Chapter 101: The Things I Buried (8)

“…Five days… you say…? What does that…”

[…It’s true. For some reason, five days have clearly passed in that short interval.]

Bewilderment. The plan was to gather as much information as possible until the day of the hearing and create an escape route for Mika.

But what is the current situation?

Following the only clue we found led us to unidentified individuals, beings we didn’t even know, who initiated a fight without warning, and while dealing with that, somehow five days had supposedly passed.

Yes, five f*cking days. It meant that my time, Sensei’s time, and the After-School Sweets Club’s time until the hearing day had completely vanished.

And that meant…

“…I’m sorry, Sora-chan… Could you wait just a little? There’s something I need to…”

“Mika, let her watch as well… Doesn’t she, at least, deserve to see this scene?”

“That’s right, Sora? Let’s go in together. From what I hear, both you and Sensei seem to have no memory of the past five days…

It’s clear you were caught up in something… At the very least, please watch our story unfold right now, in this moment…”

Regrettably… the only option left for Sensei and me now was to simply hope the older girls had managed things well.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“Yes, Fried-san. I didn’t expect you to hold off that assassin for five whole days… It seems making a contract with you was the right decision?”

“Ugh… I almost got hurt badly… Fried? Do I have to step up next time too…? Really…?”

Yes… excellent.

For the past five days, I was able to sufficiently fend off the heads of the Tea Party by myself, and simultaneously, the assassins, who were most likely on the Tea Party’s side and posed the greatest threat,

couldn’t properly interfere with me for the past five days, so this new dawn is clearly my victory.

It’s simply a story of me grabbing a better lifeline…

The events of just a few weeks ago feel like the distant past; recently, so many things happened, and time flew by busily.

The time has come to settle that past, those d*mn moments.

“Finish it well. Once today passes, our contract also ends, so wrap it up properly.”

“Yes, I shall do so.”

“Oh dear… I got ignored again…”

The time for the decisive battle… no, it’s not even a decisive battle. ‘That’, the ‘suggestion’ obtained through the contract with Fried-san. Although there are restrictions and conditions for its use are tricky…

I certainly had enough ability to satisfy those conditions.

Through this, in the past few days, just one week, I was able to make over 80% of the Pater faction my pawns.

For some reason, the suggestion wore off for a few individuals, an extremely small but influential few, which occurred, and although extremely few, it is definitely critical.

Suggestion. There’s no such convenient power in the world that allows one to control people at will.

No, even this much could be called a convenient power…

The condition for this was that the target had to at least slightly comply with my suggestion, harbor even a little doubt about the current situation, so turning everyone to my side from the beginning was impossible.

Therefore, for a while, I secretly tailed Misono Mika, gradually collecting materials, anything that could diminish her even slightly.

It was considerable luck that I happened to obtain footage of her personally rescuing someone from Gehenna… someone on Trinity’s blacklist, no less.

Immediately after, regardless of the truth, I patched together various materials, again and again, inciting the members within the Pater faction, succeeding in planting suspicion about her.

After that, there were no difficulties. Suggestion. Once suspicion was planted, I could expand and grow my faction simply through suggestion alone.

With this, it’s all over. 80% of Pater has fallen into being my pawns, and luckily, Misono Mika, who harbored doubts about herself, the small suggestion planted in her will surely cause her to fall into the abyss today…

“Now, everyone, please take your seats.”

“…”

Upon entering the hearing hall, across from me, I see the one called Sensei, the subject of recent rumors, and the other two faction leaders.

It bothers me a little, but what does it matter?

The board is already moving entirely for me, and today I will witness the downfall and crash of my long-standing rival, so having her associates witness it will actually serve as a moment of unparalleled ecstasy for me.

“Alright then, we will now begin the hearing regarding the Pater faction leader, Misono Mika. Are you ready?”

It begins.

Well, how is it? This is the place where your identity up until now is denied. This is the scene where the massive golden tower you built… no, the future you accepted as predetermined from birth, collapses.

“Yes, I’m ready. Go ahead, interrogate me about anything.”

“…Ha..?”

Contrary to expectations, Misono Mika, her expression confident, even a small smile gracing her lips, was enough to fluster me.

Why…? The suggestion should definitely be in place. If so, you surely couldn’t have finished proper preparations over the past week.

The many materials I prepared are ones that can be sufficiently refuted if tackled one by one, which is why I used a weak suggestion to prevent proper countermeasures…

Don’t tell me even that level of suggestion was insufficient to diminish those women’s abilities?

“Oh my? Is there some kind of problem, Lucy-chan?”

“Quiet! Please refrain from personal remarks during this official hearing and use dignified language. Ahem, then, first point:

You, as the leader of the Pater faction, recently caused turmoil within the Pater faction by directly providing physical assistance to a Gehenna blacklist member, Shimanaka Manaka. Do you admit this?”

“Yes, it’s true. But what’s the problem with that? Hmm? Although it’s close to Trinity, since it happened in D.U., I don’t think Trinity’s internal laws need to apply.

Furthermore, even if it were within Trinity, isn’t it the correct procedure that even if the victim, abducted by a Helmet Gang, is someone on the blacklist,

they should first be secured and protected, then repatriated through administrative procedures? Don’t you know that?”

She’s… right… It’s definitely right, and in a normal situation, I know such an answer would come, a textbook answer, but… she… she must be under my suggestion.

She shouldn’t be able to think logically or rationally about this matter.

That’s the kind of suggestion I placed on her. The reason I didn’t place a deep suggestion was to avoid suspicion from those around her about Mika’s condition, and simultaneously because I wanted to see the moment she broke…

No, I still have cards left.

“…Yes… Let’s proceed… However, while recently seated as the head of the Pater faction, composed of hardliners against Gehenna, you have shown behavior close to pro-Gehenna, greatly unsettling the Pater interior.

While viewing Trinity’s pro-Gehenna stance unfavorably isn’t the issue, the Pater faction, corresponding to the hardliners, should have maintained its existing stance at least for Trinity to retain a political line.

Therefore, this seems to be an act that greatly shakes Pater’s internal political standing, leading me to judge you unfit to sit as the head of the Pater faction. Do you admit this?”

“I’ll admit it. But, you know?

Pater has continuously taken a hardline stance against Gehenna since the past, purely adhering to an anti-Gehenna position when Trinity pursued pro-Gehenna policies, which helped maintain Trinity’s political line.

But… that’s Trinity up until now, okay? Hmm? Militarily and in other external aspects, Trinity and Gehenna are already in an alliance.

Is there really a need to worsen that alliance relationship and damage Trinity’s credibility? Trinity’s long-standing anti-Gehenna consciousness can’t be changed overnight, whether it’s simple hatred or reasoned exclusion.

But if we, at least in our generation, succeeded in improving the relationship between Trinity and Gehenna, shouldn’t the direction we strive for be to continue that relationship and slowly improve internal perception…

However, if that is clearly not the direction Pater should take, as everyone in the Pater faction thinks, then I am willing to step down from this position.”

Why…? Why can you so easily abandon the way of life you’ve lived until now, the golden tower you stand upon?

Aren’t you afraid of falling from that golden tower? And… why, when I yearned for it, tried so hard, and still couldn’t reach that position due to innate limitations… why can you give it up so easily?

I can’t stand it anymore. I didn’t intend to go this far originally… but… I must do this. I have to see the moment you break.

“…In that case… Just before the Eden Treaty, Misono Mika endangered Trinity by passing several critical internal Trinity secrets to Arius.

In that process, it is clear she was the cause of the attempted assassination of the then Tea Party host, Yurizono Seia, the partial destruction of the Tea Party safe house, and furthermore, the large-scale terror attack from Arius on the day of the Eden Treaty.

This is clearly an act corresponding to treason against Trinity’s interior, regardless of any intention, and furthermore, it demonstrably brought chaos not only to the Gehenna-Trinity relationship she advocates but also to Kivotos as a whole.

Based on this, Misono Mika’s qualification not only as a faction leader but also as a member of the Tea Party is questionable, and furthermore, I assert that she must be punished under the name of Trinity.”

“…”

Bewilderment. For the first time, bewilderment surfaced on Misono Mika’s face.

Yes, the fact that I know about this matter must be bewildering. Because I too… if you hadn’t committed it, then I surely would have been the one to do so…

Collapse. That is the price you must pay when you, who have easily obtained everything until now, seek to abandon it all…

“…Alright, I admit it.”

“…What… did you just…”

“Ahaha☆ Is your hearing perhaps bad? I admit it. Everything you said. I clearly colluded with Arius, and as a result, I undeniably played a part in endangering the Eden Treaty, Trinity, and Gehenna.

Although my wish merely started from wondering if Trinity could embrace the children of Arius too? It’s an undeniable fact that it ultimately led to a result that hurt everyone… I admit it.”

Why…? You shouldn’t admit this one, right? Do you even understand the meaning of what you just said? Your place will disappear not just from the Tea Party but from Trinity altogether!

You’ll be pointed at by everyone, ostracized, called a witch! But why? You’re not stupid enough not to know such a simple fact! Then why can you admit it so cleanly and let everything go!

“Ahem… I, Misono Mika, declare hereby, using the platform of this hearing. I hereby resign from my position as the faction leader of the Pater faction of the Tea Party, and furthermore withdraw from the Tea Party.

The authority and privileges held by me, Misono Mika, as the Pater faction leader until now, shall be transferred to Hoshiaka Lucy, the deputy faction leader of the Pater faction and the next faction leader.

Ahem… Will this be sufficient? Hmm? Come to think of it, this was also a place to discuss my impeachment, wasn’t it? May I leave now? Hmm?”

…Absurd… Not you… You shouldn’t be like this…

“Unnie!”

“Waa~ Sora-chan… Surprised?”

It’s absurd.

After how much thought and anxiety I went through for you, you just… cleanly admitted everything and stepped down.

“Unnie… What on earth were you thinking? Huh?”

“Hmm… Mm… Well, if they no longer want me, and if I don’t particularly want this position anymore, is there really a need for me to keep sitting here?

Something like that… Ehehe… And… if things continued like this, Sora-chan… you’d definitely overexert yourself someday, right? So… I just gave up cleanly!”

Ha… What an incorrigible person.

Yes… If you don’t particularly desire it, then there’s probably no need to strive to maintain that position, to ensure you don’t lose it.

Wasted effort. A sense of emptiness washes over me at the thought that my actions until now have become futile… but simultaneously, relief and a lingering discomfort remain.

Discomfort. The purpose of the woman called Agathe and the man called Fried, what help they gave Lucy – none of it was resolved.

That’s why discomfort remains. But…

“Haa… You finally gave up, Mika-san…”

“Well… what can be done? In that case, we shall take Sora’s time for a while. Fufu.”

“Eeh… Wait, that’s cheating….”

“She’s part of the Special Guard Department. Isn’t it natural for her to be with us during normal times?”

Well… yes… There’s probably no need to keep agonizing over it, right? Whatever beings they are, whatever purpose they have…

At least, if they have nothing to do with me and us, there’s probably no need to worry about it.

Then… well, it seems at least who I’ll spend my holidays with is decided…

-CRASH!-

Trivial thoughts, idle chat with the older girls, amidst the relief of letting go of many things, the loud sound of something being slammed down echoed, and silence spread.

“…This shouldn’t happen… You should collapse, wailing miserably… You, who lost everything! Especially you!!! Do you know how long I’ve burned with insecurity towards you?

I was told by my dmn mother and father that I had to stand at the top of Pater… I curse this dmn blood, curse it and curse it again! Do you think anyone wants to step into the Tea Party, into Pater, into this dirty political world?!

Meanwhile, you entered politics yet kept your hands clean so easily! So easily!!! That dmn bloodline! That bloodline I curse endlessly, and that dmn talent, you trampled on the effort I put in as if it were nothing and climbed up…

But then… like that… so casually, as if that thing wasn’t important at all, you let it go…? Unforgivable…”

“…Wait… What does that…”

Emotions overwhelm me. Despite it being the moment I waited and waited for, instead of ecstasy, only deep anger and heartburn remain.

Ah… yes… It probably would have been better this way from the start… Let’s just wreck everything… There’s no need to maintain boundaries anymore…

‘I’ll bury you here and make you destroy what you hold most precious yourself… That will be the only revenge I can exact on you, who stole the meaning of my life and then threw it all onto the ground so casually…’