Though the main events of the first day had concluded, various activities for the spectators were still underway.
From the outdoor terrace of a beach house, with a clear view of the sandcastle-building contest, I took a sip of my cool lemonade.
"..."
"Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
"...No, that's not it."
"Then you must have something to say. Let's see, it was Yukino, right?"
"Yes. As you say, there is something I wished to ask you."
Shichido Yukino.
The leader of FOX Squad, a second-year student at SRT Special Academy, and, according to the General Student Council President, their top elite.
She was an unfamiliar face to me; I knew next to nothing about her squad besides their ultimate objective. In the original story, they collude with the head of the GSC's Defense Office, Shiranui Kaya, with the goal of annihilating Sensei's Federal Investigation Club, Schale, and reviving SRT Special Academy, which was slated for closure after the GSC President's disappearance. The talk of a coup d'état was likely directed at the General Student Council itself.
For that reason, Yukino, the leader of FOX Squad, was someone I had to be wary of. However, since the GSC President had not yet disappeared and SRT was still active, I believed this was likely a needless worry for now.
"Go ahead, ask me anything, Yukino. Still, I never thought the President would just introduce us and then leave us alone like that."
"...To me, it is more surprising that the General Student Council President stayed here for so long. She works day in and day out for the good of all Kivotos, even cutting into her own rest time… Ahem, I'm rambling. What I wish to ask is this."
Yukino's gaze was serious. But that seriousness was somewhat undermined by the mismatched sight of her fox ears twitching atop her head, her bold black bikini, and the tactical gear slung over it.
"What was your true intention in making such a demand of the General Student Council President?"
"Hmm, 'such a demand.' If I'd known we were jumping into the deep end like this, I would have tried to make a bit more small talk. In that case, let me ask you a question in return. How much did the President tell you?"
"...I was told about the peace treaty proposed by the President between Gehenna and Trinity, its general contents, and that you wished to borrow the strength of our SRT for the peacekeeping organization that would maintain it."
So she basically knows everything. Hmm.
But I'm not sure what she could possibly want to ask me about that. Is she trying to say the job is too trivial for SRT?
"My true intentions for requesting that SRT take on a role in the Eden Treaty Organization… Are you asking because you have some complaint about taking on this duty?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Ahaha, interesting. But you're mistaken about one thing. I didn't 'request' that the President give me SRT. It was a 'demand.' I don't remember exactly when it was, but… she was quite rude to me once. She was so aggressive in her remarks that I could tell she suspected I was a potential threat to the security of Kivotos."
"...So this is a matter of holding the President responsible for a past mistake?"
"Something like that! Right now, the most unstable and mutually hostile entities in Kivotos are Gehenna and Trinity, right? If we pull personnel to form a peacekeeping organization to handle disputes between them, it's inevitable that gaps will form in their own internal security."
Not that it would leave them wide open. The Eden Treaty Organization, or ETO, would also assume some of the authority of the Prefect Team and the Justice Task Force. As such, the ETO itself could help fill the void left by the reassigned personnel.
I took another sip of lemonade to wet my throat. The dissatisfaction in Yukino's eyes hadn't vanished, but the atmosphere suggested she was beginning to understand my side of the story.
"How effectively we can manage our personnel can minimize the issue, but as the distance between the two academies shrinks, the number of incidents is bound to increase. The only ones who can fill that gap are Valkyrie and SRT… and to be honest, I don't particularly trust Valkyrie."
Valkyrie Police Academy's authority is limited within the autonomous districts of other academies. Furthermore, unlike SRT, which is under the direct authority of the GSC President, Valkyrie is an independent academy. It's only natural that incorporating a third party like Valkyrie into the ETO would be difficult, especially since SRT is under the control of a trustworthy individual while the President is here, and becomes a free-floating entity after her disappearance.
Aside from all that, I also feel that Valkyrie's capabilities are a bit lacking for a task of this magnitude.
"...Comparing our SRT to Valkyrie Police Academy is an insult to both of us. A butcher's knife and a paring knife have different uses. We exist as a specialized team to respond to crimes that are beyond Valkyrie's reach or matters that require a preemptive strike."
"Hmm. You say that, but you have a very high opinion of yourself, don't you, Yukino?"
I stirred my lemonade with the straw, trying to pinpoint the source of Yukino's dissatisfaction. I could just ask her directly, but I believe it is the duty of someone in a position of great responsibility to make a habit of using their own head.
"So what's the issue, then? Do you think the mission is beneath SRT? Is the role of mediator between two schools too trivial for the President's personal special forces unit? No, that doesn't seem right."
It's unlikely she would come to me to complain about something like that. So what could it be? I don't know anything about FOX Squad's background, but I have a general understanding of SRT Special Academy through the RABBIT Squad, the protagonists of Main Story Volume 4, "The Usagi Flap"…
...Ah.
"Justice?"
"..."
Yukino's eyes widened slightly. It seems I hit the mark. Right. In the original story, they cooperated with Shiranui Kaya's coup d'état for the sole purpose of reviving SRT. That means they have a deep affection for SRT and are deeply influenced by its ideology.
I remember Tsukiyuki Miyako, the leader of RABBIT Squad, speaking of a justice that only SRT could carry out, while rejecting the definitions of justice from other academies. She said that unlike other schools that arbitrarily interpret justice based on their own interests, SRT was different.
Of course, the justice of SRT, which is essentially the GSC President's private army, is not absolute. However, because the President herself is such an upright person, they can believe in and carry out their duties as "justice" without a shred of doubt.
"Hmm… So either the fact that you have to become a component of the ETO goes against what you believe is SRT's purpose, or the direction of this mission is different from the justice SRT pursues. It's a little hard for me to be sure which."
"...It is somewhere between the two. Justice is the right way that conforms to the truth. But the moment we begin to act as mediators between the two schools, SRT will inevitably be influenced by Gehenna and Trinity, whether we wish it or not. I do not want SRT's justice to be distorted. Furthermore, is it not also true, to some extent, that this duty deviates from SRT's purpose?"
"Ahaha, I don't think that matters, does it? Because I'm not asking for SRT to become subordinate to the ETO. And in a way, this is a role that Valkyrie cannot perform, a role that only SRT, which is detached from the interests of other academies, can carry out."
The moment SRT has a foot in the ETO, Trinity and Gehenna gain a say in any decision regarding SRT's closure. In other words, while SRT might not be able to fully retain all the authority it held under the GSC President, it guarantees that the academy itself can be protected from being shut down. It also doesn't give our two academies the authority to command SRT as we please, so there's no room for us to abuse their definition of justice for our own ends. If there were, other academies would have vehemently opposed this treaty, and the GSC President would have drawn a line from the start, saying it was impossible.
But this is all from the perspective of someone who knows about the President's disappearance, so it's a shame I can't explain these circumstances to a girl like Yukino.
"Besides, the justice that SRT pursues… I don't think it's so fragile that it would be shaken by the influence of our two schools. 'The right way that conforms to the truth' is a concept that cannot be changed by someone else's whims."
"...I understand."
"Yukino, something just occurred to me. May I ask you a question?"
"A question… Yes, of course."
"Right now, you are following the orders of the General Student Council President. Correct?"
"Yes, that is correct, but…"
"That means that for you, the GSC President is the one who determines what is just. She is, in a sense, the milestone that provides a clear standard of justice."
The power that SRT possesses is not abused only because the GSC President is a righteous person. In other words, if control of them were to pass to someone else, that power could easily be misused.
When they become part of the ETO, SRT will, for matters pertaining to the Eden Treaty, have authority surpassing that of the Prefect Team and the Justice Task Force. This is also to protect SRT's unique characteristic of not being controlled by either of our two schools.
But after speaking with this girl, Yukino, I felt a sense of trust. Her eyes were honest, the kind that made me want to believe in her.
"But if justice is an unchanging concept, is a milestone like the General Student Council President truly necessary to carry it out?"
"...I do not quite understand the intent behind your words."
"In other words, that is what I want to ask. If SRT were guaranteed autonomy… if you became the ones to determine justice, could you still carry it out with the same upright and unwavering heart as you do now?"
"..."
Gehenna and Trinity cannot control SRT. Nor should they.
But the one person who has the authority to command SRT, the General Student Council President, will also be disappearing soon. By my estimation, in five months at most. It could be even sooner.
When that time comes, SRT being left in limbo would be a great loss for all of Kivotos. But if, during that time, someone who can consistently and unswervingly carry out justice were to lead SRT…
"SRT, even in such a situation, can and will judge and execute justice by a consistent standard. Because that is our justice."
"I see. This was a very productive conversation, Yukino. Do you still have any complaints about taking on a role in the ETO?"
"I am not entirely without them, but…"
"Oh, come now. Don't be like that. Maintaining peace and order between our two schools is, in a way, also an act of justice, isn't it? And in the process, you will become part of an independent organization that moves according to clearly defined standards, unbound by the interests of either school."
"...Yes. In that case, I have no further complaints."
I pride myself on being a good judge of character. And just now, I judged this girl, Shichido Yukino, to be someone I can trust. She is an upright student, the kind who can lead all of SRT in the right direction. She'll need someone by her side to help her stay on course, of course. But I already know just the right person to hold that leash.
How to create that opportunity… that will likely be up to me.
It's a matter that requires a great deal of thought.
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