[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 139

Alright, let’s tackle an autonomous district with murky legal status under the Federal Cadet Council: Arius Autonomous District.

The Eden Treaty incident plunged us into an unprecedented crisis. Most Tea Party administrators were evacuated or went missing, causing a massive administrative void. Internal factions suspecting Gehenna’s involvement attempted a coup.

A war-like event erupted in Trinity’s heart. From the ruins of what was once Tonggong’s High Cathedral, endless Mimetic creatures—whatever those are—chewed through shells.

Rumors, exaggerated or not, flooded communities and the Tea Party. I couldn’t even see what was in front of me.

A conflict to end all conflicts—their student council president must’ve been certain. Trinity faced a war it never wanted, stumbling when the crisis hit.

And, well…

The Border Checkpoint made a decision that should never be condoned. At least, I think so.

To clear the fog, we had to break canon law. A coup—now that I say it, Pater and maybe even Nagisa-sama’s radical administrators did exactly what they suspected.

Many found my constitutional restoration miraculous. Well, I don’t have the power to be omnipotent. Want to be Caesar or whatever? Damn it, I didn’t care. My alma mater was crumbling—how could I focus on that?

And… from my perspective, it’s been a long time. Many events, many measures.

Through those measures and the British Operation, the crisis was resolved, but debates rage over how it was handled. Expel them? Lock them in a dungeon or hang them?

The land itself is a point of contention. With justification, should we annex it directly, install a puppet leader for indirect rule as a dominion or branch school, or—crazily—scrap existing treaties and sell it to another district?

Madness. It’s not like we’re taking Abydos’s desert corner. How do you negotiate a territory purchase of that scale?

The Tea Party hasn’t decided anything. Sorting out internal factions like Pater was urgent, and military governance proved effective. Oddly, there’s no military governor.

The so-called “Arius Military Administration.” Forget restoration—it’s busy building barracks, a massive budget sink. How do we develop this place into something noteworthy on video-sharing platforms? For now, it’s just a concept.

I desperately want to normalize it, but a ton of obstacles block my path.

First, public sentiment’s plummeted to hell’s ceiling. More accurately, “sentiment recovery” hasn’t even started. Students wander ruins, hoping to stumble upon a ration base.

Arius Branch School hasn’t had basic infrastructure for centuries. Food shortages and vast communication dead zones are dire. Our response? Damn, how have these kids survived?

It’s like staring at an uncivilized era.

Building security barracks and ration stations comes first. A relatively small project, so Trinity will handle it.

Of course, food supply must start sooner. Even Kivotos students, bulletproof as they are, starve equally. No cake? Bread. No bread? Porridge.

The only two functioning ministries—Arius’s War Department and Ammunition Supply, or rather, a glorified arms dealer. The former needs a decision on the senior administrator who ordered surrender; the latter’s a bigger issue than public perception suggests.

The Tea Party doesn’t want more guerrilla warfare, so do we really need to supply them ammo?

Sure, guns are essential for students. Ahem.

But as I said, Trinity’s tired of bleeding. Arius students are labeled “terrorists” or “war criminals” at their core. Some are likely planning it.

Most are out of ammo, yet the Ammunition Supply keeps providing since the ceasefire. I’ve agonized over this for hours—time to consult Nagisa-sama.

Moving to the next issue.

Full-scale restoration. How do we rebuild such a vast district? Unlike the central city, which retains some urban form, outer training camps are practically rubble. Should we demolish them?

Worrying about this before assigning a restoration department might be premature, but what can a political dunce like me do?

The bigger issue: Trinity’s industrial capacity is tanking post-crisis. Restoring all of Arius might be too much. A slight worry about… overdemand!

Excess is never good. Ask an economics-major administrator for details.

Should we call in external architects? Hmm, I’d need to ask Nagisa-sama. It’s too big for me—failure would bring serious backlash.

Sorting my thoughts, I eyed the pile of documents on my desk. Sayuri-san and Hanako were practically passed out.

What a mess.

Reaching for the top, I had to tiptoe—I’m tall, mind you! Hmm, a letter from the Sisterhood.

“…Oh ho.”

This calls for summoning the convent’s proxy tomorrow.

***

“This is urgent. If not handled swiftly, the Sisterhood can’t guarantee further support.”

Sakurako-sama’s proxy was resolute.

“Of course, we don’t represent the Tea Party, but why bring this up now? Arius students could pose a religious issue. Remember, we’re already housing hundreds.”

The Sisterhood’s weekly blasted the Tea Party’s “anti-scriptural” actions, warning they won’t stand idly by as heretics are brought into the academy. At least segregate or expel them.

I perked up. If Arius is the issue, how did Matsushiro-san or Rinko-san—those polite friends—slip through?

This should’ve been raised right after Mika-sama’s coup. Arius isn’t small-scale. Over 300 students were arrested and sent to the checkpoint, all reported to the Sisterhood. Why now?

“Trinity has more than enough on its plate. Why not handle it internally, Sisterhood?”

“If it were that simple, complaints wouldn’t leak from the Tea Party. We’re not new to this. We expect appropriate administrative action to satisfy our faith.”

What “administrative action” do they expect to warrant such harsh words? Sakurako-sama’s conservative, not the type to unsettle with radical reactions. Her stance couldn’t have changed.

What can I do? My response is clear.

“The Tea Party might not satisfy the Sisterhood’s ‘faith.’ My apologies to Sakurako-sama.”

Let’s be honest. The Tea Party’s swamped, like a storm of flyers. Weeks after the Eden Treaty, we haven’t even started renegotiations, and both Trinity and Arius are pouring everything into recovery.

No time to be swayed by trivial issues. Between the General Student Council, Schale, Gehenna, Millennium, and the Black Market, I’m hitting my administrative limits.

My answer didn’t sit well. The proxy pushed back fiercely.

“But…! This isn’t simple. Do you know how divided the Sisterhood is over Arius Branch School?! I’m here because of Sakurako-sama’s earnest warning!”

“Warning?”

“If this continues, things might not go as Hikari-san wants.”

…Meaning it’s not His will? The Sisterhood’s a church, not a charity, and inherently conservative. Is Arius that hateful to them?

This might be rude, but it feels like dealing with Pater.

“…Then what’s your stance, Proxy?”

“I prioritize the situation over personal feelings. Beat them or lift their heresy—whatever works.”

A shockingly pragmatic claim from a nun. Sure, students draw conservative-progressive lines even in the Sisterhood, but still—nuns! Surprising.

“I can’t promise anything today. How about next week? Hopefully, the fire dies down.”

“We can wait until hell freezes over, so don’t worry.”

The proxy gave a chilling smile and left. A brief silence followed.

Phew, life.

***

Trinity General Academy: On the Arius Military Administration Under Occupation

The resolution, passed by a majority of voters in today’s provisional vote, is hereby promulgated upon the Host’s deliberation.

Tea Party Host, Kirifuji Nagisa