Mafia Game: Lancaster Family's Ripper (4)

It's total chaos.

Internal scheming and backstabbing—I've seen plenty of that from rival guilds, but being on the receiving end? This was a first.

Liana's head throbbed with a genuine headache. Caution crept in too.

Even a tiny crack in that thick wall of trust could lead to this, huh?

If something like this happened in reality, it'd be a massive problem. Once the game's over, I need to audit the entire guild from top to bottom.

Technically, no one except Yujin had died yet, but everyone was visibly on edge.

In the end, Liana had to step in herself.

"Enough! This is your guild master speaking! Everyone, quiet down!"

She might be the head maid in the game, but her real identity was owner of the Liana Merchant Guild—and second daughter of one of the empire's top duke houses, the Aishinkiores.

The game ending didn't erase what happened here.

"Infighting among us only helps the hidden Jack the Ripper. I don't know who's the killer in this room, but yelling like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this just makes things worse—surely you get that? Especially you, Gears!"

"......My apologies, Guild Master."

The head maid Liana's sharp rebuke made the gardener Gears bow his head deeply.

"Time's already slipping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠away. If we don't catch them this round, another innocent citizen dies."

"But shouldn't we skip the vote? Without proof, we're more likely to pick an innocent."

That was Hanna's cool analysis.

With the clown out, eight players down to seven total.

One Jack the Ripper against six innocents.

If they luckily nabbed the Ripper, perfect—but odds weren't great.

If an innocent family member got voted out (assuming the house knight Kalian couldn't protect them), it'd narrow to 1:4 next day.

Liana pondered.

Obviously, more citizens made things tougher for Jack the Ripper.

Then, a brilliant idea flashed through her mind.

"Wait... isn't there a way for us to confirm one innocent for sure?"

All eyes turned to Benders at Liana's words.

Benders was the vice-count heir. As the count's sole surviving son, his "intuition" ability let him detect if someone killed his father.

If Yujin were alive, he'd call it a "confirmed citizen" maker—a cop role in Mafia terms.

"Just use it on me or Gears, right? If Hanna's telling the truth and I'm not the Ripper, then Gears on the other side must be."

"......!"

"Yeah... that checks out."

"Benders, can you use it now?"

"Regrettably, Guild Master, no. Only at night."

"......Tch."

Liana clicked her tongue.

Day two's vote fizzled out too.

"Benders won't get killed anyway. I stuck spores on him. If he dies, they'll sprout on the Ripper tomorrow."

"......Hope that's true."

"You don't trust me either, Benders?!"

"Just saying. Who here can we trust?"

Liana grumbled as she watched the two head to their rooms.

From her view, Gears was the real Ripper.

She was a family maid, after all.

But...

Her gaze shifted to Hanna.

What if Hanna was the Ripper and her testimony was all lies?

What if this was a scheme from the start to shatter her bond with Gears...?

A chill ran down Liana's spine for some reason.

But there was nothing to do now.

Golden Duke's daughter and guild master or not, in this creepy mansion, she was just another countess's maid.

Another day passed.

Subjectively, the stay wasn't that long—maybe two hours total?

"Benders! So, what happened? Who'd you check?!"

Rowell's death wouldn't be in vain, at least.

Her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sacrifice kept the family team's key roles—the heir and knight—alive.

Even if they missed the Ripper this vote, Kalian's protection on a confirmed innocent would corner them.

But Benders looked grim.

"......Well..."

He edged back carefully, avoiding approaching Gears.

"Gears, why'd you lie like that?"

"What?!"

"It clearly marked you as Jack the Ripper. Figured Kalian would block my kill tonight, so you offed Rowell instead? If you deny it hard enough, you pass this vote easy."

Gears froze at the unexpected reveal.

Liana, fully cleared, jumped up yelling.

"See? I told you! Gears! I knew it!"

"G-Guild Master too...! You're really doing this!? Hey, Benders!! You're the Ripper—lying through your teeth!"

"Panicking with hysterics? Bad habit. Everyone, let's vote and hang him."

"Y-Yes...!!"

Ilia was already sprinting toward the great hall at Benders's word.

"Wait! Hear me out!"

"Mr. Gears, stop."

Gears desperately chased Ilia, but armored Kalian blocked him cold.

Clang, clink.

Ilia frantically rang the bell on the great hall's round table. Everyone's view flipped instantly.

The corridor shifted to the vast mansion great hall.

"Teleport!? How'd you get lost ancient magic...!!"

Amid the confusion over sudden warp—

An opaque window popped up before them.

Portraits identical to the players lined up.

Dead Yujin and Rowell's had red paint slashed over them, starkly showing their demise.

"......"

It was just a game, but...

Liana started feeling betrayed by Gears.

Especially since she'd suspected innocents Yujin and Rowell—guilt hit too.

And he had the gall to blame others.

Liana agreed to detain Gears without hesitation.

The vote ended predictably.

5:1.

"Frame job! Guild Master! No way... Guild Master! I trusted you! You're Jack the Ripper!!!"

Iron chains burst from the sky, wrapping Gears tight.

True to his elite mercenary past, he fought to the end—but useless against the chains.

Liana and Kalian shared joyful looks at justice served—but briefly.

Dong, dong. The grandfather clock announced nightfall.

"What...?"

Gears wasn't Jack the Ripper.

"Benders, you lied?"

"No... that can't be..."

"You definitely used it last night, right? Ilia, did you check?"

"I-I checked Mr. Gears... He said no ability used yesterday..."

The case plunged back into mystery.

"So, one of two things. Either you lied, Mr. Benders... or."

Finally, Hanna's sharp gaze turned on her.

"Liana's the real killer."

Liana felt like she'd go mad from frustration.

She could track a specific person's path daily, but on reflection, the ability was useless.

Needed physical contact to trigger—and missions forced contact anyway.

If she were Ripper, she'd exploit that.

So, practically worthless. Only good for spotting lies on paths.

Too late now.

Next morning, Ilia was the victim.

In the fractured group, Kalian couldn't pinpoint protection.

He waffled between suspects Benders and Liana, chose Hanna—Ilia got brutally killed.

Benders insisted Gears marked Ripper.

Hanna focused on Ripper as "disguise murderer"—maybe killed someone, absorbed ability, contaminated.

Benders contaminated his own, framed Gears for vote-kill.

Then naturally suspected Liana next, detain her, night-kill one more for win.

Plausible—Kalian and Rowell agreed.

Had to catch Ripper this vote.

Results: two for Benders, one for Liana, one abstain.

But like Gears, detaining Benders didn't end it.

Liana trembled in pure fear.

Hanna? Kalian? Who the hell's Ripper?

Whoever, utterly chilling.

Another night passed.

Dong. Dong.

The corridor after the clock—deathly silent, no voices.

Liana nearly screamed.

"Hanna! How could this happen!!!"

The ever-poker-faced secretary smirked crookedly at her.

"Gotta draw the line at killing my boss, right?"

Game over.

"So, what'd you think of my new game, Lancaster Family's Ripper? Shame I got axed early and missed the historic first playthrough, but y'all had some wild plays anyway..."

"You call that a game?! What now for my guild?! I can't trust anyone anymore!"

Back in Dimension's lobby, Liana grabbed my collar and shook me hard.