My first day in Gehenna came to a close.
For lunch, though we were a bit late, I was blessed with an eel rice bowl crafted by the god of cooking herself, Fuuka, and filled with all of Haruna's heartfelt intentions. Afterward, I spent my time helping the Prefect Team with their work.
Surprisingly, or perhaps predictably, their duties suited me quite well. Most of the delinquents, upon seeing me with the Prefect Team, would glare at me first.
Greeting the troublemakers who walked right into my arms with a friendly lesson on manners was a decent stress reliever and lightened Hina's workload. It was a win-win situation.
I was practically on a stage set for a massacre, and after having eaten a stamina meal, my overflowing energy was on full display. At some point, the other Prefect Team members just started watching me as if I were a show.
Later, Hina and Ako, having finished their work with astonishing speed, joined me for some shopping downtown.
I, in particular, needed to pick up a few things—a bag, some clothes, extra ammunition, and sanitary pads—to make my stay in Gehenna more comfortable.
so my luggage quickly grew.
After that, Hina and I went grocery shopping for a few days' worth of food. We returned to her place, where I made aglio e olio for dinner.
Then, we snuggled up under a single blanket, watched a movie, and had a wonderful time before falling asleep without a single unpleasant dream.
It was, in every sense of the word, the perfect vacation day.
And now, it was time to get back to work.
"The President of the General Student Council is waiting for you inside. As for the Senior Administrator of the Prefect Team and the Tea Party Host… you said you had something to discuss with me separately? This way, please".
As planned, I visited the General Student Council on the morning of my second day. Because of that silly bet, I was scheduled to spend the day with Ako, but it seemed she had her own business to discuss with Rin.
I was more comfortable with that, anyway; dragging around a high-level administrator like Ako for no reason felt wrong.
It had been a while since I'd last visited the President's office in person.
though it didn't feel that long since we'd just had a video call a few days ago.
"It has been some time since we've met in person. Let's skip the unnecessary pleasantries. I am well aware of the hardships you've recently faced".
"Ahaha, you're certainly right about that. And, before we get to the main topic, I have something I must apologize for".
"…An apology from the Tea Party Host?".
"Yes. I would like to formally apologize for my rudeness during our last conversation. I failed to maintain the proper awareness of my position as the leader of an academy and, as a result, forced you—a person in the heavy position of managing all of Kivotos's affairs—to make a difficult decision. I know that you made many concessions. It was a clear mistake on my part to let my emotions get the better of me when I should have been prioritizing rational thought. I am sorry, President".
Truthfully, if it hadn't been for Seia, I wouldn't have even realized my own mistake.
so in that sense, I was still immature.
To the President, I must have seemed like a child.
"…"
But why was she avoiding my gaze? And what was with that uncomfortable expression?.
"You need not apologize to such an extent, Tea Party Host. Truly. If we are to judge the rights and wrongs of that situation, you were clearly in the right. The fault lies with me, for turning my back on what was right under the pretext of my position. Therefore, the apology should not come from you, but from me, for my lukewarm response to sanctioning the Kaiser Corporation. I am sorry".
"…Ahaha, you're too much, President".
In the end, she was admitting that she had opposed taking down Kaiser for reasons only she knew, even though she was aware it was the right thing to do.
There had to be unavoidable circumstances beyond what I knew.
And unless the two of us were to share our secrets without reservation, those reasons would likely never come to light.
"Receiving an apology from you in return just makes me feel sorry all over again… It seems this is a never-ending problem.
How about we agree to just let it go?".
"Fufu… Of course. Let's move on to the main topic. First, the General Student Council is not without information on the Kaiser Corporation. For instance, we have Kaiser's official architectural blueprints… and the Defense Office has been monitoring some of their armaments.
I believe that information will also be helpful for your operation".
"Oh? This is so proactive it feels like I'm talking to a completely different person. I'm a little surprised".
"I have no interest in approaching a decided matter half-heartedly. Now that we have started, we will let them live out of necessity, but we must push them to the point where even breathing becomes a struggle".
The blueprints would definitely be useful. Information on their armaments was a nice bonus.
I didn't desperately need it, but there was no reason to refuse what was being offered.
"If you're that determined, President, then it should be fine to prune all their branches. We won't be touching Kaiser PMC or Kaiser Loan due to our own circumstances, so I think we can tear through the rest like we're hunting rats".
"…Goo—no. May I ask why you are making an exception for those two?".
"Hmm. You see, I have a friend who's gotten tangled up with them for personal reasons…".
My contract with Black Suit prevented me from touching those two, but I couldn't explain that to others.
So, after a bit of thought, I decided to sell out Hoshino.
I had already contacted her before coming here and gotten a positive response, so I felt no guilt.
"…I see. Abydos. Understood. The General Student Council lacked the justification to intervene, which made the situation difficult… but hearing that you have been personally supporting them is somewhat of a relief".
Justification. I'm reminded every time what a headache that concept is. I know that someone in the President's position, with all the responsibilities she bears, has no choice but to be obsessed with it.
But knowing that doesn't make it any less frustrating to hear.
"The General Student Council will turn a blind eye to the pressure applied to all Kaiser subsidiaries except for Loan and PMC. This is a decision I should not be making as President… but it is better to have one blemish on my record than to turn away from what is right. Nothing is more important than the well-being of the students".
"Yes, yes, of course, right?".
Thankfully, unlike our last video call, our conversation ended in a relatively amicable atmosphere.
"…Tea Party Host, please be especially careful so that a day does not come when I regret making this decision. I have already contacted the Defense Office to prepare the related information, so you may pick it up from them on your way out".
I didn't complain about her sending me to the Defense Office instead of summoning someone here.
I wasn't so foolish as to not understand that the President had squeezed this meeting into her already packed schedule.
When I arrived at the Defense Office after parting with the President, a pink-haired girl with a smile so comforting it put my mind at ease approached and greeted me.
"I am Shiranui Kaya, of the General Student Council's Administrative Committee, Defense Office. It is an honor to meet the Tea Party Host whose reputation has been the subject of so many rumors recently…".
The girl's identity was Shiranui Kaya, the mastermind from the main story who conspired with FOX Squad to stage a coup.
I see. Was it an immutable law of the universe that an overly pleasant person with closed eyes is always the mastermind?.
"Oh, it will take some time to organize the information requested by the President. I estimate about 15 to 20 minutes. It weighs on my mind that the quality is not quite what one should serve to a member of the Tea Party, but… would you care for a cup of tea while you wait?".
"Ahaha, no, no. I'm not that picky, so don't you worry, Kaya. I even drink instant coffee, you know".
"Hmm… I see. Are you perhaps the type to not care much for formalities? That is somewhat different from the image I had of a Tea Party Host…".
"Well, perception and reality are always different. It would be troublesome if you expected too much from someone like me, who sits in a position far beyond her abilities. By the way, the fact that you're in the Defense Office implies there's a separate Director, right? Are they busy at the moment?".
"Yes, the current Defense Director is away on a business trip, so I am seeing to you in their stead. Will simple green tea be acceptable?".
"Green tea? Of course, that's fine!".
My memory of the main story's details was starting to get hazy.
I couldn't remember why she had planned the coup, or what kind of character she was.
Since her identity as the mastermind was only revealed at the very end of the story, what I knew about her didn't extend much beyond the good impression she was giving me now.
This meant I needed to probe her a bit through conversation.
It seemed a proper ice-breaking session was in order after a long time.
"You know, Kaya, you have such a pleasant demeanor. I was a little surprised. I felt at ease the moment I saw you".
"I hear that often, but hearing it from the Tea Party Host makes it feel a bit special. But don't you hear similar things quite often, Host?".
"Hmm, well… I hear so much flattery on a daily basis that I tend to let most of it go in one ear and out the other. Oh, but I won't deny that it feels good to hear an obvious truth from someone else's lips☆".
The opening move was an exchange of compliments. However, I intentionally revealed a sliver of narcissism to plant a specific piece of information about myself in Kaya's mind.
It wasn't a complete fabrication, but implanting a deliberate image of myself in an unreadable opponent's mind offered quite a few advantages.
"Normally, I would find such a statement distasteful… but seeing you before me, I don't feel that at all".
"Oh, you can tell? I have a feeling you and I will get along quite well!".
"My, I was just thinking the same thing".
…But just as it's inevitable that a rebel leader and a terrorist would get along.
perhaps it's only natural that two masterminds would click, too.