The new year kicked off with a schedule so packed it drove me a little mad.

First off, the big one: birthdays.

Starting with Hoshino, followed by Serina and then Hanako, I wrapped up the first week. The next week was Hiyori and Misaki, and the week after that was Atsuko… groan.

It wasn’t easy making sure I had Christmas gifts sorted out, and yet here I am, faced with a barrage of birthdays all clumped together from the busy end of the year into the new year’s start.

Next up was the graduation ceremony for the third years, greeting me with a farewell ceremony. While the other students enjoyed a short two-week break… the Student Council, Student Council Members, and Justice Realization Department had no such luxury.

The most puzzling thing for me was the graduation ceremony…

Ah, speaking of which.

Before real chaos spread through Kivotos, I had planned to make a trip to Abydos, but unfortunately, that plan got derailed.

The reason was a bit sudden, but a sandstorm had intensified temporarily.

It was so severe that Hoshino was urging me not to come. Something must have happened. The only reasonable guess I have is that it’s probably Vina?

Anyway. With the new semester approaching, I was managing to practice for my idol debut while going through all this pain, and fortunately, I got word that by mid-January, the sandstorm had calmed down.

So I was considering re-scheduling my visit over there…

Today, the Monday of the fourth week of January, which also happens to be the day of the entrance ceremony. I had planned to let Nagisa handle the ceremony while I relaxed in the background, but when my phone rang unexpectedly, it looked like I wouldn’t have that luxury after all.

[Mika-san… we have an urgent matter to discuss. Could you spare some time?]

“Ahaha, well, if it’s from Kaya-chan, I’d want to make time even if I have none… But the entrance ceremony is about to start, so I’ll need to keep it brief. What’s up?”

[I’ll get straight to the point. About 80 hours ago, the Student Council lost control over Sanctum Tower. We’re doing our best to restore it, but it seems unlikely that the situation will resolve anytime soon…]

Oh boy… here we go. Our Student Council President has finally unleashed the buildup of chaos after all her hard work.

[For now, there’s been a gag order on this issue within the Student Council, but as the Defense Office Head, I can’t just sit back and watch. However, we can’t hold a press conference or announce the current situation through the media, so I wanted to consult someone I trust most, and that’s you, Mika-san.]

“…Heueng.”

[…What should I do in this situation? If this continues, Kivotos’s public order will become uncontrollable.]

“First, Kaya-chan. What’s the fundamental reason behind the Student Council losing control over Sanctum Tower? There’s no way it could lose control without any reason overnight.”

I wonder how honestly Kaya will disclose the information.

If I recall correctly, the original Student Council had hidden the fact that the president was missing for several weeks. Even though it’s been revealed that the administration of Kivotos is no longer under the Student Council’s management, they kept that part a secret. I’d guess it’s because Rin thought the chaos stemming from the president’s disappearance would be greater.

If Kaya is honest with me about everything… I’m willing to believe whatever outrageous thing she tells me because it would mean she trusts me more than the Student Council.

[Well… sigh. You must keep this to yourself no matter what, Mika-san. The moment this information leaks, the Student Council members will start blaming each other, leading to chaos within the council.]

After taking a breath over the phone, Kaya announced the root of all this trouble.

[Mika-san, the reason we lost control over Sanctum Tower is simple. It’s because the Student Council President has gone missing. As of now, we don’t know if this situation happened by her own will or not. The chief administrator is temporarily filling in for her…]

“So, without control over Sanctum Tower, we’re basically sitting ducks? I get the gist of it. You want me to help maintain Kivotos’s public order without the knowledge of the president’s disappearance… It’s not perfect, but it’s not entirely impossible.”

[Is that so?!]

“It’s not perfect, as I said? Realistically, Sanctum Tower is essential for managing the thousands of autonomous districts across Kivotos. However, if I just give a heads up to a few schools I have connections with, it might alleviate things a bit. Most of them are quite large institutions.”

[You’re saying you’ll give them a heads up…?]

“No, it doesn’t mean I’m revealing the president’s disappearance! I’ll just let them know there’s going to be a mess due to some issues with Sanctum Tower. It’s just a heads up that they should prepare themselves☆.”

Since I had already conveyed the unusual atmosphere of the Student Council to my acquaintances, saying they should keep an eye on public order was all I needed. As for the infrastructure issue… there’s nothing we can do about that anyway.

“More importantly, moving SRT during this mess might be tough, right? If we could just control the black market, it would greatly aid in maintaining order…”

[…Yes, unfortunately. Currently, SRT’s authority acts as a central hub for ETO, but… Oh, wait. This… might be possible…?]

“Oh? You think that’s possible?”

[Uhm, first you should know that the Student Council can’t exert direct control over SRT. As you mentioned, any action must be done solely at SRT’s discretion. I’m sure you understand that this could provoke backlash from other schools.]

The reason other schools don’t rebel against a powerful force that can stomp over their autonomy is simple: they trust the Student Council President immensely.

However, if SRT were to engage in actions while the president is missing, it could leave a trail that could be leveraged against them later when the teacher arrives.

What a predicament, being entangled with ETO complicates matters since, even if Hina and I try to support them openly, it would only backfire.

But what’s the point of having friends, right?

“As long as we don’t stray from the pretext of restricting items leaking from the black market for the sake of maintaining order, we should be fine. SRT will definitely have allies willing to support them. True, the real problem was moving SRT, but… right now, the strongest influence in SRT is Yukino-chan, right?”

The captain of our FOX Squad has declared that the standards of justice remain unchanged, and she can act on her own accord when necessary; she’s effectively holding the reins of SRT. Since black market operations will be pivotal in preserving order in Kivotos until the teacher arrives, there’s no way Yukino would opt not to collaborate on this.

The issue will be the gap created by her absence in ETO, which will lead to hardships for Trinity and Gehenna, but…

Dang it. There’s no helping it. C&C is going to get swamped for the time being, and I must conclude my idol debut planned for the new semester is pretty much out the window. I’ll have to put it on hold. Honestly, the schedule was outrageous.

“So, we’ll persuade Yukino-chan in SRT to handle the black market… and Hina-chan and I will thoroughly manage public order in Gehenna and Trinity.”

Farewell, my free time…

[Th-thank you for your active cooperation! The Defense Office will do its utmost to maintain order across D.U. and Kivotos, Mika-san!]

“Yup. Sorry I can’t help out more, Kaya-chan. I know the Student Council must be flustered, but please do your best to resolve the current situation as quickly as you can. Good luck!”

At this point, there’s not much the Student Council can accomplish. I just need to hold out until the teacher arrives. If I can minimize damage in the meantime, it means I did my best.

…The teacher is definitely coming, right?

*

“I pledge. We, the new students granted admission in the year 20XX, promise to abide by the school regulations, strive in our studies, and live our lives faithfully without deviating from our duties as students…”

When I finished my call with Kaya and returned, the entrance ceremony had already commenced.

Standing as the representative of the new students was Ioichi Mari. Not our Sisterhood’s future lewd nun… but a kind, angelic figure with a halo glowing bright—she was literally a wingless angel.

Given the nature of Trinity as a mission school, I doubt there are many other candidates as qualified as Mari for the role of representative.

Once the new student pledge was completed, Nagisa stepped forward. I didn’t pass the speech onto her because I was too lazy to do it—I just wanted to watch our Nagisa’s noble demeanor from afar.

“Dear new students, I sincerely congratulate you on your admission. I hope that during your three years with us, you will learn to love others and love yourselves…”

After Nagisa continued her address for a while, she concluded at an appropriate moment.

Ahh… How can one resist such divine smiles, a serene atmosphere, and overflowing elegance?

What’s more, contrary to her outer appearance, I can imagine her internally worrying about whether I messed up the speech while chewing me out. It’s utterly adorable, and it drives me crazy.

After all, once the entrance ceremony wraps up, I’ll take her somewhere secluded and praise her for being so fantastic while planting a few kisses; everything will be forgiven… That’s why I think those attributes make Nagisa the most lovable.

*

[Due to the shutdown of some fundamental facilities, significant concerns have arisen. Around 1 PM today, the traffic signal system across D.U. experienced a shutdown lasting nearly four hours, leading to growing dissatisfaction aimed at the Student Council, while news of SRT Special Academy entering immediate control of the black market was reported. The Student Council President has yet to provide an official stance on all these matters—]

*

[The railway projects initiated by Saint Nephthys last year have entered their final stages. Recently, the sandstorm within the Abydos autonomous district has intensified to unprecedented levels, raising opinions that this project may be exacerbating the desertification process—]

*

[The still-silent Student Council President and the Student Council. Amid rising voices of distrust, at around 10 AM today, Gehenna Academy’s Manma Battle unexpectedly held a press conference. The chairperson of the Manma Battle, Hanuma Makoto, presented a motion for the impeachment of the current Student Council President, strongly criticizing the Student Council for lacking the capability and will to resolve the current crisis.]

*

…We desire the seven laments. We remember the inquiry of Jericho.