Abydos' tourism was on the rise. While it was still nowhere near the activity of the Abydos of old, the popularity boom didn't seem to be ending any time soon, so it was only a matter of time.

This also allowed Abydos to slowly buy back adjacent lands from Kaiser, though Kaiser raised their asking price on the lands, with the ones closer to the oasis being the more expensive ones as the oasis slowly expanded. While Abydos was able to buy back about 40% of it, the other 30% was bought by Nephthys, 20% by various schools and companies. Kaiser retained the remaining 10%.

It wasn't ideal, but there was still the issue of repaying the debt and redeveloping the lands they owned, which meant that they couldn't use the entirety of their revenue to buy back Abydos properties.

In other news, the resurgence of the Abydos District had led to a number of students expressing their interest in attending Abydos next school year. There were even a few students, some former delinquents, who formally applied to transfer to Abydos.

"It feels a little strange seeing more students walking around in Abydos' uniform," Serika muttered as she gazed from the window of the Foreclosure Task Force's club room. "I love our school and all, but I do wonder why they chose to attend Abydos."

"Perhaps they saw something they didn't find in other schools," Ayane said as she continued reading the enrollment document before picking up another, which included the picture of a cute, blonde haired girl before. "Oh? This is quite surprising…"

"What is?" Serika asked.

"Oh, I just saw a familiar face in the enrollment list," Ayane said with a smile. "It seems we'll have a cute junior next year."

"Oh? I'm a little curious now," Serika said. "Who is it?

"Why don't you try to guess?" Ayane said as she put away the enrollment forms while giggling.

"Oh come on! Just tell me who it is already!"

While the two were having a lively conversation, someone knocked on the door. They saw Nonomi outside.

"Seems you two are talking about something fun!" Nonomi exclaimed as she entered the club room.

"Nonomi!" Ayane greeted her senior. "We were just talking about a student who submitted an enrollment form for next school year."

"Hehe, I think I know who it is," Nonomi said. "We talked last time I visited SCHALE. She said she fell in love with the beauty of the oasis!"

"Hmmm…? Wait, could it be—" Serika was about to say the name when another knock interrupted her.

"Nn," Shiroko said as she entered the room. "Have you seen Hoshino?"

"No, she tagged along with Miyako to visit Sensei," Ayane said. "Why?"

"As I suspected…" Shiroko muttered before she continued, "Have you noticed anything different with Hoshino recently?"

"Hmmm…Not really…" Serika muttered. "If she's not busy with council work, she's sleeping as usual."

"I did notice her joining RABBIT Squad with their training sometimes," Ayane said. "Saki once complained to me about how Hoshino pretty much bullied them during a mock engagement with a pistol before she finally closed in with her shotgun. 'How are we supposed to beat someone like that?!', she said."

"Nn. It was a pity that I had something to do that day. I would have joined RABBIT Squad in trying to defeat Hoshino."

"Ahaha…So you still want to beat Hoshino," Nonomi said.

"Nn. A serious Hoshino is a good opponent for a work-out. But that's beside the point," Shiroko said. "She seemed livelier these days. Especially whenever Sensei's around."

"Now that you mention it, I sometimes overhear them talking about some rather deep topics, but whenever I get closer they quickly change topics," Serika said.

"Hmmm…? Hmmm!" Nonomi seemed to realize what Shiroko was implying. "You mean…! Oh my~! Could those two be secretly seeing each other behind our backs?"

"W-W-What are you even saying, Nonomi!"

"I-It's probably nothing like that," Ayane said, though even she was rather unsure. "It's probably related to that secret between the two of them…"

"You mean how Sensei is most likely the culprit for the oasis' resurgence and how Hoshino saw it in its entirety," Shiroko said.

"That's an equally romantic secret too~!" Nonomi said excitedly. "I can just imagine what happened that night! Hoshino somehow stumbled upon Sensei as he performed his magic and now she's become his apprentice!"

"What do you mean Sensei made the oasis?!" Serika voiced her confusion.

"Serika, you didn't realize?" Shiroko said. "Sensei sometimes makes swords out of thin air if bullets aren't enough. Only someone who didn't know about Sensei's capabilities would fail to make the connection."

"Admittedly that's most residents of Kivotos, as Sensei switched to mostly using guns shortly not that long after he arrived," Nonomi added, noting that there were still rumors about that particular ability of Sensei due to his actions on his first day, but couldn't be proven as Sensei could just dismiss the swords he created. Even Nonomi herself didn't believe it until she saw him launch a sword to knock out one of the delinquents while helping defend Abydos.

"I did make the connection! But the sword in the middle of the oasis was way too special to be a regular sword he usually makes so I had my doubts that Sensei would be able to make it," Serika said, "So I asked him about it!"

"And what did Sensei tell you in response?" Ayane asked.

"I asked him if he created the sword, and he said, and I quote, 'There's no way I can use a sword that special.' See?"

"Serika…" Ayane muttered as she approached her as she put a hand on her shoulder. "Based on your words, Sensei didn't actually deny making the sword, even if he couldn't use it."

"Wait…But…Huh…?" Serika was at a loss for words before she exploded in anger. "That…That jerk! No wonder he was laughing the entire time!"

"Sensei has a nasty habit of telling misleading statements without actually lying sometimes," Nonomi said. "For someone who's usually kind and honest like Sensei, I really wonder how he got so skilled with it."

"Yeah, Sensei does have a nasty habit of omitting and telling half-truths without actually lying. I swear the jerk is getting a kick out of confusing people," Saki said as she entered the room. "Couldn't help but join in your conversation since Miyu's also in the room."

"Hey, Saki. And…Miyu?" Ayane and the others looked around the room, eventually finding Miyu next to Shiroko, who seemed unsurprised and was more confused that they were looking for the girl.

"You didn't realize Miyu was in the room this entire time?" Shiroko asked. "We entered at the same time."

"...You know, I shouldn't be surprised. I really shouldn't, but somehow Miyu's ability to remain undetected is just that good. That, and somehow Shiroko is able to see her without trying," Ayane said. "Sorry for ignoring you this entire time, Miyu."

"I-It's alright, I'm used to it," Miyu said rather depressingly. "Besides, I didn't want to interrupt your conversation since it was really interesting. But um, I wanted to personally inform you that we'd probably be going somewhere for a while."

"You're leaving? Did something happen?" Shiroko asked, to which Saki answered.

"So what happened was—"

…

…

…

"Yukino gave me the details, but will you and the rest of RABBIT Squad be alright with this mission, Miyako? This mission was supposed to be conducted by FOX Squad after all," Sensei asked. "You've grown a lot during your stay in Abydos, but the danger of this mission is a lot higher as you'll venture deep into enemy territory cut off from any form of back-up."

"This old timer offered to tag along since I'm more familiar with the terrain but I got shot down…" Hoshino said while scratching her cheek.

Miyako and Hoshino were currently talking with Sensei in his office in SCHALE. Their guns and the Iron Horus were placed on a nearby table.

"It is true that the mission will be a lot smoother with Miss Hoshino around, but as the Acting President of Abydos, you cannot be away at such an important period of your school's revitalization in the same way that our FOX Squad seniors cannot not leave HQ," Miyako said with a serious expression before it softened into a smile. "Besides, this mission was entrusted to us by our seniors, so I want to live up to my seniors' expectations. And um…yours too, Sensei."

"Hmmm…" Hoshino stared at the blushing Miyako intently before laughing a little. "Ah, to be young~ Well, Sensei. What do you think?"

"Very well. I give you my blessing," Sensei said before he conjured a pendant with a small crystal dagger hanging on it. "Take this. It's a good luck charm."

"Thank you, Sensei," Miyako received the gift. "I'm assuming it's some sort of magical implement?"

"A small insurance, just in case," Sensei said. "Should you get into a situation you can't get out of, break this and I'll immediately know."

"That's good to know," Miyako said with a smile as she wore it around her neck. After that, she excused herself to meet Yukino in SRT's campus, leaving Sensei and Hoshino alone.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?"

"Uhehe…Was I that obvious?" Hoshino said as she scratched her cheek. "I guess they've grown on me, seeing as they've been in Abydos for a while now. I'm gonna miss those girls."

Sensei smiled before he shifted the topic. "Speaking of Abydos, how are things on your end?"

"Quite well! We've been getting more and more students wishing to enroll," Hoshino said with a huge grin. "This old timer—I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing Abydos regain more of its former self."

Hoshino approached the Iron Horus as she caressed its surface. "I wish she could see it…"

The mood took a somber tone as the late Abydos Student Council President and Hoshino's senior Kuchinashi Yume was brought up in the conversation. The two remained silent.

While Sensei had never met Yume, he could tell how important she was to Hoshino.

"What kind of person was Yume?" Sensei asked.

Hoshino appreciated the gesture as she took a seat nearby.

"She was an idiot. A hopelessly naive idiot…" Hoshino said as she began. "Did you know? She once dragged me in a foolish plan of hers to dig up some old fireworks where the oasis was! And then she recorded it in her notebook! It was really embarrassing at the time."

And so, Sensei was regaled with stories about Yume for quite some time. While it was clear that Hoshino was a certain topic regarding her senior, he nonetheless appreciated that Hoshino was opening up to him and felt relieved.

Oh, Sensei thought as he remembered his old English teacher and honorary big sister while listening to Hoshino. She must have felt anxious back then too. I guess it's only now that I'm in a similar position as her do I understand the frustration she must have felt when I kept her in the dark the entire time.

"Sensei?" Hoshino noticed that Sensei had been distracted. "Is something on your mind?"

"It's just that listening to you talk about your past caused me to reminisce about my own," Sensei admitted. "I recalled my old English teacher and big sis and how I must have worried her a lot back then."

"Is that your way of saying I'm a troublesome student, Sensei?" Hoshino pouted.

"I know you're strong, Hoshino. But I still can't help but be worried about you sometimes as I would any other student."

"Hmmm…You never actually denied that I'm troublesome. Fine, I'll accept that answer for now," Hoshino said. "But still, you never mentioned you had an older sister! What kind of person is she?"

"We're not actually related, but she's been around so much in my childhood that I treat her as my older sister," Sensei said. "She was great at kendo, and after graduating from university she went on to teach in her alma mater as an English Teacher, which was where I also attended high school. She really doesn't like it when people call her by her nickname of 'Tiger'. Honestly, while I did say I troubled her, she gave me her own fair share of headaches too."

Hoshino and Sensei continued exchanging stories, even during dinner until it was time for Hoshino to leave.