Early in the morning, I found myself in the D.U., alone… or more precisely, in a car driven by an aide. As the damp morning air filled and left my lungs, I had the same thought I always do: if I were just a little less lazy, I'd enjoy a walk like this every morning.
I had somehow succeeded in persuading Seia and Nagisa about the visit to Gehenna. Beyond that, I had also come clean about the matter of building ties with Arius, which I had originally intended to pursue on my own—right down to the part where I planned to enter the Catacombs myself to lay the groundwork for contact.
During the events of the Eden Treaty, Arius invaded Trinity through the Catacombs, so it was an obvious fact that the Catacombs were their territory. However, at this point in time, the evidence was too flimsy for Nagisa and Seia to accept.
Therefore, a separate explanation was needed as to why I presumed the Catacombs were Arius's base of operations.
In other words, I sold them a bit of a story, claiming it was a hypothesis derived from compiling clues obtained from various books and ancient texts I had reviewed while searching for traces of Arius. Since they had either seen me reading old tomes or heard that I was a frequent visitor to the central library, they seemed to find it somewhat convincing.
In any case, I had promised not to try and shoulder everything by myself anymore, so after much deliberation, we decided to handle the matter of contacting Arius through the Justice Task Force. Not that it was much; it was basically just entering the Catacombs and hanging up pieces of cloth with the time and place for a meeting written on them.
Once the Justice Task Force handles it, there's no need to go in and out multiple times.
A specific day. A specific time. A specific place.
After setting those three things, all I have to do is remember to stop by the meeting place and wait. In terms of priority, this is actually more important than improving relations with Gehenna, so there's no way I'll forget.
Besides, it's only a matter of making time for it about once a week.
The location Hina had given me was near a subway station leading toward Gehenna. We didn't meet near the border between Gehenna and Trinity for the simple reason that the neutral territory of the D.U. would be more comfortable for both of us.
When I arrived, there were about ten minutes left until the appointed time. It felt a bit awkward to just stand there waiting, so I popped into a nearby convenience store and came out with a can of coffee.
I've had a variety of teas prepared by the Tea Party and brewed by Nagisa herself, but coffee has its own unique charm. Even if it's a cheap can of coffee.
As I sat on a bench sipping my coffee, I saw a vehicle resembling a Humvee speeding down the road from the direction of Gehenna. I was wearing my Tea Party uniform so I'd be easy to spot, and my wings must have made me stand out from a distance, because the vehicle slowly began to reduce its speed.
And then, it made a completely natural illegal U-turn in the middle of the road. Just Gehenna things, I guess. As long as you don't get caught by anyone else, who cares about the Disciplinary Committee?
Click—
The door of the vehicle that stopped in front of me opened, and a Disciplinary Committee mob student stepped out and, surprisingly, bowed to me.
"By order of the Committee Head, I will now escort our distinguished guest to Gehenna. Please, this way."
The mob student immediately opened the back door of the vehicle. It was simple to understand why she was treating me with such courtesy, suppressing the feelings of a Disciplinary Committee member who should despise anyone from Trinity.
It was because she respected and followed the Committee Head, Hina, that deeply. I could tell just by looking at her eyes. The Gehenna student before me did not find me the least bit agreeable.
It's not that it wasn't unpleasant. I, too, was consciously suppressing a physiological revulsion that arose whenever I dealt with Gehenna, so I didn't let it show.
"Thank you, Miss Prefect☆ You're working hard so early in the morning. Here. Have a can of coffee! And one for the driver."
"…Thank you."
I hadn't been told how many escort personnel there would be, but I had anticipated about two. There was no reason to draw attention by increasing their numbers.
So, I had bought exactly two extra cans of coffee. Besides, Hina knew there was no need to send a large number of troops. Thanks to that, I wasn't faced with the awkward situation of not having enough coffee.
I got into the back seat of the vehicle and pulled the door shut. The way it just clicked shut with a simple tug gave me a strange feeling.
"It will take approximately three hours to reach our academy's main building."
"Mhm, thanks for letting me know."
Neither of the mob students drank the coffee I gave them. I had a faint feeling that might be the case, but it still stung a little.
When you think about it, these girls are like bodyguards tasked with escorting the head of state of a rival nation during a cold war. As if they'd be able to casually drink a can of coffee handed to them by that same head of state who says, 'You all are working so hard this morning. Here, have some coffee while you work.' Expecting them to drink it was, even by my own standards, asking too much.
Normally, I would have tried to strike up a conversation, but I decided not to today. If we were to switch places, the situation would probably be stomach-churning. I didn't think it was right to bother kids who were just doing their jobs diligently just because I was a little bored.
The vehicle, which had been slowly picking up speed in an uncomfortable silence, was soon blazing down the road at a speed that felt somewhat dangerous. We weren't even on the highway yet, but they were driving like we were. At this rate, I was starting to think they were planning to film a Mad Max scene the moment we hit the highway.
The reason they could engage in this insane driving must be that no one dies in Kivotos just because of a traffic accident. Perhaps the situation in the original story where Makoto's airship crashed wasn't that big of a crisis after all?
I was well aware that Kivotos's concept of safety was shattered, but still, I wondered if it was really okay to drive like this while escorting a figure equivalent to another country's head of state. I won't say it's a problem unique to Gehenna. That could be too much of a generalization.
HOOOOOOOOOOOONK—!!
"Waaah-oh…"
…You crazy bastards. Did you really, really have to overtake that car?!
Feeling like Fuuka being kidnapped by the Gourmet Research Society, I clutched the can of coffee with both hands and closed my eyes. There were still nearly three hours left until we reached the Gehenna campus.
…Ah. Life is so fleeting and empty. In the short span of three hours, I feel like I've experienced all the trials and tribulations of a lifetime. I don't have to ride back with them too, do I? The mere thought of it is terrifying enough to drive me mad.
"We have arrived. I should mention this beforehand, but there is no need to respond even if ordinary students try to pick a fight with you."
"…Mhm, right. Let's get moving."
From the moment we entered the Gehenna Academy campus, the two Disciplinary Committee members were on high alert. If the Gehenna Autonomous District was a place where trouble could break out at any moment, then inside Gehenna Academy was a place where trouble was guaranteed to break out the moment you looked away.
Still, thanks to traveling by car, we were able to enter the Disciplinary Committee headquarters building without getting caught up in any incidents. As we rode the elevator up to the top floor where Hina would be waiting, I thought about the named Disciplinary Committee students I might see at this point in time.
First, there's the Committee Head, Hina, and the Senior Administrator, Ako. Both are in the same year as me, which makes them second-years right now. Our lazy Committee Head and her pet Senior Administrator would, of course, be waiting for me.
Next, Shiromi Iori. She's like the action leader of the Gehenna Disciplinary Committee, and I think she was a year below us. In the original story, she had the character trait of being one of the few students who could bring out Sensei's dark side, and her in-game performance was god-tier. To be honest, I'm not sure if she'll be here or not.
Lastly, Hinomiya Chinatsu, who is in charge of the Disciplinary Committee's medical unit. She's still middle-school-aged, so she won't be in there. It's a bit of a shame that one of the two sane people in the Disciplinary Committee is missing…
Ding!
After getting off at the top floor, the mob student approached the office door to announce my arrival.
"You may enter. And… uhm, thank you for your consideration. I will enjoy the coffee. That is all."
Oh. It seems our mob-chan has quite a bit of courage. The mob student, who offered her thanks and then went on her way, looked quite delightful.
However, that's a separate issue from her reckless driving, which I can never forgive. It was an experience where my lifespan was shaved off minute by minute, one I never want to go through again. Though I say that, the same situation will probably repeat itself on the way back.
As soon as I entered Hina's office, I quickly scanned my surroundings. I saw Hina sitting at her desk and Amau Ako standing beside her like a secretary.
…Wow, seeing that outfit in person, it's like a walking piece of pornography. She's on the same level as Seia… maybe even higher. No wonder Sensei couldn't help but tell her to get on all fours. It's too lewd.
By the way, her glare is quite piercing. This one definitely seems to be wary of me.
"You're here. Welcome to Gehenna, Mika. I trust our committee members didn't commit any discourtesy on the way here?"
"Ahaha, hello! How have you been, Hina-chan? You don't have to worry about them. Aside from the slightly reckless driving, they were incredibly disciplined. I suppose that means they respect you that much, hmm."
"Yes, I've been well. I'm glad our members weren't rude to you. As for the driving… hmm, I'll be honest. I'd appreciate it if you could overlook that part. In Gehenna, it's rarer to find someone who drives safely. That's why we have so many accidents."
Hina squinted slightly, as if just thinking about it was tiring. If my head hurts just from hearing about it, how hard must it be for the one who has to clean up the accidents caused by those problem children every day? On our side, at least that burden is divided by three, thank goodness.
"Well, I figured as much from the start, so it's fine! I have no intention of picking a fight over something so trivial. Besides, accepting each other's differences is the starting line of harmony, isn't it?"
By the way, Hina in her own office… her presence is no joke. This is a demon king, sitting at the top of her castle, just radiating final boss energy. To be honest, my impression, along with my delicate appearance and angel wings, means I could never give off that kind of intimidating aura, so I'm a little envious.
"You haven't changed, Mika. I don't dislike that about you."
"Ahaha, I think it's my second-best charm point, right after my looks. Anyway, the one next to you must be the Disciplinary Committee's Senior Administrator, right? Then who's the one giving me the evil eye over there?"
Surprisingly, the first-year Iori was here too. Wearing an armband that read 'Public Morals,' she sat on the sofa, cleaning her gun. Was she trying to intimidate me like that?
If that's the case, Hina-chan just sitting there is probably more effective, but I still think that look is pretty cute.
"Ah, right. This is the Disciplinary Committee's Senior Administrator, Amau Ako."
"It's an honor to meet you, Tea Party Host."
Ako gave a slight bow as she greeted me, so I bowed my head back. Looking at her like this, Ako does seem to be on the more sane side of the spectrum.
"Mhm, it's nice to meet you too. Feel free to call me Mika-chan~ If that's too much, Mika-san is fine too☆"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am?"
"Pfft… Yes, that's very you. The one sitting over there is Shiromi Iori, who got into the Disciplinary Committee on pure skill alone. She's a member with a promising future."
"C-C-C-Captain?! If you say it like that, it's a little embarrassing…"
Iori immediately became shy at Hina's praise. Hmm, so even the Iori who enjoyed berating Sensei is nothing but a gentle lamb in front of Hina. Seeing how highly respected she is, it's clear there's a lot to learn from Hina.
"Now that we've finished with simple introductions, it's time to talk business. The reason our Tea Party Host, Mika, has come all the way to Gehenna today is to 'persuade' the Pandemonium Society."
"Huh? Captain, why the Pandemonium Society all of a sudden? What's going on? Am I the only one who doesn't know what you're talking about?"
"Ah, it's natural that you wouldn't know, Iori. This is a collaboration to improve relations between our two academies, Gehenna and Trinity. The matter cannot proceed without the cooperation of the Pandemonium Society, which is why Mika has visited. Therefore, we will now establish a plan to persuade the chairman of the Pandemonium Society."
"…Eeeeh?!"
But that Makoto… can't we just beat her into submission?