Chapter 222

Chapter 222

The black cats were led to a separate room, only to find Clement had followed them as well.

"Allow me to reintroduce ourselves. We are now the town's governing council, responsible for handling all matters big and small within the town, including the previous incident with the bell-ringer, as well as any special occurrences," Cornelia explained. Amidst the others' surprised gazes, she bowed deeply to the druids. "Please allow me to express our gratitude on behalf of the townsfolk. If not for your efforts, most of us would probably be dead by now."

The druid hastily replied, "It's alright, it's alright, we... "

" Cornelia, what are you doing?" Before the druids could speak, the burly man grumbled, "Their suspicions haven't been fully resolved yet."

"Silence, Bernie," Cornelia countered without backing down. "Slandering our saviors based on baseless accusations is one time too many! Do you have any evidence?"

Under Cornelia's stern gaze, the burly man named Bernie, though disgruntled, reluctantly sat back down.

"My apologies, but it's true that few people pass through here. Moreover, due to the presence of the Harbingers of Death, many are cautious around strangers."

"The Harbingers of Death, are they the wanderers you mentioned in the wilderness?"

"Yes, they bring calamity upon the towns they enter. Their appearance is akin to an omen of death," Cornelia explained. "My companions and the townsfolk suspected you to be Harbingers, hence their rude remarks. Please forgive their impulsiveness."

Bernie's expression turned grim at the words, but he bowed his head under Cornelia's and the others' disapproving gazes. "I'm sorry."

The players glanced at him but didn't comment. Matcha Latte kept her eyes fixed on the window; the room they were in for the meeting wasn't far from the town center, and she could vaguely see the bell tower. She noticed that no one had attended to the corpse of the bell ringer, and the townsfolk were dispersing. She couldn't help but ask, "None of you are dealing with that body?"

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. The cleaners will take care of it."

"Cleaners?"

Cornelia patiently explained, "A role taken up by other residents. There are also those who patrol to maintain order. We're the decision-makers, of course, and there are those responsible for execution. We all work together to overcome our challenges."

The black cat snorted but didn't comment. The druid glanced at the cat before asking their most pressing question, "May I ask, Mrs. Cornelia, if you can provide us with the detailed rules?"

"Oh, of course," Cornelia began her explanation. "Currently, we don't have many rules in Blackrock Town. There are seven in total:

1. All residents must not leave their homes at night.

2. Everyone must be asleep by midnight and awake by 7 a.m.

3. There are cleaners within the town who are responsible for sweeping the streets, but they only wear red clothes. There are no cleaners in white.

4. In case of emergency, seek assistance from the patrol personnel in blue attire; however, assistance should be sought solely from those in blue.

5. If you encounter someone dressed in white, promptly distance yourself and find a secure location. It is advisable to have the patrolling personnel in blue safeguard you.

6. The moon within the city appears white and can only be white; there is no such thing as a red moon here.

7. All inhabitants must possess a residency card, and temporary cards for outsiders. There are no residents without either a residency card or a temporary one."

"One truly peculiar set of rules," someone commented.

"Well, rules like these give me a headache. I'd probably be among the first to go if I lived in such a town," another player expressed.

"Relax, when you actually live there, your survival instinct will force you to remember them," a reassuring voice chimed in.

"Hmm, wait a minute. Didn't the autopsy on Matcha Milk Green's body indicate that it had been dead for over three hours? And it was a murder, which goes against the first rule – no one can leave at night. Then who killed the bell ringer?"

"Residency cards... They could be what the Druids wear on their chests. That would mean the others in the town likely have the official residency cards."

The three players recited the rules silently. The Druid's expression darkened as he pondered the oddities mentioned in the chat and connected them with what he overheard from the system last night.

"Miss Cornelia, does no one leave their homes at night? What about the bell-ringer and the watchmen?"

"The bell-ringer stays in a designated room close to the town center, and they only come out to ring the bell at dawn, which doesn't violate the rule," Cornelia explained. "As for the watchmen... they're elected by us each day, and a note is secretly delivered to the chosen resident, informing them of their role as the watchman that night.

The watchman's duty, as the name implies, is to stay awake at night and ensure the safety of the bell-ringer. If the bell doesn't ring even after dawn has arrived, it's their responsibility to awaken the town."

Druid looked around the room with surprise. "So, only those present here know who the watchman is?"

If Cornelia's account was accurate, the watchmen were essentially a safeguard. But if the safeguard had been killed, did that mean the leadership, led by Cornelia, could no longer be trusted?

"Bear in mind, it's not that simple," Bernie scoffed. "Even if we have such rules, it won't stop a watchman from divulging secrets or someone close to them discovering the truth. We can't control everyone's tongue."

The black cat, considering the information disclosed so far, suddenly asked, "Were both watchmen murdered in their own homes last night? What about their families?"

"Both watchmen lived alone and had no family. They were killed in their homes."

"Such a coincidence, both watchmen without any family?" Druid looked pointedly at Bernie. "If there's a harbinger of death among your leadership, they might 'coincidentally' choose two solitary individuals for their convenience."

"Y-You!" Bernie, perceiving the insinuation, flushed with anger. Druid maintained an innocent expression. "What about me? I didn't point fingers at anyone, did I? Or are you also prone to anger when unjustly accused?"

"Druid: A Grudgebearer.jpg"

"Hahaha, speak up if you have more to say!"

"Blimey, if that's the case, then the person who wants to annihilate the entire town is likely in a position of power? That would mean we're in deep trouble."

"Fascinating, a choice of five. I'll go with Bernie."

"He's not the one. Have you seen Detective O South? Generally, the more someone acts like the killer, the less likely they are. I choose Clement, the one who tried to buy leaves from players. Judging by his behavior, he's clearly planning to flee after the incident!"

"Well then, I'll choose Cornelia. Though the big sister seems righteous and wise, such people are more likely to turn dark and become the opposite."

"Damn it, what about the other two? Does no one care about these two extras?"

"Cornelia, enough," unaware of the players' guessing game, Cornelia chuckled wryly to stop Bernie while turning seriously to the Druid. "I don't deny that the five of us in the leadership also have significant suspicion cast upon us."

"Cornelia!" The other two men's expressions changed. The tall and thin one smiled bitterly. "If even you say that, there's truly no hope for the town."

The shorter and plumper one mumbled, his face worn out. "This world was doomed from the start. It's surprising we've lasted this long. Now, with three more dead, perhaps it's the new rule that killed them. We're all done for..."

"Bang!"

The sudden thud on the table startled the players who were multitasking, reading the bullet comments. They turned to see Cornelia, usually gentle and amiable, with an unprecedentedly grim expression as she yanked the collar of the short, plump man. "Anyone can say that, but not us! Don't forget why you're still alive!"

"I, I... Am I not even allowed to feel down? I didn't say I was giving up," the plump man stammered quickly.

"Let's hope so," Cornelia replied, her gaze dark and foreboding. After a moment, her face cleared like the sun after a storm. She smoothed the man's collar as if nothing had happened and said with a smile, "I just don't want to hear any more negativity, okay?"

"O-Okay," the plump man's lips quivered.

"My god, sis has another side to her. Love it, love it!"

"I thought she was like Judy, a straightforward leader, but turns out she's two-faced. Hehe, sis is scolding me!"

"Why are you all in shorts? Am I the only one who cares about what sis said, 'Why are you still alive'?"

"A new rule? Does that mean rules keep increasing?" The black cat's heart stirred as they asked.

Cornelia had regained her composure and nodded. "They do from time to time... No one knows when a new rule will be added. Every time a new rule is introduced, countless lives are lost... Until the decision-makers of a town find a new pattern."

The druid fell silent for a moment, then meticulously read through the seven rules again. Though they might seem straightforward, countless lives had been sacrificed in their creation.

"Has it always been like this here?" Matcha Latte asked softly.

Bernie whispered, "What a silly question. Where on earth did you two pop up from…?"

"Bernie—"

"Oh, I mean," Bernie coughed, his voice fading, "Of course not. Everything changed after the fell god arrived… We've been forsaken by the gods."