Protect Azusa…
I silently repeated Mika's request in my mind.
Even if she had not said it, I would have done so anyway. Still, I could not help but ask,
"Why?"
"…Ah, was that a bit too direct? Maybe I picked up some bad habits from Nagisa-chan."
What I had noticed was that, from earlier on, Mika had been unconsciously speaking ill of Nagisa. Combined with the content of this deal, I could not help but wonder whether Mika harbored some reservations about certain things Nagisa had done.
At the very least, Mika had allowed Nagisa to grow increasingly suspicious, knowing full well who her childhood friend was searching for, yet choosing to remain silent.
"So you won't get confused, Sensei, I'll start from the beginning? I'm not as smart as Nagisa-chan or Seia-chan… but I'll try my best to explain it clearly."
Bathed in the morning sunlight, her already radiant smile seemed even more dazzling. For a brief moment, I was distracted, and for some reason, a faint ache rose in my chest.
She could look this cute so easily, whenever she wanted.
I kept my emotions off my face as best I could. "Alright. I'm counting on you."
Then Mika retold the history of resentment between Arius and Trinity, which I had already heard once several months ago.
As everyone knew, Trinity was a school formed from multiple factions. In the distant past, those factions were far from harmonious. They were hostile to one another, and conflicts broke out daily.
As a final solution, at the first General Council, the major factions agreed to cease their fighting and coexist peacefully. Thus, a new academy named Trinity was born in Kivotos.
However, this merger was far from smooth.
At the time, there was one faction that had originally only differed slightly from the others in its interpretation of doctrine. For reasons unknown, it opposed the merger until the very end.
Naturally, before the united front of the other factions, its resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The faction known as Arius was swiftly defeated and exiled from the district by Trinity.
To this day, although Arius Branch School seemed to still exist somewhere in Kivotos, no one knew its exact location.
For most students, they likely did not even know that such a school, or that battle, had ever existed.
In short, with the first General Council, Trinity gradually moved toward glory, while Arius almost completely faded from the stage of history.
"And then…" Mika paused and looked at me meaningfully. "The Eden Treaty that Nagisa-chan is pushing for is essentially a reenactment of that first General Council."
I frowned, finally realizing the source of the faint sense of déjà vu from earlier, and grasping the hidden implication in her words.
"You mean…"
Mika smiled slightly and continued, "The Eden Treaty… an agreement for two massive schools to coexist peacefully from now on. It sounds like a good thing, right? But what would the reality be? At its core, it would be a new armed organization formed by integrating the military power of Gehenna and Trinity. The Eden Treaty Organization, or ETO."
Nagisa had already roughly explained ETO to me after the first make up exam.
However, from Mika's tone, she clearly held a different view.
"…That's right. Even though it's called the Eden Treaty, in reality it's a military alliance."
Mika stepped closer, her tone solemn and resolute. "The true purpose is to combine the combat strength of Trinity and Gehenna into a powerful armed group… Such an overwhelmingly strong organization would be born… during this chaotic time when the General Student Council president is missing."
Up to this point, I could somewhat understand Mika's concerns. After all, I had similar thoughts at the beginning.
But what she said next made my brows knit tightly, unable to relax for a long while.
"Once she holds that kind of power, what does Nagisa-chan intend to do? Does she want to attack the General Student Council while the president is absent and take the position for herself? Or eliminate the budding force called Millennium?"
After proposing two dangerous possibilities, she added a layer of protection for herself. "Of course, I don't know her exact intentions… but one thing I'm sure of is that once someone gains great power, they'll want to remove what they dislike… just like how Trinity treated Arius in the past. Or maybe like Seia did…"
At that, Mika seemed to realize she had said something she should not have, and quickly stopped.
"No, sorry. That was inappropriate…"
The dissatisfaction building in my heart at her excessive speculation about her friend dissipated somewhat after a brief pause.
I probed gently, "What about Seia?"
"…Like I said before, she's hospitalized."
This was the excuse Mika had used before, cutting in ahead of a troubled Nagisa when I casually inquired while accepting the Tea Party's request.
She had also added that due to poor health, Seia could not use her phone or receive visitors, saving me some trouble.
But unlike before, there was a strong unnatural note in her voice now.
Perhaps she felt a bit guilty.
I did not press further and simply watched her silently.
"…I know you and Seia-chan are close, but during this time…"
Mika suddenly trailed off, pressed her lips together, and avoided my gaze. After a long moment, she looked at me again.
"…Do you really want to know? If I tell you, I won't have any way out. If you learn the truth and then betray me… I'll definitely be finished. Even so, do you still want to know?"
I answered seriously, "How could I ever betray you?"
"Well, how should I put it… You see, I dislike you quite a bit, don't I? So you should dislike me too. Betraying someone you dislike is pretty common, right?"
So that was how she saw it.
I shook my head and said sincerely, "…Unfortunately, I've never disliked you."
But at a time like this, any number of words probably felt pale and powerless.
"Is that so? You're a strange adult. Well, I was joking just now."
Mika smiled at me. "You're someone Seia-chan trusts, so I trust you the same way I trust Seia-chan. And didn't you just say you're my ally?"
Hearing that, warmth spread through my chest. Thinking about it, she must trust me to reveal so much of what should never be known to outsiders.
Maybe when she says she dislikes me, she is just being tsundere. Maybe she is simple at heart and does not know how to interact with someone she likes, so she can only draw my attention this way…
Click.
"Besides, even if I were betrayed, how should I put it…"
Mika thought for a moment. "Hmm, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Alright, I'll tell you. Please prepare yourself."
After I indicated I was ready, she said in a low voice, "Seia-chan wasn't hospitalized. Her halo was destroyed."
In reality, she was hiding in a safe house with Mine's assistance for safety reasons.
Remembering Seia's instructions, I cooperated and showed a shocked reaction.
Mika then told me how things appeared from the perspective of her and Nagisa as fellow Tea Party members.
Just as Seia had predicted, with Mine providing false testimony, the Tea Party concluded that Seia's halo had been destroyed during the attack. For various reasons, the news was tightly sealed. Apart from the Tea Party, at most the enigmatic Sisterhood might know.
"How could this happen…" I murmured, putting on a pained expression. "Then what about the culprit?"
Mika shook her head. "We don't know. You could say it's under investigation, or that there's no progress at all… Seia-chan was always someone with many secrets… Well. That's how it is."
She sighed sympathetically.
I pretended to hesitate, then fell silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Even so," Mika's words carried a deeper meaning, "we're not completely without clues… But at this stage, it's only speculation. I know you and Seia-chan are close, so forgive me for not being able to tell you yet."
But she quickly closed off that thread. "…Next, let's return to the earlier topic. It was me who arranged for Shirasu Azusa to transfer into our school."
Although I had already guessed as much, hearing her admit it still stirred a faint surprise in me, which I allowed to show.
"You did it, Mika…?"
"Yes. I did it behind Nagisa-chan's back. I forged the student roster and various documents to get her admitted."
She paused. "You're wondering why, right? Arius still hates us to this day. We enjoy such a wealthy environment, while they can only survive in harsh conditions, not even knowing what 'learning' truly is… They keep rejecting the hand we extend and the aid from the General Student Council, all because of past hatred."
A sacred sorrow tinged her already beautiful face. "You know this. I want reconciliation with Arius. But their hatred isn't something that can be soothed easily… There are too many accumulated misunderstandings and doubts. I can't bear it alone."
I had already known this from our first meeting with the Tea Party.
It could only be said that Mika, who had consulted me about this so openly back then, truly did not treat me as an outsider.
"But Nagisa-chan and Seia-chan both opposed me… because of political reasons. I can understand that. After all, we are the Tea Party."
Mika asked in confusion, "I'm clumsy and not good at politics… But is it really that hard to get along from now on? Can't we hold tea parties like before and resolve misunderstandings little by little?"
She probably knew the answer herself.
If it were so easy, why would she suspect that Nagisa's ultimate goal with the Eden Treaty was to create a new armed institution to fulfill personal ambitions?
"I hoped that child… Shirasu Azusa, could become a symbol of reconciliation."
After so much buildup, Mika finally revealed her true purpose. "I'm not very familiar with her, but she's apparently an excellent student even in Arius, so I wanted to place my bet on her. There was also the option of persuading Nagisa-chan to follow the proper procedures… but I had doubts about that too… I think Nagisa-chan would never agree."
From what I knew, that was likely true. Even if there had been a slight possibility before, after Seia's attack, with Nagisa believing the attack aimed to stop the Eden Treaty, she would never agree to such a far fetched proposal that could cause further complications.
"If the Eden Treaty is successfully concluded… then reconciliation with Arius will truly become impossible. So it has to happen before that. I want to prove to everyone that Arius students can live well in Trinity and find happiness."
She was holding onto such an innocent and kind, almost unrealistic ideal…
Then Mika changed tone, worry surfacing. "But just then, Nagisa-chan started saying there was a traitor in Trinity… I don't know why she began thinking that. Maybe I slipped up somewhere while doing all this."
She paused before continuing. "So to prevent the treaty from being obstructed, Nagisa-chan established the Make Up Work Club. At first, I wondered what it was… Ah, by the way, Sensei, did you ask why it was those particular students?"
I answered honestly, "I have some idea about Azusa and Hanako."
"Mm… To avoid missing anything, I'll go through them one by one."
Mika closed her eyes briefly, then began laying out the information she had.
"First, Hanako. Even though she has some very strange aspects, she's truly an outstanding student, including academically. Otherwise she wouldn't have been recommended as a student council president candidate, specifically, a candidate for the Tea Party. I heard the Sisterhood has also been trying to recruit her, but it hasn't gone very smoothly."
So Hanako had once been a Tea Party candidate. No wonder Sakurako knew so much about her.
I listened quietly as my thoughts drifted with Mika's narration.
"During chapel class, appearing in a swimsuit in that devout atmosphere was really something. I happened to be there at the time. Everyone's expressions when she got kicked out by the sisters were priceless, ahaha."
…Come to think of it, maybe that is why Sakurako is reluctant to talk to me about Hanako.
"But such a promising child suddenly changed, even nearly repeating a year because of her grades… Why?"
Mika's expression turned extremely serious. "It's understandable to want to investigate. After all, she has interacted with Trinity's upper ranks and knows quite a few secrets. For Nagisa-chan, she's someone who can't be ignored."
After finishing with Hanako, Mika moved on. "As for Koharu chan… She has nothing to do with political scheming. She's just a good child. But why her…"
That was something I had been puzzled about too.
Surely Koharu was not deliberately failing to join the club as some kind of inspector.
"Ah, strictly speaking, she wasn't selected because she was suspected. The real reason wasn't her, but Hasumi chan and the others."
"…Hasumi?"
In other words, the Justice Task Force, which had faithfully carried out the host's orders since the current Tea Party was formed?
Mika nodded. "A force with such immense military power, especially someone like Hasumi-chan who harbors strong hatred toward Gehenna… the unease of not being able to control them… wondering if something might happen… Nagisa-chan probably wanted to take measures against that."
"Wait," I interrupted. "You said Hasumi harbors strong hatred toward Gehenna?"
"Mmm. I don't know how close you are with Hasumi chan… but I heard something like this. When she learned about the alliance with Gehenna, she flew into a rage in the Justice Task Force clubroom, shouting things like 'Gehenna and Pandemonium Society are unforgivable,' and smashed a vase to pieces. Even Tsurugi-chan couldn't stop her."
Hearing that, my expression turned strange.
From my impression, when I first met her, Hasumi did not show much unusual emotion toward Gehenna students.
Until one particular day.
So… could it be… that what Mika heard about… was actually that incident…
"As the vice captain of Trinity's armed group, the Justice Task Force, Hasumi chan abnormally hates Gehenna. It would be natural for her to strongly oppose the Eden Treaty, right? Like, 'An alliance with Gehenna of all things?'"
Mika paused slightly, as if giving me space to think. "At this point, you should understand. It could have been anyone from the Justice Task Force. It just happened to be that child because of her poor grades."
In other words, Koharu really was just an ordinary fool. And placing her in the Make Up Work Club served to…
"That means she's a hostage. Regarding the matter of 'expulsion,' Hasumi chan probably knows too."
So that was why Hasumi had shouted so fiercely at her junior last night.
"Next… Hifumi chan."
I remembered that Nagisa had told Hifumi she hoped she would also find the traitor.
But even honest Hifumi must have harbored doubts about that explanation.
"Hifumi-chan is gentle and cute, a good child, right? Nagisa-chan likes her a lot."
Mika gave a wry smile. "…But even so, Nagisa-chan directed suspicion toward her. It seems she once secretly left the school and went to some suspicious place. A black market area that Trinity students are forbidden to enter. And there's intelligence that she has ties to a certain criminal group. Even though she looks so pure and kind…"
Uh…
I suddenly did not know how to comment.
After all, the wanted posters for "Faust" and the Masked Swimsuit Gang were still hanging in the black market.
"Even though Nagisa-chan likes Hifumi chan, she still cast suspicion on her. That's very much like her style."
Mika sighed. "So Nagisa-chan's suspicion that 'there might be a traitor in Trinity' deepened as more information was gathered, and eventually turned into 'which one of them is the traitor?'"
She raised her golden eyes and looked at me solemnly. "It's no longer about whether a traitor exists. For Nagisa-chan, the traitor is already an established fact. That's the current situation. It was a bit long, but that should be everything I know."
Indeed, the information Mika provided was the most detailed so far, clearing up many doubts that might have taken me much longer to unravel on my own.
The sincerity and trust she displayed far surpassed Nagisa, who had concealed much of the situation.
Though in terms of affection, it was probably the reverse.
"Traitor… huh…"
I murmured.
"…If we clarify what the word 'traitor' really means, the answer should become obvious."
Mika reflected, "Right now, Nagisa-chan probably thinks someone is deceiving her and Trinity, that there's a spy among us. In that sense, the traitor she refers to is the child who transferred in with forged records, Shirasu Azusa. As I just said, she's from Arius, which is hostile to Trinity."
If we followed Mika's reasoning, that was true.
At this point, guilt appeared on her face. "That child was dragged into the center of this complicated political struggle because of me, without knowing anything… But she can't be expelled like this."
Otherwise, all of Mika's secret efforts to mend the rift between Trinity and Arius would be wasted.
I silently filled in the rest in my mind.
"So I want to protect her. Right now, that's something only Sensei can do. And in a way… to Nagisa-chan, I'm also a 'traitor,' because I don't support the Eden Treaty she's promoting. Of course, I'm not the host and have no authority, so I can't really obstruct anything… And from another angle, you could say this too. The 'traitor of Trinity'…"
Mika stared at me, enunciating each word clearly.
"Don't you think it could also describe Nagisa-chan?"