The first thing I did after Mine hauled me out of the lake and onto the sightseeing boat was grab the railing and bend over, coughing violently.
Falling from a height equivalent to more than ten stories, even with Arona negating most of the impact, and even though I had prepared myself and held my breath beforehand, instinct still made me swallow several mouthfuls of water.
All I could say was that the Shittim Chest had its limitations.
It didn't protect against this.
My Adult Card, help? No? Okay...
In any case, before Mine could come over and pat my back, I managed to cough most of the water out of my windpipe.
Breathing in fresh air, I still didn't feel particularly well.
Aside from the lingering irritation in my respiratory tract, there was the heavy discomfort of being soaked through from head to toe, as well as the sensation of my stomach being filled with icy lake water.
Looking on the bright side, the others from the Pandemonium Society had jumped before me.
Theoretically speaking, that meant I had just drunk my future wives' bathwater.
Not a loss.
"Sensei, please take this towel and go inside to dry yourself off and change into the clean clothes I brought! Otherwise, you'll catch a cold!"
Serina spoke seriously as she handed me a clean towel and a set of clothes I was all too familiar with.
"Thank you."
I thanked her politely and chose not to ask where she had obtained this clearly not brand-new Schale uniform.
That said, even the shoes and socks were the ones I usually wore.
Wasn't that a little too blatant?
Sadly realizing that I had gradually become accustomed to such things, I went inside and changed into the clothes, which carried the fresh scent of the same detergent Serina used.
I immediately felt much more refreshed.
When I returned outside, the four girls from the Pandemonium Society naturally weren't receiving the same treatment.
Although students possessed halos and had landed in a lake, a fall from that height would still result in minor injuries.
Furthermore, in order to avoid revealing their movements to Arius in advance, their subordinates couldn't arrive so quickly.
As a result, they could only temporarily make do with the spare clothing brought by the Remedial Knights.
The outfits didn't fit them particularly well.
Still, when you thought about it carefully, seeing Gehenna's upper leadership forced to wear Trinity nurse uniforms was a subject worthy of serious academic research.
Except for one person who had clearly fallen into the water yet somehow still possessed that ridiculous explosive afro, making her look like a failed comedian.
"Keh keh."
Ignoring her hairstyle for the moment, Makoto, wearing a gloomy expression and projecting a surprising amount of presence, addressed me.
"Sensei. Next, the great Makoto will return to Gehenna and gather my forces. Those fools who dared deceive me will all pay the price!"
"Mm. Do your best."
I paused briefly.
"But let me make one thing clear first. After this is all over, I'll be giving you a lecture as your Sensei. So prepare yourself."
"Guh..."
Makoto's expression stiffened, and some of her imposing aura immediately faded.
However, she quickly recovered her spirits.
"Keh keh. Don't worry. The great Makoto said she would take responsibility for the foolish decisions she made, decisions that dragged Sensei into this mess. As long as you're willing to forgive me, I don't mind whatever punishment you give afterward... um, within reason, of course."
Beside her, Chiaki burst into laughter.
"Hahaha~ She changed her tune so fast. As expected of Makoto-senpai~"
Completely unmoved by her junior's teasing, the chairwoman looked at me seriously once more.
"So, Sensei, until this incident is resolved, I hope you'll come stay at Pandemonium Society as our guest and receive the highest level of protection Gehenna can offer."
I believed that, at least where I was concerned, she was completely sincere.
Even so, I shook my head.
"Thank you for the offer, but I don't plan on going to the Pandemonium Society right now."
"Why?" Makoto asked in confusion. "Sensei, I'm sorry. This is all because of my mistake. The Arius people are probably targeting you as well now... Is there anywhere in Kivotos safer than the Pandemonium Society? Whether it's the General Student Council, Millennium, or..."
"You're misunderstanding."
I shook my head lightly.
"I don't intend to seek shelter in any of those places."
Then I added casually:
"Or rather, isn't the most dangerous place often the safest place?"
Hearing that, Makoto's pupils contracted.
"You mean... you're going to the Old Cathedral? Even though it could come under attack at any moment?!"
"But right now, doesn't the Old Cathedral contain the vast majority of Trinity and Gehenna's elite forces?"
Not only that.
Rio had accepted the request I sent her. C&C was already on the way and would arrive within an hour at most.
There was no way the area around the Old Cathedral would fall before it could even hold out that long.
At that point, the strongest openly acknowledged combatants of the three major academies, Sorasaki Hina, Tsurugi, and Misono Neru, would all be gathered in one place.
And once some of the other helpers I'd contacted arrived, such as a certain pink-haired specialist from Abydos...
Frankly speaking, the real question was whether Arius could survive until the end.
"The members of the Remedial Knights will be accompanying me as well."
The reason Seia had chosen Mine as my escort wasn't merely because of her upright character and professional medical skills.
In fact, compared to her reputation as a rescuer, the captain of the Remedial Knights was even more famous for her overwhelming combat ability and destructive power as a knight.
There was a saying that circulated within Trinity:
"Mine does the destruction, the Knights handle the treatment."
As for Serina...
Well.
The set of clothes I was currently wearing was probably the greatest testament to her capabilities.
"Most importantly, I think I'll definitely be able to help once I get there."
Without meaning to boast, I genuinely possessed exceptional tactical command abilities that seemed etched into my bones even though I'd lost the corresponding memories.
And simply by being present, I could greatly raise the morale of many students.
Besides, if possible, I wanted to try persuading Arius Squad to abandon the darkness and come over to our side.
That was something only I could do.
"With greater ability comes greater responsibility. If I can do more but choose to hide safely in the rear while my students face danger alone, wouldn't that be pathetic? And if I did that, what right would I have to continue serving as a role model for the children who admire me?"
The moment I finished speaking, a camera shutter clicked.
Chiaki, her face slightly red, had taken a photo of me.
Then came the sound of applause.
Mine, her eyes filled with respect, was expressing her approval of what I had said.
Makoto suddenly trembled all over.
The corners of her mouth rose upward.
"Keh keh keh... Keh keh keh keh keh! As expected of Sensei, you're absolutely right! Yes, yes, that's exactly it! In that case, this great one will come along as well..."
Before she could finish, I hurriedly stopped her.
"No. If you return to Gehenna, you'll definitely be able to accomplish more than you could at the Old Cathedral."
As long as she didn't actively sabotage Hina face-to-face, I'd already be thanking the heavens.
"...Alright. Since Sensei says so."
The chairwoman, whose enthusiasm had just flared up, hesitated for a moment before ultimately accepting my advice.
Just then, the boat finally reached the shore.