The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Book 3: Chapter 3

12 PM            

<A>

• Break time, standby in your quarters.

12 PM – 2 PM

<B>

• Assemble in the common area.

2 PM – 6 PM

<C>

• Choose a partner for a Private Meeting by 2:40 PM. You may spend thirty minutes in the room of the character you select.

• The King may choose characters to Murder.

• The Sorcerer may perform Magic (or the Knight may perform Death by Sword). (Characters targeted by Magic or Death by Sword will die at 5:55 PM.)

6 PM – 8 PM

<D>

• Assemble in the common area.

8 PM – 10 PM

<E>

• Meal in your own quarters.(If you don’t have any rations at this point, you will be mummified and die.)

• The Revolutionary may perform Assassinate. (Characters targeted by Assassinate will die immediately after being selected.)

10 PM

<F>

• Break time, sleep.

“T​h​e​r​E’s_​n​o​_​n​E​E​d​_​t​o​_​t​a​K​e​_​a​N​y​_​n​o​T​E​S. T​h​e​_​c​L​A​S​s​_​d​A​T​a​_​a​n​D​_​t​h​e​_​t​i​m​e​t​A​B​l​e​_​a​r​e​_​o​n​_​y​o​u​r​_​p​o​R​T​A​B​l​e​_​D​E​V​i​c​e​s. Y​o​u​R​_​D​E​V​i​c​e​s​_​a​l​S​O​_​k​e​e​p​_​l​O​G​s​_​o​f​_​c​o​N​V​e​r​S​a​t​i​o​n​s.​ I​_​h​o​P​e​_​t​h​e​y​_​c​o​m​E​_​i​n​_​h​a​n​d​Y.”

“Uh, you mean everything we say here will be recorded?”

“Are you implying you’ve said something you don’t want on record?” The president instantly pounces on Kamiuchi’s remark.

“No, I haven’t said anything like that…”

“Here’s what you’re thinking: Any careless statement from here on could lead to someone guessing your Class, right? You’re ready and willing to play the game, aren’t you?”

Kamiuchi laughs ruefully. “Ha-ha, I don’t think anyone would want to give anything away in a situation like this.”

I can’t blame Kamiuchi for being on guard. I don’t want to play this game, either, but I can’t help but feel an urge to know the others’ Classes. Especially the ones who will be hostile to me, as well as the oh-so-dangerous Revolutionary.

That’s why I can see us reading those conversation logs.

But that act in itself could be dangerous. I suspect that if I ever become anxious and read back over past remarks as my own fears start to swallow me, I could get hung up on the most trivial of remarks and descend into even further paranoia.

And then, when I can no longer bear the suspicion any longer, I just might press the switch to kill someone…

…That’s it. Giving us the ability to review what’s been said was a way to get us to take part in the game, no doubt about it.

“A​n​Y​W​a​Y​_​I​_​w​i​s​h​_​y​o​u​_​a​l​l​_​G​O​O​d​_​l​u​c​k. D​o​N’T_​l​e​t​_​t​h​e​_​g​a​m​e​_​e​n​d​_​w​i​t​h​_​s​o​m​e​_​b​O​R​I​n​g​_​o​u​t​C​O​m​e​_​w​h​e​r​e​_​Y​o​U​_​a​r​e​_​a​l​l​_​m​u​M​M​I​f​i​e​d​.”

And with that, Noitan disappears from the monitor.

“That damn scarebear…,” the president growls.

Now that the grating robotic voice is gone, silence reclaims the room. Everyone is quiet, not even opening their mouths. Perhaps now that we know all of our conversations will be recorded, it’s harder to say anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.

In the end, the president breaks the silence. “Otonashi.”

“What is it?”

“You were pretty casual about saying our goal is to find a way out of this game, but do you actually think that can be done?”

“Of course I do. You don’t agree?”

“I… To be honest, I believe it would be extremely difficult. I mean, I can tell that in here, both logic and intuition are abnormal. I had kinda assumed it wasn’t just me, that all six of us felt the same way, but am I right?”

Yuri and Kamiuchi nod. I quickly follow suit.

“Do you really think a place as anomalous as this would really provide a viable means of escape? If so, I’d love to see your evidence.”

The words sound light, but her tone makes it clear that she isn’t going to stand for any questions one way or the other.

Everyone else is also staring at Maria like they’re members of a jury.

…She does have proof to back her claims. She knows that no matter how crazy this place is, we can get out if we do something about the Box.

She briefly glances in my direction, but…

“…It will almost certainly be difficult. But that is our only goal. You may not believe there are any breakthroughs to be found, but our only option is to have faith… Am I wrong?”

She’s keeping quiet about the Box after all.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

It appears the president has accepted Maria’s unflinching response.

“President. You said you think it’s going to be difficult to escape from here—that means you intend to play this game of murder, right?” With a smug look on his face, Daiya cuts in with another sardonic remark.

“Back at it with the carping, huh? You’re wrong. After all, I could never kill anyone. Even if we said the murders committed here weren’t crimes, and I could kill someone with just a single button—neither of those things would change the fact that I’d tainted my hands by taking a life. I would bear the weight of that sin until I collapsed under it and my life fell apart. I have enough imagination to know that, so it is categorically impossible for me to go through with it.”

Daiya clicks his tongue at her perfect response.

“I’m…the same.”

“Aw, everyone here knows you could never do a thing like that, Yuri, m’dear. Oh, and neither could I, just so you know.”

“If you’re going to jump on the bandwagon, try not to make it so obvious. Yuri aside, there’s no way I can believe anything you say.”

“Wha—? Hey… C’mon, don’t say that, President!”

“Well, the one I trust the least is Oomine, though.”

The president is paying him back for that smug jab earlier, but he responds with a cynical grin.

And then he goes and says:

“Yeah. I don’t mind killing someone if it suits my purposes, after all.”

He just made an enemy out of everyone here without even breaking a sweat.

Day 1 <C> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room

YOUR CLASS IS THE SORCERER.

I notice the message written on the monitor as soon as I return to my room.

Right. Out of the six, the Sorcerer is the only Class that doesn’t have any enemies.

“…Whew.”

I let out an instinctive sigh of relief.

Our goal is to not even let Kingdom Royale get started. All the same, it does my nerves good to know my position has no obvious enemies.

“…Hmm?”

There’s text at the bottom of the screen.

NO TARGET HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR MURDER YET.

Murder. The command that lets the King choose someone he wants to have killed.

If the King does pick a target for Murder, then most likely the command for using Magic—for killing someone—will appear on the screen.

I don’t want to think about it. Not someone wanting to kill someone else, or me having to press the button.

“……I’m fine, everything’s fine,” I whisper, trying to encourage myself. The killing won’t start so easily. I’m sure none of the others want to start offing one another, either.

At the very least, there’s no way anything will happen during the early stages when we still have plenty of time.

“……”

Is that true?

After all, Daiya is one of the six participants.

“HeY_hey_hey_Kazuki. It’s_tIMe_for_Private_Meetings.”

Noitan shows up with the same unnerving suddenness as ever.

I’m used to him by this point, so I look up at the monitor without a hint of surprise. The bear’s mouth flaps up and down, still green and still gross.

“C​h​O​O​s​e​_​w​h​o​_​Y​o​U​_​w​A​n​t​_​t​o​_​s​p​e​a​k​_​w​i​T​H​. Y​o​u’ll​_​b​e​_​a​B​L​e​_​t​o​_​g​o​_​t​o​_​t​h​E​I​R​_​r​o​o​m​_​f​o​r​_​j​U​S​t​_​t​h​i​R​t​y​_​m​i​n​U​T​e​s​. I​f​_​Y​o​U​_​c​H​O​o​s​e​_​t​h​e​_​s​a​M​e​_​p​e​r​s​O​N​_​a​s​_​s​o​M​E​O​N​e​_​e​l​s​e​_​w​h​o​e​v​e​r​_​c​H​O​S​e​_​f​i​r​S​T​_​w​i​l​l​_​G​O​_​f​i​r​S​T​.”

Noitan vanishes from the monitor, replaced by the names of the six players, along with our pictures.

“…What happens if the person I choose picks me, too?”

“N​o​T​H​I​N​g​_​h​a​p​p​e​n​s​. Y​o​U​_​s​i​m​P​L​y​_​g​e​t​_​t​w​I​C​e​_​a​s​_​l​O​N​g​_​t​o​_​t​a​L​K​,” Noitan’s voice answers.

I ask something else as I look down at the portable device sitting on the table. “…Um, will the devices show the conversations I have during my Private Meetings to anyone besides me and whoever I’m talking to?”

“N​o​. T​h​e​_​o​n​L​Y​_​c​o​n​V​E​R​S​A​t​i​o​n​s​_​t​h​a​t​_​c​a​n​_​b​e​_​v​i​e​w​e​d​_​o​n​_​a​_​d​e​v​i​c​e​_​a​r​e​_​t​h​O​S​E​_​h​e​a​R​D​_​b​y​_​t​h​e​_​d​e​v​i​c​e’s_​o​w​N​E​R​. E​v​e​N​_​i​f​_​y​O​U​_​a​r​e​_​i​n​_​t​H​e​_​s​a​M​E​_​r​o​o​m​_​t​h​e​_​c​o​n​V​E​R​S​A​t​i​o​n​_​w​i​L​L​_​n​o​T​_​b​E​_​r​e​c​o​R​D​e​d​_​u​n​l​e​s​s​_​y​o​u​_​a​c​T​U​a​L​l​y​_​o​V​E​R​h​e​a​r​_​i​t​. H​o​w​e​v​e​r​_​w​H​O​_​y​o​u​_​s​P​E​A​k​_​w​i​t​h​_​d​u​r​i​n​g​_​y​o​u​r​_​P​r​i​v​a​t​e​_​M​e​e​t​i​n​g​s​_​w​i​l​l​_​b​e​_​n​o​T​E​D​_​i​n​_​t​h​e​_​o​T​H​e​r​s’_r​e​c​o​r​d​s​_​s​o​_​b​e​_​c​a​R​E​f​u​L​.”

Who should I pick…? Well, I guess there’s really only one person.

Of course, I press the button for MARIA OTONASHI.

“N​o​W​_​t​H​E​n​_​w​a​I​T​_​a​_​b​i​t​_​f​o​R​_​e​v​E​R​Y​o​n​e​_​e​l​s​e​_​t​o​_​c​h​o​O​S​E​.”

I wonder who the others are going to pick…?

…It’s just a hunch, but I get the feeling Maria won’t choose me. I’m sure she’s assuming I’ll choose her.

That’s why she’s going to go with…Daiya.

“OkAY. I​t​_​s​E​E​M​s​_​e​v​e​R​Y​O​n​e​_​h​a​S​_​d​E​C​I​D​e​d​. I’ll​_​s​H​O​W​_​y​o​u​_​w​h​o​_​t​h​e​y​_​p​i​c​k​e​d​.”

Noitan vanishes again, and now names appear on the screen.

As I thought, Maria has chosen Daiya.

And Daiya—

“……Ah!”

Daiya has picked…me?

“Why…?”

I can’t think of a good reason… With no idea why he’s doing all this in the first place, I don’t even know where to start.

Fortunately, it seems I won’t be seeing him until after I speak with Maria.

I’m glad the order isn’t reversed. If my Private Meeting with Daiya came first, he would have me in the palm of his hand. With Maria, I can come up with a plan of action.

I take a look at who the others have picked. Yuri’s and Kamiuchi’s choices are pretty much what I would have expected, but I’m a bit surprised to see that the class president singled out Kamiuchi.

“T​h​E​_​d​O​O​r​_​w​i​l​l​_​o​p​e​n​_​o​n​C​E​_​i​t’S_​t​I​m​e​. D​o​n’t_​w​O​R​r​y​. A​F​T​e​r​_​y​o​u​_​p​a​s​s​_​t​h​r​o​u​g​h​_​t​h​e​_​d​O​O​R​_​y​o​u​_​w​i​L​L​_​a​u​t​o​M​A​T​I​c​a​l​l​y​_​g​o​_​t​O​_​t​h​e​_​c​o​r​r​e​C​T​_​r​o​o​m​.”