[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 108

The hospital is far from the Tea Party chamber.

In a world where the sun had set and dawn had broken, I was wandering. Descending the stairs, I brushed past an administrator who snapped to attention in surprise, heading straight for the main gate.

The streets were devoid of even the faintest hum of a car. It was a time when most had fallen asleep.

I had no choice but to run. As the Trinity Proxy, protocol dictated traveling in a mid-sized sedan for safety, but this wasn’t the time to cling to school regulations. Besides, there wasn’t a single student around to stop me.

I didn’t care that my white-blue uniform was getting dirty—Arisa-san had practically forced me into it just before the martial law repeal talks. My feet pounded the ground. Piles of debris littered the city, evidence of ongoing reconstruction.

The hospital—or rather, the Relief Knights’ clubroom—was about 0.8 miles away. A considerable distance.

But what choice did I have? As a member of the Border Checkpoint, I’d honed my stamina for moments like this. Even if I burned it all here, I had to see Nagisa-san.

Why, you ask? Isn’t it obvious? To me, Nagisa-san isn’t just a superior. I’m sure the other club leaders feel the same. She’s… special. Just like Mika-san was.

The Tea Party Host is the embodiment of Trinity General School’s sovereignty. A goddess of authority, the epitome of mystique.

As the leader of the Border Checkpoint serving her, I bear the responsibility of failing to foresee the High Cathedral incident. It’s not about whether counterintelligence falls under the jurisdiction of the intelligence division or oversteps it. This is a broader issue.

Maybe it’s not just about responsibility. Perhaps it’s… psychological guilt.

Nagisa-san placed her trust in the student known as “Captain Hikari” Of course, that trust was forged through a tumultuous process, and some might hesitate to call it true trust, but by Tea Party standards, it was remarkable.

Moreover, she’s the student council president of her alma mater—a position requiring the utmost sensitivity. Letting go of suspicion demands profound resolve.

She trusts me. She supports me and doesn’t shift blame onto me. Since implementing counterintelligence measures across Trinity, Kirifuji Nagisa has been the Tea Party’s greatest patron.

I haven’t yet repaid her adequately.

If she had passed away, I would’ve been devastated. I might’ve faltered, unable to move forward, stumbling in circles. We’ve spent so much time together—enough to let her into my heart.

I won’t let her lifeline be severed.

I swear it.

Never.

The Relief Knights’ clubroom had only a few lit rooms. As I entered the lobby, Serina-san recognized me.

“…! Hi, Hikari-san—no, Hikari-sama…”

“Forget the formalities. Where is Nagisa-san?”

The girl hesitated briefly before pointing to the stairs on the right. I saw a group of students midway up, but Nagisa-san was nowhere in sight.

“Oh…! She’s in the top-floor special ward. She’s resting now, so—”

“Thank you.”

I began climbing the stairs immediately. The Knight Order’s clubroom rivaled a city general hospital in scale—thanks to Mine-san’s “relief” efforts. I ascended some fifty meters of steps.

Exhausted, I paused at a landing to catch my breath before moving again, taking several minutes.

At the door to the Relief Knights’ clubroom, 10th floor, labeled “Special Ward: Kirifuji Nagisa,” I stopped. My mind was flooded with thoughts. I hadn’t expected this.

What if she’s sleeping? Would I be a nuisance?

What do I do once I’m inside? Ask if she’s okay? Or tell her I’ve become the Proxy? No, asking about her health seems better, but there’s also the matter of Mika-san.

If I bring up Mika-san, I’ll have to talk about the Pater Faction… Oh, and Misuzu-san too.

Would it be okay to tell her about Misuzu-san’s past life? Since Nagisa-san trusts her, she might believe it—but what if she asks Misuzu-san later and she denies it? Would that be my fault?

No, think this through. I need to organize what I’ll say to Nagisa-san—

“—Is someone there?”

…

I—Hikari Yamatsu—opened the hospital room door. Nagisa-san was there, sitting on the bed in a patient’s gown.

“…Hikari-san?”

“…”

For some reason, words wouldn’t come.

The bandage on Nagisa-san’s arm caught my eye. The dampness soaking my back became noticeable. All the thoughts I’d had until now seemed to vanish.

The corner of my vision felt like it was blurring—

So, I raised my right hand, holding it vertically, fingertips touching my earlobe.

“Loyalty.”

***

I sat on a chair in the corner of the room. Nagisa-san was reading the Chronos School student newsletter.

“…”

She’d regained consciousness just before I was informed, apparently. The attending physician had ordered an immediate call to the Proxy, and an administrator from the Tea Party chamber had rushed to deliver the news. I owe the doctor my personal thanks.

Serina-san brought the physician. After hearing about the Host’s condition, I suggested adjusting her discharge date and received a positive response.

Nagisa-san requested an embargo on the news. I insisted the Tea Party chamber needed to know. I called the administrator who’d informed me and explained the situation. She seemed quite shocked.

It took two hours to put out the urgent fires—I only briefly mentioned the Pater Faction issue. The details required documents from the Tea Party chamber, so there was no helping it. Instead, I grabbed a newspaper from the lobby.

I wasn’t sure if the student newsletter suited Nagisa-san’s tastes. It was hard to gauge her expression.

“That uniform suits you well.”

Her sudden remark caught me off guard, and I stammered.

“Oh—uh, yes. Arisa-san made me wear it.”

“I know you’re close with the communications room’s director. Perhaps I should invite her to the Tea Party.”

…Would she even come?

“The attending physician told me a lot about you, Hikari-san. They said you were entrusted with full authority at the Tea Party.”

“It’s been a lot.”

“I think you’ve worked hard. You were the one who issued the warning about the Arius Branch, weren’t you?”

I was the one who passed the documents through the Tea Party, but that was more Nagato-senpai’s achievement, with me just carrying the torch. Even if she’s an alcoholic, her skills are undeniable.

And the Proxy role… I thought I was going to die. Especially before the cabinet reshuffle.

If it weren’t for Hanako, I might’ve collapsed from overwork at the Checkpoint Headquarters before the High Cathedral incident ended. The fact that Nagisa-san endured such responsibilities is awe-inspiring—even now, I admire her.

“I was shocked when the Tea Party first contacted me. They said I’d suddenly become the most senior.”

“For someone so surprised, you navigated the crisis skillfully.”

“It was only possible because Sensei worked miracles. The collapse of the front lines was unexpected. As the Tea Party Host, I feel I should express my gratitude.”

I should also thank Hifumi-san and the students from Abydos High School. They were the heroes of the main gate offensive.

The conversation gradually shifted to the war. The Arius Branch School—Hanako’s uncanny intuition shone through—their deceptive tactics, and peripheral matters. I knew I had to bring up the Pater Faction.

“…There was an unfortunate incident at the Tea Party. The Pater Faction was behind it.”

“The coup, you mean?”

What—how does she know?

“Heh, it was in the newspaper.”

“To think you read Chronos… Yes, Setsune-san made quite a bold move. They’re calling it the ‘Trinity Constitutional Crisis’ in the press. And there was another unfortunate incident.”

“If you’re calling your suppression of them unfortunate, I’d suggest rephrasing.”

She really knows everything.

“I hope it’s enough that I’m not questioning the Border Checkpoint’s actions. Not as the Filius Faction leader, but as a Tea Party administrator. The Proxy is, nominally, the commander-in-chief.”

Nagisa-san pressed the call button. After a moment, an administrator entered with two cups of tea.

“Have some. A thank-you for visiting.”

“Thank you.”

A cup of Yorkshire Gold tea. I stirred in warm milk. The sweet, potato-like flavor was comforting.

“Good tea.”

“Thank you. What I’m trying to say is, you’ve done well. And I want you to keep doing well.”

“…I’m sorry, did I mishear?”

Nagisa-san set down her tea and looked me straight in the eye. Her light brown gaze met mine.

“Let’s call it a test.”

“…”

“I want you to keep wearing that uniform. At least until I’m discharged. I’m watching you.”

…She’s not joking.

“Be my proxy, Hikari-san. Please.”