The Power of Trust

Fufu. Things are proceeding quite nicely. At this rate, I shall have myself a rather useful slave.

Celestia Ludenberg had a dream. Someday, with all the money she had amassed, she would raise a magnificent castle and live like a queen, waited upon by a host of beautiful men. A rapturous, glittering dream.

This place, however, could not have been further from that vision. A sealed-off box that urged everyone toward murder, without a single man to attend her — just being here was enough to drive her mad with frustration.

Lately, though, a rather interesting boy had appeared. The one who had interrupted her solitary musings in the cafeteria out of nowhere and asked whether she might like some tea.

At first she had been annoyed at the disruption. But the mention of tea had hooked her, and she decided that if it wasn't to her liking, she would simply throw it in his face. So she told him to go ahead and brew her a cup.

She hated to admit it, but it had been rather good. Tea prepared in precisely the ratio that suited her tastes — it was the first truly satisfying moment she had had since arriving in this wretched place.

The boy had a gloomy look about him, which cost him points, but he wasn't so unsightly that she couldn't bear to look at him. Factor in his obedient nature and his talent for brewing tea, and she could see her way to taking him on as a C-rank slave, at least.

So she had informed him that she would graciously accept him as a C-rank slave, and that he ought to consider it an honor. And what had he done? Smiled awkwardly and said that would be rather difficult. Kicking away the chance to become her slave of his own accord — how thoroughly unpleasant.

Was that why, when the two of them ended up alone in the library that night, she had found herself proposing a wager?

True to his claim that he hadn't gambled much, the boy accepted the bet without a second thought — without even considering that she herself was one of the fifteen votes.

Having placed the wager, Celes fully intended to win, then work the boy to the bone under the pretext of her wish. It seemed she might at least enjoy a brief diversion from this insufferable academy life. But Celes did not let her guard down easily. Complacency, after all, led directly to defeat at the gambling table.

"So, what do you think of Kei?"

"Hmm... a nice friend who gives me donuts whenever I'm hungry...?"

"Fufu. So he did the same with you, I take it?"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean...?"

And so, to lock down her victory, she went from student to student sowing discord and planting accusations. Kei had always been well-liked — he got along with everyone — but between ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the explosive force of the secret he had been hiding and Celes's dazzling way with words, every student who finished speaking with her walked away nodding, their faces drawn and gloomy.

"The two of us were left alone in the library, you see, and Kei suddenly forced himself on me..."

"Th-that's the truth...? M-Master would never..."

"But it is the truth... Look at these marks. On my neck, and on my arms..."

"G-good heavens... that can't be..."

As a final measure to guarantee a vote against him, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Celes had even pressed handprints into her own skin before feeding Yamada the lie. Satisfied, she set off to find Naegi — who had become Kei's spokesman — but decided to rest a moment first, and headed for the cafeteria.

But perhaps, with everything unfolding according to plan, she had let her guard down just a fraction. Or perhaps it was someone's luck at work. By a hair's breadth, Celes failed to notice Naegi stepping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of Kei's room — and she did not cross paths with him again after that.

Time passed, and evening came. The students gathered in the cafeteria to vote on whether or not they would trust Kei.

"My, it seems everyone has assembled. Shall we begin the vote, then?"

At Celes's words, everyone but me started casting their ballots. I'll be honest — I was nervous. If a majority refused to trust me here, I would be locked in my room with no way out. And even if I cleared that bar, anything short of ten votes of confidence would mean I had to grant Celes her wish.

"The enemy we ought to be opposing is perfectly obvious. I fail to see why we must indulge in this vote at all. Still, I can't be bothered to argue the point, so I shall play along — this once."

With Four-Eyes casting the final ballot, every vote was in. Celes stepped forward, smiling.

"Well then. Shall we begin the count?"

My pulse kicked. Celes drew the first slip and announced it.

"Cannot be trusted. One vote."

Great. Off to a terrible start. Still smiling, she picked up the next slip — and her face immediately crumpled.

"...Can be trusted. One vote."

Alright. Only one vote against me so far. There was still plenty of room for this to go my way.

What is this? Why...?

The count was nearly finished, but Celes was drawing each slip with more tension than she had ever felt in her life.

Through the first eight ballots, a full five votes of no-confidence had come out, and she had all but confirmed her victory. But after that...

"Can be trusted. Eight votes..."

On the thirteenth count, the eighth vote of confidence landed, and the result of the vote itself was locked in: they would trust Kei. Scattered complaints rose here and there, along with a few words of congratulations directed his way — but the wager between him and Celes was not over yet.

"Can be trusted. Nine votes....."

One slip remained.

Celes reached for the last ballot, forcing down a tremor in her chest unlike anything she had ever known — while every instinct she possessed screamed at her not to, to tear the paper to shreds instead.

I am... afraid? I, of all people? Afraid of nothing more than confirming what is written on that scrap of paper? I, who have always been certain of victory?

She ignored her instincts and thought it through. Five votes against. Nine in favor. One more vote of no-confidence, and the victory was hers.

She had seen Yamada's signature once before, scrawled across that filthy piece of work he had shown the others in the cafeteria. And a ballot in that same handwriting had yet to appear.

Victory was hers. The moment she confirmed that slip, she would have a slave — and perhaps a powerful card she could play in a murder trick besides.

Celes crushed the unease in her chest and unfolded the last piece of paper.

"E-eeek... w-what seems to be the matter...?"

"Because of a swine like you...! I... I......!"

No. She had not lost simply because Yamada changed his mind.

In every contest until now, she had believed only in herself and used everyone else as pieces on a board. That was precisely why, in this one, she could not defeat Naegi and me — two people who trusted each other.

I had told Naegi what gift each person loved most, and asked him to persuade as many of them as he could. That was all. I trusted Naegi's character as the protagonist — the integrity he had always shown, and the way he had driven hope through to everyone around him. And Naegi trusted the way I had carried myself, trusted the person who had saved Maizono, trusted the person who had sworn to end this killing game.

That was all it was. There is no weapon more powerful than mutual trust. True to every expectation I had of him, Naegi brilliantly talked around the students who had been wavering — the ones Celes's whispering campaign had left unsure whether to believe me.

All I did was tip him off about everyone's favorite gifts. A little help, nothing more. Naegi did say he probably couldn't have convinced Yamada without the intel that the guy was obsessed with cola — but pulling that cola in the first place had been Naegi's doing too.

"So that settles it, then? Sorry to the five of you who couldn't trust me — but I want this killing game over. I can't afford to be locked up."

"You little...!"

I ignored Four-Eyes glaring daggers at me and looked around at the rest of them.

"Of course, I can't trust all of you either, not yet. And I can't go announcing whatever secrets I know to the mastermind, so I can't tell you everything. But I need you to understand this much: my goal is to end this killing game."

"Yeah, well... we already decided to trust you, so what else can we do? Might as well see it through..."

"There's what Naegi said, too... and everything you've shown us so far..."

"If you turn out to be the mastermind I can't exactly vouch for you, so that'd be a real problem. I'll trust you — but you better remember that contract, okay?"

"Once I have chosen to believe, I shall believe to the very end!!! That is the path I have chosen!!!"

A few of them still looked unconvinced, but the general mood was on my side, which was a relief. I smiled and glanced over at Celes — who had completely lost her poker face and was trembling from head to toe.

"....!"

I flashed her a grin, and she flinched. I'd take my time deciding what wish to ask of her. For now, I headed over to Naegi and called out.

"Thanks, Naegi! You really pulled it off! Alright — now we need to talk about that little problem of yours!"

"Huh...? What do you mean, 'that little problem'..."

I flicked a glance toward Maizono, standing a good distance away, and Naegi's face went red.

"Th-that... right now...?"

"We'll catch our breath first! We'll talk later, while we sweat it out in the sauna. Come by a little before nighttime!"

I left the red-faced Naegi behind and headed for my room to rest for a while.

And Ikusaba and Ogami watched me go, saying nothing at all.

"So, um... Kei... about that 'little problem'..."

Naegi stepped into the changing room looking thoroughly embarrassed, and ventured the question toward me — I had gotten there first.

"Hm? Ah, sorry. That was a lie, actually. I brought you here because I need to tell you my secret."

".....!"

The sheepish look vanished from Naegi's face. He went still, then serious.

"Are you sure it's alright to tell me something like that...?"

"You said you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trusted me, didn't you? I trust you quite a bit, too. For the record, right now the only people who know this are Kirigiri and me."

And so I began laying out for Naegi the same secrets I had already told Kirigiri. He listened the entire time with complete seriousness — nodding gravely, or startling, but never looking away from what I was saying.

"Honestly, it's a hard story to believe... but if the truth is that shocking, I get why you've been keeping it from the others..."

"Exactly. That's why I only want to tell people I can actually trust — people like you. I'd appreciate it if you held off on saying anything to the others for a while. We still don't know who we can rely on, and if we start talking without any evidence, it'll only cause a panic."

"Yeah. I'll keep that in mind... Um, so now..."

Naegi was just starting to broach something, carefully, when Kirigiri walked in.

"Kei? I'm fairly certain we agreed to meet alone tonight."

"Ah! Kirigiri, it's fine! Naegi knows now, too—"

"I-I'll just be going, then...!"

Naegi's face flushed a red that made his earlier blush look pale by comparison, and he fled the changing room like it was on fire.

"Huh...? I was hoping we could all talk together, since I'd already told him everything..."

"Kei. Did you not hear what I said?"

I checked her expression in a hurry. Angry eyes. Was she upset that I had told Naegi the truth without discussing it with her first...?

"Uh... Kirigiri... I'm sorry I shared the secret on my own, but Naegi is someone we can trust—"

"No... that's not it... At this rate Naegi will misunderstand... no... perhaps that's for the better... Haa... Forget it..."

Kirigiri let out a sigh, a flush rising in her cheeks — then, as if nothing at all had happened, the cool, sharp expression slid back into place, and she walked toward me.

"Well then... shall we get to the conversation we need to have?"

...I'll be honest. She's too damn cute.