The Nebula’s Civilization

Wisdom said, "It seems like a somewhat reasonable inference. Any counterarguments?"

"It’s a reasonable inference? What nonsense. First of all, while I do want to beat Nebula, I look at the bigger picture and desire a victory in a broader sense. Also, I don’t just expose all my cards in a game like this.

Second of all, I only spoke first because you’re all cowards who didn’t want to be suspected of being the mafia. And the third reason only makes me laugh. If not Nebula, then who were you guys planning to kill? Ask yourselves."

Wisdom seemed momentarily lost in thought, Krampus murmured from behind wondering if the Mafia game was supposed to be played this way, and Ovenwave looked back and forth between Hegemonia and Lunda, bewildered.

HumanTracker said, "Alright...may I say something?"

Hegemonia glared and said, "Speak."

"In my opinion, the likelihood of you being the mafia, Hegemonia, seems low."

"How come?"

"There are three mafias. Yet, no one here is defending you. And conversely…." HumanTracker pointed at Lunda this time. "Lunda, the same goes for you. I've never played this game before, but as far as I know, these kinds of games turn into battles of public opinion.

It's a playground for politicians and swindlers. It's also hard to find someone who easily agrees with your opinions."

Hegemonia looked at HumanTracker as if intrigued. "So, you're trying to give the impression that you aren’t a mafia this way, are you?"

"Less so than you, at least."

"Well, since it's come up…." Hegemonia said, crossing her arms. "In the current situation, it would have been better for the other mafias to support either me or Lunda, so why didn't they?"

"Perhaps because they like to play safe. Speaking up in this game can be both advantageous and risky at the same time."

"There might be another reason."

"Another reason?"

Hegemonia looked at Sha-Cha, Ovenwave, and Lakrak. "Because they don't know how to play."

"Oh."

At that, Sha-Cha said, "I'm a citizen. I'm not a mafia."

"Unfortunately, Sha-Cha, a mafia would say the same thing."

"No, I’m really not...!"

Before Sha-Cha could finish her defense, Aldin said, "Wait, hold on please. Statistically, the chance that all three of them who don't know how to play end up being the mafia is too low, isn't it?"

Hegemonia responded, "I didn't say that. Bandage-head, what do you think?"

HumanTracker glanced at Hegemonia for being called that but didn’t show any further reaction. "It might be starting to show its specificity."

"...What?"

The game progressed rapidly after that.

Aldin passionately argued that it was unfair to kill Sha-Cha, but, naturally, she couldn't present a solid reason. Then, led by Hegemonia and HumanTracker, the other players joined the consensus, and that day, Aldin was hanged by vote.

That night, as if it were expected, HumanTracker was killed by the mafias. Hegemonia then asserted her reasoning was correct and hanged Sha-Cha as well.

However, the next day, Ovenwave was dead instead of Hegemonia.

This raised questions about why Hegemonia wasn't killed by the mafias, but Hegemonia counterattacked Krampus, who had raised the suspicion, by saying, "If our predictions are correct, Aldin and Sha-Cha were the mafias, but both are dead now.

The remaining mafia is observing the situation, so there's no reason to kill me now....Perhaps the mafia thought they could easily hang a citizen through public opinion battles without having to kill with mafia powers."

After that day, Krampus died, but the game continued into the night. Wisdom then led the suspicion against Hegemonia, but Lunda, who had been in opposition to Hegemonia, started supporting her, achieving a change to Hegemonia’s position.

Then, despite knowing the rules well and having remained quiet until then, AR1026 received the majority of votes and was hanged. And the following night, Wisdom was killed by the mafias.

[The game ends with a total of 8 dead, as the number of mafias and citizens are equal at 2 to 2.]

[The mafias win.]

Yummy slammed the table and erupted in anger. "Damn it! It was Hegemonia...."

Wisdom, having somewhat realized during the last round of public debate, murmured while looking at the revealed list of mafias, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

[Mafia List]

[Hegemonia, Lunda,...Nebula]

***

HumanTracker expressed admiration for Sung-Woon, who became visible again after the game was over. "That was quite adventurous."

Wisdom questioned, "Suicide doesn't seem like a good strategy in a game like this though."

"But it worked."

While Lunda enjoyed her victory by making a peace sign with her fingers, Hegemonia, despite winning, didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

Yummy scratched their head and asked, "So...you guys started with killing Nebula, even though he was also a mafia? Why?"

Sung-Woon explained, "I thought the choices were limited. If you assume no one between me and Hegemonia, known to be good at the game, died, but someone else did instead, it's simple.

It wouldn't directly lead to suspicion of me or Hegemonia as mafia right away, but it would raise doubts in everyone's mind. You all would have thought about what you would’ve done if you were the mafia. So, it was better judged that one of us dies."

"And why was it you instead of Hegemonia?"

Sung-Woon smiled and said, "Because I'm known to be better at the game."

The players saw Hegemonia's brow furrow a bit more. That was the reason for her displeasure.

Lunda said, "Oh, and Nebula wanted to show that the game could also be played this way since it was just a practice game anyway. He was willing to adopt even a disadvantageous strategy because losing didn't matter this round....Well, do the three of you get it now?"

Ovenwave stammered, "A…a little bit. But, um...is this what the Mafia game really is?"

Sha-Cha nodded. "I realized it's a game where you test dirty tricks. It's not all that unfamiliar I guess."

Lakrak asked, "Do friends play such games with each other on Earth?"

Krampus laughed and replied, "That's why there are more Constellations who don't play it."

"There are others who don't play it for different reasons," Lunda responded.

Lunda recalled when she had proposed playing the Mafia game together and Jang-Wan smiled broadly and said that she doesn’t play games with Sung-Woon. She had seen Jang-Wan converse fine with Sung-Woon before regarding Aldin's situation, but Jang-Wan had only kept her temper for the sake of argument, not because she had a good relationship with Sung-Woon.

After that, Lunda had also asked Sung-Woon why Jang-Wan acted that way.

“Do I want to make up with Jang-Wan again? What do you mean? We were this distant even when my sister was around.”

“Then does she just not like playing games?”

“I don't think so. She liked it more than my sister did. She found and played various games, and that’s why she even played The Lost World.”

“Then why doesn't she want to play with you?”

“Well, I don't think there's a particular reason for that part.”

“Then?”

Sung-Woon shrugged and replied, "If someone likes games, they wouldn’t like losing, would they?"

Lunda didn’t understand what Sung-Woon meant immediately but realized a second later. "You really are a savage."

"Do you know what the best compliment you can receive from an opponent during a game is?"

Lunda reconsidered Sung-Woon's sociability.

‘Is it really okay for someone like him to be in the highest position?’

Just because Sung-Woon represented the Constellations, it didn’t mean he practiced dictatorship.

The Hall of Myriad Stars, the Prairie of Beginnings, and places like Loom all had their own right to self-determination and established political structures, and most internal issues were resolved internally.

However, thanks to the excellent abilities of each individual Constellation, they were used in a role similar to that of a foreign political advisor. For example, Damien served as an ethics committee advisor in most political institutions. But they couldn’t be called direct rulers.

Issues among the Constellations were also resolved through individual consensus, so Sung-Woon didn’t wield any special power.

‘But still, having Nebula in the highest position is problematic.’

Even if she didn’t prefer it, the person sitting in the highest position was revered. And as long as the system of Constellations existed, people looked up to those in higher positions.

Sung-Woon was the brightest star in the Hall of Myriad Stars. Nebula's outstanding abilities were indeed worthy to look up to, but his terrible personality was troublesome.

‘Very troublesome.’

The Hall of Myriad Stars was a good place. It wasn’t a place like paradise or utopia, as all kinds of negative events that could happen in other worlds were easily happening in the Hall of Myriad Stars. Therefore, they created and utilized systems such as demerit points and prisons. Issues were well mitigated before they escalated, and unless there was a special incident, it would continue to be so in the future.

‘But relying solely on optimism would be problematic.’

The power of the Constellations was the result of a tremendous amount of causality overlapping, yet despite that, the Constellations were not perfect beings. And the same was true for the Hall of Myriad Stars in which they resided. It could break down at any time.

‘Just like the old gods, and just like Avartin.’

Lunda often compared her time on Earth to the present. It felt like a distant past, and in reality, the time when she was human was now a small period compared to her existence as a god and a Constellation.

Back then, she used to chase the light, but now, like the other Constellations, Lunda herself was the very essence of starlight.

Yet, what Lunda remembered was a dark and long corridor.

‘I must protect it. Anything that could pose a problem must be excluded.’

Lunda chose Harmony as her Domain.

‘Even if that problem is merely a minor conflict for now.’

***

"Why didn't you participate in the game?"

Kyle Lak Orazan was watching the Constellations' Mafia game on the screen when he heard a voice directed at him from behind.

Kyle responded without turning around, "It's a game involving the Constellations after all."

The Hall of Myriad Stars was filled with various cultural facilities, including plenty of cinemas. Among them were places not used by a single person as well.

Kyle had come here for a quiet viewing, but he wasn't the only one who thought to do so.

Mazdari, with the form of a Garuda, lightly jumped over the seats and sat down, taking up two seats.

Mazdari said, "Aldin isn’t a Constellation either. Did the Returner not ask you?"

"I declined."

"Why?"

Kyle kept his gaze fixed on the screen and said, "Before I answer, let me ask you something."

"Alright."

"Why didn't you participate? You’ve already become a Constellation."

Mazdari had strategies for responding to invasions in the demon world, which was unrelated to the conquest of worlds. His achievements met the standards of a Constellation, and Mazdari himself had accepted this, thus ascending to the position.

The Constellation of Magic lightly stroked the tip of his beak and said, "For the same reason as you."

Kyle responded calmly, "I see."

"Yup."

Both focused on the screen and didn’t speak after that.

***

[The victim of the first night is player Wisdom.]