SCT-Novel Chapter 175 : Unknown Identity - 4
Chapter 175 : Unknown Identity - 4
Everyone's eyes widened.I continued.
“That's why Magireta didn't summon the Participants to a separate location. We were already standing on the stage.”
“I understand that much. But what does that have to do with you staring at the sky?”
I immediately explained.
“Because the stage is the world itself, the board was placed high in the sky. So it could be seen from anywhere in the world.”
“……!”
“In every Quest so far, regardless of how many people participated, the board has always been the same size. The Tenth Quest, which uses the entire world as its stage, is no different.”
“So you're saying...”
“Exactly.”
I pointed toward the sky.
There was a tiny black speck beside the sun.
The sunlight made it difficult to distinguish clearly.
But if you narrowed your eyes ever so slightly and stared carefully, there was definitely something visible.
“The board has been floating up there all along.”
I asked Karin to send us into the sky.
Soon, we were soaring through the heavens.
While flying toward the board, Benjamin spoke.
“From a logical standpoint, I understand your reasoning, Mr. Mason.”
“……”
“If the entire world is the stage of the Tenth Quest, then placing the board high enough for the whole world to see certainly makes sense.”
“Yes.”
“But to actually read the rules on the board, you'd have to fly into the sky like we are now. That's impossible for ordinary Participants. I'd always known Magireta was malicious, but this is simply too cruel.”
Exactly.
But probably...
Just then, Magireta's voice rang out.
“You shouldn't slander others so casually. Little Brother, you should pay more attention to correcting your companions' personalities.”
She was flying alongside us.
Aina spoke.
“Did my brother say anything wrong? You're practically the embodiment of malice.”
“Haa...”
“Or why don't you prove him wrong? Even if someone discovers the board, how is an ordinary Participant supposed to read it?”
“Because I'd read it to them.”
I figured as much.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Magireta chuckled before continuing.
“No matter how long I wait, the game still doesn't begin. Based on the usual cycle, it should've already started.”
“……”
“Could it have begun without me noticing? If so, the board should've appeared, so why can't I see it? Ah... could the board already be floating somewhere?”
“……”
“If we weren't summoned to another location, then perhaps the entire world is the stage. If that's the case... Ah! There's a tiny black dot in the sky!”
I let out a dry laugh.
“What are you doing, Sis?”
“I mean that I would've personally read the board's rules to Participants who reached that train of thought. Anyone perceptive enough to figure it out deserved a little kindness.”
“……”
“On the other hand, why would I show that kindness to those who are hopelessly dense or completely carefree? They can't be helped. They'll simply have to face the Quest without knowing anything.”
That was exactly what had happened to us in the Future Diary.
I suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Magireta continued.
“Besides, this Quest isn't one where you have to do anything.”
“Huh?”
“You just have to stay still. Staying still is what you're supposed to do in this Quest.”
“……”
“So there's no real need to read the rules. I thought all of this through before setting up this little prank.”
She looked at Benjamin.
“Do you understand my profound intentions now?”
“I do not.”
“Haa...”
I stepped between them.
“Were there any ordinary Participants who noticed that board?”
“I can't answer that.”
She didn't have to.
The Magireta from the Future Diary had already said that a huge number of ordinary Participants had been eliminated during the Tenth Quest.
Most of them probably never noticed the board.
Just like our group.
We had simply gotten lucky and fulfilled whatever conditions were necessary to pass.
“Anyway, I can still read the rules to all of you.”
“That's fine. We've already flown all the way here. We'll read them ourselves.”
“Very well.”
With that, Magireta disappeared.
Armelia spoke in an unusually irritated tone.
“That's exactly how swindlers talk. ‘I did nothing wrong. It's your fault for not noticing.’”
“I agree. Of course, the difference between a swindler and Magireta is...”
“Whether or not you can punish them?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Before long, we arrived in front of the board.
At last, we'd learn the contents of the Tenth Quest.
I carefully read every line.
《Tenth Quest. Popularity Poll.》
For this game, Magireta will randomly select a considerable number of High-Ranking Monsters from Hell. The total number selected and their identities shall remain confidential.
The selected High-Ranking Monsters will spend two weeks observing every Participant's performance from the First through the Ninth Quests.
After the two-week observation period ends, the High-Ranking Monsters will conduct a popularity poll among the Participants. Each High-Ranking Monster may cast one vote.
Participants who discover this board will be able to see the current voting results. Participants who fail to discover the board will not.
The popularity poll will last for one month. Votes may be cast at any time during that month, and abstaining is also permitted.
Once the total voter turnout exceeds 30%, if the gap between first and second place reaches at least twofold, the game will immediately end. In that case, only the first-place Participant passes. Everyone else is eliminated.
If the gap between first and second place remains less than twofold until the very end, every Participant who receives at least one vote passes. Any Participant who receives zero votes is eliminated.
If total voter turnout reaches 100% before one month has passed, the game immediately ends.
If one month passes and total voter turnout remains below 80%, all previous results are reset and a new vote is held.
If Participants fight among themselves or cause conflict during the voting period, they are eliminated.
I glanced toward Armelia.
She immediately understood what I meant.
Nodding, she said,
“I've memorized everything.”
“Good. Let's head back down.”
Karin used her spirits to lower us to the ground.
Soon, we returned to Berseum's house and took our seats.
No one looked pleased.
Berseum spoke.
“Let's go through this one step at a time. What's the first thing we need to determine?”
“Obviously, when exactly the game began.”
Exactly.
We'd certainly found the board.
But we still had no idea when it had first appeared.
Benjamin spoke.
“I don't know when the game started. But while the game has begun, I don't believe the popularity poll itself has.”
“Why do you think that, Brother?”
“Think about Rule Four.”
Participants who discover this board will be able to see the current voting results. Participants who fail to discover the board will not.
Benjamin was right.
Even after finding the board, none of us could see the voting results.
Karin nodded.
“That's true. And Rule Three says the High-Ranking Monsters spend two weeks observing the Participants. Aren't we still in that observation period?”
“The problem is that we don't know how much of that observation period remains. It could've started yesterday, or it could've started thirteen days ago.”
“Ugh... That's true, but isn't this one of those Quests where learning about it early doesn't really help?”
She turned toward me.
“You said the future you saw passed the Tenth Quest without any problems. Without even realizing when the game started or ended.”
“That's true. But like I said before, that was the future where Edgar never received a tip from the Broken Magireta.”
“……”
“Listen. This is what I think.”
What if the Edgar from the Future Diary had never noticed the board floating in the sky?
Just like us in the Future Diary, what if Edgar had remained unaware of the board's existence until the Tenth Quest ended?
Armelia asked,
“Why do you think that?”
“Because Edgar may be amazing, but I'm amazing too.”
“That's not true. You're trillions of times more amazing than Edgar.”
Aina let out a sigh.
“This guy, honestly...”
“What?”
“Forget it. Anyway, what you're trying to say is this, right? The future you never noticed the board in the sky. So Edgar, who's trillions of times inferior to you, wouldn't have noticed it either.”
I nodded.
In the Future Diary, neither I nor Edgar had noticed the board.
Nor had the countless ordinary Participants.
Which meant the Tenth Quest in the Future Diary had proceeded without manipulation or cheating.
The High-Ranking Monsters had simply voted according to their own preferences.
Perhaps that had been the true meaning of a popularity poll.
“But the current Edgar has already learned about the Tenth Quest directly from Magireta. Which means he understands the rules before we do.”
“……”
“If that's the case, then he'll obviously take action.”
Sienne spoke.
“What sort of action do you think he'll take?”
“He'll probably try to exploit Rule Six.”
Once the total voter turnout exceeds 30%, if the gap between first and second place reaches at least twofold, the game will immediately end. In that case, only the first-place Participant passes. Everyone else is eliminated.
“Edgar will try to make this a short-term battle. He'll rush to push voter turnout past 30%, then widen the gap between himself and second place to at least double.”
“……”
“That way, only Edgar passes while every other Participant is eliminated. And naturally, that includes all of us.”
Everyone nodded.
Only Karin tilted her head.
“But is that even possible? We don't know how many High-Ranking Monsters were selected, or who they are.”
“……”
“If you can't identify the voters, how's he supposed to secure all those votes?”
That would be the normal way of thinking.
But as everyone here already knew...
Edgar was anything but normal.
In fact, I already had a good idea of what method he might use.
After thinking for a moment, I turned toward Kaid.
“You've already worked hard, so work a little harder.”
“Huh?”
“Summon someone into a dream.”
“Who? Edgar? Master?”
“No. Even if we summoned either of them, there's no way they'd confess, ‘Yes, I already made preparations in advance.’”
“Then...”
I answered as though it were obvious.
“A High-Ranking Monster living in Odline's territory.”
“……”
“Anyone will do. You've lived long enough that you've interacted with some High-Ranking Monsters before. You should've already fulfilled the conditions to summon one into a dream.”
Kaid scratched his head.
“Well... there are a few slaves I know. One of them I've known for a particularly long time, but honestly, we're not very close.”
“Why?”
“Because he's arrogant. He keeps whining that Master abused him more than anyone else. As if someone who's never even experienced the Maggot Punishment has the right to complain.”
“……”
Was this that thing where slaves bragged about whose chains were thicker?
“Should I summon him now?”
“Yeah. I'll enter the dream with you.”
“Not with me. This time, Mr. Mason will be entering alone. I don't want to see that guy's face...”
Thud!
Louis struck Kaid on the neck with the side of her hand.
Just like before, Kaid stuck out his tongue and collapsed unconscious.
Without a word, I lay down on the blanket spread across the living room floor.
Then I said,
“Be honest, Louis.”
“About what?”
“You're starting to enjoy this, aren't you?”
Louis hesitated before answering.
“A little.”