After learning that Seia had been attacked and fallen into a coma, and of the hidden conspiracy involving Trinity, the life I had outwardly been living in calm leisure gained a lingering shadow that refused to disperse.
But looking at it from another angle, having already secured my footing in Kivotos and having gone quite so ti without encountering any real crisis, I had nearly sunk into complacency, ignoring the chaotic nature at the heart of this academy city.
This incident was undoubtedly a wake up call, snapping back to my senses.
After returning to Schale, I imdiately contacted Himari and, through a temporary platform she set up, held an absolutely confidential conversation.
Though I did not wish to recklessly drag unrelated people into this ss, to ensure absolute safety I still needed the indirect assistance of this genius hacker, who stood at the very top of all Kivotos, to help erase my trail.
Although I did not explain the specific reason, with Himari's intelligence and insight she likely guessed sothing. After confirming that I only needed help at this level, she did not ask further questions and readily agreed.
Once this urgent matter was settled, I temporarily buried the matter of Seia and Trinity deep in my heart.
Perhaps it was just my paranoia, but under the current circumstances where I was completely in the dark, I believed that caution took priority over speed and efficiency.
What is more, whether the possibility I had envisioned could awaken Seia was still an unknown, so it was better to take a long term approach.
As for whether I should inform Nagisa, who was currently acting as the Tea Party's President?
I respected Seia's choice.
As for Mika… there was no need to even ntion her.
That was Mika, after all. Better not.
In short, I acted as if nothing had happened and continued with my originally scheduled routine.
The next day, after many days had passed, I headed once again to the long unvisited Abydos Foreclosure Task Force.
Actually, I had co to the Abydos downtown district just the day before yesterday, with the purpose of inviting my cute maid girls from C&C to Master Shiba's joint to enjoy so delicious ran.
It was just that it was too late that day. After finishing, I still had to return to Millennium to keep my appointnt with Himari, and while I was at it, bail out the Ga Developnt Departnt mbers who had been locked in the reflection room, so I did not visit the school.
Now that I had work to ask the Foreclosure Task Force for, it was a good chance to see them as well, and ease the longing of those girls who were surely already deeply smitten with .
The helicopter slowly descended onto the school's athletic field, the gust from landing kicking up sand and dust around it.
A girl waiting not far away jogged over. Looking at as I stepped off the aircraft, she wore an uncontrollable expression of joy on her face.
"Sensei, you're here."
"Mm, Ayane. You could have just waited in the clubroom. Why did you co all the way here to greet ?"
I glanced to the side and joked, "Don't tell you couldn't wait to show this off to ?"
Not far away, there was another brand new helicopter parked there, its black paint emblazoned with a large white Abydos school emblem.
"That's not what I ant!" Even as she said that, Ayane's delight only grew stronger. "Thanks to you, Sensei, our debt pressure has beco so much lighter, and we finally managed to save up enough to buy an ard helicopter. Oh right, right, this one's na is Water Cloud." (Agumo-go)
I nodded with a smile. "It looks really cool. If there's a chance later, I'd like to ride it and try it out."
"Really? I'm free anyti!"
"Haha, then thanks. But let's talk about that later. Everyone should be in the clubroom, right?"
"Ah, that's true… then, Sensei, let's go."
After exchanging greetings, Ayane and I headed straight for the Foreclosure Task Force clubroom.
Pulling open the door, in a mont of haziness, I recalled the scene from when I first ca here.
Hoshino lay lazily with her head on Nonomi's lap, Serika paced back and forth restlessly inside the room, and Shiroko was maintaining her rifle.
For so reason, a feeling of things having changed beyond return welled up in my heart.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the girls all turned to look at at the sa ti, unconsciously breaking into beautiful smiles that stirred the heart.
Then, Nonomi directly pushed Hoshino, who was waving at , aside and patted the now empty space on her lap.
"Sensei, please co over here."
Hoshino froze for a mont, blinked, and exclaid, "Oh my, oh my, Nonomi, are you planning to bear the weight of both Sensei and Oji-san all by yourself?"
"Of course not. Hoshino-senpai, please find yourself a place to sleep properly."
"Nonomi-chan, what are you saying? Of course I'm going to sleep on Sensei. For an overdeveloped power gorilla like you, this much should be easy, right?"
"Hoshino-senpai, are you introducing yourself? Then you should change the prefix to underdeveloped to match perfectly."
"Ehehe."
"Hmm hmm."
The two looked at each other and smiled, their smiles growing ever sweeter, yet their eyes held not a trace of mirth.
The senior and junior who had just monts ago looked like sisters with a deep bond beca sharply antagonistic the mont I appeared.
This scene filled with deep sorrow, and my heart was also brimming with guilt.
Stop it. Don't fight over like this anymore. This makes things very difficult for .
"Sensei, are you smiling?"
Shiroko tilted her head slightly and asked in confusion.
"N-no," I said instinctively. Realizing my expression might have been a bit obvious, I quickly corrected myself. "I just thought of sothing happy."
"Is that so?"
Shiroko nodded as if she half understood, then her wolf ears swayed as she looked at with eager anticipation. "I can give you a lap pillow too."
The previously smiling Hoshino and Nonomi imdiately united again, turning their spearheads toward Shiroko, who was trying to steal the base.
Hoshino let out a sigh. "So children seem to lack filial piety."
Nonomi put on a reminiscent expression. "I still rember how heavy the snow was that day."
"Sigh, she was clearly so well behaved back then. We worked so hard to raise her, only to find she turned out to be a white eyed wolf. This Oji-san is almost heartbroken."
"How should I put it? After all, there really is a wolf with one white eye, so it's not that strange, right?"
Faced with their barbed condemnation, Shiroko remained unmoved and simply said calmly, "I suggest we take turns using Sensei."
Wait a second. What do you an, using?
As soon as those words were spoken, Hoshino and Nonomi exchanged another look.
Then.
Hoshino gave a thumbs up. "Oh my. As expected of my good child."
Nonomi smiled softly. "Fufu, Shiroko really didn't let down our trust."
Hearing this, my outrage only deepened. What about my opinion? Have you already decided that I won't object and will just quietly enjoy… endure it?
Unfortunately, even if I didn't object, there were still people present who would object on my behalf.
SLAM!
"Ah, seriously!" Serika slamd the table hard, gritting her teeth. "You guys, what on earth are you even talking about!"
Ayane also said angrily, "I can't stand it anymore either. Sensei finally managed to make ti to co over, he has important business to discuss with us. Can you at least act like proper senpai and stop clinging to Sensei like this. Sensei will be troubled, won't he!"
At that mont, Hoshino suddenly frowned and sniffed.
"Nonomi-chan, Shiroko chan, do you sll that?"
Shiroko cooperated perfectly. "What is Hoshino-senpai referring to?"
"You don't sll it?" The pink haired girl pinched her nose with one hand and waved the air with the other, speaking aningfully. "This sour sll filling the air, the kind where you don't dare do it yourself but won't let others do it either. Uwah, so sour, so sour."
I had always acknowledged Hoshino's aggressiveness.
Serika and Ayane seed not to have fully reacted yet, when Nonomi spoke first.
"Hoshino-senpai, how can you be so rude!" Nonomi complained. "Even if it's already so strong that it's impossible to ignore, you shouldn't say it out loud!"
Shiroko nodded in agreent. "That's very an, Hoshino-senpai."
"Uu, sorry. Oji-san will try harder next ti to pretend I don't sll it, okay?"
Shiroko sighed helplessly. "Alright, just this once."
The three senpai from second and third year sang in harmony, their unhidden implications making the now enlightened Serika and Ayane flush with extre embarrassnt.
Especially Ayane.
"Have you all had enough already!"
She stepped forward in a flash, placed both hands under the edge of the table, and suddenly lifted upward, using her secret table flipping technique.
Normally, if the usually well behaved Ayane were pushed this far, everyone in the Foreclosure Task Force would quickly stop joking around and focus on placating her.
But this ti was different. With their core interests under threat, several of them adopted a mindset of enjoying the chaos.
"Oh my, Ayane-chan, don't be so angry."
Hoshino said leisurely, "Our Foreclosure Task Force has always been of one heart, advancing and retreating together."
Shiroko nodded. "That's right."
The two spoke without sha.
"Taking this opportunity, I think it's just right to reach a consensus."
Hoshino stood up and walked in front of Ayane. Though she was clearly nearly half a head shorter, when their eyes t it felt as if she were looking down on her.
"Wanting to act spoiled, wanting to be pampered, wanting to do this and that together… everyone in the Foreclosure Task Force harbors similar feelings."
Serika and Ayane both grew flustered, and even Nonomi, who had remained calm until now, showed signs of unease.
I suddenly realized that this small conflict might have been deliberately provoked by Hoshino.
And Shiroko was also an insider and accomplice?
"So, just like what Shiroko suggested, wouldn't that be fine?"
Hoshino spread her hands and said calmly, "Sensei won't refuse. If anything, he'll be even happier. So, Ayane-chan, Serika-chan, let's move forward together like we did in the past."
The two naturally shy girls lowered their flags and fell into silence.
Nonomi looked confused, tinged with uncertain doubt, her previously composed expression becoming sowhat forced.
Then, Hoshino took out a handkerchief from her chest.
It felt vaguely familiar. I then rembered that this seed to be the handkerchief I once used to wipe the dust from Hoshino's face after fighting the Helt Gang. She said she would wash it and return it to , but there had been no follow up ever since.
Thinking carefully, it really did seem like it had been taken by Hoshino.
Damn. She actually kept my handkerchief in private. I strongly suspected that soone had already been secretly in love with back then, just too embarrassed to say it.
Even her later attitude of dislike and distrust might have just been playing hard to get, a smokescreen to attract my attention.
Sothing was off. The more I thought about it, the more it seed possible. I would definitely have to interrogate her about this later.
While my thoughts were spiraling, Hoshino had already handed the handkerchief she had taken from , an item of considerable commorative value to her, to the teary eyed Ayane, smiling faintly.
"Here, wipe your face first."
Ayane hesitated slightly, then chose to accept it.
"…What even is all of this…" Serika muttered to herself in a low voice. "I don't get it… I really don't get it…"
For the first ti in her life, Serika realized she might truly not be very smart.
"Hmm? Oji-san aning still isn't obvious?"
Hoshino took a few light steps toward , took my hand, and guided to sit in an empty seat. Then she sat down on my lap.
Then, in a matter of course tone, she said, "Sensei was never ant to belong to just one person, but to all of us. So there's no need to fight over Sensei and affect our bond with each other. First it's , then Nonomi and Shiroko, then you and Ayane. Very fair, right?"
Shiroko echoed, "Very fair."
I finally understood.
Hoshino and Shiroko had indeed joined forces in secret, deliberately stirring up the conflict between the conservative and aggressive factions within the Foreclosure Task Force, all to take the opportunity to lay certain things bare, helping open my harem more smoothly.
Of course, the primary premise was that everyone already liked to begin with, just with different personalities, resulting in so being slower to progress.
Seen this way, wasn't this also a reflection of friendship within the Foreclosure Task Force?
That said, for , going slow also had its own kind of enjoynt.
Especially Nonomi, who looked like she was keeping pace with Hoshino but in reality had not even properly entered the track yet, presented a unique kind of challenge.
"…Sensei," after a long silence, Serika called out to weakly, her crimson eyes carrying strange emotions. "What do you think?"
Without thinking, I answered, "Of course I want to have close contact with all of you too."
As a human being, one should honestly express their desires in front of soone of the opposite sex they share mutual affection with.
Perhaps because my answer ca too quickly, Serika seed montarily choked, then glared at . "Disgusting!"
"So are you voluntarily not participating?" Hoshino teased from my lap.
"Hah!? Why should I! I'm also a mber of the Foreclosure Task Force. Don't even think about excluding !"
And after the tsundere Serika, Ayane spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's. "I… I too…"
Nonomi, who had been silent this whole ti, revealed a dazzling, completely unguarded smile.
"Mhm mhm, it's really wonderful that things turned out like this. Then, I should be next, right?"
"No problem."
Hoshino answered on my behalf, then said, "Sorry about that, Sensei, we wasted a lot of ti. Let's get to the main topic. What did you co here for today?"
Without any difficulty, I obtained the girls' promise that they would do their best to make ti to help complete a special commission. With the purchase of Water Cloud, even Abydos's transportation inconvenience had been resolved.
And as advance "paynt," I spent the rest of the day in Abydos enjoying a rather leisurely and pleasant ti.
It was just that Nonomi still had not been conquered, which was rather sigh inducing.
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