[Yes! Got it. Then I’ll restore access rights to Sanctum Tower! Please hold on for a moment!]
Vvvvrrrrrrrrrrrr———
The only light in the space, apart from the weapon light attached to my gun and the glow from the box display, suddenly bursts into brightness.
[Sanctum Tower admin rights obtained… Teacher. The control of Sanctum Tower has been safely retrieved. Now, Sanctum Tower is under my control, Arona. Right now, Kivotos is practically under your reign!]
Finally, the control of Sanctum Tower has been reclaimed. That means the torture of the last three weeks has finally come to an end.
From then on, the powers of the Student Council President, including the control of Sanctum Tower, were swiftly transferred to the Student Council side. With a brighter expression, Rin thanks the teacher for the return to normal administration.
But somehow, it seems like something was forgotten…
“Ah.”
“Hm? Is there something on your mind, Mika?”
“Uh, um.”
How should I bring this up? If the command rights of the SRT Special Academy go back to the Student Council like this, it’s clear that that talented workforce will go to waste without being used properly.
After all, who was the key player that managed to prevent chaos in Kivotos this time? If not for Yukino and her SRT students, who suppressed the illegal arms trade in the Black Market, it wouldn’t have been possible to maintain D.U.’s law and order solely with Valkyries.
No matter how capable Kaya is, fundamentally, her ability to dig into groundwork and perform practical duties isn’t that impressive.
Even if it’s not just to respond to major incidents, the capability of the SRT to operate is a very important matter for the security of Kivotos. Having all of them stuck within ETO would be a great loss.
“Rin-chan, this is about the SRT Special Academy.”
“…I see. I kind of expected it, but so Mika was behind SRT’s control of the Black Market.”
“Huh? That sounds like I’m some villain plotting something! It was simply a necessary measure for Kivotos, and the decision was entirely Yukino-chan’s. Yeah, I was just pointing out what could have happened if I hadn’t controlled the Black Market?”
“…There’s an insider in the Student Council, huh? Someone who could have communicated personally with you, Mika… Could it be the Defense Office Head?”
…Her speed of thought is sure fast. If that weren’t the case, the suspicion about the leakage of internal information from the moment the SRT started moving might have turned into certainty.
Personally, I feel like it’s both sides. If the Student Council President, known for her exceptional abilities, had someone like that as her chief administrator, it makes sense.
“…Wait a second, Mika! Does that mean you’ve known about the Student Council President’s disappearance for a long time?”
“Well… There’s no need to hide it now that control of Sanctum Tower has been restored, right? To put it plainly, the answer is yes☆”
“So, it means from what point did Rion-senpai start to mobilize AMAS for policing, you got that information from you…?”
“Yup, that’s right! Of course, if the fact of the Student Council President’s disappearance leaked, Kaya-chan who informed me would get into trouble… Or perhaps the Student Council might start doubting each other in their search for the insider, leading to some instability. So, I only transmitted the information that ‘the Student Council has lost control of Sanctum Tower.'”
The people who heard about the Student Council President’s disappearance from me are only those I fully trust, including myself. And there are only four people in that category.
With Rion, I didn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t plot something after hearing this info, but I think she would have had some inklings that something happened to the Student Council President. After all, she’s that sharp.
“That’s why the Head was gloomy since the first day of the new term, huh…”
“Ah, that was probably just because her originally scheduled date got canceled.”
“…”
Well… By the way, I was worried about Hina’s upcoming birthday, but I’m relieved the teacher came so early. This means I can finish up the behind-the-scenes stuff and fully relax afterwards.
“I should have a personal conversation with the Defense Office Head about this matter.”
“Uh-oh, just to confirm, you’re not planning on scolding Kaya-chan, are you? Rin-chan should know well how much worse the situation could have been without that girl.”
“…I know that, but fundamentally leaking internal secrets is a serious crime. Given the passion and effort the Defense Office Head showed during this situation, and considering that ultimately I acknowledge she made the right choice, it’ll just end with a sermon.”
“Wow, just like Rin-chan to come out with the right argument. Huh, it looks like it’ll fall to me to indulge Kaya’s tantrums in the end…”
I understand Rin’s position of recognizing that Kaya’s decision was for Kivotos but not being able to give her full praise…
But separately, I can vividly imagine Kaya whining, “Rin, why is that annoying person doing nothing despite being in charge…? I’ve made so many efforts to maintain security, and I’m getting these kinds of remarks? Mika-san, you wouldn’t think this is reasonable either, right?!” and sniffling.
Even now, Kaya is supposed to be drawing a line, insisting we’re not friends, but she’s no longer making me feel resentful. We’ve been friends for a while now, after all.
Ahem. “So, what precisely did you want to say regarding the SRT?”
With a cough, Rin returns to the main topic and poses the question. Yes, here is the time to release the SRT. Conveniently, the person who can help steer it in the right direction has arrived.
“Do you think Rin-chan, the Student Council President’s direct subordinate SRT Special Academy, can perform its duties under the Student Council?”
“…”
With a precise hit to the mark, Rin shuts her eyes. She definitely knows. There’s no one who understands how the Student Council function operates better than Rin.
Entrusting SRT to the Defense Office would be impossible. The Student Council would be on guard against such concentration of power internally.
Giving command of a force exceeding that of Valkyries to just one department is something to be cautious about.
The only reason SRT could maintain its position was that a person trusted by all held the reins, and thus the only option at this point that keeps SRT active while keeping the Student Council and other academies from opposing too heavily is straightforward.
“Assign SRT under Shalle, Rin-chan.”
“Huuh. T-party host… As expected, you’re quite dangerous.”
“…Suddenly?”
No, this is genuinely a bit abrupt, isn’t it? What did I do that suddenly raised Rin’s suspicion to maximum levels?
“If SRT’s standing is not maintained, the official launch of ETO also becomes uncertain. The Student Council cannot leave SRT, a literal hot potato they cannot control, half-melting into Trinity and Gehenna… And it’s the same for the other academies.”
“Wow—oh…?”
“By transferring SRT, closely tied to yourself, under your leadership, you’ll establish a connection with Shalle and ensure ETO remains stable, which shows how politically savvy you are in that brief moment, making you a dangerous individual.”
Wait, is this scenario sounding like it’s from a dream rather than reality…? I just thought, “I need to save SRT!!!” and that giving the teacher the authority to command the SRT kids might be useful when needed, and now I’ve inadvertently become some politically dangerous person…
“I kind of understand why Rin-chan referred to Mika as a queen.”
Wait, queen? What kind of nonsense is that? What on earth did Rin think of me…?
“…Who is Rin-chan? Please treat me formally, teacher.”
“You say it’s fine to call Mika Rin-chan, but not the teacher, that kind of hurts a bit…”
“Ugh, it’s just that I can’t understand a thing when you talk like that! But you are an adult, not a kid, right? So please be more formal.”
“Guess there’s no helping it if you insist. Alright, Rin-chan.”
“…”
Wow, this teacher is way more shameless than I imagined.
Does he even know how he’s being perceived around here? The teacher grins and throws a question at Rin.
“So… could you explain exactly what kind of place the SRT Special Academy is, Rin?”
“…Alright. The SRT Special Academy is—”
After receiving Rin’s explanation about SRT, the teacher contemplates for a while and then nods.
“So, in summary, incorporating the academy into Shalle would be a great benefit to the students there, correct? Since both SRT and Shalle are categorized under the Student Council President, there shouldn’t be a major procedural issue.”
“Yup, something like that. Especially since those kids pursue justice, I want the teacher to ensure they don’t get misled! Originally, the Student Council President was supposed to take on that role, but…”
And that Student Council President has had her share of mistakes in that area, but anyways. The teacher seems effectively persuaded now, so all that’s left is for Rin to confirm it.
But it was the teacher who drew that confirmation from Rin, not me.
“I’m counting on you, Rin. Won’t you trust me just this once?”
“…Aah, understood. I will take measures to make sure SRT is incorporated under Shalle as soon as possible—— I’ll do it.”
Wow.
No way, teacher. Smiling while saying that is cheating! Our poor Rin even bit her tongue!
This absolutely won’t do. I must do whatever it takes to prevent your influence from reaching our students…!
