Werewolves in the Haunted House: Second Day

And all of a sudden, it's morning again...

It's now the second day. Would you all gather round, please?

Morning, everyone! Lovely weather today, isn't it?

Salut!

Wait. Huh? It's morning already?

Morning! I'm glad to see you're all here!

Now that you mention it, it does look like everyone's still here!

Does this mean the werewolves didn't kill anyone last night?

Now, let's go over what happened last night.

Tell us, those of you claiming to be Seers: Whose identity did you divine last night?

Nursery Rhyme's.

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And what was her true identity?

Exactly what she claimed to be yesterday.

？！

Oh my!

It seems they both reached the same conclusion.

Interesting. I wonder if this was coincidence, or just inevitable.

They're cheating! They must have conspired on their answers!

I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to consort with Amadeus, Fujimaru!

Knock it off, Salieri! What they would even hope to gain by conspiring?

What would they hope to gain? Do you even need to ask!? They clearly mean to kill all of us!

Okay, I guess you've got a point. We can hear what you have to say, but wait till it's time for your remarks.

Hey, last night. You didn't kill anyone?

...I'm not sure. I think I fell asleep. I might even have been dreaming.

I wish they had woken me up like I asked them to...

Now, here are last night's victims.

Nursery Rhyme...

Oh. I guess I wasn't dreaming after all...

Did she just change into a token!?

...and Charlotte Corday.

At least I was happy while it lasted!

Charlotte too!?

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Usually, yes. But those two happened to be the Lovers.

Although Nursery Rhyme was a werewolf, and Charlotte, a villager...

...they still managed to find love in each other's arms.

I see. And since one of the Lovers died, the rules say that the other had to follow, right?

The other werewolf must have gone after Charlotte, unaware that would also kill their, um, pack mate.

Or, the other werewolf may have gone after Nursery from the very start to prevent her from talking.

Ahh, my beloved angels. Why? Why did you have to die!?

So why did they turn into tokens?

That's what happens to fallen Servants here.

It's one of the core rules to all of Monde du Jeu.

What!? You mean every token is made from a Servant!?

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Yes, I expect they were all manufactured in the same way.

...!

It's okay.

Their roles just changed, that's all. They'll go back to normal in their original worlds.

Are you sure?

I think so. Because each world has different rules.

They do?

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...Now I understand. So once we get back to our original world...

...Chaldea's rules will be the ones governing us, instead of Monde du Jeu's!

Then we'll do everything we can to save Nursery and the other Servants, Senpai!

It sounds like you are all playing games in pursuit of a larger goal.

Uh-huh. We're looking for Erice.

Erice?

Do you know her?

I'm not sure. But that name sounds familiar somehow.

I'll hold on to Nursery Rhyme and Charlotte Corday.

That's all I have to say for now.

All right, everyone, the rest is up to you. I encourage you to use your second day productively.

I only have one thing to say: we need to hang Fujimaru! Immediately! Sooner, even!

Need I remind you that he's the only Master here, AND that he has two other Servants in his party?

What else could he and his entourage be doing here except disrupting our game!?

These slanderous accusations are outrageous!

If you knew Fujimaru even half as well as I do...

...you would know the very idea of him coming up with any manner of evil scheme is preposterous!

The Fujimaru I know is compassionate, hardworking, intelligent, and possessed of excellent communication skills! Plus, you never know what ludicrous thing he might say next!

Um, Edison? Was that last part really necessary?

Whoops! Sorry, I'm afraid I got a bit carried away. At any rate, the important thing is that he is the very epitome of a common man: completely average in all areas!

Yet he has never let that stop him from accomplishing any number of great feats at Chaldea!

I could list countless examples, but to name just a few

Fujimaru's character is not the issue.

The issue is his role in this game.

As far as I can tell, Fujimaru is innocent.

Or at the very least, I can't detect any hint of falsehood in Mash's behavior.

If their innocence does turn out to be no more than an act, then I will have to commend them for their extraordinary performances.

At any rate, if we assume Fujimaru is indeed telling the truth about being the Seer, that of course brings Amadeus under suspicion.

So I say that the first person we should hang is not Fujimaru, but Amadeus.

Though of course, I would still advocate for the guillotine over the gallows.

Even if we can't get our hands on a real one, it would still serve the same function.

Picky picky, aren't we? If you love guillotines so much, maybe you should marry one!

Then again, I suppose I shouldn't be joking around now that you're directly calling for my execution, should I?

Well, while I could make any number of arguments, I don't think I'll bother.

After all, I doubt you'd find any of them convincing!

That being said, I would like you all to consider this:

Fujimaru and I both claim to be the Seer, and we both divined the same player's identity.

While that particular duel may have ended in a draw, our contest to see who slips up first is still ongoing.

However, let me remind you that I gave my answer before Fujimaru.

So what are you saying? Are you implying that Senpai cheated?

If you want to prove he didn't, then why don't we have a rematch?

Let's see... How about we both divine Edison's identity tonight?

Me?

You're obviously a loyal ally of Fujimaru's, as well as one of the companions he came here with.

What's more, you look like you'd be more at home in the savanna than a mansion. If anyone here could understand a werewolf's mind, it's clearly you.

Didn't you ever learn not to judge a book by its cover!? It's what's on the inside that counts, and on that front, I've got brains and bravery to spare!

There you have it, Fujimaru.

Let's you and me prove Edison's innocence, and your role in this game, together.

？！

Excellent. Then we shall see the results of this latest contest tomorrow. Nobody hang me until then, okay?

...Hey! Why isn't anyone saying anything!?

Poor Amadeus. I'm sorry nobody trusts you. I guess all your naughty behavior hasn't done you any favors.

But I've known you since we were both children, and I know you're not a bad person.

If anything, I'd say Salieri seems much more dangerous. I mean, he's an Avenger. He's practically a walking ball of hostility.

I'm honestly worried that he might end up attacking all of us if we don't do something to stop him.

I'm sorry to say this, but... this is just how the game is played.

...You're the one who's going to hang, Salieri.

What!? Not you too, my queen!? I thought you were wiser than that!

Amadeus! You planned for this to happen, didn't you!? It's your fault the queen is treating me like a criminal!

Fine, if that's what you want, I'll take up the sword...and plunge it straight into your gut!

Stop it! No fighting between players! It's against the rules!

You expect me to care about rules now that my good name has been ruined? Ha! At this point, I have nothing more left to lose!

What do we do, Senpai!?

？！

Right!

Arrrgh...!

Goodness, I can't believe he got so worked up over a little game. What a boor.

Are you all right, Maria?

Oh yes, I'm fine. It's a good thing Fujimaru was here to save me.

Whereas someone else I could mention turned out to be no help at all.

Hey, that's no fair. You know I'm always here for you...

I'll be keeping an eye on Monsieur Salieri to make sure there aren't any more...outbursts. In the meantime, the rest of you may continue with your remarks.

Eesh. All right, guess I'll go next.

From this point forward, we'll need to choose someone to hang every day. That's fine. I don't like it, but it's how the game is played.

Truth be told, I didn't really get how terrifying these werewolves could be up until now.

I figured if one of them came after me, I could easily just blow them away.

But after seeing what happened here this morning, I've changed my mind.

Nursery Rhyme and Charlotte didn't disappear the moment they were attacked. They were still alive just a while ago.

They were thinking, moving, talking...right up until they became tokens before our eyes.

Now I know that the werewolves' weapon isn't fangs, but a cursean inescapable curse of pure destruction.

And the only way for us powerless villagers to protect ourselves is to hang the werewolves before they can get us.

So, who do we hang first?

I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna use the time we have until the vote to think about that.

I don't have much to say. Even if I did, it'd be forgotten soon anyway.

There is one thing I'm curious about.

I am a knight. It is my sworn duty to protect those who are precious to me.

I am also told there is a player in this very mansion with the same role, at least for the purposes of this game.

It is this Knight's job to protect the helpless villagers from werewolf attacks.

So I cannot help but wonder how they are feeling right now.

I am sure they must have chosen someone to protect last night, yet they did so to no avail.

Both Nursery Rhyme and Charlotte Corday died thanks to their role as Lovers.

Nursery Rhyme revealed that she was one of the werewolves, and she also said she knew who the other one was.

The other werewolf must have killed her to keep her from talking. I am sure the Knight could have foreseen this.

But it wasn't enough to only keep Nursery Rhyme safe...

...since she was also one of the Lovers.

It was clear from the way they behaved towards each other that Nursery Rhyme and Charlotte were in love...

...and the Knight would have known that they could only protect one of them.

So the Knight must have had to make a difficult decision.

They would have to bet on whether the other werewolf would go after Nursery Rhyme, or Charlotte.

If the werewolf had chosen to go after the same target the Knight chose to protect, then all would be well. But if the Knight bet wrong, well...

...That is why I worry for the Knight. As a member of their profession, I know how they must be feeling.

That being said, Charlotte may have been destined to end up a victim the moment she took a werewolf as her lover.

Still, that does not mean we could simply abandon her to her fate. All the more so for the Knight...

...A knight's duty, huh. As a knight myself, d'Eon's words ring painfully true.

Whoever our Knight may be, I have no doubt that they are doing their best to fulfill their duty, even within the confines of this game world.

But I myself haven't the slightest idea what I should be doing.

There is one question that eats away at me: Who am I?

D'Eon's loyalty to the royal family is unshakable, and Her Majesty continues to reign in a matter befitting a born ruler.

And yet, I wonder: Is that truly for the best?

Oh? You would dare to question my judgment, Gilles?

Forgive me, my queen! I hope you can overlook these words as the ramblings of a hardheaded old knight.

...A knight, hmm. It feels presumptuous to even call myself that.

This is the Monde du Jeu, a world of games. And we, each of us, have our roles to play in this game.

As such, our loyalty should lie solely with the game's rules, without regard for our original relationships.

In other words, we should all be performing as our roles in this world, not as ourselves.

Yet even having reached this conclusion myself after a great deal of thought, I find myself resistant to accepting it.

I am a knight. A noble! The commander of the entire French army! My soul simply refuses to be anything else!

I... I simply cannot resist the sway my desires hold over me. Not even to play pretend in a game.

Please, tell me, my queen. Who am I now?

Now that I am no longer a knight, am I anything more than an empty shell...?

...This oppressive weight! This disgraceful showing! The lamentations of my angel would be one thing...but that man stands on the brink of madness!

Ahh, my angel. My dream, my beauty, my hopes... Why did you have to depart this world?

Very well then, I will go after you myself. I will cross the border that divides us, and follow you to the ends of the dream of the world beyond...

You're next, Senpai. What would you like to say?

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Me?

All right... But I can only think of one thing to say.

Senpai, and of course Voyager and me, are innocent!

...Has everyone had their turn to speak?

Then let's move on to the vote.

All of you, go ahead and point at the player you think should be hanged.

The votes have been tallied. Antonio Salieri's execution will be carried out right away.

It seems this is as far as I go. Good luck enjoying this farce of a game.

Salieri was a villager. I'll hold on to his token.

And with that, the second day has come to an end.

All players, go back to your personal rooms and wait there until morning.

Before we go, there's one thing I'd like to ask.

Was I imagining things, Sanson, or did you accuse me of being a wolf?

I'm just as surprised as you, Marie. I didn't suspect you in the slightest, and yet...my finger pointed at you practically on its own!

It was as though it had a will of its own, and was trying to fight against fate itself.

Then again, perhaps Commander Gilles de Rais is right, and I should be trying to play my part as best I can...

As this is a game, there are rules we must obey if we are to complete it.

However, I am still an executioner at heart. If anyone is going to give you a dignified death, Your Majesty, it should be me.

Sanson...

...And just like that, it's night again.

I hope we can finish this game soon so we can go look for Erice.

Okay, Seer Fujimaru. It's time for you to take your turn.

Whose identity will you divine?

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Understood. Then please, come with me. And watch out for the wandering souls on the way.

Here we are at Edison's room.

All right, Seer Fujimaru, go ahead.

See Edison's true identity for yourself.

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What a relief!

And that ends tonight's turn! Be careful on the way back.