[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 36

I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but I still can’t figure it out.

While eating gyudon earlier, I got the sense that the Defense Chief seems to think pretty highly of me. That signature sly smile of hers, which I’ve only seen on the news, seemed even bigger in person, and she even suggested we exchange numbers on MomoTalk.

I guess I should be grateful she didn’t ask me to call her “Kaya-chan” instead of just “Shiranui-san”.

The view of D.U. through the elevator window was breathtaking. Trinity’s cityscape has its own skyscrapers, like the Tea Party Hall and the Clock Tower, but they pale in comparison to the glass palaces that line the skyline here, reaching toward the heavens.

Don’t the people up there breathe better air than us? Then again, most of them are probably stuck in offices, drowning in work.

Ding. The elevator stopped with a cheerful chime. As the doors opened, I saw an opaque white glass window. It was an automatic door to an office, so I walked forward without thinking, and it slid open.

An office wrapped in pristine white tiles.

“—First, grab Sensei’s hand!”

Uh…

And there was Kyouyama-san, running down the hallway, dragging Sensei along by the hand.

What’s going on?

“Ugh, where’s the ice pack… Oh, and a wet towel…!”

“Is Sensei dying or something? You look busy, Kyouyama-san.”

“No, I touched Sensei’s forehead, and it’s burning up… Wait, Hikari-senpai?!”

My junior from Trinity’s After-School Sweets Club nearly dropped the basin of wet towels she was holding, clearly startled by my sudden appearance from behind. I caught the basin as it slipped, and some of the cold water splashed onto my hand.

Sensei was sprawled on the couch, breathing weakly. Their forehead was bright red, clearly running a high fever.

There are all sorts of reasons for a fever. It could be as simple as catching a cold from swimming, or maybe they wandered through some jungle and caught malaria or typhoid. The real question is, what could someone in Sensei’s line of work have done to end up like this?

As always, I have no idea.

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

“No clue. I was on duty today, and when I got here, he was slumped over the desk, sweating buckets.”

“Then maybe he did something yesterday? You don’t usually get a fever unless you’ve overworked yourself.”

The human body is so complicated, and I’m no medical student.

All I know is that when Ritsuko-chan caught a cold, giving her honey water brought her fever down, but when I tried the same with Sayuri-san, she threw a fit, saying it was all superstition and not to experiment on her. A trip to the pharmacy for cold medicine fixed her up, though.

Still, two years of academy life have taught me a few ways to handle situations like this.

Behold!

Summoning arts in a magicless world!

“The nurse in Operating Room B is named Venus… Ow!”

“One more time, Hikari-san, and I’ll sedate you.”

Chararan! There’s Serina-san, appearing out of nowhere like she was never there to begin with.

She’s the second most well-known figure in the Relief Knights, right after Commander Aomori Mine. From beating up Gehenna punks and sending them straight to the Knights to showing up covered in blood myself, we’ve naturally grown close.

Kyouyama-san freaked out at Serina-san’s teleportation act, but does it really matter?

“Where do you even learn those kinds of gags, Hikari-san?”

“I’ll explain later. For now, Sensei.” I quietly pointed down at Sensei, who was gasping for air.

Serina-san looked momentarily flustered.

“Huh?! W-Wait, why is Sensei in this state…?”

“How should I know? Kyouyama-san says he was like this before she got here. Can you do something?”

“Okay, leave Sensei to me.” Serina-san, who’d been shocked at the sight of Sensei practically on death’s door, suddenly radiated confidence.

Kyouyama-san, eager to help, placed a wet towel on Sensei’s forehead. It almost looked like steam was rising from it, though that can’t be right. Worried Sensei might pass out, I grabbed a thermometer and stuck it in their mouth. The mercury shot up—39 degrees, no, almost 40.

Is Sensei going to be okay?

***

“…And so, as the head of Trinity General Academy’s Border Checkpoint, I formally request collaboration with Schale.”

“Alright, I hear you. Can I review the documents a bit more before signing?”

“Of course, Sensei. I’ll wait with some cocoa.”

Sensei’s fine!

Serina-san was even more incredible than I’d imagined. Sensei’s fever, which was nearly 40 degrees, dropped to a perfect 36.5 after a single touch from her. No ice packs, nothing—just one syringe.

Then, with a word of advice not to overdo it, Serina-san vanished like the wind. I bet she’s hiding in the ceiling or something. Also, when did Kyouyama-san leave? I heard her say she was done with her tasks and was going to hang out with Yutori-san.

Now it’s just me and Sensei in the office.

This was actually the scene I wanted from the start. This is a sensitive matter, and if a student from another academy peeked at the documents and figured out what’s going on, it’d be a headache. It’s classified, after all, and I’d rather not get dragged into a hearing for violating academy law.

“Come to think of it, Hikari, you’re kind of a big deal. Isn’t a department head position pretty rare at Trinity?”

“It sounds nice, but being a department head just means getting chewed out by the Tea Party. It’s a field job, so whenever something goes down in Gehenna, we’re affected too. Plus, we’re always getting pulled to build more escort structures or whatever. It’s exhausting.”

“Sounds tough.”

“I live for the monthly paycheck. Don’t you, Sensei? After food, electricity, and water bills, there’s not much left.”

“Yeah… Sigh, looking at the books lately, there’s just too much money going out. We’re probably in the red this month too.”

“If you starve for the rest of the month, you’ll be fine. Here, have some cocoa. It’s homemade and pretty good.”

A cup of caffeine-laced cocoa for an exhausted Sensei.

Of course, I’m already on my… how many cups now? It looks like a lot, but the cups are so tiny that I haven’t even finished one regular-sized cup yet. They’re practically the size of shot glasses from the Mountain Sea Sutra. Don’t ask how I know that.

Sensei took their first sip with an expectant look, and their eyes widened.

“…This is good. Really good. You made this yourself, Hikari?”

“Yup. Believe it or not, I come from a long line of Lutheran cocoa specialists. The first dishes my parents taught me were fried eggs, rice, and cocoa. I’ve got about ten years of experience, if you count it.”

“That’s impressive. Hold on… Wow, this is really good. Seriously.”

Sensei kept letting out little exclamations of awe.

This is Trinity-style cultural imperialism, isn’t it?

The value of culture isn’t measured by its achievements but by how long it lasts and how it’s remembered. The cocoa, a long-standing tradition of the Lutheran faction, is a symbol of culture, and the beauty it creates will sustain itself forever.

Heh. I just recited a memorable quote from a game I played with the Saiba sisters. I crushed that game and stood as the last civilization. Of course, in the next round with Yuzu, I got wiped out without a trace.

Sensei kept sipping the cocoa while reviewing the contract.

“…Hmm, looks good. Seems fine. Training twice a week, times TBD. We can coordinate the schedule later. Since I’ll be at Trinity for remedial classes, maybe we can hold the training on the same days?”

“Sounds good. Just let me know—I’ll be at the checkpoint. Probably arguing with some student waiting for approval.”

“Fun. Thanks for asking for my help, Hikari. Sensei’s always on the students’ side.”

“Students always need help. Sad to say, but you probably won’t get much rest.”

Sensei gave a bittersweet smile, and it felt genuine.

As someone in a similar position, I returned a smile.

***

Large-scale joint training is a major event for the academy.

Each session costs billions of yen, mobilizing hundreds of students, dozens of vehicles, and artillery. Where it’s held can reflect the academy’s policies.

The unique relationship between Trinity General Academy and Gehenna Academy has created an unspoken rule for these joint exercises. They’re always held in the forested border zone between Trinity and Gehenna, with no surprise attacks allowed.

Not that the rule is often followed, but lately, the Eden Treaty’s oversight has tightened regulations.

Thankfully, the Disciplinary Committee’s been cracking down, so even Gehenna’s joint training sessions have been relatively restrained. That day, there were no surprise attacks, and the Gehenna kids just fired their tank cannons—8.8cm and 15cm—and went home.

The recent decrease in surprise attacks on the checkpoint and the border is probably related. I’m planning to request legal measures from the Tea Party soon to reopen closed checkpoints, and the reduced attacks have definitely influenced my thinking.

I wonder how this one will go. If the Disciplinary Committee observes like last time, it should be fine, but if the Pandemonium Society shows up, it’ll be a pain.

But honestly, that’s not the real issue.

The real problem is staring me in the face right now. The massive wooden door I’ve grown used to welcomes me, and the students standing guard on either side look tense. I’ve got enough experience now that I don’t even think about tying their shoelaces for them.

According to Trinity General Academy’s regulations, joint training with a budget exceeding 1.2 billion yen requires direct approval from the current Tea Party host by a department head. That’s the legal reason I’m stepping into the Tea Party Hall, a place I’d rather avoid.

Let me say it again: I really, really don’t want to be here.

“Nagisa-sama, the Checkpoint Captain has arrived.”

“…Let her in.” 

I mean it sincerely.

Goddamn it.

“…”

“It’s been a while, Hikari-san. I’ve been terribly busy with work, you know. The Eden Treaty and all.”

“…Yeah, well, I’ve been getting by. The remedial class kids looked pretty cheerful.”

“And how were you, watching them?”

…

The moment I step into the Tea Party Hall, I feel her piercing gaze.

It’s supposed to be chilly up here at this altitude, but I’m starting to sweat.

“Not exactly thrilled, Nagisa-sama.”

“I hope that’s not because of me.”

Yeah.

I feel the same way.

Please.