[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 80

“Pleased to meet you. I’m the border checkpoint captain.”

“Kaiser Corporation welcomes you.”

Two days later, I met face-to-face with the robot teacher who claimed to be the head of a private military company.

We met in the ruins of Abydos’s autonomous district. Despite the exterior’s near-collapse, with exposed rebar, the office inside was orderly. Against the backdrop of a flag bearing Kaiser’s emblem, it resembled my own office.

Kaiser Corporation wasn’t just offering to lease the test site—they proposed selling it for permanent ownership. An intriguing proposal.

But there was one problem. I know this guy.

A few months ago, Nagisa-sama suddenly issued a training order. Dozens of checkpoint personnel, including me, rushed toward Abydos with the artillery unit. We handled perimeter security while the artillery bombarded some unknown location.

I remember reporting a transmission from the general student council to Itsuka-senpai when a photo caught my eye. A stainless steel body, an octagonal face with four vivid crimson stripes.

If it hadn’t been labeled [Wanted Criminal], I’d be a lot happier right now.

“I heard Kaiser PMC had a major personnel shake-up. Looks like you managed to survive?”

“Hm? Haha… Well, somehow I did. Actually, I’m not a PMC director anymore. I was demoted to a finance-related subsidiary back then, but the President reinstated me temporarily, saying there’s no robot better suited for Abydos matters.”

“You’ve been working in Abydos for nearly a decade… So, this temporary reinstatement means you’re only authorized to negotiate with Trinity General Academy’s Ordnance Bureau?”

“Final approval lies with headquarters. What’s the scope of authority delegated to you, checkpoint captain?”

When negotiating, knowing what instructions the other party has from their superiors and the extent of their on-site authority is crucial. Long ago, when Trinity and Gehenna tried to sign a cooperation treaty, Trinity sent a mere director-level representative, and it fell apart.

This guy isn’t even a permanent employee—just a temp, and not even from Kaiser Loan, which manages the land, but a mere director from a private military company. He might have authority to negotiate on-site, but anything beyond that…

Sigh. What is this nonsense?

“I have full authority. It’s a shame—if we were on equal footing, this would’ve been much easier.”

“…”

“Am I expecting too much from a wanted criminal?”

“I have plenty of ways to contact headquarters. Don’t worry.”

Ha, you know it’s not about worry.

What kind of bastard sends a wanted criminal to a negotiation?

Even if it’s a simple deal, this is a contract between Trinity General Academy and Kaiser Corporation on equal terms. The student showing up claims to be a department head, but with headquarters’ shoddy response, how could I not be offended?

Do these tin cans not understand diplomacy? No matter how low they think of us, there’s a limit. Entrusting negotiations to someone who wouldn’t even rank as a director in our academy?

Sure, he said he was reinstated, but it’s just filling in time. The higher-ups must’ve found it a hassle.

“It seems Kaiser Corporation doesn’t value its relationship with Trinity General Academy much. What was your CEO thinking, sending you to negotiate land? How am I supposed to take this?”

“That’s harsh. I’m a high-ranking official in my own right and hold significant information on Abydos matters.”

“I’m here for a simple land purchase, not an intelligence-sharing deal.”

“What could I do? The President’s orders are absolute across all subsidiaries. If they say come, I come; if they say go, I go. And they personally ordered me to deal with you, Chief.”

“…Sigh.”

He’s right, but that doesn’t mean I’m not pissed.

Who are you? If I, Yamatsu Hikari, hold full authority over Trinity General Academy’s border checkpoint and Ordnance Bureau, you should be the head negotiator for Kaiser Loan, the company that owns this land. At the very least, you should have signing authority.

Fine, let’s say it’s not this robot’s fault, even after a few concessions. He’s whining about being in a position where he has to follow orders. But what the hell is that damn President thinking, treating Trinity General Academy like this?

Alright, the tin can probably isn’t at fault. It’s the higher-ups. Damn President.

“I think I’ve made my position clear. You need to relay this to headquarters without distortion. Trinity General Academy will respond firmly to diplomatic slights.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind. So, for now…?”

“We’ve come this far; it’d be a waste to leave empty-handed. Let’s continue the negotiation.”

The robot’s face, which had been grimacing since my outburst, lit up with relief.

Was he worried about getting sacked?

***

140 yen per square kilometer.

39,000 square kilometers for 6 million yen.

At the edge of the border between Trinity General Academy and Abydos’s autonomous district, a vast desert changed hands with a single signature. It’s a remote area with no infrastructure or even a water source, but for a plot this large to cost less than a single Caesar…!

I can’t fathom why Kaiser Corporation approved this absurd deal, but the fruits of this moment are so sweet! It’s like getting a house for pocket change!

The desert’s barrenness isn’t an issue. In the modern era, creating something from nothing is easy.

We can immediately scale up the test facility the Ordnance Bureau was building. Even if we expand it tenfold to rival all their research labs combined, there’s still land to spare—what’s the problem? Water and electricity can be connected.

“Haha, I’m amazed this deal went through so easily. I owe you a sincere apology for earlier.”

“Kaiser Corporation should thank the border checkpoint. Let’s build a good relationship moving forward.”

I was genuinely thrilled. A tremendous diplomatic achievement.

Who cares if that robot got himself on a wanted list or if Kaiser committed a major faux pas? This desert is ours now.

The Abydos border is quite far from Gehenna’s, so in a way, this is the deepest part of Trinity General Academy’s territory. Geopolitically, Trinity has gained more than enough.

When I first heard they were selling the land, I thought these guys were trying to offload a useless plot for some quick cash. But even if it’s useless, with this much land… hehe.

Idiots, we won!

“Have a great day, Director. Let’s meet again with smiles.”

“I pray you arrive safely without incident, checkpoint captain.”

His sturdy hand made a mechanical hum during the handshake. The stainless steel cover made my hand cold.

Outside the office, the blazing sunlight illuminated the heart of the city. Visible light streaked across 16-lane roads, highlighting sand dunes scattered across the deserted metropolis. The sight of an old industrial zone, said to have produced battleship cannons, was bewilderingly beautiful.

I wonder how the students at Abydos High School are doing. A few months ago, I heard a major battle broke out after I left. In ruins like this, no news is good news, so they’re probably fine.

What’s certain is that while their immediate surroundings are under Abydos High School’s influence, most of the old autonomous district remains in Kaiser Corporation’s grip.

And they’ll surely welcome this deal with me.

This is an opportunity. Beyond Trinity’s crumbling security network, struggling to rebuild from the ground up, a chance to fulfill the Ordnance Bureau’s ambitions in a place the world doesn’t care about is right before us. A massive research complex, more manpower.

The Ordnance Bureau’s engineers are valuable to me and my juniors. Pour in money, and they deliver weapons worth every penny. That’s my conclusion after poring over the bureau chief’s thermobaric bomb research report word by word. They’re worth it.

The border checkpoint must be their patron. Through them, we can upgrade the equipment of the checkpoint, the Justice Task Force, and other clubs. New standard rifles would be fantastic. New tanks would drive us wild with joy.

I protect them, and they work for us. Isn’t that a simple partnership?

“Captain, it’s the Ordnance Bureau. Got a moment? …Uh, well, we finalized the contract today, and I have some things to discuss…”

***

Four days later.

Inside a reinforced concrete bunker, students bustled about.

It took a long time to complete the thermobaric bomb for testing and transport it to the desert’s heart. The border checkpoint sent Sayuri-san and the Eight-Member Committee, while the Ordnance Bureau sent the chief and research institute directors.

In this heat, with several people crammed into a space without air conditioning, hastily built for the occasion… it felt awful. The other students felt the same, wearing sleeveless shirts and constantly drinking water.

I don’t know how powerful it’ll be, but given the bunker is 10 miles from ground zero, it must be impressive.

“Ready, Captain?”

“Yes, we’re ready. But it’s so hot, my head’s not working right…”

“Once that thing goes off, we’ll all be out of our minds, so don’t worry.”

The chief staggered, shaking her head.

The clock on the wall showed one minute to go. What’s there to think about in one minute? It’s gonna be damn powerful, that’s all.

The students’ movements slowed, and they all began staring at the small, narrow window.

“Ten seconds to detonation!”

Ten seconds. Sigh, it’s about to get wild.

“Five seconds to detonation!”

“Four seconds!”

“Three seconds!”

…Now that I think about it…

Is the kid making these announcements safe when that thing goes off?