"All players, please return to your designated rooms, which are marked with your identity cards. After half an hour of rest, the game will officially commence," the staff member announced.
Leon and the others followed the instructions and went back to their respective rooms. The accommodations were simply furnished but had everything necessary for a comfortable stay; spending seventy-two hours here wouldn't be a problem.
Walking from the entrance into the living area, Leon noticed a wooden box on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Next to it lay a memory stone. He stepped forward, opened the box, and found a card inside.
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[Welcome, Old Friend of the King. Tonight, you will face the other seven players alone.]
[Being outnumbered will force you to tread carefully with every step you take.]
[But don't worry. At the start of the game, you already possess the castle's secret treasure, the 'Black Sacred Stone.' This is your greatest advantage.]
[Your main objective is to last the full 72 hours without being discovered by the other seven players.]
[Achieve this, and you will be victorious.]
[Additionally, completing side quests and hidden tasks throughout the game will yield various rewards. Accumulating these rewards will grant you a greater advantage.]
[The memory stone beside the box will provide critical information as needed. Keep it with you at all times.]
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Leon finished reading and, just as promised, found the 'Black Sacred Stone' nestled inside the box. He picked up the smooth, dark crystal, weighing it in his hand. "So, if I make it to the end of the game, this little gem is mine," he muttered.
He recognized the material—it was a rare, beautiful substance known as Night Spirit Crystal. While visually striking, it was commonly known to hold little intrinsic magical value and was mostly used for ornate keepsakes or decorative sculptures.
Staring at the Black Sacred Stone, Leon contemplated his strategy. "If the other players assume someone stole and hid this, a thorough room-by-room search could end the game for me very quickly. So... I need to hide this somewhere else, and fast."
Hiding things was, ironically, one of Leon's specialties. After all, three of the five photo albums featuring Rossweise in a certain bunny outfit had been strategically traded to his mentor, while the remaining two were still successfully hidden from the Silver Dragon Queen to this day. This demonstrated General Leon's exceptional skill at concealing items.
He pocketed the Black Sacred Stone and picked up the memory stone, then settled in to wait patiently for the game to start.
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Half an hour later, Leon stepped out of his room. Coincidentally, Isha, whose role was the Doctor, had her room diagonally across from his, and they both opened their doors almost simultaneously.
"Oh, brother-in-law, you're out right on time. Looks like you're pretty enthusiastic about this game," the red-haired beauty teased, arms crossed as she leaned against her doorframe with a characteristic smirk.
"Mostly because of Rossweise," Leon replied casually.
Isha raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Why? Is your secret task to win with the 'Chef' and fly away into the sunset with the Black Sacred Stone?"
"No, sis, this isn't just a game; it's a contest," Leon said, his tone turning seriously competitive. "And I intend to win every contest against Rossweise."
This was indeed another, more personal reason Leon was participating so eagerly. Beyond fulfilling his promise to Claudia and enjoying a family bonding event with his daughters, he had a burning desire to thoroughly outwit that silver-haired dragon queen. He needed to show her just how formidable Leon Cosmodeous could be when he wasn't confined to a wheelchair.
"...Is this what your married life is always like? One constant competition?" Isha asked, both amused and slightly bewildered.
Leon blinked, recalling the countless times he and Rossweise had engaged in playful but intense sparring throughout their marriage. "Yes," he confirmed simply.
Isha scoffed lightly. "Well, then, do your best."
With that, she stepped out and began walking down the corridor.
"Where are you heading, sis?" Leon called after her.
Isha waved a hand dismissively without turning back. "Obviously, to find clues and complete my task."
The card in Leon's box had mentioned rules about tasks, and from Isha's statement, it wasn't hard to deduce that each player had different objectives. Leon's main task was "Hide the Black Sacred Stone and survive for three days." Logically, the main task for the other seven players was likely "Find the Black Sacred Stone within three days and identify the thief."
Watching Isha's retreating figure, Leon muttered under his breath, "This might be harder than I thought." He knew firsthand how cunning and perceptive his sister-in-law could be. When Rossweise was pregnant with Aurora, they had attended an event in Sky City where the prize was a rare calming dragonfruit for expectant mothers. Isha had secretly entered the same contest and soundly defeated Leon in the final 'I Have, You Don't' game segment. This time, with even more complex rules, Leon had no doubt that the Red Dragon Queen would be a formidable opponent.
Shaking his head to refocus, Leon began his own search for clues. He wandered through the castle's themed hallways until he reached what appeared to be a kitchen. As he approached, he noticed someone was already inside.
He walked over, his hands casually in his pockets. "Mother Dragon?"
The Silver Dragon Queen slowly turned at the sound of his voice. Upon seeing Leon, she habitually rolled her eyes in a display of mock exasperation before turning back to her task. "What do you want?"
"Hey, what's that look for?" Leon teased as he sauntered over to stand beside her.
Rossweise was meticulously making some kind of pastry. "What look? Obviously, it's the look of disdain for you," she said without pausing her work. "Isn't that the look you like best from me?"
"As if I have some strange preference," Leon joked, leaning against the counter to watch her. Rossweise's culinary skills were truly exceptional, and making delicate pastries was no challenge for her.
As she kneaded the dough, a stray strand of her silver hair fell across her face. Leon, acting on a familiar instinct, stepped behind her and gently tucked the hair back behind her ear.
"The king's old friend helping the royal chef tie her hair—what, are you hoping for special treatment?" Rossweise joked, a playful glint in her silver eyes.
"You're the one who wants special treatment, getting hungry and baking just as the game starts," Leon retorted. "But isn't there already food in the rooms' fridges? Why are you here—" He paused, a realization dawning on him. "Oh~ Making pastries is your task, isn't it?"
Rossweise remained silent, focusing on her work, which was confirmation enough.
Seeing this, Leon's interest was piqued. "So, did you get any clues from it? Come on, share with me."
"Not telling," Rossweise said airily.
"Why not? I'm the king's old friend, a bona fide good guy!" Leon protested, laying on the charm.
"Since when does a wolf ever admit it's a wolf?" Rossweise quipped back. She'd played 'Werewolf' with Leon and their daughters enough times to know that at the start of any game, trust was a rare commodity—even if the other player was her own husband.
With the pastries prepared, Rossweise placed them in the oven and set the timer. She then turned to face Leon fully. "Aren't you going to look for your own task? Why are you sticking to me?"
Their current posture was intimate. Leon had initially stood behind her to fix her hair, so when Rossweise turned around, they were suddenly face-to-face, only inches apart. Leon rested his hands on the countertop on either side of her, effectively trapping her between him and the kitchen counter. Their eyes met, holding a complex mix of playful teasing and deep, familiar affection.
Instead of answering her question, Leon leaned in and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her lips. Rossweise did not resist. It started as a light kiss, a playful tasting of each other, but as the seconds passed, it slowly deepened.
Just as the kiss was becoming more intense, the oven timer rang, signaling that the pastries were done.
Rossweise gently pushed against Leon's chest, breaking the kiss, and turned to retrieve the pastries. "I'm hungry, Rossweise," Leon whispered huskily against her ear.
"Then... come and eat me—" she began.
Leon blinked, surprised and intrigued. Whoa. He'd only intended to tease a bit and break the game's tension. But his wife's response was...
Well, if that's how it is, I can't refuse—
"—come eat what I made," she finished with a triumphant smirk.
"..."
Alright. They were still in the middle of a game, after all. A little kissing was one thing, but taking it further would be a bit much.
Rossweise broke off a small piece of the warm cake, held it delicately between her teeth, and brought it to Leon's mouth. He accepted it from her, and they ended up sharing another sweet, pastry-flavored kiss.
But even in the moment, Leon hadn't forgotten his primary mission. As they kissed, he discreetly slipped the Black Sacred Stone from his pocket and, with practiced sleight of hand, hid it in a small, shadowed crevice beneath the water tank in the kitchen. He'd noticed earlier that the space was a perfect blind spot, unlikely to be spotted during a casual search.
"Alright, back to the game," Rossweise said, finally ending the kiss and hopping down from the counter—yes, at some point during their embrace, she had ended up sitting on the counter, her legs and silver tail wrapped around Leon's waist. But the queen called a halt just in time, avoiding any more intimate distractions.
Leon let her go, watching as she gracefully left the kitchen. When the sound of her footsteps had faded, he glanced up at the water tank. The shared kitchen was a decent temporary hiding spot. Since each room had a fridge stocked with enough food, only the player with the 'Chef' role had a clear reason to spend time here. But he knew it was only temporary. In the later stages of the game, if everyone conducted a thorough, systematic search, this place would inevitably be checked.
"Well, for now, it stays here. I'll find a better spot to move it later," Leon muttered to himself as he left the kitchen to continue his search for tasks and advantages.
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About two hours later, the memory stone in his pocket vibrated and glowed, projecting the staff's voice. "All players, please gather in the main hall on the first floor for tonight's first group meeting."
Receiving the notification, Leon prepared to head downstairs. But just as he was about to leave, his memory stone chimed again with a distinct, private tone.
[This is a private message. Old Friend of the King, you are suffering from a sudden case of food poisoning and cannot attend this meeting. Please visit the 'doctor's' room after the meeting concludes to receive the antidote.]
Leon froze mid-step.
"F-food poisoning?... Must be part of the game's narrative," he reasoned aloud. "But when did I even—"
As he spoke, a specific memory flashed in his mind: the sweet, warm pastry shared with Rossweise in the kitchen.
His eyes widened in horrified realization.
"That damned dragon queen! She dared to poison her own husband!!"