Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: When You Target Someone, You Leave Your Back Open☆ (3)
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Vel said she was going to have a cozy chat with the seven pathetic young ladies Freyja had captured. So, we entered the garrison set up next to the main gate of Mimir Industrial High School.
The United Student Council's garrison area, a place we'd grown accustomed to entering.
They had completely remodeled a spare dormitory, turning it into a living space for the personnel dispatched from the United Student Council. It was tucked away in a corner of the grounds, but it was in a formidable position with a direct line of sight to the student council hall at all times.
‘Feels like a US military base in a foreign country... From the perspective of Skadi, Mimir Industrial High School's student council president, it must feel like she's being monitored. I bet the back of her neck is tingling...’
No matter the situation, no matter the choice…
The independence of Mimir Industrial High School is impossible.
For the pro-independence Skadi, this must have been a painful situation. In the original story, they were a vassal state of the Eastern Federation; here, they're a vassal state of the United Student Council... She seemed to be a student with a truly tragic fate.
Alvitt said, looking around.
“Every time I come here, I'm reminded of how many buildings Mimir Industrial High School has. The student council hall is a massive tower, like a castle...”
“Ahaha—☆ They're generous enough to hand over a whole building that can easily house dozens of people to Vel♪”
“Well, among the schools in the academy city, their architectural technology is unmatched. And more importantly, they get a lot of outside visitors...”
Kara's voice trailed off as she looked around. Hundreds of dwarves and external students who had come to Mimir Industrial High School were gathered with worried expressions.
*Murmur, murmur.*
-I came to place an order for weapons and equipment, what is all this...
-I was finally going to get a bunch of low-grade ether-conductive ore for cheap... *Sigh*...
-Damn carpets and pointy-ears. They've been making a fuss, centered around the aristocratic faction of Public Vana Boarding School for a while now, and they finally went and did it.
-*Sigh*... Since yesterday, those guys have been messing with the phone relay stations too, so I can't even contact my school... What a mess.
They were reading news about the Eastern Federation's recent uprising on the Mimir Industrial High School student council's bulletin board. Mimir Industrial High School had also halted its factory operations due to the incident, leaving them all stranded.
“...”
The visitors who had flocked to Mimir Industrial High School.
Watching them, I had a feeling that Svart Industrial High School's sudden declaration to halt production wasn't unrelated to this incident.
‘Thanks to that, Maya and the students from the Facility Engineering Department who went on strike and fled managed to escape the school before the lockdown began...’
The moves to intimidate Mimir Industrial High School and keep it from focusing on external affairs were clearly intentional. It seemed the Eastern Federation's uprising wasn't just some impulsive act committed without thought.
‘In the original story, they had already secured the Northeast, so they didn't apply this much pressure from so many different directions...’
Their actions were similar to the original, but more meticulous.
Was it just my imagination, or could I feel the heavy shadow of the changed Ratatoskr in all this?
“...”
Leaving the scene behind us, we headed for the garrison office.
“Ah, I'll get the door for you.”
“Ooh—☆ I'm not that much of an invalid anymore☆”
“Ah... yes, of course...”
Alvitt took the lead and opened the door to the garrison office.
*Creeak—*
As expected of a building constructed at Mimir Industrial High School, the powerhouse of architecture and mechanical engineering, the interior was clean and stylish. Inside, members of the investigation squad loyal to Sigrun from the Academy City's peacekeepers, Gjallarhorn, were either resting or attending to their duties.
I looked at the faces of the investigation squad members, who had appeared as helpers in the original story.
‘The oddballs who follow that justice-idiot Sigrun.’
In the game, they were generic mob character NPCs, but here, they were all girls with their own unique appearances.
“Just a moment~!”
A first-year vampire girl with silver hair and red eyes, the youngest in the investigation squad, dutifully blocked our path. But she soon recognized our faces and her eyes widened.
“Outsiders are not permit— Huh? Miss Alvitt? And Miss Lotha and Miss Kara... And Senior Clara? What brings you all here?”
“Hello, Miss Greta.”
“Hello, hello—☆ Greta! Your fangs are cute today, too~♪”
“Hehe! You noticed! The alignment of my fangs is said to be the most stylish among this year's freshmen at Haze Girls' High School... Oops, more importantly, what business brings you here?”
I replied to Greta, who had a slightly dazed look about her.
“Vel told us to wait here for a bit—☆ We'll be good~♪ and quiet~♪ so we'd appreciate it if you'd let us—☆”
“Ah... Yes, of course! You're all guests of Commander Sigrun and Secretary Vel.”
“Ooh—☆ Can't we be Greta's guests~? That's a shame... I was going to tell you a method for whitening your teeth, too...☆”
“H-wha...?! I-Is there really such a method—?! The secret fang-whitening technique that the student council seniors would never tell me is right here, right now—?!”
Greta approached, clenching her fists and her eyes sparkling. She possessed an innocence that made it seem as if stars were twinkling in her eyes.
‘...It's always a novel feeling to see non-playable characters with such distinct personalities.’
Is this what it would feel like if one of the grunts in a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game was revealed to be a scholar with a hidden backstory?
I answered, gently poking Greta's nose.
“...Actually, I don't really know either—☆”
“No way—?! Were you making a fool of me?!”
“Sob...☆ But Greta, if I don't do this♪ you won't pay any attention to me—☆”
“N-No way—?! You were trying to get my attention?!”
“Well... I thought you and I could be good friends, Greta—♪”
“N-No way—?! You wanted to be friends with me?!”
A moronic conversation that felt like it could cause brain damage just by listening.
Alvitt and Lotha watched this exchange with wry smiles, while Freyja hid behind the tall Kara, pretending to be a stranger.
Perhaps hearing the sound of my banter with Greta, other investigation squad members began to gather around.
“What's going on?”
“Hey, it's the kids from Central Prism Academy.”
“Are they here to help us again?”
The approaching squad members showed signs of welcome. They had gotten to know us while wrapping up the Northern incident.
A cheerful-looking squad member spoke to us.
“I heard all the roads here were blockaded because of the Eastern Federation. How'd you manage to get through?”
“Yeees♪ This stray cat of a lady over here cleared the way for us—☆”
“A stray cat? A beastkin?”
“I'm talking about~♪ this lady right here—☆”
I said, pointing toward Freyja.
Freyja, who was hiding behind Kara, flinched in surprise.
And the squad members who spotted her also widened their eyes in shock.
“Wait a minute...!”
“Wh-Wha?! The Violet Spindle—?!”
“Greta—!! Go get the commander, now—!!”
“Why is the strongest fighter from Public Vana Boarding School here?!”
The squad members began to murmur as soon as they saw Freyja.
Since the forces at Mimir Industrial High School, including this garrison, were in a tense standoff with the Eastern Federation from Public Vana Boarding School, the squad members all looked toward the back of the office in a panic.
“Commander~! What should we do about this—?!”
From the back of the office, Commander Sigrun, who was on the phone, turned to look at us and spoke. She must have been in the middle of a frantic report, as her brown ears were twitching nonstop.
“Ah! That person is fine! It's already been discussed with Secretary Vel, so everyone, get back to your duties!”
“Huh? Is that really okay? That person is... the beastkin mage from Public Vana Boarding School.”
“She's from the 'Research Faction' and has nothing to do with this incident, so it's fine! And if you're going to bring that up, then aren't I a dark elf?! Racial discrimination is forbidden in the Gjallarhorn investigation squad!”
“Ah... good point...”
I let out a dry laugh at the sight.
‘It's not like they're the American police...’
*Poke, poke.*
“...?”
I felt a small impact on my side and turned to look.
*Poke, poke.*
*Poke, poke.*
*Poke, poke.*
Freyja was poking my side with her wand, like a woodpecker. She seemed displeased at having become the center of such a commotion.
Freyja scolded me timidly in an annoyed tone.
“B-Be quiet... When you're talking to strangers... d-don't drag me into it... You ruffian...”
“Aah☆ I'm sorry—☆”
“R-Really... If this weren't an e-emergency... I wouldn't be seen with a r-ruffian like you...”
“I'm so sorry...☆”
Until recently, our conversations would have usually ended here.
But ever since our talk in the shopping district, Freyja had started timidly finding fault and adding pompous remarks.
“H-Hmph... If you're only going to say s-sorry with your words... then why do school r-rules... and d-disciplinary committees exist... You should show some s-sincerity... shouldn't you...”
“Ooh... so mean—☆ In that case, want to share the macaron I was eating? It's very sweet and delicious—♪”
“I'm not a beggar... H-Hmph... G-Give it here... I'll just have a taste...”
She must have been hungry after getting worked up on the train.
*Nom, nom, nom...*
Freyja took the macaron from my coat pocket and fell silent. It was a high-quality macaron included in the care package Hilde had sent, so she seemed to like it.
The brief commotion passed.
Tension returned to the office.
We were sitting in Vel's rather messy private office.
“Excuse me.”
*Clatter.*
A second-year student with friendly eyes and sleek red hair brought in some black tea. She placed the refreshments from the tray in front of me and spoke.
“Please have some before it gets cold. You must be tired from your long journey.”
“Ooh—☆ Thank you♪ To receive such a luxurious welcome—☆”
“Hehe, it's nothing.”
The girl bowed her head and left Vel's office with the tray.
*Slurp...*
Everyone brought their teacups to their lips and drank.
“*Fwooo~*”
Lotha couldn't drink the tea the student had given her and was blowing on it to cool it down. As always, she couldn't handle hot things.
A brief silence.
Just as the fragrant aroma of tea began to fill the office, we sensed a confident presence approaching from outside. The one who strode boldly toward the office and threw open the door was Vel.
*Slam—!*
The fur on one ear, which Freyja had mercifully left intact.
It had been mercilessly shaved off and was now stuck to Vel's clothes.
There was enough of it to stuff a small pillow.
Vel, her face covered in fur, exclaimed with a broad grin.
“I figured it out! The furry beasts' little scheme! They're trying to tie our hands right now. The place the carpet and pointy-ear alliance is targeting isn't the Northeast!”
“Not the Northeast? Then why are they occupying the dungeon gates...? Especially the ones with the blessing of recovery...”
“Hahaha... your cute little secretary figured that out, too—! The main force in the Northeast, Svart Industrial High School's magical puppets! They needed the blessings to replenish them. I guess the ones in their own neighborhood weren't enough!”
Hearing this, Lotha grabbed my sleeve and looked at me with anxious eyes. The blessed dungeon gates we were planning to visit to heal my body had been preemptively seized.
‘Well... it can't be helped. I didn't expect Svart Industrial High School's armored puppets to appear so soon.’
I took her hand and gave her a look that said it was okay. In response, Lotha lowered her head, looking dejected and crestfallen.
*Clomp, clomp.*
Vel hurried to the back of the office. With a brisk gesture, she pointed to the center of a map of Academy City Yggd.
“The main force of Public Vana Boarding School is targeting... the barrier leading to the World Tree, and specifically, the United Student Council building that connects to the outside world!!”
Hearing this, Freyja muttered as if she understood something.
“F-Frau and the aristocratic faction... they haven't given up on their foolish plan to reclaim... the long-held desire of the aristocrats since ancient times... hegemony over Academy City Yggd...”
“Hmph! The ones who have protected Academy City Yggd for a thousand years are us, Aesir Girls' High School, and the forces belonging to the Aesir military faction! How dare those furry beasts try to get a piece of the pie—!”
Freyja, completely ignoring her words, voiced a question.
“B-But with the aristocratic faction's pathetic magical skills, it's a plan they couldn't even dream of... I wonder why they're executing it so hastily...”
“Hmm... I couldn't figure that part out. Does the Research Faction know anything?”
“N-Not at all... F-For one thing, the student council at Public Vana Boarding School is entirely run by the internal cliques of the aristocratic faction... It's... t-tradition...”
“This is why I can't stand aristocratic schools...”
Vel began to compare and contrast what she had found out with what Freyja knew. She seemed to see our presence here to help as a golden opportunity.
‘If what Ratatoskr is really targeting... isn't the Northeast, but the United Student Council...’
For some reason, my stomach churned, and one person's face came to mind.
“...”
The first person who came to my mind was Hilde.