652 Are you really a member of the Haruta Family? (1/2)

In the card game's second round, Saitou was the loser and Mitsuko was the winner.

Mitsuko seemed to casually ask some random questions. Saitou also answered them casually, as if they were ordinary friends having a normal conversation.

In the third round, Rota won again and Yoshihara lost.

”My first question. I'd like to ask, does Yoshihara-san currently have a mission?” Rota went with the direct approach.

”I do,” Yoshihara answered with a wide grin.

”My second question. I'd like to ask, is Yoshihara-san's mission target currently here?”

”Yes.”

”My third question. I'd like to ask, am I your mission target?”

”No.”

Rota asked these three questions in quick succession, and Yoshihara answered even quicker. However, everyone was able to hear everything clearly.

The well-known assassin, ”Judge”, currently had an assassination mission. And, his target was present among them! The target was someone other than Rota.

This caused the entire atmosphere to tense up significantly again.

In the fourth round, Saitou lost for the second time, while Seiji won for the first time.

Seiji didn't have anything that he particularly wanted to know. So, he casually asked some questions about the manga that Saitou liked in an effort to ease the atmosphere.

In the fifth round, Saitou lost again.

In the sixth round, Saitou lost yet again.

In the seventh round, of course, Saitou lost yet again.

Was he doing it intentionally?

”Saitou-san, are you losing on purpose?” Mitsuko, the winner of the seventh round, asked the question that everyone wanted to know.

”Not at all. My luck has just been bad.” Saitou scratched his hair and smiled wryly.

”It's boring like this. Please take things more seriously.”

”I'm quite serious, Kitajima-san… But right now, my luck with the cards is truly atrocious. Perhaps I should take a break and go smoke.”

”Let's take a break, then.” Rota stood up. ”I'd also like to go for a smoke.”

He excused himself and started leaving.

At this moment, Seiji suddenly heard a faint sound...

”Stop…”

This sound was quite faint but also clear, as if someone had whispered it into his ear. However, it was impossible to determine whether the voice was male or female.

Seiji reflexively looked around him but saw nobody next to him at all.

Rota left. Mitsuko was too lazy to ask Saitou any more questions, so she also got up to leave. The card game stopped there.

'What did I hear just now? Did someone use a spell to communicate with me?'

Seiji returned to Shika's table as he wondered about this.

”Brother… what's the matter?”

”I heard a strange voice just now.”

Seiji explained what he'd just heard.

'”Stop…” Who, and for what purpose, sent that message to me?' Seiji contemplated. 'Judging from the timing, did that person want me to ”stop” Rota? Stop him from leaving?'

Daikawa Rota had left the dining hall already. It was likely that he was smoking on the deck of the ship.

Should he go check on Rota's situation?

Seiji decided to go check on Rota. If nothing else, he could enjoy the scenery.

”Shika-chan, how about going out to the deck with me?”

Shika nodded in agreement.

The field of vision was quite clear on the deck of the ship. However, the weather was overcast with plenty of fog and clouds. Beautiful scenery was nowhere to be found. The passenger ship was currently proceeding at a high speed. The chilly sea winds blew past, bringing along a cold chill.

Rota and Saitou were standing on the deck and smoking. Nothing seemed off about either one of them.

Seiji and Shika walked over.

”Would you like a cigarette, Haruta-san?” Saitou offered a cigarette to Seiji in a friendly manner.

”I'll pass. I don't smoke.”

”That's a good habit. Don't start.”

”I never expected to hear that from someone who's smoking right in front of me.”

”Haha, everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health.”

After chatting for a minute, Seiji and Shika left.

”I don't think that he's anything like a 'Haruta' at all… what do you think, Rota-san?” Saitou casually asked Rota after Seiji and Shika left.

”Saitou-san, have you ever met a real 'Haruta'?” Rota countered with a question.