Chapter 8: The Enemy’s True Nature

"To be blunt, what you're trying to do is a little different from our goal."

As promised, I had come to meet with Cyan and Anna.

"Really?"

"Eh? Is that so?"

"Cyan-chan, you of all people should know this already."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Honesty is a good thing."

…Honestly, I think Cyan acts more like a little girl than I do.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to stop the civil strife 'before it starts,' correct?"

"Yes. If possible."

"As for us… well, to be honest, we've already given up on that. When we say we want to stop the civil strife, we mean gathering allies and ending it as quickly as possible after it breaks out."

"…I see."

So, we had a misunderstanding.
Bringing a swift end to the conflict… I had considered it, but the risk of being discovered by Aunt Bea was too high. In terms of pure certainty, allowing a civil conflict to start at all was a terrible move.

"Hmm… but why have you given up on preventing it? With the Beatrice situation, I would really prefer to stop it before it begins…"

The position of Student Council President alone should be a significant advantage.

"Is she really that bad? That Beatrice woman."

"She's dangerous. If a civil war breaks out, no matter how favorable the situation seems for us, if she sides with the radicals, we cannot win. On top of that, she never fights fairly. She uses students as pawns in her schemes, turning them into tools for killing."

"…What a monster. And it's not like we gave up without a fight. We formed a faction among the moderates… but the radicals formed theirs first."

"…I see."

I hadn't realized they were already organized into formal factions, though it wasn't surprising. But how did that lead to this situation?

"The leader of the moderates, needless to say, is our strongest member—Student Council President Cyan-chan."

"I don't think I have the makings of a leader…"

"Don't say that… Anyway, the radicals' leader is just as well-known. Her standing is strong—not quite as strong as Cyan-chan's, but formidable. It's the Student Council Vice President, Tachibana Saria."

Wait, what? They have a leader?
…Well, of course they do, since they're a faction. Still, I hadn't expected that.
Hold on—did she just say the Vice President is their leader…!?

"You've got to be kidding me…!"

"Yep. And what's worse, she knows Cyan-chan is on the moderate side… If the radicals want to revive the customs of Arius, they need the authority of the Student Council President. A clash is inevitable…"

…Yeah. This is heading straight for civil war. There's no stopping it.
The fact that a moderate holds the President's seat must be unbearable for them. They'll risk exposing Arius's existence if it means forcing a conflict.

…Damn it…!!

"Hmm… Personally, I think if I just punch Saria-chan, that would solve everything."

"Keep in mind, if you do that, the civil strife will erupt immediately. It's not the worst opening move, but whatever we do, we need to be prepared. From what you've said, it sounds like we'll need to end this quickly once it starts. If the other radicals catch on, it's game over."

"Ahh, fair enough. And yeah, beating Saria-chan might take me a little while."

…The fact that she doesn't say it's impossible just proves how strong Cyan really is.

"First of all, do we know where the Student Council Vice President is?"

"Yes. She's usually in the Student Council room… though lately, she's been in the old cathedral in the annex."

"I see… By the way, how soon do you think the civil strife will begin?"

"Right now, the radicals are probably analyzing our forces… but they must have their plan ready. It could be as soon as three months, or four at most."

…There's far too little time.

Now that I know we can't prevent the civil strife, it's better to strike first.
Just as Anna said, if there's an obvious leader, taking them out in the first move isn't a bad idea… or at least, it shouldn't be. It was actually part of one of my contingency plans.
Better to crush the enemy's head while we have the chance.

"Analyzing forces, gathering supplies… it feels like there's too much to do."

"Gathering supplies is easy with the President's authority. But judging from what you've said, we need to take the initiative. We must hurry… and reinforce our forces. Until now, we didn't plan to force anyone who didn't want to fight, but that time is over. Considering the risk of Beatrice intervening, we should accept the risks that come with boosting our numbers… even if it accelerates the start of the conflict or leads to an information leak."

"So both are acceptable. Understood."

"Uh… I didn't really follow all that…"

"Boost our forces. Strike first. That's the plan."

"Got it!"

…Still, there's almost nothing I have to do myself.

"Now, for you. I need you to boost morale."

"Huh…? What are you talking about…?"

"Just hug me and give me those puppy-dog eyes while trying your best. Morale will skyrocket, guaranteed."

"I am not a little girl, so I refuse."

"…Anyway, joking aside. For now, we will focus on reinforcing our forces over the next month. Do what you can. Also, let's share information. You had your own plans, right?"

"Understood."

"…Huh!? Am I being left out again!?"

…And so, our preparations to end the civil strife as quickly as possible began.

…A month had passed since that secret meeting in the school building.

"Damn it…!!"

Tachibana Saria, Student Council Vice President of the Arius branch, ground her teeth alone in the old, crumbling cathedral.

"…The moderates’ forces have grown rapidly over the past month."

Saria had predicted that those spoiled weaklings wouldn't have been able to accomplish much.

Most moderates simply disliked fighting. Because of that, even if their numbers were roughly equal, the radicals' combat strength far surpassed theirs.

As long as they could defeat Student Council President Saegusa Cyan, victory was assured—or so she had believed.

"Mototsuki Anna… that cunning woman…?"

Saria had failed to notice Cyan's naturally naïve side, but she had identified Mototsuki Anna as her strategist.

A year ago, during the Student Council election, a chance had coincidentally arisen—a chance to whip the slack Arius branch into shape and bring Trinity to its end.

That chance had been ruined by just two first-year students, one of whom seemed so weak she could be blown away by a gust of wind. It was a humiliating defeat.

…No, wait. That’s not it.

"They’ll be more cautious this time."

Mototsuki Anna is the type who, unless absolutely necessary, stacks caution upon caution, only acting once victory is practically guaranteed.

Because of that, the first move in the civil strife should have fallen to the radicals.

Furthermore, Anna was supposed to avoid rapidly reinforcing her forces in a way that risked everything. Yet, it was clear she had done exactly that.

"What on earth are they thinking…!?"

With the current disparity in forces, if a battle were to occur now, the radicals would lose—if only just barely.

In just this past month, the moderates' actions had accelerated far beyond anything seen before.

Their characteristic caution seemed to have vanished; their movements now felt desperate. And yet… precisely because of that recklessness, Saria had assumed they wouldn't dare to launch a preemptive strike.

From a long-term perspective, it wasn't advantageous for the moderates to attack in this situation.

If they let up even for a moment, the radicals would use that time to strengthen and reorganize… and since the radicals already understood the balance of power, they would ultimately prevail.

In other words, the moderates were attempting a short, decisive battle while bearing significant risk.

Something must be compelling them to act so rashly.

"Damn it…"

Still, if the moderates struck now, defeat was inevitable.

The thought brought Saria no satisfaction.

"Is something the matter?"

At that moment, a voice spoke to Saria.

A head like a white flower, covered in countless eyes. A grotesque form, entirely dyed in crimson.

This being had approached Saria after her defeat in the Student Council election a year ago, supplementing her deficiencies in knowledge and military strength.

"Ah! M-Madame!"

"Visiting after such a long time, I find things seem quite chaotic, don't they?"

"Yes… indeed…!"

Saria hurriedly explained the situation to the grotesque being.

"I see… that is troublesome."

"Yes…"

"...Wait a moment. Understand this: you must not let them take the initiative. We will prepare special armaments here. Use those to strengthen your forces and then commence the attack. Secure victory reliably and swiftly."

"Yes…!"

Ah… if she says so, then it must be possible.

Trusting the grotesque being completely, Saria departed swiftly from the scene.