"Alright, this is just ridiculous. A convenient store, in this building?"
"... At least it's convenient?"
"Don't try to handwave this, Arona."
It has been three days since Saito arrived in Kivotos. After he had recovered from his first fight and the Schale Building got the repair it needs, Saito spends his time getting used to his new role as a teacher in Kivotos.
To describe how he felt about it so far: exhausting. He had to take care of many things right off the bat. Paperwork, accounting, checking on the status of each academy, answering logistic problems from GSC, the repairs after the fight, and so many different things he still needs to do.
Thank every god in the world that not all of them involve paperwork and all he had to do was key into Schale's office system. Arona and Rin certainly made the whole thing less stressful for him too. So he thanked them and promise both of them that he would treat Rin to dinner and find a way to upgrade her soon.
Though Saito wondered if he was too forward with his promise since when Rin heard of her reward, she quickly stormed out of the room and said she need to go back to GSC.
"Geez… Saito Sensei loves to play with woman's hearts huh?"
That was what Arona said to him afterward. That day Saito decides to apologize to Rin and promises to be more careful with his wording in the future. Rin forgave him, saying it was more her fault, and mentioned that she would hold on to the dinner promise.
Currently, he is exploring the Schale Building after it was finally repaired, more specifically, the residence hall.
Yes, residence hall, there are two buildings in the entire Schale Building: the residence hall and the office area. One building was already giant, but two buildings with their own facilities were ridiculous.
Seriously, the office area contains a theater room, a gym with all kinds of equipment, a large library, a classroom large enough to hold more than 30 students, a laboratory for all things involved in science, a good soundproof shooting range, and a freaking HANGAR!
The residence hall is no slouch in the ridiculous department either. It has a huge study room, a gymnasium for many indoor sports, a lounge big enough for a group of students to sleep in, a decent-sized dining hall with all the top-of-the-line cooking equipment, and a well-kept garden.
And all that… a convenience store called Angel 24 in the residence hall is what breaks his suspension of disbelief.
Did he mention there is an arcade in the building too?
Currently, Saito is standing right outside of said convenience store. He admit, he was curious as to what convenience stores in Kivotos would sell, since… you know… an amnesiac.
So the teacher stepped into the convenience store to see what was inside.
He was not amused.
There were rows of fridges that displayed cold drinks, but no alcoholic drinks of course. Right in front of it, it was a freezer that had a label that said it contained meats and ice cream. In the middle of the convenience store, some shelves have bread, instant noodles, snacks, and other types of foods, and one more shelf that sells magazines and newspapers.
All and all, it was normal… if a section of the store did not have shelves with boxes of ammunition and explosive weapons clearly displayed for anyone to take and buy.
The store also sold guns too. Because when he looked to the right side of the store, which is where the counter is set up.
Once again, there are boxes of ammunition displayed at the counter, albeit smaller than the ones on the shelves. But the counter also displays other small items such as sweets and smaller snacks. Right behind the counter, weapons are clearly displayed out in the open and are sold as if it was just another item to be sold.
And apparently, the company owner thought that displaying the guns and other explosives with electronic items together is a bright idea.
It was when Saito looked around a little more that he only noticed there is someone behind the counter.
It's a very young girl, highly likely a middle school girl, playing with her phone right now. She has bright blonde hair, and wears a white shirt with a blue apron; though it seems to be a little big for her since one of the straps was just loosely hanging on her. Like other students in Kivotos, she has a halo on her head, which is a white halo with pointed arrows in the four cardinal directions.
Saito stared at her for a little while before he decided to walk closer to her. As he walked closer, Sensei heard her muttering about being bored.
She seemed to be completely immersed in her game, as she did not hear his footsteps or notice his presence at all.
Saito then cleared his throat, signaling his presence to her.
The effect was immediate, as she quickly took her phone away and stand stiffly right away.
"W-Welcome to Angel 24!" She shouted in panic. "I'm sorry! I didn't notice you!"
Saito shook his head and reassures her. "It's alright, I was just wondering why there is a convenience store in this building. And well… that and what does Kivotos' convenience store look like."
The girl raised her eyebrows, wondering what does he mean before her eyes widen from shock. "Wait… an adult… and not a robot or animal people... are you the rumored Sensei?!"
The poor blond girl became even more nervous. She is literally shaking on the spot, and Saito is not sure what to do.
"A-ah… ah… W-welcome t-t-to Angel 24! WHATCANIHELPYOU?!" She stuttered.
Saito stood there a little bit and decided to help her before she crumbles from her nervousness.
So he picked up a small chocolate bar and placed it on the counter. "I think I would like to have this."
She then nodded and quickly took the bar and scan it. Before she said the price of the item, Saito took out his credit card -something that was given to him by Rin- and paid for the snack.
"T-thank you for your patronage." She said.
"You're welcome," Saito said, then he decided to ask her something that had been bothering him. "Say, aren't you a middle schooler? Why are you working here actually?"
The blonde shifted on the spot for a little bit as she began to explain why she was working in a convenience store. "Well, I'm a new hire… and I'm in desperate need of money, but there are no other places that would hire people my age."
"I see… so that's the reason." Saito muttered. "Say, what's your name?"
"S-sora." She said.
"Sora… How about I make a promise to you." Saito continued.
Sora looked at him in confusion, wondering what he is talking about, and decided to continue. "While I am going to be your first and only customer right now since no one is coming here. But, once I settle down properly in Schale, I will be able to bring more customers for you and help you with your money problem. How's that sound?"
The girl stared at him, processing what he just told her. She then realized what he just told her, before Sora stuttered again. "W-w-wait, really? B-but right now, I d-don't… I don't know how to talk with people."
"Rest assured, I will not suddenly just make you deal with more customers than you are comfortable with first." The teacher then smiled at her and placed his hand on his chest. "I'll be the one that becomes your practice target right now until you are comfortable with your job."
Hearing what Sensei said to her, Sora's expression brighten up, and nodded enthusiastically. "If that is the case, then I'll take up your offer, Sensei!"
Saito chuckled and smiled. "See, you are already improving, Sora."
Sora then blushed shyly, realizing that she was able to speak with him without stuttering. Then the girl whispered, "Thank you."
Saito nodded and began to leave the store before he said goodbye to her. But before he could leave though, Sora called him one more time.
"Sensei, there is something that I kinda want to ask you." Sora said.
Saito turned back and look at her and asked her what is it.
He then noticed she is holding a piece of paper and a pen. He became a little suspicious, hoping it was not what he think it was.
"P-please sign your autograph on this paper, please!" Sora declared. "T-the thing is… you have been popular around my school."
She then continued. "When I saw you in the video, I thought you were really cool! And that armor makes you look very heroic!"
"So… if it is ok… can you sign this?"
…
"Arona is right." Saito thought. "I need to get used to this."
After giving Sora the autograph -making the girl over the moon- Saito goes back to his office to continue finishing his paperwork. He worked for a little while before his work phone vibrated once.
He picked up his phone and saw someone had messaged him in Momotalk. Unlocking the phone, the sender was identified as Rin.
Rin: Sensei.
Rin: We have a situation in the General Student Council. If you can please come to GSC HQ.
Seeing the message, Saito did not hesitate to stand up from his seat and get ready to head out.
"Arona." He said as he picked up the Shittim Chest. "We're heading to the GSC."
"Yeah. I got the message too. I'll search for a cab to pick you up to the HQ, Sensei." Arona replied.
He gave the AI thanks and quickly took the white business suit that was given by Rin yesterday and wears it. Once that was done, the rider double-checked if he has his Cycloneriser and his Progrise Key on him, his phone, and the Schale ID card.
After getting all the things he needed, Saito began to walk out of the building, where there is a taxi waiting for him to bring him to the GSC HQ.
He quickly got into the car, and then pulled out his phone, where he decided to message Rin.
Saito: I got your message, Rin. What is it that you need me for?
Rin: Thank you, Sensei. We need you because this case might be related to your Cycloneriser.
Rin: I will tell you more details later once we meet up in my office room.
Satisfied with her message, Saito placed back his phone into his pocket and looked outside as the taxi driver took him to Sensei's destination.
The taxi driver, who is a robot, decided to break the ice and starts a conversation. "So you are Saito Sensei, am I right?"
Saito nodded. "Yeah, I'm Saito. Nice to meet you. I guess I have been the talk of the town, huh?"
The driver laughed. "You have no idea, Sensei. Everyone has been talking about you, I guess your identity as this new superhero would be kept hidden if students did not record you removing your transformation."
"Yeah… might be a lot easier if that did not happen. Now I need to be careful who might recognize me soon."
The driver laughed again at Sensei's expense again, making the man groan. Then the taxi driver promised that he will not rat him out, which Saito thanked him for.
They continued to talk, mostly about minor things such as their jobs, how was their day so far, and in Saito's case, asking about recommended places to eat and shortcuts back to Schale.
The two men talked a little more before they arrived at the front gate of the HQ, where Saito thanked him before fishing out his credit card and paying for the journey.
"Thanks for the ride, buddy." Saito said as he opened the door, but before he asked the driver one more question. "Say, what's your name?"
"My name? Oh, well, you can call me Styx, Sensei." The driver said.
"Thank you, Styx. I think I will be calling you in the future if there is any place that I can't reach or am unfamiliar with." Saito said and began to walk away from the car.
Styx nodded and began to drive away as the Sensei hurried into the GSC building, where a student waited for him near the reception table.
"Welcome, Sensei. Come with me, the Vice President is waiting upstairs."
Both of them then walked into the elevator, where Saito once more watched the view of the city as they ascend to the Vice President's office. Once the elevator stopped and opened the door, the student knocked on the office's door before hearing Rin said "Enter" and opened the door for Saito to enter.
The teacher said thank you to the student and she proceed to leave, leaving him and the elf woman in the room.
"Hello, Sensei. Thank you for freeing up some time off your schedule to meet me." Rin greeted.
"Hi, Rin. So you said you have something that might be related to my Cycloneriser?"
The elf woman nodded. "Yes, and it might also relate to your Progrise Key too. Here, take a look at these pictures."
Saito walked closer to her and saw three pictures in her hand. He took it and began looking at them.
What he saw in it was a huge piece of machinery in an unidentifiable place. He then moved to another picture of the same machinery, but this time there is a small light shining on it. And the last picture showed that it was activated, working on creating something behind the bright light.
"This looks like one of those 3D printers that I saw in Schale." Saito said.
"This is also a conclusion that all of us have to, Saito Sensei. This picture was found by one of our students when they were making a daily clean-up routine in the Student Council President's office. Apparently, this was found in her table's drawer."
"Why was this not found before?"
"We were too busy to put ourselves back together after the President's disappearance, so we never bother to check what else she left behind." Rin explained.
"Regardless, here is the situation. The student found this in the President's drawer yesterday and we had begun to investigate what this is and where is it. So far, we had a few locations narrowed down, but it's not concrete."
"What are the likely places?" Saito asked.
"So far, what we could tell was that the place was well kept despite having no human presence in there, and it is most likely kept underground." Rin continued to explain her findings. "We had contacted the leaders of each academy, and most of them had told us that they do not have such places."
"Even after they checked all of their buildings?" Saito asked, and he got a negative from Rin.
Arona then decided to chime into the conversation, hoping she might be able to help with the situation at hand. "Ms. Rin, maybe you can scan the pictures into the Shittim Chest and let me see? I might be able to help."
"Of course. We had it scanned beforehand, so I'll send the picture to you and the academies that had confirmed they did not find it."
The elf woman then took out her tablet and began to send the pictures to Arona. Once she received the pictures, they manifested on one of the tables in Arona's room (?).
The AI picked up the pictures and stared at them. Saito noticed that her halo began to blink and spiked like frequency charts. He guessed that she might be going through Shittim Chest's database and also narrowing down the location even further.
In the meantime, Rin decides to talk to Saito for a bit. "How are you so far, Sensei?"
"Been doing fine." He replied. "Could do less with the paperwork, still thank you and Arona for helping me out."
Although her face did not show it, the small shift in Rin's eyes told him that she was happy to hear his praise. Guess the Vice President never really got praised for all the work she does.
And then he continues, "Oh yeah, I decided to walk around the Schale Building… I still cannot wrap around my head that there is a convenience store and a hanger in there."
"Well, from what I know, the President did not spare any expenses during its construction. It's going to be overwhelming, but I think that you will get used to it, just like your job."
Saito nodded in silence, and decide to stop the conversation there. Just in time too, as Arona had just finished her work.
"Ok, I think I had narrowed down where this place might be. I'll show you guys."
Then the screen on the tablet changed, showing a map of the city. The map has red Xs and three light blue Os on it. The places that have Os are the Schale Buildings, Millennium Science School, and Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy.
"So, here are the places that I narrowed down. The Xs are the ones that either had said they did not find the place or ones that I safely assumed do not fit the criteria. Of course, the Os are the most likely places that the machines are located." Arona explained.
The AI continued. "Schale and Millenium are the most likely places since I was able to at least make out a little bit of the background with what we got. What I got are walls that look almost like the ones in both buildings. The only reason Hyakkiyako is one of the options is because Ms. Rin hasn't told us if they found the machinery."
Saito nodded and then turned towards Rin. "Seems like we will have to go our own separate ways to find this thing. How about I go back to Schale and you go to Millenium to find them?"
Rin agreed with the teacher. "I understand. Once we found where the machine is placed, make a call to one another."
"Alright, I think we are all set. In the meantime, try to update me on Hyakkiyako's situation." Saito said and picked up the Shittim Chest.
"I'll leave with you, please hold on a little." Rin said as she walked over to her table to get a tablet and her guns. She quickly inspects her gun to make sure the safety is on and then heads out with Sensei.
Well, I am back from my small break with a slower and more expositional chapter.
There is nothing much I want to say about this chapter, as this is more of a setup for the next chapter(s). Honestly, I have not yet planned out how many chapters I need for this transition arc before we get to volume 1.
Getting a little off-topic here: How the hell did I end up making Saito's appearance to be similar to Sensei's official face in the Problem Solver 68's spin-off manga?!
No, I am not joking. Aside from the description of Saito's hair and his clothing of choice, it is literally Sensei! I mean there is also the personality, but you get the idea.
This isn't even a scenario where I saw the official appearance of Sensei and just base my OC on it. I had my OC's appearance in my mind MONTHS before the manga was even announced and released. So the fact that it looks almost exactly like what I had in mind shocked me.
Did I somehow predict the future or I am just high on some weird shit?
Other than that, just mostly want to say that internship has been pretty busy, so still no fixed schedule.
Then again, when did I have a fixed schedule since I entered my third year of college?
That is all for now. Gonna go back to work. Everything is getting more intense.