tilted.

"What are you doing here?" Roswitha asked.

"Muen’s been killed," Leon stated bluntly.

Roswitha froze in place, her expression gradually stiffening.

This type of large, interactive game with “role-playing” elements did allow a certain degree of “external factors” to influence gameplay.

For instance, in the game, the "Friend Group" had little connection to the "Royal Chef" role.

But the fun part was that the two little members of the "Friend Group" were actually the chef’s daughters in real life.

Thus, with the entire "Friend Group" now eliminated, it was inevitable that Roswitha would experience some emotional turmoil.

This sense of loss wasn’t negative but would undoubtedly impact the flow and pace of the game.

Unexpected moments like this added a layer of surprise to what otherwise might have been a more predictable experience.

"Do you know who did it?" Roswitha asked, her tone heavier than usual.

"No idea."

"Why wasn’t Noa with Muen? And... why haven’t you called an Emergency Meeting?"

Leon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as though deliberating whether to make a certain decision.

After a brief internal debate, he pulled out the [Detective] card from his pocket.

"Before I answer your question, do you mind if I use this investigative card on you?"

Shrugging, Roswitha replied, "I don’t mind."

Leon activated the card.

The result displayed:

"Player [Royal Chef] has committed zero kills in the last six hours."

Roswitha exhaled deeply, visibly relieved. "You wasted a precious investigative card for me, you know."

Leon shook his head slowly. "No, it wasn’t wasted. I think I’ve pieced together how the 'long-distance stab' works."

"What’s your theory?" Roswitha asked.

Leon began explaining, "Actually, the 'long-distance stab' is just a misleading label. It’s not really about distance—it’s about timing."

"From Aurora to Helena, and now to Muen—did you notice a consistent pattern in their deaths?"

Roswitha blinked, her silver eyes darting as she went over the events in her head.

Moments later, realization dawned.

"Each killing happened after the conclusion of a meeting!" she exclaimed.

"Exactly," Leon confirmed. "The lone wolf likely used some kind of card that triggers a death after every meeting ends."

"This not only creates the illusion of a 'long-distance stab' but also conceals the wolf's identity."

"It even stirs up mutual suspicion among us, fostering uncontrollable chaos."

"The lone wolf can then sit back and secure an easy victory."

Roswitha digested Leon’s analysis, then asked thoughtfully, "But could a card that powerful really exist? Wouldn’t it totally disrupt the balance of the game?"

"My guess is... achieving such an outrageous effect wouldn’t be possible with a card alone. It probably requires... external factors. Something that can impact every player in the game..."

At this point, their gazes locked.

Simultaneously, they spoke the same words:

"Fate for All!"

"And throughout the entire game, the only global Fate event triggered so far was in the alchemy lab."

"When the disease spread there, all of us went to—"

Before they could finish their shared thought, footsteps echoed from the doorway.

In unspoken agreement, the couple fell silent and turned toward the sound.

A figure with blue hair appeared in their view.

It was Claudia.

"Well, well," Claudia teased with a sly smile. "Isn’t the kitchen just a charming little spot for a date?"

Leon and Roswitha chuckled awkwardly in response before Leon asked, "Senior, did you find any—"

Leon’s question was abruptly interrupted by another set of footsteps.

This time, the sound didn’t belong to any of the players.

It was a woman in standard staff uniform, who appeared beside Claudia and gently held her arm.

Claudia sighed and shrugged. "As you can see, Leon, I’m being escorted to the Observation Room.”

Both Leon and Roswitha gasped.

That red dragon is slaughtering her way through everyone! Might as well crown her the strongest Dragon Slayer already!

“Let me guess—the last meeting exposed your identity and objective, so you were targeted?” Leon asked.

"That’s what I’m guessing too," Claudia replied.

Any Good faction player who revealed their identity would naturally become an easy target.

What’s more, Claudia's hidden mission was to destroy the Black Holy Stone.

For the lone wolf intending to take the stone, Claudia absolutely could not be left alive.

"Was it another 'long-distance stab' this time?"

Claudia blinked, then curved her lips into an enigmatic smile, briefly shaking her head.

“Ms. Claudia,” the staff member interjected, “eliminated players should limit their speech.”

“Oops, sorry about that,” Claudia replied lightly before turning to the couple.

"It’s up to you two now. You’re going to win, right?"

Before Leon and Roswitha could answer, the staff member escorted Claudia away.

As she disappeared around the corner, Claudia gave them a playful wink—likely her way of encouraging them.

When her footsteps finally faded into the distance, Leon slowly turned to look at Roswitha.

The queen also stared back at him with a serious expression.

"Are we going to directly take out my sister?"

"I don't have a card that can directly take someone out. How about you?"

"I..."

Roswitha glanced at the freshly baked cake in her hands. "This dessert is different from the one you ate earlier. Anyone who eats this will be instantly eliminated."

Leon raised an eyebrow, then sighed and smiled bitterly.

"But your sister is so clever. She won't eat it, right?"

"Exactly... which means we now have to find the 'body' of Muen or Claudia and then call an [Emergency Meeting] to vote her out."

At this point, Leon, as the other lone wolf, had no choice but to team up with the good faction.

Damn, that scheming Red Dragon Queen's killing skill is way too overpowered. How can I win without teaming up?

If we're not careful, even a three-on-one situation could end in a counter-kill.

Calling an emergency meeting to vote her out was clearly the optimal solution for now.

"Alright, let's go."

The couple dashed out of the communal kitchen, all the while staying on high alert and cautiously searching their surroundings.

After all, judging by the way Claudia had been killed, Isa was no longer satisfied with using the 'end of the meeting' to take people out.

She had started using kill-item cards!

Just as Leon had foreseen at the start of the game, Isa would be the most formidable opponent in the entire session.

"Leon."

As they ran, Roswitha suddenly spoke.

"What?"

"You’re not going to get captured by my sister a second time, are you?"

Screech—

Leon came to an abrupt halt. "What do you mean by 'a second time'?"

"Remember when I was pregnant with Aurora? You and my sister played that game during a store event. In the end, you lost to her, didn’t you?"

"...That will *never* happen again! What I once lost, I’ll reclaim with my own hands!"

Roswitha covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Alright. Good luck, then."

After the little tease, the couple resumed searching for the round’s 'body' within the castle.

According to the game rules, an [Emergency Meeting] could only be called while standing next to a 'body' that had appeared in that round.

Yet after circling the castle twice, scouring high and low, they found no trace of Claudia’s 'body'—only stumbling upon Aurora and Helena's previously discovered ones.

Even Muen’s 'body,' which Leon had seen earlier, had vanished.

"How can this be... Our precious daughter was definitely killed here!"

Leon pointed to a corner of the hallway.

"You guys really have such a heartwarming parent-child dynamic."

Roswitha rolled her eyes at him while searching nearby—perhaps Leon had remembered incorrectly?

"Excuse me, Little Ros, and dear brother-in-law. Are you looking for traces of the little moon?"

A sultry and magnetic female voice came from the other side of the hallway.

Both of them turned toward the sound.

Framed against the dim hallway was a graceful crimson figure. She stood with elegance, a faint smile gracing her lips, and in her hand was an item card.

"Item card: [Scene Cleanup]. After performing a kill, it can erase traces of the 'body.'"

"In other words, until we reach the fixed meeting time, you won’t be able to call an emergency meeting."

"And now, let’s do a little calculation. How long do we have until the fixed meeting at eight o'clock?"

"Oh, we’ve got a full hour."

Click-clack—

Isa stepped forward, the heels of her shoes making a crisp sound upon contact with the floor.

But somehow, that sound was as chilling as the Grim Reaper dragging a scythe on stone.

"And conveniently, I still have three kill-item cards in my hand. You, as a family of three... all have a share."

The lone wolf’s declaration of intent meant only one thing—Isa was determined to eliminate all remaining players before the fixed meeting began.

One hour… that was more than enough time.

Leon’s eyes locked onto Isa as he slowly retreated, secretly taking Roswitha's hand in hers.

"Are you going to follow your husband, Little Ros? If so, let me tell you one more thing. Don’t be too frightened, alright?"

"The truth is... my brother-in-law is the second lone wolf."

Roswitha’s brows furrowed slightly. "How do you know?"

"[Clue Card], "The Only One", the one found by almost everyone at the beginning of the game."

"But the designation ‘The Only One’ was too vague. Didn’t we rule it out...?"

"No, no, no, Little Ros. Take ‘Only.’ Rearrange the four letters, 'o,' 'n,' 'l,' 'y,' and see what you get."

"'Only'... o, n, l, y..."

"L...y...o...n... Leon..."

The Red Dragon Queen smiled in satisfaction. "That’s right. The answer was in front of us all along; it’s just that my clever brother-in-law managed to slip past us."

"But deducing based on player's real name seems too much like outside influence, doesn’t it?"

"I imagine that’s one of the most interesting aspects of this game. It gave us the characters’ [Roles], like Princess, Doctor, or Old Friend, but never their names. So, players’ own names became part of the puzzle too."

Roswitha pressed her lips together, thinking back. "So when you scribbled on that piece of paper during the second meeting, you were piecing this together?"

"Indeed. And I refrained from targeting Leon directly because I was curious to see how the two of you would work together as a couple."

A flicker of triumph glinted in her crimson dragon eyes as Isa continued.

"But what a shame—you two haven’t proven very entertaining to me at all."

"In that case, let’s end this game quickly. Once I’ve dealt with the two of you, I’ll go find my darling niece so you can all enjoy a reunion as a family."

"Run... Roswitha! Run!"

Leon finally made up his mind and grabbed Roswitha, sprinting toward the far end of the hallway.

Watching the disappearing backs of the couple as they bolted away with lightning speed, Isa remained calm.

"That’s alright. Let’s deal with the [Princess] first, then."