We were "escorted" back into the same building by Kaiser PMC's soldiers.
The signal jammers had stopped working, allowing communication with Ayane to resume. Her holographic image appeared beside us.
In secret, I had already contacted her and given a few instructions such as telling Problem Solver 68 to stay hidden and avoid exposing themselves. If the negotiations fell apart, they could act as a hidden trump card.
Still, with Kaiser PMC's current military strength, even with inside-outside coordination, escaping successfully would be far from certain.
For now, we had to talk first.
Normally gentle and soft-spoken, Nonomi furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at our "creditor" and murmured, "So this is the one who lent money to Abydos…"
"Ah, allow me to properly introduce myself," the man said. "I am a director of the Kaiser Corporation, Kaiser Loans, and Kaiser Construction. I also serve as the representative director of Kaiser PMC."
A representative director, the company's public face and, in most cases, the one who wields its real power.
Given the scale of Kaiser PMC, this man was an important figure by any measure.
But not everyone cared.
"That doesn't matter," Shiroko said flatly. "What matters is that you're the one who deceived and exploited Abydos's assets, aren't you?"
"…Oh?"
The director gave a short, amused sound.
"That's right!" Serika snapped. "You're the one who hired the Helmet Gang and Problem Solver 68 to keep attacking us, aren't you?!"
"Hmph…?"
The director's reaction was cryptic. Half acknowledgment, half mockery.
Serika, clearly on edge, nearly shouted, her voice cracking. "It's all because of you that we… that Abydos—!"
I noticed her eyes growing red.
Maybe she was remembering everything we had gone through.
But anger wouldn't help here. It would only make the enemy bolder.
Sure enough, the director began to feign sympathy, shaking his head dramatically.
"Good grief… You really open with that? Trespassing on private property, assaulting my kind and hardworking PMC employees, destroying our facilities…"
He began listing Abydos's so-called "crimes," his tone growing louder, until he broke into laughter.
"Ha… hahaha, how amusing."
Then, suddenly, the laughter stopped, replaced by a chillingly cold voice.
"But you should mind your tone. This is a legally operated workplace of Kaiser PMC. And you've just illegally trespassed into corporate property…"
"That's enough."
I had been watching in silence up to now, and this was the right time to cut in. "Stop toying with my students, Director. If you want to talk, then show the attitude of someone who actually intends to talk."
"Hahaha, you're right. There's no fun in bullying little children, is there?"
If not children, then who do you enjoy bullying?
I caught his underlying tone easily, but kept my expression composed and smiling.
Such is the hypocrisy of adults.
"Now then, let's return to the main point," I said evenly. "Why did you buy Abydos's land? You and I both know it has no value."
"You start with that question? Heh, no harm in telling you."
The director's tone deepened. "We're searching for a treasure buried beneath Abydos."
If you don't want to tell the truth, at least try to lie better.
"What kind of stupid excuse is that? Who'd believe it?!" Serika voiced exactly what I was thinking.
Shiroko followed. "Right, and how do you explain all this PMC firepower, then? You're planning to seize our district by force, aren't you?"
No, that couldn't be it.
Deploying a force this large just to handle five Abydos students was overkill.
The director snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. This is simply a defensive measure to keep outsiders from interrupting our excavation. Nothing more. It has nothing to do with you."
I frowned, deep in thought. Could he actually be telling the truth about the treasure?
What kind of treasure could possibly warrant this scale of operation?
No matter. The what wasn't important. What mattered was that it existed.
"Director," I said, smiling slightly. "You wouldn't want the General Student Council to find out about this 'treasure' you've poured so many resources into, would you?"
"…What?"
The director's reaction froze for a moment, and I couldn't help but laugh.
Sometimes, I really don't understand the people of Kivotos. How could someone casually reveal such critical information to someone they can't even move against?
Talk about underestimating us.
"…The General Student Council wouldn't believe it."
"Ayane, are you recording this?"
"Yes," she replied sweetly. "I've been recording since the beginning."
"What a shame, Director," I said, spreading my arms in mock sympathy, grinning wide. "The tables have turned. And just so you know, Ayane's somewhere safe right now. The recording's being uploaded to the cloud in real time."
The director was silent for a long moment before muttering bitterly, "…The General Student Council doesn't have the power right now—"
"Exactly," I interrupted. "That's why a treasure like this would be all the more valuable to them, wouldn't it?"
"…"
The director was completely cornered.
That easily?
I was honestly surprised.
I'd expected to have to offer some painful compromise to leave safely, yet this fool had just handed me the rope to tighten around his own neck.
"…Can we make peace, then?"
I blinked in disbelief. "Right now? You must be joking."
"I admit it. You've won this round." The director lowered his head, his voice strained and defeated. "Let's sign a Contract. You, and Abydos, will keep this secret. In return, I'll reduce your loan interest again… and halve the total debt. Is that acceptable?"
A Contract.
One of Kivotos's most sacred laws.
I didn't know all the details, but I knew this much: once signed, it could not be broken.
"Add one more condition," I said warily. "You'll let us leave safely."
"…Agreed."
From beside me, Shiroko spoke softly. "And you'll stop targeting our school."
"Fine."
Serika quickly added, "And the people around us too like Captain Shiba!"
"Understood."
Nonomi and Ayane eagerly added their own clauses, and though the director's tone turned bitter, he accepted every demand.
In the end, we signed a completely one-sided agreement. Kaiser PMC then courteously "escorted" us out.
The cost, however, was that we could never reveal anything about the treasure.
As we left, the director glared at me, his expression full of regret for his own stupidity.
We walked far enough that the massive structure was no longer visible when I finally exhaled a heavy breath.
"Aru, Kayoko. You both heard the whole thing, right?"
They confirmed.
I smiled faintly.
Keeping Problem Solver 68's presence hidden had been my smartest decision today.
That card couldn't be played yet. If we did, it would mean open war with Kaiser. But someday… maybe.
For now, we had to focus on the present.
"Don't celebrate just yet, everyone."
I broke the illusion of victory in my students' faces. "Contracts aren't absolute. The director might not report his failure upward, but he'll definitely try to find a loophole and he'll use every ounce of his power to silence us forever."
At that, everyone stiffened, realizing the danger wasn't over.
Everyone except Hoshino.
Only now did I notice she'd been staring at me, expressionless, the whole time.
"Hoshino…?" I asked uneasily.
"I'm tired of this," she said softly.
With a sigh, Hoshino raised her gun. The others gasped as she aimed it straight at me.
"Stop lying already, Sensei. No… you…"
She clicked off the safety, her voice turning cold as steel.
"Liar."
Something big was coming.
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