Chapter 2: Blanket of Silence

THE HEAVY RAIN that lasted until dawn cast an uneasy gloom over the students' minds. But by 6 a.m., the clouds and rain disappeared as if in mockery, and it was as clear and sunny as the day before. That said, it took me some time to get back to the muddy trail because I was still in the forest where I couldn't see the direct sunlight.

"I need to solve my food problem soon..."

As a high school student, I have no longer been able to maintain my daily caloric intake, and I'm slowly starting to run out of energy. It's the first time I've been hungry in a long time because I've never trained in intentional starvation. It is possible to be active even without minimal hydration, but it isn't something I want to do. It would leave me with a low immune system, and all sorts of illnesses would ensue. Of course, I could have chosen to eat wild animals or insects to fill my stomach, but that's just an ultimate resort.

You can also buy resources at the start location if you have any leftover points, but that can only be considered an emergency measure. In other words, there are only two ways to get a diet: getting a good score in an event or using points to buy it at the start location. However, the competition for events where food is a reward will naturally become more competitive in the future.

"I'm ready to go." Nanase, who had packed up, came towards me with her backpack on her back.

"Amasawa is basically just moving towards her designated area, right?"

"From the number of points she acquired, it seems so. In that case, if I'm not bothering you, can you let me walk along to the next designated place?" Nanase asks me with a kind tone.

I silently nod my head in agreement. Since we're heading towards the same place, there isn't any reason to part ways here. Not long into the walk, Nanase opens her mouth.

"Amasawa followed us in the morning of the seventh day after the sixth night, right?

Wouldn't you assume that she found us on the morning of the seventh day by scanning?"

Since there is no way to see the usage history of the GPS scans, there is no evidence that Amasawa used one. If we could know the score of their group, we could determine if Amasawa or Hōsen used a scan. Since their group was neither in the top ten nor the bottom ten, the only person left who could confirm the point situation was Nanase, who was in the same group.

"Of course I checked the tablet. But... from what I remember, we didn't lose a single point that we had accumulated as of the morning of the seventh."

This means Amasawa did not use the GPS search.

"Although we don't know where Amasawa-san was on the morning of the seventh day, we were moving pretty fast, so it would have been hard to catch up without being near us, right?"

"Since it's Amasawa, it might not have taken that much effort."

Unlike Nanase and I, who were carrying a load, Amasawa was lightly loaded. Even if there was a certain distance, she should have been able to catch up.

"Or perhaps, she learned of our whereabouts somehow."

"Does that mean Amasawa asked someone about Ayanokōji-senpai's location?"

"Possibly."

No matter what method she used, it's hard to get conclusive proof at this stage.