Chapter 4: As always, the last is confinement play.

Bang, bang, bang—

······Ugh.

Clutching my splitting headache, I pushed myself up to a sitting position.

It could be because I went to sleep quite late last night, or perhaps my head just hurts.

It’s probably the former.

I picked up my phone and saw it was already eight o’clock.

Considering I fell asleep at six, I’d only managed about two hours of sleep.

Of course, my head would hurt.

I roughly swept my hair back and dragged myself towards the door, which someone was vehemently knocking on.

It was a visitor, here so early in the morning.

Creeeak—

“Ikari Soyoka, the Tea Party has requested an interview with you.”

Two students stood at the door.

They were armed, dressed in the official Tea Party uniform.

They were among those who frequently visited, like the Justice Task Force members such as Koharu.

“·····Hmph, where is it this time? Philus called last time, and Sanctus······well, then it must be Pater’s turn, I suppose?”

Rubbing my still-sleepy eyes, I asked where it was this time.

Even if the Tea Party called, it was rare for all factions to summon me at once.

Most of the time, they took turns monitoring and interrogating me.

“·········.”

And even the process of being summoned was truly a situation steeped in silence.

“Haa, I expected you wouldn’t answer·······it must be Pater, then. Wait. I still need to get dressed, after all.”

I propped the door open, rubbed my tired eyes, and splashed cold water on my face.

Doing this wouldn’t completely wash away the fatigue, but it was to at least wake myself up a little.

From now on, only quite unpleasant times would follow.

I could feel the Tea Party’s forces waiting outside the door, having entered my property.

It was a routine I had become all too accustomed to.

Both their barging in like this, and their dragging me away without even time to properly prepare.

There was no leisure to maintain appearances or adorn myself.

If I resisted, they would threaten me with those guns, and I would be dragged away without a chance to fight back.

I was now so used to both the process and the outcome that I wasn’t even particularly angry.

Humans were, by nature, creatures of adaptation.

After a quick, minimal wash, I changed into my outdoor clothes.

As I rarely went out for personal reasons and adhered to Trinity’s school uniform, my fashion hadn’t changed either.

A white sailor shirt and a black skirt.

That was all.

“····Let’s go.”

And their attitude, too, remained unchanged.

They always rushed me, as if they had no time to spare.

The very people who should be the most free, ironically.

All they ever did, anyway, was childish political games.

After holstering my gun, I obediently walked out, following their lead.

What could they be calling me for today? They truly had nothing better to do.

Someone like me, I’m busy observing the Colors floating in the sky even today.

It seemed to be rush hour for school, as quite a few people in uniforms like mine were walking around on the streets.

They usually called around lunchtime, so this was unusual.

And true to this unusual situation, unexpected uncomfortable gazes poured down on me.

This was how Trinity’s heretics, their problem children, were treated.

Faced with fear and displeasure in their gazes.

Ironically, the latter emotion should be mine to feel, yet I truly couldn’t understand why they directed such displeasure at me.

What did I do to them to warrant this?

At least I wasn’t parading around campus in just a swimsuit, was I?

I, who had committed neither public indecency nor ocular terrorism, truly felt wronged.

There was no reason for those gazes to be directed at me; the only cause for them was that ridiculous nickname, yet I had to endure this unpleasantness.

········Well, there’s no point in feeling wronged.

I’d already given up a long time ago.

No matter how much I tried, their gazes would remain the same.

As long as Trinity’s high-ranking officials disliked me, it would remain so.

Under such stinging gazes, the place I headed to, or rather, was dragged to, was an old-fashioned and beautiful-looking building.

It was a place that seemed to declare, ‘I am a building of history and tradition’ with its entire being.

Having been here many times now, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

This building belonged to the Tea Party.

Specifically, it was managed by the Pater faction.

If you were to ask what the Pater faction is,

it’s a bit of a long story········

****

·······Roughly speaking, it’s one of Trinity’s political parties.

Hmm, that much explanation is enough to put it simply.

To be precise, it’s one of Trinity’s constituent groups that has both a religious feel and a political character, but I don’t particularly want to explain it myself.

Why should I be explaining Trinity’s history when I’m being dragged away?

As someone who doesn’t like political games, I naturally have no interest in the related history or tangled issues.

I only stumbled upon it by chance while rummaging through forbidden books to find information about the Colors.

Things like Trinity’s history, or their atrocities.

····And if I consider that point—

“····Lady Mika, we have brought Miss Soyoka.”

“Oh~☆! Come in!”

Perhaps the reason I live such a troublesome life is because of that.

Because I came to know too much about Trinity.

Creeeak—

The door opened, revealing a long-haired girl with pink hair sitting at the end of a spacious table.

She was the owner of the voice that had granted entry from inside the room earlier, and also the one who had summoned me here.

Unlike me, who had simply come in my school uniform, she was adorned with various decorations.

From the floral ornament in her hair to the celestial pattern accessories decorating her wings.

It was a stark contrast to me, who hadn’t even put on makeup.

“Alright, now, would you two please leave? Soyoka-chan and I have a very deep conversation to have, you see☆”

She, Misono Mika, the head of Pater and one of Trinity’s student council presidents, waved her hand, dismissing the two Tea Party executives who had brought me here.

Those who hadn’t answered my questions bowed respectfully at Mika’s words and slowly closed the door as they withdrew.

I felt a sudden sense of discrimination, which made my spirits sink a little.

“Hmm~. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Soyoka-chan? Nagisa-chan had dibs on you before, so I couldn’t meet you. You understand, right?”

“······Yawn. Understand what? ‘It’s been a while’ implies more than four days ago, doesn’t it? You make it sound like you barely call me, it’s quite embarrassing.”

Covering a natural yawn, I looked at her with languid eyes and responded to her seemingly kind yet sarcastic words.

Clearly, she was smiling.

However, as if to prove that smiling doesn’t always mean being in a good mood, her tone was mocking and sarcastic.

“Ahahaha☆, you’re prickly today, Soyoka-chan? Didn’t get enough sleep, perhaps? Hmm, the Tea Party surely confiscated your forbidden books, didn’t they? Did you get impatient and find new materials somewhere else to research?”

“Why do you ask when you’ve already received all the reports? Surely you haven’t failed to read the reports the Justice Task Force members sent after thoroughly searching even my underwear drawer, have you?”

I replied with a languid expression.

I was undoubtedly looking like I hadn’t slept properly, and indeed I hadn’t, but that didn’t mean my mind was dull.

At the very least, I maintained enough mental clarity to retort to every one of my opponent’s words.

“Ehehe, of course not? I have a *great* deal of interest in our Soyoka-chan, so I read everything that comes in.

But Soyoka-chan is smart, isn’t she? I just wondered if you might have hidden forbidden books somewhere in a way no ordinary student could imagine!”

Hmm.

‘·······Ugh, that’s quite sharp, isn’t it? I actually do have a few forbidden books that haven’t been confiscated yet. It’s just that I can’t take them out because I’m being monitored all day.’

“Well, if such a method exists, I’d like to know it too. As you know, I’m hungry for research. I’m bored to death with the Tea Party monitoring me all day, you see?”

I retorted nonchalantly, pressing on my still-stiff neck.

Seriously, why call me this early in the morning?

“Hehe, it can’t be helped, can it? As you know, those books Soyoka-chan reads are very dangerous. Why else would they have been designated as forbidden books since the very first Tea Party? If the Justina Council members themselves stepped forward to ban them, that says it all. That’s Soyoka-chan’s fault, isn’t it?”

“Pfft, so, can you read them? Do you know what’s in the books I read for my research? I don’t think so, do you? Even the head librarian struggled with their contents.”

“Ahaha, of course, Nagisa-chan and I wouldn’t know, would we? Not just us two, but there are hardly any people within Trinity who can read and interpret those complex ancient languages, hmm. That’s why Soyoka-chan is so smart, isn’t she? Because she can swiftly interpret those complicated ancient languages in an instant.”

“Yes, exactly.”

I leaned back against the chair and looked at Mika.

“So, wouldn’t it be better to just let me interpret those forbidden books whose meanings you don’t even understand? If the contents are truly dangerous, if they could harm students, then I’d be acting as a test subject, wouldn’t I? It would even be perfect for refuting students who might want to access forbidden books in the future.”

She, too, propped her chin on one hand, smiling sweetly as if amused by something.

“Ahahaha☆, that won’t do, will it? Hmm, all students of Trinity are precious, aren’t they? Our precious Soyoka-chan shouldn’t be exposed to such potentially dangerous content, should she? This is me worrying as a student council president, you know.”

However, I didn’t enjoy such word games.

Nor was I in the mood to smile.

“······Haa, I don’t know how many times this makes it. Just speak plainly, won’t you? You need an excuse to restrict me.

Anyway, you don’t even care about the research I’m conducting, do you? Aren’t we already past pretending?”

Yes, to be precise, it wasn’t my research on the Colors that earned me the dislike of Trinity’s higher-ups.

They had no interest in it to begin with, had never seen it, and didn’t even know what it was.

Of course, regarding the punishment, it was indeed for the crime of delving into forbidden books as per school rules, but······this severe ostracization didn’t come about because of the Colors.

It was because of what I discovered while conducting research on the Colors.

“Hmm, our Soyoka-chan really has no sense in these matters, does she? Don’t you know what an icebreaker is? I really want to become friends with Soyoka-chan, but you’re so cold every time, it makes me feel bad. Can’t you be a little kinder?”

“Then, if I’m kind to Mika, would I be allowed to reveal things like the atrocities the Tea Party committed in the past? Content that could deliver a huge blow to the Eden Treaty?”

What I discovered, you ask? The past actions of the Tea Party.

One might wonder how threatening these ‘past’ actions could be, but even revealing just one would unleash a fierce storm.

Trinity’s internal affairs would be thrown into chaos, and Gehenna would seize the opportunity and pounce.

Normally, Gehenna could be ignored, but not now.

The Eden Treaty.

It was the title of the story my friend mentioned, and a part I hadn’t seen.

But I knew about it.

Because I learned about it after being born in Kivotos.

A peace treaty between Trinity and Gehenna, two major academies in Kivotos and sworn rivals.

One might wonder what meaning this ‘peace treaty’ held, but it was a deeply significant treaty given that both were among the three major academies and had harbored extreme animosity towards each other since their very inception.

It was also currently the most crucial affair in Kivotos.

And given Trinity’s current policy, they would likely try to maintain the Eden Treaty······but if what I knew were revealed, Trinity would lose its advantage in the Eden Treaty.

Just one single fact could achieve that.

The information I uncovered while investigating the Colors contained precisely such content.

Though it was a peace treaty, Trinity desired to conclude it from as equal a standing as possible.

However, if the information I investigated were to be revealed·······an equal standing would be impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

“Ahaha, that won’t do. Soyoka-chan is smart, so you know, don’t you? What Soyoka-chan has uncovered so far is already astonishing, and going further than that is absolutely unacceptable. You know very well why Soyoka-chan is being ostracized, don’t you?”

That’s why Trinity employed drastic measures against me, who was conducting that research.

A strategy to forcibly control and regulate my actions, while simultaneously making me lose credibility within Trinity.

“Hmm, so, if you just cooperate, it would all be over······why do you go to such lengths? Soyoka-chan doesn’t like this kind of life, does she? A life of being ignored and ostracized. If I were in such a situation, it would be so terrible I’d cooperate with the Tea Party immediately, you know?”

And at the same time, she dangled bait in front of me.

A proposal to join the Tea Party and destroy the related documents—in other words, a proposal to use my research against me to cover up everything the Tea Party had done.

This wasn’t just a proposal from the person sitting in front of me, but from the entire Tea Party.

Not just Pater, but Philus and Sanctus too.

Strictly speaking, it could be called a semi-forced blackmail.

Blackmail carried out amidst severe ostracization.

“Well, if it were Mika, who has many friends, I suppose you would. However, I inherently don’t have many close acquaintances. And besides, being controlled so much actually seems to help me lead a more regular life.”

However, there was no way I would accept it.

I certainly had no sense of justice.

Nor did I have any desire to make the Tea Party’s atrocities known throughout Kivotos.

It was simply that if I accepted that proposal, all the information related to the Colors would have to be destroyed.

That’s why I was doing this.

Because I had to continue my research on it.

‘······No more. I don’t want to see the black sky, that pitch-black darkness, ever again.’

‘I want a blue sky.’

‘I desperately want to see that refreshingly blue sky I saw on Earth, here as well.’

‘No one would understand.’

‘The fear of having to live my entire life feeling this suffocating sensation, without ever feeling the sunlight.’

‘And the responsibility to unravel the mystery of that sky, no matter what it takes, to dispel that fear.’

That’s why I continue my research on the Colors.

Even if I face situations like this.

“Hmm, so this answer is a refusal as well? Wow, Soyoka-chan is really stubborn. To want to continue that kind of research so desperately. I truly don’t understand it.”

Jingle—

Mika pulled the cord beside her.

Only a simple bell sound was heard here, but it was likely a signal that would reach the Tea Party forces outside.

“Hmm, in that sense, I’m sorry, Soyoka-chan. If you don’t listen, we have no choice but to continue the current situation. It’s been decided for a week this time, so make sure you have a good time, alright?”

······Well, the conclusion is always this.

Off to the correction room again.

It’s not surprising anymore.

I’ve been through it so many times.

The door opened, and the two Tea Party forces who had brought me earlier each grabbed one of my arms.

I was destined to be dragged to the correction room again, just like this.

I.

I had expected it, but every time it happened, I felt utterly disgusted.

What on earth did I do wrong to deserve this?

‘·········So, this time, I’m going to say something before I go.’

‘I can’t just keep taking it, can I?’

“Oh, right. Mika. I have something to say.”

“Hmm? Something to say? Are you accepting the proposal now? If so, I can accept—”

“You might want to manage those heretical friends you’ve been actively interacting with lately. They’re probably as rebellious as I am.”

“··············What?”

“Hmm, that’s all I have to say. Well then, I’ll see you in a week?”

“·······.”

Click—

Leaving Mika momentarily speechless, the reception room door closed.

Originally, this was probably a measure taken by the Tea Party forces to prevent me from speaking········but unfortunately, this time, the intention was reversed.

That’s quite a good turn of events.

Again, I’m not a historian.

But I can generally deduce things.

Most of the Tea Party’s political conflicts, even their cooperative relationships.

Because my research was quite extensive, beyond just reading forbidden books.

I wonder if she’ll come looking for me again while I’m in the correction room.

Yeah, of course she will.

It seems she wants to keep that fact hidden.

Thinking that at least one interesting thing would happen during the week, I silently yielded my body to the Tea Party forces who were dragging me by my arms.

·····Since it’s come to this, it would be really nice if I were assigned to a place where I could see the Colors this time.

It would be truly wonderful if I had that much luck.