074 Cornelia Became a Great Detective
A living room inside the villa gathered several men and women.
They stood apart, forming small groups.
Neither the pitch-black night sky, nor the magnificent snow scenery, nor the howling cold wind could move them.
Because the situation in the living room was disharmonious.
In the center of the living room, there was a mini stage, half a foot high, with a shiny black floor.
On the stage, there was a classical grand piano and a leather piano stool emitting a dull glow.
On the stage, besides the piano and stool, there was also a person.
Or rather, a body that hadn’t yet completely turned cold—
A lean middle-aged man lay face down on the piano keys, wearing luxurious clothing.
It seemed as if he had just finished playing a heart-stirring piece and then fallen into an extremely exhausted sleep.
The horrifying part was a trail of blood that seeped from beneath him, forming a nearly circular puddle on the stage’s floor. A grotesque knife, drenched in blood, lay quietly in the blood pool.
Crimson blood trickled down from the edges of his clothing and the piano keys, and the edge of the handkerchief poking out of his left breast pocket was already soaked red.
The blood pool reflected the light brown lacquered base of the piano and the frail body of the performer, creating a sinister dark hue.
Meanwhile, the prompts were still updating, and everyone held their breath to pay attention.
【Each Challenger has a key that can open the blessed bedroom.】
【Each bedroom can accommodate up to two Challengers, exceeding the number will invalidate the blessing.】
【Solving the mansion’s puzzle is of great significance to the regular Challengers.】
【Among the regular Challengers, one is the Detective.】
Dekan and Cornelia couldn’t help but feel their pockets and indeed found a key inside.
Furthermore, their clothes seemed to have a slightly uncomfortable feeling.
Not because they were ill-fitted.
It was just because they were dressed in haste.
As if they had just rushed out of bed, hurriedly changed into clothes, and rushed downstairs.
This must have to do with the plot background.
In general, they didn’t care much about the plot.
However.
This time, Cornelia’s costume was very special.
She was seen wearing a detective beret on her head, dressed in a beige wool coat.
Even though she did nothing, she already attracted the attention of everyone present.
And Dekan beside her looked like her assistant.
“Huh, that doesn’t make sense, why should this special role go to Cornelia?”
Some students observing from the side were puzzled.
“Generally, a special role doesn’t necessarily come with special abilities but often serves as a hint. For instance, in mystery plots, the detective role often goes to the ‘most likely person to uncover the enemy’s identity’.”
“She will also become the primary target of the antagonist challenger…”
Right after, the basic plot information started to update.
[Initial scenario: The owner of this mansion, Sir Orlon, thirty minutes ago, played a famous local piece called “The Blood Recital,” which woke everybody up.]
[His performance was so splendid that anyone who knows a little music, or even a vagrant who knows nothing about music, should applaud for him.]
[But at that time, no one would compliment or appreciate him, because it was 6 a.m., and all the guests were still sleeping soundly, indulging in the warmth of their beds and enjoying an exceedingly comfortable rest.]
[His grand symphony disrupted one guest’s dream after another, making them angry, helpless, and painful.]
[After he played for a while, finally, an infuriated guest couldn’t bear it anymore and decided to go to the living room to stop the playing.]
[However, before the guest could turn on the living room’s big light, the piano sound had already stopped.]
[A sharp scream followed that made everyone fully awaken.]
[So then, one by one, the people gathered in the living room, shocked, wary, and thinking.]
[Core Plot Progression 1/3]
At this point, the notice finally stopped.
From the perspective of the Shadow World mechanism, the wolf and witch lurking in the darkness with absolute power have a significant advantage.
Therefore, to uncover their identities during the day when they can counterattack, it must rely on clues from the plot.
And the wolf and the witch also need to find ways to secretly prevent the solution process.
The owner of the mansion should not have committed suicide, but it appears very much like one.
However, the current clues make it hard to point out who the murderer is.
Thus, everyone in the living room turned to look at Cornelia.
It seemed like they were waiting for her to speak first.
Cornelia looked at everyone expressionlessly.
She remained silent, her gaze unwavering.
Her silence did not puzzle people but rather reassured many challengers.
Indeed, she was a poised person, fitting the detective role very much.
The seconds passed.
The atmosphere in the living room seemed a little stagnant.
Cornelia helplessly glanced at Dekan.
Dekan was slapping both his cheeks with his hands, seemingly trying to stay alert.
This weather was indeed easy to induce sleepiness.
“What’s wrong?”
He realized that Cornelia was looking at him, met her gaze, glanced around, and understood Cornelia’s plight.
She was confused and had no idea what had happened.
“Say whatever you want, just let it flow, and consider me your assistant.”
Dekan slightly turned his head and whispered to her.
“Mm.”
Cornelia nodded.
Then she looked at everyone sincerely and said: “I don’t have any thoughts, please don’t expect much from me.”
“Huh.”
Upon hearing that, an elegant young girl laughed.
It seemed that Cornelia’s words slightly relieved the tense atmosphere in the living room.
“Regardless, everyone should still exchange information a bit.”
This young girl continued.
She looked about 16 years old, slender in stature, stunningly beautiful, so it wasn’t hard to guess that she should be a noblewoman in the real world.
“My name is Lilith, a sophomore at Filo Academy, experienced in the type of Shadow World related to riddles and mysteries.”
After saying that, she looked at Cornelia and asked with a smile:
“Detective Miss, if you have no clue, would you mind handing over your job to me?”
Cornelia hesitated a bit.
All the challengers on the field knew that Cornelia, who possessed the identity of a detective, was equivalent to the lead of the entire game.
Her words carried weight.
Just as she was about to look at Dekan to seek guidance, Dekan lightly patted her back.
She immediately understood what Dekan meant—
Freestyle, don’t look at him.
Then Cornelia nodded to Lilith.
She was pretty clueless to become a detective, fearing that she would drag all the Challengers down.
And here a rather smart-looking individual willing to take over her job appeared.
It could not have been better.
Lilith’s lips curled into a slight smile.
“Thanks for your trust, Detective Miss.”
Though her words were humble, Lilith’s tone didn’t hide the arrogance in her bones.
It seemed as if she was pleased that she had regained what was rightfully hers.
“If you guys don’t mind, let’s chat a bit randomly.”
Lilith naturally took over the subject of the conversation.
She was clear that it wasn’t necessary to use questions or investigations to make everyone reveal their information.
Except for the reborn cult believers on the arrest warrants, believers lurking in the dark all had foolproof identity backstories.
Just chatting couldn’t separate them.
After saying that, she casually sat down on the sofa.
Cornelia silently labeled her in her mind 【Young Lady】.
And always following Lilith was a tall and spirited-looking girl who still stood behind the sofa.
So she was 【Young Lady’s Guardian】.
It seemed like everyone understood that this mutual alert state wouldn’t advance the decryption task. Gradually, others began to approach the sofa a little.
“We three are knights from the Kingdom of Roland.”
A young man who looked more open-hearted pointed at himself and the two companions beside him and said.
They then began to introduce themselves respectively.
Cornelia couldn’t remember all the names at once, summed them up into a team, 【Kingdom Knights】 *3.
They came to challenge the Shadow World to make year-end performance quotas.
Very realistic, Cornelia thought these three should be alright.
The remaining last two were a set of twin sisters, standard beauties, also students.
“We are third-year students from Brochia Academy. I am the assassin, and my sister is the healer.”
Despite their similar appearances, the sister appeared with upward-slanting eyes, a bit domineering, while the elder sister’s downward-slanting eyes made her look pitifully vulnerable.
【Assassin Sister】 and 【Healer Sister】, Cornelia slapped labels on the last two people.
Apart from Cornelia, Dekan, and the Teacher Cat, the rest of the seven were foreigners.
But being foreigners also has its benefits.
They might not have heard of Dekan and Cornelia.
After all, this world was too vast, filled with odd people and amusing stories.
Even if other Challengers have heard of their glorious achievements, they most likely wouldn’t know Dekan and Cornelia’s appearances.
Finally, when all the others had finished their introductions, they turned towards the taciturn Great Detective Cornelia and her assistant.
Before Cornelia could open her mouth, Dekan spoke first:
“My name is Bachelor, I am a valet to my young lady. She isn’t fond of words, please forgive her.”
Then, with grace, he bowed to everyone, retiring back behind Cornelia.
This time he wanted to be the man behind Cornelia.
Keeping his glory and name hidden.
Cornelia immediately caught his implication.
“My name is Olive.”
Cornelia’s identity was unblemished and there was no need to voluntarily expose any information.
Dekan’s point was precisely for her not to talk too much.
The other Challengers couldn’t help but brighten up their eyes.
Oh, is the Miss Detective also a noble young lady from somewhere?
Upon further reflection, since the Shadow World had chosen her as the hope of the ordinary Challengers, she must certainly have extraordinary abilities.
Her constant modesty might just be hiding her true talent.
Not only her identity but intelligence as well.
She was of the type who hides her light, and seems foolish but is truly wise.
This made 【Young Lady】 Lilith slightly feel awkward.
She couldn’t help but take a closer look at Cornelia again.
Huh, this composed, restrained, yet not lacking elegance aura indicates that either she’s not a noble or she’s a noble who hides her true self.
Just judging by the surface earlier was mistaken.
Judging from this, Miss Detective isn’t without thoughts.
She’s maintaining a state of observing changes, trying to see everyone from the perspective of an outsider.
Brilliant.
Then let’s have a good contest.
Lilith’s eye seemed to be burning with the fire of determination as she looked at Cornelia for a moment.
“But now there is a very serious problem.”
Lilith looked around the group and continued: “Where is the tenth Challenger?”
On-site, there were only nine Challengers.
“Isn’t the person on the piano that one?”
The 【Kingdom Knight】 asked.
Lilith shook her head.
“Obviously not. That individual was clearly an original character from the Shadow World. The Shadow World would not set a situation where a Challenger dies from the start. We are still missing a Challenger, and we don’t know if he is friend or foe, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of our reasoning.”
Everyone fell silent.
It was indeed ridiculous!
Even though it was said that all Challengers’ starting locations were in the living room, counting them resulted in nine people.
“Miss Olive, what are your thoughts?”
Lilith looked at Cornelia and asked.
“I think this question isn’t important.”
Cornelia followed the principle of free play and that “too many words mean mistakes”, and answered accordingly, without misleading the other Challengers.
After saying that, she didn’t intend to explain further.
Lilith fell silent for a moment, and roughly understood Cornelia’s meaning.
Indeed, continuing to dwell on this issue here made no sense.
Extreme simplification of thought.
“Alright, since Olive said that, let’s skip this topic.”
Lilith wore a look of relief and continued:
“I suggest that we should try to act together during the next daytime, at least within our sight of each other, after all, it’s strong together.”
“If we can’t figure out the enemy’s identity by the first day, at night, we will have to split up and hide in our bedrooms.”
“If two teams working together have the ability to temporarily resist a high-level wolfman, it is recommended that they stay together.”
“If working together is ineffective and still results in instant death, then dispersing individually could increase interference. Regardless of who is attacked, please leave as many clues as possible.”
“Olive, what do you think?”
Cornelia:”That’s fine.”
Seeing Cornelia nod, the crowd also acknowledged.
If all of us stay together at night, it could lead to us all being wiped out directly.
After all, even eight people together, faced with the sudden attack of a high-level wolfman, might still be chopped like melons.
Using the protections of the room is the correct solution.
But this inevitably faced a cruel situation—
Sacrifices might happen.
And the sacrifices may also bring opportunities for intelligence.
Next, the group started exploring the layout of the mansion.
The house had a total of two floors, each floor having five bedrooms, the room numbers ranging from 101-105 and 201-205.
Out of safety considerations, they unanimously agreed to not disclose which room their key corresponded to on the first day.
On the ground floor, there were the living room and a kitchen stocked with food, and on the second floor, there were a study and a large library.
Apart from briefly exploring the external conditions of the mansion—the cliffs and the severed bridge, as well as the extreme weather—almost all remaining time was spent in the study and the library.
They were trying to find related clues there as much as possible.
Unconsciously, it was already nine in the evening.
There was only one hour left until the wolfman’s activity time.
