[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 7

The attacks from Gehenna Academy resumed after a few days. I thought the Prefect Team had cracked down on them since the Eden Treaty negotiations were ongoing, but it seems they just didn’t bother attacking for a while. Pandemonium Society does a good job keeping their own chaos in check, but can’t they rein in these guys a bit too?

Still, things are better now because we’ve got artillery. We can finally be one of the suppliers for Gehenna’s Emergency Medicine Club’s “body count.” Himuro-san will be thrilled—she’ll probably show up soon anyway since she’s the head of that club.

Trench warfare is always the same, but two things have changed this time. First, Sayuri-san and Ritsuko-chan aren’t slogging it out in the trenches with me anymore. Instead, Justice and Discpline Department members and a friend we conscripted on the spot are taking the brunt of the bullet storm in the trench war.

“…Sorry, but can you explain why I’m stuck here doing this?!”

“You do what you’re told, Kyoyama-san. You just happened to be passing by. I’m sorry our checkpoint only has three people.”

“Ugh… You better keep your promise to buy me Fondant Chocolat!”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it, don’t worry.”

…Of course, the conscripted junior wasn’t exactly thrilled, so I had to bribe her, but considering I dragged her here with just a “What’s your name?” and her reply, “Kyoyama Kazusa…?” it’s understandable. Honestly, if it were me, I’d have thrown a fit about being dragged into this. Still, Kyoyama-san’s light machine gun is firing smoothly without any feeding issues, so she’s been a big help.

And the grand second change: I’m finally free from that cursed L85! Itsuka-san gave me a gun that survived the destruction of the checkpoint headquarters as a retirement gift. She said she went through hell with it, so I should suffer a bit too. Her expression was cheerful, though.

The gun itself is wild—it’s a TOZ-123! It’s a modified KS-23 from that Red Winter Federal Academy up north, but this bad boy isn’t 12-gauge—it’s 4-gauge. That’s nearly 27mm, something you’d use for anti-aircraft rounds, but Red Winter students shoot it. I looked it up, and it’s apparently a rare gun. I thought about selling it, but nothing takes down Gehenna’s eagle punks like this, so I’m keeping it.

Watch this: I’m about to fire a shot. When I pull the trigger, the recoil is so insane you can’t help but raise your head back. When you lower it again, one Gehenna student is gone. Ta-da! Isn’t that a simple and easy takedown method? They don’t actually die, so it’s not really “killing.” Where the heck did Senior Itsuka get something like this? Did she hit up a black market or something?

So, what are my checkpoint juniors doing instead of fighting in the trenches? They’re providing support fire with the L118 that Nagisa-sama gifted us last time. Calling it “support fire” is a bit of an understatement—it’s a massive caliber, but the fact that it sends Gehenna kids flying is the same, so no big deal.

BOOM! A deafening blast rings out, and less than a second later, an explosion erupts right in front of Gehenna’s lines. Their company commander gets blown far away, and the Gehenna students scatter in panic. Man, that fire control is tight. Sayuri-san’s the best. She’s great at calculations, knows ballistics inside out—she could join the Tea Party’s artillery unit. Why’s she stuck here?

Looking back, all I see is forest, but that’s obvious. Who’d want to get blasted by an 88mm gun out in the open? You’ve got to hide and shoot, naturally. That got me thinking, and we ended up borrowing a Leyland Hifumi truck from the Holy Cathedral’s warehouse. The biggest advantage is that it can evade artillery or special forces. The truck’s huge, so mounting a howitzer in the back is no problem, and it handles recoil well. Plus, Ritsuko-chan’s driving skills are top-notch, so it’s the cherry on top.

Listen up, Gehenna punks: you’ve got 88mm at best? We’ve got 105mm, you bastards. You shoot direct fire? We’ll just lob shells from afar. Who do you think you’re messing with, challenging Trinity’s firepower?

Maybe they heard my thoughts, or maybe they realized they were outmatched, but the gunfire gradually died down, and soon the sirens of the Emergency Medicine Club’s trucks grew closer. That means the battle’s over. Gehenna’s kids raised the white flag.

“Hey, they’re not shooting anymore, are they?”

“They’re bugging out. Must’ve gotten chewed out by the Prefect Team over the radio.”

The MVP of today’s defense, hands down, is the L118 vehicle-mounted artillery. From the moment I saw it, it wasn’t just cool—it was practically beautiful. And it does its job so well, I’m smitten. I should buy some accessories from a shop in town and decorate the barrel. Maybe a cute star.

“Alright, Justice and Discipline Department kids, you did great. Tsunaga-san, good work too. Stamp your own papers when you head back.”

“Yeees~”

Every time a battle ends, Tsunaga-san responds with that “Yeees~,” and it gets cuter every time. Maybe it’s because she’s been stepping up in fights. If you do your job well, even Gehenna’s Makoto would look cute—except she doesn’t, because she’s a mess who can’t even keep her own students in line.

Tap. As I dragged my tired body toward the break room, someone put a hand on my shoulder. It was Kyoyama-san.

“…Senpai, you know, right?”

“…Alright, alright, I’m going. Just let me call Ritsuko-chan first.”

Nom nom.

“Delicious!”

“You were complaining so much on the way here.”

“But it’s tasty!”

This place is good at making macarons. I usually prefer subtly sweet stuff like cake over super sweet things like macarons or candy. It’s hard to explain, but these macarons go down easy. Of course, with bitter coffee. Without it, I wouldn’t have managed even one.

Alright, I’m here to fulfill my contract with Kyoyama Kazusa-san. I came to stuff Fondant Chocolat into the mouth of our light machine gunner, who faithfully contributed to defending our checkpoint. At a dessert shop right in the heart of Trinity’s downtown.

“…Is it okay to buy me this much?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s probably fine. I’ll just starve for a few days.”

I had no idea there’d be this many people, though. When I first saw Kyoyama-san, I thought she was just heading home after class, but turns out she’s in some After-School Dessert Club. Can eating desserts together after school really count as a club activity?

Thanks to this, I’m feeling the absurdity of a civil servant’s salary. I hear Tea Party executives make two or three times more than me, so why’s my paycheck still pittance even after becoming checkpoint captain? Ritsuko-chan and Sayuri-san never seem short on cash, either.

Do these kids have part-time jobs or something? How can they afford to hit up these pricey dessert places after school every day?

“So, you guys go around eating stuff like this all the time? Don’t you ever run out of money?”

“Hehe, Senpai. We’ve got our funding sources.”

Yutori-san said it with a glint in her eye, like she’s the boss of some massive Helmet Gang. Seeing Kyoyama-san sigh with a “Here she goes again…” look, this must happen often. Seems like Yutori-san’s the resident eccentric of the club.

There’s no way these juniors are running some big gang, though. Maybe their dad’s got some hidden slush fund or something…

“The student council gives us a monthly club budget—a pretty generous one, too. Enough to eat desserts like this a few times a week.”

“…This actually got approved as an official club?”

“I submitted a petition to the Tea Party, and Nagisa-sama approved it as a club! Though we have to submit monthly reports.”

Kurimura-san let out a proud “Ahem!” She looks like the most innocent one here, but she’s sharper than she seems. Just earlier, she was passionately explaining how the chocolate chips she was eating were a masterpiece from some fancy mint chocolate brand. She’s fine otherwise, but she digs too deep into weird niches.

Nagisa-sama actually approved a petition for this? She was so strict during the checkpoint inspection, but she lets this slide? Is it because they’re first-years? If I’d known, I would’ve started a travel club or something and wandered around instead of joining the checkpoint.

Trinity’s way softer than I thought. I didn’t realize it, but students are making clubs like this to pursue their passions. Sure, I’ve been grinding for two years, but I guess you could say I’ve passed on the checkpoint’s spirit to Ritsuko-chan and Sayuri-san, right?

“…Ahem, by the way, everyone remembers today’s meeting agenda, right?”

Yutori-san, who’d been savoring the desserts covering the table, suddenly brought up serious business. That kind of talk makes me feel awkward as an outsider, even if I’m a senior. Should I quietly slip away?

“Of course I remember. The next sales location for Miracle 5000, right?”

“I heard it’s definitely showing up at the plaza in front of the central library. The info’s solid this time, but they doubled the price.”

Oh, phew. I can just sit here and listen. They probably don’t care if I’m here. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t even think about what Miracle 5000 tastes like. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I don’t even know what it is exactly. I heard it’s a super popular dessert among first-years. A… cake or something?

A truck that moves so secretly they pay for intel—how romantic. Students waging an info war to snag limited-edition desserts, then racing to get there first! A novel or anime with that premise would sell like crazy.

I’m not sure if it’s tasty enough to go to those lengths, though. For me, meals are half-eaten cup ramen that goes cold because of checkpoint duties, and dessert’s a cup of homemade cocoa. Seeing them put in so much effort makes me a little curious, though.

“So we need a plan. The owner’s barely done daytime sales lately, so we’ll have to camp out from dawn to get the lead.”

“Then let’s pick a meeting spot. I know a place near the central library where we can hide and wait.”

“Ooh, as expected of Kaspa—!”

“I told you not to say that!”

Whoa, Yutori-san’s getting clobbered. Is she okay? Kyoyama-san’s not holding back, and it feels like she’s got experience beating up students, just like me back in the day.

Should I tag along sometime? It sounds fun, and I could grab something for Ritsuko-chan, Sayuri-san, and the Justice and Discipline Department junior too. Alright, I’ve used up this month’s leave. Whatever, I’m the checkpoint captain—if I want more time off, I’ll just whine to the Tea Party.

“…Uh, can I come along too?”

From Yutori-san, who was helplessly getting pummeled by Kyoyama-san, to Ibaragi-san, Kurimura-san, and even Kyoyama-san herself, everyone’s attention turned to me for a moment. Kyoyama-san looked especially flustered.

“Did I hear that wrong?”

Hey, Kyoyama-san, that’s our checkpoint’s line. Were you a checkpoint member too? Or maybe a delinquent? From the way she was beating up Yutori-san to her choice of words, I’m starting to suspect Kyoyama-san’s background.

“I mean, I overheard by accident, but I got curious. I want to try Miracle 5000 at least once.”

“…Is that okay, Natsu?”

“Hmm… Senpai doesn’t look like she’d be great at holding off the dessert-crazed maniacs, but I could be wrong.”

“I’m good at beating up Gehenna kids.”

“Ooh, then I’m in favor.”

“That’s how it works?! Natsu, are you serious?”

Kyoyama-san grabbed Yutori-san by the collar in a panic. Seems like a familiar scene, since Yutori-san stayed calm and the other two were quiet. What’s up with that?

“I mean, Miracle 5000 has a lot of students gunning for it. Some even attack each other to get it first. I think Yamatsu-senpai could be helpful… but Kazusa-chan thinks differently?”

Thank you, Kurimura-san—I’ll buy you more desserts later. I am helpful. In a legal beatdown situation, there aren’t many students in Trinity who can match me, except monsters like the Justice and Disciple Department members or Knight Order leaders. Mika-sama… she’s on another level.

“Ugh… Fine, let’s exchange MomoTalk IDs, Senpai. I’ll contact you when we set the schedule.”

“Sweet, sounds good.”

I exchanged MomoTalk IDs with Kyoyama-san and checked her profile. It’s not like she’s a civil servant or anything, but “After-School Dessert Club Member”? I don’t even have mine set up like that.

“Alright, I’m gonna head back. Can’t leave the checkpoint empty too long.”

“Be careful on your way. I heard it’s supposed to rain soon.”

“Okay~”

Kurimura-san’s sweet till the end. I like students like her—they usually follow orders without complaint. As long as my orders are reasonable, that is. Sayuri-san’s exactly like that.

By the way, what do I need to do when I get back… I doubt Gehenna’s punks will raid us tomorrow morning, but just in case, I should prep…

Ring-ring.

“Hey, Sayuri-san.”

“Yes, Senpai. I heard you’re on your way back. What’s up?”

“I’m gonna be out from dawn to morning tomorrow, so prep accordingly.”

“Huh?”