The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Book 3: Chapter 5

Day 1 <C> Private Meeting with Daiya Oomine – Kazuki Hoshino’s Room

As for what I’d need to do to make it through my time with Daiya—the conclusion we eventually reached was complete silence.

Daiya will undoubtedly try to throw me off my game, so even just reacting presents dangers. It’s not like I have any faith in my ability to evade his schemes, so all I can do is not listen.

I raise my hand in greeting as Daiya enters my room. After taking a quick glance around the room, he sits on the table.

“Kazu, there’s something I want to ask you straight off the bat that—”

“Daiya.”

I cut him off immediately.

“I know this is the inside of your Box. All I can think is that you’re approaching me because you figure I’m an opponent to deal with and you’re hoping to entrap me. So that’s all I’m gonna say, and nothing more.”

Daiya seems momentarily surprised by my serious, steady delivery, but his expression soon warps with contempt.

“……”

“What do you hope to accomplish by giving me the silent treatment? Aren’t you the one who should have questions for me about my Box? I’m sure you have to do something about it.”

“……”

I’m not saying a single word. I’ve made my resolve. If I decide it’s okay to just answer one question, Daiya will seize that opening, I’m sure. He’ll slowly lure me into believing it’s safe to talk to him, then get what he wants out of me. So I’m not giving a peep.

“…I get it—you’ve left all the decision-making to Otonashi, haven’t you? She’s the one who suggested you keep your mouth shut, didn’t she? You’re garbage, Kazu. I’ve taken shits worth more than you. If all you’re gonna do is stay silent, insects still have you beat. At least they’ll never talk.”

I cover my ears with my hands.

“I know you can still hear me. Hmph, I’ll let you in on a little secret, Kazu.”

Daiya stands up, leans in toward my ear, and whispers:

“This Box is not the result of my wish.”

My eyes widen of their own accord at his words, and I look up at him.

Daiya cackles so hard I almost wonder if he’s gone crazy.

“See? Less than a bug.”

“Ngh…”

Why am I letting him get to me?! It’s impossible for me to stay quiet in the face of this!

After his laughter subsides, Daiya returns to the table. He then regards me for a moment and speaks again.

“But what I just told you is the truth.”

…He won’t fool me. There’s no way I’ll believe him. I’m not that much of a sucker.

“Anyway, I know it’s no use telling you to trust me. No matter how empty your head is, you aren’t just gonna swallow everything I say hook, line, and sinker. But let me ask you: Why do you think I would make a point of saying what I did?”

Daiya smiles as he continues:

“Because it’s the truth.”

…I don’t believe you. I cannot, will not believe you.

“I’m sure you know. I didn’t do anything for a while after I obtained a Box. In short, I had a Box in my possession, but I didn’t use it. Come on, Kazu. Can you really say that isn’t still the case?”

I swallow hard.

“O grew impatient when I didn’t use my Box for a while, so they gave another one to someone else, and that’s how we ended up here. Can you really rule out the possibility? How about it, Kazu?”

…It’s not possible… I’m sure it isn’t.

“I won’t ask you to believe me. I’m sure it’s impossible for you in the first place. But, Kazu, you must be wondering, aren’t you? What I’m telling you could be a lie, but maybe, just maybe, it’s the truth. If so, regardless of whether it’s true, you still have to consider the possibility of another owner out there, don’t you? …Heh, guess that’s not for me to say, though.”

…Dammit. Daiya’s right.

It’s not even a dilemma for me. The truth is, I did find it strange that Daiya would be able to use a Box so well. His not being the owner would explain this.

If there is another owner aside from Daiya, it’ll be easy to slip up and get myself killed.

And that’s how I fall right into Daiya’s trap.

He isn’t the type to miss his chance now that I’m off-balance and my mental defenses have left an opening.

“Kazu, you’re the Sorcerer, aren’t you?”

“……What?”

The word slips out of my mouth.

“H-how did you…?”

How did he know? I know I didn’t do anything that would’ve given me awa—

And then the thought led me to a realization.

I did give it away—just now.

My face must look really stupid, because Daiya starts cackling delightedly again.

“Ha-ha-ha! I knew you were an idiot, but this game really is way over your head!”

I bite down on my lip as I listen to him laugh away.

Despite all the advice from Maria, in the end it went to waste. Daiya has me completely in the palm of his hand.

“…You’ve got good luck, Daiya.”

Daiya was just guessing when he said the Sorcerer. He had a one-in-six—no, he knows his own Class, so it’s a one-in-five—chance of getting it right. It was just coincidence that the one he chose to trick me happened to be my real Class. If I were another Class, he would’ve only figured out I’m not the Sorcerer, and that would be that…

“Lucky? You don’t understand why I decided to ask if you’re the Sorcerer, do you?”

“…What do you mean?”

Daiya scratches his head in silence for a moment.

“Hey, so let’s say I’m not the owner of this Box.”

“That’s not what I think.”

“Just shut up and listen. If I’m not, then that means I don’t want to be a part of this killing game, either. And if that’s the case, then the death of a friend like you wouldn’t be my real intention.”

“…Okay.”

“That’s why I would want to ask if your Class was the Sorcerer.”

“…I don’t follow.”

After I say this, Daiya regards me with disdain.

“You probably think the Sorcerer is the safest because he doesn’t have any enemies, don’t you? If you believe that, then it isn’t brains you’ve got in your head but just a big glob of shit.”

My words catch in my throat as he hits it right on the mark.

“Let me put this in easy terms even a monkey could understand: The Class with the least chance of survival is without a doubt the Sorcerer.”

“…Why? Whether the Sorcerer lives or dies has nothing to do with the victory conditions of the other Classes.”

“Even you must know the most dangerous Class is the Revolutionary, right?”

I nod. With the ability to kill autonomously, it goes without saying that the Revolutionary is the most dangerous Class.

“The one the Revolutionary wants out of the way the most is the Sorcerer. You get it, right? The only other Class that can actually choose whether to kill someone is the Knight. The victory conditions of the Knight and the Revolutionary are comparatively similar, which makes it easy for them to plot together. With the Sorcerer out of the picture, the risk of the Revolutionary getting offed drops considerably.”

I pick up the portable device on the table and read back over the portion about the Classes.

…He’s right. Even if the Revolutionary does away with the King, the Class that seems like his most immediate enemy, he still has the Double and the Prince to deal with, so his situation doesn’t really change. But if he gets rid of the Sorcerer, the Revolutionary immediately puts himself at an advantage.

“Wait, so…if the Sorcerer dies, doesn’t that make it almost certain that the Revolutionary will win…?”

“It’s not that simple. People could still guess the wrong Class for one another, and others most likely aren’t going to ally with the Revolutionary so easily. And then—”

Daiya rummages around in my hemp bag, then pulls out that big knife.

“No matter how much of a disadvantage someone is at in the game, they still have this if worse comes to worst. Heh, survival is a cinch in Kingdom Royale if you’re prepared to kill someone else directly.”

My breath catches in my throat.

…I’m certain of it. The owner of the Game of Indolence…is insane.

“…Kazu, lemme tell you something.”

Daiya puts the knife away as he speaks.

“You’re not going to be able to persuade the owner before the killing starts. If you want to keep the damage to a minimum, then your only chance is to take out the owner. That’s why—”

Daiya looks at me. His expression is sincere, without the slightest hint of deception, as he makes his assertion.

“—no matter how much you fight it, it’s already set in stone. Someone’s gonna die because of this Box.”

I give a slight shake of my head, then whisper:

“That’s not true…”

Daiya doesn’t say anything.

The truth is that even I’m already aware.

I already know that this is the simple truth.

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