I decided not to give Makoto much time to think. If that blockhead started turning her gears in some strange direction, the initiative I'd worked so hard to seize might just evaporate.
This is a rather lookist thing to say, but how could I bring myself to damage that handsome face? Besides, if I made one mistake in controlling my strength, Makoto would literally be folded in half.
Most importantly, my conscience can handle putting a bullet in a student's forehead, but beating them up feels a bit wrong. The former can at least be argued as self-defense; the latter is just plain violence.
Lowering my gun, I took a step toward Makoto. She flinched but held her head high. It's a real shame; if this kid were just a little less of a blockhead, the history of Kivotos might have been different.
"Alright, then. Hmm… I'm not sure if you could call this an icebreaker, but at least the awkward atmosphere seems to have cleared up a bit. So let's get down to the real business at hand!"
It was the foreheads of the Gehenna students and your building's pillars that got broken, but a breaking is a breaking. If you object, I suppose we'll have to engage in some additional breaking, right?
"Listen up, Makoto. From now on, we're going to hold a summer festival regularly. Of course, we'll have to start preparing like mad right now to get the groundwork done before summer ends. But that's a problem that will solve itself as long as you don't do anything stupid☆"
At the completely random topic of a summer festival, both Makoto and Iroha reacted with utter confusion. Iroha was probably just wondering where this conversation was going.
But Makoto? I could practically see the thoughts forming in her head: What kind of nonsense is this woman spouting about a summer festival, right after saying she hated Gehenna?
"At this summer festival—"
"…What in the world does Trinity holding a summer festival have to do with us in Gehenna? Don't tell me… you intend to invite us to that festival? If so, your dark intentions must be to lure us into a trap! I refuse, no matter what! Yes, I would refuse even with a knife to my throat!"
…Should I just hit her?
Calm down, my inner Michael.
"Hey, Makoto. From now on, every time you interrupt me, I'm going to put five bullets in your forehead. Hmm… but for that handsome face to get scratched… Yes, you wouldn't want that either, would you? So please cooperate!"
"…Is-Is this thing really Trinity's student council president?"
You're really asking for a beating, you know that? Everyone's just wasting their precious time because of you.
"When I say 'we,' I'm not talking about Trinity. I'm talking about 'Trinity and Gehenna' together. Yes, do you understand what that means? If it's too hard to understand, I can say it again."
"Hah? Are you taking me for an idiot?!"
"Yup☆"
"Unfortunately, it's a fact."
Not only did a direct answer fly out of my mouth, but the three members of the Disciplinary Committee all gave their silent affirmation.
"W-Wait. Iroha…?"
"Haaah… Please don't look at me like that. Really, why do I always get dragged into these troublesome situations…"
Iroha, looking more haggard by the second, approached Makoto's side, then turned to face me directly and posed a question.
"And what does the Tea Party Host gain from this? A joint festival between Trinity and Gehenna… just hearing about it sounds like it will be a complete mess. Our two academies are like oil and water; proper cooperation will be impossible. We'll just end up clashing with each other and creating more problems. And the ones who'll be ground down in the process will undoubtedly be us middle managers… Ugh, it's too troublesome to even imagine."
"Right… so, your name is Natsume Iroha, correct? 'Tea Party Host' is too formal, so I'd like it if you called me Mika-chan or Mika-san!"
"Yes, yes, that's right. It seems everyone already knows, so it's nice to be able to skip the troublesome self-introduction… Mika-san."
"Great, then Iroha-chan!"
"…Ugh. Look, I'm sorry, but being called that by someone from Trinity is, like, physiologically impossible for me…"
Whoa, for her to be that repulsed by it. That stings a little. It's the first time I've received that kind of look, so it makes me want to push back.
"Ahaha, then this is a good chance to get used to it! Anyway, Iroha-chan. Any interest in a change of career?"
"Haaah… Fine, do as you please. You don't seem like the type to listen to what I say anyway. And a change of career? That sounds like a troublesome and tiring conversation…"
"Hmm? It's not that troublesome of a story. It's just that after seeing Ako-chan over there, I've decided I want a competent secretary of my own☆"
Iroha is incredibly competent, after all. And shouldn't a capable person receive treatment befitting their abilities?
"A-Ahem! I am rather competent, aren't I! I can do anything for the Captain's sake. You have a good eye, Mika-san."
…But Ako's problem is her excessive loyalty and rash behavior. And on top of that, she has a bad personality. Though I'll admit, she gets a pass because she's pretty.
In the first place, Ako is a Hina-devotee, so recruiting her is impossible. And even if it were possible, I shouldn't. If I did, Hina would truly break. That must never happen, so I'm just poking at Iroha instead. Honestly, it's better for Makoto not to have competent subordinates.
"Is that an offer to work as your secretary, Mika-san…? That doesn't tempt me at all. To work under someone who seems like she'd work even harder than Makoto-senpai… I'd surely be ground down right along with you. As I thought, that kind of thing is too troublesome for my tastes."
"Hmm? I don't think that's necessarily true. I mean, at the Tea Party, important tasks must pass through the hands of the student council president. So even if you became my secretary, Iroha-chan, you wouldn't be that busy! By principle, I can't delegate work that I'm supposed to handle to someone who isn't also a president, so that's entirely my responsibility. And…"
"W-Wait! What are you two suddenly talking about! Iroha, don't tell me you're falling for that cunning pigeon's words?! Before dirt enters my eyes—"
BANG!
"…"
"Hey, Makoto. I told you not to interrupt me, didn't I? It's super annoying when it happens to you. Hmm, this time was just a light warning… but next time, I'll really shoot, so you'd better behave, okay?"
Even though I said that, I have no intention of actually shooting Makoto here. That would just be bullying. And what's worse than bullying a simpleton? I feel a little bad about the hole in your hat, but just consider it your karma.
"Iroha-chan, I'll make sure your compensation and benefits are top-notch! For your reference, the sofa in our Tea Party office is incredibly large and fluffy, you know? And you know that Trinity's central library is the largest in Kivotos, right? If you come work for me, you can read any book you want, as much as you want. Snacks are always top-grade and provided infinitely, and your break time will be at least twice as long as your work time. How about it, any interest?"
"…What are the procedures for transferring schools, Mika-sama?"
Oh? I was just poking, why did that actually work? Was it because I mentioned the long break times?
Hmm… now I'm getting a little greedy. Should I really just take her? Is the Pandemonium Society about to get shut down for good?
"Grrrk…! Th-That's enough!!! Iroha, that's enough joking around! You're not really thinking of betraying the Pandemonium Society, betraying me, and transferring to Trinity, are you?! Didn't we swear a vow under the peach tree to make every academy in Kivotos kneel before the name of Gehenna?!"
"Haaah… I have no memory of making such a vow. But I suppose it can't be helped. Yes, yes, where would I go, leaving you behind, Makoto-senpai? It's truly a shame, but I must refuse Mika-san's offer. For now."
"Okay, you have to promise to contact me if you change your mind, okay? I'll give you my Momotalk ID."
"'F-For now'…? Iroha, please stop joking and refuse her properly!"
Hmm, I've collected another Momotalk contact. But why don't I get relationship levels? Can't I get to see relationship stories like Sensei? Don't discriminate against me, you can do at least that much…
Ah, I got too sidetracked.
"Let's cut the chatter here and I'll give you the answer to Iroha-chan's question. What I get… Hmm, that's simple. A chance to crush you Gehenna scum without any repercussions. Would that be a good way to put it?"
"…?"
Heh, this question mark collector is working perfectly. This feeling of controlling everyone's emotions… might not be so bad.
"As I said, I hate Gehenna… I hate you demons so, so much. But when I tried to advocate for a war between our two academies, it turned out there were far too many moderates in Trinity. I mean, out of the three student council presidents, the other two besides me are moderates… Yes, that says it all."
I try my best to replicate a crazy-eyed, creepy smile. I don't know how well it's working, but it's worth a shot.
"So what I came up with was a jointly-held summer festival… To be precise, a duel to the death between Gehenna and Trinity, disguised as a festival. If we can't have a war, then we have no choice but to prove our superiority through other means, right?"
"…What?!"
"I plan to make this a regular, annual event. Yes, let's call it a stage and a slaughterhouse for our Trinity to crush you all miserably every year. Now that I've put it that way, you understand perfectly, don't you?"
"Ah, yes. I understand. Of course, I understand!"
Wow, look at the light in Makoto's eyes. It's no joke. She really is the type who would have aimed for a "Make Gehenna Great Again" alongside Hina if she just had the ability. The only flaw is that she lacks that ability.
"The details are all written here in this contract. To give you a brief summary, we will hold competitions in the proposed events, award medals up to 3rd place, and assign points according to rank. These points will be tallied for each academy, and the academy with the higher final score will be the winner of that year's festival."
And the winning academy earns the right to have its name placed first in the title of the festival held the following year. However, to ensure fairness, the festival held this year will be titled the 20XX Summer Festival.
The authority to manage and oversee the budget for the festival preparations will be entrusted to the General Student Council President to ensure that neither side suffers a loss.
"Makoto, I'm sure you, of all people, can understand the great significance of this! Yes, this holds a weight that only the leader of an academy can comprehend."
"Kikikik—!! Yes, if this is what you wanted, why didn't you say so sooner! I cannot miss the opportunity to grant Trinity a miserable and cruel defeat!"
"Yup, see, we're on the same wavelength. After I'm done playing with you like you're my toys, I'll look down on you as if you're worthless trash☆"
"Kishishish! You'd better start thinking now about how to be crushed in the least painful way possible!"
With a triumphant declaration, Makoto took a pen and scribbled her signature on the contract without even reading it.
Hanuma Makoto, I'm glad you're such a simple person. I'm truly grateful. See, even a blockhead like this has her uses.
"…Haaah, Makoto-senpai. How could you sign the contract without even reading it…"
"Ahaha! No need to worry so much, Iroha-chan. I didn't play any tricks with the contents of the contract."
Yes, why would I bother playing tricks with a contract?
Sign contracts carefully.
It's not wrong, but just having Makoto sign that brings me one step closer to the future I desire. There's no need to do something that would only chip away at my credibility if I were caught.
By the way, at this rate, could I have a natural talent for acting?