Road to Paradise (2) - 45

The Arius attack on Nagisa was thus thwarted by Sensei.

Mika, persuaded and inspired by Sensei, gave up, and the Arius coup failed.

About 100 Arius students were arrested, and the Justice Task Force was asked to remain silent. Nagisa, mentally shocked, went into seclusion for a while. Therefore, Mika temporarily took over as the host of the Tea Party, just as Nagisa had done.

Mika's betrayal was put on hold for the time being. Seia was ultimately safe, and they succeeded in capturing Arius, who was aiming for Trinity. However, there was still a mountain of work to be done.

"The remaining Arius, including the Squad... And the Eden Treaty, and Seia, who hasn't woken up yet."

The future of Arius, including the Squad, the Eden Treaty, a peace agreement with Gehenna, and Seia, who still hasn't woken up.

Sensei had a headache because there were so many things to solve in the future... but for now, there was something he had to do as a matter of urgency.

"We~ll, that's not what's important right now. Hahahaha~"

{No, it is important, Sensei!}

"It's not the most pressing issue~ There's something else that's more important right now, isn't there?"

Sensei jumps up from his chair. Then, he looked at the 100 or so Arius students who were sitting with handcuffs on. Of course, all their guns had been confiscated. They say that not having a gun is more embarrassing than walking around naked, but the Arius students, who lived in the Arius District, which was far from Kivotos, were more humiliated by being caught than embarrassed.

"To be defeated by a mere child..."

"Why did she change her appearance in the first place?"

"Is she a monster like Madame..."

The Arius students felt various emotions toward Sensei, such as dissatisfaction, hatred, and fear.

They were being held in the Justice Task Force building. Members of the Justice Task Force were positioned at the entrance and windows, monitoring them. Behind Sensei, Tsurugi stood guard at the main entrance, glaring at the Arius students.

Grrr...

Then, the sound of hunger could be heard from some of the Arius students.

"What~ Are you hungry? Well, it is morning!"

"...Tch."

Sensei thought it was natural for them to be hungry after a few hours. However, Arius hadn't eaten in two days, not just a few hours. For Arius, who had a hard time getting a proper meal, even combat rations were a luxury.

The reality of Arius was so miserable that they could barely eat one meal a day, and even that was just a calorie bar. They thought Sensei was mocking them...

"I heard about Arius' situation, you know? It's a poor and desolate place where it's hard to even get a single meal, right? You poor things~!"

Sensei was in the form of Tachibana Nozomi, an executive of the Central Control Center of the Highlander.

Her laughter made the Arius students feel humiliated... But the moment Sensei pressed a button, the handcuffs on the Arius students were released.

"What?"

The children were confused, but soon the door opened, and long carts came in. The carts were covered with dome lids, and when the Justice Task Force members opened them, there were colorful dishes. The dishes stretched from one end of the room to the other.

Soon, students from the Trinity's Feeding Club pushed in additional food carts. Then, mobile tables were brought in, and the Arius children stared at the scene in a daze. The delicious smell made their mouths water. The children were in a daze...

"This is a banquet for you. You can eat as much as you want~?"

"...Really?"

"But~ you have to sign this transfer application form."

Sensei grins and holds out a transfer application form. It was a declaration of intention to transfer from Arius to Trinity and an agreement to join the Justice Task Force as a subordinate unit.

"You want us to betray Arius?"

"Then, are you going to go back and starve? Here~ you can be full and warm, so why would you? What has Arius done for you~? Did your Madame buy you clothes? If you come now, you can have this kind of luxurious meal every day, have a private room with air conditioning and a soft~ bed?"

"A private room......"

"And we'll give you a computer, and we can provide various support, such as the right to receive education at school? With Trinity's wealth, 100 people are no problem at all."

Trinity is the richest school in Kivotos. Even if they generously supported 100 people, they would still have money to spare. After all, they are famous for their extravagance, to the point of putting expensive tea leaves in the water of the public bath.

Fear of Madame was imprinted on the Arius students... but they were too exhausted to refuse such a heavenly offer. In the end, they all signed... and ate the provided meal to their hearts' content.

"Hahaha~ Isn't this too easy for you guys? Still, I'm glad you don't want to go back to that place~"

Sensei looked at the Arius students with a satisfied smile while grinning.

"Hahaha~ What? You can't eat more than that? There are still so many desserts left~? Are your stomachs that small? Trinity can eat twice as much as that~?"

"Urk... Of course, we can eat more!"

"There's no way Arius would lose to Trinity!"

In Sensei's words, the Arius students ate the main dishes and desserts at the same time.

"Hey, you! You're tall... How many desserts can you eat!?"

"...I'm on a diet, so just one."

"Ha! That's all you can eat? Trinity is weak after all!"

One of them pointed at Hasumi and provoked her... Hasumi, who was feeling a little hungry, decided to eat just one dessert at Sensei's suggestion.

A super deluxe parfait.

"".........""

The Arius kids, who were extravagantly eating two puddings each, felt the difference in class.

"I guess you're serious about your diet, Tsurugi~ Don't you usually eat three parfaits?"

"Ugh... I think that's a lot too..."

Sensei pointed at Hasumi and spoke to Tsurugi in surprise, and Tsurugi glared at Hasumi, who had just declared a diet the day before but was eating a huge parfait.

Tsurugi wanted to swing her gun and tell her to go on a diet right away, but she held back because Sensei was next to her.

"Usually, three?"

"A monster..."

"Damn... We lost!"

And the Arius kids, who had a strong sense of competition, were defeated.

Of course, Hasumi usually eats a regular-sized parfait.

After the meal, Arius was informed of their future policy by Sensei and stayed in the Justice Task Force building for a while, and at night, they stayed in the dormitory in the annex.

And... Sensei visits a student's home. He rang the doorbell, but there was no response, so he rang the doorbell 16 times in a row, and the door opened.

1

The one who opened the door was Nagisa, who was wearing pajamas and a blanket and had a haggard face.

"Haha~ I found Nagisa, who became a hikikomori~☆"

"You're... Sensei. Did you come to make fun of me?"

"Hahahaha~ You're still so suspicious! Are you okay?"

"...Hehe, yes. I'm a hopeless person full of suspicion. I'm a failure who couldn't accomplish anything in the end. Please laugh at me all you want."

"Funny~ So you just ran away after all that big talk? Pathetic~"

"Pathetic... That's true. Why did you come to see such a pathetic person, Sensei?"

"What~ You still don't know? Nagisa, you're such an idiot, aren't you? Okay~ Then I'll kindly teach our idiot Nagisa!"

1

"......"

Nagisa felt like punching Sensei today, but she didn't have the strength to do so. Sensei, who was always grinning and had a playful atmosphere... then looked at Nagisa with a faint smile and a different atmosphere than before.

"A home visit, I came to talk to you, Nagisa."

"...Please go back."

"No, I'm coming in. I'll leave if Nagisa comes out."

"......Is that okay for an adult to do?"

"Adults are sneaky. I know, what Nagisa needs right now is not time alone. But a conversation."

"That's──"

"Don't you want to apologize to Hifumi? Don't you want to be friends again?"

"......"

At Sensei's words, Nagisa clutched the blanket over her shoulders. She made a pained expression for a moment, then nodded and opened the door wide.

"Come in."

"I'll have kelp tea~☆"

"Ugh..."

Sensei then smiled lightly and went inside. Nagisa closed the door with a displeased expression...... and about two hours later, the door opened, and Sensei came out.

"Then, I'll see you at school tomorrow, Nagisa!"

"Yes... Please be careful on your way back, Sensei."

Her expression was much more relaxed than before. She looked at Sensei with a slightly anxious look...

"After you go back... you'll contact me, right?"

"...Yes, of course. You can contact me whenever you want, Nagisa."

"Yes...... Sensei."

Sensei waved his hand and left Nagisa's house, and Nagisa looked at Sensei with a forlorn look.

The next day......

"Um, Arona...... Could you call someone for me...?"

{Sensei...}

"I can't walk...... Please call anyone."

Sensei couldn't walk. And Arona texted several students from Trinity, and the first one to arrive was......

"Sensei......?"

"Ah, Nagisa...... Could you please help me? I can't walk..."