The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria -
Book 3: Chapter 8
Day 2 <C> Kazuki Hoshino’s Room
NO TARGET HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR MURDER YET.
In the past, that would have been enough to comfort me, but not anymore.
I have no idea who can use the Murder command. But I know whoever it is will undoubtedly be choosing a target.
And I’m sure they will try to force me to kill their victim.
“HeY_hey_hEy_It’s_aLMOst_Private_Meeting_timE. ChOose_who_yOU_wouLd_liKE_to_meeT_with.”
I quickly touch the name MARIA OTONASHI when it appears with my pointer finger.
“PleAse_waIT_a_biT_until_eVERyone_finishes_chOOsing.”
After a clearly longer wait than before, the Private Meeting chart flashes onto the monitor… Someone could be drawing things out on purpose to mess with the order of the meetings.
“……”Daiya and the president have both picked me. Daiya I get, but why would the president chose me?
I think it’s possible Daiya is both the Revolutionary and the owner of the Game of Indolence. The idea of another owner is too convenient for me to believe.
…But if Daiya is neither the Revolutionary nor the owner, then both positions would pretty much have to be the president.
Both of the prime suspects are seeking to meet with me.
I shiver as I think back over them at each other’s throats in the common area. There’s no way I can face off with either of them.
Cradling my head, I wait until it’s time to see Maria.
Day 2 <C> Private Meeting with Maria Otonashi – Maria Otonashi’s Room
Maria sits on her bed, arms folded and face tense.
She starts talking as soon as I sit down next to her.
“Kazuki, we can’t allow anyone else to die besides Yanagi. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“But that’s going to be extremely difficult. The way things are now, the Revolutionary is sure to kill again… We must do something to alter this course of events.”
“What can we do…?” I ask.
Maria clenches her jaw hard for a moment before answering.
“I’ll tell Shindo everything there is to know about the Game of Indolence.”
“Huh…?”
But the president might be the owner.
“I understand your apprehensions. The thing is, the time for avoiding risks is over… I know it may put you in danger, but please forgive me.”
“…Were you…keeping quiet about the Boxes until now because you were worried about me?”
“Why else would I?”
Maria furrows her brow as if puzzled.
…I have a few vague thoughts about her decision…but now doesn’t seem to be the time to bring them up, so I continue the conversation.
“Well…you’re telling the president about Boxes because you assume Daiya is the owner of the Game of Indolence, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you expect her to believe you? The way she is now…don’t you think she’ll probably just try to kill Daiya…?”
Maria grimaces.
“……Yeah, most likely. Despite that, we absolutely must prove to Shindo and Kamiuchi that there’s another way out of Kingdom Royale besides winning. I’ll have to do everything I can to make sure my intentions get through to them if I want to keep them from killing Daiya… That’s going to be easier said than done, though.”
“…Oh, but hey, if Daiya is the owner, then the president isn’t the Revolutionary, which means she won’t be able to do anything about Daiya with Magic. I’m the Sorcerer after all. We’re in the clear as long as I don’t press the button.”
“Why do you think Daiya being the owner indicates that Shindo isn’t the Revolutionary?”
“Huh…? Well, if she didn’t have a reason to want Kingdom Royale to start, she wouldn’t have any motivation to kill Yuri, right…?”
Maria doesn’t respond affirmatively to my obvious question.
“Daiya gave reasons people could have for killing Yanagi first… But consider this approach. Gaining an advantage in the game didn’t matter to them. They simply hated someone so much they wanted them dead, even before this, and that person was Yanagi. That’s why they couldn’t help but do it once they found themselves in circumstances where it could be rationalized.”
“Huh…?”
I’m staring at Maria, wondering if this is one of those occasions where she’s joking but doesn’t sound like it, but the serious expression never leaves her face.
“…No way. Th-this is Yuri we’re talking about, right? No one would ever have it in for her like that.”
“Yuri was charming. Charm that sways people’s emotions can also stir up negative feelings at times. I’m sure some girls were jealous of Yanagi’s popularity with boys, for example. Or maybe she rejected someone, and their love for her turned to hate.”
“…But…”
“…Anyway, these are all just possibilities. I didn’t notice anything off about Shindo’s attitude toward Yanagi, either. Shindo has been blessed with many gifts herself, too. I can’t imagine her being jealous of Yanagi. What I’m really trying to say is that it’s dangerous to get too invested in a single idea.”
That’s certainly true. I’ve only been considering situations where the Revolutionary and the owner are one and the same. I could end up in trouble if I don’t take alternatives into account.
What should I do? I don’t have any time to think, but the questions keep piling up. I’ve got to keep believing there is something to be done. I know that, but this situation—it’s just hopeless.
“……Kazuki.”
I don’t realize I’ve lowered my head until I feel a comfortable weight on it. Maria is mussing my hair with her hand.
“I don’t know about Shindo, but I was certainly jealous of Yanagi.”
“Huh?”
I instinctively raise my head and look at Maria.
Still rubbing my hair, Maria continues with no particular expression on her face.
“I don’t know why, but even though you called me Otonashi for so long, you called her by her first name, Yuri. Yanagi being the way she is, she was acting familiar with you and holding your hand—she even whispered in your ear. And then promising to have a Private Meeting with you? That really ticked me off.”
“……?”
“Why do you look so confused?”
“Why would that make you jealous…?”
Maria’s hand rubbing my hair suddenly stops.
“…Are you serious?”
“U-uh…”
“All right then, let me lay it out to you plain and simple. What I’m saying is that it upset me to see you attracted to Yanagi.”
As she says this, Maria places her hand on top of mine and leans in until her face is inches away. Though I’m used to seeing her now, her features really are beautiful, and I feel my face quickly heating up.
“Um…y-you’re a bit…close…”
“Do you know why that Private Meeting would make me angry…? A completely private meeting means that you two, a boy and a girl, would be all alone together.”
Maria says this softly by my ear, almost intentionally trying to tickle it with her breath. She then jabs her pointer finger into it.
“Ack!”
Hearing my little yelp, Maria abruptly drops her alluring character, draws the corners of her mouth up into a grin, and begins to laugh. As I sit there perplexed, she steps back and watches me with that big smile on her face.
“You really know how to let younger women mess with you, huh, Kazuki?”
I finally realize she’s been teasing me this whole time.
Ngh… I never really thought of Maria as being younger than me…
“Oh, come on, it was just a joke. There’s no need to be so flustered.”
……What— What part of that was a joke…?
As I sit there silent and gloomy, Maria’s grin fades, and she speaks again.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Kazuki.”
Then she gives me that smile that is kinder than anyone else’s.
“I’ll protect you.”
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