Chapter 37: Toward the Eden Treaty

For the past few days, I’ve been heading to the Old Cathedral after classes. To avoid dirtying my uniform, I change into my gym clothes and help with the repair work. I pin my hair up in a bun and wrap it in a braid so that paint and glue won’t get on it.

"First, we’ll coat this part with white mortar, then spray lime over it."

"Understood."

Following the instructions of the Sisterhood executive acting as site supervisor, I continue working. Watching me endlessly spread mortar with a leaf trowel, no one would guess I’m a member of the Tea Party.

As I quietly smear mortar across the wall, I hear footsteps—two people. When I turn around, Maika—also in gym clothes—and Marie, still in her sister’s habit, are standing there.

"Aika-chan, how’s it going~?"

"I’d say quite smoothly. What about you, Maika-san? And did you need something, Iraku-san?"

Judging by their outfits, neither of them came to help with repairs, so what brings them here?

"I already finished everything I had to do today~. Marie-chan is handing out candy and drinks to everyone working hard so they can stay focused~."

"Yes, Aika-san. May peace and tranquility be with you all today as well… now then."

She hands me a packet of salted candy and a bottle of milk tea. I thank her, but Marie simply moves on to the next person.

"Well then, I’ll help you, Aika-chan! Borrowing your trowel~"

"Yes, thank you very much."

Side by side, the two of us keep spreading mortar—smear, smear, smear—and after about ten minutes, I finish today’s assigned portion.

"Whew… that really helped, Maika-san. Speaking of which, how is Masa-san doing?"

"Masa-chan said she wanted to check on you before going. Want to go see her now?"

"Yes… I only hope she hasn’t caused any trouble again."

The day before yesterday, she got carried away and created a huge hole in the wall. Yesterday, she shaved down a support pillar so much it nearly snapped in half. Hopefully nothing happened today…

"What… exactly am I looking at…?"

We arrive at the area where Masa was supposed to be working—only to find a gaping hole punched clean through the center of the hallway ceiling. Strange… I’m pretty sure Masa was assigned to carpet installation, not ceiling demolition.

"…Asking her directly will be faster."

The Sisterhood executive glances at us, refuses to answer, and instead turns her gaze toward Masa.

"Right… so, when I was laying the carpet, I realized a whole roll was misaligned. I tried to yank it up all at once, but I pulled too hard and slammed it into the ceiling… and, well, you can see the rest."

"Ah… well… this part of the Old Cathedral is particularly fragile, so the impact could certainly have caused it to collapse…"

The supervisor tries her absolute best to defend her after the confession—but this is already the third consecutive day of disasters. Maika and I can only smile awkwardly, brows knitting helplessly.

"…Perhaps starting tomorrow, Masa-san should always have either me or Maika-san assigned to her?"

"Yes… I will review the overall task distribution and decide by tomorrow."

In the end, the three of us work together to repair the ceiling, and the supervisor remains there the entire time, unable to leave until everything is fixed.

Finally, today’s work is over. I change back into my uniform and head to the grand hall—the main conference venue, and the location prioritized most heavily during repairs.

"…Officer cadets, thank you for your assistance."

Standing there as usual is Nagisa, with Sakurako by her side, smiling that same suspicious little smile.

"Here is the schedule for the day. Around 10 a.m., the honor guards from the Justice Realization Committee, the Sisterhood, and the Tea Party—along with the Gehenna Public Morals Committee and Pandemonium Society—will enter the site."

Honor guards—units that perform ceremonial duties. They’re the ones who glared at each other while holding flags in the original game’s still CGs.

"After making final preparations for the signing, I will enter the Old Cathedral around 2 p.m. The chair of Pandemonium Society and the Public Morals Committee’s chief from Gehenna should arrive around the same time. Your mission as officer cadets is to escort me safely until I reach the Old Cathedral."

"Roger~"

"Once all academy representatives are gathered, the signing ceremony will begin. At 3:30 p.m., the signing proclamation will be issued, and by 4 p.m., all program items should be complete. Until then, please maintain security around the Old Cathedral. Afterward, once you escort me from the cathedral back to the Academy Headquarters, your duties for the signing ceremony will be concluded."

Of course, that’s if nothing happens. Almost certainly, before the proclamation, a missile launched by Arius will destroy the Old Cathedral. As I’m thinking of that future, Nagisa tightens her expression and speaks.

"Also… I’d like this kept strictly confidential. I once told you that the officer cadet role was originally created as a shackle—a way to restrain potential traitors."

That was what she said when she apologized right after Mika’s attempted coup. But why bring that up now…?

"However, since then, I have reconsidered. As first-years, you are extremely capable—and as friends, you cooperate across faction lines. I’ve decided to trust you. For the signing ceremony only, I am raising the authority of the officer cadets above all subordinate organizations… roughly two ranks below the supreme commander."

It’s a bold decision. Not only that she, once consumed by suspicion, chose to trust other people—but also that she decided to temporarily grant greater authority to us first-years, who, despite being called “exceptional,” are still just freshmen.

"It should never come to this, but… if something happens during the signing ceremony, I want all of you to take the lead in calming the situation. I believe you are capable of doing so. Please… I’m counting on you."

I tell Nagisa to raise her head, then give my answer.

"Understood. Of course, I pray that nothing happens… but we will fulfill the mission you have entrusted to us, Lady Nagisa."

"I concur. If that is the command, we shall see it done."

"Me too, you know~"

Hearing our three replies, Nagisa nodded and moved on to today’s rehearsal.

Two days before the signing ceremony, the repair work on the Old Cathedral was finally completed. And now, on the evening before the ceremony, I’ve spent the entire day lazing around in my dorm room, determined to rest at least today. Tomorrow, regular students have the day off, but we have a full schedule as escorts.

When I casually turn on the TV, an emergency press conference by the General Student Council is airing.

〈—We’ve heard that the Eden Treaty was originally proposed by the General Student Council President herself. Yet she still hasn’t appeared publicly. What is her current status?〉

〈The General Student Council President disappeared shortly before April of this year. We’ve been actively searching for her, but regrettably, there has been no progress. That concludes the briefing.〉

In the center of the screen is the unsmiling acting head of the General Student Council—Rin Nanagami, or Rin-chan. Surrounding her are the heads of each General Student Council division.

〈Wait a moment, Administrator! Are you saying the president is still missing?〉

〈In short, yes.〉

〈Isn’t that obvious without summarizing it!?〉

…Um, is the person on the far right really okay appearing at a press conference with her arm still broken? And why is she casually eating potato chips on live TV—Yuragi Momoka!!

〈Public confidence in the General Student Council has been declining. How do you respond to that?〉

Another reporter asks. In my previous life, the Council was mostly treated online like a bunch of incompetents… well, considering their superhuman president suddenly vanished, I guess it’s not entirely unexpected.

〈Well, can’t be helped, right?〉

〈Momoka-chan…!〉

If the president truly handled nearly everything in both the Council and all of Kivotos with such skill, then her role could practically be called dictatorial. And plenty of countries fall into chaos when a capable dictator dies. The president isn’t dead, but still.

That said, eating during official briefings and press conferences is pushing it.

〈Regarding unverified information, we will refrain from commenting at this time.〉

After Rin dismisses the question as coldly as ever, the reporters unleash a barrage of new ones.

〈What countermeasures are being taken regarding the gentrification*5 occurring across the various districts?〉

〈Is the closure of SRT Special Academy related to the previous incident at the Sanctum Tower? There are reports that parts of the Tower were destroyed by fire*6—can you comment?〉

〈What is your stance on the Eden Treaty between Trinity and Gehenna?〉

Reporters pushed their microphones toward the administrator, but she only let out a sigh and muttered irritably.

〈Regarding the incidents occurring at each academy, we generally leave the response to the academies themselves. We believe careless interference from the General Student Council would, if anything, be irresponsible.〉

〈I mean, we don’t have the time or the manpower to interfere anyway.〉

〈Momoka-chan…!〉

Iwabitsu Ayumu could only hold his head in his hands at Momoka’s utterly shameless attitude. Apparently having said everything she intended to say, Rin declared the press conference over.

"…That didn’t look promising, did it?"

Well, I wasn’t expecting much to begin with. The General Student Council will probably keep pretending nothing’s happening under the Eden Treaty, no matter what. Maybe their stance is basically: “We already sent teachers over, so go complain to them instead.”

"I wish we were in a timeline where Arius didn’t attack Trinity."

Now that tomorrow is almost here, the anxiety is really starting to sink in. That fantasy crossed my mind, but the moment Mika showed up leading Arius, that possibility vanished completely. As I drifted off to sleep, I prayed that I would be able to accomplish the mission Nagisa secretly entrusted to me for tomorrow…