A brief silence fell over the ground-floor hall of Lichtenstein Castle.
The elegant stone corridors, the opulent fireplace, and the paintings hung upon the walls were all steeped in the hazy glimmer of early morning.
Given the wealthy scion's candor and the wealth of information he had divulged, there was likely little issue with his identity.
As for the twin guards behind him, they clearly had no intention of speaking so soon.
Frey nodded, mentally labeling the trio as [The Young Master and His Two Enforcers], before turning his gaze toward the three women standing at the farthest diagonal corner.
"We are from the Creti Empire."
The aristocratic young woman at their head nodded in greeting. An air of elegance and modesty radiated from her demeanor, and her long brown hair was as silky and smooth as ribbon.
Even so, she seemed disinclined to say much more, holding Frey's cool gaze without shrinking back in the slightest.
The magical fluctuations around her were powerful and steady, indicating she was a traditional mage. Flanking her left and right were a tall, heroic female knight with sharp, starry eyes and a petite, timid priestess in white, whose blue eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
A textbook warrior-mage-healer lineup.
Since they had nothing further to add, Frey wasted no more time on them. Mentally slapping the label [Imperial Women's National Team] onto them, he looked directly at the final trio.
"We hail from the Northern Continent, clergy serving under the Lady Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Fate."
A priest clad in a spotless white robe embroidered with exquisite gold-thread patterns along the hems stepped forward, offering a sincere bow as he spoke. His gaze was gentle, filled with benevolence and tenderness.
Behind him stood an executioner in heavy armor draped in a red cloak, alongside a paladin clad in gleaming silver-white plate.
Both wore resolute, fearless expressions, their bright eyes burning as though fueled by the flames of justice.
"Do you three know Loren?" Frey asked offhandedly.
His casual tone carried an unmistakable implication of standing on equal footing with Loren, which took the three aback. They could only wonder what standing Frey held within Ikerite Academy.
"Of course. Even in the Northern Continent, we are well acquainted with Lord High Priest Loren's deeds," the priest answered, before having his companions demonstrate a series of divine spells.
The divine arts unique to the priesthood made it practically certain that their clerical identities were authentic.
Still, one could not rule out the possibility that the Resurrection Church had planted moles within the Church of the Goddess of Fate.
Frey decided to just call these three [The Saintess's Lackeys].
With that, Frey essentially grasped the backgrounds of everyone present, even if two of the nine individuals were bound to have fabricated identities.
Aside from those willing to reveal their specific roles and classes openly, the rest would have to convey that information to him individually in writing later on.
"Do you two have anything to say?" Frey took a step back, moving beside Lanqi and Hyperion.
Hyperion found it awkward to speak aloud of her identity's peculiar nature. She simply signaled Lanqi and Frey with a glance to turn around, and then, with her hands behind her back, lightly traced letters in the air with her fingertip, conveying to them that her role was [Actress].
"...Understood."
Learning her role only made Frey and Lanqi more certain that other challengers might hold similar positions—roles that offered little direct aid to the Detective, where exposing themselves would only make them appear suspicious and place them in danger.
Consequently, the difficulty of Frey's deduction climbed considerably higher.
Even if he interrogated everyone on their roles next, a traitor could easily fabricate a seamless identity.
As long as the traitors possessed sufficient wits, deducing who they were based on their assigned roles alone was practically impossible. That was the very nature of this Shadow World's mechanics.
Once Hyperion finished communicating with them, Lanqi looked back toward the hall.
He stepped forward with natural ease and raised a hand toward the crowd.
"Hello, everyone. Allow me to say a few quick words.
"My role is [Lawyer], which means I am well versed in the laws of this Horning Empire. At present, the Horning Empire has wholly adopted faith in the Blood Clan Progenitor. Any act in defiance of the Blood Clan's rule is punishable by death. Likewise, any human wishing to enter or leave any city must undergo rigorous identity registration.
"In response to the [Geographer]'s information, I have one point to add. The Horning Empire's national defense barrier is currently under the Blood Clan's control and enforces complete airspace denial. Non-Blood Clan individuals cannot use any flight magic or flight items. I trust this can be corroborated shortly."
Lanqi's words were like a pebble cast into a lake, sending ripples spreading through the room and plunging everyone into deep contemplation and analysis.
Another challenger exposing their own role—and doing so even more openly and uprightly.
Furthermore, within the youth's emerald eyes, his gaze was bright and candid. His voice carried a serene power that seemed to dissolve doubt and unease into nothingness.
A gentle demeanor so free of impurities made it extraordinarily difficult for anyone to suspect him of being a villain.
Or rather...
If someone like him truly turned out to be the villain, it would be a horror story beyond imagination.
Having said this much, Lanqi let out a helpless sigh.
"If I am not mistaken, there is some very bad news. The sole bridge leading to the city-states has undoubtedly been destroyed. We are already trapped atop this mountain cliff, pinned between the edge of the national defense barrier and the terrain."
"In other words, the Shadow World requires us to correctly deduce who the traitors are and capture them, because if we accidentally kill one, we won't be able to escape once the Blood Clan Count arrives?" Frey chuckled, tossing the question back at Lanqi with a hint of amusement.
As soon as those words fell, the expressions of the other challengers darkened considerably.
A myriad of emotions surfaced across their faces—some were stunned, some lost in thought, others deeply solemn. Their shifting gazes were like an ever-changing canvas.
Within this enclosed space, everyone seemed to grow sharper and more sensitive, almost able to feel the tension and unease mounting bit by bit.
The mere mention of being trapped and facing a Blood Clan Count was enough to make every challenger present turn pale.
Even in the real world, they knew full well that the Blood Clan were terrifying beings whom no creature of the same tier could contend with.
With the inherent authorities and immortality granted to the Blood Clan, human powerhouses fighting them throughout history had only ever thrown away precious high-tier combat strength in vain.
Even if, in theory, the Blood Clan would be drastically weakened once the morning sun rose, surviving an entire night against one was an absolute impossibility.
Even setting aside racial suppression, challengers hovering around Tier 5 were on an entirely different level of strength from a Blood Clan Count. In a direct encounter, the Count could sever any of their heads in a single breath, reducing them to mere playthings to be slaughtered for amusement.
"Naturally, we won't be able to escape," Lanqi replied to Frey with an untroubled expression, his state of mind as tranquil as a still pool of water.
Even in the face of a menace like the Blood Clan, he remained entirely unfazed.
Hyperion glanced at Lanqi, feeling a slight sense of relief wash over her.
As long as Lanqi stayed like this, she had nothing to fear.
Chapter 124