[Yes! Understood. Then I will restore access to the Sanctum Tower! Please wait a moment!]
*Whirrrrrrrrr—*
Light flooded the space, which until now had been illuminated only by the weapon light attached to my gun and the glow from the Shittim Chest's screen.
[Sanctum Tower admin privileges received... Sensei. I have successfully recovered control of the Sanctum Tower. The Sanctum Tower is now under my, Arona's, control. Kivotos is now practically under your command, Sensei!]
At last, control of the Sanctum Tower was recovered. That meant that three weeks of hellish suffering had finally come to an end.
After that, the General Student Council President's authority, including control of the Sanctum Tower, was transferred to the General Student Council at a speed that was like roasting beans on a lightning fire. (TN: A Korean idiom for doing something at lightning speed.) Rin's expression brightened as she realized that normal administrative management was possible again, and she expressed her gratitude to Sensei.
But, it felt like I was forgetting something...
"Ah."
"Hm? Is there something on your mind, Mika?"
"W-Well, umm."
How should I bring this up?
If command authority over the SRT Special Academy returns to the General Student Council like this, it's a foregone conclusion that those talented personnel will be wasted, unable to be properly utilized.
Who was the number one contributor to preventing major chaos from spreading across Kivotos this time? If it weren't for Yukino and the SRT students under her command suppressing the illegal arms distribution in the Black Market, there's no way public order in the D.U. could have been maintained by Valkyrie alone.
No matter how competent Kaya is, if you get down to the fundamentals, the capabilities of Valkyrie, who have to do the actual fieldwork, are not that great.
It's not just about responding to major incidents; whether or not SRT is in an operational state is a crucial issue for the security of Kivotos. Having all of them tied up within ETO is a huge loss in itself.
"Rin-chan, this is about the SRT Special Academy."
"...I see. I had anticipated this to some extent, but were you behind SRT's control of the Black Market after all, Mika-ssi?"
"Hm? The way you say that makes it sound like I'm some mastermind plotting something wicked. That was a necessary measure for the sake of Kivotos, and the choice was entirely Yukino-chan's. Yeah, I just pointed out what might have happened if the Black Market wasn't controlled, you know?"
"...There is an insider in the General Student Council. Someone who would have been in personal contact with you... Don't tell me, is it the Defense Chief?"
...She's certainly a fast thinker. Or perhaps her suspicion about an internal information leak, which she'd had since SRT made its move, just turned into certainty.
Personally, I think it's both. The person chosen by the GSC President, who was called a superhuman, to be her Chief Administrator should be at least this capable.
"...Wait, Mika-ssi! Does that mean you've known about the General Student Council President's disappearance for a long time?"
"Well... now that control of the Sanctum Tower has been restored, I guess there's no need to hide it? To be honest, the answer is yes☆"
"Then, the reason Rio-sunbae started using AMAS for security maintenance at a certain point was also because you passed on information, and...?"
"Yep, that's right too! Of course, if the fact of the President's disappearance were to be leaked, it would put Kaya-chan, who told me, in a difficult position... or the GSC might even start suspecting each other while looking for an insider and be shaken to its very core, so I only passed on the information that 'the GSC has lost control of the Sanctum Tower.'"
The only people I told about the GSC President's disappearance were those I judged I could completely trust, myself included. And that category includes only four people.
In Rio's case, I gave her a vague account because there was no guarantee she wouldn't try to pull something if she heard the full story, but I suspect that even she had an inkling that something had happened to the President. She's a smart kid, after all.
"So that's why the President was so gloomy on the first day of the new semester, lamenting what a bolt from the blue it was..."
"Ah, that was probably just because the date she had originally planned was cancelled."
"..."
Hmm... anyway, I was worried because Hina's birthday is just around the corner, so it's a relief that Sensei arrived this early. This way, I can finish cleaning up the mess before then and take a day off with a clear conscience.
"It seems I will need to have a personal discussion with the Defense Chief about this matter."
"Oh, I'm asking just in case, but you're not planning on scolding Kaya-chan, are you? Yeah, you of all people should know how much more serious the situation would have been without her, Rin-chan."
"...I am not unaware, but as a matter of principle, leaking internal secrets is a serious offense. Taking into account the passion and hard work the Defense Chief showed during this incident, and acknowledging that in the end, her chosen method was the correct one, it will end with just a lecture."
"Wow, that's a very by-the-book argument, just like you, Rin-chan. Hahh, I guess it'll be my job to listen to Kaya-chan's whining again..."
I understand Rin's position of not being able to blindly praise Kaya while still acknowledging that her decision was for the good of Kivotos, but...
Separate from that, I can clearly see a future where Kaya comes to me, on the verge of tears, complaining, 'Rin, that annoying person, why is she... when she does nothing at all! I, I worked so hard to maintain public order, and this is what I get? Don't you think this is an absurd way to be treated, Mika-nim?!'
Even after all this, the fact that Kaya will still draw a line and say we're not friends doesn't even feel cruel anymore. We've been friends for a long time now, what's she talking about?
"Ahem. So, what exactly was it that you wanted to say about SRT?"
Rin cleared her throat and returned to the main topic with a question. Right, I need to unchain SRT here. And as it happens, the person who can hold their leash and keep them from heading in the wrong direction has just arrived.
"Rin-chan, do you really think the SRT Special Academy, which is directly under the GSC President, can fulfill its role under the General Student Council?"
"..."
Rin, hit right on the mark, closed her eyes. There's no way she doesn't know. No one knows how the General Student Council works better than Rin.
Entrusting SRT to the Defense Office is impossible. There would be checks and wariness from within the GSC against such a concentration of power.
It's only natural to be wary of giving a single department command authority over a force that surpasses Valkyrie.
SRT was able to exist only because the person holding its leash was trusted by everyone. Therefore, there is only one way at this point for SRT to be maintained without significant opposition from the GSC and other academies.
"Assign SRT under SCHALE's command, Rin-chan."
"Hahh. Host of the Tea Party... as I thought, you are dangerous."
"...Suddenly?"
Okay, that was genuinely a bit sudden. What did I do to make Rin's wariness shoot up to the maximum level all of a sudden?
"If SRT's standing is not maintained, the possibility of ETO's official launch also becomes uncertain. The General Student Council will not be able to stand by and watch a structure where SRT, a literal hot potato that they cannot control, is semi-integrated into Trinity and Gehenna... and the same goes for the other academies."
"Wo—ow...?"
"By transferring SRT, with whom you have a close relationship, under Sensei's command, you create a link to SCHALE and also ensure the stable maintenance of ETO. You, who are politically astute enough to come up with such a plan in that short amount of time, are truly a dangerous person."
Isn't this a situation that perfectly fits the saying, "the interpretation is better than the dream"...? All I was thinking was 'We absolutely have to save SRT!!!' and that if we gave Sensei the authority to command the SRT kids, he'd put them to good use when needed, but now I've suddenly become a politically astute and dangerous person... (TN: "The interpretation is better than the dream" is a Korean idiom used when someone gives an overly flattering or complex interpretation to a simple action.)
"I think I understand now why Rin-chan described Mika as a queen."
Wait, a queen? What kind of crazy talk is this now? Seriously, what did Rin see me as...?
"...Who is Rin-chan? Please be professional, Sensei."
"Mika can call you Rin-chan but Sensei can't? That might hurt my feelings a little..."
"Gh, that's because that one won't listen no matter how many times I tell her! But Sensei, you are an adult, not a child, are you not? So please, treat me with proper professionalism."
"If you put it that way, I guess I have no choice. Alright, Rin-chan."
"..."
Wow, this Sensei. He's more shameless than I imagined.
As if he had any idea how everyone around him was looking at him, Sensei smiled and posed a question to Rin.
"So... could you explain to me exactly what kind of place the SRT Special Academy is, Rin?"
"...Hahh. I understand. The SRT Special Academy is—"
After hearing Rin's explanation about SRT, Sensei seemed to ponder for a while before nodding.
"In short, if we bring the academy called SRT under SCHALE, it will be a great help to its students, is that right? And since both SRT and SCHALE are fundamentally classified as being directly under the GSC President, there shouldn't be any major procedural issues either."
"Well, that's about it. And since those kids in particular pursue justice, I'd like you to guide them so they don't go astray, Sensei! The GSC President was originally in charge of that role, but..."
And even that President made a mistake in that regard once, but anyway. Sensei seems to be practically persuaded, so now all I need is a firm answer from Rin.
But the one who drew out that firm answer from Rin was not me, but Sensei.
"I'm asking you, Rin. Won't you trust this Sensei just once?"
"...Ah, I-I understand. I will take measures to have SRT incorporated under SCHALE's command as soon as possib— as soon as possible."
Wow.
Hey, Sensei. Speaking with a smile in your eyes like that is cheating. And our poor Rin even bit her tongue!
This won't do. Sensei, I will stop your demonic clutches from reaching our students, no matter what it takes...!
***