"We just need to find a spot over there where there isnât any sun," Hugo Edwards pointed towards a shady spot 200 meters away.
Once the seven people reached the shady area, they all sat down directly on the ground, and Charlotte Miller asked, "Shall we start by deciding on the King first? Thatâs the most important thing."
"Itâs a shame the rules specify that the three helpers we can find can only be soldiers. Who came up with that rule? The director? Thatâs really a trap," Charlie Peterson complained as he turned to ask the cameraman.
"And the King must always have a bodyguard by his side. Doesnât that just make it obvious that one of the two staying together is the all-important King?" Charlotte Miller followed up with her own complaint.
"There are seven of us; we could form three groups with two people each, and have one person act alone," Jane Sampson proposed. "That way, who could guess which group has the King?"
"Janeâs idea is good; weâll do that later," Hugo Edwards looked over at Jane Sampson. "I think we have a super good candidate for our teamâs King."
"Who?" the three team members asked in unison, seemingly in sync.
"Jane Sampson," Hugo Edwards smiled. "They probably wonât expect us to assign such an important role as the King to a girl, right? And although Jane Sampson might seem gentle and frail, she actually has a strong burst of energy. Most importantly, sheâs got a sharp mind, very clever."
With her ability to execute an over-the-shoulder throw, anyone who wants to tear off her nameplate might have to worry about being thrown to the ground.
"Brother Edwards, donât set your expectations so high for me," Jane Sampson said, holding her forehead, "youâre putting a lot of psychological pressure on me."
"This is our second time working together; donât be modest," Hugo Edwards handed Jane Sampson a set of clothes with the Kingâs nameplate on the back, which was secure so that no one could tell the wearerâs role until it was torn off.
After Jane Sampson swiftly put on the clothes, Hugo Edwards turned to ask the other three team members, "One of you three recommend someone to stick with her, to protect her."
"John River; heâs the strongest among the three of us," Christopher Forest and Joshua Calm said, pointing directly at John River.
"What do you mean âsort ofâ the strongest? I am the strongest, okay?" John River laughed, clearly very pleased with himself.
Christopher Forest and Joshua Calm threw him an unimpressed glance. If it wasnât for the fact that Christopher Forest had gained an extra point from John River in the previous competition, thereby winning, they wouldnât be so willing to let him have the chance to be so close to Goddess Sampton.
"Charlotte Miller, the Great General, Charlie Peterson, the National Grandmaster, I will play a soldier," Hugo Edwards explained, "before the Great General has the power to kill one person on the other side, we must ensure that Charlotte Miller stays alive. When the Great General can use their power, weâll target the person most likely to be the King, so we can verify who the King actually is. After that, we focus our efforts on their King!"
"But what if I actually kill the King? Wonât I be out then?" Charlotte Miller was somewhat reluctant.
With half a day of time remaining, being eliminated would mean not getting any more camera time.
"If you actually kill the King, then youâve completed your mission for today with excellence," Hugo Edwards said with a smile, seemingly unfazed by Charlotte Millerâs reluctance. "If Charlie Peterson is still up and running and no one else from our team has been eliminated by then, weâll have Charlie resurrect you."
"Brother Edwards, whatâs my mission?" Charlie Peterson asked with curiosity.
"Iâm guessing the other teamâs Great General will choose to kill me. If Iâm dead, and thereâs no extra chance to resurrect me, then your mission is to act as the King," Hugo Edwards said. "Joshua Calm, youâll follow Charlotte Miller, and Christopher Forest, you follow Charlie Peterson and me. Any issues with that?"
In other words, Hugo Edwardsâs arrangement meant that no one was going to act alone. This also had its advantages: being with others increased the chances of success and without anyone isolated, the other side couldnât use the process of elimination to guess who the King might be.