I understand why Lady Seia is popular at tea parties - 21

The current time is 4 AM.

Seia woke up much earlier than usual.

"...!"

'Ugh... why did I wake up so early...'

Glancing at the time, Seia recalled the content of her dream.

'It was definitely Mika telling me to step down as the host...'

It was a clear request to relinquish the host position peacefully because of something called the Eden Treaty.

Since it was a precognitive dream of the future, no one knows when it will actually happen. This caused Seia to feel a strange sense of fear.

"..."

'Is there any connection to me waking up at this hour...?'

With that thought, Seia cautiously turned on her phone.

Click!-

- Hoshino Takanashi. 1 missed call.

"...?"

That's strange, why would Hoshino call me?

Besides, it's the early morning. There shouldn't be any reason to contact me now...

Seeing is believing, and since there was no point in worrying about it, Seia decided to call back.

Ring ring!- Ring ring!-

Click!-

The call was answered faster than expected. If it was answered before the second ring, she must have had her phone beside her.

"Uhehe, Seia-chan~ You got my call?"

"..."

'B-But I can't speak on the phone...'

"Pfft. Right, right. Seia-chan can't speak, right? Get it in text."

Fortunately, Hoshino seemed to understand my desperate situation, chuckled softly, and hung up.

- So, Seia-chan. Thanks for accepting a call from this old aunty at such an early hour~

- What's wrong? Your voice was shaking more than usual.

'It was like you were giving up something... like "I'll sacrifice myself in your place...!" kind of feeling.'

-...I'm just leaving Abydos to become a mercenary for Kaiser.

Kaiser...? Mercenary...?

- Hoshino. Do you believe that? They were the ones trying to swallow up your land just moments ago.

- Uhehe... Since I'm leaving anyway, I just wanted to contact everyone.

Even if I offer to help Hoshino here, it's unlikely to get a good response.

Hoshino inherently hates being indebted to others to pay off the school debt, and they might think it's political maneuvering by a large academy to take over Abydos.

"..."

Still, despite that, I don't want to lose one of my few friends.

- Hoshino. Even if I stop you here, you'll still go to Kaiser, right?

- Uhehe~ You're thinking of saving this old aunty even though we've only met recently? I'm touched~

- Yeah. I don't have many friends.

It seems like, as the Trinity authority figure, I'll have to use my power for the first time.

I know about this company called Kaiser because Hoshino often contacts me.

I can't send my friend to such a place.

...It's time for me to show that even I, who always shows a cute side, can do this!

* * *

"Wow, I didn't expect Miss Seia to call us personally."

"..."

'I feel a bit sorry for waking them up at this hour and dragging them to Abydos...'

"Don't make that face. I'm just surprised."

Ichika, who seemed to read my expression, refuted my thoughts and then looked down from the helicopter, admiring the view.

"Wow... By the way, this is something. It's been a long time since Trinity mobilized this many forces, hasn't it?"

Nod-

Dragging Tea Party attendants and some members of the Justice Task Force, is an unprecedented misuse of force.

"Ahaha☆ Actually, it's almost never happened! You could say it's thanks to Seia-chan's request?"

"Yes. When we refused Seia-chan's request, the sight of her offering her tail as a bribe was really cu- mmph?!"

"...!!! ....!!!"

'W-What are you trying to say!!!-'

I quickly covered Nagisa's mouth to stop her from casually bringing up an embarrassing story, but it seemed the story had already slipped out.

"Aha. So you're saying she charmed you with her cuteness."

"That's right☆"

"I'd like to pet it once too. It must be quite fluffy."

H-Hiee?! The number of people targeting my ears and tail is increasing...!

"No way☆ Seia-chan's ears and tail are mine alone!"

Stroke-

"...!!??"

'Hiiyaaaak??!!'

"Mika-san... Don't startle me by stroking me suddenly like that..."

"Oops, sorry Seia-chan☆"

While apologizing, Mika didn't stop stroking my tail, continuing to pet it.

"Hmm, then I'll take the ears..."

"...?!"

'N-No! Don't! Hiee!'

Nagisa ended up stroking my ears, lightly overpowering my resistance.

It seems these guys are ignoring me because I can't speak.

They say they can read what I want to say from my expression...! These meanies...!

"Ah, we've arrived. This is Abydos."

"Hmm... Already? That's a shame..."

'What's a shame?!'

As I looked outside, grumbling complaints, a vast desert greeted us.

"We'll park at Abydos High School for now. We could go straight to Kaiser, but then there's nowhere to park the helicopter..."

Nod nod-

I nodded slightly at Nagisa's words, and the helicopter turned towards Abydos High School.

Watching numerous cars and helicopters turn in the same direction as us was enough to elicit admiration.

"...!"

'Wow...'

"Ahaha, Seia-chan is so cute...!"

"Yes, she's definitely cute."

"I understand why she's popular in the Tea Party."

I could hear conversations behind me, but I decided to focus and ignore them.

...They probably aren't saying I'm cute again.