Following Ako's guidance, he entered inside the discipline committee room. A luxurious red carpet and artistic small windows greeted him. Kenji frowned at the sunlight coming through the window, then subtly moved aside and spoke.
"What kind of work does the discipline committee do?"
"Catching troublemakers and restraining them, maintaining the academy's order, running the academy in place of the incompetent student council... well, things like that. It's a place where only the busiest people in Gehenna are gathered."
Ako said that while slowly walking. Kenji nodded and looked beyond her. A long corridor came into his view.
'It's big.'
He chuckled and revised his thoughts from a few minutes ago. The discipline committee room was not an ordinary club room but a huge room that used an entire floor. From the outside, its size wasn't palpable, but upon entering, its grandeur was felt unfiltered.
Well, the discipline committee is the only organization in Gehenna that counters the Pandemonium Society. It's not strange for such a group's room to be narrow. Thinking so, Kenji followed Ako, who was walking ahead, and moved his steps. While doing so, he spoke.
"It seems you don't like the Pandemonium Society."
When Ako said 'incompetent student council', her voice was filled with resentment and hatred. The grudge was too deep to be just a political rivalry. There seemed to be some reason why she disliked them.
He was curious but had no intention of probing. He planned to let it slide even if she didn't tell him. He wasn't going to get involved in Gehenna's politics, and even if the two groups fought, it wouldn't directly impact Schale.
But Ako openly spilled out why she hated the Pandemonium Society. It was as if she was appealing for him to understand.
"Of course I don't like them. No, I hate them! How much trouble has that raccoon-like woman caused us!"
"……."
"She cuts our budget because she doesn't like our hairstyle, cuts it because dust got on the sofa, makes us process paperwork because she thinks we're playing too much! And she takes our entire budget because the pudding she was going to eat disappeared!"
"……."
"How can I like such people! Because of those incompetent ones, how much do I suffer! I haven't even slept properly lately, all because of overtime!!!!"
Ako turned her head sharply and stared straight at Kenji. Kenji wondered why she was looking at him like that, but realizing it was an action to seek empathy, he smiled wryly. If there was another slave worn out by overtime here, he could fully understand Ako's efforts and hardships.
"Overtime is tough. One day is bearable, but from the second day, you can feel your body deteriorating to the point where your condition gets bad."
"……Really. I just want to pour coffee directly into my veins. Then at least I wouldn't feel sleepy."
"I agree. Often, when working overtime, I close my eyes for a moment and open them to find hours have passed. Then I have to hastily process the piled-up paperwork, and if I make mistakes during that, work piles up again. Such misfortunes overlap, and my mental state gets shattered."
"That's right! You know it well! That was exactly me yesterday!"
"Aren't all overtime workers in similar states? Either less broken or more broken, one of the two."
Kenji said with a chuckle. Ako nodded in agreement and let out a big sigh.
"Phew…… Still, it's good to have someone who understands."
"Haha, that's fortunate."
While exchanging such conversation, the two arrived in front of the discipline committee president's office.
The discipline committee president's office, unlike the marble discipline committee room, was covered in wood. It was heterogeneous, but rather, that heterogeneity created the authority of the discipline committee president.
From the smooth wood, the unique fragrant scent of wood and the smell of summer sunlight wafted. It was a very peculiar combination of scents, but it wasn't unpleasant. Rather, it seemed to relax the mood. It was a pleasing scent. Kenji chuckled and ran his finger along the wooden wall.
Ako glanced at him like that, then cleared her throat and knocked on the discipline committee president's office door. Then, a voice came from inside.
-Who is it?
"It's me, President."
-Ako? What's the matter?
"A guest from Schale has come. He said he wants to see you, so I brought him."
-From Schale……?
Thud. Kenji's sensitive hearing captured a noise from inside the room. It sounded like putting down a pen that was being held.
-Hmm…… Alright, come in.
"Yes."
Ako answered shortly and gestured to Kenji. As Kenji nodded, Ako slowly opened the discipline committee president's office door. The smooth wooden door opened softly, and the scenery inside was fully revealed. Kenji glanced around the room's interior, then hardened his face seriously and walked inside.
"Then, have a good conversation."
As Kenji entered the discipline committee president's office, Ako bowed her head and closed the opened door. Kenji looked at the clacking closed door, then looked at the girl sitting by the window and smirked. The girl with impressive long white hair and amethyst-like purple eyes looked at Kenji for a moment, tilting her head, then recalling a memory from the past, her eyes widened.
"You are……."
"Long time no see."
Hina's appearance was almost similar to two years ago. Her height seemed the same, and her hair length or horn size weren't much different from the vaguely remembered past. Only the clothes she was wearing were different. Thanks to that, Kenji realized as soon as he saw her that she was not a namesake but the same person he knew named 'Hina'.
On the other hand, Hina took a little time to guess his identity.
His appearance was the same. Very white skin for a man. Lips tinged with red. Black eyes like obsidian. And sharp eyes that swallowed all that softness at once.
Overall, he was a man with a fierce impression. Now, since he was smiling, his expression was bright, but if he were expressionless, his appearance was far from favorable, to the point where one would unconsciously feel pressure. The first impression Hina had of him was not favor but only fierceness.
Moreover, at that time, Kenji had his face twisted in pain, so the pressure emanating from him was no joke. And that pressure left an impression on Hina that was not easily forgotten. To the extent that she still remembered it.
But the reason Hina didn't recognize Kenji immediately was partly due to his changed hairstyle, but more so because the aura emanating from him was too different.
In the past, Kenji was a soft man despite his appearance. But now…… he was like a cold knife. A sharp and cold knife that would tear the flesh if touched carelessly. A dagger insufficient to protect the body but enough to stab and kill. That was the impression Hina felt from him. An inexplicable discomfort rose in her chest.
"Hina?"
But all those impressions and emotions disappeared completely with his voice mixed with doubt. Hina, having awakened from her thoughts, spoke in a startled voice.
"Uh, yeah? Why?"
"What do you mean why? You suddenly stopped talking."
"Ah…… I had something to think about for a moment……."
"Something from the past?"
Kenji asked as he plopped down on the sofa. At that question, Hina suddenly recalled the incident from two years ago. The atrocity committed against him by the president and Makoto, who were in the same club at the time. And the promise made to make up for it. Hina uttered an 'ah' and nodded.
"Yeah. Something from the past. The incident at Trinity two years ago."
"You remembered? I thought you might have forgotten."
"It's something I shouldn't forget. I didn't know it would be this late."
"I didn't know it would be this late either."
Kenji said with a chuckle, then gestured towards the opposite seat.
"Come and sit. It's too far, so I can't hear your voice well."
"How far is it……."
"Hey!"
Kenji scolded with a stern expression. Then Hina let out a deep sigh, got up from her seat, and trudged over to plop down on the sofa opposite him.
"Can you hear well now?"
"Much better. It's a pretty voice."
"……What are you saying? Don't say strange things."
Hina murmured, slightly frowning her brow. It was an act to hide her embarrassment. Kenji looked at her cheeks turning reddish and spoke in a playful voice.
"It's true, isn't it? A pretty voice and cute appearance. On top of that, outstanding ability, who could possibly dislike you? At most, a Trinity student, perhaps?"
"……Stop the flattery. What's the purpose of your visit?"
Hina asked with a serious expression.
Oops, the joke went too far. Kenji shrugged his shoulders and buried himself deeply in the backrest.
"What else? I came to keep the promise we made before."
"Can I see that as Schale's intention?"
"No, this is my personal desire. It has nothing to do with Schale."
"I see. So, what do you desire?"
"You're in a hurry too. Isn't it too harsh to act like this just because I joked a little?"
"……I need to hear the story first. If you make too unreasonable a demand, I'll have no choice but to refuse. Coordination is needed."
What Hina promised Kenji was not wealth, glory, or honor. It was just one wish.
It was a promise like a child would make. A verbal contract that would disappear if one kept their mouth shut. But Hina, thinking of the past mistake, decided to grant him one wish. Fortunately, her position was one of the highest in Gehenna. Thanks to that, she was confident that she could grant anything, as long as it wasn't too absurd.
In other words, it meant she couldn't grant absurd requests. Although she said anything, there were limits.
Kenji also understood her dilemma.
It doesn't matter. It wasn't a difficult request to begin with.
Kenji chuckled and, as Hina wished, immediately revealed his purpose.
"I guess there's no choice. Then, let's save the celebratory fireworks for later."
"……."
"The purpose of my visit is this."
Kenji continued with a serious expression.
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