[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Q & A

*This is just a q & a with the original author.

<December 2024 Trinity Republic National Address>

…

Hikari: …

Author: So…

Hikari: We’re all in the same boat, so let’s get started. You’ve got a lot on your plate, don’t you?

Author: I’m not busy.

Hikari: …Why?

Author: Want to see my report card to understand?

Hikari: …Sorry.

Author: Let’s begin.

Q: What does the protagonist think about being unfairly treated? Do you feel it’s unjust, or do you think it’s just how things go?

Hikari: Isn’t it obvious? Back then, I couldn’t understand why Nagisa-san and Hanako acted like that. It made no sense to suspect me. …But, well, now I kind of…

Author: You understand how people see you?

Hikari: …Is there anything worse than making me say embarrassing things?

Author: Just kidding. But picking up a shotgun right away? Really?

Q: Are there any moderates in the Pater Faction in the story who oppose war?

Hikari: There were a few. Some allied with Filius and Sanctus, saying Sanctus should lead politics, that we shouldn’t antagonize Gehenna but attack Red Winter instead. Of course, there were also anti-war folks shouting about pacifism.

Author: What did they do during the coup?

Hikari: They were holding out with Director Arisa.

Q: How strong is the protagonist, roughly?

Hikari: I could probably hold my own against Suzumi-san or the Public Safety Bureau Chief. …Wait, why is this even a question?

Author: A lot of people were impressed by you getting wrecked by Mika… Sorry.

Hikari: Don’t make me grab the shotgun! One more word, and I’d have loaded the chamber!

Q: If the protagonist got irreversibly angry, would you start a rebellion or just quit the club and disappear?

Hikari: …Why are you asking me?

Author: The readers’ call, right?

Hikari: Sigh… Would I really go crazy and start a coup? Who crushed the Pater leadership?

Author: But the side story has you starting a rebellion.

Hikari: That’s why I’m saying, why’d you write that without my permission?!

(Loud static)

Q: What’s the author’s impression of Gehenna and Trinity students?

Author: I like Gehenna students too. Trinity goes without saying. Iori and Hina level up nicely, so no complaints there. Mika and Nagisa… Well, I like Nagisa. Of course, I like Mika too.

Hikari: Saying that in front of me… Hmm, never mind. I think Hina’s fine anyway.

Author: No comment on Hina’s head.

Hikari: Say that in front of her, and even Sensei won’t be able to defend you. Just saying.

Q: Any plans to write a side story about Hikari’s fall (coup or corruption)?

Author: Not right now, but I might consider it. I wasn’t happy with the first side story’s quality.

Hikari: How many times do I have to say, don’t talk about that in front of me!

Author: It’s fun.

Hikari:Want me to kill you for fun?

Q: What about fanfiction (for both the author and Hikari)?

Hikari: …Master, should I take him out?

Author: For reference, I’m a blue background with white stripes.

Hikari: Are you insane?

Q: What’s the protagonist’s favorite food?

Hikari: I’m not picky. Administrators in the city seem fussy, but I’ve got a beggar’s palate.

Author: Saying that makes it sound like the author half-assed your setting.

Hikari: Well… Sigh. So, what’s your favorite food, Author?

Author: I’m not picky either.

Hikari: …Why’s it only me getting grilled?

Q: What’s the students’ reputation of the protagonist?

Author: I knew you’d ask, so I conducted interviews. Survey results from Border Checkpoint members like Morishita Sayuri-san and Kawasaki Ritsuko: “Lunatic Leader” with 378 votes, “Definitely spiked the cocoa with drugs” with 430 votes…

Hikari: What?! How’d you get into the Checkpoint?! No way Yuzuki-san would’ve let you…

Author: As for the Tea Party, Host Kirifuji Nagisa’s “A student who’d burn the world to make Trinity the greatest academy” took the crown—Argh!!

Hikari: Get over here! It’s all a conspiracy, your lies!

(Loud static)

Q: Is Hikari good with economics?

Hikari: I’m hopeless with economics. For sure.

Author: …

Hikari: What? Why aren’t you arguing?

Q: What if Hikari were part of Gehenna’s Border Patrol?

Author: Side story.

Q: I’m really curious about Hikari’s motif.

Author: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly. Initially, it was loosely based on Jack Churchill’s anecdotes, but as the story progressed, an authoritarian (…) image got layered on. Characters that likely influenced her include Darth Sidious, figures from Andor and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and countless historical figures. In the novel, naming specifics might get my head chopped off, so let’s gloss over it.

Q: Any thoughts or words from the author after coming this far?

Author: Hikari appeared in a dream once. If the serialization stops suddenly, please assume I’ve been possessed.

Q: The protagonist’s favorite food?

Hikari: I’m serious, I’m not picky. I eat everything.

Author: Even raw onions?

Hikari: No. 

Q: The protagonist’s hobbies?

Hikari: Lately, I’m chained to the Tea Party, so no time, but until recently, I was playing the bagpipes in the Checkpoint’s open lot.

Author: Playing bagpipes, making cocoa, admiring forests, floating a boat on the lake to hunt birds with a double-barrel shotgun…

Q: How do other schools’ student councils or armed groups view Hikari?

Hikari: Gehenna, I don’t know. Millennium probably doesn’t care. Their student council president hides her name anyway, so someone like me’s no big deal.

Author: At least the Pandemonium Society’s chair sees you as a target for revenge. Red Winter’s secretary might be interested too.

Q: When will Trinity’s student-worker revolution happen?

Author: Hikari, activate “Purge the Reds.”

Hikari: Wash your neck and wait. I’ll track your IQ and take you down.

Q: If Hikari enrolled in Red Winter Federal Academy?

Author: Side story.

Q: If Hikari joined the mercenary club?

Author: Side story.

Q: If Hikari joined another club?

Author: Side story.

Q: What does Hikari think of mutual academic destruction?

Hikari: That? …What’s that, Author?

Author: (Rough explanation)

Hikari: …War deterrence? Sounds better than I thought. If only we could solve the firepower issue.

Q: When will that damn L85 be replaced?

Hikari: It’s been weeks since those Pater (censored) (censored) submitted the request, and they haven’t budged an inch! Those (censored)…

Author: Calm down. Next question.

Q: What’s Hikari’s opinion on dropping white phosphorus cluster incendiaries on heretic crowds (protesters in slang)?

Hikari: Tried it a few times. Works well, but it singes city buildings, so Nagisa-san chewed me out. Still, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. The Checkpoint’s got about 50,000 rounds.

Q: What did Hikari do in the previous arc?

Author: Started “the war to end all wars.” Resisted most fiercely.

Q: I want to see the community’s reaction to Hikari’s story, performance, and memes in a world where she’s released.

Author: Thanks to you, I’m considering a side story, but I can write a bit now.

***

✪ This guy’s straight-up insane lolololol

ㅇㅇ 12.24 10:40

(Eden Treaty Chapter 3 screenshot)

Starting a coup because a war’s coming, what the hell lolololol

Likes: 38 Dislikes: 1

• KirifujiNagisa: Newbie alert.
• ㅇㅇ: Turning crap into epic chaos.
• ㅇㅇ: (Suzumi throwing a flashbang)

✪ Holy crap?

Komekon 12.3 10:38

(Random Pepe meme)

Goddamn Hikari!!!!!!!

Likes: 129 Dislikes: 8

• PajamaMika: We’re screwed.

 

✪ Gotta praise this one, hit like lolololol

BigHead 12.4 12:41

(Hikari illustration)

Declared legitimate martial law, crushed anti-national forces (for real), and maintained power.

GREAT HIKARI

Likes: 221 Dislikes: 3

• ㅇㅇ: Comment hidden from Checkpoint IP.
  ┗ ㅇㅇ: Private comment.
• JomaLad: Is Hidoo-hwan here?

***

More will be shown in a side story.

Q: When’s Hikari’s wiki update?

Author: Hopefully within this year?

Hikari: There’s a week left.

Q: What about an IF Pandemonium Society Hikari’s Black Concert (orchestra)?

Author: Added to the side story list.

Q: I want to see Hikari losing it and starting a coup.

Author: I wrote one side story, and since it happened in the main story (…), a second one wouldn’t be hard. Side story.

Q: What motivated you to write the novel?

Author: I wanted to write a Genshin Impact parody about a Mondstadt grandpa. Didn’t make it past 8 episodes. Taught me that writing without a plan falls apart early, so I started churning out prologues—80 or 90, probably. Took a while.

Two years later, I started Blue Archive. Wanted to try another parody, this time about an Abydos grandpa. Didn’t pass 20 episodes. Still feel bad about it.

Around the time the remake was indefinitely delayed—three days after the announcement, to be exact—I wrote the prologue.

I swear, the author had no plan.

But piling fantasies on fantasies, I grew attached. Swapped the cover’s logo and title for a Trinity backdrop with a bagpipe-playing colonel—one reader said it was memorable.

Still, I had no plan when writing the prologue. Looking at 600-character episodes now, I can’t fathom how it grew this big.

Episodes 1 and 2 suggest I was thinking of a slice-of-life. Now it’s a political drama.

Going to Millennium was a simple thought. I was fixated on Hippo-chan then—not the Checkpoint, but the A-122 self-propelled gun I saw on Namu Wiki, just gorgeous. Trinity didn’t seem right, so I threw in a cheat: “How’d they make a gun like that? The Engineering Club dumped all the budget into it!” Not sure if it’s plausible.

Anyway… passing 100 episodes means I managed okay. Never dreamed it’d run this long.

Q: What would Hikari be doing if she weren’t at the Border Patrol?

Hikari: I’ve got no special talents, so probably just attending chapel classes like normal.

Author: If you sold cocoa in the city, you’d be Miracle 5000’s 2nd Company.

Hikari: No way. I didn’t spike it… Wait, why’re you looking at me like that?

Q: War! Never war!

Hikari: …What’s the author talking about?

Author: You.

Hikari: …?

Q: Any plans for the next side story?

Author: Lots to write.

Q: Do you like military dumplings?

Hikari: Everyone loves dumplings, right?

Q: What do you think about free three-meals-a-day confinement?

Author: Free meals? …Wait, why’re we talking about—

Hikari: Hey! You can’t kidnap the author! Get over here—

(Loud static)

Q: Hey, friend! Did you know a lemon has exactly one lemon’s worth of vitamin C?

Hikari: You could make a gag like, “The Pater Faction’s got as many diehard conservatives as itself.” Haha.

Author: That’s just true.

Q: Saying you want to serialize up to 200 or 300 episodes—does that mean you’ll continue even after the Eden Treaty ends?

Hikari: You’re a greedy author, haha.

Author: Done.

Hikari: Yeah, fewer questions than I thought.

Author: Had to save a lot for side stories.

Hikari: That’s not my problem.

Author: …Say something to the readers.

Hikari: Uh… Thanks for reading so far?

Author: That’s my line.

Hikari: Sigh. Well then… I know you’re out there, Saori, you four. Come running, and I’ll spare you from expulsion.

Author: …Sigh.