Chapter 5: Unwelcome Express
Paradise. A word with many meanings and many definitions, all different according to the people you ask. For some, it is an ideal state. Ask a follower of Erudition, and it would be somewhere you can always find an answer and certainty to everything you perceive.
"Stelle," came a somewhat high-pitched voice from the far reaches of my hearing.
For others, it is a sought-after place. Some synonyms may include "the promised land", "utopia", or "heaven".
"Hey, wake up!" The same voice called out again.
Some say the closest we have to Paradise is a dream. The most realistic of illusions, where time seems to slow down, and nothing can touch you. The Foxians of the Xianzhou Luofu created immersia to perfect these illusions, and even to this day they are the foremost director of what most would consider a versatile form of education and entertainment.
"I'm pulling you out!" The voice came closer in a slightly irritated fashion.
For me, paradise would be a simple, yet elegant construction. One developed by every species under the gaze of the Aeons, no matter how primitive or advanced. It took many forms and shapes, but regardless of the creator, the vision for its purpose remained the same. It may have moving parts, it may not. It may be closed off, or it may be open to all. Yet, it is a catalyst for so much more. It could be a home for those like the Pepeshi in the Dreamflux Reef, an ornate decoration for others, or a container of unappreciated treasures thrown out by one's less enlightened peers.
"One, two..." the voice huffed as her arms grabbed my legs.
Paradise for me was the perfect construction of a simple trashcan.
"Come on!" March yelled as she tugged on me. I popped out of the trashcan that I had fallen headfirst into and fell on the floor, as the trashcan tipped over and began rolling like a wooden log on a hill.
"What the heck? It's empty!" I shouted in outrage, as the container of unappreciated treasures ended up containing nothing at all; paradise lost.
"Duh, it's a trashcan! I just don't know what a golden one from Penacony is doing here, I thought they only existed in the Dreamscape! And stop diving in them!" March looked almost bored as she tried to get me to stray from the golden path of trash worship, where normies dare not tread.
"I'll dive into whatever trashcan I please."
"Well, can't we leave it behind?"
"No, I'm taking it back to SCHALE."
"It's just a trashcan, Stelle. And besides, this is SCHALE." March pointed at a newly erected placard next to the exit. It read, "SCHALE Club Room".
"I thought you'd have an office somewhere that isn't some random basement," March continued. "You sure the city didn't scam you or something?"
"Rin said the actual office is 30 kilometers away. This is just where Silver Wolf placed the stolen Space Anchor." I looked at the pedestal with the floating black stone-like slab in the center of the room. "I'm guessing it's because that thing officially belongs to me, though I don't know what it does."
March looked around before her eyes landed on a table with various smaller chunks of black slabs strewn about, while I busied myself with putting the affectionately hugging the golden trashcan. She took one of the bigger pieces on the table and fed it into the pedestal; the slab chunk disappeared in a brilliant white flash as a holographic interface popped up in front of the pedestal. March cycled through various options before clicking on one marked "Radiant", with a description stating it was the highest grade of substance possible. A timer of several hours popped up on the display, but March fed three more large chunks into it, cutting the supplies left on the table by half and cutting the countdown to zero. It then spat out a rather plain wooden dining table which hit March square in the head with a comical thunk before landing on its four legs with, as Ruan Mei would put it, grace and elegance.
"Ow, what the heck! Is this thing some sort of furniture gun or something?"
"That's amazing! March, what did you do?" I was astonished by the sight, as I dreamed of flooding Kivotos' market with cheap and instantly manufactured furniture to rake in easy credits, but my excitement was soon cut short after.
"I put these weird slabs on the table here, and it threw a table at me! Aww, Cute Super Soldier March 7th is going to look more like Ugly Super Soldier March 7th now!" March cried out, as she massaged her forehead with an icy hand. By her usual stroke of unusual luck, she had not a single scratch on her whatsoever.
"Wait, so this is an Omni-Synthesizer?" I pondered and began to calm down. "Well, no, Omni-Synthesizers don't need a wait. But at least I have something close to one." I walked over to the chunks on the table and saw they all contained some sort of runes. I suppose these will be somewhat hard to come by, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were the only things that worked on what I will, for the time being, call the Basement Synthesizer. This unfortunately means I must discard my admittedly harebrained furniture tycoon plan, but at least I'll have some form of crafting accessible to me in this "new game" Silver Wolf has gotten me into, more importantly one that doesn't involve dragging otherworldly tech into Kivotos.
I walked over and dematerialized the table before putting the lid back on the golden trashcan. I then got a message from Rin saying she will be waiting for me at the SCHALE Tower, along with an attached address. I activated navigation services and began to head outside to the nearest train station as instructed.
"Stelle," March sighed in frustration. "You can't carry a trashcan around in public. What kind of example are you going to set for your students?"
"That one person's trash is another's treasure." I grinned with the confidence of a child that suggested moons were made of cheese.
March gave up on steering me back onto the road for normies. "Never mind. Let's just go."
Kivotos was exotic compared to the places I had previously visited. I mostly visit Herta Space Station due to the fact Herta pays me a massive lump of credits from the station's budget every time I successfully complete a Simulated Universe run. Beyond that, Herta more or less didn't acknowledge my existence once whatever I was doing at the moment didn't peak her interest; the rest of my time on the station usually involved dealing with a few dozen people who only interacted with me for a single purpose, save for Arlan and Asta who both viewed me as an invaluable friend, and Ruan Mei whose base of operations was on the station. It was very much a place for work and not for play, as the most notable sight was the grey floors and white walls that littered the entirety of the station, as well as some large windows that offered rather scenic vistas showcasing the ocean of stars just outside.
Meanwhile, Jarilo-VI was a warzone that had been battling against the eternal blizzard. The leadership of its sole habitable city, Belobog, was corrupted by the planet's Stellaron, and is now slowly going through the process of rebuilding. Even still, it was a fragile peace as if the truth of the Stellaron crisis ever came to become public knowledge, anarchy would erupt and all the effort the residents had put into a better future would be all for naught. Due to this, it was technologically primitive, to the point it was the Crew that reintroduced phones into daily use for the residents; a form of technology that had been lost several hundred years before. It was, and still is, essentially a lost planet save for one city and its underground sectors; I imagine this fact was the reason that the otherwise ridiculously cutthroat IPC gave Topaz simply a demotion and pay cut for abandoning the project to colonize and place Jarilo-VI under debt slavery.
Then there was the Xianzhou Luofu, which was for the lack of a better term, a spaceship pretending to be a planet. The ship itself was enormous, as big as some of the largest moons in the galaxy, however a large amount of the space was not suitable for residency; Fyxestroll Garden for example was basically a massive containment zone for the heliobi, and while I had never personally visited the Shackling Prison, I was aware of how comically large it was compared to other points of interest on the Luofu. In addition, a vast majority amount of the space on the Luofu was intraversible without a starskiff; living on the Luofu while having a fear of heights was the equivalent of living on a houseboat and having a fear of water. I had many friends and good memories on the Luofu, but it was hardly a dream destination for a tourist, or someone looking for work in a trade the Luofu doesn't specialize in.
Penacony was that dream destination, and many across the galaxy spend a very long time, perhaps even their lives, building up savings to be able to afford a trip for a couple days there. There were roads and bridges that snaked through the air, and the occasional skyscraper that pierced the clouds. Glitz and glamour was around every corner, and the people were known across the universe as being the pinnacle of style, grace, and etiquette. The place where the rich and famous went to enjoy the finer things in life, while trying to forget about the basic things that made them miserable. Where the promise of a dream was made into a reality, one that could be experienced regardless of your physical condition or state of mind. But peel back the curtain, and you'd find most of the planet was and still is a barren wasteland, the only places of note in reality being a spaceport and a massive hotel. And even in the Dreamscape itself, those who venture beyond the gilded cage find themselves within the Dreamflux Reef, the place where your dreams come true, but not necessarily the ones you want; where the fantasy of perfection is stripped away by what lies just beyond, the reality of the Dreamscape laid bare for all. Those that can appreciate Penacony for what it has to offer even despite its darkest secrets, like March and Firefly, are rather few and far between. And as the Express Crew is a significant shareholder of Penacony and I am the captain of the Radiant Feldspar, we also got a fair bit of the credits that comes with the cash flow of a dream destination.
Kivotos, on the other hand, did have the skyscrapers and gravity-defying roads that Penacony had, but all of it was real, even if so far I had not seen the glitz and glamour that almost polluted Penacony's Dreamscape so far. But unlike Penacony, there was no need for a dream pod in a hotel room, and one could freely experience everything around them and interact with their surroundings. In a way, Kivotos was like the Luofu in the sense that it was a self-contained world, but instead of the Luofu's artificial atmosphere, Kivotos had a genuine and natural beauty, a planet that was the best of both the dream and reality. Of course, I had to give Kivotos' streets credit as well. They were immaculately clean, even with the high pedestrian traffic and exchanges of gunfire. Even just one of the many city transit trains available to all nearly matched the Express in its size, though its interior, while plush, was designed for seating as many as possible rather than for comfort. It would be incredibly naive to say it was a perfect place to visit and reside in; I had not even begun to scratch the surface of the political mess of factions, motivations, and betrayals that was likely even more complex than the struggle for Penacony's future I found myself dragged into. There was a reason the GSC President all but appointed me as her successor, and most likely had to disappear against her will to make such a transition possible. But as far as the other destinations I've visited go, Kivotos was relative paradise, one that I had been tasked to protect against those that wish to do it harm.
I pondered this while holding the golden trashcan tightly on the train to the SCHALE Tower, while March took many pictures of both the scenery and the train itself in wonder and awe, taking to the luster of Kivotos' technological sophistication and probable overworking of sanitation staff. A lot of the citizens on board, meanwhile, looked like a researcher who just saw Herta walk into the room; they got their furry fingers or metallic mitts on anything with a camera lens they could find, usually a phone, and took many pictures and videos to preserve the moment the Galactic Educator was on the same train car as they were. March also got some attention and looks as well, being an attractive girl who didn't have a halo. Some students had also begun to crowd around myself and March to get a closer look, who basked in the newfound attention her relative exoticism gave her with a never-ending smile. Most of them stayed some distance from me, cowed by the beacon of light that was the golden trashcan.
While this was going on, a woman in a large black trench coat with matching visor cap and boots stepped through a tinted door connecting the conductor car with this one, looking like she had stepped out of military fiction rather than the conductor car of a city transit train; the word "Highlander" was visible on the coat's arm patches. An eyepatch covered her right eye, while her left eye almost seemed to glow with its fern green color. Her beige hair and bangs was similar to March's in length, though in a combed and uniform style, with a matching halo that resembled a shuriken from old anime. She passed me and went for March and the group surrounding her.
"That's enough, passengers," she began. "Under Highlander Railways' Code and Administrative Rules, using loud noises to disturb others can result in penalties such as fines and being detained until your arrest by the Kivotos Student Police Department." She took out her shotgun and pumped it with considerable force, making a loud noise to intimidate the riders around March. "This is your only warning."
"Ah! We didn't mean any harm!" a student yelled out, as the rest began to scramble, trying to put as much distance as possible from the imposing stranger and March before finding empty seats on the far end of the the current passenger car.
The stranger was about to leave before she then turned her gaze towards March, reacting for a split second as if she just saw a ghost. "Taka— no, of course not. Who are you?" she asked in a rather confrontational tone.
"Excuse me?" March replied in outrage, before shifting into her jovial April 1st mode. "I'm a Super Soldier for SCHALE, and Sensei's best friend!" March chirped and pointed to me, clear mischief in her eyes.
Either the stranger refused to go along with March's joke, or she genuinely believed it and took it with the utmost seriousness. Regardless, she was unimpressed. "I've never heard of this 'Super Soldier' program for SCHALE. What are your qualifications? Can you even read? Write? You certainly aren't in any uniform."
"Um... well, Sensei says I have a good smile. And I can do this!" Seemingly unresponsive to being called an illiterate, March began pulling out a mockery of the kung fu moves she had seen in immersia. "Azure Dragon, White Tiger, eating less carbs — watch this!" She danced around awkwardly as her palm strikes were swinging out at nothing in particular. The stranger seemed to be fuming as she couldn't take her eyes off the fraudulent martial artist's antics. Gotta hand it to March, she learned from the best there is when it came to annoying others, though I might consider charging her for those lessons. I decided to walk over and introduce myself before the situation escalated, rather annoyed the locomotive general seemed to be singling out March.
"I apologize for her; she just has a childish sense of humor." March shot me a raised eyebrow at the end of that statement. "Yes, I am Stelle-sensei, and she is with me. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." I extended my hand out for a handshake.
The stranger in the trench coat took a long, extended look at my gloved hand, as if inspecting whether it had any foreign material. She eventually accepted the handshake, her expression unchanging. "Asagiri Suou, railway supervisor. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sensei. You are... different... from what the papers say about you." Her gaze seemed to burn as bright as a thousand suns.
From what Arona showed me, the general populace, at least those that are terminally online, see me as a celebrity of sorts. Meanwhile, despite their supposed dislike of me, just about the only pieces coming from Kronos the past few days are coverage of the Sanctum Tower incidents, as well as speculation and opinion polls about myself. This isn't anything new from how I'm usually viewed outside of Kivotos anyway, considering the video game about my adventures and having my name tied to the Clockie series as its director. There was also the short-lived food stall March and I ran on the Luofu, as well as my folk hero status there for kicking the IPC out of the Aurum Alley. What I didn't expect was the sheer intensity of her disapproval. Suou must've read all the news and social media posts that mentioned me in any way.
"Thank you. I try to be unique in my own way."
"Oh, that I am certain," she replied, a hint of a frown forming on her face. "Well, if you don't mind me asking, where are you headed to?"
"SCHALE Tower," I replied.
"I see. We just opened that station a bit after its grand opening ceremony. I am required to do regular fare enforcement checks. Do you happen to have a valid fare purchased from the automated booths at each station?"
I shook my head, deciding I wouldn't be able to pull rank or worm my way out of this one. "My apologies, I do not have any valid currency for Kivotos at the moment. The transit fare systems where I come from are automated."
"That is a shame." Noticing the subtle insult, she pulled out a form pad and began writing things down on it, before tearing it off and giving the copy meant for me. "As this is your first citation, it will simply be a warning. I'm sure you did not mean to breach the Administrative Code of Highlander Railway Academy, but I would like you to read it and have a source of income so you may have a valid fare the next time you board."
I balled the form up, opened the lid of the golden trashcan, and tossed it in to let Suou know what I thought of her condescending behavior. A hint of anger formed in her expression, but it was immediately suppressed. "You do not need to worry, Miss Asagiri. I'll take care of it, and if I can't, we will not be taking the train back. Good day."
Suou stared at me for a few seconds, seemingly baffled by my passive aggression. I suppose I've been depicted as a violent club-swinging savage the past few days by both my supporters and detractors. She gave me a slight bow and headed for the other passengers to check their fares, making a pointed effort to keep distance from March as she did so. I noticed she and other passengers had either been photographing or filming my argument with Suou, and March seemed to have an excited look on her face. Considering how giddy March acts when Sampo runs into misfortune, she is the type who openly enjoys seeing someone who annoys her get put in their place. And besides, rules are meant to be broken.
Perhaps Suou was worried SCHALE would meddle in the Highlander's affairs; meddling was basically SCHALE's purpose. Or maybe March reminded her of someone she hates, or just rubbed her the wrong way. Whatever the case, it'd probably be best to get a proper car like I did in the Dreamscape so I can avoid Highlander in the future, getting the income for such a thing would unfortunately be another story.
"Now arriving at SCHALE Tower," the automated broadcast system announced. "Please stay clear of doors until the train has stopped moving."
March and I stepped off the elevator and into the second-most top floor of the SCHALE Tower, which consisted of its office and my new workplace within Kivotos. A clean and pearly white tiled floor with a blue stripe pattern design contrasted nicely with the east-facing walls which consisted almost exclusively of pristine stained-glass windows. They didn't seem as thick or resilient as the behemoth-sized windows on Herta Space Station, but they were certainly at the very least bulletproof. Various desks with multiple monitors had been spread across the room, alongside shelves littered with texts and materials, as well as mobile whiteboards with magnets holding maps and student information. There were gun racks strewn haphazardly around the room, with weapons of all types. One in particular caught my eye, which was a rather large sniper rifle with a complex and expensive looking computerized scope. I'll have to give that a spin later and add it to the Galactic Educator's loadout. There was also a conveyer belt for what I assumed to be cargo that ran above the work area, which seemed to lead to a higher floor.
"It is good to see you, Sensei." Rin had been waiting for us, having brought along a stack of paperwork to pass the time. She gave the golden trashcan a short look before returning eye contact, with not even a hint of surprise showing on her face. "There is much we must discuss, but it is of utmost importance that we get you familiar with the building and facilities first. I trust you did not run into any trouble on your way here?"
I let my displeasure be known. "Highlander Railway Academy gave me and March a bit of grief, as neither of us were able to pay for fares. The student supervisor, a woman named Asagiri Suou, cited me on a warning, as it was the first infraction. I have the citation here." I opened the lid on the golden trashcan to show her the crumpled-up form, to which Rin responded with a slight chuckle.
"You wouldn't be the first, Sensei. We've received complaints about Highlander Railway Academy being overly aggressive with their fare enforcement, and inappropriately questioning passengers about why they were going to specific destinations. They're known to open fire on students without warning over minor infractions."
I cringed as I came to the realization that Suou was, by Highlander standards, incredibly restrained and patient. I guess she wasn't kidding when she said it was their only warning, as if someone else was in her place a lot more gunshots would have been exchanged.
"They are known to be quite stubborn with grudges as well, so you would be better off avoiding them if at all possible after this incident. That would mean securing you a method of personal transportation, but unfortunately..."
Her eyes looked downcast, and I didn't need to ask her what happened. If it were up to the President, I probably would have been given a private VTOL jet, a chauffeured car, or a hovercycle that could go the speed of sound. And even if that weren't the case, Silver Wolf would have just created one out of thin air for me during the initial operation to retake the Sanctum Tower, unfortunately she found the idea of me having to struggle to save the city fun, considering it just another game. "We will discuss the details later. For now though, it's of utmost importance to show you around the SCHALE Tower, in order to have you familiar with everything at your disposal in your base of operations." She cast a look at March. "I don't believe we've met, Miss..."
"Good to meet you, Miss Vice President!" March enthusiastically greeted, having already taken a liking to Rin. "I'm March 7th, SCHALE's social media manager and Stelle's crewmate onboard the Astral Express!"
Rin, clearly having a much more positive first impression of March than she did to me, warmly extended a handshake with a smile, to which March accepted. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Kivotos is honored to have your assistance. And please, you may refer to me as Rin."
March beamed. "Okay, Miss Vice President!"
Rin looked like she was ready to roll her eyes but kept her smile regardless. As the two continued chatting, I noticed some cushioned lounging sofas by the wall with nothing else next to them, so I materialized the table that March had created next to them. Rin didn't seem particularly surprised but interrupted her conversation with March to speak to me.
"I see you've discovered how to use the Crafting Chamber. It can also create more furniture, decorations, and various other objects. The difficulty is that we've had trouble finding keystones for it, whatever keystones that exist in the wild are collector's items or buried under ancient ruins."
"I suppose I can't create weapons with it?" I asked hopefully. If I could create something that'd let me go all out, like an anti-materiel rifle or a tank, that would be nice; the less out-of-this-world tricks I pull out, the easier it would be to keep myself from crushing Kivotos' fundamental understanding of the universe.
Rin frowned. "No, we've tried. The most that was produced were plastic toys and replicas. You'll have to make do with SCHALE's supplies, sadly."
"That's a shame," I replied with clear disappointment on my face. "I suppose my bat will be enough."
"Perhaps. We should get started on our tour, the sooner SCHALE can begin its work in earnest, the better for the city."
"Give me a second before we do." I've been waiting for a long time for this moment, and I'll be damned if I let it slip by. I materialized my various loot from my visit to the Radiant Feldspar, first up being a copy of the commissioned painting of myself; the elegant, old-timey shades of brown in the background contrasting nicely with the crisp, vivid dolors of my visage, my commanding stare and crossed arms giving the impression of a stern yet wise leader.
"This is a work of art, isn't it? A painting of yours truly, commissioned by a valued partner. Copies of this painting are sought after merchandise where the supply can't keep up with the demand! I dare say, it adds a nice personal touch to this office."
Rin and March stared at the artwork for several seconds before giving me their reactions; Rin once again facepalmed while March looked like she wanted to strangle me for bringing it here. "Sensei, that's hideous," Rin began. "And you can't just create artwork on a whim, no matter how much of a celebrity you are."
"Hideous? Rin, are you saying there's something wrong with how I look?"
"No, Sensei, I meant the painting. It's not badly drawn, it's just... garish?"
"I think the painting is very pretty, it reminds me of the pictures of art I've seen in the history books of leaders. And you've got the ego to match." March rolled her eyes.
I hung it on the wall next to the gun rack that held the sniper rifle, then moved to the desk that was marked for my personal use. I had bought two of the plushies of myself that had been commissioned as merchandise on the Radiant Feldspar; its design consisting of a rather accurate depiction of myself, but riding a trashcan and having crossed googly eyes instead of a normal depiction. I wore another trashcan as a helmet, with one hand holding my signature baseball bat and the other holding a trash can lid as a shield. I was initially displeased with its design especially as I wasn't consulted, but I eventually grew to agree with the designer's assessment: it really does capture my humorous nature while giving an air of special innocence. Taking a moment to admire myself as a valiant knight who defends all forms of trash and treasure, I placed it on the desk while Rin escalated to a double facepalm; March simply looked on in expressionless disappointment and annoyance.
As I took out the second plush, I noticed that it was... not of what I had originally bought at all. The sight of it flashed my memories back to a conversation I had with Dan Heng while dropping him off at the Feldspar.
"Are you sure about letting that Masked Fool stay on the ship?" Dan Heng voiced his concern. "She just faked a bomb scare not too long ago."
"Eh," I had replied half-heartedly. "She's still a guest. What's the worst that could happen?"
Looks like at some point, Sparkle swiped one of the plushies and replaced it with one of her own; one that carried a near carbon copy of her red dress and hair ribbons, contrasting with the bronze bells and fox mask she wore on her twin tailed dark brown hair. Her bright pink eyes and villainous grin were captured perfectly, while her plushie self held an overturned trash can with a golden garbage bag inside. The tag on the plush read: "Sparkle's Unlimited Edition Collectible Figure". A small note was also attached to it.
"Dear Stelle," the note read. "I see you have embarked on the beginning of a new show, in lands unknown to all but those who can glimpse the wall. Have I brought as much elation into your life as you have to mine? To show my appreciation of our time together, I've given you a doll I've made for you to keep forever; to my greatest puppet and goon, we shall meet again sometime soon."
"What the hell?" I voiced out loud in uncontrollable rage. I tossed the doll up and attempted to punt it against the wall, only to find the core was rock hard. Even with the shock-absorbing materials and inserts of my shoes, the kick still left me with a sore foot and the doll on the floor, and I didn't want to imagine the pain of being kicked BY it; knowing Sparkle, she could make the plush do that. The plush was a perfect representation of Sparkle, right down to her sadistic tendencies.
"ARRGGGHHH!" I screamed. "My toes! Damn you, Masked Fool!"
March and Rin shared uncontrollable giggling as they watched me fall victim to yet another one of Sparkle's pranks which I hardly deserved.
Due to the massive size of the complex and the fact the SCHALE Tower consisted of two major parts separated from one another, the tour took a little over an hour even as Rin briskly led us from room to room. The non-indicatively named SCHALE Office was the taller part of the complex and was the area of the Tower that was open to the public; only the first-floor reception area and Angel 24 convenience store were open in the Residential Hall section. Beyond the actual office part of the Office section, there was a massive array of public facilities that could generate passive income for the organization. There was a rather massive gym consisting of a basketball court and two tennis courts, complete with plush cushioned seating for spectators. The theater room was showing a weird movie about a giant silly-looking mascot, I couldn't decide whether it was a penguin or a chicken; though I wasn't sure why the theater was running when the entire Office complex isn't even open to the public yet. An impressively sleek shooting range held a wide variety of ammo, though it couldn't give an avenue to refine long-ranged marksmanship. A laboratory, classroom, and library were available for use to the public free of charge; the first two being reserved on an appointment basis when they open. The hangar, which comprised of two parts on both the top and bottom floors with a massive elevator connecting the two, was slated to be filled out with tanks and ground vehicles; currently the only equipment and crew on site were three helicopters and a lone pilot on standby.
The Residence Hall was strictly for the lodging of various SCHALE staff and had about half the floor of the Office area, though it was the wider of the two parts. A robot receptionist helmed the lobby, and a girl named Sora was the sole employee of the Angel 24 store; she seemed to be around Clara's age. I found it somewhat amusing that guns and explosives were seated on the shelves right besides prepared food and bottles of soda; then again you had to buy my plushies from the snack food vendor on the Radiant Feldspar. The reception area also had a small arcade, with all of the games being rather unfamiliar to me, and somewhat primitive by modern standards; Silver Wolf would definitely get a kick out of the selection they had. With Silver Wolf also getting her start playing arcade games at the fast food restaurant she worked for, I made a note to watch Sora's career with great interest. Facilities exclusively for the use of staff and their visitors included a shared lounge, study room, dining hall, and private gym. The student dorms were clean and outfitted with a television, closet, and bathroom with included shower each, as well as a bed, nightstand, and dresser. A vending machine seemed to be placed in nearly every hallway and sold everything from toiletries to snacks. My own personal suite located on the top floor was a bit larger and had two beds instead of one but was otherwise similar to the student dorms. I placed and activated a Space Anchor there as Rin relieved herself in my bathroom before we headed back to the office.
March in particular was bored stiff from the tour, her head was not so much in the clouds as much as it was having long fled back onto the Astral Express. Despite this, she still had the presence of mind to take a few pictures for her album, a task that had become as much of a reflex to her as breathing was. I was considering the uses each facility would have and how I'd be able to generate revenue from them, as it's not like I could convert the veritable fortune of IPC credits I possessed into those used in Kivotos. But with the tour I was shown, I was rather skeptical of my ability to do so.
"Rin," I began, with each of us seated in a semi-circle formation surrounding a whiteboard showing areas of high crime within Kivotos. "Most of the facilities I toured were empty and didn't have staff. How am I supposed to ensure SCHALE remains independent without enough crew to even keep the automated systems running?"
Rin grimaced in frustration. "Believe me, Sensei, I'm as unhappy about this as you are. It's rather disgraceful that-"
The door to the office flung open, having been the victim of a mighty kick attack by the monstrous and bare thighs possessed by a rather familiar looking figure with long, flowing purple hair. Her fury would have been enough to end the ice age on Jarilo-VI as her phone replayed a video of my encounter with Suou earlier in the day.
"What were you thinking, you moron?" she yelled, the sound of her voice causing Rin and March to shrink back. She threw her phone on the desk in front of us, its deceptively sturdy frame taking its use as an improvised projectile flawlessly, not even displaying a scratch. "Your first public appearance in days and you're scrounging through trash like some sort of raccoon? Then you're caught fare dodging on the train to SCHALE? You're a complete disgrace! A complete and utter disgrace!"
"Good afternoon, Seminar." I calmly greeted her.
"Don't you 'good afternoon' me! And I thought you'd be the one person who'd at least call me by my name! You know what, maybe this is what the GSC gets for trusting an idiot who calls themselves the Galactic Educator to run an organization meant to carry on the President's will. I've been thinking it over for a long time and-"
Yuuka stopped and glanced at the artwork on the wall, my other self's stony stare and crossed arms seemingly piercing her heart. I could see her eyes narrow to that of a snake-like slit and her face resembling a jar of noodle sauce as it grew increasingly red with rage. Both Rin and March immediately caught on to this and exchanged looks of worry and resignation.
"What. The. Hell. Is. This," Yuuka just barely managed to pant out in anger.
"It's a masterpiece." I proudly stated, my smile wide enough to swallow an Automaton Spider.
"I can see that, moron. Why is there a painting of you in the office? Where did you get this abomination from? Have you been wasting all your money on stupid crap with your face on it!?"
"Actually, the artwork is a gift from a valued partner," I answered, doing my best not to snicker at the expression on Yuuka's face. Try as she might, but she couldn't hold a candle to Pom-Pom. March and Rin were busy browsing their phones to drown out my spat with Seminar.
"You know what? I don't even want to know," she snapped. "As Sensei, you are supposed to set a good example for your students, but instead, you're a laughingstock! People have been posting on the Internet about the trashy things you did today. Some are even saying the President would roll over in her grave if she could see how you've been behaving!"
"She's not dead, she's missing," I insisted. "And besides, Highlander deserved it. Rules are made to be broken."
"You know what, I give up," Yuuka sighed, her tone sounding defeated and her hands on her head. "Just, please, whatever you do, don't do anything stupid in the next few days. Anyway, I came here to-"
As she was speaking, Yuuka's gaze locked onto the plushie of myself wearing an improvised knight costume made from trashcans. She immediately collapsed onto the floor, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Rin put away her phone and resumed our earlier conversation.
"Apologies about the interruption, Sensei," Rin began, acting like she had to take an urgent message as she refused to acknowledge Yuuka's existence. March was still looking at her phone, but her usual smile had returned as I overheard the replay of her martial arts mockery through the speakers. "Now, where to begin?"
The situation was shockingly grim.
As Rin recounted with visible frustration and outrage, the President had already pooled a considerable number of resources into the construction of the SCHALE Tower, which began shortly before she disappeared to parts unknown. The construction and completion of the facilities was part of this initial budget, as was the initial hiring of a portion of critical support staff for the Tower, so the funds that were allocated towards these goals were untouchable. However, the monthly budget allocated to SCHALE was entirely up to the GSC's discretion, and the first month of operation was not part of the initial budget for the founding of SCHALE. And as the destruction of a public park as well as a good amount of the property surrounding it was caused by a massive battle that SCHALE was at the center of, the GSC's Chief of Finance had started a motion to divert the costs of repairs and reimbursements to those affected from SCHALE's budget. The motion was passed, as most of the council members had voted in favor of it. This meant that SCHALE had a budget of exactly zero credits for the first month of its operation, as all of it was diverted to the cleanup of the Sanctum Tower incident.
"WHAT?" yelled an outraged Yuuka, who had recovered from the shock of seeing my innocence and valor in miniature plush form. "This is ridiculous! Right after we saved the city! How do they expect Stelle-sensei to do her job when she doesn't even have a single credit to her name?"
I agreed, nodding with determination. "This is an absolutely unjust decision. They can't possibly expect me to get anything done without funding, especially as the facilities that are supposed to give SCHALE its own income haven't even been staffed."
Yuuka had a pensive look on her face before the proverbial lightbulb flashed above her head.
"I have a plan. What if SCHALE were to start selling its own merchandising?"
Rin looked skeptical. "But the only thing that the organization has right now is its reputation, and as much as it pains me to say it, the media have been painting you as a rather unfitting successor, Stelle-sensei."
It was March's turn to speak up, and it was somewhat surprising to hear a good idea coming out of her. "The media is just a mouthpiece for someone else anyway. What really matters is what people on social media think, and Stelle is as big of a celebrity here as anywhere else. So, we just need to make sure they keep thinking the right thing, right?"
"Exactly," Yuuka exclaimed, smiling like she was holding the winning hand. "SCHALE has an extremely high level of visibility and brand awareness because of your heroism." Her smile quickly turned into a frown as she continued. "Your antics have a large part of this as well. Koyuki won't stop quoting you every time we throw her into a detention cell."
I had no idea who Koyuki was, but she sounded more like a misbehaving child Yuuka looks after rather than a fellow classmate of similar age. The thought of Yuuka wearing Natasha's coat and throwing an oversized Hook into a locked room popped up in my imagination and was quickly quashed to preserve my sanity.
"I've got just the perfect thing!" March's shite-eating grin was infectious to Yuuka and Rin, as she held her phone out for us to see and showed the various pictures taken of me during the dress-up session on the Astral Express. They seemed to be getting a kick out of just how easily March was able to fluster me, especially since I had been annoying the both of them endlessly the moment the Galactic Educator's legacy was born. "How about we sell calendars with Stelle's CUTE outfits and poses on them? I think we should start with this collection!" She had about two dozen shots of myself in the gala dress that she began passing around the room; some of the poses emphasized my rear, others my chest and midriff. The three of them absolutely ate it up while I looked down at the floor, red with embarrassment.
"Oh, that's good, that's good," Yuuka excitedly cheered March on with a devilish grin. "That's a great idea, March, good work."
"If I may," Rin began. "I have a fairly large amount of disposable income as part of my salary as Vice President. As such, I'll be able to give an interest-free loan for an initial printing run. Consider it a gift from me to SCHALE. I'm sure that we can use the profits from the first run to fund the rest of the month's operations. Sensei, I'd suggest approving the calendar merchandise. We can immediately begin recruitment with this in the pipeline, as we have approximately several weeks to go before the first regularly scheduled payday."
As much as I disliked the idea of March's embarrassing pictures of myself being sold, it was basically a win-win: it would help secure funding and potentially even keep the entire organization afloat in the short term, and I'd get even more merchandise of myself sold on yet another world. And while I initially disagreed with the garbage knight's design, I eventually grew to love it, and the knowledge that I am showered with so much love makes me quite warm inside. I wholeheartedly gave my approval, and Rin left to put in an order for an initial run, while March got on one of the office computers and began drumming up interest on social media. As they both got to work, Yuuka took a golden-colored form from one of the document holders, before filling it out and giving it to me.
"Sensei, consider this my official application to SCHALE. As the treasurer of Millennium, I guarantee SCHALE's budget will be balanced with the utmost efficiency and no subpar accounting records will make it through my watchful eye. Besides, the GSC is just trying to bully you, and I'll be damned if I let you lose to those crones!"
Welt's advice remained fresh in my mind. "Would you be willing to consider a promotion to take on the added responsibility of being my personal secretary?"
Yuuka looked at me, then to the painting of myself, then to the plush, and then back to me; flashing a serene smile as she gave her answer. "Not a chance in hell!"
I happily approved Yuuka's application and gave her the official title of SCHALE's Treasurer.
Author's Notes:
Special thanks to Shatterdome_Maintenance for posting on my behalf on SpaceBattles. Thanks for your support! If you prefer using SpaceBattles as your reading site, it is now available there.
I've had a lot of things suddenly come up in my personal life, thus, it likely won't be realistic for me to continue writing at a pace of two full-length chapters a month. However, one chapter a month should be a very achievable goal for me, while keeping the quality of the writing up to standard. I also noticed some rather glaring word choice and punctuation mistakes in the previous chapters that I did not catch due to the rapid pace I was previously going. To quote Gabe Newell: "Late is just for a little while, suck is forever."
Chapter 5 went through a rewrite where many of the events intended for this chapter have been pushed back to make way for exposition, dialogue, and gags. I don't know if this is the best approach, but I felt it was the one that would make the most sense for what I have planned for when the story eventually covers Volume 1; there are some dramatic changes I have planned compared to canon that I think would feel cheap if I kept up the originally intended pace. Until then, please stay tuned for Chapter 6.