Another energetic and great day... well, I wouldn't go that far, but life has been a lot more livable lately since the time it takes to process paperwork has been drastically reduced, all thanks to one person.
"Hahh. You worked hard again today, Hanako-chan!"
"Fufu, not at all. It's not like I'm doing anything amazing... After all, you're the one who gives the final approval on everything, Mika-sunbae."
No, all I do is 'just' the final approval. Thanks to my dear secretary who skims the documents, summarizes the key points, and passes them on to me, the paperwork these days just melts away. It would be nice if she could use some of that talent for our Nagisa, but she draws a firm line there.
*'Mika-sunbae, I joined the Tea Party because I wanted to help you, and you alone. It's not that I don't know how much you cherish Nagisa-sunbae, but I don't believe that's my place to be concerned. If it weren't for you, I never would have joined the Tea Party in the first place, so I hope you can respect that.'*
Something along those lines.
Anyway, seeing Hanako sometimes fidget with her lips in front of me, it's clear she's dying trying to hold back. It's so cute how she tries so hard to restrain herself in my presence, even though she must have things she wants to say and it's been a while since she stopped holding back.
Still, Hanako in her demure young lady mode has its own charm. I don't know how she managed to keep everyone's mouths shut, but no one around here speaks ill of her...
"Ah, Mika-sunbae. Have you heard the news?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Um... it's about Saint Nephthys Company's Desert-Crossing Train project. I heard that the work in the Abydos desert is about 80% complete, and there are rumors that it's accelerating the desertification process. If this phenomenon continues to spread even after the Abydos district completely turns into a desert..."
"...Yeah, you're right. I can't say exactly when, but there's definitely a risk it could swallow up other autonomous districts. We wouldn't be an exception either. Yes."
Saint Nephthys.
I know it's a corporation connected to Nonomi.
And I'm also well aware that after Kaiser was torn to shreds by my hand, this company swallowed up the remnants of its arms industry and is now becoming the new titan to take Kaiser's place.
Which means, if this railway development project, which Saint Nephthys expanded and resumed, is the cause of Abydos's desertification becoming worse than it was in the original story... then I have a huge stake in it.
"It's about time I contacted Kaiser."
"Kaiser Corporation? After last year's Kaiser Gate Incident, aren't they just barely hanging on through their PMC? Is there a reason for you to contact them, Mika-sunbae...?"
"Ah, you don't know yet, do you, Hanako-chan? The Kaiser Gate Incident... well, um! Let's just say, about half of it was my handiwork."
"...Heut."
"Hm? Hanako-chan, what's wrong all of a sudden...?"
"Ah, no! It's nothing, Mika-sunbae. I was just a little surprised. Then, to contact a place you brought down with your own hands... that must mean Kaiser is useful to you in some way."
"That's right. The deadline for the deal I offered the Kaiser President back then is just around the corner☆ Find a way to solve or reverse the desertification of the Abydos district. If you can't, I'll blow away Kaiser PMC and Kaiser Loan completely. Yep, that was more or less the deal we made."
"Oh my, then Kaiser must be in a real panic."
"Ahaha. Well, who knows about that. The deadline I gave them was before the start of March... so there are about two weeks left. The problem is, they might just ignore the deal we made and play dumb."
At the time of the deal, I hadn't factored this in, but with the GSC President missing, there's no guarantee I can get the GSC's cooperation in crushing Kaiser.
Now that I have a connection with the Defense Office, it might be possible if I talk it over with Kaya, but the difference now is that I have to factor in Sensei's existence and the GSC under Rin's leadership.
The GSC President herself was furious about Kaiser's atrocities at the time and supported my plan, but I have no idea what Rin thinks.
Judging her by her actions in the original story, all I can think is that she doesn't want to change the system the GSC President built, or perhaps she's afraid to.
That would naturally make her overall actions passive, and it's somewhat understandable why she'd minimize involvement in unnecessary affairs and focus on the meaningless search for the GSC President. Not that I can sympathize.
"Wait a moment. If you proposed such a deal, doesn't that mean you have a weapon in your hands that could destroy Kaiser's last remaining bastion? But for them to be able to play dumb... Ah. The situation has changed since then."
"Yep, assuming the Kaiser President is as competent as the GSC President said he was. With the GSC President missing, he might have calculated that if they just hold out, they at least can't be crushed by official authority."
The last time I met the Kaiser President, he was also cornered. So it would be foolish to assume I saw his true colors. One should always test the waters before crossing, right?
"Shall I contact Kaiser right away, then?"
"For now, just send them a simple notification. Ah, and add a little bluff to it. Tell them that if they're thinking of hunkering down and holding out, Trinity's Towed Artillery Platoon is ready to conduct an 'outdoor class' at any time. That should be about right."
I am always, always grateful for everything, Kirifuji Nagisa-sama. Today, again, I have made use of what I learned from you, O greatest student council president in Trinity's history...
"Understood..."
"Ah, but before that. Let's go get some lunch together, Hanako-chan. I'll introduce you to a great new restaurant that opened near campus☆"
No, seriously, the rosé bunmoja tteokbokki there is out of this world. (TN: Rosé tteokbokki is a trendy Korean dish featuring rice cakes in a creamy, spicy gochujang-based sauce. Bunmoja are thick, chewy glass noodles.)
Thanks to that, the numbers that will start piling up in my bank account soon will be out of this world, too.
***
Sensei, who had been looking out the window while sitting in his train seat, lowered the blinds a moment later. All he could see was a view completely blocked by the sandstorm.
They had rented out an entire cargo car of the Desert-Crossing Train and filled it with two tactical vehicles to be used in Abydos, along with various other supplies. Thanks to this train, it seemed there would be no disruptions in the supply of materials while they were active in Abydos.
"Sensei, there is something I would like to ask your advice on."
"Hm? Of course, Miyako. What's on your mind?"
Of those sharing the same cabin, only Miyako and Sensei were awake. The other students of the RABBIT Platoon were all sound asleep in their seats.
"Kuhuhu."
Lightly ignoring Moe, who was scratching what was presumed to be her stomach with her hand inside her clothes, Sensei turned off the movie that had been playing and focused his attention on Miyako.
"Do you remember what happened in the SCHALE clubroom when we first met?"
Sensei pondered for a moment what Miyako could be bringing up to him like this, before arriving at an answer.
"Are you perhaps talking about what happened with Saki?"
"Yes, that's right. As you saw then, the reality is that I am not very trusted by my squad members at present. Miyu follows me, for the most part, but Saki was the student who achieved the best results during the freshman training course prior to enrolling in SRT... and Moe finds my attempts to control the squad to be a nuisance."
"In short, you're asking for advice on how to firmly control the squad as its leader."
"That is correct. It's not that our RABBIT Platoon lacks combat experience, but even back then, we had a strong tendency to act separately. I once asked someone else for similar advice regarding this, but what I received... was somewhat, realistically difficult to implement."
"What kind of advice was it...?"
"I was told to line them all up, beat them up, and then have a talk."
"That's... a bit radical, but it is an effective method."
Establishing a firm hierarchy within a group was indeed valid advice, but it had a prerequisite: one had to be strong enough to actually do it. If one failed to establish dominance, there was a risk of, to put it crudely, being "eaten."
But even if it was efficient, if one of his students were to choose such a path, Sensei would do his best to change their mind. It was not a method he could recommend to a student.
Of course, the situation might be a little different for SRT, whose identity was quite close to that of 'soldiers.' But to Sensei, they were, above all else, students.
"I'm curious what kind of squad leader you want to be, Miyako. The leader of a strict group that thoroughly observes the chain of command?"
"...No, I haven't really thought about it that far. But... I don't want to become a squad leader who fails to command her unit and, as a result, becomes a burden to you, Sensei."
"In that case, how about we start with being friends?"
"Friends, you say...?"
"If you understand each other and accept one another in your hearts, don't you think Saki and Moe will come to recognize your strengths? I believe the reason they don't see why someone like the GSC President appointed you as the squad leader is because they haven't tried to understand each other."
"Sensei... I don't think friendships are formed overnight. And with our activities in Abydos right around the corner, my inability to firmly command the squad is a major liability."
"Then, until everyone is ready to follow you wholeheartedly, how about entrusting command of the RABBIT Platoon to me? You can tell me whenever you feel you're ready."
After a moment of thought, Miyako nodded. Leaving aside the student-teacher relationship, SRT was now incorporated as a subordinate organization of SCHALE. Following Sensei's orders was a matter of course, and this was something that Saki and Moe had also clearly accepted.
*'...Friends, is it?'*
As she mulled it over, the advice she had received in the past reared its head again. But separate from the respect she held for that person, she unhesitatingly rejected that advice.
***