Chapter 208 : Chapter 208
Chapter 208. The Culprit is Inside Here (4)
Silence hovered in the House of the Undead.
The table where people had been sitting around until just now was quiet.
Because everyone whose name wasn't called from Rabbit Mask’s mouth had left.
There were a total of four people left at the table.
The Owner of the Flower Garden, the Imperial Hound, the Knight Commander, and Iron Arm.
The four looked at each other wordlessly while wearing their masks.
Iron Arm was the first to speak.
“We received the most votes?”
He muttered in a tone that showed he couldn't accept it.
“Why on earth......?”
It was absurd that people picked him, but thinking that he was grouped in the same class as the ones remaining here made him feel unpleasant.
They were definitely more suspicious than him.
The Owner of the Flower Garden with a strange hobby of observing people.
The Imperial Hound who had been continuously watching the brooch.
The Knight Commander with a violent tendency evident to anyone.
To treat him, a good-natured blacksmith, the same as those insidious people.
‘This cannot be!’
Iron Arm wasn't the only one who thought that.
The Knight Commander also ground his teeth.
“I don't understand. How can this be? Anyone can see there is no way I am the culprit!”
He looked around while exuding a fierce aura.
“If there is anyone whose inside and outside are the same as mine, tell them to come out! No matter how much I lack money, would I steal such a thing! I would rather beat up monsters!”
However, there was no one who agreed with his words.
The Owner of the Flower Garden said with a smile.
“Unfortunately, this is reality. To the rest of the people, we looked most like the culprits.”
The Imperial Hound also nodded.
“I admit it. Since the truth is not always important.”
Truth.
The Imperial Hound thought as he uttered that word.
‘Is all of this really the truth?’
Just then, someone approached the table where the four were gathered.
It was the host of the House of the Undead party, Rabbit Mask.
“Did you have a good talk?”
Behind the mask, golden eyes shone quietly.
Seeing the golden light that was proof of royalty, everyone shut their mouths as if promised.
The four had actually come this far to meet Rabbit Mask.
‘8th Prince!’
Rumors about the 8th Prince were rampant.
Unlike other royals who manifested abilities long ago and built their own factions, a Prince who suddenly manifested an ability recently.
Until then, he was a half-Prince living abandoned in the Imperial Capital.
But after manifesting his ability, he showed independent moves and began to distinguish himself.
Especially, the friendly relationship with the Supreme Deity Order was something no one expected.
Being openly called the Saint of the Thirsty Land among the believers of the Supreme Deity Order, and the fact that the Undead Dungeon he cleared became a sacred site, told that the influence of the Supreme Deity Order was not ordinary.
‘It means the Archbishop of the Supreme Deity Order personally picked him.’
The Owner of the Flower Garden was convinced of that.
Furthermore, taking the top spot at the Imperial Magic Academy.
Not only nobles but also people well-informed about the Empire’s situation had no choice but to be interested.
Still weak, but growing rapidly.
The reason the Owner of the Flower Garden became interested was also in that growth trend.
He was a person with good acumen, enough to develop a rural territory into a tourist attraction in just half a year in a barren land without any political base.
Now even gathering followers in a secret way.
‘It means there is some human charm.’
Sometimes there were such figures.
Those who had the power to attract people.
Rabbit Mask looked at the follower candidates pointed out as culprits and opened his mouth.
“There is something I want to ask everyone. Is it true that you really didn't steal the brooch?”
The four nodded.
“I didn't steal it.”
“Of course.”
“Where did all the people who voted earlier go? I think we should also listen to the side that cast the votes!”
“Yeah! Let’s reveal everything and talk! This time, instead of paper, let them confidently raise their hands and point!”
Iron Arm and the Knight Commander, who were hot-tempered, clamored.
Their attitude seemed to think they had no suspicion whatsoever.
Then whom did these people vote for?
Rabbit Mask asked.
“I see. Then who do you think is the culprit?”
The four thought simultaneously.
‘Rabbit Mask.’
* * *
The reasons they thought Radel was the culprit were each different.
The Knight Commander instinctively thought Radel was the culprit.
He didn't think with his head.
He trusted the hunch that had saved him countless times on the battlefield.
The Vice Commander, seeing the Knight Commander writing down the alias without hesitation, asked cautiously.
‘Whom are you writing down?’
‘Who else. The boss here.’
‘What did you say?’
The Vice Commander opened his mouth in surprise.
If it is the boss here, isn't he talking about the 8th Prince who hosted the party?
‘Are you crazy?’
‘What are you talking about. I am sane.’
‘You didn't forget why we came to Marcellent right now, did you?’
To point him out as the culprit when they came to become followers of the 8th Prince.
The Vice Commander wondered if the Commander was in his right mind.
‘That is that. I trust my hunch.’
But the Knight Commander did not waver.
Amidst the Vice Commander’s concerns, he steadfastly wrote down Rabbit Mask.
Iron Arm noticed at the last moment.
In fact, the person he suspected until the end was the Owner of the Flower Garden.
Seeing him exclude himself and point out other suspects, he was a guy with something dark inside.
Besides, he said observing people was his hobby, but who knew if that was to look for an opportunity to do something bad.
‘Even now, that guy is suspicious, but.......’
There was something that weighed on his mind more than that.
It was when people took turns making their final statements just before voting.
‘I absolutely! I swear to the God of Dwarves that I absolutely did not steal it!’
‘I will stake the honor of our knight order!’
At that moment when everyone staked their honor claiming they weren't the culprit, or swore on the god they served, or even their family.
Only one person didn't stake anything.
‘Of course, it is not me either. Then, since we heard the final statements, let’s point out the culprit.’
It was none other than the host of this party, Rabbit Mask.
‘......Can he do that if he isn't the culprit?’
Iron Arm denied the thought that sprang up in surprise, but he couldn't erase the thought that it was strange.
In the end, the alias he wrote on the paper was Rabbit Mask.
The Owner of the Flower Garden began to suspect Radel due to his unperturbed attitude.
Even when the Countess had her brooch stolen, even when conflicts arose among people, Radel maintained a calm attitude.
As if he had guessed something like this would happen.
Rabbit Mask prepared the next steps fluidly from the moment the incident occurred.
When he recommended a vote to point out the culprit to the guests, even the Owner of the Flower Garden ended up admiring him.
Becoming detectives for each other.
Isn't it interesting for a thought that came up on the spot?
Suspicion turned into certainty when the eyes of the Countess and Rabbit Mask met.
It was a fleeting moment, but the Owner of the Flower Garden felt a sense of incongruity.
‘Do the two know each other?’
A feeling difficult to explain in words.
However, assuming the two knew each other, the puzzle pieces fit together.
Gaining certainty, he wrote Rabbit Mask’s alias on the paper without hesitation.
The Imperial Hound knew from the beginning that this place was a play stage set up by the 8th Prince.
And decisively, he had seen the Countess’s brooch before.
Not at the House of the Undead, but at the Imperial Capital of the Empire.
‘It was at a banquet I attended a few years ago.’
Clearly, the Countess said it was a family treasure, but according to his memory, it wasn't.
The Imperial Capital banquet hall he attended a few years ago.
The pink diamond brooch was shining on the 7th Princess’s dress.
“......As far as I know, that was the 7th Princess’s brooch.”
The Imperial Hound said to Radel.
At those words, Radel smiled and raised his hand into the air.
SNAP.
Then, a brooch that appeared from somewhere was grasped in Radel’s hand.
It was the moment the real culprit revealed himself.
* * *
The play Radel set up was simple.
Except for the follower candidates, all the guests were employees of the Dice Shop.
It was an opportunity for the employees, who had mastered acting as well as disguises through infiltration training, to be active.
Even the employees were more active than Radel.
“Boss, a murder case would be best after all. Because when a person is cornered, their true colors are bound to show.”
“That is correct. It seems good to find out if there is a possibility of betraying the Boss. Let’s start by killing one person.”
Still, it is a sacred site, isn't a murder case a bit too much......?
Radel shook his head.
“Hmm, it would be troublesome if rumors spread that people died in the House of the Undead.”
Furthermore, the shopping district festival was until Sunday.
He planned to invite the follower candidates for one day, but the plan was to hold a party for general customers the next day.
Radel wanted to finish this event without problems.
Tunia offered an opinion.
“......Then let’s go with a theft case.”
That much seemed fine.
In an instant, the framework of the play was established, and the actors were selected.
Hailey, the leader of the employees, took the role of the Countess, and Tom, who acted the best among the new recruits, took the role of the Count.
He was the friend who barked like a dog as his special talent during the new recruit interview.
“Tom isn't only good at making dog sounds. The sound of wagon wheels rolling is also amazing. He is a guy with considerable acting skills.”
Talents to take the roles of guests were also quickly filled with the employees' recommendations.
Now that the stage and actors were gathered, it was time to get the props.
The protagonist of the theft case that would make this play shine.
That was also easily obtained.
“What? You want to borrow jewelry?”
Inette, the richest person Radel knew, raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah. I ask for something that looks expensive if possible. I will return it soon.”
Inette snorted as if dumbfounded, but soon brought a large brooch.
“Was it about 3 years ago? Mom gave it as a birthday present. I don't really like it, though. Pink color, isn't it too childish?”
The large pink diamond brooch that had been stuck away because it didn't fit Inette’s taste thus became the protagonist of the theft case.
The role to steal the brooch was also quickly found.
It was none other than the House Elf.
Since it was an elf who liked surprising people usually, it would do well in hiding the brooch without a trace.
“Do people like it if I hide this?”
“Of course. They will even scream out of fascination?”
Radel nodded.
Because Hailey, who took the role of the Countess, was scheduled to scream first as soon as the brooch disappeared.
Although there were some unexpected parts because the follower candidates fought among themselves, the atmosphere flowed smoothly.
He could also know their personalities.
Rabbit Mask looked around at the four people invited to the play and said.
“You are the people who guessed correctly that I am the culprit. And you are also my follower candidates.”
And he took off his mask.
Radel’s bare face was revealed under the magic lamp.
Soft blond hair and golden eyes.
The boy with a somewhat relaxed atmosphere asked them.
“Shall we talk in earnest now?”