[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 132

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Shiga Mitsuki. Just Mitsuki is fine.”

The General Student Council’s Treasury Office was surprisingly quiet, contrary to expectations. Chief of Finance, Oki Aoi led me to a corner parlor. The exhausted-looking girl offered me a cup of black tea but didn’t let go of the documents clutched in her hand.

Time to steel myself. The pride of Chronos School’s editorial team doesn’t make mistakes!

I’ve got two requests on my plate. First, Hikari-senpai’s ask: uncover “Oki Aoi’s true intentions.” Find out what plans the General Student Council, which didn’t react to the Tea Party’s hardline stance, is hiding and report back to Hikari-senpai.

Second is the Prefect Team Chairwoman’s request. It sounds odd, but she wants me to dig into the people around the requester herself. Isn’t the relationship chart getting a bit too complicated?

For now, I’d better focus on the interview at hand. Aoi’s got a sensitive personality.

“I heard you wanted to meet about the ‘Non-Aggression Treaty between Trinity General Academy and Gehenna Academy.’ Eden Treaty this, Eden Treaty that, but the formal name’s easier to say. I’d like specifics.”

“Chronos School’s social affairs desk feels the Eden Treaty and the ‘political tensions’ from a few days ago are linked.”

I may have lost influence after being demoted to editorial chief, but I still have my connections. The social affairs chief who took my spot might have a different angle, but we agree on some points.

For instance, the prediction that the General Student Council will lose in a power struggle with Trinity.

“Chronos School’s opinion column prides itself on objectivity. From it, we know the public thinks this: during the Eden Treaty incident, the General Student Council did nothing.”

“I’d like to correct that misconception. Without Sanctum Tower’s authority, how could we intervene?”

“But as far as I know, Sanctum Tower’s authority still lies with Sensei. During the Eden Treaty incident, Sensei was unconscious, so that’s excusable. But why is the Council stepping in now?”

Our academy is practically a giant journalism department with serious intel-gathering power. The Council’s silence during the Abydos and Millennium incidents stands in stark contrast to their stance on Trinity.

Either there’s a secret I don’t know about, or the General Student Council’s up to something.

“I lean toward the latter.”

“Your opinion might hold water, but don’t you think it’s inappropriate to bring up in an interview with the Chief of Finance?”

“That’s exactly why I’m here, isn’t it?”

Chronos School’s raison d’être is digging up secrets. Raiding a shady company’s warehouse to expose a poppy manufacturing operation, standing in the heart of conflict to unearth the parties’ true feelings and share them with the world—that’s us.

Behold our achievements! Wander D.U.’s streets, and you’ll see people reading our papers and cursing. We don’t judge them. They’re all customers.

Even those who insult our academy online or slam the morning paper on the ground—they’re customers too.

We just live a bit smarter. Why waste bullets on them? Even Red Winter Federal Academy students have that much sense. The world has only two types: readers and potential readers.

“Anyway, I hope this interview eases tensions between Trinity’s autonomous district and the General Student Council.”

Oki Aoi’s known as a hardline stickler for principles. As head of the Treasury, the most critical department in any organization, who’d dismiss her rise from the bottom of the Administrative Committee? Not me, that’s for sure.

Years of climbing to the top, with considerable social clout—does anyone think she’s clueless?

“…Sigh, fine.”

Checkmate. She let out a deep sigh and set down her documents, signaling she’d engage more actively in the interview.

If only she’d started with that attitude. It’s been over ten minutes already. If this were Hikari-senpai, we’d have wrapped up the interview and been negotiating censorship over dinner by now.

Oh well. I’ll make it worth my while.

I’m not about to disappoint Hikari-senpai. There’s no profit in that. Alright, monumental first question.

“Who does the General Student Council think is the real power behind Trinity’s autonomous district?”

***

Mineyuki Setsune fell from grace. Formally, it was a resignation after her arrest, but no administrator believes it was voluntary.

The Eden Treaty incident was the pretext. Ryukoji Misuzu’s Filius faction and Miyamizu Arisa’s Sanctus faction—the Tea Party’s anti-war opposition was obliterated, nearly sparking a full-scale war with Gehenna.

I don’t think it was a bad call. I’m certain there wasn’t even the slightest mistake. Given how things played out, it had to be Gehenna that ambushed Tonggong’s High Cathedral.

Until this damned misfortune twisted everything. My God, it wasn’t Gehenna?

It was definitely Gehenna. It had to be them! Then Arius Branch School pops up out of nowhere, and the Border Checkpoint, which I thought shared our student sentiments, turns their blades on us!

Where did it all go wrong? No, I didn’t mess up. Mineyuki Setsune was just a girl swept up by fate. If I’d taken the wrong path, could I have risen to Pater faction leader?

Mika-sama didn’t want war with Gehenna. Unexpectedly, Yamatsu-senpai was also anti-war.

They all changed. Arius Branch School fell, and hearings were held. The girl we idolized stepped down from faction leadership, now living as one of Trinity General Academy’s countless students.

Kirifuji Nagisa… even after her return, Yamatsu-senpai’s authority remains unshaken. Do you know how prestigious the “Trinity General Academy proxy” title is? Some might think Nagisa’s the one being led around.

Pater remembers everything. The leadership may have fallen, but not all administrators were replaced.

Who among the students who witnessed that catastrophe would stay silent? It was an illegal coup. Declaring martial law in the Tea Party and deploying troops? Damn it, thinking post-approval fixes everything is the problem!

Though Nagisa moved past it, resolving the issue, things would be different if we exposed it all to the press. I—I reached out to the Guard for Trinity’s sake. Unlike her.

Who’d equate suppressing students under a hollow cause with a patriotic decision?

“Our numbers are small, but it’s already begun.”

“Wasn’t it a bit hasty, though? Mika-sama’s hearing is less than a week away. Honestly, we’re short on time. To secure legal grounds, a few more days—”

“Nobusuke-san.”

Eek—the grumbling girl, who hadn’t questioned my ability, shut her mouth. Why poke the bear?

Pater usually uses clubrooms assigned by the Tea Party, but we also have privately operated safehouses. We’re not the only ones—Filius and Sanctus have similar setups.

A clean space, free of bugs or CCTV. Seeing a handful of administrators poring over Trinity’s canon law might seem terrifying to some… but no. Absolutely not.

My faction members and I are engaged in highly productive work: preparing “legal grounds” to target Yamatsu-senpai.

The problem is, it’s not about law but a hearing. You can’t have the Justice Task Force arrest a club leader for violating canon law. Sure, I was arrested for treason, but that doesn’t sit right with me.

Convincing the hearing chair is tough. They’re sharper on law than anyone and leave little room for compromise.

What to do? Either sway public opinion in the gallery to pressure the chair or present undeniable legal evidence to shut down objections. Both are grueling trials.

…Still, I’ve got to try.

I can’t stop sharpening the blade of vengeance. The Pater train has tilted, and balancing or defying gravity on it is impossible. It’s already begun.

I know my limits. Staging another coup with Mika-sama is impossible. Joining hands with Arius is even more horrific. War with Gehenna? Is there even a cause to sway post-war opinion?

So, let’s target just her—Yamatsu Hikari. It’s the simplest option, relatively speaking.

Mineyuki Setsune’s political life is already over.

Donggwi-eojin—mutual destruction. The Pater faction’s hawks, including me, can no longer be Tea Party executives or part of the Tea Party, but she’d better be ready to lose her leadership post too.

Oh, right. What do they call this on internet forums?

“This is a Mak’gora. Honor tradition. Keep fighting.”

Yamatsu Hikari.

Taste Pater’s wrath, just a little.