Chapter 21: Spiraling Shadows

About a week after Sensei arrived at Trinity, Nagisa summoned them again for another discussion. I was instructed to stand by as a bodyguard.

And so, the day of the meeting arrived. Most club activities had already ended, leaving Trinity wrapped in a quiet, nighttime stillness. According to what I heard from Maiha, the first exam had taken place two days ago, and after strict grading, the results were returned around noon today.

…And of course, the four of them had failed, and all at the same time, leading to the decision that they would attend a training camp.

"Good evening, Sensei. How is the Make-Up Work Club coming along?"

When Sensei arrived at the usual balcony and took a seat, Nagisa welcomed them with a gentle smile before moving straight to the topic.

"…That said, I have already heard the details. It seems the first exam didn’t go well. However, there are still two more remaining…"

She paused, noticing that Sensei’s attention had drifted toward something: a chessboard and pieces laid out on the table.

"…Ah, these? Chess. It’s a hobby of mine. I imagine you don’t often see a setup like this…"

So Nagisa had hobbies beyond preparing tea parties or tending the gardens. She picked up the white king—the piece closest to her—then gently placed it back where it belonged as she continued.

"Black has only the king and queen, along with a number of foot-soldier pawns. In contrast, white has the king, rook, bishop, and knight—three or four of each."

She had been arranging and rearranging them again and again until Sensei arrived, quietly muttering to herself. I had no idea what she was trying to figure out, but maybe Maiha would understand.

"Were you playing with Aika?"

"No, I was playing alone. She is, after all, only my bodyguard."

"And Mika-san is not around to be noisy right now, either," she murmured under her breath before lifting her gaze toward Sensei, studying them carefully.

"There was something I originally intended to tell you today… but it seems you have a question of your own you wish to ask first."

"If they fail all three exams, what happens to the Make-Up Work Club students?"

Ah, I knew Sensei would bring that up.

"…Did someone whisper it to you? Hifumi-san, perhaps? She does not seem particularly good at keeping secrets."

I’d thought we managed to keep the Black Market incident quiet, but if even Nagisa had noticed the suspicion surrounding it… I guess it wasn’t hidden at all.

"To answer your question, it’s simple. If they repeatedly fail, that means they lack even the ability to support one another and apply themselves to their studies. …Students like that have no choice but to be expelled from Trinity."

"Expelled…!?"

"Of course, Trinity does have official regulations for failing, suspension, and expulsion. However, the procedures are long and tedious, requiring extensive review and discussion. Unlike Gehenna, we place great importance on due process."

Hearing that, I pulled my student handbook from my pocket—even though no one told me to—and flipped to the regulations section. Sure enough, suspension and expulsion required multiple rounds of council deliberation before approval.

It was probably a system intended to prevent someone from arbitrarily expelling students on a whim. …Unlike what was happening now.

"However, the Make-Up Work Club, which was hastily created for this purpose, has been set up to bypass those regulations. Thanks to incorporating a portion of Schale’s authority, measures like this are possible."

As Nagisa spoke, Sensei’s expression gradually tightened. They must have realized that, under the current system, the members of the Make-Up Work Club truly might be expelled.

"…Besides. The Make-Up Work Club was created for the purpose of identifying and expelling students."

"Why would you do something like that…!?"

Sensei placed their hands on the table and looked directly at Nagisa.

"…Why, you ask? Because… among them is a traitor to Trinity."

"A traitor…?"

"That traitor’s goal is to prevent the signing of the Eden Treaty."

Not “there might be a traitor,” but “there is a traitor.” In writing, it’s only a small difference—but the meaning behind it is entirely different.

"To help you understand the weight of those words… I suppose it is time I explain what the Eden Treaty actually is."

The Eden Treaty—in short, a non-aggression pact between Trinity and Gehenna.

The “Eden Treaty Organisation,” abbreviated as “ETO,” is a neutral body composed of high-ranking members from both academies. Its purpose is to intervene in disputes between Trinity and Gehenna and seek resolution before they escalate into full-scale conflict.

The long-standing hostilities between the two have become a heavy burden on both sides. The treaty represents the only viable means of avoiding meaningless losses while maintaining the balance of power across Kivotos. Originally proposed by the President of the Federal Student Council, it had nearly dissolved after her disappearance—yet Nagisa had worked tirelessly to revive it and push it toward completion.

After explaining up to that point, Nagisa fixed her gaze on Sensei.

"…Sensei. After all the effort it took to bring the treaty this far, we have received intelligence that there are those who intend to sabotage it."

"…"

Sensei silently met her eyes, their expression still tense.

"We still do not know who it is. We were unable to identify them. So as a second-best option, we gathered all potential suspects into one place."

"So that place… is the Make-Up Work Club?"

I already knew that from my previous life’s knowledge, but hearing her say it so casually made me want to interrupt—wondering if that was truly the case.

"Yes, Aika-san. …The traitor is among them. But we still do not know who. In that case, placing them all into a single box is optimal. Should the time come, it will be easier to discard them all at once."

"…Lady Nagisa, that is not something I can overlook. Are you truly saying there is a traitor within the Make-Up Work Club?"

I understood she must be cornered to speak like this—but treating students who merely go to school and study as though they were… something disposable—I couldn’t stay silent.

"…Aika-san. At times, a leader must be ruthless. As an officer candidate, you will one day come to understand this."

I brushed aside Nagisa’s attempt to lecture me and continued. What she was doing now wasn’t ruthlessness—it was recklessness.

"Even if the Eden Treaty is signed, what will Millennium—the last of the Three Great Academies left uninvolved—think? And is Gehenna truly unified as a single faction? I’ve heard there is friction between the Pandemonium Society and the Public Safety Bureau. …Are you certain the ones trying to sabotage the treaty are within Trinity?"

"…That is your opinion, Aika-san?"

Millennium wasn’t actually involved in sabotaging the treaty, but I had suggested information connected to answers I already knew from my previous life. Even so, no matter what she heard, Nagisa wasn’t going to change her mind.

With the conversation seemingly concluded, she turned back to Sensei.

"…I apologize, Sensei. For dragging you into something so bloody. No matter what you say, I am prepared to accept it."

"…But if all you wanted was to use Schale’s authority, you wouldn’t need to explain all this to me, right?"

"…As expected of you—quick to understand. …Sensei. Would you search for the traitor within the Make-Up Work Club?"

So in the end, her belief that the traitor was among the four remained completely unchanged. Not that I expected otherwise.

"…"

"There is someone trying to deceive you and Trinity. A terrorist who seeks to destroy our peace. They would put not only Trinity, but the peace of all Kivotos on the scale against their own interests."

Sensei clearly disliked what they were hearing. Yet Nagisa continued, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Finding the traitor directly leads to preserving peace in Kivotos. What do you think? As Schale of the Federal Investigation Department, I would hope you understand…"

"…I’ll handle the problem in my own way."

Sensei believed in their students, and as an adult, was willing to take responsibility for their actions. Naturally, they firmly rejected Nagisa’s request to hunt for a traitor within the Make-Up Work Club.

"…I see. Understood. However, Sensei. When sorting trash becomes too troublesome, one option is to throw away the entire box… Don’t you agree?"

"…Lady Nagisa, that is unacceptable. What exactly do you take those girls for—"

Trash? Aren’t they our fellow students? Outrage pushed me to speak again, but Nagisa remained unmoved.

"Traitors to Trinity. Nothing more. That will never change."

"…I see."

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything further. In her current state, no words would reach Nagisa.

"…One more thing. Regarding the exams, they are fundamentally within the palm of our hand."

Sudden changes to the exam scope, shifts in difficulty, even a last-minute venue change—she listed them one after another, then added with feigned innocence, "I do hope nothing like that happens, of course."

"…My apologies. In any case, we look forward to your continued support of the Make-Up Work Club, Sensei."

She smiled again. I once heard someone say that a smile is, by nature, a form of aggression. …And then—

"We would like to say that we have no intention of causing you any inconvenience or harm… but…"

"…You can’t say that for certain, is that it?"

Nagisa simply nodded with a calm "Yes, that’s correct." She no longer bothered pretending otherwise.

"However, regarding the first exam, we did not tamper with anything whatsoever. If they were unable to pass, then that only reflects their current abilities. On this point, I promise you we are not lying."

"……"

"I sincerely hope your approach… ultimately benefits Trinity."

Well, who knows. A teacher is fundamentally on the students’ side—not Trinity’s.

"…Well then, until next time."

With that, Sensei stood and left the room. The meeting ended without any progress—just two lines running in parallel.

Back in her office, Nagisa buried her head in her hands, utterly exhausted. She had somehow maintained her composure earlier, but her mind was now at its limit. On her desk sat a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and a bottle of sleeping pills.

『Nagisa-sama, that is not something we can overlook. Are you truly saying there is a traitor within the Make-Up Work Club?』

『Is there truly someone within Trinity who is obstructing the Eden Treaty?』

『Nagisa-sama, that is unacceptable. What exactly do you take them for—』

Her subordinate’s questions, sharp with accusation, replayed in her mind again and again.

"…I will handle this matter in my own way."

She recalled the adult who had stared at her with a gaze every bit as cold as the girl’s.

"…I don’t want to keep doubting people either."

She didn’t want to continue like this. To prevent interference with the Eden Treaty, she had already sacrificed Hifumi—her dear friend.

And even after going that far, no traitor had been found. Part of her wanted to throw everything away—the Eden Treaty, her position as Tea Party Host, all of it.

"…But if I did that, what would happen to her?"

Seia was gone. If she abandoned everything and stepped off the stage, the next person to disappear would be… needless to say.

"…Perhaps I should start ordering tranquilizers as well."

She murmured this while staring at the capsules scattered across her desk. No matter how harshly she was criticized, she could no longer turn back.

…She would bear this burden alone.