By Zephyria =======
〔The Jester’s first rotation has ended.〕
〔The Jester begins the second rotation.〕
For now, the water has only risen enough to soak the tips of their shoes. For now.
This water could suddenly surge upward.
In the next moment, Wolf flinched. Without him noticing when he had approached, Black Weasel was holding an axe close to Wolf’s neck. Cold, grey eyes looked down at Wolf.
“Doesn’t anything come to mind?”
“……Uncle.”
“Figure out which chest the Fairy is in. You know why I let you morons into my crew, don’t you?”
“That’s……”
Wolf started to say, Uncle, stop being unreasonable, but he shut his mouth. The look on Black Weasel’s face as he scanned the group, axe still aimed this way, was ominous. Even a ten-year-old would realize it. That rotten mercenary was planning to bark at them to open the chests one by one.
Five people remaining. Four chests. One person is guaranteed to survive. He had to calm Black Weasel down and buy some time.
Wolf spoke slowly.
“Uncle, the water isn’t rising that fast. The Jester said he’d rotate fifteen times, so there’s plenty of time. If we don’t rush and put our heads together, we can find the Fairy.”
“Leave my head out of it. I can’t think of anything other than smashing those damn chests. Oh, and leave Silver’s head out too.”
At Black Weasel’s words, Silver’s gaze darkened. The Eyepatch Woman, who had been facing away, also turned her head and glared at Black Weasel.
“Hmph, what are you staring at? Got another way then?”
Black Weasel sneered, resting the axe on his shoulder.
“I’ll give you until the Jester’s ninth rotation. If you Atania morons haven’t found the answer by then, we open the chests one by one. You, fake one-eye, go first.”
“Why me?”
The Eyepatch Woman, who had been picking up her crutch, asked sharply in the Atania language. Black Weasel wasn’t surprised at all and shrugged one shoulder.
“You’ve lived long enough. You look like an older sister to me, so yield to the kids.”
“Yeah, I’ll yield. If you pluck out one of your eyeballs and give it to me.”
The Eyepatch Woman retorted, raising her middle finger. Wolf’s heart beat rapidly. Still, he had bought some time. Now they had to find the chest where the Fairy was hiding.
Wolf looked at Red Eagle.
“Prince. I know this is mentally taxing, but please help me. I can’t solve this alone.”
“Wolf.”
Red Eagle, who had been avoiding eye contact, finally nodded. Wolf pulled back the hem of his robe. Listening to the sounds emanating from the chests, he wrote line by line on the inner lining of the robe using the blood on his hands. Black Weasel, Silver, and the Eyepatch Woman leaned in close to look. Even the Fairy flew around Wolf to watch.
Chest 1: The Fairy is here. Chest 3 is lying.
Chest 2: The Fairy is here. Chest 3 is lying.
Chest 3: The Fairy is here. Chest 1 is lying.
Chest 4: The Fairy is here. Chest 5 is telling the truth.
Chest 5: The Fairy is not here. Chest 4 is lying.
The Eyepatch Woman and Silver grimaced.
“Dammit, it’s more confusing when it’s written down. I’d rather die than rack my brain over this crap.”
“I feel the same. By the way, Auntie, you can speak the Atania language?”
“Can’t you tell by my brown hair? My father was Atanian. He was kidnapped by my mother and forced into marriage. I understood everything you and that wolf-skin brat were saying in Atania language earlier.”
“Wow! Auntie, you’re actually a smart person. But why are you wearing an eyepatch?”
“I’m used to seeing with one eye. But those two, are they really a Prince and an Attendant? They look as vacant as pickpockets who can’t tell a hand from a foot.”
Unlike Silver and the Eyepatch Woman, who were indulging in idle chatter, the expressions of Wolf and Red Eagle grew serious.
“Prince, this is……”
Wolf’s voice dropped to a whisper. Red Eagle also agreed softly.
“Yes. It looks like an
“What discourse?”
Silver interrupted. Red Eagle pointed his finger into the air.
“In Atania, we call the world ‘Elis.’ It’s a concept that includes the sky, the sea, and the land.
“That’s right. They are weird.”
Wolf nodded vigorously. The reason why ‘philosopher’ was the harshest insult among commoner boys in Atania was precisely because of the
“There are many logical debates within the
“I’ve heard of the incident where two philosophers died together after a fight broke out during a logical debate over ‘What is the identity of the strange hair found on a pillow in a couple’s bedroom?’”
“There are idiots like that in the world? Do they actually make money?”
Silver asked, sounding incredulous. Wolf spread both hands.
“Believe it or not, they make a lot. Most of them are private tutors for noble children or royalty, or university professors. The
“Right. Nobles often do it at tea parties.”
At Red Eagle’s words, Wolf’s eyes sparkled.
“Then this problem, the Prince could……”
Wolf extended the hem of the robe toward Red Eagle. The gazes of Black Weasel, Silver, and the Eyepatch Woman also shifted toward Red Eagle. Red Eagle, blushing and hesitating, dropped his gaze deeply.
“Sorry…… I have no interest in the
“Ah, what! You shouldn’t have acted like you knew something!”
The Eyepatch Woman gave Red Eagle’s head a sharp whack with her crutch. Wolf hid his disappointment and patted Red Eagle.
“I understand, Prince. Anatomy or biology books are much more interesting than philosophy books.”
“Exactly……”
Regardless, they had found a clue. To find the Fairy trapped in the chest, they had to approach it with logic.
Wolf muttered while staring at the lining.
“It seems like a problem of determining truth and falsehood, but……”
“Wolf, I have no idea what’s what. How about you?”
At Red Eagle’s words, Wolf fell into thought for a while.
“If you look…… the claims of Chest 1 and Chest 2 are identical. They say the Fairy is with them and that Chest 3 is lying. However, if Chest 3’s statement is true, then the claims of Chest 1 and 2 become false. That means neither of them has the Fairy.”
Wolf continued, pressing his temples with both hands.
“If Chest 3’s statement is false, a contradiction arises between 1 and 2. Because the Fairy can only be in one place. If we tentatively assume that rule, 3 is the most consistent.”
“3! The Fairy is in 3!”
Red Eagle clapped his hands. Wolf quickly waved a hand.
“There’s something to be careful of. Every chest is making two claims. Whether the Fairy is there or not, and whether another chest’s statement is false or true. The chests’ claims might only be half-true. In other words, the Fairy could be in either Chest 1 or 2.”
“Ah……”
“The remaining ones are 4 and 5…… 4 has been proven wrong. However, Chest 5 says the Fairy is not there. Of course, that could be a lie……”
“My head hurts! Just guess! I couldn’t solve this in a hundred years!”
Just as the Eyepatch Woman shouted.
〔The Jester’s second rotation has ended.〕
〔The Jester begins the third rotation.〕
“It’s gotten two beats faster.”
Silver said with an expressionless face. Wolf almost stepped back in surprise. Since when had he been counting the beats?! No, now was not the time to be impressed by Silver. The water had reached their ankles.
“The assumption that the chests’ claims are only half-true might have been me overthinking it. Still, just in case……”
“It’s 2! My intuition says so.”
The Eyepatch Woman spoke readily, but Wolf ignored her. The more he looked at the problem, the more confused he became. What on earth is this?
43 – Hell Execution Order