[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 47

“…That’s why I arranged to meet you, Chairwoman.”

“I see. I understand what you mean.”

Midnight at the Checkpoint Headquarters.

I invited the Prefect Team chairwoman and the Senior Administrator.

Inviting the leader of an external academy club is a common occurrence. However, the Prefect Team chairwoman’s unique position as the second-in-command of Gehenna’s power structure complicates things. Allowing someone of such stature into Trinity without explicit permission is a significant burden—potentially even an overstep of authority.

To address this, though not fully sufficient, I secured a justification that Nagisa-sama would likely find satisfactory. I sent a telegram to the Tea Party Hall citing a temporary meeting due to border unrest. I’ll probably need to report the details to Nagisa-sama by tomorrow.

Regardless of the risks, this had to be done. There’s too little time left.

The Tea Party, especially the Filius faction, is rushing Eden far too much. While border disputes with Gehenna—though recently reduced—are still a secondary deficit factor, ending them is the right move. Even so, it’s too soon.

The treaty signing, originally scheduled for at least six months from now, was pulled forward by nearly half a year to just one month away, largely due to their impatience. Beyond political issues, this has sparked significant complaints from both internal and external military security forces.

The Border Checkpoint, myself included, is among those voicing concerns. Being entrusted with full authority over the Cathedral’s external security means we bear a heavy responsibility. We’re swamped with preparations, and then this bombshell news hits us.

The Justice Task Force and the Guard are in an uproar too. Rumor has it Commander Tsurugi of the Justice Department stormed the Tea Party Hall and caused a scene. Eclaire-senpai also complained about the lack of time to establish artillery positions, even mentioning resorting to incendiary tactics with explosives if needed.

Even the political science community shares similar views, so what is Filius thinking? No matter how much Nagisa-sama pushes for haste, the general faction members who silently go along with it are also at fault.

If only Sanctus would do something, but ever since Seia-sama’s assassination, they’ve been floundering, so it’s hard to expect much. For some reason, the Communications Director recently got heavily disciplined, making things worse.

Approaching the Pater faction, though… you can’t burn down the whole house just to catch a flea.

Blowing up a building to catch barbarians? That’s no good.

“Compared to those Pater jerks, the Prefect Team is far more reliable. Honestly, in terms of trustworthiness, they’re exceptional. A competent official like the Commander is rare even in Trinity. As for Pandemonium, well, no need to even mention them.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“It’s meant positively, so take it kindly. We have a lot to discuss. Let’s cut to the chase and talk about the agenda. It’s late, and dragging this out at dawn won’t do us any good. You must be tired too, chairwoman.”

“Fair enough.”

I showed the chairwoman and the administrator a map, the same one I showed Ichika. With a few minor updates.

The now even more chaotic map of the Cathedral was the result of days of deliberation with the eight-member committee. The plan involves temporarily absorbing the disbanded Justice Task Force and Guard into the Checkpoint, equipping them with vehicles, and deploying them to the front lines.

We don’t know where the front lines will emerge, but we can estimate the scale. According to the committee’s calculations, we could mobilize at least 4,000 personnel. If the enemy matches that, it could approach five digits.

But what if that’s not enough, or if the situation is so urgent we can’t muster those numbers? What if the Border Checkpoint has to struggle to survive until reinforcements arrive, or if most of us are already wiped out? Then what?

That’s where the idea of close cooperation with Gehenna’s paramilitary organizations came in. Pandemonium Society—aka the “idiot collective”—has a capable artillery unit, and the Prefect Team is, without question, a reliable ally.

Sure, they’re a bit unhinged, but relatively speaking.

“As I mentioned earlier, if things go south, we’ll likely need to fight at an extremely close-knit level—possibly even with integrated front lines. My concern is the potential for armed conflict between Trinity and Gehenna in the process.”

“I have a question. Why is it a problem if hostility arises between students of both academies?”

“Because those targeting Eden are almost certainly aiming for both academies, chairwoman Hina. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to strike at the time of Eden. If they were only targeting Trinity, they’d hit us now.”

“You’re saying Trinity’s social scene is a political mess right now. But I don’t like how you act as if you’re uninvolved. Aren’t you, the Checkpoint Captain, also part of that chaos?”

“I didn’t intend to be, at least.”

She’s sharp.

Stories about me are widespread in the Pater faction, but beyond the Tea Party Hall’s high walls, they’re just tales of lofty figures. Most students don’t even know who their own student council president is, let alone someone from a neighboring academy.

Could our security have been breached? Maybe Gehenna spies are casually roaming the Tea Party Hall.

That’d be a problem. Forget the Intelligence Director; how many heads would roll in counterintelligence? The Checkpoint would likely catch flak too, given our border defense responsibilities. I’d have to write one hell of an apology.

I should tip off the Intelligence Director to run a major counterintelligence sweep before Eden.

“I understand your intentions. You called me here with a proposal, right? Speak first.”

“Alright. Please take a look at the map.” I placed a ruler over the white and red dotted lines.

Scritch. The marker drew thick lines connecting the Checkpoint Headquarters, the Prefect Team’s office beyond Gehenna’s border, and Panic Room 51.

“…If I’m reading these markers right, I’d say this is a dangerous idea.”

“You’re probably right. But isn’t it the most reliable method? Communication is critical when things go wrong.”

“No, but… Ako, what do you think?”

“Huh? Uh, I… agree with Hina, about the hotline. Can you handle this?”

I gave a sly smile, feigning confidence.

“Well, we’ve got to start somewhere.”

Their concerns are valid. What I’m proposing is a hotline network linking the Border Checkpoint, the Artillery, and the Prefect Team.

This means a mere club—albeit one with a near-military nature—would be connected to the security organization of an academy in a diplomatically hostile state. More importantly, I haven’t informed the Tea Party Hall about this.

It’s true. I won’t report this to the Tea Party Hall, where hawks, including Pater, would fiercely oppose it. Of course, I’ll provide sufficient information to the Host during a private meeting with Nagisa-sama, but as for the underlings… why give them ammunition to attack me?

However, this choice hinges on Nagisa-sama’s reaction, which will determine my fate. If she expresses significant dissatisfaction and I fail to persuade her diplomatically, sparking “considerable room for debate,” that could, well, trigger a deeply disappointing outcome for me.

The eight-member committee voted 6:2 in favor of this proposal. The two dissenting votes came from Sayuri-san and a Pater junior. While the majority approved, a split vote in a committee that typically reaches unanimous decisions signals discontent within the Checkpoint.

I’m not without anxiety. I believe this plan is the best way to ensure a swift response in an emergency within Trinity’s rigid bureaucracy, and it applies to Gehenna’s Prefect Team, entangled in Eden’s security. But if the social scene frames this as treasonous collusion with Gehenna, my options are limited.

Very limited. If Nagisa-sama backs me, I could weather this crisis with ease, but if not… what then? Disputing the outcome wouldn’t do much good, and overturning it is out of the question.

“You look uneasy.”

“To be honest, administratively, this is closer to acting first and reporting later. From our side, I mean. So, yeah, it’s a bit nerve-wracking, even if it goes through.”

“I see. I personally support you. You should tell Nagisa about this right after we’re done.”

“I’ve got enough sense to know that much.”

The discussion went smoothly. The Commander agreed to the hotline, contingent on the Host’s approval. In return, the Prefect Team agreed to fully cover the cost of installing communication lines in Gehenna’s autonomous district.

However, the Border Checkpoint must handle the maintenance of the lines. Maintaining a network spanning hundreds of kilometers is no small task, but since they generously conceded first, we can’t push further without losing face.

Construction is also Trinity’s responsibility. Gehenna only has the Hot Spring Development Department for such large-scale projects, and when I suggested them, both the Chairwoman and Administrator nearly had a meltdown, so I backed off.

Probably some PTSD-related issue.

“…Then, I’ll contact you once we get approval.”

“Sounds good. Next time we meet, it’ll be at the Cathedral.”

“Deal. Have a good day.”

At dawn, with the moon high in the sky, I saw them off quietly as everyone else slept.

In my hand was a small agreement, documenting the discussion and bearing the seals of both students, proof of the meeting. If things don’t go well, I can just deny everything and burn the paper.

It’s not time to relax yet. Today’s actions only become a legitimate meeting with Nagisa-sama’s approval. Until then, it’s just an agreement in good faith—or, in bad faith, evidence of an unauthorized pact.

I’ll head to the Tea Party Hall first thing tomorrow morning. I’m too uneasy to delay.

***

“What do you think about this, Hikari-san?”

“I hope Nagisa-sama will at least tolerate it. Of course, if you find it reasonable, that is.”

“I see… I view it positively. I also think it’s necessary for emergency response.”

Early morning. I’m having a private meeting with Nagisa-sama at the Tea Party Hall.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to have major complaints. Unlike last time, she’s not exactly cheerful, but she’s in a good mood. Honestly, there’s no better time than morning tea and pastries.

She didn’t comment on my decision to bypass the Tea Party Hall and speak directly to the Host. I couldn’t come up with an excuse for that while driving here, so this was an unexpected gain.

“Honestly, I’d love to directly connect hotlines to the Justice Task Force and the Tea Party Hall, but we probably wouldn’t finish before Eden. Since the safehouse construction is already underway, this scale is the best we can do.”

“I understand. The lack of a communication network between the Tea Party Hall and other club offices has long been a major issue. Perhaps we should push for a comprehensive network across Trinity’s Tea Party-affiliated club offices.”

“If Eden goes well, I’m all for building that network. If there’s any opposition, let me know.”

Nagisa-sama smiled and stamped her seal with a thud.

Great. Now I won’t be dragged to a hearing on charges of treason. Even if I were, her stamp alone is enough to shut it down. If anyone has a problem, they can take it up with her directly.

After exchanging pleasantries, I took a sip of the remaining tea. It had a pleasant bitterness, different from the tea at the Checkpoint’s lounge. The sunlight rising over the city skyline warmed my body. Everything feels better when you’re in a good mood.

I left the Tea Party Hall and headed to the first floor. Maybe I’ll have a light schedule today, just waiting at the Checkpoint office for students crossing the border.

“Oh, it’s the Captain! I was just about to contact you, but you’re already here!”

“Huh? What’s up? Why’s the Director here so early?”

The Communications Director called out to me. As I approached, her face was drenched in sweat, clearly agitated.

What’s going on?

“The Tea Party Hall is in chaos. They’ve been investigating ever since that Crusader tank was found in D.U. They rounded up students involved in arms smuggling and are holding a hearing.”

“And?”

“Well, Pater seems to have found something on you. They’re screaming that you need to be arrested too.”

“…That doesn’t add up. Forget the hearing—I just met with Nagisa-sama. You know our Checkpoint budget isn’t enough to smuggle weapons. They’re the ones who left us broke, so why are they making a fuss?”

“I tried explaining, but they threatened to label me an accomplice if I didn’t report it. What do we do?”

Goddamn it.

I knew things were going too smoothly this morning.

Arms smuggling? Who the hell would we even deal with? The L85 is so outdated even the black market won’t touch it, and all we’ve got are Caesar howitzers and Hippo trucks. What are they thinking?

If it’s about the Crusader tank found in D.U., I dealt with that myself, so I get that an investigation’s happening. But the fact that the blame’s coming my way is painfully obvious. And Pater’s behind it? Figures.

I don’t know what they found, but they’ve definitely picked the wrong fight. I’m settling this today.

“…I’ll handle it myself. Who’s the one saying they’ll arrest me?”

“Uh, it’s… Pater’s Deputy Director.”

“…Really?”

Really, goddamn it?

Again?