Chapter 13: Sensei of SCHALE

"I'm thinking of applying to SCHALE and heading over there."

Over time, after repeated training sessions with Maiha and Masa, we warmed up to each other enough that we’d sometimes gather at a café for what was basically a little tea party. Mostly it was small talk and idle chatter, but since we were technically a group of officer candidates, we also exchanged bits of information now and then.

"SCHALE… you mean that organization the GSC President founded?"

"Yes, that one."

SCHALE—or rather, SCHALE’s Sensei—is currently traveling all across Kivotos to solve problems in place of the General Student Council, which is barely managing to function. They’re pouring their remaining resources into searching for the GSC President, who vanished after the recent Abydos incident and still hasn’t been heard from.

Social media is constantly buzzing about Sensei. There are even compiled lists of sightings. And as for this Sensei, there are… certain rumors.

"But you know, I heard SCHALE’s Sensei is, like, kind of amazing? Someone said they helped rob a Black Market bank, or that they licked the Prefect Team’s legs in Gehenna~"

"No, I doubt even an adult would do anything like that. Those have to be just rumors."

Well… they’re actually true, even if there were special circumstances. It just means Sensei is the kind of person who’ll go to dangerous lengths—and even swallow their pride—if it means helping a student in need.

"Aika-chan, either way, it’s outside Trinity. If you’re going to SCHALE, be careful, okay? If someone tries anything weird, make sure you tell us."

Saying that, Maiha stroked the barrel of her L42A1. A normal human would probably die even trying to tank a single shot, so I truly wish she wouldn’t do that.

"You're worrying too much. Besides, look at the eyewitness reports. Apparently they eat cup noodles from the convenience store for dinner, or they picked up a robot toy at a toy shop, compared the price with their wallet, got all sad, and put it back. Stuff like that—it’s kind of… heartwarming? I really don’t think they’re a bad adult."

"…Is Sensei underpaid~?"

Who knows. They have a normal human’s durability, yet they’re constantly surrounded by students who treat carrying guns as completely normal. That basically means they’re living side-by-side with death. And despite that, it doesn’t seem like they’re being paid an extravagant amount. In that sense, I can see how it wouldn’t feel worth it.

"Anyway, I’m curious about what kind of person Sensei is too, so if you meet them, please share whatever you find out."

"Yes, leave it to me."

And so, I accepted the mission to investigate Sensei.

I decided to visit SCHALE now because the Foreclosure Task Force arc had just wrapped up, and things had calmed down a bit.

"SCHALE’s headquarters should be… here, yes?"

It had been roughly a month since I last visited the D.U. District. I stayed on guard, expecting delinquents to hassle me at any moment—but nothing happened, and I arrived safely at SCHALE’s building. Actually… I think some of the Sukeban were subtly avoiding me. Well, as long as they don’t cause trouble, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not going to question it.

"Sensei should be… in this room at the back, correct?"

I entered the building and walked down the hallway to its end. This was SCHALE’s main lobby. I knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Hello. Here to see SCHALE for something?"

The person who greeted me was an adult wearing a white coat over a black shirt. If you said they were a man, they looked like one; if you said they were a woman cross-dressing as a man, that also made sense. They had a mysterious sort of presence.

"Yes, I was interested in what the SCHALE duty assignments entail."

"Alright, got it. Let’s talk inside."

"Thank you. Excuse me."

This must be Sensei… right? Visually, they looked like an ordinary young adult. The faint dark circles under their eyes and the slightly tired look in them were a little concerning, though.

"Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Gion Aika of Trinity General School’s Tea Party."

"Nice to meet you. I’m Sensei of SCHALE. Aika, you’re here to ask about the SCHALE duty rotation, right?"

"Yes—and also because I wanted to learn more about the ‘Sensei of SCHALE’ everyone in Kivotos is talking about."

Well, that’s actually the main reason. When I said that, Sensei gave me a wry smile.

"I’m really just trying to help students with their problems, you know…"

"Well, we can get into that part later. As for the duty rotation at SCHALE, what exactly does it involve?"

"Hmm… there’s nothing really set in stone. If I had to say, it’s helping me with SCHALE’s administrative work, or participating in public safety activities—but it’s not mandatory."

"I see… That makes sense. But judging from the dark circles under your eyes, you seem pretty exhausted."

"Work’s piling up too, haha."

"…Is that supposed to be funny…?"

"Hey, Sensei, I’m back—wait, is someone here?"

While I was talking with Sensei, a student entered the lobby. That voice—could it be?

"Ah, Iori. This student here is interested in the SCHALE duty rotation."

Iori Kagami. A member of Gehenna’s Prefect Team, and one of the unfortunate students who’s endured Sensei’s… peculiar preferences. Come to think of it, Sensei already gave Iori that “experience” after the Foreclosure Task Force incident…

"Ugh… that uniform… Trinity… and from the Tea Party of the student council…!"

"…?"

I watched Iori, who suddenly looked like she’d been dragged into some troublesome situation, and after a moment I remembered: Trinity and Gehenna have a lot of tension between them. The Tea Party… basically the elite, ultra-upper-class clique within Trinity. I suppose Gehenna students are expected to start shooting the moment one shows up. Personally, I don’t care about the Trinity–Gehenna disputes.

"Oh, I’m actually from the rural side of Trinity… so I’m not here to say anything about you being a Gehenna student."

"Besides, when you’re participating as a member of SCHALE, the school you come from doesn’t really matter. Iori, you know that, right?"

"Yeah… I’m fine with that, as long as no one’s trying to cause trouble…"

"Oh, right. Iori, could you also tell her—Aika—about the SCHALE duties? I think it’ll be easier to understand if a student shares real experiences rather than me explaining it."

"That makes sense. Then, thank you, ‘senpai’."

And so, with Iori included, I received an explanation about SCHALE’s duties. Other than Iori looking uncomfortable the entire time, everything went smoothly. I even helped with some minor administrative tasks before heading home. Along the way, I exchanged a few quick messages with Sensei, though I doubt I’ll contact them again unless I have a reason.

Back at Trinity the next day, we gathered again at the local café for tea time—our usual information-sharing session.

"Aika-chan, how was it~?"

"What kind of person is Sensei?"

"Sensei was just a normal person. Aside from looking overworked and sleep-deprived, there was nothing unusual."

At the very least, Sensei isn’t the type of bad adult who’d use SCHALE’s authority to call students over for… questionable purposes. I already knew that from the game, and meeting them in person only confirmed it.

"Also, apparently Sensei has hobbies that boys would probably like, and spends money on them to the point of neglecting meals. Millennium students scold them for it and even manage their household budget."

"…So, not a bad person, but maybe a bit of a flawed human being… would that be it?"

…Yeah, that’s hard to deny.

"If you’re curious, why don’t you two meet Sensei too? I exchanged Momotalk with them on the way back, so I can put in a good word for you."

"Yeah, maybe sometime~"

"For me, not immediately… Mika-sama has been absent from her post lately, which means the burden is falling on the first-years. When I have some breathing room, I’d like to go see them, though."

Mika… that must mean she’s been in contact with Aelius students. I don’t recall the game showing much of that, but if a faction leader is wandering around, it makes sense that the subordinates end up picking up the slack.

And yes—the day of the Eden Treaty signing ceremony. If things go according to the original story, Aelius will try to interfere. Even knowing that, there’s very little I, a mere first-year officer candidate, can do. In fact, acting recklessly could jeopardize the fragile existence of Kivotos itself.

I’ve thought before—if only I didn’t have knowledge from my previous life, I could have gone through all this without worrying and just… relaxed.

"Aika-chan, why the serious face~?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about Sensei’s workload. If they were also the host of the Tea Party, I imagined they’d have to handle that entire stack of paperwork alone."

Our own leadership must have it rough too. Seia can’t act openly, and Mika… well, Mika is Mika.

"But don’t they not have to do it all themselves? It seems fine to delegate to underclassmen."

Mika gets subtly roasted behind the scenes. But even if she were here, Ma-sa would probably still say it bluntly. It’s not simply a matter of speaking boldly, either.

"Well, we’ll deal with that when the time comes~"

"Indeed. For now, it’s time to enjoy these macarons."

And so, the heavy conversation ended, and we returned to casual chatter. The Eden Treaty signing ceremony was gradually, but inevitably, approaching.