What kind of promise could I possibly make to get us through this?
To be honest, I had no idea. For a moment, I was tempted to use my trump card—my knowledge of the original story. But the more I thought about it, the less certain I was that it was a good idea. From my position, the one thing I couldn't do was make relations between the academies worse than they were in the original story. Doing anything to raise Rio's suspicions would be a bad move. The unpredictable situations that could arise from that would become a huge variable.
Just look at this incident. The butterfly effect that started with me befriending Haruna had spiraled into a potential conflict between three academies. If I were to directly provoke Rio on top of that, I couldn't even begin to guess what would happen next.
When trying to influence the president of a major academy—especially one like Rio, who worships at the altar of rational thought—one must consider all possibilities beforehand. This was a completely different case from dealing with Makoto, who was the type of person you could expect to do just about anything.
The situation had become so hopelessly tangled that for someone like me, who was originally just an ordinary person, it was all simply overwhelming. I was still just an amateur learning politics through firsthand experience; this was a task far beyond my skill level.
"The violation of our autonomy is entirely our fault. I want to make that clear. With no tricks and no attempts to gloss over the issue, I promise you appropriate compensation befitting the situation."
[…Tea Party Host, it seems that as long as you are around, we will be able to maintain a good relationship with Trinity. First, I believe we should assess the faults on both sides. What are your thoughts?]
"It is only right to examine all the facts. Very well. I will begin by stating my position."
In the end, I was at the center of this incident. But I only had a rough idea of the circumstances surrounding me; I didn't know the full story. Still, based on what I could see, Millennium had virtually no fault in this matter, aside from the minor mistake made by Neru.
Nagisa and Hina probably had a better grasp of the current situation than I did, but their right to speak was currently limited. Nagisa was the one who had caused the incident, and as long as I was here, her authority was practically meaningless. Hina, on the other hand, had not only caused the incident but was in a position where her authority was restricted to begin with.
As the Head Prefect, Hina is, in a way, an absolute power within Gehenna. She could overthrow the Pandemonium Society if she so chose, but she benevolently allows them to continue their squabbles. However, the moment she steps into another district, her power is reduced to her military strength and reputation alone. While that's nothing to sneeze at, it was all meaningless in this situation.
"Approximately… twenty-one hours ago, I was abducted by the Gourmet Research Society, a terrorist group that has recently been gaining notoriety within Gehenna. As we were personal acquaintances, my guard was severely lowered, and as a result, I ingested a… ah, let me rephrase. As a result, I ingested a sleeping agent."
I almost said poison. If I had, not even I could have protected Haruna. The Seven Prisoners of the original story would have become eight…!
[That Gehenna terrorist group… I've heard they are miscreants who have blown up numerous restaurants within the Gehenna district. A person of your stature, Tea Party Host, would have no reason to associate with such a group. It is not a rational course of action.]
"Hmm, I'm not trying to condone their actions. The reason we became acquainted in the first place was to prevent the restaurant where we met from being blown up. It's just that… she was surprisingly easy to talk to, so we became friends…"
Ah, an explanation that Rio might actually understand just popped into my head.
"Let me put it this way, President Rio. How would you feel if you found someone with whom you could freely discuss the… unique… aesthetic of your robotic forces?"
[…The design of my AMAS? Well, that is, I mean…]
Ugh, that was hard to say. I feel like my own aesthetic values were just put to the test. But it seems to have worked, so that's a relief.
[Fine, I'll concede. It is still not rational, but I can understand the action to some degree. By the way, Tea Party Host, you have quite a discerning eye. To look upon my personally designed AMAS and immediately remark on their living aesthetic… Truly, an artistic sense befitting your station.]
…I'm sorry, Rio. That was a complete lie. I'm sorry. I was just throwing out empty words; I had no idea you were that starved for praise…
Ah, anyway. That's not what's important right now.
"Putting that aside… to get back to the point, after I was first abducted, I was asleep for over eighteen hours. By the time I grasped the situation, I had already arrived in the central district of Millennium. I managed to leave a message for Trinity, but…"
At this, Nagisa flinched and ducked her head even lower. Yes, it's important to know your mistakes and reflect on them. When I mess up, I don't complain, I just take the punishment.
[By that time, the forces of Trinity and Gehenna had already entered the Millennium district, so there was nothing you could have done to resolve the situation.]
"Exactly. And here, I must briefly mention the… philosophy, behind the actions of that terrorist group. The Gehenna Gourmet Research Society is a club that thoroughly explores gastronomy, and they commit acts of terror against restaurants that fail to capture the fundamental taste and quality of their food, or that don't provide service befitting their price."
…By the way, I wonder where our Haruna and the other two demons of gastronomy are. Don't tell me they're buried under the restaurant and can't get out?
"As a general rule, as long as I am with them, they will not blow up any restaurants. I have no intention of allowing it. And even if that weren't the case, the Burger Emperor here met all of the Gourmet Research Society's stringent criteria, so it never would have been a target of terror."
[…So you're saying, this entire incident would have caused no harm to Millennium from the start?]
"If you get down to it, I suppose so. It was only because I was brought along via kidnapping that Trinity and Gehenna had no choice but to sound the alarm…"
[I see. I understand. In that case, could you finally get to the point, Tea Party Host? You seem to have been beating around the bush for a while now.]
"…Ahaha, you caught me☆"
It was true; I had been talking in circles while trying to come up with a viable solution. A solution where the financial cost to the other two academies was minimal, while the compensation Millennium received would be on the astronomical scale this incident deserved.
[…?!]
"Hmm, I tried to have a serious conversation with you as the representative of an academy, President Rio, but… yeah, trying to talk like that for a long time is a little exhausting. So I'm just going to stop."
[…Am I to understand that your current manner of speaking is your usual one?]
"Yep, that's right. I did try my best to be polite, though, so in consideration of my effort, could you be a little lenient with me?"
[Your tone is not important. I was just a little surprised that neither your previous tone nor your current one felt out of place… And I should have brought this up sooner, but where are those terrorists now? As the instigators of this incident, they also bear a certain amount of responsibility.]
"Ahaha, I was a bit curious about that myself, but… your forces blew up the restaurant while they were still inside. In the worst-case scenario, they might still be buried under there…?"
[…]
Rio was speechless. Perhaps she was trying to escape the reality that the embarrassing failure of C&C had just been laid bare.
In any case, it was time to make a decision. I had failed to come up with a clever plan. I thought I might be able to use my title as the first Host in Trinity's history to break with tradition and reveal myself publicly, but… does that mean I have to risk worsening our relations and poke at Rio's weak points?
But if Rio hasn't started embezzling Seminar's funds yet, like in the original story, then it's not a meaningful weakness. The only thing I can safely use is the keyword 'ruin'…
As I was thinking, I heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching. I glanced over and saw…
"It seems you were all looking for me. Fufu."
It was the trio from the Gourmet Research Society… and Akane, who was being dragged along the ground, held captive by Akari.
"Eek?! Ch-Chief? Maybe we should have just run away like usual! Everyone's staring at us so intensely…!"
"We can't do that, Izumi-san. It seems that if we try to run away after causing all this, the consequences will be unmanageable. So for today, shall we try taking responsibility alongside our Vice Chief?"
Haruna, looking like she had been through a lot, was a mess. Her hair and clothes were in disarray, and her formal hat was nowhere to be seen. The only possession she had that was still in one piece was her sniper rifle.
The moment I saw Haruna's beauty, which shone through even in her disheveled state, an idea struck me. It was an idea so insane that for a moment, I wondered if I had lost my mind, but a plan began to form in my head at a furious pace.
Clank.
"Stop. You will not come any closer to Mika."
Saori aimed her rifle at Haruna, who was nonchalantly walking toward me. As if on cue, Atsuko and the Prefect Team also aimed their guns at Haruna.
"Hey, Saori-chan? She's my friend, too, so I'd appreciate it if you lowered your gun. You too, Atsuko-chan."
The two of them hesitated for a moment before lowering their weapons. Saori's gaze, however, remained fixed on Haruna, as cold as ice.
"Prefect Team, lower your weapons. If they say they will take responsibility, their story is worth hearing."
Only after Hina restrained the Prefect Team was Haruna able to approach us. Hina's gaze toward her was, of course, not friendly, and Nagisa, in a rare display of emotion, looked at Haruna as if she were her mortal enemy.
"I'm sorry, Mika-san. I know an excuse like 'I never meant for things to get this out of hand' won't solve anything. I will do whatever I can to resolve this situation."
…Excellent. One slave secured.
"…I see. Okay. Hearing you say that is a huge help, Haruna-chan."
It wasn't just empty words. Truly, thanks to you, Haruna, I've thought of a way to solve this. A solution where Gehenna and Trinity pay a minimal cost, while Millennium receives astronomical compensation.
"President Rio. As an extension of the compensation for this incident, I would like to propose a business venture."
[…A business venture? How is that compensation?]
"Fufu. Fufufu…"
It will mean I have to work myself to the bone. And Haruna will have to work herself to the bone. And someone from Millennium will have to work themselves to the bone, too, but they have the perfect person for the job. It'll work out somehow.
"An idol business, President Rio. A business where you can legally use me—a huge public figure as the Tea Party Host who can instantly grab the media's and the public's attention—to rake in money. It would be even better if we included members from Gehenna and Millennium to draw even more attention. And as it happens, we just had a volunteer from Gehenna."
"…What?"
Haruna asked, a look of complete confusion on her face.
It's okay, I'm thinking the same thing as I'm saying it. But this has to work.
"We'll set the contract for one year, and all profits will go to Millennium. You can use my name as much as you want. Depending on your business acumen, President Rio, the profits could be astronomical."
This way, Haruna can also take sufficient responsibility. As an individual, she can't compensate an entire academy like Millennium, but as a member of this group, if she works hard, it's not impossible. Haruna is from Gehenna, so we can lump their faults together and have Haruna take responsibility for both. It's the only way for you to survive this, Haruna.
The possibility of failure? It doesn't exist. I know better than anyone that the idol groups in Kivotos are all subpar. The era of boring, uninspired idols flooding Kivotos is over. The times are calling for a multi-national (?) idol group.
"Waaah~♪ What's this, what's this! An idol business? That sounds like fun, can I do it, too? Oh, Rio! Let's do this, okay?"
Yes, and there's our third member. We'll need to increase Millennium's representation a bit, so if we're aiming for a four-member group, we'll need one more from Millennium.
"Fufu. That sounds like it's full of interesting variables. If President Rio accepts that proposal, then how about it? Shall I volunteer as well?"
"W-Wait. Noa?!"
…Oh. The very person who pushed Yuuka down the path of being an idol is joining in. With a lineup of this quality, unifying Kivotos is not just a dream.
[…You are all completely insane.]
I agree with you on that, Rio. But this is Kivotos, where madness is a constant companion. Remember, only the mad survive.
"…Mika-san. Where in the world do you have the time for something like that?"
"Hm? Well, I'm stepping down as Host next year. And during the preparation period, our dear Nagi-chan, who has some sins to atone for, can pick up the slack! Right?"
"…Ah, well."
"Right?"
"…Sigh. Yes…"
I must protect the peace of Kivotos, no matter what it takes. Even if, in the process, I have to sell my smile and my body, I absolutely must.
…Hmm, since it's come to this, maybe I should try to rope Hina in, too? You can pay for your mistake with your body, too, Sorasaki Hina!