Future Diary Survival Game

Chapter 39 : Hide-and-Seek – 4

Chapter 39: Hide-and-Seek – 4I watched the searching team carefully through the small gap in the screen.

At first, Ian wore a confident expression.

He didn’t do anything in particular—just stood still with his eyes closed, concentrating.

But after ten, twenty… thirty minutes, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

“This can’t be. This can’t be happening.”

“Um, excuse me. Is something wrong?”

“Shouldn’t we also start moving to search?”

“It’s already been thirty minutes.”

The searching team began to show signs of impatience.

Then Ian crumpled his face in anger and said,

“Did I not tell you to shut your mouths? My focus broke because you worms dared to speak.”

“H-hiek!”

“If you weren’t on my team, I would’ve killed you already. I told you that as long as you don’t interfere with me, you’ll pass—but you can’t even manage that?”

“……We’re sorry.”

“Tch. Useless things.”

He was openly doing things that would destroy his own reputation.

Well, from Ian’s perspective, this game was something he could be confident of winning with his ability alone.

The others were merely obstacles to him, nothing more.

But even his arrogance began to fade after another thirty minutes passed.

Now, he wasn’t just sweating—his whole body was trembling.

“Why—why can’t I sense them? Don’t tell me the Audience Chamber isn’t actually the game’s location?”

“Uh…”

“What is it! Didn’t I tell you to shut your mouth?”

“It should be the right place. The rules said within a radius of 500 meters.”

“Kh!”

In the end, he lost his composure.

“Search for them.”

“Pardon? But earlier you said…”

“I said search! Spread out and scour the entire place!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

I was grateful for his impatience.

With that attitude, it would only get harder for him to find us.

Even though he had eighteen hours of time, we only needed to endure eight hours without being caught.

And one of those hours had already passed.

Seven hours left.

‘Good. I can do this.’

Time passed again.

—Six hours ago.

“Nothing here.”

“Same here.”

“Damn it. Where the hell are they hiding?”

“Calm down. We still have plenty of time.”

—Five hours ago.

“No, seriously, where the hell are they?”

“Uh, since it’s the Audience Chamber, maybe there’s some kind of hidden secret room?”

“Right! That’s it. Their team has the Princess, doesn’t it? They must’ve all hidden inside some secret chamber she knew about.”

“I-Ian, sir? Could that be true?”

It seemed Ian wasn’t certain of that himself.

But after searching so long without finding anyone, he must have thought it was possible.

“……That could be it. The wall. Feel along every inch of it with your hands!”

“Yes, sir.”

—Four hours ago.

“There’s nothing. No hidden rooms anywhere.”

“Damn it, if it weren’t for your stupid idea, we wouldn’t have wasted so much time.”

“What was that? You said it was a good idea yourself earlier!”

“Both of you, shut up!”

—Three hours ago.

“I’m hungry. I was dragged here right before dinner.”hing: he and his team couldn’t find anyone during their turn.

I spoke with deliberate leisure.

“Shall I give you a piece of advice?”

“Grr…”

“You don’t have time to be doing this right now.”

His face darkened.

“Better start finding somewhere to hide. Unless you want to die once the roles switch.”

Ian continued his futile struggle for another two whole hours.

He knocked on every armor—Armelia’s, Aina’s, Berseum’s, and all the others—perhaps wondering if mine was special.

But none of our armors could be cut.

Finally exhausted, he threw his sword to the ground and shouted,

“Damn it! Damn it all!”

Then, just as I’d advised, he began to look for a hiding spot after the role switch.

It was quite the sight to behold.

“Um, wouldn’t it be best if we also hid inside the armors over there?”

“No. Aina and Her Highness are among them. For those two, dismantling the armors would be easy.”

“……!”

“Especially Aina—she’d probably pierce through the tiniest crack with a needle. For a daughter of the Noel Family, that would be nothing.”

At those words, the others turned pale and scattered in all directions, desperately looking for somewhere to hide.

‘Heh. Unbelievable.’

Had they panicked so badly that they’d lost their minds?

What good would hiding do while we were all watching them?

Quietly, so my voice wouldn’t reach their ears, I held the Diary Book.

[Your Highness.]

[Yes. I think I know what you’re about to say.]

[Indeed. You’re hungry, aren’t you?]

[Wh—what?]

[Just kidding. Please remember every place those people passed by. After the role switch, they’ll be hiding somewhere among them.]

[You were teasing me again!]

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Time continued to flow quickly.

Now and then, Ian would strike the armor again, unwilling to give up—but it was pointless.

Aside from the blood pooling in my legs from standing too long, it was a rather peaceful time.

Then, ten minutes before the role switch—

‘Hm?’

Ian, who had been moving restlessly, suddenly froze.

He crossed his arms and began thinking deeply about something.

And the next moment—

Smirk.

It was faint, but unmistakable—the corner of his lips curled into a smile.

‘What’s that? What is he thinking?’

I didn’t know.

But Ian had realized it.

A way he could win.

I’d have to see for myself what that was.