[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 9

After reading Ritsuko-chan’s Momotalk, I hurriedly hitched a ride back.

I expected the checkpoint to be a complete mess, but surprisingly, it was fine. The problem, as expected, was the Leyland Hifumi truck. It was gone without a trace, and based on the messages, it seems the Sisterhood took it.

This isn’t good. Today was the day we were supposed to properly mount the L118 howitzer on the truck.

Once a schedule gets messed up, we have to pick another day when the Gehenna kids aren’t likely to come cause trouble. If we’re lucky, we can get a truck or something else to work with… but that’s how it goes. The border checkpoint operates on constant readiness, so scheduling is a pain.

“Senpai’s here!!”

“Senpai, over here, over here!”

I spotted the juniors at the entrance to the break room. Ritsuko-chan looked like she was about to cry, and Sayuri-san seemed pretty angry.

I get it—I’d feel the same. The person who swiped the truck was nowhere to be seen when the incident blew up.

Based on the Momotalk timestamps, it looks like Sakurako-sama stormed the checkpoint right around the time I was charging toward the cake truck. Adrenaline’s to blame, clearly.

“Uwaaah, I thought I was gonna die when Sakurako-sama showed up! I was so scared…”

“I felt the same, but why didn’t you pick up your phone? Sakurako-sama was asking where you were, and both of us were too scared to say anything!”

Oh, they weren’t mad—they were frustrated. That makes me feel even worse. Honestly, it’s not just any boss; it’s like a general showing up, and the captain’s gone. Anyone in their shoes would feel wronged.

I’ve been through it a few times myself. Like when Mika-sama burst through the checkpoint headquarters’ wall, and Itsuka-senpai was on leave. Mika-sama patted my back for “explaining well,” which got me three weeks of medical leave, but I survived, so it felt good.

Probably.

“I was causing a ruckus for the Miracle 5000 and noticed a ton of Momotalks afterward. Sorry.”

“I get that, but… so, was the Miracle 5000 good?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

I pulled a Miracle 5000 box out of my bag, and their faces, filled with curiosity, lit up with half surprise, half joy. We went into the break room, set the box on the table, and they immediately grabbed plates and forks like pros.

I actually ate another half on the way because I was hungry, but I’d better not mention that. I’d probably get killed. Next chance I get, I’ll buy them one each.

I watched fondly as the underclassmen munched on the cake pieces.

Munch munch… gulp. “What, senpai, you’re not eating?”

“Watching you guys eat fills me up.”

“Ehh, what’s that? Did you secretly eat some already?”

“Don’t tease me. We need that energy to bring Hifumi-chan back.”

Whether that means stealing it again or just retrieving it, I’m not sure.

Our stance on the Sisterhood is clear. It’s a group with two sides: the caretakers of the Holy Cathedral, whom we deeply respect, and the symbol of Trinity’s secretive nature, whom we dread meeting.

They manage the cathedrals under the Holy Cathedral, listen to students’ worries, and provide community support.

They restore ancient manuscripts, excavate Justina relics from bygone eras, and keep all that information under wraps.

Many students enjoy casually interacting with the Sisterhood, but I’m not sure they’d feel the same about meeting them for official business.

“So that’s why you hate it so much?”

“Exactly, my naive junior. I’m worried they won’t even listen to us and might pull out our fingernails instead.”

I reached the Holy Cathedral entrance quickly but spent nearly ten minutes hesitating. Passing students kept glancing at me, and honestly, even if I wanted to go in, my feet wouldn’t move.

It’s scary enough to make anyone freeze. It’s not just any nun—it’s the Mother Superior I’d have to meet. I’m tempted to just prostrate myself and beg for the howitzer back.

“…Um…”

“Waaah!”

Holy crap, that scared me. I turned around to see a nun standing there. Who’s this, suddenly talking to me?

The kid got spooked too. I’m the one who’s startled, though. Do I look mad right now?

“What’s… no, I mean, what’s the matter?”

“…I was wondering if you had business at the cathedral…”

“I do, but…”

“Senpai, maybe you should just follow her…”

“Eek!”

Whoa, Sayuri-san’s right. These nuns are supposed to be refined, so if she’s this scared, I’m starting to feel guilty.

It’s not really my fault, but people with scary faces sometimes make others feel that way. I get asked if I’m a third-year a lot, too.

“…Fine, let’s go in. Is the Mother Superior inside?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then that’s settled… uh… sorry about that.”

The nun gave me a puzzled look.

We walked inside the High Cathedral for about five minutes. The nun stopped in front of a door and turned her head.

“She should be inside. I’ll take my leave…”

Still scared of me, the nun bolted out of sight like I was charging at her. I suddenly feel like confessing at a confessional.

I knocked, and a familiar “Come in” echoed from inside. It’s the Mother Superior. I opened the door with sweaty, slippery hands and stepped in.

“Loyalty.”

“I’m not your superior, so why the salute?”

It just felt like the vibe called for it. The title of Mother Superior carries such authority, and her presence is so overwhelming—what else could I do? I came here to protest, but now it feels like I’m the one being summoned.

When did I first meet her? I think it was in middle school. We just exchanged passing greetings, so she probably doesn’t remember, but I felt just as intimidated then as I do now.

“Your business… it’s about that, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right… uh, should I start by begging?”

“Begging for what?”

“…About the truck theft.”

I, Yamatsu Hikari, just admitted to being a criminal. I’m so nervous I feel like I need to use formal speech.

If I may explain, the checkpoint doesn’t pay much. Even now, as the leader, it’s not exactly a fortune. I started making homemade cocoa because I love it but couldn’t afford to drink it all month. Sure, it was delicious the first time, and the juniors all raved about it, spreading the word, but I can’t exactly sell it, can I?

So, the point is, Nagisa-sama gave us the howitzer. I accepted it eagerly, but after thinking it over all night, I realized it’s useless. With our personnel backed by the Justice Department’s infinite support, that’s one thing, but we can’t even handle heat dissipation, let alone dodge shells from Gehenna. If a shell misfires like the Gehenna kids’ did last time, we’d have to close the border for at least a week.

Since the cannon can’t move, we’d need to make it mobile or armor it with steel plates. I can weld, but we’re surrounded by mountain paths—where would I find steel plates? So I thought, why not mount it on a vehicle like a tank?

But as I said, we’re broke. Even pooling the checkpoint crew’s money, we’d graduate before we could afford it. Then I remembered a truck I’d seen parked at the Holy Cathedral, unused. So… did I steal it? Well… I thought I’d use it for a good cause…

“You stole it?”

“…Yes.”

That’s right. No matter how much I plead or make excuses, I stole it. By the way, theft is a serious crime under Trinity law.

Sakurako-sama let out a heavy sigh. Maybe it’s because my reason for committing the crime is far more pathetic than she expected. I hope that’s the case.

Oh, she’s standing up. She’s coming closer? She’s coming closer?! Ritsuko-chan and Sayuri-san are freaking out too!

Execution! It’s an execution! Instant death!

“Gyaah! Please, just spare me…!”

“…What?”

Huh? Was I wrong? Sakurako-sama looks completely baffled.

“Weren’t you about to punish us?”

“No, I… sigh, I do get that kind of misunderstanding, but… no. Anyway, follow me.”

I wanted to ask where she was taking us, but her aura silenced me again. The juniors, probably meeting her for the first time, must be stressed out. I reacted the same way when I first met Mika-sama—just walking, no talking.

Where is she taking us, though? We followed the path to her office, exited the Holy Cathedral, and headed to a warehouse in the corner of the grounds…

…This is where I first saw Hifumi-chan! Inside, there she was—Hifumi-chan, fully intact, with the howitzer, shells, and all her parts untouched!

No, don’t act excited. If the Mother Superior’s upset, she could smash Hifumi-chan right in front of us. Stay calm.

“…I thought the truck would’ve been scrapped by now.”

“The Sisterhood isn’t that harsh. It’s the checkpoint’s property, with a field gun mounted on it—how could I touch it?”

Oh, that’s the deeper meaning. My opinion of her just doubled. I’ll bump up the Sisterhood a bit on my favorites list.

“So, what do you want to do with the truck?”

“To be honest, neither I nor the Sisterhood care much about a single truck. We rarely need one for moving things—Hinata-chan’s around, after all. The seizure was just a formality, and besides, the checkpoint borrowing the Sisterhood’s equipment is pretty common.”

“You mean…”

“Yes, I personally don’t have an issue with Hikari-san’s checkpoint owning the truck. With one condition.”

“Thank you so much… uh, what’s the condition?”

“If the Sisterhood requests the truck’s temporary return, the checkpoint should comply without complaint.”

“Oh, that’s it? Got it. I’ll guarantee it as long as I’m in charge. Thank you again for your leniency.”

“Yes. This is just one of many interactions between the checkpoint and the Sisterhood.”

I thought it’d take hours of convincing, pleading, and compromising to get the truck back or at least the howitzer, but it resolved far too easily.

The Mother Superior is now second only to Itsuka-senpai in my respect. That truck’s worth at least ten million yen, and she just gave it over. It’s small compared to the Sisterhood or checkpoint budgets, but it’s a fortune in terms of my salary.

I can’t thank her enough. She turned a two-day ordeal into a one-hour fix. I should treat her to cocoa sometime.

“Can we take possession of it right here?”

“Yes. On paper, it’ll be recorded as a trial run before official transfer.”

“Thank you.”

“Waaah, thank you, Sakurako-sama! I thought I was gonna die when we met, but… sob…”

Whoa, Ritsuko-chan just went full throttle! She’s crying and hugging Sakurako-sama, making a huge scene. Sayuri looks flustered, and Sakurako-sama even more so.

I don’t know if the kid’s having a mental breakdown, but we spent a good ten minutes patting her back to calm her down.

I walked to the Sisterhood, hopped into Hifumi-chan, and drove back to the checkpoint. The best scenario I could’ve imagined came true.

So I’m in a great mood.

“Hey, kids, two cups of cocoa today.”

“Ooh, is this like a bonus, senpai?”

“Can I roast marshmallows too?”

“…Sure, everything’s fine. My juniors sure are greedy.”