The withdrawal of the Prefect Team marked the official end of the battle and the beginning of postwar cleanup.
Ambulances were called to take the injured Master Shiba (Serika's Boss) to the hospital, construction firms were contacted to repair the damaged streets, and additional defensive lines were laid out beyond the district's perimeter.
Thanks to the residents' strong sense of discipline and combat readiness, Kivotos' industries: military, construction, medical, and logistics were highly developed, and their efficiency unmatched.
The cratered streets, pocked with shell marks, could be restored to pristine condition within hours. Ambulances or medevac helicopters stood by around the clock, ready to depart the moment payment was confirmed.
Of course, that was the key... payment.
The fees weren't especially high, in fact, they were surprisingly affordable. But back when Abydos was drowning in debt, even scraping together that modest sum from the interest payments was nearly impossible.
So in the past, it had always been Nonomi who quietly paid out of her own pocket.
But things were different now.
Serika had proudly paid the repair and treatment costs herself, using the wages she'd earned from her part-time job.
That left Nonomi feeling both proud and a little lonely.
"It's like watching your kid grow up," she said to me on the way back to the academy, "they don't need their mom to provide for them anymore."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you sound exactly like Hoshino?"
"Really? Maybe it's because I've spent the most time with her. I read online that people naturally start picking up the speech habits of those they're close to~"
Hearing her mention her closeness with Hoshino reminded me of Hina's surprise earlier that day, and what she'd said when she saw her.
"Nonomi, do you know what Hoshino was like in her first year?"
"Eh? When I first met her, she was already a second-year," Nonomi said, pausing in thought. "But she was completely different back then. Hoshino-senpai used to be so sharp and assertive, really decisive."
I was surprised by that description, but thinking about it, it made sense.
After all, I'd already seen a glimpse of that side of Hoshino late at night, the part that didn't match her usual lazy, carefree demeanor.
The one who went out on voluntary night patrols, every single day.
Perhaps Hoshino had changed or perhaps she hadn't changed at all.
When I asked Nonomi if she knew what caused the shift, she only said that there had once been another upperclassman.
Abydos' last Student Council President by all accounts, a terribly unreliable person. After that president disappeared, Hoshino took on all the burdens of Abydos herself.
I see…
A quiet pang of sympathy for Hoshino welled up inside me.
"Thanks to you, Sensei," Nonomi went on, "Hoshino-senpai's been a lot gentler lately. She's even started opening up to students from other academies."
I smiled awkwardly, taking her compliment with a bit of embarrassment.
By the time we finished talking, we were back at the academy.
As soon as I entered the clubroom, I saw Ayane hitting Mutsuki...
Or rather, playfully hitting her.
Ayane's face was bright red as she swung a book in frustration at Mutsuki's head, while Mutsuki blocked lazily with one hand and laughed like a silver bell.
"Ahahaha∼ Stop, glasses girl~! Look who's back∼ Sensei, save me∼!"
Mutsuki dashed behind me.
"First of all, my name is Ayane, not glasses girl! Second, don't use Sensei as a human shield!"
"Alright, alright∼ Don't be mad, Ayane~ See? Sensei's here now. You wouldn't want Sensei to see your violent side, right?"
Honestly, I thought Ayane looked even cuter when she was mad.
From the scene alone, I could easily guess what had happened. Mutsuki must have teased or pranked her, got her riled up, and was now trying to use her embarrassment to her own advantage.
Unfortunately for Mutsuki, she'd overlooked something this time.
Nonomi crept up behind her on tiptoe, then pounced, wrapping her arms around Mutsuki from behind. "Gotcha∼! Ayane, time for revenge~!"
I stepped aside. "Ayane, go get her!"
"Eek~ You got me∼"
There wasn't the slightest trace of panic on Mutsuki's face. If anything, she looked delighted, and didn't resist at all.
Seeing that, Ayane sighed, her anger deflating instantly.
Once the playful chaos settled down, I found a seat and asked, "Where are the others from Problem Solver 68?"
"Haruka went to bury some bombs, no idea where Kayoko went, and as for Aru-chan…"
Mutsuki burst into laughter before finishing. "Pfft... Aru-chan tripped while running away earlier. She's borrowing Abydos' bath to clean up~"
That sounded exactly like Aru.
A few minutes later, Aru walked into the clubroom, her hair still damp. She froze when she saw me sitting at the head seat, fingers interlaced beneath my nose, glasses gleaming with a cold reflection.
For the record, the glasses were Ayane's.
I spoke in a low, grave tone. "Miss Rukuhachima, please sit down."
After a brief moment of confusion, Aru's eyes lit up, clearly thinking the scene was cool, and she obediently sat, waiting with anticipation.
I removed the glasses and handed them back to Ayane, fixing my gaze on Aru with mock disappointment.
"Aru, I trusted you… yet you left me behind and ran away."
"Huh?"
Aru blinked, confused. "But Hina wasn't hostile to you, Sensei. If we Problem Solver 68 stayed on the battlefield, it would've just upset her Prefect officers who thought we were there to capture us."
I stared at her. "Who are you, and where did you hide the real Aru?"
Aru stared back, equally shocked. "Sensei, you don't actually think I'm dumb, do you?"
As it turned out, Aru wasn't stupid but just missing a few screws.
Having lost the mood to tease her, I gathered everyone present for a strategy meeting.
"Our client has our combat data. Even though we held back during testing, the forces they sent this time were nowhere near enough to take on Problem Solver 68."
From that intel, we drew a conclusion.
"Could their real goal have been… to destroy Shiba Seki Ramen?"
"I think the Kaiser Corporation is trying to drive out the local businesses around Abydos, to make it easier to launch a full-scale assault on us," someone suggested.
That was a reasonable theory, assuming we didn't yet know that most of the land in Abydos' autonomous district had already been acquired by Kaiser.
As landowners, they wouldn't need force to shut down the shops.
Combined with the intel Hina had given me, I suspected the attack had been a message instead.
A warning... using the safety of people we knew as leverage.
This time, they had only shelled the ramen shop and lightly injured Captain Shiba. But what about next time?
Considering Kaiser's moral standards, dragging innocent bystanders into their schemes wouldn't be unusual at all.
It was clear to me that it was time to be honest with Hoshino.
But by nightfall, she still hadn't returned. Her reply on Momotalk said she was conducting a thorough search and would be out late.
Since I had my appointment with Hina tomorrow, I decided to leave Abydos for the night and return to Schale with the students of Problem Solver 68.
Once I'd finished my meeting with the Prefect Team, I would talk to Hoshino.
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