"Mystic studies log 1-2286, clinical trial 1A. Location: Sink 2.0, Academy City, Kivotos; coordinates relative to Earth unknown. Joining us today are Associate Researcher ED-E and Assistant Researcher Arona. Our objective is to evaluate the chemical composition of Samples 1-AF and 2-AF and to determine their effects on human physiology."

"{Confirmatory beeping}."

"Well said, Associate Researcher. Now, let us begin with Sample 1-AF. Sample 1-AF is what appears to be a ham and cheese sandwich, albeit one with anomalous properties which we will be discussing shortly. Sample 1-AF was produced using locally available store-bought materials, all of which are consistent with the constituent ingredients of similar foodstuffs. Based on passive observations in a non-controlled environment, we hypothesize that there is a physical quality or additive that causes Sample 1-AF to confer regenerative properties to those who consume it. To this end, we first analyzed the molecular weight of the compounds making up Sample 1-AF using mass spectrometry."

"{Questioning beeping}?"

"Mass spectrometers are instruments that physically separate charged fragments of the analyte, then measure each fragment's molecular weight. We may then cross-reference this data with known values to determine Sample 1-AF's chemical makeup."

"{Apologetic beeping}."

"No, no. It's a valid question. Your expertise lies elsewhere, so nobody would fault you for not knowing." I cleared my throat. "In any case, Assistant Researcher, is there anything you would like to add?"

"...Hmph!" Arona crossed her arms and looked away, pouting petulantly.

The AI hologram, in spirit with laboratory etiquette despite her lack of a physical body, eschewed her normal skirt and shoes in favor of brown slacks with boots, and she wore a clean, pressed Followers of the Apocalypse lab coat over her blue top. Resting on her nose were a pair of light blue reading glasses, and in her hands was a clipboard and a pen where she manually took notes.

Arona was being helpful as she always was, but it seemed like she was taking the route of 'doing her best to help out but making damn sure that that courier-slash-teacher knows she's not happy with him'.

I sighed. I'd already apologized for trying to leave her behind back in the Abydos Desert, but she wasn't having any of it. Most likely she took issue with the fact that I refused to promise not to do it again.

Oh well.

"I'll take that as a no," I said, taking the irritated side-eye she gave me in stride. "Now then. Spectrometric analysis reveals that the chemical makeup of Sample 1-AF matches exactly with that of known values, with no aberrant compounds detected. In other words… It's identical to a normal sandwich, at least according to these readings."

Arona's face scrunched up in confusion until my last sentence, in which she nodded comprehendingly and jotted down some notes onto her clipboard.

"There are multiple inferences we may derive from these findings," I continued. "One, Sample 1-A's anomalous properties are the result of phenomena independent of the sample's chemical structure. Or two, the spectra for Sample 1-AF's components exceed the linearity of the instrument, leading to false negative readings. Further investigation is required to determine which is the case; we propose that using an alternative measuring technique to corroborate our findings may be needed in the future.

"{Matter-of-factly beeping}."

"Indeed. That will be left for future studies. In the meantime, let us proceed with clinical trials."

Motioning for Arona and ED-E to follow, I approached the chemistry bench in the middle of the impromptu chemistry lab. I lifted the lid on the sterile glass container on the bench, revealing one-fourth of yesterday's leftovers, cut neatly into a square.

"We have procured 113.3 grams, rounded up, of Sample 1-AF, which will serve as the independent variable. In this clinical trial, we will determine whether Sample 1-AF's anomalous effects affect a non-Mystic test subject."

"Test subject?" Arona tilted her head, her quarrel with me momentarily forgotten. "I don't see anyone else here…"

"Ah, you see, Assistant Researcher…" I removed my headgear and gave her a knowing smirk. "It's looked down upon now, but in the olden days, there were many scientific breakthroughs that were only made possible through self-experimentation."

"Self… experimentation…?"

I removed my right glove and the armor on my right forearm, then rolled up my sleeve to reveal my bare skin. I held out my arm in front of ED-E.

"Do it," I said.

Arona yelped in shock as electricity briefly arced from ED-E's electrical zapper onto my forearm, causing me to recoil and hiss in pain. Almost immediately, my skin began to redden from the electrical burn.

I resisted the urge to rub the afflicted area. Even on its lowest setting, ED-E's electrical zapper still packed enough punch to fry a Mole Rat. Damned good thing I'm not a Mole Rat. "You could at least hesitate a little before zapping me, you know."

"{Apologetic beeping}."

"Sensei?!" Arona exclaimed. "What is this-"

"Hold that thought."

Moving quickly so as to not give the [Monocyte Breeder] a chance to repair the damage, I snatched up Sample 1-AF and scarfed it down, barely even taking the time to chew. Once I was able to speak again, I swiveled a nearby magnifying lamp over my forearm so I could make my observations.

"Almost immediately after sustaining epidermal trauma, Subject C-6 exhibits atypical rates of cellular clearance and repair. The inflammatory response also seems to be inhibited, suggesting a synergistic effect with immune cells."

I watched intently as the reddened area began to fade away and resume natural coloration, and the pain gradually subsided. It was no Stimpak in terms of speed, but there was no doubt about it - this unnatural healing effect works on me too.

Before I could continue with my conclusions, however, my Assistant Researcher began to protest.

"What are you doing?!" she cried. "You can't just go hurting yourself just for the sake of an experiment!"

"How else am I supposed to test healing efficacy?" I replied.

"Can't you just go find someone who's hurt already? Serina-san must have lots of patients every day!"

"Her patients either have halos, which would defeat the purpose of the study, or they are literal animal people. I've done some veterinary work in my time, Assistant Researcher, but I'm not trying to find out how to replicate these results so I could use them on dogs and cats."

"That may be so… but…" Arona bit her lip. "But still! If you keep insisting on harming yourself, I'll… I'll shield you! I'll do it!"

Staring at the adamant hologram briefly, I sighed. Was she really trying to threaten me with protection?

Well, it was true that I couldn't proceed with these trials without being hurt, so this form of protest was rather effective.

"ED-E, pause recording."

The Eyebot beeped once, and the holotape halted with a click.

"What's wrong, Arona? Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?"

"That doesn't mean I want to watch you hurt yourself!"

"Relax. It's not like I'm breaking my own limbs or anything like that." I brought a hand up to my chin in a thoughtful gesture. "Huh. Now that you mention it, that would be a good way of gauging the limits of Mystic healing…"

"S-Sensei!" Arona gasped in horror.

"Joking, joking," I said. Breaking my own limbs would be more trouble than it's worth.

"Uuuuuu…" Arona didn't look the least bit mollified by this.

"...Okay. Be level with me. What's the matter?" I asked, crouching in front of her to lessen the height disparity.

"I don't like seeing you get hurt, that's all…"

I observed her expression for a few moments while she avoided my gaze. "This is about earlier, isn't it?"

"..."

"C'mon, talk to me. Please?"

"I…"

"…?"

"I-I'm worried about you, Sensei."

Just like most every student here, if I was being honest; it was as if this city cultivated worrywarts in droves. Despite students' inherent durability, they were quite emotionally delicate, unlike the hardy people of the Wasteland. Made sense, given the high standards of living around here; one could afford to look after their neighbors in Kivotos.

It was…novel. I liked to think of myself as a tactful person, but emotional sensitivity to this degree wasn't exactly something I had a lot of experience with.

Guess I'll just have to learn on the job.

"Why would you be worried? I don't get hurt very easily, especially with your help."

"It's not that." She shook her head.

"Then what is it?"

"I just… don't want you to distance yourself from your students…" Arona's cheeks reddened slightly as she teared up. "...Or from me."

Ah. So this was about earlier. She was not so much put off by the fact that I tried to leave her behind as she was that I was trying to alienate myself from her and the students.

"Have I ever told you about the Mojave, Arona?"

"Huh?" The AI blinked at the shift in topic. "Um, I think? That's the place where you lived before, isn't it? The place where you got a lot of your music from."

"That's right." I nodded. "But there's a reason why I don't mention the place all that much."

"...?"

I closed my eyes. "It's an awful place, through and through. The things I've seen, what people do to each other, the horrible things we created… It's enough to give you nightmares."

"E-even you, Sensei…?" she whispered.

"Even me."

It was one reason why I didn't like sleeping all that much. Luckily, I didn't have any such issues last night.

…Or did I?

Strange. Usually I was a very light sleeper - one had to be if traveling alone in the Wasteland - but according to ED-E, I had slept through a visit from Shiroko. Sure, I felt more [Well Rested] than I've in a while, but it was baffling how I didn't even stir throughout all that commotion.

To top it all off, I couldn't for the life of me remember what I had dreamt about. I awoke with a feeling of familiarity, but at the same time…

"But, Sensei?" Arona said, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Hm?"

"If the Mojave is that bad, why do you want to go back in the first place? Remember that deal you made with the Acting President?" she asked unsurely.

So she remembers that, huh?

That was probably why she was so scared of me abandoning her and the students. If I stipulated that I would become this 'Sensei' with the caveat that it was just a temporary gig, then why wouldn't she be scared that I was trying to send her away for good?

"Because, Arona," I said, "somebody has to make the place better. If everyone leaves just because the place sucks, then who will be left to improve it?"

"I… I guess…" she half-heartedly replied, looking down.

By the time I realized the fruitlessness of the gesture, I had already attempted to put my hand on her shoulder, only for it to phase through. I settled for awkwardly having my hand hover where it was originally supposed to go, though Arona seemed to appreciate the gesture nonetheless.

"I can tell you're concerned that I'll just up and leave you guys behind, but that's not true. I have responsibilities back home, true, but now that I'm here, I also have to see things through with you and the rest of the academies."

Especially with Kaiser and Gematria running amok.

"So, what happened last time, where I tried to send you away?" I continued slowly, fishing for the right words. It'd be child's play to use some fancy [Speech] to get around this issue, but I opted not to; this had to come from the heart. "I can assure you it wasn't out of malice or wanting nothing to do with you. I was acting how the Mojave taught me. I… didn't want you to see that side of me. You and the others don't deserve it."

Arona's face betrayed inner conflict before her expression became resolute. "You don't have to hide your true self around us, Sensei. If that's just how you were taught, then I'm sure your students would understand. Better than anyone, at that!"

"Well that's mighty kind of you to say, Arona." I smiled warmly.

But would you still think that way if I happily dismembered a man right before your eyes? A voice in my head sardonically mused.

"Anyway," I said, coming back to the original subject. "I'm sorry that what I did hurt you, but I can't promise not to do impulsive things like that every now and then. What I can promise you is that I'll try my best to prevent those kinds of situations from happening in the first place." I held out an index finger before her. "On that, you have my word."

Arona took merely a moment to consider my words before she delicately smiled. She extended an index finger to meet mine, and although she was intangible, the symbolic gesture was real in itself. "Well, you'd better try hard, buster. After all, you have a passenger."

"And she's the most helpful, hardworking secretary I've ever had."

"And the cutest, right?" Arona suggested, waggling her eyebrows playfully.

"Don't push your [Luck]."

"Grr…" Arona puffed up her cheeks, then appeared to have an idea. She disappeared, and a second later her hologram reappeared, the only difference being that she now wore a pair of Lucky Shades. "How about now?" Arona crossed her arms triumphantly.

"Still [FAILED]."

Arona pouted. "I'll get you to admit it someday."

"Did I forget to mention that my secretary is the most optimistic too?" Yes Man's optimism didn't count; he was programmed that way.

Arona simply stuck out her tongue at me.

Smiling, I stood from my crouched position. "Now then, Assistant Researcher. What do you say we close out our first Mystic studies report?"

"Right! Leave it to me!" Arona held out her hand and rematerialized her clipboard. "Oh, and one last thing, Sensei?"

"Hm?"

"I know what you said about the Mojave, but…" Arona hugged her clipboard close to her chest. "Could you… take me there one day?"

"...What?" Taken aback by the sudden request, I asked, "Why?"

"I just figured that while it might be an awful place compared to Kivotos, it's still Six Sensei's home." Arona nodded to herself, beaming. "So it can't be all bad. I'm sure of it!"

In the face of her unyielding optimism, I couldn't quite muster the gall to refuse.

"I'll think about it," I lied.

This non-answer evidently enough for Arona, she motioned for me to continue with the report.

"ED-E, resume recording."

The Eyebot briefly clicked, and I took that as my cue.

"Resuming Mystic studies log 1-2286. Due to objections raised by Assistant Researcher Arona, testing of control samples and Sample 2-AF will be postponed until further notice… or whenever she's not looking."

"Head Researcher, would you mind repeating that last part?"

"What part?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "Anyway, due to the lack of other organic, humanoid, non-Mystic subjects available, findings thus far should be accordingly interpreted as unrepresentative of any population demographic. Further observations concerning the efficacy of items crafted by Subject 1-AF will be made in the field, and studies concerning the cause of the items' anomalous effects are to be considered ongoing. We will continue to archive our observations of Mystics within future holotape recordings in the hopes of shedding light on the inner workings of Mystics as a gestalt phenomenon."

Giving but a few more closing statements to wrap up the recording, I gave ED-E the signal to cut it off. I was hoping to test Sample 2-AF, which consisted of today's breakfast - miso soup with a side of steamed rice. But given Arona's reaction to my first clinical trial, I wasn't going to make much headway with that. It was no bother, however; given how often Fuuka liked to frequent Schale, I'd have many opportunities to observe her Mystic in action.

Regardless, the preliminary results were clear. According to the tests I've performed thus far, this was just a normal - albeit delicious - sandwich.

I wasn't quite satisfied with that conclusion, though. There had to be something about it, and I wasn't ready to accept magic as the catch-all answer to everything strange in Kivotos.

As my assistants lacked opposable thumbs, they watched as I cleaned up my makeshift laboratory, disposing of the contents of a flask and separatory funnel which I'd used to separate the organic and inorganic components of Sample 2-AF.

"By the way, what's with all the sciencey stuff all of a sudden, Sensei?" Arona asked.

"All of a sudden? You were there when I set up shop with Yuuka."

"Yeah, but you were building stuff. This time you're running tests on food."

"I know it's rich coming from me, but [Science] isn't all about building lasers."

"Hmm…" Arona scrutinized me closely. "Are you sure it isn't because of what that guy said?"

"Black Suit?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Partly, yes."

"Partly?"

I nodded fervently. "Just because some weirdo in a suit told me that everything unusual in this city is a result of magic, doesn't mean I'll abandon everything I know and hop on board with him. Heck, if anything, that just made me more determined to prove him wrong."

"I…see?" Arona blinked in confusion. She suddenly jolted as if someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Ah, Sensei. You have a visitor. The front desk says it's from the General Student Council."

"Okay. Tell them I'll be up in a jiffy."

"Actually-" Arona was interrupted by the sound of loud knocking. "-they're already here."

Must be in a hurry. I can probably guess who that is.

I doffed my disposable gloves and lab coat in favor of my usual gloves and duster. After scooping up the Shittim Chest and slipping it into my duster, I closed up the laboratory and made my way to the entrance. I opened the door to the sight of Rin, who looked impatient but was noticeably less frazzled than the last time I had seen her.

"Sensei," she greeted, nodding. She spared but a momentary glance at ED-E before her attention turned back to me. "I was told you were in the basement. This is most convenient; it saves me the time of guiding you here myself."

"Howdy, Rin." I waved casually. "What's this about guiding? You have something to show me?"

"Yes. I actually meant to show you after reclaiming the Schale building, but with the circumstances it completely slipped my mind." Rin took a step forward. "May I come in?"

Moving my arms and bowing in an exaggerated gesture of welcome, I stepped aside to let her pass. "Mi casa es su casa."

"...What does that mean?" Rin asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"My house is your house."

Rin stared at me blankly.

"...Never mind. Come on in."

Rin squinted at me before shaking her head and walking through the doorway. As I closed the door and followed her down the stairs, Rin yelped as she nearly tripped on some cables in front of the main room.

"You good?" I asked, more out of politeness than any actual concern for her safety.

"I'm quite alright, thank…you?" It was at this moment she looked up and saw the state that the basement was in. "Sensei, what happened to the basement?"

"Holiday decorating. I've been feeling quite festive as of late." Upon receiving a dry look from Rin, I gave her the real answer. "Just making this place more accommodating. Needs quite a few touch-ups if I'm going to be living here - comfortably, that is."

"Living…here?" Rin dumbly repeated as she stepped further into the room, minding the winding electrical cables on the ground. Her eyes pored over the changes from her last visit.

The boxes of supplies and raw materials stacked mainly around the designated crafting room and sporadically elsewhere. The portions of wall that were ripped out to make way for the installation of new electrical power lines. The newly fortified metal door leading to the storage room of Wakamo's explosives and other dangerous equipment. Various pieces of junk tech littering almost every otherwise unoccupied square inch of the basement. A half-disassembled Kivotos terminal which lay side-by-side on the desk with a RobCo terminal in a similar state of disassembly. And lastly, the couch - arguably the only piece of leisure furniture remaining, on which a simple gray sheet lay wrinkled from recent usage.

"...You've been living here this whole time?" Rin asked incredulously as she passed by a small table, on which an unfinished toaster and an assortment of metal parts rested.

"Well, yeah. What did you think I meant by 'my house is your house'?"

"I didn't think you were being literal, but nevermind that," Rin said, massaging her temple. "Of all places to live, you chose the Crafting Chamber?"

"Crafting Chamber?" I repeated, scoffing. "Place sure didn't look like a crafting chamber before I got here. Now, though?" I whistled emphatically. I resisted the urge to show off the Sink's crafting room or laboratory, if only because Rin's a politician and the fact that there was a not inconsiderable number of (probably illegal) weapons and (definitely illegal) drugs in those rooms. "It's on its way to giving the old Sink a run for its money."

"Sink…?" Rin mused before she shook her head. "Anyway, you misunderstand. The Crafting Chamber is named as such because of what the president left behind here." She pointed at the faintly glowing apparatus with the floating stone(?) slab in the center of the room.

"That thing?" I asked, tilting my head. The apparatus was surrounded by various instruments such as Geiger counters and thermal sensors which I had placed in an attempt to discern the apparatus' function, to little success. "You know what it does?"

"Vaguely," Rin answered. "We are unable to operate it, as we do not possess the proper clearance, but I've seen the president use it a few times firsthand. It functions as a 3D printer of sorts; as for how it works, however, I cannot elucidate."

"3D printer?"

"Ah, that's right," Rin said, humming thoughtfully. "You don't know what a cell phone is, so it's unlikely you'd know what a 3D printer is. My mistake."

"Hey, I know what a cell phone is by now, FYI."

Rin pretended she didn't hear me. "Regardless, this is what I came here to show you, so I suppose I ought to walk you through the Crafting Chamber's usage."

"By all means," I said interestedly. It'd be good to know that the mysterious floating object in the middle of what was - for all intents and purposes - my living room wasn't liable to explode spontaneously.

"Here." Rin reached into one of her suit pockets and pulled out a small object the size of her palm, then passed it to me. "You hold the Shittim Chest, so you should be able to utilize the Crafting Chamber with this."

"What is it?" I asked, turning the object around in my hands. Upon closer inspection, the dark blue stone had glowing engravings which bore a resemblance to those on the floating slab of the crafting apparatus.

"A keystone," Rin answered. "You might find such artifacts scattered around Kivotos. As far as I am aware, they only serve as material for the Crafting Chamber, so they hold little value amongst merchants. That being said, some of the citizenry have taken to collecting them, so they've become something of a rarity."

"Huh." They were useless beyond the Crafting Chamber, but hearing that these keystones were rare really fired up my prospector's spirit. "How do I use it?"

"It's more intuitive than it looks. Try it for yourself," Rin said, nodding in the direction of the apparatus.

Heeding her words, I approached the apparatus, noting that the apparatus began to produce a dull hum, as if resonating with the keystone in my hand. Once I reached the apparatus, the middle of the slab disintegrated and faded away, leaving a convenient keystone-sized hole in the slab. Tentatively, I placed the keystone into the slab and retracted my hand. The keystone locked into place with a resounding click, and the glyphs on the slab gradually lit up energetically, forming a circle around the keystone. Along the circle were several smaller circles, each bearing various symbols.

"Okay. Now what?" I asked, once the glyphs became fully lit.

"Select a symbol. This will determine which item type will be crafted."

"Do you know what each symbol represents?" I asked, to which she shook her head.

Trial and error it is, then.

I eyed the symbols. The first looked like a flower (or a narcotic plant, but I doubted this was the case). The second was in the shape of a star. The third resembled a tilted hourglass. The fourth was the same as the second.

The fifth symbol, however, caught my eye. It was in the shape of a cog, reminiscent of that of a Vault door.

Reaching forward, I tapped the fifth symbol, stepping back as the symbol lit up incandescently then spread outward, enveloping the entire circle. Once it did, the slab flashed brilliantly, briefly enveloping the entire room in light.

When the light subsided, the slab was gone, and in its place was an amorphous mass of light a little smaller than the slab. Distracting; I'd need to cover this thing if it does this every time.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's in the process of creating the item," Rin said. "More complex items take longer to complete, but from the looks of it, this one is nearly finished already."

True to her word, the light was gradually fading, to the point where I could vaguely make out a rectangular shape. After a few moments, the light completely faded, revealing the item, which levitated lazily above the apparatus.

For a few seconds, I was speechless.

Rin adjusted her glasses as she read the label on the small box.

"Fancy Lads Snack Cakes? What are those, some kind of confectionery?" she asked. "...Sensei?"

I gingerly grabbed the pristine box out of the air and held it under my Pip-Boy. Scans showed it was the real deal; chemically stable, too, which meant it probably wouldn't morph back into a keystone. Interestingly enough, it had no rads - an exceedingly rare find in the Wasteland.

After taking a moment to remove my headgear, I tore the box open, then sampled one of the bite-sized snack cakes.

"It's not stale," I remarked in wonderment. "Rin, it's fresh!"

Once I heard no reply, I turned to the acting president, only to find her staring at me. I rolled my eyes in slight annoyance. Was I really going to have to do this little song and dance with everyone who sees me without a helmet…?

"Yes, yes. This is my face, Rin. It's crazy, I know, but sometimes I need to reveal it so I can eat stuff."

"Ah! M-my apologies," Rin, who realized she had been staring, said. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Anyway, you said it wasn't stale? Why would it be stale?"

"These products haven't been made for a long time where I'm from. They're practically vintage," I half-explained, then held out the box for her. "Wanna try one?"

"I suppose one wouldn't hurt…" she murmured as she accepted the box. She eyed a snack cake cautiously before trying it. Her face scrunched up slightly. "It's very sweet."

"Right?"

I hardly recognized the taste, myself. Fancy Lads Snack Cakes usually taste rather dull; two centuries tended not to do any favors for foodstuffs of that nature, even with the prodigious amounts of added preservatives. Their taste was not helped by the fact that they had the consistency of bricks. By contrast, these snack cakes were soft and velvety, with their original taste intact - as if they were fresh out of a pre-War factory.

The mind-boggling mystery of how this apparatus was able to recreate something from Old America - something that I'd never even seen before, no less - aside, this Crafting Chamber was able to take what was essentially junk and spit out a completely different item.

The president was hoarding a damned Sierra Madre vending machine down here!

After Rin handed the box back to me, I closed the box and put it aside. Would have to run tests on those Fancy Lads later. "You wouldn't happen to have any more keystones, would you?"

"Just one more, I'm afraid," Rin replied, handing another keystone to me.

I eagerly accepted the keystone and consulted the crafting apparatus, its slab having reconstituted just a moment prior. Once I inserted the second keystone, I noted the presence of a few new symbols, leading me to the conclusion that the selection of items was randomized. Since the Vault-like symbol was among these, I selected it; I was curious about the other symbols, but the possibility of getting my hands on some more scarce Wasteland supplies was simply too good to pass up.

Upon confirming my selection, the room flashed once more. Unlike last time, however, the crafting process did not seem like it was going to end anytime soon.

"Must be a more complex item," Rin commented, noting my disappointment. "The president spoke of ways to expedite the crafting process, but sadly I'm not privy to any details beyond that fact."

"Guess I'll check up on it later," I muttered.

"That would likely be for the best; no use sitting here and waiting for it to complete," Rin agreed. "Now then. While I don't have anything else to show you, I imagine you have questions, yes? After all, from what I hear, you've been quite busy in Abydos as of late."

"I have," I said, my mood souring somewhat. "No one could be bothered to help them, so somebody had to step up and take the reins."

Rin, with [Perception] befitting a politician, picked up on the tinge in my voice immediately. "Sensei, I understand how you must feel. But please understand that the developments in Abydos were largely out of our control."

"Out of your control, huh?" I crossed my arms, doing my best to keep my tone neutral. "Some seedy corporation is filching your citizens for all they're worth and you say it's out of your control…?"

"What Kaiser Corporation did, your recent reports of them hiring thugs to harass the school notwithstanding, was entirely legal within the city's context," Rin defended. "There was little we could do without overstretching the General Student Council's authority."

"If overstretching your authority is what's needed to protect your people, that's acceptable," I argued.

"The GSC maintains a hands-off approach to intra-district governance. To break this compact would set a dangerous precedent-"

"Then set it," I said firmly. "If corporations like Kaiser think they can get away with scheming under your watch, they'll take the opportunity, again and again and again. You need to establish yourself as being willing to stop these groups from exploiting your people, or you're gonna end up with even worse situations than Abydos."

"I don't know about New Vegas, Sensei, but how Kivotos operates is not so simple," Rin shot back. "If we run into a conundrum like this in the future, we'll find an alternative that doesn't involve compromising the limits we've set for ourselves. The founding of Schale was meant as one such alternative."

"Yeah? And how was that alternative working out for you before I got here?"

Rin blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Kivotos was in shambles before I arrived. And while things are working out now, what would happen if I'm not able to perform my duties here anymore?"

"Sensei…" Rin began. "Surely you aren't saying…?"

"Relax. I'm not going anywhere," I reassured. "But the fact of the matter is, I don't know how I got here. So we can't exactly rule out the possibility that one day I might poof back into the Mojave all of a sudden, now can we?"

"That sounds rather unlikely."

"I agree. But on the off chance that I'm here because of some astronomical improbability…" I paused. "Well, it'd be a load off my shoulders knowing that you guys will be able to take care of yourselves no matter where I go."

"Sensei…" Arona whispered.

"Your entire plan for saving the city hinged on a single individual who may not even have turned up," I continued. "I'm not advocating for an autocracy, Rin. What I'm advocating for is not putting all your eggs in one basket. Self-sufficiency. And that starts with being able to take care of you and yours."

"Self-sufficiency…" Rin pondered, then, after some careful deliberation, came to a conclusion. "I… cannot make any promises, as I have judicial power insofar as the rest of the General Student Council has consensus, but… I will try to ensure that a situation like Abydos' does not happen again."

"That's all I ask," I said. "Even if things were bad before, you now have the power to introduce change. Do better."

Rin winced and slowly nodded. A moment later, curiosity reflected in her eyes as she said, "Sensei, if I may…"

"Hm?"

"This seems… personal to you. Did you encounter similar circumstances during your time as an administrator?"

"...You could say that," I muttered, scratching the back of my head. "Seen enough people get harmed by pointless bureaucracy to last a lifetime."

"How did you work around it?" Rin asked. "The bureaucracy, I mean."

"Who said I did?" I smirked, then replaced my helmet. The hermetic seals shut with a satisfying hiss.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it."

Rin's brow furrowed in slight frustration at my evasive answer but she did not pursue the matter further. "Back to our original discussion, then. Do you have any questions for me before I go?"

"Yeah. When do I get paid?" Upon seeing the look of bewilderment on her face, I said, "What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't expect a question so… mundane from you."

I shrugged. "Hey, if you're alright with not paying me, more power to you. That is, if you're okay with Yuuka and her heckler in crime visiting you again."

"That won't be necessary," Rin replied, grimacing at the memory. "In regard to your question, you should receive your check in the mail soon enough."

"Good, good…" I wrung my hands evilly, already thinking about what I'd buy next.

"Was there anything else?"

"Nope."

"Very well. Then I shall see you at our upcoming summit." Inclining her head respectively, Rin ascended the steps to the exit. "Oh, and while I'm here, I may as well let you know that your request for clearance to operate officially at Millennium Science School has been approved."

"Hold on, what?"

"The request submitted by Schale a few days ago?" Rin tilted her head at me. "Do you not recall?"

"...?"

If the request was submitted by Schale, then it was sent through official channels. But when I had requests, I preferred to submit them personally. Which meant somebody made an official inquiry on behalf of Schale.

There were only a few people with that authority. Given the fact that the requested location was Millennium Science School, I could only wonder who the perp could be. A certain purple-haired busybody came to mind.

"Ah, yeah. That request," I said blandly. "All me. How could I forget."

Rin gave me the perplexed look that many students often gave me before she curtly nodded and left the room.

"...Yuuka-san again?" Arona asked.

"Probably," I said, sighing.

Deciding I'd grill her about it when she was next on duty, I went to my office to catch up on documents I had put off for later. I wasn't that far behind, but spending more time in Abydos district meant that I had a lot of lesser priority documents on the backlog.

I could manage without Yes Man's help, sure, but paperwork wasn't something I enjoyed. Ultimately, it was a chore, just like any other.

By the time dusk arrived and I'd returned to the Sink, the Crafting Chamber had just finished working its magic. When I saw the crafted object floating above the apparatus, I disbelievingly held out my left arm toward the object. I felt my features twist into a sinister grin as I heard a most lovely sound.

The clicking of a Geiger counter.

I let out a low chuckle, which slowly transformed into a full-blown cackle.

"Sensei…?" Arona carefully asked, her hologram reappearing. "What's with the creepy villainous laughter?"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head about it, my dear assistant…"

"Dear? P-pretty?" Arona bore a flustered look on her face before she came to her senses. "Wait, wait, wait! This is way too out-of-character! Who are you, and what have you done with my grouchy Mailman-sensei?! Release your hold on him, you imposter!"

In that moment, my mood was incorruptible, my spirit inexorable; not even Arona's new, admittedly infuriating nickname for me could change that. And especially not once I had grabbed the rocket souvenir out of the air and, upon scanning it, found out that the toy indeed contained a not insignificant volume of purified plutonium-239, identical to the ones Cliff Briscoe used to sell in his gift shop.

Now, I wasn't sure what compelled REPCONN to stuff their leftover rocket fuel into children's toys, but who was I to complain? This toy rocket didn't contain quite enough fissile material for anything truly useful, but that didn't detract from the fact that I now had a means of accessing the crown jewel (and scourge) of the Old World - nuclear power.

Cradling the toy rocketship as tenderly as Hifumi did her Radchicken backpack, I turned to my assistant.

"Arona?"

"Yeah?"

"We need more keystones."

"There we go," I murmured, setting aside the polishing rag and taking a look at my handiwork.

Though I wouldn't go so far as to say it looked good as new, the Survivalist's Rifle looked the best it had in what was likely decades. The weapon was polished to a lustrous sheen, and now that I replaced its busted iron sight with a new one, I couldn't wait to give it a whirl in the shooting range.

I hadn't used this weapon a single time since I found it out of respect for its former owner, but given recent events I had a feeling that he wouldn't have minded at all if I used it here in Kivotos.

An ironic smile made its way on my face. I may not have fully understood Randall Clark's feelings toward those kids from the School back when I found his logs, but I more or less had an idea now. And I had to say - I'd never felt kinship toward a man I had never even met, much less one who had been dead for over a century.

Two short knocks at the door grabbed my attention, and I looked up as Yuuka opened the door to my office.

"Good afternoon, Sensei," Yuuka greeted as she shut the door behind her. "Let's make today a productive one, shall we?"

"Yuuka." I nodded at her, placing the Survivalist's Rifle to the side on my desk. "You're here earlier than expected."

"I finished up work at Millennium early, so I thought I might get a headstart on my duties at Schale," she replied. She set down the briefcase she carried and began to unpack several documents and her laptop bearing the emblem of Seminar. "Have you already had lunch?"

"Just finished my break. Fuuka left about an hour ago." And quite hastily, at that. Both her and Shun were still horribly embarrassed by their sorry states the other day. Shun in particular begged me to forget everything that she said that night.

Unfortunately for her, I had pretty good memory.

Yuuka nodded satisfactorily as she took out an envelope. "Excellent. As long as Fuuka and I are rotating on Schale duty, there'll be no chance you'll go hungry, Sensei. I guarantee it."

"This again?"

"Sensei, your spending habits don't exactly instill me with confidence!" she snapped. "According to my projections, that stipend was supposed to last you at least two months, maybe three if you stuck to a strict budget. But you've already spent it all!" Yuuka began waving the envelope at me for emphasis. "How am I, in good faith, supposed to trust you with managing enough finances to maintain your own nutrition if you can't even-"

"Hey, what's that?" I asked, pointing at the envelope.

"This? It's your first paycheck. I picked it up from the front desk just as I arrived." The official seal of the General Student Council glistened in the light. "But that doesn't matter right now. What we need to do is draft a budget for your spending that is both sustainable and-"

Yuuka's sentence was interrupted as I leaned forward and swiped the envelope out of her hand.

"H-hey! Give that back!" she angrily demanded.

"Nope. I earned it, it's mine."

"That's true, but it's also abundantly clear that you need to learn how to exercise restraint with your funds. That means no more impulse purchases. You already have enough guns, and one suit of Power Armor is more than sufficient! You don't need any more!"

"Enough guns?" I snorted. "Coming from the person who dual wields submachine guns. I hate to think how much you spend feeding those little ammo guzzlers."

"That…" Yuuka sputtered, her face bright red. "My finances have no bearing on this conversation!"

"So we can discuss my finances but yours are off the table?" I asked in faux offense. "Nice double standards there, Yuuka."

"T-that's not what I meant and you know it!"

I laughed mischievously as I decided I'd had my daily dose of teasing Yuuka. Gripping the edges of the envelope, I tore it open and took out the slip of paper within, then examined the slip.

I stopped laughing.

"...Sensei?" Yuuka asked, noticing my change in demeanor. "What's wrong?"

"Why's it so low?"

"Low?" Yuuka walked around the desk and leaned over my shoulder to have a look. "It looks normal to me."

"I was told it would be higher."

The student was briefly puzzled by this before she simply said, "Oh. Sensei, that's before taxes."

"…Taxes?" I whispered, my voice unable to properly convey the absolute devastation I felt in that moment.

Yuuka sighed, her features becoming sympathetic. "This is why a proper budget is absolutely a necessity when it comes to living in larger cities, Sensei. When you don't factor in expenses like taxes, it's easy to overestimate how much spending power you have left. These expenses might not seem like much upon first glance, but they tend to snowball very quickly," she lectured, before bearing a smug smile. "Luckily for you, I have ample experience when it comes to managing finances and credit accounts. I'm sure that between the both of us we can calculate an optimal strategy to manage your income in a manner that takes into account your… proclivities. Granted, we'll have to make significant cuts here and there, particularly with the Sink's electricity usage, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue. After all, it'll give you more time to focus on your betterment as a teacher, and as an advisor to what is perhaps the most politically important blah blah blah blah Kivotos. Blah blah Millennium Science School blah blah blah calculations; blah blah blah blah, kanpeki~ blah blah blah blah blah…"

Yuuka continued to prattle on, not knowing that my turmoiled mind had long tuned her out.

One decapitation strike.

One decapitation strike is all it would take.

There were multiple ways to go about this. The explosives that Wakamo wanted to use on Schale were my first choice. I haven't scoured the inside of the building long enough to memorize its entire layout, but I didn't need to to identify the key structural weaknesses in the General Student Council's headquarters. Wakamo herself would probably be all too happy to serve as a distraction for me while I plant the bombs, given her infatuation with me and her hatred of the GSC. Additionally, I knew the times in which the council members would convene, which meant that I could choose a time in which they wouldn't be in the building. After all, I wasn't trying to maim or kill them, just destabilize the city's leadership for long enough that they can't muster a response while Arona wrests back control of the Sanctum Tower.

Speaking about Arona… She might complain, but I'm sure she'd come around as soon as she saw the reason for my taking action against the GSC. It was very reasonable, really.

They were trying to make me pay taxes.

"Se-n-s-e-i!" Yuuka pulled me out of my daydream. "Are you even listening?!"

"Yes," I reflexively lied.

"Hmm." Unconvinced, Yuuka asked, "Then what was the last thing I said?"

"Erm… Something about calculations?"

"That was the second to last thing!" she angrily said. "I knew it! You weren't paying attention at all!"

"I was busy being contrite about my reckless spending."

"Contrition is not a proper excuse for ignoring somebody," Yuuka shot back, sighing. "If you really feel guilty, then you'll make an effort to manage your finances like a proper adult from now on. We'll start drafting your budget after we're through with our work."

"Aye-aye." Better request to be paid in cash from now on. It'll be harder for Yuuka to track my purchases that way.

Yuuka set her laptop onto one of the office's desks and pulled up a seat. Soon enough, the only sound in the office was the clacking of a keyboard.

I let out a dreary sigh as I tucked the envelope into my duster pocket, right next to the Shittim Chest. Guess I'd have to get accustomed to taxes again; I thought I had enough of those ever since the NCR taxed my pay with the Mojave Express.

The daydream I had just now about usurping the GSC came back to me briefly before I shook it aside. I didn't have any love for the GSC as an organization, but Rin was, all in all, a nice lady (and not too bad to look at, to boot). I couldn't do that to her in good conscience.

Still, it was entertaining to think about.

"By the way," I asked once I resumed my paperwork.

"Hm?"

"You have anything you wanna tell me?"

Yuuka tilted her head. "No? What makes you think that?"

"I dunno. A little bird told me something about a request submitted by Schale for some business at Millennium."

"Ah, yes." Yuuka said in recognition. "I registered you as a guest lecturer at Millennium Science School."

My pen halted in place on the document I was signing. I looked up at the student. "You what."

"Exactly what I said I did. I submitted an application on behalf of Schale," Yuuka answered without a hint of shame.

"And you didn't think to ask me before doing so?" Truly, being a teacher in Kivotos was proving to be a massive exercise in patience.

"Providing counsel for students across all academies is already in your job description," Yuuka pointed out. "All I did was take the initiative to get the proper clearance for you to do so at Millennium in-person. I planned on telling you once the application was cleared on Seminar's end, but if you know already, that's fine too."

"Is that so?" Now that I thought about it, Rin did mention something like that when I first accepted this position. "I wasn't under the impression that Millennium has a shortage of staff."

"We don't, technically. But this isn't strictly for Millennium students."

"What do you mean?"

"Due to its neutral relationship with most other schools, Millennium Science School often serves as the site for several inter-district events," Yuuka explained.

"Like that Halo Festival thing?" I asked, referencing some upcoming event that was mentioned in a few official documents I went over in the past.

"Yes. Though in this case, the event is more scholastically focused than the Halo Festival." Yuuka stopped typing and looked at me. "You see, there has been a gradual decline in standardized test scores in the core sciences and mathematics across Kivotos in the past few years. Millennium Science School has taken it upon itself to do what it can to rectify this - and so, we host Millennium Seminars on a semi-regular basis."

Millennium Seminars? That was a bit confusing, given their student council's identical name. But honestly, naming conventions were easily among Kivotos' least offensive oddities.

"So… you're inviting students from other academies to attend guest lectures in Millennium?"

"Precisely. We believe that fostering an environment of interest in the natural sciences plays a crucial role in retention of knowledge. Thus, we seek to extend this to foreign students and instructors by inviting them into the fold." Yuuka averted her eyes as she murmured, "On paper."

"I take it this hasn't exactly worked out that well?"

"Well yes… but actually no," Yuuka admitted, sighing. "Attendance has been less than optimal ever since we implemented this a few years ago."

I, for one, hadn't the slightest idea why. 'Come volunteer your precious free time to learn boring old science with the know-it-alls at Millennium Science School' sounded like a surefire way to entice young struggling students to your academy.

"And what do you want me to do about this?"

Yuuka seemed prepared for the question, since she answered immediately. "Though you've garnered an extensive following on social media, to many students out there, you're still just a rumor. I view this as an opportunity for you to cement your reputation across Kivotos as well as a way to encourage student turnout."

That was a good point. For some mystifying reason, I seemed to be a popular topic on the internet… or so Nonomi tells me. Were I to hold an open class at Millennium, no doubt student attendance would increase.

I sighed resignedly. "Guess it was gonna come to this eventually. Might as well strike while the iron's hot, huh?"

My implicit acceptance seemed to make Yuuka extremely happy. "Exactly! If you're apprehensive about your reception amongst the students, don't be; most of us are just happy to be able to learn from something other than blu-rays and textbooks. Also…" the student trailed off.

"Also?"

"N-nothing…" Yuuka stammered, shaking her head. "Forget I said anything."

What was that about?

"So, what will I have to teach, anyway?" I continued.

"Your pick, although basic chemistry, physics, biology, or mathematics should be prioritized. Nothing too advanced, since students from multiple non-science-focused academies will be attending."

Basic science or math, huh? As I never had formal education, I mastered the fundamentals as far as they were useful in a practical setting. But as for impractical stuff, I'd have to brush up on those beforehand. I'd also have to compare my [Science] with Kivotos' to make sure everything was consistent; for instance, it wouldn't do if I only found out that the Old World's concept of the atom did not exist here while I was attempting to teach it.

"I'll make preparations, then."

"Kindly do. Given your financial situation, the sooner we can get you established, the better."

I practically jumped out of my seat. "Wait, I'm getting paid for this?!"

Yuuka blinked. "Uh, yes. Guest lecturers are paid a commission based on student attendance."

"When's the earliest I can go?"

"A week from now, assuming we can get you clearance," Yuuka replied, eyeing my abrupt shift in attitude with wary interest.

"Good." I paused. "Wait, was this your plan all along?"

"Huh?" Yuuka confusedly asked.

"Signing me up for work at Millennium. Since you knew I needed money and all."

Yuuka scratched the side of her face awkwardly. "Well, the remuneration is a bonus to be sure, but I wouldn't say that's exactly what I had in mind…"

Wait, if that's not the reason she was embarrassed earlier, then what is it…?

Deciding to test my suspicions, I said, "Well, whatever. A week is too long of a wait, so I guess I can go hold some classes at Gehenna in the meantime…"

"N-no! Don't do that!" Yuuka frantically exclaimed.

"Why not? Didn't you want me to improve my standing in other academies?"

"I do, but…"

Hook, line, and sinker.

"I get it now. You want me to visit Millennium before any of the other big academies, don't you?"

Judging from her flushed face, I was right on the money. "That… that…"

Yuuka's cell phone pinged, and the student, grateful for the distraction, scrambled to grab it.

"Ah, you have visitors, Sensei," Yuuka said as she checked the screen. "From Abydos High School, it seems."

"Let them know they could come up," I said with a hint of curiosity. Did I forget something at the school, or did they just want to hang out?

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Hoshino shambled in, yawning.

"Yo, Sensei. Fancy meeting you here~" she greeted.

"I work here."

Undeterred, Hoshino cracked open an eye at the seated Millennium student while the rest of the Foreclosure Task Force filed into the room. "Oh, Yuuka-chan's here too? Good morning."

"Morning? It's 1PM…" Yuuka said, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Hoshino didn't seem to hear Yuuka as she excitedly made a beeline for the couch. She spread out her arms and let herself fall onto the cushion.

"Uhe~" Hoshino's face sunk into the cushion. "New napping spot acquired…"

"Can't you wait at least a few minutes until claiming your territory, Senpai?" Serika asked, before waving at me casually. "Hey, Sensei."

"Howdy." I set aside my work out of respect for my company. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We had a free day today, so we decided to swing by Schale to see you!" Nonomi happily said.

"Nice place, by the way." Serika looked around and put her hands on her hips, impressed. "Pretty spacious, too. Can't imagine all the work that goes into maintaining it."

"I imagine they have workers specifically for that," Ayane commented. "Anyway, we know you're probably busy right now, Sensei, so we'll keep this brief."

Ayane produced a series of documents from her handbag, and I recognized them instantly. They were folders containing Schale applications - five of them, to be exact. Three of them were gold colored while the others were pink. I wondered about that - why students' applications tended to be different colored.

"...You sure?" I asked. "I'm not complaining, but you guys have a lot on your plates as is."

"We're sure!" Nonomi chirped.

Serika nodded. "You were there for us when we were in a pinch, so we want to return the favor. You need us, we'll be there." She let out a small smile. "...You fake teacher."

"And even if we are busy, one of us can go and help you out. The rest of us can manage for a short while," Ayane said, holding out the folders for me to take. "So…we'd be happy if you accept, Sensei."

I didn't know why she'd bother being humble about it. The decision to bolster Schale's effective fighting force by nearly two times over was a no-brainer for me, really.

I shook my head, smiling as I accepted the applications. "It's a lot of work; hope you're ready."

"Work? C'mon, Sensei. You're looking at the hardest-working students in the city," Hoshino said, burying her face further into the couch.

"Hey. If you're gonna make bold claims like that, then at least make the effort to look presentable like the rest of us," Serika chided.

"Don't wanna."

As Serika berated an unresponsive Hoshino, my attention fell on the student who'd been ostensibly silent the whole time.

"Shiroko?"

"Hm?" She avoided my gaze.

"You alright?"

"Uh…" she stammered. "Sensei… About the other day…"

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"...?" Her ears perked up.

"What you brought. You didn't have to."

"But I broke your last one…" Shiroko's voice became almost inaudible. "And I… almost… hurt you."

"Shiroko-chan…" Nonomi placed a hand on her shoulder.

I sighed. "Shiroko, it's alright. I'm not mad."

"...Shouldn't you be?"

"Nah. See, if a bullet or two were enough to hurt me…" I stopped what I was about to say. "Well, they aren't, so you're in the clear."

Hoshino shifted slightly at that.

"But…" Shiroko murmured.

"I'm put off by how rashly you acted, yeah, but you showed that you're willing to make amends, and that's what counts."

Even if she shouldn't technically be buying alcohol.

And more importantly - even if the stuff she bought tasted like ass.

It's the thought that counts.

"I'm not angry with you. So chin up. Okay?" I said.

Shiroko finally looked up at me, then slowly nodded, her lips forming a relieved smile. "Mn."

"Okay, I'm happy that you guys sorted that out and everything, but… what was that about something you brought Sensei?" Serika asked curiously.

Shiroko went stiff. "Uh…"

"Naughty Shiroko-chan… Are you trying to butter up Sensei with more gifts?" Nonomi teased. "You're really pulling out all the stops trying to become his favorite~"

"No, it's not like that…"

"Let's not kid ourselves - she's already Sensei's favorite. Isn't that right, Shiroko-chan?" Hoshino sat up just so she could catch a glimpse of her underclassman's reddened face.

"Hold on. What do you mean by 'more gifts', Nonomi?" I asked.

"Welp, no use beating around the bush now," Hoshino said as she groggily got up and joined her classmates. "Serika-chan~"

"Alright." Serika reached into her handbag and pulled out a small box wrapped in simple green paper and tied with a plain red ribbon. She sheepishly placed it on my desk. "H-here."

"What is it?" I looked at the present, then at the group of students.

"You have to open it and find out, silly~" Nonomi replied.

"...Seriously. You didn't have to do something like this."

"But we wanted to," Shiroko insisted.

"I understand, but should you really be spending your money on me of all people-"

"J-just open the darn thing already, jeez!" Serika snapped, her ears twitching erratically.

Raising an eyebrow at her textbook tsundere reaction, I tentatively grabbed the box. Once I undid the wrapping, I removed the lid.

"We… we wanted to find a way to thank you for everything you've done for us," Ayane explained sheepishly. "Offering our help at Schale was the obvious choice, but Serika-san had the idea of getting a gift for you… Something to remember Abydos by."

"She even picked it out herself!" Nonomi added, causing Serika's face to flush.

"With our help, naturally. Otherwise she'd have gotten you magic bracelets or something," Hoshino added, much to Serika's embarrassment.

"We all pitched in for it. Wouldn't be any point to it otherwise," Shiroko said.

"So… what do you think?" Hoshino asked, rubbing the back of her head with an uncharacteristic awkwardness.

I picked up the bauble that was inside the box, holding it up in front of my visor. Complicated feelings arose from within me.

"I-I knew it…" Serika looked crestfallen at my silence. "It's stupid, isn't it? There's no way you'd like something useless like this…"

"Who said it's useless?"

"H-huh?"

I held the bauble up to the light, letting the light reflect off the unblemished glass.

It was a snow globe.

The foreground depicted a massive school building of a scale I'd never seen before, and abundant vegetation covered in snow populated the background. Like the limited-edition Mojave landmark snow globes I'd encountered in the past, this one had the location, 'ABYDOS', engraved on the bottom. Really, all this snow globe was missing was Vault Boy in the foreground - I might've mistaken this snow globe for one of the Mojave's at first glance were it not for this small difference.

"What's this school building?" I asked about the unfamiliar location depicted in the foreground.

"That's the original school building before it was sold off to Kaiser Corporation… though I haven't been there myself," Ayane answered.

"Original?"

"Yup. See, the thing is, the building we're using now is just one of the auxiliary school buildings," Hoshino added wistfully. "As you can see, the school used to be as big as Gehenna or Trinity, and was just as green… at least before the desertification happened. What you've got here is basically a snapshot of what the school used to look like."

"...And it'll look like this again," Shiroko said resolutely. "We just have to keep working hard… and believe."

As the students finished speaking, I gave the snow globe a little shake, watching as the snow kicked up by the motion lazily drifted back down in a manner reminiscent of falling snow.

It took me back to those days when I scoured the Mojave Wasteland looking for trinkets like these on behalf of Mr. House, who paid top dollar for their recovery. But even after he was gone and the caps had stopped flowing, I continued to seek out snow globes like these, perhaps out of respect for the man I once considered to be the last, best hope of humanity. In time, I began to find comfort in the picturesque little ornaments just as he once did.

I exhaled slowly.

Looking at one of these again, it made me think that perhaps I was looking at this whole situation wrong.

It was true that I was cut off from the Wasteland, but who's to say I was trapped? I'd spent a great deal of my life on the move, exploring - and right before me was an entire new land, untouched by bombs or rads, and unseen by any Wastelander before me. If I was going to be here for the foreseeable future, then might as well see what Kivotos has to offer.

In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of the hopeful gazes of the Abydos students.

I'd walked many roads in my life, but not all of them were on my lonesome. My companions - no, my friends - helped me get through some of the most harrowing ordeals I've ever encountered. Likewise, it was reassuring to know that I had friends I could rely on in this strange new world if I ever needed it.

"I love it." Standing up, I placed the snow globe on display atop one of the cabinets in front of the window. Looks lonely; time to put 'find more snow globes' back on the to-do list along with 'find more keystones'. "Thank you."

The students adopted smiles of delight. Shiroko, meanwhile, dashed forth and all but tackled me while I grunted in surprise. Before I could ask what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around me.

I blinked.

"Remember what I said back then, Sensei? You're not escaping this time~" Nonomi giggled as she joined in.

"W-well, since you like the present I chose, it's only polite I showed my appreciation…" Serika muttered as she and Ayane joined too.

"Eheheh…" Ayane shyly laughed, noting how out-of-place I looked. "Sorry, Sensei. Please bear with us for a bit."

"Hmm… not really enough space for Oji-san, is there?" Hoshino mused, before she had an idea. She circled around us and clamped onto me from behind. "Uhe~... This one might even be a better napping spot than the couch…"

Needless to say, I was uncomfortable. Not just because I was unused to platonic physical contact, but also because we had formed quite the indiscrete mass of bodies with tightly the students clung. But since I could tell this meant a lot to them, I awkwardly returned the hug as best as I could while buried alive.

Though credit where it was due - I much preferred this over that other time I was buried alive.

"Hmm~" Yuuka hummed as she watched with a smile.

"What are you looking at?" I gruffly asked in an attempt to salvage my dignity while a drowsy, supernatural pink-haired creature climbed onto me.

Yuuka suddenly found her laptop extremely fascinating. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

Shiroko peeked at Yuuka before burying her face back into my duster. "Don't mind her, Sensei. She's just jealous."

"E-eh?! No, I'm not!"

"And so the courier, who took on the title of Sensei, successfully thwarted Kaiser's plans in Abydos Desert, and the power dynamic in the Academy City was changed for the foreseeable future."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Nanakami Rin returned to her work with Sensei's advice still fresh in her mind. Though she didn't fully agree with his stances regarding the use of authority, she saw the wisdom in his words, which were obviously the product of firsthand experience in presiding over his own city.

Sensei's city was probably nothing like Kivotos, but with someone as strong-willed and experienced as him at the helm, perhaps there was a thing or two they could learn from New Vegas after all."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Nakatsukasa Kirino and Nemugaki Fubuki continued to frequent Schale's firing range. Kirino began to see an improvement in her marksmanship exams, and while it probably wasn't enough to qualify her for transfer into the Security Bureau just yet, she nonetheless rejoiced at having found a training routine that actually worked for once. Fubuki, on the other hand, received rigorous courses in weapon maintenance and, while she found having to perform regular maintenance on her gun to be a drag, it was more or less balanced out by the fact that she was compensated with an extra hour of R&R in Schale's lounge every time she visited.

The lounge was still missing a certain something, though - and so Fubuki tried to petition the organization to fully stock the lounge with shipments of Master Donuts. The petition was immediately shot down by an anonymous Schale member who was concerned about the club's budget."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Ajitani Hifumi was relieved to be back to being…well, herself after a nerve-wracking experience as the criminal leader Faust, and she returned to Trinity General School in high spirits. Thinking that she would reward herself for making it through that ordeal in one piece, Hifumi went on a spending spree for Momo Friends' new line of Peroro-themed clothing and accessories, unintentionally blowing through the majority of her monthly allowance in the process. Though she lamented her fate of only being able to buy a measly ten more Peroro-themed plushies for the rest of the month, after seeing the state that the Abydos students were in, Hifumi's situation didn't seem so bad in comparison.

Harrowing as her time in Abydos was, Hifumi found the students good company, and she happily kept up with her newfound friends on social media and MomoTalk. She had to refuse an 'invitation' from Shiroko more than once, though; Hifumi had already hung up her takoyaki bag for good, and nothing could ever get her to wear it again.

…Or so she told herself."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Kosaka Wakamo, after being seen off by Sensei, vanished into the bowels of the city. Once she found a place to lie low, she meticulously planned her next tryst with her beloved. What to wear, what mask to use, where to go, whom they would blow up next - there were many things that factored into her ideal date, and Wakamo wouldn't overlook a single detail.

With no income due to being a wanted fugitive, Wakamo soon began running low on funds for her preparations, not to mention her own living expenses. While Sensei forbade her from attacking districts or the police without provocation, there were a few places he suggested she could visit.

Coincidentally, the crime spree of the dreaded Fox of Calamity resumed, much to the horror of the local populace. Though strangely enough, the targeted businesses seemed to be limited to subsidiaries of Kaiser Corporation."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"The students recruited by Sensei, led by Hayase Yuuka, returned to the Schale building following their first successful mission. Once they had time to recuperate, they set out to laying the groundwork for the organization's expanding operations. After all, due to an influx of new applicants and the future opening of the building's cafe to the public, Schale was about to get a lot more lively."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"The Prefect Team, careful not to overstay their welcome in Abydos, promptly retreated from the district. Though several members expressed their concerns regarding letting Problem Solver 68 roam free, only a fool would defy a direct order from President Hina, and so they fell in line.

Besides, it wasn't long until they had their hands full once again. Apparently, the Gourmet Research Club had taken the opportunity to terrorize several eateries across Gehenna while the Prefect Team was occupied in Abydos, leading to a district-wide manhunt for the perpetrators. Needless to say, Sorasaki Hina was none too enthused."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Inspired by the exploits of the legendary outlaw Texas Red and his mysterious magnum-wielding sidekick, Rikuhachima Aru and her group departed from Abydos once their debt to the district was fulfilled, eager to make names for themselves. Though the heat from the heist had mostly died down, Aru cautiously reopened usual operations, expecting at least a few disgruntled black market associates to try and take revenge on them.

However, that never happened. Against everyone's expectations, Problem Solver 68 began receiving several times as many contracts as usual, since prospective employers from every unscrupulous corner of the city were interested in hiring the group who stuck it to the black market and lived to tell the tale. Aru, overcoming her initial confusion at this, wisely chose to conceal the fact that her attack on the black market was the result of an accident, and began happily accepting scores of high-end contracts that would've been unthinkable before Texas Red showed her how outlaws were supposed to operate. Whether Aru's newfound overconfidence paid off is a story for another time."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Kuromi Serika, ever the hard worker, took on even more part-time jobs, nearly to the limit of what her school schedule would allow. 'Because,' she confided in Shiroko, who was terrible at keeping secrets from Sensei, 'just because that fake teacher is helping us out with the debt doesn't mean we can take it easy'.

Eventually Serika heard of some new job openings at the Federal Investigation Club, Schale. She jumped at the chance and rushed to apply, and not just because she knew someone there or anything…"

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Following Kaiser's retreat from the Abydos Desert, many of the previously occupied areas of the district became radio silent, and Okusora Ayane assumed responsibility for keeping watch over the district remotely. Occasionally, Sensei would come by to perform regular upkeep on the sensor modules placed around the Abydos Desert, and Ayane diligently accompanied him, partly because she was eager to uncover how his mysterious jury rigging functioned.

She didn't make much headway. In what world was applying duct tape and glue a viable means of repair?

…And why was it working?!"

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Izayoi Nonomi adjusted quickly to the changes in her schedule, striking a balance between managing her schoolwork, serving as an emotional pillar for her classmates, and volunteering to help at Schale. One day while on duty at Schale, she discovered the inactive social media account (that Sensei didn't even know existed) for the organization, and became the account's de-facto manager. Nonomi dedicated herself to bolstering Schale's online presence - a realm which Sensei still knew scant little about, though that wasn't for lack of trying. Sensei frequently came to her to learn about the more confusing aspects of Kivotos' culture, and Nonomi was all too happy to assist."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Sunaookami Shiroko, encouraged by Sensei's example, continued her unsavory hobbies even while he was away, which caused some degree of distress among her classmates. While they took some small consolation in the fact that they were able to reign in Shiroko's more ambitious ideas, nevertheless did stories crop up regarding the legendary Vikki, who reemerged in the black market and nearby districts to mercilessly shake down those who preyed on the innocent."`

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"Takanashi Hoshino wistfully watched as the school's guests mingled merrily. For a fleeting moment, Abydos High School buzzed with life once again, before, as the night came to a close, the school's halls became silent once more. Unbidden memories of bygone days flashed before her eyes, giving her hope of one day reclaiming the district's lost splendor, before she dismissed the thought as naught but a childish dream.

It was only later she realized that such a dream may not be entirely impossible. After all… if there was at least one adult out there that cared enough to stay in some backwater district just to look after some broke kids down on their luck, then anything is possible."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

"And so Sensei's road in Abydos district came to an end - for now.

In the world of the Academy City, fighting continued, bullets flew, and many students passed or failed, just as they had since beginning school.

But while these things remain constant - the stories of our school lives, of our everyday adventures? Those are always changing."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The last slide portrayed Sensei walking towards Schale, his back facing the camera. With a click, the slideshow ended, and the old projector that Sensei found in the basement and fixed up promptly shut off.

"...And that's all she wrote," Arona quipped the funny little expression she learned from Sensei (seriously, who was 'she' supposed to be?). Her audience applauded - or, more accurately, Sensei applauded while ED-E played an audio track of a crowd applauding - and Arona gave a theatrical bow. "Thank you, thank you. You're too kind."

"A slideshow, huh? That's pretty creative, gotta admit," Sensei commented.

"Welllll…" Arona leaned forward and put her hands behind her back. "You mentioned how ED-E-san likes watching old-school TV programs, and we needed to bring him up to speed on who everyone is, so I thought I'd put together a slideshow to do both!"

With Sensei's help, of course. Figuring out how to cobble together a slideshow was a fun little experience she could manage by herself, but providing extra details on Sensei's students and helping out with some big words here and there were things she was happy to rely on him for.

"Hmm." Sensei mused. "I hear the terms 'old school' and 'old-fashioned' thrown at me a lot. What gives?"

Arona scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I think that may be just because of your habits. And your music. And your technology, now that I think about it."

"I can see how the culture might be different, but the technology too?"

"Yeah. When you look at it, a lot of your peoples' technology, like slideshows and vacuum tubes, were phased out a long time ago here." Which made it all the more confusing, seeing how Sensei's people had access to lasers, robots, and exoskeletons, but not cell phones, 3D printers, or even laptops. Arona had to wonder how that came to be.

"On one hand, I'm curious just where our technological development diverged, but on the other, I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that a lot of our tech is considered obsolete in this city."

"It makes you stand out!" Arona consoled.

"Standing out where I'm from is usually a bad thing."

"Anyway!" Arona quickly said, changing the subject. Her hologram tapped the holotape hooked up to the projector. "Is there anything you think I could change or add to the slideshow?"

"You mean, like criticism?"

"Yup!"

"Well…" Sensei pondered. "I noticed you took some liberties with the narration. Especially on Hoshino's and Rin's slides."

"Hm… I think I see what you mean."

They weren't mind readers, after all. Arona had to infer parts of the slideshow based on students' words and actions, which, in hindsight, may not have made for an entirely accurate retelling of events. Entertaining, to be sure, but not accurate.

Maybe they could ask students about their thoughts directly? Or even get them to provide a voiceover for their parts? Though Arona imagined it'd be pretty embarrassing for the students involved…

"Why do you ask? Are you going to redo it?" Sensei asked.

Arona shook her head. "Just wanted to get some feedback for the next one!"

"Next one? I thought you did this to get ED-E up to speed."

"{Beeping noises}."

"That's true. We don't really need to do another one," Arona admitted, sheepishly folding her arms behind her back. "But…this is a good way to keep up with your students, don't you think?"

"You mean like a progress report?"

"That and more!" Arona leaned over the table on which the holotape rested, regarding the object warmly. "The effects your actions have on the lives of your students. The stories of our youth. The moments we share together. Your growth as our Sensei…" She closed her eyes as she tenderly said, "Even if you do end up going far away one day, you'll still have your precious memories with your students, and me, right here in this holotape."

"Arona…" Sensei began unsurely, but before he could continue, Arona became upbeat once more.

"But that's not important! What is is that we're here now, together, and though we probably can't record your experiences in Kivotos perfectly, with this holotape, we can at least try!"

Arona twirled on her feet and beamed at Sensei, her halo turning pinkish and morphing into the shape of a heart.

"In other words, it'll be like your very own Blue Archive!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I mean, it's an archive, but I don't see what's blue about it."

With the moment thoroughly ruined, Arona's halo regained its normal hue as she regarded him flatly.

"Just…just roll with it."

"Can do."