Early morning.

In the restaurant of the hotel I was staying at, someone from Hyunryongmun naturally took a seat across from me. The attendants nearby were giving me judgmental looks. But then…

“Kisaki-chan, you didn’t call that a disguise, did you?”

“What do you mean by that all of a sudden? How could you call me by the Lord’s name… Hmm. It seems it doesn’t register with you.”

With a somewhat disappointed expression, Kisaki took off her sunglasses and lightly hung them in the pocket of her outerwear while staring directly at me.

“…It seemed like it usually registered. But you caught on right away.”

Well, even if you say that. I can identify people by their Halo form. I remembered seeing a shape like a shark fin inside Kisaki’s Halo, so I figured it out immediately. There’s no way I could miss such a distinctive feature.

“Hey guys, you can relax. It’s the Lord of Hyunryongmun.”

More than that, since Kisaki asked for some of my time, I thought I would need to visit Hyunryongmun again today. I didn’t expect her to come find me directly this early in the morning.

“My dear, was there any good harvest from yesterday’s meeting with Rumi-chan?”

“Ah… Rumi-chan indeed.”

Just the thought of it makes my stomach churn.

Or, maybe it’s just my stomach that is churning right now.

“She said she wants to do both the cooking competition and the broadcasting I suggested. From what I see, there are still many details that need polishing, but Rumi-chan seems to think it’s important to take that first step, no matter what. She probably wants to take her first steps even if it means digging wells all over the place.”

“Hmm. Is that so? However, from my perspective, even that is no easy task. I agree that taking the plunge is the most important part, but if it were that simple, the conflicts between Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe would have been resolved a long time ago, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, that’s certainly true. The traditionalism of Hyunryongmun isn’t merely limited to cooking… It’s natural that they wouldn’t welcome any changes to the culture and history of Sanhaegyeong in any form.”

“Hmm. Most members of Hyunryongmun outright dislike even crossing over to other autonomous districts. There are frequent complaints about the influence of other academies reaching Sanhaegyeong. If I were to push for this personally, it might be a little better, but… this is still a difficult claim to make.”

“In other words, even if we look for solutions, the process of implementing them is the real problem.”

“That is correct. In Hyunryongmun, there are students everywhere who resent even having exchanges between Trinity and Sanhaegyeong, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they always tried to cause disruption… All of this stems from my inadequacies.”

Kisaki spoke blandly, but she seemed quite uncomfortable with the situation. And I could relate to that feeling.

It must be painful for a leader of a group to acknowledge that their subordinates aren’t listening to them.

It’s essentially an indirect admission of a flaw in one’s leadership, and how could one brush that aside so casually?

As for me, having had to manage Pater’s kids for over half a year, I couldn’t help but relate; it’s a situation I know all too well.

With the position of a leader comes responsibility.

Recognizing one’s shortcomings in that regard is no easy feat, but Kisaki appeared to be quite straightforward about her flaws, as it seemed she was determined to break the current situation. Truly, a child who carries the entire Sanhaegyeong in her heart.

I can only describe her as mature and grown-up. When I briefly recall what I was doing at that age, admiration bubbles up uncontrollably. Because of this, I want to help her, even if just with my lacking hands.

“Kisaki-chan, those who can genuinely face their own shortcomings can overcome them and push ahead further. And that’s what leading a group is all about, right? When dozens or hundreds of different people gather, if everything is to be completely controlled… well, that’s the realm of dictatorship or fanaticism.”

“…Do you have a similar experience?”

“Well, is it a secret? The faction I belong to, Pater, was in the forefront of the hardliners against Gehenna in Trinity. Some kids are hiding silently, waiting for trouble to start, deeply dissatisfied with the current preparations for a peace agreement with Gehenna. In a sense, it might be similar to when Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe successfully unify.”

“You don’t think of expelling them… No, it seems that’s not a question worth asking. The desire to embrace everyone is so apparent… forget I said anything.”

“Haha, but isn’t that the same for you, Kisaki-chan? To borrow your words… Yes, those kids are also part of Trinity. Being in the position of T-party host means I have to embrace those kids. Unless they commit an unforgivable sin, that will never change.”

“…You and I are alike yet different.”

As she twisted her hair with her fingers, Kisaki spoke. I thought for a moment about what she meant by saying that.

“Haha, I’m not quite sure in what way I’m different… Can you enlighten me?”

“To me, only Sanhaegyeong is everything. Separate from my desires to embrace Hyeonmusanghoe as the Student Council President, I too am a member of Hyunryongmun. That means, my emphasis on tradition isn’t so different.”

Kisaki was clearly stating her position.

As the Lord of Hyunryongmun, she is strongly attached to tradition, even if not as much as the other members. While, as the Student Council President, she wants to embrace Hyeonmusanghoe, she seems to have reservations about their radical methods of progress. That’s what she was saying.

“But unlike you, I won’t say that Trinity is everything. Right?”

“…Hmm. I won’t deny that.”

“From what I perceive, your alliance with Gehenna is just the beginning for you. In essence, you are no different from the Student Council President, and what you consider to be everything isn’t just Trinity but likely this entire Kivotos itself. Am I wrong in my assumption?”

“No, that assumption is indeed partially true.”

“When you say ‘partially,’ it carries the implication that there are incorrect parts. I have no way of knowing if I missed something or if our directions are just slightly different.”

If we pick apart the details, Kisaki’s assertion may hold only a slight directional difference. But fundamentally, they are aligned.

“What I desire is the happiness of everyone who is deserving of happiness. I don’t care about the academy I belong to. In that sense, it could also mean that I cherish all of Kivotos.”

“…Who decides who is deserving of happiness?”

“I do. But there are clear criteria.”

Those who bear malice and harm others do not have the right to happiness. Beatrice was one such example. Kaiser Corporation was another.

Among those who were instructors under Beatrice, there were even some twisted individuals who enjoyed abusing children.

“I believe that at the very least, any student of Kivotos deserves to be happy. Even if they go slightly off-track, it’s the responsibility of students to correct that.”

“…Indeed, you are fundamentally different from me. It would be appropriate to say that your perspective itself is different.”

After that, we fell into a silence, continuing our meal.

Kisaki seemed to be deeply lost in thought, while I pondered how to quell Hyunryongmun’s backlash.

Since nothing much comes to mind, it might be best to consult with Trinity when I get back. After all, there are plenty of smarter kids around, and I don’t need to squeeze my own brain for answers.

Maybe the answer that Hanako thinks up after pondering for five minutes will turn out to be better than the answer I come up with after five hundred minutes?

“My dear. I will retract my statement that Trinity and Sanhaegyeong can become good friends.”

By the time we finished our meal, Kisaki suddenly dropped that bombshell. Content-wise, it was a rather shocking statement, but the curve of her lips relaxed me.

“Sanhaegyeong is not ready yet. If we want to make Trinity our ally, many changes must precede that.”

“In that case, to move the relationship between the two academies forward… I’ll lend you my hand. Can I look forward to more exchanges in that meaning?”

“I will personally visit Trinity within the next month. Also, when you visit Sanhaegyeong, the doors of Hyunryongmun will always be open. In that sense…”

Kisaki pulled something from the inner pocket of her suit and handed it to me. It was the butterfly-shaped hair accessory I had seen yesterday.

“If those from Hyunryongmun cause a ruckus in your presence, you should show them this. There isn’t anyone so bold as to reveal this to someone I acknowledge as a friend.”

“…Hmm. I see. A gift to commemorate our friendship. I’d like to give you something in return, but currently, I have nothing. I’ll be sure to prepare something for you when you visit Trinity next time☆”

“Hmm. I wasn’t particularly expecting a reward, but I’ll look forward to it. Ah, do you have plans at Hyeonmusanghoe today?”

“Well, yes. It’s a rather important business for me.”

Upon hearing my answer, Kisaki nodded and was the first to get up. The sight of her putting her sunglasses back on resembled that of an official from Hyunryongmun, at least if we exclude the Halo.

…Except she’s a bit shorter.

“I shouldn’t be away for too long, so I’ll take my leave now. I hope everything goes well with what you’re doing.”

“Uhm. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t keep a busy person held up any longer… Thank you for stopping by, Kisaki-chan☆ Take care until we meet again.”

After carefully placing the hair accessory that Kisaki gave me into my handbag, I also rose from my seat. Before heading to Hyeonmusanghoe, I planned to take a moment for some souvenir shopping.

I wonder what everyone would like me to bring for them…? It’s a moment of deep contemplation.