The teacher’s first impression upon setting foot in Gehenna’s courtyard was as follows:

“…It feels like I’ve come to a place that feels like my heart’s hometown.”

For some reason, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but somehow he felt at ease.

If there was a place that gave him a similar feeling, it would be Abydos. Next would be Millennium.

As for Trinity… To be frank, it was somewhat distant from comfort. If you were to ask if it was because of the girl who represented Trinity, it would be hard to say a definite “no.”

It wasn’t that he disliked the girl, Misono Mika, or that she irritated him in any way. It was just that he felt his existence in Trinity was like an impurity, an unnecessary presence.

Even after learning the true nature of Misono Mika, that feeling remained unchanged.

In fact, he hoped that the realization that someone similar to him was working tirelessly for Trinity would validate that sentiment.

Of course, it would be endless if one started nitpicking about the wildly inappropriate relationship they formed that went beyond medieval or ancient kings, but the teacher had long since given up on that part.

Such a situation was something that, as a teacher, he absolutely could not tolerate… but it was a problem he couldn’t resolve, and once hearts intertwined, it wasn’t necessarily right to dictate how things should be.

In other words, he accepted the reality that it was a topic that would only give him a headache if he worried too much.

“Heueng… I can’t ignore that statement, you know? Are you seriously saying you prefer Gehenna over Trinity? Huh, teacher?”

“…Do you believe me if I say it’s a misunderstanding?”

Separated from such emotions, seeing the girl-like entity in front of him, he felt the students gathering around her seemed rather innocent…

Thus, it was undoubtedly Mika—who attracted people like a black hole with her personality and outer beauty—who bore all the responsibility for it.

What on earth was that bizarre outfit? Last time they met, the girl could have easily been called a princess without raising eyebrows with her attire.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, today she looked incredibly open, almost as if she were dressing like a servant for someone with a really twisted taste.

“Well, even if it’s not a misunderstanding, I don’t intend to say much. But you know, teacher, it’s rude to place Trinity behind Gehenna, and placing Gehenna above Trinity would be the worst rudeness one could commit. I hope you remember that☆”

“…Is that a joke?”

“Well, who knows?”

Although her mouth smiled, the meaning in Mika’s expression was crystal clear.

The relationship between Trinity and Gehenna, from what the teacher had heard, wasn’t as filled with hatred as rumored. In fact, it was far from the rumors, seeing the two girls from both academies acting lovey-dovey.

In other words, his perception of the relationship between the two schools was exaggerated to the point it might as well be inflated.

So, seeing Mika—who could be considered the main character in constructing those perceptions—fueled with rivalry against Gehenna was somewhat new for him.

Strictly speaking, it was difficult to say Mika was born and raised in Trinity, so he suddenly became a little curious about why that was.

“Huh? That’s a strange question. Teacher, Trinity is my alma mater. Sure, I might have considered transferring dozens or hundreds of times, but the fact that this is the academy I love doesn’t change.”

“Yes, that’s what I found puzzling…”

“Haha… I think there’s a bit of a positional gap between us. The feeling I got when I opened my eyes in someone else’s body—how should I put it? It’s hard to explain.”

With a bittersweet smile, Mika scratched her cheek. Just when the awkward atmosphere was about to settle in, she clapped her hands to dispel it.

“Anyways… there was someone who supported me during that time. And from the moment we stood side by side and laid eyes on the beauty of Trinity’s courtyard for the first time—yup, that’s when I fell in love with this school, teacher.”

It was easy to guess who she was talking about—her first lover, Kirihouji Nagisa.

Upon remembering that, the teacher couldn’t help but add a few words.

“Cheating on such a girl…”

“Wha—oh… teacher! How is that an inappropriate thing to say? It wasn’t cheating; it was permitted. I might have done quite a few things to feel sorry for her lately, though…”

Perhaps because her conscience pricked her, Mika averted her gaze. This was why she felt uneasy discussing such topics with the teacher.

She knew better than anyone that her actions raised moral concerns.

But what could be done? The deed had already been done, and she had no intention of letting go of the kids who had come into her arms.

For someone who was fully committed to taking responsibility for them for a lifetime, this topic might be uncomfortable and difficult to justify, yet her conclusion had already been firmly established in her heart.

The teacher, picking up on this from Mika’s demeanor and expression, shook his head slightly. It was pointless to complain when they were already happy.

He could only hope Mika would take responsibility for her words.

The teacher didn’t realize one fact: his own shadow was just as pervasive as Mika’s.

The reality might differ, but since they were grouped as students, while Mika’s enchanted students were oblivious, the relationship of teacher and student, laden with ‘Let’s see after graduation,’ was predominant, and there were countless students targeting the teacher.

When that time came, depending on the teacher’s choice, he might finally have a few words to say to Mika.

“Ahem. By the way, I heard things went well during your time at Millennium. Yup. I was betting on it, teacher!”

The audacity with which Mika changed the subject left the teacher internally impressed, unleashing a chuckle.

Knowing that this was something passed from Mika to him, he had a lot to say.

“Himari mentioned that you recommended me.”

“Haha! Please consider my position too, teacher. I am the student council president of Trinity, after all! Too much involvement in Millennium’s affairs hasn’t led to a good reputation.”

“And what about the Abydos incident?”

“That’s a different story! Listen, teacher. Millennium has now officially become one of the three major Kivotos academies, with tremendous capabilities. Most problems can be resolved independently. But Abydos? You know how tough that situation is, right?”

“…True, that’s how it is.”

“And although you may not have heard it from Himari, I handled one of Decagramaton’s prophets the other week. Yup, all on my own. Just thinking about that moment still makes my whole body ache…”

“Okay, okay. Enough. I got it, Mika. You were entrusted with Shalle to handle such issues, right?”

But the teacher gave up as Mika’s words flew at him like machine-gun fire. It wasn’t as if her words were wrong.

In reality, he had directly verified that Millennium’s power was remarkable. The allies C&C and Neru, who were once enemies, became more dependable than ever the moment they stood on the same side.

Neru was responsible for almost half of the success in completing Decagramaton’s prophet and the horde’s offensive.

On top of that, there was Mika’s own RABBIT Squad, which played a significant role, and the support from the Engineering Club and Veritas went without saying.

Not to mention, aside from Aris, the Game Development Club’s enthusiasm far surpassing others, though their actual achievements were questionable.

The horde’s full-scale offensive, which lasted half a day, wrapped up smoothly, standing in stark contrast to the previous Vina or Trinity’s high cathedral.

It wasn’t that the forces involved in the other two offensives were lacking. Rather, the environments had been so dire compared to this one that it felt like a paradise.

“By the way, about that student Himari…”

“Huh?”

“She can’t stop bragging about herself and you whenever she opens her mouth. Something about a ‘beautiful girl alliance’? Honestly, I didn’t see it that way, but you both have quite the narcissism going on?”

After a moment of contemplation, the teacher added, “Not sure if yours counts as narcissism either…”

“Well… Himari can be a bit like that. But you know, getting to know her makes those self-bragging things kind of cute! And about narcissism… I kind of want to ask back. Teacher, haven’t you ever thought, ‘Why was I born so perfectly formed?’—something like that?”

“…I haven’t thought about it.”

Without contemplating much, the teacher answered Mika’s question. It was an answer steeped in something that felt slightly different from humility.

The icy glare Mika gave the teacher in response felt chilling.

“…Could it be that this person has no self-awareness?”

“…?”

Mika raised her hand, clenched her fist with determination, and then the strength just drained out of her as her head drooped in resignation.

She realized that if she punched him like this, it wouldn’t be attempted murder, but she would be a hopelessly caught criminal.

“…Just die, senpai.”

Hearing such an oddly unreasonable insult from Mika, dressed in a maid dress with an overall desirable design, left the teacher blinking.

‘So, what the heck is a senpai?’

Not quite sure, but it didn’t sound so unpleasant, so it probably wasn’t too severe of a term.

Probably.