The argument between Jomae Saori and Takamachi Hoshino, which I thought would lead us into an irrecoverable territory, ended surprisingly without a hitch.
Well, this was back when Saori’s grand gesture wasn’t considered an incident.
Fortunately, Hoshino admitted and accepted her mistakes. However, that didn’t mean her heart, which had been wounded by losing Yume, was healed.
Hoshino is one of the strongest kids in Kivotos, so she can definitely overcome this, but I think the help of the new students joining Abydos is needed here.
Anyway, after calming Saori, who learned some unpleasant things from Azusa, the atmosphere relaxed significantly. The fact that the story ended well and that Saori broke the serious mood by sacrificing herself was effective.
…Separately, I should check Azusa’s cellphone soon. I’m scared she might be learning something weird from the Trinity bulletin board. I hope our Squirrel remains innocent going forward.
While I was lost in such idle thoughts, Hoshino opened her mouth, fanning herself.
“Uhe~ Let’s put an end to this boring talk here. This uncle is starting to get curious about what Jomae Saori has to say. I’m dying to know what Misono Mika did for you all to react like that earlier.”
“…My story? It’s probably not a pleasant one. Above all, it’s definitely not something you’d want to hear at a festival like this.”
“That’s no different from our story, so I can’t let you dodge it with such lame excuses, okay? If it’s a story that could help us understand Mika, then I really want to hear it.”
“…If that’s the reason.”
“Uhe~ Great, great. I was also a little curious about you, Saori-chan. Thanks to you, I was able to face the truths I had been avoiding today, so I’m grateful for that.”
Um, hey there.
You guys aren’t trying to compete over who had it worse or who suffered more, are you…?
First, let’s get one thing straight: I really like Saori’s story. Not just her, but I enjoy the background story of the Arius Squad as a whole. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Saori’s story.
If you ask why, it’s obviously closely tied to Mika’s narrative. That’s the only answer I can give.
In the process of forming Mika as a character, Saori is indispensable, and in the process of Saori’s awakening, Mika is an irreplaceable presence.
A connection that started with kindness but led to betrayal, a growing hatred like a rolling snowball throughout the process. And by understanding one another, one person forgives the other while the other reflects on themselves to find their own salvation.
If that becomes my story, I would rather die, but from the perspective of being merely a spectator, it’s a story so engrossing that I might end up making its protagonist my absolute favorite character.
If Golkont were to hear that story, I think he’d evaluate it as: “The literary process is excellent, but the conclusion leaves much to be desired; it’s a typical case of buildup with an unsatisfactory payoff.”
The reason I’m telling you all this isn’t for just any reason; it’s to discuss my ‘second favorite.’
If anyone linked to Mika were to ask me to decide on a favorite, I would probably have a tough time deciding between Kirihouji Nagisa and Saori.
Hearing even a part of Saori’s story directly from her is honestly not easy. I mean, if it were the first time I was hearing about her story in Arius, it would be one thing, but it’s not exactly that either.
“Saori-chan, are you alright?”
“…Princess, when something comes, something must also go.”
“Um, I don’t think that’s what that phrase is meant for…?”
“Is that so?”
Even when I heard about what the squad experienced from Hikari, it wasn’t easy, and I think it would be really difficult to hear such stories from Saori. Especially considering that their stories lie at the very core of Blue Archive’s academy and youth.
…By the way, it’s strange. Since when has Hiyori been throwing tsukkomi at Saori?
Is this a change brought about by the gradual lessening of the vertical relationship underneath Saori that was unique to the squad? That’s a bit intriguing.
Anyway, while I was pondering such thoughts, I heard the voice of a student running the eating competition echoing through the microphone.
Chijichijik.
[Ah! In exactly 5 minutes from now, the 2nd round of the Summer Festival’s eating competition will begin!]
…What a relief. While Saori was bringing up a story that could only be described as gloomy, I can cheer on Azusa instead.
I hope nothing happens to make Saori feel left out. It’s not that I’m trying to avoid listening to you just because I dislike you; I just feel like hearing about what happened there would hurt my heart, so please understand.
*
Once the eating competition officially began, five participants devoured yakitori as if they were literally inhaling it.
There were fewer participants than I expected, but this seems to be due to the fact that the eating competition is being held four times during the festival, and double participation isn’t allowed.
We had Izumi and Akari from the Gourmet Research Club, along with our Azusa. The other two participants were a Samoyed beastman of unknown gender and a robot, who obviously shouldn’t be competing in an eating competition. Who made that rule? Is it really just incinerating the food as soon as it comes in?
Anyway, the mountain of yakitori in front of the five was shrinking at a shocking speed. Even Azusa, who I thought wouldn’t eat much, surprised me by keeping up better than expected.
Ah, speaking of which, watching this mindlessly is making me crave some chicken skewers too. Especially the spicy chicken skewers they sold at the street vendor near my high school.
“While it wasn’t common for students in Arius to die, it wasn’t unheard of either. During the time when the upper class in Arius was shedding blood in a civil war, we were too young, but when Madam… the dictatorship began from the autonomous district named Beatrice, we could no longer use our age as an excuse. If I hadn’t stepped up then, Azusa might not have been left by our side in the worst-case scenario.”
Ugh, please. I want to hear nothing but stories of you guys walking a flower path…
Trying hard to ignore Saori’s voice ringing in my ears, I concentrated on Azusa. There seemed to be a change in Hoshino’s state of mind as Saori’s story progressed, but it was hard to be sure what it was.
“Though not present here, there’s also a girl named Imashino Misaki in the Arius Squad. Since she was young, she’s been mumbling about wanting to be liberated from this constricting, gloomy physique—”
But just because I don’t want to hear it doesn’t mean it won’t come through. Hearing Saori feel burdened while praising my decision to send her to the Rescue Knights exhaustively feels overwhelming. I just introduced some good people; why is it my merit?
In fact, this endless praise is starting to feel like some kind of day of worship.
If I could simply enjoy this situation serenely, I’d feel at peace, but the issue is that this isn’t just a normal burden. I’m scared of disappointing those who view me favorably, maybe even bordering on admiration or respect.
I’m not as spectacular a person as you think.
I’m just an ordinary person who got lucky enough to be reincarnated in a body with power and authority, second only to the teacher in Kivotos, and used knowledge from the original work to help you guys.
Fortunately, thanks to Azusa tackling who knows how many yakitoris—maybe 200 or 300—she declared her abandonment, freeing me from this discomfort.
But she still defeated Izumi. She did it just fine. Not that being last was okay; the robot was essentially cheating, and the real competitors were Izumi, Akari, and that beastman.
However, the surprising thing is that Akari essentially has a stomach capable of containing infinite food, so trying to beat her is a silly thought, and as for the beastman, I’m not sure, but Izumi seems more like one who indulges in strange delicacies than a glutton, making Azusa technically end up in 3rd place.
…But seriously, where on earth did all that fit in that tiny body? I wonder if I could manage even ten while on an empty stomach.
“Wow~ Saori-chan has had quite a tough life. But after hearing your story, I can see why you hold Mika in such high regard. She’s definitely a wonderful person. Still think she’s a bit of a fool, though.”
But thanks to that, the story about Arius came to an end, and I’m relieved about that. Once Azusa comes down from the stage, I can just splash around a little and, since there are many people, enjoy some fireworks before heading back.
…I’m not sure why Hoshino is hitting me there again, but if I think about how boldly she attacked the Arius Autonomous District, I can’t refute that she’s a fool.
Honestly, aside from everything, I feel relieved that Saori seems to have made a good friend. After hitting and getting to know each other, it feels like Hoshino and Saori are more comfortable with one another now.
In Trinity, it’s practically only Hikari who’s actively trying to widen her human connections, so it calms me that Saori has gained at least one friend in this way.
And while it was somewhat to be expected that my position as an anonymous benefactor would be dissolved and shifted to a newly formed friendship,
“More importantly, Mika-chan, pass me your hand for a moment~.”
“Eh? Why’s that…”
“Uhe~ It’ll only take a moment. You don’t need to be so cautious, alright?”
“Aha, Hoshino-chan, are you trying to return the card?”
“…Uhe?! How did you know… I didn’t think I was being that obvious!”
As expected, Hoshino attempted to return my check card to me. Like I’d actually accept that!
“Nope, I’m not getting it back. That’s my card until Abydos pays off its debt.”
“But, we’ve been doing pretty well lately, haven’t we? We’ve got three months’ worth of interest tucked away. We can resolve supply issues with this and pay off the interest little by little.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I’d prefer to keep accumulating spare funds with your support to take care of the new students that will be enrolling soon. Yep, I’d definitely be happier doing that than just getting that card back.”
Honestly, I kind of want to work hard on making money and possibly spearhead a project to resurrect Abydos with Nonomi in the future. If I can ascend to the top of the culinary world in Kivotos, then maybe someday we could deal with Kaiser, right?
Since Nonomi alone could clear Abydos’s debt outright just with her personal assets, being the daughter of the aristocracy of Saint Nephthys, if I manage to keep it a secret from Hoshino throughout, maybe I could carry out a somewhat plausible plan.
“That card isn’t a trivial matter; that’s a bit harsh coming from someone who’s struggled without it~.”
“Hahaha, it’s not that I don’t have one, I just haven’t been using it, right?”
“…Nonomi-chan’s card is absolutely off limits. No way. And even if that debt gets paid off, the fundamental issue remains…someone is still targeting Abydos.”
While it may sound like I’m just being stubborn, Hoshino surely has her own reasons for refusing to use Nonomi’s wealth.
I respect her choice, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy with it. I wonder if there’s a better way.
*
Later, I heard that in the eating competition, Akari demolished all the yakitori ingredients prepared for that day, significantly breaking the record in Kivotos.
Infinite stomach, indeed.
In fact, when Azusa heard about this, she lamented that it was just a paper difference, only for Hiyori to counter her with, “Azusa-chan, it’s not just a paper difference; it feels more like a whole paper factory difference…” dropping a brutal diss.
If there’s any news of significance beyond that, it’d be the competition status. After moving to enjoy some water play and relaxing on a sunbed checking the competition status, I had no choice but to close my eyes upon witnessing the disastrous results.
Gold, silver, and bronze—not just any bronze but Gehenna’s clean sweep. All killed.
“Wow—…”
They handed me an 8-point lead without a moment’s hesitation. I just want to die now.
…Should I just drown myself in this water?
