Mafia Game: Lancaster Family's Ripper (2)
Liana quickly scanned her surroundings.
She had woken up inside some room.
It wasn't shabby, but it wasn't ornate either.
As the daughter of a duke's house, she could tell right away.
Servants' quarters.
Just like the text that had popped up moments ago, Liana had become the "head maid" working for this count's family.
Sure enough, when she stood in front of the mirror, there she was in a classic maid outfit.
Hmm... Not bad taste for a count. The fabric feels pretty high-end too.
Liana ran her hands over her maid uniform, feeling it this way and that.
The design was one thing, but the material was top-quality.
"To pull off something like this... Definitely impressive."
The texture under her fingertips. The faint floral scent wafting from it.
Every sensation felt utterly real, like reality itself had been transplanted here.
At this level, it wasn't just spatial magic—it had to be Dimension magic.
As she poked around every corner of the room, Liana spotted a sheet of paper on the vanity.
It was blatantly shimmering with gold.
A familiar format she'd seen somewhere before.
It was like the rulebook from Path of Gold.
[Rule Explanation]
* Everyone except one "Jack the Ripper" is an innocent family member.
* "Jack the Ripper" is disguised as one of the family members, indistinguishable by appearance.
* All players may freely reveal their roles.
* At exactly 6 PM each day, a bell rings for the regular assembly. During this time, you may vote to imprison a suspect thought to be Jack the Ripper.
* Any player may ring the bell in the Great Hall at any time to call an emergency meeting.
* After the regular assembly, all players return to their rooms.
* Jack the Ripper may mark one victim each day during daylight hours. Direct physical contact is required.
* Victims marked will be killed by Jack the Ripper that same night.
* If only one family member and Jack the Ripper remain on the final day, the family loses.
[Role Assignment]
"Family Member - Head Maid" Player: Liana Aishinkiore
You are the loyal head maid in charge of the mansion's overall management and operations.
[Special Ability]
1. Footprint Tracking: Your decades of experience running the mansion have honed your sharp eyes.
Once per day, designate a target to search their movement path.
Victory Condition: Identify the "Jack the Ripper" disguised as a family member and publicly execute them. Disable all magic formations to lift the mansion's lockdown.
The truth is always one!
Right after that, a rough overview of the game flowed naturally into her mind.
Liana nodded.
It was her first time playing something like this, but the straightforward explanation made it easy to grasp.
"This is gonna be fun."
Her heart pounded with excitement.
Investigating a murder in a labyrinthine mansion—who wouldn't love that?
Liana had always been into this stuff personally.
One of her closest friends was the empire's chief investigator, after all.
She'd often heard thrilling tales of cases from across the empire.
That was when it happened.
Dong, dong—.
A heavy grandfather clock chimed through the air.
At the same time, the firmly shut door swung open on its own.
The game had begun.
As Liana stepped out of her room, the staff rushed over in a panic, faces full of confusion.
"M-Ma'am! What is this place?!"
"I-It's scary! Get me out of here!!"
"Everyone, calm down. This is inside a Cube. A complete virtual space."
In the meantime, she quickly checked their outfits and expressions.
Her personal secretary Hanna seemed lost in thought, dressed in all white with a red scarf. Probably the chef.
Branch manager Benders wore flashy clothes adorned with gold leaf. He didn't quite pull off natural elegance—commoner roots showing—but the style suggested he was one of the count's children, the murdered victim's offspring. He fidgeted endlessly with his clothes, clearly uncomfortable.
Finance officer Kalian gleamed in full armor, like a family knight. Like Liana, he eyed his surroundings warily, hand on the sword hilt at his waist.
The other finance officer, Rowell, was in a sackcloth getup. What the...? A beggar? The flimsy fabric looked ready to fly away in the slightest breeze, so she clutched her collar desperately to hold it closed.
Logistics officer Ilia wore a maid outfit like Liana's, but far plainer and simpler. Regular maid, then. Known for being incredibly timid, she stood there trembling, hands clasped neatly together.
Security head Gears was in leather suspenders. Gardener or stablehand, most likely. True to form, he spotted her and hurried over to stand by her side.
"Ma'am, did you know about this game beforehand?"
"No, not at all."
"Then we could lodge a formal complaint and shut it down right now. Investigating a noble murder? Too dangerous. And that outfit you're in... How could they make someone as exalted as you wear a lowly servant's clothes?"
Gears grumbled, clearly displeased with the whole setup.
But Liana had zero intention of quitting the game.
"Still, doesn't it seem fun? The clothes aren't uncomfortable or anything. Surprisingly, the gardener look suits you, Sir Gears. Speaking of, where's Lord Yujin...?"
Everyone was there—except one person missing.
As Liana scanned around at the slight oddity, it happened.
Clap clap clap clap clap.
Sudden applause drew all eyes to the end of the hall.
Bright yellow outfit, face powdered white, exaggerated red dye smeared around his mouth.
Yujin Feltro was a clown.
"Everyone looks great."
"Eek!"
As he approached, the terrified Ilia hid behind Liana.
Even Liana flinched at his eerie presence.
Why the hell is there a clown in a count's mansion...?
He already gave off super suspicious vibes, and the creepy makeup just screamed murderer who'd killed the count.
If this were real, he'd be the first one hanged.
"You've all read the rules, so shall we get started? Jack the Ripper can't kill until nightfall, so no need to worry too much."
Yujin said that, then glanced at Liana.
Did he just... wink?
Gears stepped in front of her protectively, horrified.
"Stay back. This is your warning."
Of course, Yujin just shrugged it off like he couldn't care less.
And so dawned the first day in the sealed-off Lancaster Mansion.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
The flow was definitely different from the real world.
In the midst of searching the mansion diligently, Liana paused to gaze out the window.
The sun rising over the beautifully manicured garden moved visibly fast across the sky.
Time was accelerating.
How is this even possible?
Spatial magic was often undervalued compared to other spells for lacking combat utility.
But even in a specially crafted magic tool, to control the sun's movement and time flow itself?
"Ma'am!"
That's when Rowell appeared from the opposite hall.
Still in her ragged sackcloth, though she'd at least tied a white cloth around her waist to cover her lower half decently.
"Found anything?"
"Sadly, no. But I did complete one mission."
"Hmm... So the first day just passes quietly? That'd put Jack the Ripper at a huge disadvantage, no?"
True enough.
There were five magic formations to dispel each day, randomly placed around the mansion and changing daily.
Dispelling them wasn't hard—redraw damaged patterns, compare and fix against nearby paintings.
She'd run into the others occasionally, and they all seemed busy with their tasks.
"Who knows. First time playing, maybe they're still figuring it out."
"That clown's still the sketchiest to me. That sneaky grin gives me chills. You're sure he's really the librarian who made Path of Gold...?"
"Suspicious, yeah. A clown out of nowhere."
Liana agreed.
It was all in-game lore, but his mannerisms and speech felt straight out of a real clown's playbook.
"What kind of place is the Feltro County anyway...?"
Rowell said with a weary look.
That's when the bell for the regular assembly rang out.
"Time already? Hope everyone's got something."
"The Great Hall's this way, ma'am."
Liana followed Rowell's lead.
Everyone was already gathered there.
"Alright, let's each take a minute to report what we've done, and cross-verify anything that needs it."
At game creator Yujin's suggestion, a brief verification session followed.
Nothing unusual.
Except for Liana, who'd gone solo, most stuck together since it was their first time.
Surprisingly, even Yujin had mingled with the group.
Liana had used her merchant instincts to hunt for even the tiniest inconsistencies, but no smoking gun.
"So... we abstain on the first-day vote?"
"What if we point fingers and it's innocent?"
In the end, the first day fizzled out.
Dong, dong—.
As the grandfather clock signaled nightfall, everyone filed into their rooms with fearful glances.
Liana couldn't help but tense up too.
There was always a chance Jack the Ripper would target her.
But thankfully, nothing happened.
Instead...
A victim has occurred overnight. Jack the Ripper is still among you.
"The clown's dead?!?"
"Kyaaaaah!!"
With the morning bell, the "Clown—Yujin Feltro's" room was revealed.
To be drenched in horrific bloodstains.