Chapter 3: Daily Life At Kivotos

Several months ago, from the day I experienced an identity crisis, which might now just be an embarrassing memory, and cried a lot in front of Senpai, I went through quite difficult days.

This time, I spent my time comparing the knowledge of my past life—it’s ambiguous, but let’s call it past life for convenience—with the knowledge of Kivotos.

Fortunately, there were no major differences in academics. The scientific and mathematical knowledge of the world I knew was not significantly different from the existing ones. However…

History though, everything about history was completely different. As if it were a different world, there might be similarities, but it was vastly different.

There were also subjects like ballistics and tactics, so it felt like I was studying from scratch. Especially this damn theology, being a mission school, there were also chapel classes.

However, I was just a non-religious person born in Trinity, so it was even more boring. Ballistics and tactics were at least interesting because it felt like I was learning something new… but the theology of Trinity was more complicated than I thought.

It was mainly about finding evidence that God, the primordial deity, does not exist and logically refuting it based on books and records, which made my head hurt.

“Ugh… This feeling of grinding away my lifespan while studying… It’s been a while…”

Of course, it’s not like I’m really starting from scratch. I should be grateful that the new memories, which I now consider my own, are quite detailed and well-memorized, so I’m not building from zero.

I definitely promised myself that I would enjoy the school life I couldn’t have because I was so focused on my studies, making friends, laughing, talking, and even causing trouble. But that’s only possible if a certain future is guaranteed, right?

There’s no problem with the subjects that are not particularly different from what I already knew. There are some parts I don’t remember, but I was a student who entered a prestigious university, so it wasn’t a big problem.

In fact, the expression “grinding away my lifespan while studying” is just an excuse to study with the desire to… relax and enjoy myself a little after entering high school.

Then, you might ask if I’m still alone… Surprisingly, there are quite a few other students around me who are also focused on their studies, even though the exams are over and they are prospective graduates who are about to enter high school.

The reason? It was unexpectedly simple. The Trinity High School entrance exam. You might wonder why there’s an exam to enter high school,

but although it’s called an entrance exam for convenience, it’s not like failing or skipping this exam will prevent you from entering.

It’s a place to prove that I’m at this level. The Tea Party, the Sisterhood, and the Knights Hospitaller are organizations at the center of Trinity.

The Justice Realization Committee is ultimately a subordinate group of the Tea Party, but it’s quite large, so it’s included as well.

If you get a good score here, you might get a love call from the Tea Party, the Sisterhood, or the Knights Hospitaller… Well, it has nothing to do with me.

Of course, I will take the exam. The studies I’m doing now are ultimately to adapt to this place and to be able to spend my school life without worrying too much about studying.

Since I’m rationalizing it through the excuse of the entrance exam, it wouldn’t be good to be suspected of studying this much and then skipping the entrance exam. Even if it’s not suspicion, I’d be treated like a weirdo.

Anyway… I’m currently studying at a library on the outskirts of Trinity, with several history books spread out. The reason I came all the way out here is… it’s very quiet here.

It’s just a library I like. The quantity and quality of the books are sufficient, and it’s a good place to learn. Honestly, I’ve already finished all the academics for the first year of high school, and to be completely honest… I really want to play.

But my narrow social circle holds me back. My social circle consists of Ichika-senpai from the Justice Realization Committee, Serina-senpai from the Knights Hospitaller,

and Hanae, who is also a classmate and aspires to join the Knights Hospitaller and is working hard on her Knights Hospitaller internship. That’s the level of people I can call my friends.

It’s not like I’m an outsider or anything… No, objectively speaking, I am an outsider. It’s not like I’m afraid of people or anything, but in the past, I had a quieter and more subdued personality than I do now, so the number of friends I have is naturally small…

Because of that, I was looking for something to do, and I ended up reviewing for my future self.

“I’m a little tired…”

From the weekend morning, I only put moderate amounts of black tea and simple desserts into my mouth and holed up in the library, studying until a little after lunchtime, so it was understandable that I was tired.

Managing your condition is surprisingly important when it comes to studying.

“Haa… Should I take a little break…”

I quietly stretch and get up, put the books back in their original places, and leave the library.

In the outskirts, there are more restaurants that suit my taste, that is… restaurants that are far from Western food, compared to the central district of Trinity.

Since Trinity has an image of being a lady’s academy, and it’s actually true, there are inevitably more restaurants that are close to Western food in the central district.

“I feel like eating something a little greasy today…”

I knew there was a ramen shop with good reviews about a 15-minute walk away, so I naturally headed there.

The ramen shop was located in an atmospheric alley.

If I were to use an expression from South Korea, it’s infinitely close to the form of a food alley.

There used to be a restaurant that reproduced the taste of Korean food quite well.

My taste buds have already moved away from Korean food, but I still miss it sometimes.

I don’t dislike it, so I used to visit it sometimes, but… it closed down due to a fire some time ago.

I won’t be able to see it for a while.

They said they would open the store again later, but at least for a while, it’s impossible to use that restaurant.

On days like today, I crave a heavy broth…

I had a lingering feeling of regret, but I couldn’t help it, so I entered the food alley to find the ramen shop I had looked up in advance.

It’s more crowded than usual, but it’s just past lunchtime on a weekend, so it’s understandable that there are many people eating out.

I was walking casually, when…

“Well then, let’s get down to b…usiness!”

-Vrooooom!-

It happened in an instant.

So… in a word… I was kidnapped!

I thought a yellow truck was passing by at high speed in front of me… and sure enough, I was snatched up and put on the truck.

“…? What is this…”

“Oh my… You seem to be from the central district of Trinity, but you’ve come all the way to this alley full of hidden gems. You must be a connoisseur of fine food, so I had to bring you along urgently. Please excuse me for a moment…”

“W…What?”

The people who kidnapped me were students from Gehenna, no matter how you looked at them.

They were all unique individuals.

Before I could even adapt to the sudden situation, my limbs were restrained.

The sound of a loudspeaker can be heard from the back of the vehicle.

“Gehenna’s troublemakers! The Gourmet Research Society! This is the Trinity Autonomous District. Surrender peacefully…?”

“Hostage! Release the hostage and surrender peacefully!”

Students who appear to be members of the Justice Realization Committee, I don’t know their faces, but they must be my seniors, were chasing us in a Justice Realization Committee vehicle, forming a barrage.

“As you heard, we are being chased, so I will postpone my self-introduction to later.”

“In other words… it’s a mess, isn’t it!”

When I looked closely, next to me, another student with black hair, red eyes, and large horns was kidnapped, wearing an apron, with her limbs and even her mouth tied.

She’s probably a student from Gehenna.

Let me say in advance that I have no particular feelings about Gehenna.

However… I think I developed a hatred for Gehenna today…

“It’s a Scoville level of 10 million!”

The silver-haired Gehenna woman, who seems to be the main culprit in kidnapping me, aims her gun at the pursuing Justice Realization Committee… and fires.

What happened…?

One of the Justice Realization Committee‘s tactical vehicles chasing us was hit by a single bullet, whether it was due to poor penetration or not, and was half-destroyed, blocking the road.

Further pursuit would be impossible.

Worries about whether someone died didn’t occur to me, as I had already adapted to Kivotos.

They might be injured, but… I hope they don’t have any scars, even though I don’t know them, seniors…

“Fufu… The path of gourmet is long and arduous, but it cannot be stopped?”

“…So, what brings you, Gehenna people, all the way to the outskirts of Trinity…”

It’s best not to provoke these kidnappers.

At least not aggressively… No, they are aggressive, but at least not aggressively towards me, the hostage… The method of kidnapping was very aggressive, but they haven’t treated me aggressively since then, so I try talking to them.

“Fufu… We are the Gourmet Research Society of Gehenna. The Gourmet Research Society that pursues gourmet… That’s why we couldn’t leave a gourmet-looking person alone?”

“But why are you being chased…”

“That’s… a mess, isn’t it?”

“What does that even mean…”

“I thought it was delicious. If only the president had let me eat a little more…”

“Fufu, Izumi-san, that restaurant was selling food with a false origin. The menu clearly stated that it was meat from the Millennium Autonomous District, but it was definitely beef from Trinity.

Both Trinity and Millennium beef are excellent meats, but the depth of the meat flavor and richness are different. Above all, this is the Trinity Autonomous District, and the supply of both academies is similar,

so they used Trinity beef, which has a slight advantage in distribution.

What an atrocity! But don’t worry, Izumi-san! Let’s go to the restaurant I found in D.U.! That place will surely satisfy me, and Izumi-san can eat as much as she wants!”

“Then I’m good~!”

It’s no use.

These people are not making sense.

Their answers to my questions are incomprehensible, and… I’m just dizzy.

And the reason they’re being chased, judging from the conversation, is probably a disturbance at a restaurant.

How much of a commotion did they cause to be chased by the Justice Realization Committee like that?

Judging from the expression of the other hostage next to me, she seems to be already used to this situation.

I’ll take back my hatred for Gehenna.

Gehenna… is an academy with many insane people, and as many innocent victims of those insane people.

Looking to the side with eyes full of sympathy, I see a woman who seems to have given up on everything.

“Well, then! To continue with the self-introduction, I am the president of Gehenna’s Gourmet Research Society, Kurodate Haruna.”

“I’m Wanibuchi Akari, also of the Gourmet Research Society .”

“I’m Izumi! Nice to meet you~!”

‘…By the way, when will you let me go?”

“Oh my, that’s a difficult question!”

“Huh?”

“The Trinity gourmet must explore gourmet with us, so we can’t let you go?”

“That’s just kidnapping!”

As I was absurdly bewildered by the meaningless violence, the emotion of anger began to rise.

My schedule for today has been completely ruined.

It’s not that I’m a perfectionist or that I try to stick to a set schedule perfectly, but I wanted to have a quiet and peaceful day today.

I wanted to spend the remaining time before lunch studying, eat at the ramen shop I had looked up in advance, and spend the afternoon going around cafes to find good ones…

In the end, the studying took longer, so the time I could spend looking for cafes was reduced, but anyway, the schedule was ruined.

I want to deny that the woman in front of me, who introduced herself as Kurodate Haruna, called me a gourmet, but when I list it, I guess I am a gourmet.

But I wouldn’t kidnap people like this…

I didn’t want to get used to it, but I ended up getting used to Kivotos, where gunfights break out every now and then.

That’s why I wanted to spend at least this weekend, with my middle school days truly coming to an end, peacefully…

While I was thinking such thoughts…

Something began to appear in front of the vehicle.

The woman who introduced herself as Wani… Wanibuchi Akari was holding the steering wheel and was looking at me in the back of the truck for a moment to introduce herself… Wait, that… the armor in front… a tactical tru….

A tactical truck that appears to be from the Justice Realization Committee and the truck I was riding in collide head-on.

The impact causes the rear of the truck I’m riding in to be lifted up strongly.

My body, which is rather light, is thrown. No, body weight doesn’t matter.

What does a person’s weight matter in an impact between trucks?

I’m thrown by the impact.

In the air, my eyes met with Ichika-senpai, who was getting off the truck…

“Why are you here?! Sora-chan?!”

“I didn’t want to be here either, Senpai…”

I’m thrown by the impact and roll on the ground.

These clothes were quite expensive, and I cherished them, but they’ve become a mess.

The restraints… Were they scratched somewhere during the impact?

They were released along with a cut on my arm.

I was able to release the leg restraints once my arms were free.

I was a little dizzy, but fortunately, I didn’t suffer any major injuries… I was thrown out of the truck, but fortunately, there are no injuries other than a few scratches.

When I get up, the Justice Realization Committee members were forming a barrage and surrounding the Gourmet Research Society.

Meanwhile, Ichika-senpai ran to me, who was a hostage.

“Are you okay? How did you end up with those terrorists?!”

“I was kidnapped…”

“Ah… This is going to give the higher-ups a headache… Can you stand up?”

“Yes, I’m fine… More importantly, terrorists…?”

“Well… those guys are known terrorists in Gehenna, too, and they’re troublemakers who blow up restaurants. This is the third incident in Trinity, including today…”

As I listened to the explanation, the anger that had been building up started to build up even faster.

The anger builds up to a level that’s hard to contain.

Today is a mess.

I’m very angry right now.

I was sensitive because I was very hungry because I couldn’t eat.

In the meantime, my cherished clothes were torn and ruined.

The scratches and cuts on my arm sting.

The feeling of emptiness I felt when the restaurant I liked because it reproduced the taste of Korean food well, although it was a bit expensive and I couldn’t go there often, was engulfed in flames.

The cause (presumed) of that emptiness is in front of me.

Even though I’ve gotten used to life in Kivotos, anger is anger.

My resolution to spend today peacefully was shattered.

It’s absurd… I’m annoyed…

…How long has it been since I felt this emotion?

Anger… As an office worker, I lived my life suppressing the emotion of anger as much as possible.

I can’t get angry at my boss.

Getting angry at junior employees only makes my image worse.

That’s why I, no, the me of my past life, lived while controlling my anger.

It’s not like I lived my current life getting angry either.

I might have had minor arguments, but I’ve rarely been this deeply angry….

“I’m… really angry right now….”

“Wow… Sora-chan, your expression is really dangerous right now… Wait, don’t tell me…”

Slowly… I try to suppress this boiling anger and walk towards the Gourmet Research Society with a smile.