Chapter Text
That day was like any other day. I had spent the morning filing paperwork at SCHALE, visited the Foreclosure Task Force in the afternoon, teaching the Make-Up Work Club in the evening, and played with the Game Development Department until late at night.
I fell asleep at the Game Development Department clubroom. However, when I woke up, I realized I was sleeping on the bench in a public park, as opposed to the sofa in the Game Development Department clubroom.
Sensei: (Where am I? Why did I wake up on a bench?)
Spontaneously, I took out the Shittim Chest and turned it on. Immediately, I noticed something was very off.
Sensei: Arona?
The Shittim Chest’s user interface looked very different. It didn’t have the typical logo and Arona was nowhere to be seen. It looked like a regular tablet. Actually, since it was nothing like the Shittim Chest apart from outer appearance, it would be more accurate to say it was just a regular tablet.
Sensei: Plana?
I tried calling out to Plana, hoping she might be there, but no answer came. Confused, but not alarmed, I opened the navigation app in the tablet to look up the way back to SCHALE and the train schedule. That was when I noticed that the calendar was off.
Sensei: (Hold on, why is the year…?)
The year displayed in the calendar was not the year it should have been. The year indicated was nearly a decade before I woke up at the General Student Council.
Sensei: (Hold on, is the calendar mistaken? I couldn’t have time traveled, could I?)
I looked at the settings and found out the displayed date and time was automatically set. In other words, unless something is wrong with the universal time in the internet, the tablet’s calendar should be correct.
Sensei: (No, that can’t be possible, can it?)
Unwilling to believe it, I went to a local convenience store to buy a newspaper or magazine to check the year. I somehow had my credit card with me, though I wondered whether my credit card could be used in the case that I really traveled back in time.
Convenience store clerk: A newspaper and a small bag of hot taiyaki. Is there anything else you’d like?
Sensei: No, that’s enough. I’ll pay with my credit card.
Convenience store clerk: Thank you for your purchase. Please come again.
I went to the same park bench I woke up on and read the newspaper as I ate the taiyaki. The newspaper clearly indicated I traveled back in time. Even online news sites displayed the same year. I had to accept it, I traveled back in time.
I needed to figure out what to do next. Going to the General Student Council was one option. I would be able to meet the GSC president. The only problem was that there was a chance none of them could recognize me. SCHALE didn’t even exist yet. How could I explain myself?
Just as I was deep in thought, I realized a small girl looking at me with drool in her mouth staring at me. She had dirty and tattered clothes, probably a vagrant and an orphan. The smell of taiyaki must have attracted her.
Sensei: Little girl, are you hungry?
The little girl nodded without saying anything. I gave her some of my taiyaki. She happily ate it. I then realized who she might be. White wings, yellow halo with a flower motif. There could be no mistaking it. This girl was Azusa, though much younger and smaller.
Sensei: Little girl, what’s your name?
Azusa: My name is Shirasu Azusa.
Sensei: Where do you come from?
Azusa: I’m from the Arius autonomous district.
Seeing the younger Azusa made my heart flutter. She was adorable, but more importantly, still innocent. She’s not the girl who was broken down by Beatrice. It made me wonder how the Arius Squad looked like, all young and innocent.
Thinking about the Arius Squad and Azusa made me wonder, has Beatrice taken control of the Arius Branch School yet? If she hasn’t, then I can maybe go to the Arius Branch School to prevent that from ever happening.
Becoming the headmaster of the Arius Branch School doesn’t sound so bad. I will be able to give the girls from Arius a proper life, one without hatred or suffering. I can potentially give these girls a brighter future.
Besides, I have a feeling I can get their trust by bribing them with food, unlike students from other schools, whom I suspect will treat me with suspicion as an unknown adult in Kivotos.
Sensei: Azusa, can you bring me to the Arius autonomous district?
Azusa: I sure can! But what do you want to do there, Mister?
Sensei: I’d like to give you and your friends food to eat.
Azusa: Really!? Then let’s go quickly, Mister!
Sensei: Please call me Sensei.
With that, I follow Azusa back to Arius autonomous district, only stopping to buy food at a convenience store to feed the Arius girls.
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Working to rebuild the Arius Branch School was a herculean task. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s harder than working at SCHALE. I never realized the number of things working in the background to keep a district alive. The work at the Arius Branch School made me appreciate them.
Gaining the trust of the Arius girls was not hard, and neither was preventing the internal conflict that would allow Beatrice to take control over Arius later on, but that was just the beginning of a path of difficulties. I had to rebuild the Arius autonomous district by myself.
To begin with, I needed to fix the infrastructure and buildings of the Arius Branch School. That’s easier said than done. Pretty much everything was dilapidated. We had to rebuild everything from the ground up. The dorm, the campus, the field, the pool, and so many more.
Next, I had to prepare study materials for the Arius girls. This shouldn’t have been so hard, but it was hard because I was the sole teacher and staff member of the Arius Branch School. That means I had to write all the homework and test myself, teach every lesson to every class, and the list goes on.
As if that wasn’t enough, I had to secure a source of fund for reconstruction too. The Arius girls are either orphans or come from a poor family, and the Arius district’s economy is too weak for anything, so I had to look for investments and slowly revitalize the economy of the Arius district.
I have never underestimated any of Hina’s work, nor have I ever thought that Yuuka’s work is a simple task, but I never truly understood their work until I became the headmaster of the Arius Satellite School. If I ever meet them again, I need to give both of them applause for their thankless work.
???: Sensei?
Sensei: Wha…? Who’s there?
Atsuko: It’s Atsuko, Sensei. You finally woke up.
I must have fallen asleep while doing paperwork.
Sensei: What time is it?
Atsuko: It’s currently 8 in the evening.
Sensei: Ah, it’s not that late yet. I’m going to quickly finish the paperwork.
Atsuko: That’s no good, Sensei. You’ve been working non-stop since the morning. You need a break.
Atsuko: Let me and the Royal Council handle the rest, Sensei. You established us to handle administration of the Arius School, so let us take some of your workload off your shoulders.
The Royal Council. It’s the new student council of Arius Satellite School. We named it so because Atsuko is the student council president of the school. As to why Atsuko is the president, everyone agreed her lineage gave her the legitimacy.
Atsuko: Besides, you haven’t eaten, have you, Sensei? I cooked some chowder. Why don’t we eat together?
The chowder smells good. I really am hungry.
Sensei: The chowder tastes amazing. Did you make this?
Atsuko: I’m glad you like it. I made it especially for you, since I know you’ve been subsisting on cup ramen lately.
Atsuko: Truthfully, I’m worried about your health, Sensei. You shouldn’t keep eating cup ramen. You should also get enough sleep. You barely slept 4 hours yesterday.
Atsuko is right. I need to take better care of myself. Fuuka, Mimori, and Serina won’t be able to take care of me now, so I’ll have to take care of my own health. I still have a lot to do, but that’s not an excuse to let myself fall sick.
Atsuko: You’ve already rebuilt the school and the district. Take a break, Sensei. You already did everything for us.
Sensei: No, there’s still work to do. We still need to establish more clubs as apparatus for the school as well as secure a source of funding until we can run the school independently.
Atsuko: Sensei, you need to rest. I won’t take no as an answer.
Sensei: I know. I’ll rest before I tackle these problems.
Atsuko: Then in the meantime, why don’t you let the Royal Council handle the clubs?
Atsuko: Everyone is still new to their jobs, but I’m confident we can at least do this much. We can’t let you overwork yourself to death.
Sensei: Very well. I’ll leave it to you.
Atsuko: How about the financing? Do you have a plan, Sensei?
Sensei: Don’t worry, princess. I know someone.
-----
In the headmaster office of Arius
Black Suit: It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Sensei, the headmaster of Arius.
Sensei: It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Black Suit. Please, take a seat.
Black Suit: Thank you.
Black Suit: Allow me to get straight to business. I’d like to know who you are.
Sensei: I am the headmaster of Arius. Is that not clear?
Black Suit: I know that, but I also know you are more than that.
Black Suit: We sent a letter to you, but the reply came too fast, almost as if you were expecting it.
Black Suit: Moreover, in the reply letter, you referred to us as Gematria, even though we made no mention of the name in the letter.
Black Suit: Clearly, you are more than just the headmaster of Arius. Tell me, how do you know who we are, before we even tell you who we are?
Sensei: It’s a secret and let’s leave it at that. Why don’t we talk about what you’re here for instead?
Black Suit: In that case, allow me to be frank.
Black Suit: I’m here to recruit you into Gematria, Sensei.
Sensei: Why do you want to recruit me?
Black Suit: We are impressed by what you’ve done to turn around the Arius district. The school was wallowing in poverty, and yet you turned it around within a few years. That’s not an easy feat.
Black Suit: Your quick reply, and your knowledge of our recently built organization also piqued us. You are a very capable adult. We believe we can achieve much more if you work with us.
Sensei: What kind of cooperation do you need from me?
Black Suit: The cooperation we need from you is rather simple. Your skill and knowledge are impressive. We’d like you to assist us in our study of the secrets of Kivotos.
Black Suit: My esteemed colleague, Maestro, is also in need of a place to use as a laboratory for his machinations. The Arius catacombs are the perfect place for that.
Sensei: And what’s in it for me if I join?
Black Suit: That’s what I’m here to talk about. What do we need to secure your cooperation, Sensei?
Sensei: What I need is simple. Money.
Black Suit: Oh? Is money all it takes?
Sensei: Wealth isn’t important for me. However, to continue improving the Arius district, I’m in need of funds.
Sensei: I know for a fact that you have connections with large corporations and money from selling technologies of the Nameless Priests. We each have something the other needs.
Black Suit: I’m… impressed. This is our first meeting, yet you know that much about us, and we know very little of you.
Black Suit: Very well. We have a deal, Sensei.
Sensei: And one more thing. I will cooperate with your research, but I refuse to participate in anything that could harm others. I have my moral standards.
Black Suit: That is unexpected, but I believe we can make arrangements.
To be honest, I don’t really want to work with Gematria, or be part of them, but the funding is important to fully rebuilt Arius into a proper school rivalling at least Hyakkiyako or Shanhaijing. Moreover, I hope I can influence Gematria from the inside, to reduce the suffering they do inflict upon Kivotos.
Sensei: Speaking of which, is there anyone in Gematria named Beatrice?
Black Suit: No. There’s no one there who goes by Beatrice. Who is that?
Sensei: It’s just someone I have bad blood with.
Black Suit: Rest assured, Sensei. We do not have plans to recruit anyone else besides you.
Sensei: Thank you. That gives me peace of mind.
So far, Beatrice has not appeared in this timeline. I have already taken control of Arius and prevented their civil war, but Beatrice is nowhere to be seen, despite previously taking control of Arius after an internal conflict erupted. Where did she go now?
-----
Somewhere in the Arius district
Saori: Sensei? What are you doing here?
Sensei: Good afternoon, Saori. I’m here to check on the Royal Peacekeepers.
The Royal Peacekeepers. The Arius district needs an organization to enforce law and order. Therefore, the Royal Peacekeepers was established. They are the Arius equivalent of Trinity’s Justice Task Force. Saori is the president because she is both a great leader and one of the best combatants in Arius.
Saori: Um, but what is there to see here? We’re just cleaning up after a scuffle.
Sensei: I don’t mind just seeing you clean up. I want to make sure you’re not having difficulties.
Saori: Then you can be rest assured. We’re doing well. We’ve gotten used to navigating and patrolling the district.
Saori: But, Sensei, is it okay for you to come out just to see us? I heard you’ve been busy with the Royal Council. Shouldn’t you finish your work?
Sensei: Ahaha, speaking about that…
Sensei: Princess kicked me out of my own office, because I’ve been spending too much time doing paperwork. Princess said I shouldn’t be sitting on a desk for hours.
Saori: Ah, I see. So this leisure visit is because you have nothing better to do?
Sensei: Wait, no, that’s not what I meant!
Saori: I’m just kidding, Sensei. My apologies. The opportunity just presented itself.
Sensei: Now that I think about it, cleaning up after a scene isn’t your responsibility as the president of the Royal Peacekeeper.
Saori: Ah… About that… Sensei…
Saori: An offhand comment I made got me here. I said I was bored of paperwork, so the others offered to take the load.
Saori: With no paperwork, I had a lot more free time, so I decided to help the rookie members break up a fight and clean up the scene.
Sensei: Oh, so your job got taken away from you, and that’s why you’re with the rookies doing the more menial tasks?
Saori: That’s… not exactly wrong.
Saori: However, I don’t mind. Guiding the rookies through their tasks is surprisingly fun. I might do this more often.
I’m surer than ever that Saori will become a great teacher in the future. She even shares the trait of disliking paperwork just like me.
Saori: Anyway, when are you going to take a bodyguard, Sensei? You’re not resistant to bullets. You shouldn’t be walking around with no one to protect you.
Sensei: I’m fine. I can’t possibly trouble my students by having them guard me all the time.
Saori: But Sensei, we don’t mind being your bodyguard. You’re our precious headmaster!
Saori: If you’re worried about exhausting us or taking our time, we can just work in shifts. That way, we can share the responsibility and burdens.
Sensei: You always insist on this whenever we meet, Saori.
Saori: I’ll say it again, Sensei. You’re our precious headmaster, our hero.
Saori: You’re the one who gave us hope for a better future. We owe our lives to you.
Saori: So please let us guarantee your safety. The Royal Peacekeepers are at your service!
Sensei: …I’ll consider it.
Saori: Really? You’re finally agreeing to it?
Saori: Thank you, Sensei!
I have a feeling Saori will never stop suggesting it if I refuse each time. I still disagree with the idea, but I might not have a choice. I don’t have Arona or the Shittim Chest to protect me, so I need protection from the numerous gunfights in Kivotos.
-----
Within the headmaster’s office of Arius
Maestro: Good afternoon, Sensei. I’m here to discuss my plans with you.
Sensei: Good afternoon, Maestro. Have a seat. Would you like tea or coffee?
Maestro: Neither. I would like to start the discussion immediately.
Sensei: Very well. What’s on our agenda to discuss?
Maestro: The mimesis. I have successfully produced copies of the Saint Justina Council.
Maestro: However, they cannot last more than a few minutes at most. They cannot act or do anything in their current state.
Sensei: What can we do about that?
Maestro: I believe we’ll have to activate their presence here. We need to recreate a situation specifically tailored for the Saint Justina Council. That would solidify their presence in Kivotos once more.
Maestro: The Trinity cathedral would be the perfect place for that. We can hijack the upcoming Eden Treaty. It would also be a great place to test out the Communio Sanctorum.
Sensei: I’ll have to suggest against that. Trinity is in a political upheaval. They have heightened security, and we’re not even sure the treaty will take place.
Maestro: It’s a shame, but that is to be expected.
Maestro: Ever since the GSC President proposed the Eden Treaty, the Sisterhood has been politically rocked. They suddenly abandoned their isolationist policy and increased security.
Maestro: Why did they suddenly abandon their policy? Why do they want to get involved in the Eden Treaty? How did they even know of the treaty before it was announced?
Sensei: I suspect someone wants to change the political landscape of Trinity. The Eden Treaty is the perfect opportunity to do that.
Maestro: Then, is the GSC President trying to change Trinity?
Sensei: We can’t be sure of that yet. This whole thing could be orchestrated by her, but it may also be a coincidence.
Actually, that person is me. Without Beatrice being the catalyst for the Eden Treaty incident, the Eden Treaty can move smoothly, but that also means the political factions in Trinity will remain divided. To do something about that, I made contact with the Sisterhood and leaked crucial information.
I told them about the Eden Treaty and why they should get involved. This should hopefully cause a chain reaction to help Trinity’s political force unify into one. I did not leak information to the Remedial Knights, but they should get involved sooner or later anyway.
Sensei: In any case, taking advantage of the Eden Treaty is out of the question. Instead, I suggest we use one of the ruins in the Trinity district near the beach.
Maestro: We can use ruins? Are you sure?
Sensei: I’m sure of it. The ruins won’t draw attention and they will work just as good as the Sisterhood cathedral.
Hopefully, this means that Maestro’s machinations won’t go around causing chaos within Kivotos. This isn’t a perfect solution, as Maestro’s creation will go on to wreak havoc anyway, but it’s better than nothing. I can minimize the damage this way.
-----
In the faculty office of Arius
*Knock* *knock*
Hiyori: Come in!
Hiyori: Sensei, welcome! To what do the Royal Academicians owe the pleasure?
The Royal Academicians. They were originally a club that is the Arius equivalent of Trinity’s Library Committee, but they changed into a club that helps me handle the academics of teaching. They help me create homework for other students, grade tests, and teach.
I put Hiyori as the president of the club because her score is consistently good and she can surprisingly be a good teacher. Saori also tried to join the club, but she eventually chose to keep Arius safe by joining the Royal Peacekeepers.
Sensei: I came to pick up this week’s test results. Have you finished grading them?
Hiyori: I have! And I have good news!
Hiyori: This time, everyone passed their exams!
Sensei: That is very good news.
Sensei: Speaking of which, Azusa and a few other students are going to go out to pick up some books from the surface. Do you want to go along with them?
Hiyori: Eh? Can I?
Sensei: You sure can. I’ve heard that you wanted to go see the surface. Now would be a good opportunity to do that.
Hiyori: But, Sensei, I heard Misaki tell me that the surface is filled with dangerous things. Pollens, thugs, and so many more!
Arius Student A: Oh, come on, president! It’s not that dangerous.
Arius Student B: You’re the only one in the Royal Academicians not to have visited the surface at least once anyway. Give it a try, will you?
Hiyori: Uh… Well, if Sensei and you guys insist, I’ll go.
Sensei: While you’re at it, why don’t you try buying your favorite magazine by yourself? You ought to try buying it for yourself at least once.
Hiyori: Okay, I’m not going then.
Arius Student A: President! You’re just going to buy a magazine!
Arius Student B: Relax, president. Azusa will be with you. If anything goes wrong, you can rely on her.
Hiyori: Fueeh…
It would be great if all the students went to the surface regularly, outside of the Arius catacombs. They’ll learn more about the world by being outside. Unfortunately, some seem to be content with staying in the Arius district, so I have to give a little push to some of them.