Already eliminated: the City Lord’s son Andre (Xiao Qitang), and the amnesiac traveler Ann (Tan Zhi).
After all the information for this round had been revealed, Zhao Wen timidly raised his hand.
“I’d like to accuse Alice the Little Gardener. She’s on the Demon King’s side.”
He turned over his character card.
【Alice: Someone once saw a pair of long, slender elven ears beneath her red hood.】
Zhu Liuyue had thought the Zhao boy might have some crucial information, but this was all he had?
“That’s right, I’m an elf. It’s perfectly normal for there to be an elf in the Hero faction.”
She smiled and nodded, then countered, “Ailu the Blacksmith, was your wife really killed by the Demon King?”
As soon as she said that, Zhao Xin hurriedly flipped through her character book to search for clues. She nodded emphatically.
“Exactly. My plot only says that the blacksmith’s wife was frail and disappeared one year. It never says she was killed by the Demon King.”
Ye Yunjin tapped his fingers against the tabletop.
“Let’s assume that the two people eliminated so far were both from the Hero faction and were wrongfully killed. That means there are still four people from the Demon King’s faction on the field. If we eliminate one more member of the Hero faction now, the Demon King’s faction wins. So this vote is crucial.”
“Ailu the Blacksmith, if you’re really on the Hero faction’s side, why would you dare to reveal a character card that can’t completely prove anyone’s identity? Unless…”
“You’re on the Demon King’s side and simply want to wipe out the Hero faction.”
Zhao Wen subconsciously glanced at Xiao Qitang nearby.
He had his reasons, but he couldn’t explain them.
His cousin had just been dumped and mocked, which was humiliating enough. So Zhao Wen had wanted to avenge him. Whether Zhu Liuyue was guilty or not, he figured he might as well eliminate her first and ask questions later.
“I’m a good guy,” Zhao Wen said miserably.
His own sister, Zhao Xin, began to grow suspicious. She eyed him skeptically.
“Brother, you’re even more suspicious now! If you really had nothing to hide, you’d be furious and jumping up to defend yourself. How can you be so calm while saying you’re a good guy? No, you definitely have a problem.”
Zhao Wen fell into despair.
He clearly couldn’t count on his foolish little sister. His gaze swept across the room before finally landing on Zhu Qi.
“Zhu Qi, let’s put our personal grudges aside and just play the game properly. Tell me—am I a good guy or not?”
Zhu Qi was very much the type to hold a grudge. He flashed his little canine teeth in a smile and tossed out a card.
“Sorry, but I accuse Ailu the Blacksmith.”
【Ailu the Blacksmith: The blacksmith’s shop is always brightly lit late into the night. No one knows what Alu does in there all by himself.】
“Shady and suspicious. He obviously isn’t a good guy,” Zhao Xin said, nodding vigorously as if to confirm the accusation.
Zhao Wen looked like he was about to cry. “Sis, you’re going to get me wrongfully killed!”
Outside the game, Tan Zhi watched with unrestrained delight. She had just been wrongfully killed in the same way by her best friend, Zhao Xin.
Seeing Zhao Wen suffer the same fate gave her a deeply satisfying feeling.
At this point, she didn’t even care whether her faction won or lost.
Watching other people have a miserable time was entertaining enough.
Xiao Wai said, “All right. Let’s begin the vote for this round.”
“Ailu the Blacksmith is unanimously eliminated.”
Zhao Wen wore a mournful expression. He wasn’t even given a chance to leave any last words. He still had two information cards in his hand.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll give my remaining cards to Ye Yunche.”
He could only take a gamble. Perhaps the two Ye brothers belonged to different factions. If they were both on the Demon King’s side, then the Heroes were finished!
Xiao Wai said, “Very well. The game continues.”
Xiao Qitang, Tan Zhi, and Zhao Wen sat side by side, watching the game with longing eyes.
Zhao Wen asked, “Brother, were you wrongfully killed?”
Xiao Qitang remained expressionless. “Of course.”
Zhao Wen turned to Tan Zhi. “Tan Zhi, your brother is the Demon King. Are you on the Demon King’s faction?”
Tan Zhi shook her head. “I was wrongfully killed by you and Zhao Xin.”
Zhao Wen was puzzled. He pointed at himself.
“I’m on the Hero faction. I can confirm that both of you were wrongfully killed. Doesn’t that mean there’s only one person from the Hero faction left in the game? The Demon King’s faction is about to win!”
Xiao Qitang looked at his cousin as though he were an idiot.
“You forgot. There aren’t only two factions. Each faction has a spy, and they can choose to win alone.”
Zhao Wen blinked.
“Oh! There are advanced players too?”
In the new round, Xiao Wai had everyone check their plot books.
Zhu Liuyue opened the script for Alice.
【Alice the Little Gardener】
Hundreds of years ago, before the war between the Hero and the Demon King began, this forest was not yet called the Forgotten Forest. It was known as the Elven Forest.
Countless elves lived there. They sang, danced, and cherished peace.
Alice, you and your parents, brothers, and sisters lived a happy life there.
Then one day, a wandering poet brought terrible news. The legendary sword used by the former Hero to slay dragons was buried deep within the Elven Forest. In order to defeat the dragon, the new Hero led his band of warriors into the forest.
Battle. Human disaster. Suspicion.
The Elven Forest became a battlefield for humans and demons, and the elves were reduced to nothing more than sacrifices.
Alice, you are the last elf in the world.
The war took your family from you. You hate the Demon King, but you hate the Heroes even more—the ones who spoke of peace while using war as their excuse.
Alice, you want revenge.
You became the world’s first dark elf.
On the surface, you are a member of the Hero’s party. In truth, you are a dark elf serving the new Demon King’s faction.
And now, what will you choose?
Will you help the Hero faction claim victory once again, or will you turn everything upside down and aid the Demon King’s faction?
Or perhaps…
You will stand at the highest point, as the one true victor.
Perhaps only an elven-ruled world can know genuine peace.
…
Zhu Liuyue closed the script. As expected, there were no purely good people in this world, nor were there any purely evil ones.
From Alice’s perspective, the Heroes and the Demon King were no different. Both had destroyed her homeland.
Xiao Wai asked, “Has everyone finished reading their plot lines? This round of voting will begin in five minutes. You may communicate and chat with one another, or go outside for one-on-one private conversations to find allies. Return in five minutes for the vote.”
There was no more evidence to be found.
This was basically a blind vote.
They would have to rely mostly on instinct.
Zhao Xin glanced at her own script, then looked toward Zhu Qi.
“Hey, John. Come outside and talk privately.”
Zhu Qi was extremely cautious. “What are you up to?”
Zhao Xin looked at him as though he were hopeless.
“What are you afraid of? I have a feeling everyone else here is working for the Demon King. Only the two of us are on the Hero faction. Hurry up and come out, or we’ll be wiped out.”
Only then did Zhu Qi agree to leave with her.
Inside the room, Ye Yunche looked at Ye Yunjin, then at Zhu Liuyue.
He asked bluntly, “Who am I supposed to vote for later?”
No one answered him.
Ye Yunche said, “Fine, then. I definitely can’t vote for my sister-in-law, so I’ll vote for my brother.”
The corners of Zhu Liuyue’s lips curved slightly. She nodded.
“Good idea.”
Ye Yunjin: “…”
His speechlessness lasted only a moment. Still, as a good sport, Ye Yunjin said, “Let’s play properly. Our odds of winning are very high right now. How about eliminating those two youngsters first?”
He was referring to Zhu Qi and Zhao Xin.
One of the two of them was definitely from the Hero faction.
