[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 143

Regarding the Arius Military Administration under Trinity General Academy

The following resolution, passed with a majority of votes from eligible voters and a majority of those votes in favor during today’s provisional vote, is hereby promulgated after deliberation by the Military Governor of Arius.

Yamatsu Hikari, Military Governor of Arius

***

“It’s strange. Didn’t we say they were most likely in the Black Market? Did we mess up somewhere?”

A girl with black hair, a black uniform, and half-closed eyes revealing only dark eyelids. Yes, that’s Nakamasa Ichika from Trinity General Academy’s Justice Task Force. She’s in quite a perplexing situation, as we haven’t found a certain girl despite days of searching.

They called her the Princess of the Arius Branch, didn’t they? Hikari-san—somehow, it feels right to use honorifics—ordered us to bring her in. The Justice Task Force decided to fully support this.

The problem is… whether we decide or not, we need clues to find her! These people left no trace whatsoever!

We borrowed some help from the Strategy Office through the Tea Party’s intervention, but we’re still in a situation where we have to scour this vast city. At this rate, the underclassmen will collapse from exhaustion before we find Atsuko-san. This won’t do.

“You’re working hard. I’m sorry about this. The checkpoint team is diligently searching too, so please bear with it a little longer.”

“Got it… Are we sure they’re in the Black Market?”

Just in case, I asked. If their traces were found somewhere other than this city, wouldn’t that mean the Justice Task Force, including me, has been wasting our efforts? That’d be too unfortunate for the underclassmen.

“I can assure you. The Arius Squad is under a city-wide manhunt, so they have nowhere else to go. They know better than anyone that heading to Trinity or Gehenna would be suicidal. To evade the General Student Council’s surveillance, the Black Market is their only option.”

Hikari-san was trying to bolster our resolve. I could feel her sincerity, so I just smiled.

“…Haha! Alright, we’ll search with all we’ve got. Even if we don’t find their location by nightfall, there’s always tomorrow, right? I’m glad Hikari-san—there was a weird vibe when I used honorifics before—gave us plenty of time.”

“I’ll say it again, I’m sorry. Arius… she’s an important figure to us too.”

I think I understand, even without her saying it.

“But I’ll contact you with good news before Friday. After that, how about treating the team to a meal?”

“Haha, I know an amazing izakaya near the Tea Party’s area. I heard Hifumi-san was among the recent customers. If Ichika-san is okay with it, how about inviting Nagisa-sama to join? I’ll suggest it to her.”

Hikari-san’s sly joke. She’s still so… businesslike, almost like a CEO. When we first met, I thought she was dreaming of the Red Winter Federal Academy or something, but she’s a good person.

“Your jokes are funny.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

…

Wait, it wasn’t?

***

“…So, I’m sorry for the interruption due to the phone call.”

“It’s fine. It happens often.”

Sakurako-sama calmly emptied her cup. The phone call that disrupted the lively atmosphere was a bit regrettable, but a river of conversation flows without interruption. At least it didn’t capsize, so it’s fine.

Why did she come all the way to Arius? To devise solutions for the ongoing “Arius Problem,” the Sisterhood’s leader personally made the trip.

It’s a difficult issue. A knot of political and social complexities, not something resolved in one or two meetings.

The debate boils down to this: Despite multiple councils held since the First Ecumenical Council, Trinity General Academy has never lifted the designation of the Arius Branch as heretics, leaving no legal basis to accept them.

What a pity, truly a pity. Both the supporters and opponents have their own grounds and convictions.

I can’t say I’m uninvolved in this matter. Though I, as a member of the Luther Branch—wonder what that branch leader I met once is up to these days—have never revealed religious ideologies, it was undeniably me who subjugated them.

The Eden Treaty Incident ruined everything. “Beatrice,” who mocked Trinity General Academy and brought it to the brink of collapse—Sensei says she’s a monster—has vanished, but her influence lingers. It feels like we haven’t finished the final chapter of a game.

Sakurako-sama reportedly spent several sleepless nights over this issue. Well then, time to roll up our sleeves and dive in.

“Do you know the current atmosphere at the Tea Party?”

“Oh, since Hikari-san is working at the Arius Military Administration, you wouldn’t know. The Cathedral and the Tea Party are both embroiled in heated debates over Arius. I heard even Nagisa-sama and Seia-sama discussed this issue.”

“They say Arius is a place apart from Trinity. It’s peaceful here. I’m the only one working… at least, excluding the restoration team.”

I tried to lighten the mood with a small joke, but it fell flat. Damn it, you need a sense of humor to make people laugh.

“…So, what does Sakurako-sama think?”

“It’s definitely not an issue to handle lightly. The sisters on the opposing side focus on the fact that Arius was branded heretics and expelled centuries ago. Personally, I’d like to embrace Arius, but the opposition is so fierce…”

I’m a community person too. I don’t spend hours in dozens of communities like the people in the city—don’t have the time!—but I do some “lurking,” as they say.

I saw it. People completely uninvolved in politics arguing over the Arius issue, racking up thousands of comments.

Wow, is this the power of human conviction?

It’s not just Trinity General Academy’s problem. Since the Finance Office is auditing the Arius Military Administration’s restoration policies—admittedly, partly to target that angle—the General Student Council is still entangled in this. Add Gehenna Academy, deeply involved through the Eden Treaty Incident—mostly resolved except for border armament issues—along with Trinity’s numerous branch schools and Millennium, which sent a surprise “Hippo-chan Mk.II” gift.

And if you include Sensei, tied to this through a few 223 Rem bullets, it’s clearly an international issue.

It’s a disgustingly complicated mess. Before my promotion, my only political experience was saluting for Nagisa-sama, so how am I supposed to solve this— I want to scream, but I’ve done well so far, so maybe I should tackle it with confidence.

What I must remember is not to drag this out. The moment Arius’s subordination becomes a prolonged issue, all our past efforts and future plans will unravel… Damn that Black Market.

“How about the Tea Party and Sisterhood issuing a joint statement?”

“Even then, the opposition won’t subside. This issue is directly tied to the First Ecumenical Council. It could end up splitting the academy in two—a fatal mistake we couldn’t undo.”

“…It’s a tough problem.”

To be honest, this isn’t something two people can solve in a day’s discussion. How long did it take to finalize the Eden Treaty signing? The General Student Council President personally flew to Trinity.

Sure, I had multiple simultaneous calls with Nagisa-sama and Seia-sama!

Damn it, what does that matter? I need to rush back to the Tea Party and hold emergency meetings every hour. Even trying to convene the Tea Party, the opposing members block agenda approvals.

That happened yesterday. They say Sayuri-chan, a hardcore conservative on religious matters, gave a filibuster against it. I’m too swamped to keep up with political trends, but it made headlines online.

“Arius Branch Solution Blocked by Opposition Vote”

How do you speak for 5 hours and 19 minutes without a script? Is Sayuri-chan an AI?

“The core of all issues is the status of the Arius Branch. For now, the Military Administration title avoids religious disputes, but as Hikari-san said, legitimizing it through formal channels will escalate the problem.”

“Exactly. If I’d known it’d blow up like this, I should’ve handed it over when the General Student Council was raising hell. Half the people who’ve been here are gone anyway.”

The “Arius Branch” has lost its former scale. After the Eden Treaty Incident, many people seem to have left.

They’re probably doing fine. Even the Arius Squad is said to be wandering the Black Market, taking jobs and gaining fame. That’s good—it makes them easier to track.

But how do we resolve this persistent problem…?

“…Sakurako-sama, about the First Ecumenical Council you mentioned earlier.”

“Yes. That’s when the Arius Branch was designated as heretics.”

…Then.

“Then wouldn’t it be fine if they weren’t heretics?”

“What?”

Sakurako-sama’s eyebrows twitched.