NOVEL NEXT Misono Mika. The host of the Trinity T-party. In other words, the current highest authority in Trinity.
Personally, I requested related information through the information department, but unsurprisingly, there was hardly anything available. In fact, gathering relevant information in Trinity is nearly impossible in places like the T-party and Sisterhood.
Mika herself claims to be the head of the Pater Faction, which is considered a hardline group within Trinity.
…How did someone like her come to send me a letter expressing a desire to improve relations with Gehenna? I just can’t figure it out.
I wonder if Trinity had some understanding of the situation regarding the Manma Battle, unlike us. That raccoon, Makoto, might have just sent the letter straight to the shredder without even reading it. In that sense, it was a wise choice to send the letter to me first.
At first, I was skeptical. However, the seal on the letter clearly belonged to the T-party, so at least I could confirm its authenticity. This only added to my confusion, and I had no choice but to take the content of the letter seriously.
After discussing the letter with Aco, we concluded that maintaining contact and gauging the other party’s intentions was our priority.
The more we exchanged letters, the more I realized that the other party was sincere about this matter. I instinctively felt that this was worth pursuing, even if it meant putting up with a bit of annoyance.
I could hear the sound of extra work piling up, but this is a long-term investment. If successful, next year’s me would definitely be more comfortable. If everything goes smoothly, I could at least rest a bit more than now…
After an interesting exchange, I decided to meet with the other party to discuss things face to face. To get this done, we needed to coordinate with the Manma Battle as well. Before that, we had to properly prepare on our side to maximize the possibility of success.
Convincing Makoto wouldn’t be easy, especially since the other party is an angel from Trinity, which happens to be the second thing that Makoto dislikes the most. There’s no doubt that the person Makoto dislikes the most is me.
By the way, what should I wear when I go to meet the T-party host? Since I need to hide my identity, I can’t wear my uniform.
Hmm, this is harder than I thought.
…Ugh, this is too much trouble. I guess just covering my face a little will suffice, right?
*
“President, did the matters you went to handle get resolved well? Did the T-party host act rudely or anything…?”
sigh “Aco, there was nothing like that, so don’t worry. As for Mika… well, let’s just say we communicated effectively.”
“Mika…? If it’s Mika, then I’m sure the T-party host would be… Puehuhng?!”
“Aco, are you okay? Why all of a sudden…”
“President! Didn’t you say just this morning that we shouldn’t let our guard down until we meet in person?!”
“…And that’s why I met with her today, right?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it! You already dropped formalities after just one meeting! And the other party is a valid, recognized leader of an academy, unlike the chair of the Manma Battle…!”
“Well, she did ask me to call her casually…”
“Ugh… This is strange! As expected of the scheming head of Trinity, she must have used some trickery on you…!”
sigh “Aco, just stop there. From our meeting today, Mika seemed genuinely interested in promoting harmony between our two academies. She even prepared a concrete proposal for a summer festival regarding the joint event we suggested.”
Why does Aco look like the sky is crashing down before her? Usually, her behavior can be hard to understand, but today it’s a bit much. Should I send her on a vacation or something?
“Ugh. Understood, President. By the way, what’s this summer festival you’re talking about? I remember our proposed joint event was focused on competition between the two schools, but summer festivals and competitions don’t exactly connect well… Is this really okay?”
“As I said before, she came with a specific proposal. A sports competition with events like beach volleyball and maritime mock battles. Plus, racing events like water skiing and jet skiing, along with individual competitions like surfing. She came up with various events to maintain a festive atmosphere while not losing the competitive edge; it shows she seriously considered the joint event we suggested.”
“That’s quite something… It seems Trinity was just as sincere about this as you said.”
“No, it’s not Trinity as a whole, Aco. Specifically, it’s Mika… so basically the T-party host herself who is sincere about this.”
“…What?!”
I understand why Aco is this surprised. When I heard this from Mika, I didn’t show it, but my feelings weren’t too different from hers.
“This is nothing more than the T-party host personally trying to reduce hostilities between the two schools to minimize incidents and accidents. According to Mika, her faction, which she represents, is an aggressive one toward Gehenna, so if this is pushed officially, her political standing might be greatly shaken. So she intends to finish our discussions before making this an official push.”
“I can’t believe the leadership of that serpent-like Trinity is so keen on improving relations with our academy… Even the things we discussed in the letters and the summer festival proposal were all ideas from the T-party host?!”
Seeing Aco’s awe somehow boosts my mood. Perhaps it’s because I just made a new friend… and I’m receiving unspoken compliments? Mika was indeed impressive in many ways during our first meeting.
My approach for student council leadership is far from politics, but even if I were to dabble in politics, I wouldn’t have the confidence to do as well as Mika. She’s not only smart but also has enough skill to even provoke me.
…I genuinely want to have a go against her. It’s not that I dislike Trinity like some other Gehenna students.
It’s just that I can sense Mika is not a simple opponent. And I’ve never fought anyone with skills comparable to mine.
“Ugh… Uuuh…!!!”
“Um? Aco, why are you… all of a sudden…”
“It’s not fair! It’s just so unfair!!! Why on earth does Trinity have someone so capable as their student council president?! Why did Gehenna end up with that incompetent raccoon, who’s just wasting the budget and harassing you just because she dislikes you, as the chair of the Manma Battle?! Kyaaaah…!”
sigh
Aco, clutching her head, screams. I can’t say I don’t understand her feelings, so I let out a small sigh. Even though I was only away for one day, I heard that Makoto, as usual, sent Iroha to pick on the student council in my absence.
But seriously, why does Makoto dislike me? I still can’t figure it out.
“Aco, soon Mika said she would visit Gehenna directly and seek cooperation for the Manma Battle.”
“Ah, right. The summer festival proposed by the T-party host seems decent, but it would require an excessive budget. The Manma Battle could probably manage it if it wastes a little less budget, but getting approval for something that costs this much from that raccoon will be a challenge.”
“Regarding that part, Mika said this festival could be linked with broadcasters, and since it’s fundamentally a festival, the academy could gain a significant profit apart from the budget spent. I think it’s definitely worth investing the budget into.”
“Indeed, since it’s called a summer festival, it’s something that can bring in not just students from both academies but also outside tourists. Yes, this could absolutely be profitable. If that helps in getting the cooperation of the Manma Battle, that would be great, but the problem is that I don’t have high hopes for that…”
Aco’s concern starkly reveals where Gehenna currently stands. This all originates from the utter indifference of the Gehenna students. Holding a democratic election for the chair of the Manma Battle holds no meaning. The students of Gehenna simply don’t care about who rises to that position.
“President, so when does the T-party host plan to visit? It seems best to proceed as quickly as possible to prepare for the summer festival properly.”
“…She said immediately after we finish preparing, it would be fine.”
“Ah, that’s bold. Does she want to make an official visit this time? Or is it a secret meeting?”
“This time, it’s a secret meeting. At first, it seemed like she intended to make an official visit right away, but as we talked, we decided to have a secret meeting first. If things fail in persuading Makoto during an official visit, her political standing would be shaken significantly, and she’d also face humiliation.”
“Hmph, paying attention to her image is very typical of someone from Trinity. By the way, is the T-party host not afraid? By saying this time, it implies she intends to visit again later. What does she think could happen to her in Gehenna?”
“Aco, the troubles that arise once Mika steps into Gehenna will be the responsibility of our student council. So, it’s better to understand that she trusts us to that extent. And with Mika, I don’t think anything serious would happen just from stepping away from the student council. She is an opponent I can’t easily predict the outcome against either.”
“Huh?! You mean to say that?! She’s at the level of the vice chair of the Trinity Justice Department…!”
Seeing Aco suddenly surprised makes it seem she’s had some disrespectful thoughts about Mika. I hope she doesn’t make any silly mistakes while I’m right here.
…Thinking about it again, I think Mika would probably laugh off anything Aco says. So, maybe it’s not something to worry too much about.
“Hmm, then I’ll prepare to escort the T-party host secretly. It won’t be easy to select those student council members who are discreet and have relatively less animosity towards Trinity…”
“Yeah, please handle that part. Once the preparations are done, I’ll discuss the detailed schedule with Mika and let you know.”
“Um, I hope this isn’t too presumptuous, but what kind of person is the T-party host?”
“Hmm…? Why the sudden curiosity?”
“…Ever since you met her, you’ve been smiling the entire time we’ve been talking, President?”
Oh? Did I? I wasn’t even aware.
“If you ask me what Mika is like… hmm, that’s a little hard to say outright. First off, she has a very straightforward personality. She prefers speaking directly rather than beating around the bush. She also has some idealistic traits. Wishing for everyone’s happiness—it’s hard for me to imagine.”
“…Sounds like a pipe dream. That’s something only someone with their head in the clouds would think.”
“Heh… She probably would agree with that.”
Mika is someone who is hard to hate. Perhaps even Makoto would end up clumsy and caught up in her pace when meeting her.
What’s most frightening about Mika is her exceptional charisma that can make one unknowingly lower their guard.
“Yeah. The simplest way to express what Mika is might be ‘princess.’ She may seem unsophisticated when it comes to worldly matters, but she understands things better than anyone. Moreover, she doesn’t give up and attempts to solve problems from the root. Those enchanted by that will gather around her to ensure that her spirit isn’t broken.”
If I was captivated after just one meeting with Mika, how would those who have been watching her up close feel? And surely, I can’t be the only one mesmerized by her.
I don’t think so. And that’s what makes Mika frightening.
She embraces and takes care of those around her. Even those who weren’t close to her would find themselves drawn in and becoming part of her group. Just like that, she continues to expand her circle…
“Ugh… It can’t be, that you, President, would wear such an expression. That you’d go so far as to call her a princess…! If that’s the case, should I be cheering for you? But the opponent is the snake of Trinity… Cough!”
“…Aco, are you okay?”
“Huff, huff! I’m sorry! I’ll go take care of the tasks you assigned! Please don’t overdue it, President!”
As I called Aco, who was babbling something incomprehensible, she took off in a hurry.
With Aco gone, my office filled with silence. Looking at the mountain of tasks I need to tackle, a headache starts creeping in.
Since today was basically a day of leisure, I can’t just postpone everything to tomorrow. Should I aim to finish at least half of it before heading home?
It’s annoying and tiring, but I genuinely feel much better than usual.