Kayama Esumi: The Vanished Sculpture

The novice sister, Utazumi Sakurako, had a tendency to be oblivious to school rumors and current trends, perhaps because her activities were strictly limited to the Cathedral.

This was no mere exaggeration; she didn't even know who Kayama Esumi was—a figure who was a common topic of conversation among both upperclassmen and her peers—until she met her in person.

That said, there were plenty of students from non-elite backgrounds who, like Sakurako, were ignorant of Esumi's fame, so it wasn't as if Sakurako alone was abnormal.

However, after meeting the famous Esumi and even experiencing the thrill of being an art model, Sakurako—who was usually in charge of counseling general students at the Cathedral—found that many of Esumi's die-hard fans, obsessive admirers, or students eager to get close to her began flocking to the Cathedral seeking her advice.

In a sense, it had a significant impact on the Sisterhood's original operations.

Of course, Sakurako herself didn't know Esumi well enough to offer confident advice to others. But it was an undeniable fact that she had made contact with a girl considered one of the top five most famous students in the academy, and had even been scouted by her in public as an art model.

Thanks to this, rumors within the Sisterhood became wildly exaggerated: "She managed to captivate that Kayama Esumi!!" or "The promising rookie who approached the lone wolf Esumi, who belongs to no faction, and won her trust!!" Consequently, she garnered strong respect from those around her. Unbeknownst to Sakurako, she was currently climbing the organizational ladder faster than anyone else.

If there were one thing to correct, it would be that at the time, Sakurako, not knowing much about Esumi, had simply called out to her intending to help a student who seemed to be in trouble (a misunderstanding, as it turned out). She surely never imagined it would later work out so well for her.

And today, Sakurako was once again deepening her interaction with Esumi.

"Esumi-san. Judging by the material, this document seems to be about 50 years old. Please handle it with the utmost care."

"I see. I'll be careful."

"And this document is... oh, it's quite aged and worn. Since this damage is due to natural degradation over time, we will handle it on our end. Please continue with your work, Esumi-san."

"Thank you."

While carefully checking the lists and materials detailing the artwork one by one, Sakurako consistently responded to problems and procedures without hesitation.

She was just as efficient with Kio and Cheri, the vice-presidents working away from her, and she was so capable that they would occasionally approach her seeking guidance. Occasionally chatting and sometimes being taught art trivia by them, Sakurako found herself feeling quite comfortable during this time.

(Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun. Especially Esumi-san... she usually wears such a composed expression, but she has been letting her eyes sparkle with excitement... so even Esumi-san shows that kind of expression when it comes to art.)

She had heard from close sisters and students that Kayama Esumi was a huge art enthusiast.

Since she was a successful painter by trade, it was only natural that she liked art. However, some people used descriptions like "abnormal" or "crazy"—making it hard to tell if it was praise or an insult—so Sakurako had never been sure of the truth.

Furthermore, when Sakurako had collaborated on her creative activities as an art model, Esumi had always worn a serious expression as she moved her brush across the canvas. At the time, it didn't seem like the face of someone who was just a fan; Sakurako had mistakenly thought she was approaching art purely as a "job."

But look at her now.

She was letting out smiles and letting her eyes sparkle while holding the documents, revealing a cute, girl-like side appropriate for her age. Given how maturely she usually behaved, it seemed that even she couldn't hide her true self when it came to the art she loved.

Seeing this, the reputation of her being a "huge art enthusiast" finally made sense.

"...Esumi-san. Do you have a moment?"

Just as Sakurako's consciousness was beginning to drift away in the warm, hazy atmosphere, Kio, who had been digging through the materials some distance away, suddenly approached Esumi.

"Honme, what is it?"

The girl wearing a monocle with an eyepatch over her left eye laid several documents in front of Esumi, saying, "Could you take a look at this first?"

They were documents detailing artwork recorded several decades ago. Judging by the paper quality and condition, they weren't too damaged to handle, but that wasn't what Kio wanted to discuss.

"In this list of works organized by era, there are some whose records clearly stop abruptly in the middle."

"...Let me see."

Esumi stared at Kio with a suspicious look, then followed her instructions and glared at the documents. Beside them, Sakurako stopped her work and shifted her gaze, wondering what was going on.

"...You're right, Honme. Looking at the years recorded here... to be precise, starting from over a century ago, the Trinity Cathedral completely stopped managing 'sculptures' altogether."

"Sculptures... is it? Um, was there a problem with that?"

When Sakurako asked the question, Kio began to explain.

"The old records we've confirmed so far go back several hundred years... from that time until today, the Cathedral has purchased and managed a vast number of artworks. Paintings, stained glass, sculptures, columns, decorated furniture... all of them were regularly inspected and preserved, and records have been kept to this day..."

Kio exhaled in admiration, continuing, "The thoroughness of the Sisterhood's inventory management is truly impressive."

"But at a certain point, there were works that were suddenly no longer managed, let alone newly acquired."

"That would be the sculptures you mentioned earlier, right?"

"Yes. In the first place, for a church to manage and display sculptures is to spread faith in God... or to propagate doctrine to the believers. Often, sculptures are also commissioned to honor the heroism of church officials or clergy. Either way, the relationship between a church and sculpture should be strong... yet, the connection was suddenly severed without warning. It is only natural for those gifted in the arts to be suspicious of this fact."

"You might not know, Utazumi, since this is your first time meeting her, but Honme is a brilliant sculptor attached to the Sanctus branch. Compared to Otaru and me, who work primarily as painters, her knowledge and experience related to sculpture are far superior. If someone like her feels that something is wrong... then this must be a rare and special case."

"I am truly honored to hear you say that, Esumi-san. But you yourself... weren't you suspicious about this matter from the beginning?"

"Eh? Is that so, Esumi-san?"

Although inventory management was technically outside Sakurako's jurisdiction, more than half a year had passed since she began her activities as a member of the Sisterhood.

Compared to Sakurako, she was surprised to hear that Esumi—who was not even part of the organization—had been suspicious about the sculptures from the start.

"Fufu, it's nothing to be so surprised about. A long time ago... the very first time I spoke with you, you told me about the area where statues used to be displayed, didn't you?"

"Ah... y-yes. I remember mentioning that... could it be that Esumi-san had been suspicious since then?"

"Suspicion might be the wrong word. More like a sense of incompatibility. If statues were displayed in the Cathedral in the past, why not display them again? Even if they were to switch to displaying paintings, if you consider the trouble of purchasing and managing new works, just bringing back the old ones would be enough."

"In other words, combining these documents with Esumi-san's statement, it means that the Sisterhood, or the Cathedral, decided to completely let go of sculpture works due to 'certain circumstances' in the past."

Sakurako, who was sitting in a chair, clasped her hands on her lap and spoke in a fearful tone.

"Does that mean... the Sisterhood was involved in something they couldn't make public in the past, and may have tried to destroy the evidence...?"

"Hmm... I certainly thought of that at first, too. But the Sisterhood is originally a group dedicated to charity work and counseling students, so it's an organization that inevitably keeps many secrets. I can't rule out the possibility that they were involved in something they couldn't make public, but I honestly find it hard to believe they could keep it a secret for so long."

"No organization or person can keep a secret for very long. The Sanctus branch I belong to just last year... ah, that has nothing to do with you, Sakurako-san."

"...Well, that's why there's no need to feel uneasy about the Sisterhood's affairs. If anything, this seems more likely to be caused by religious reasons..."

As Esumi shrugged, Kio and Cheri nodded slightly in response. However, Sakurako, who didn't fully grasp the situation, just tilted her head.

"Religious reasons... is it?"

"Yes. In the first place, the main reason sculptures are displayed in a Cathedral is for faith in God and the spread of doctrine, as Honme explained earlier. This means that for believers and the general public, all sculptures in the Cathedral are seen as 'objects to be worshipped.' You understand this, don't you?"

"Y-yes... as a sister, I have learned the basics of the Bible and clerical knowledge... If I saw sculptures modeled after clergy, I might have treated them as objects of faith like everyone else."

Hearing this, Esumi crossed her arms on the desk with a stern expression.

"Then, what if worshipping sculptures was a 'mistake' in the first place?"

"...!? E-Esumi-san!! That means...!?"

As someone who works in an organization most sensitive to religious issues and delicate matters, Sakurako probably sensed what she was getting at. Kio continued the conversation in Esumi's place.

"It would be what is called [Idolatry]. In a religion where the idea that God is unique and singular prevails, it is unacceptable to offer faith to anything other than God. If that is the case, one could not rule out the possibility that voices were raised—both inside and outside the Sisterhood—that displaying sculptures created in the form of icons in the church was wrong from the start. Based on those circumstances, they abandoned the management of all sculptures and prohibited handling them... that theory seems the most plausible for now."

"Then does that mean the Sisterhood underwent a large-scale religious reformation in the past? But I, as a sister, have never heard of such a thing...!!"

In the first place, if the Sisterhood, based in Trinity General Academy—a school with a long history—had carried out such a large-scale reformation in the past, the autonomous district operated by students would have been in a state of chaos, including politics related to religion.

It would have been an event recorded in the very history of Trinity.

However, not only Sakurako but Esumi and the others—despite being born in Trinity—had never been taught in history class that such an event had occurred in the past. Kio seemed well aware of that, too, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course, the previous example is just one plausible theory. It is possible that a religious problem did arise, but it collapsed before it could reach the public eye... If there is another plausible theory... let's see, perhaps there was a problem with the sculptures themselves?"

"A problem with the works themselves? In other words, there was something about the sculptures that made it impossible to keep displaying them."

"Yes. I don't know how much you know about the field of sculpture, Sakurako-san, but there are various materials used in production. Wood, stone, bronze, clay. The materials of sculptures generally displayed in churches are broadly divided into two: stone and bronze."

Then, Kio pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pencil from somewhere and began to draw something for Sakurako. She first drew a rectangular square (presumably stone), drew an arrow to the side, and showed a simple statue next to it.

"Could you think of this rectangle as stone for now? First, when creating a sculpture using stone, we prepare a large stone like this. Next, we use tools to carve away the excess. In recent years, crushing and carving stone has become machine-dependent, but I use a chisel in the old-fashioned way. I continue to carve the stone steadily until the work I desire is finished... in the art industry, this method is called carving."

Kio continued to draw a new statue, drew another arrow to the side, then drew a picture dividing the statue, and added a depiction of something like liquid dripping from it.

"This time, it's a sculpture using bronze. We create a hollow work to inject the bronze into in advance. This is the stage called the 'mold.' The material used at this point is clay. After leaving it to dry for a while, we cut it in half and pour the liquefied bronze inside... the solidified result is a sculpture called a [bronze statue]. By the way, this method is called casting in the industry."

"I-I see. Sculpture is so profound..."

To Sakurako, who was not very familiar with art, it was an overwhelming amount of knowledge, but it was educational to learn that sculpture methods and materials differed so much.

"Now, a question for a novice like you. Of the two I just explained, which is better suited for 'preservation'? Can you guess?"

"Preservation... that would be the bronze statue using casting, right? Metal is the material, and it is far superior in durability compared to stone."

Even today, simple bronze statues are placed throughout cities and everywhere else, and while there is the problem of "rusting" because it is metal, the durability itself should be impeccable.

Then, Kio showed a meaningful smile and clapped her hands.

"Half correct. In reality, sculptures created by carving can also have no problems with durability if granite or marble are used as materials. However, their weakness is that they are vulnerable to physical impact."

"Oh? Then, if we think comprehensively, wouldn't it be easier for an artist to create works primarily out of bronze, which is durable and physically resilient, to leave works for future generations?"

It was a frank opinion from someone not well-versed in art, but while Esumi smiled as if she found it interesting, Kio puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"...That is enough, Sakurako-san. Since this is an opportunity, I will explain it in detail, shall I?"

"Eh, y-yes!!"

Because Kio approached with a truly intense look, Sakurako reflexively straightened her posture and replied.

"It may be that bronze wins on the single point of preservation! However, in terms of expression, stone sculptures using marble have advantages that bronze does not!! After all, marble has subsurface scattering similar to human skin!! Because of this, it can create depth and three-dimensionality close to a living human body that other stone or metal cannot express!! In the first place, sculpture using stone materials is a traditional method that has been used since ancient times and—"

"Yes, yes, that's enough of the otaku behavior of passionately explaining things you like. Sakurako-san is troubled... hey, calm down, calm down."

Cheri, who had come by at some point, restrained Kio from behind and pulled her away, seemingly having triggered some kind of anger in the sculptor.

"...Sorry. She has a personality where she occasionally runs wild when it comes to sculpture... you were surprised, right?"

"N-no. Because I spoke unnecessarily as a novice, I made Kio-san uncomfortable... I am very sorry."

"No, Usumi is not to blame, not at all... In the first place, it's my fault for letting her explain, that one."

As Esumi sighed with exhaustion and turned her gaze into the distance, Kio, who was still being restrained by Cheri, was engaged in a heated argument with her. Given the difference in their physiques, Cheri was overwhelmingly dominant, so Kio was not released from the restraint at all, even though she was struggling in various ways.

(I'll just ignore them for now...)

Although she shared her love for art, Kio had a passion for sculpture that sometimes went overboard. If you made a positive comment, she would happily talk about it, but if you made a negative one, she had a fierce side where she would want to talk about the wonder of sculpture with a demonic expression.

She was essentially a "sculpture extremist otaku," and yet, she was relatively tolerant of close friends and acquaintances, so Esumi had fortunately never seen her flip her lid.

Well, she had been talking to Sakurako, who tended to inadvertently give the wrong impression to others. She didn't know what misunderstanding had occurred, but Kio probably thought her beloved stone sculptures were being mocked.

This was entirely the responsibility of "President" Esumi, who had not considered their lack of compatibility. Although, Kio shouldn't have held any misunderstandings if she had used her "eyes"... well, what's done is done.

"...Then let's return to the topic. I think you've heard about the differences and advantages of sculpture types, but they both have a common problem... that is 'acid rain'."

"Acid rain?"

"Yes. Bronze statues that use bronze will have the metal melt and look like they are sweating if exposed for a long time, and sculptures made of marble or the like will rather lose their original luster and melt... even more so if they were displayed outdoors. There is nothing to be done for sculptures that have already been damaged by this..."

"Then, is another one of the plausible theories you were talking about that they abandoned sculpture management due to the damage from acid rain?"

Esumi smiled bitterly, as if in trouble.

"Looking at the documents, the sculptures were managed a long time ago. Given the knowledge and technology of the time, I don't think they were appropriately preserved against acid rain, so they may have been forced to remove them and banned purchasing sculptures altogether. Also, back then there was no photography technology, so there was no way to confirm the condition of past works... I think it's a theory that isn't impossible."

"I see... However, both the religious reformation matter and the acid rain matter are plausible reasons, but..."

Understanding what Sakurako wanted to say, Esumi smiled and nodded slightly.

"...Well, in the end, it's just a part of the selfish speculation of an outsider who doesn't know the full details. There is no way to know what happened to the Sisterhood in the past, and of course, I don't intend to ask about it... It's just that since Honme, who excels at sculpture, is in the Art Club, I'm concerned about whether it's okay to display sculptures in the Cathedral today, so that her excellent talent can be displayed..."

"...Um, in that case."

Just then, Sakurako raised her hand quietly with an expression as if she had thought of something. Esumi urged her to continue without a word.

"...If it's alright with you, that problem... I might be able to solve it."

"...Is that, for real?"

Because words she hadn't expected to hear had come out, Esumi replied in a daze, and Kio and Cheri, who were arguing in the distance, both stopped moving as soon as they heard her words.

"Yes. Please leave everything to this Utazumi Sakurako. I will certainly be of help to everyone."

Having delivered the perfect line filled with confidence and compassion, Sakurako smiled and bowed deeply.

《1-2》

An unexpected helping hand from Sakurako.

It was extremely simple: by meeting directly with the current leader of the Sisterhood, she would ask why the sculptures were no longer managed and whether it was okay to display works involving Kio, the sculptor, in the Cathedral in the future.

Of course, the idea hadn't occurred to Esumi and the others, but they were hesitant to pry into things that had happened in the past to the Sisterhood, which possessed military and organizational power equal to that of the Tea Party.

In particular, the Sisterhood was an organization that inevitably held a lot of classified information, so intruding too deeply would have been very rude.

They couldn't afford to spread bad rumors because of Esumi's excess curiosity just as they were finally restarting the new Art Club without belonging to any faction.

Therefore, the proposal from Sakurako, a member of the Sisterhood itself, was most welcome. It was truly worthy of being called "salvation."

Well, regarding the result of the face-to-face with the current leader of the Sisterhood... it ended successfully.

Of course, the other side didn't know the exact reason why the sculpture works were no longer managed after a certain era, so unfortunately, they couldn't resolve all of Esumi's questions. But because of the idea that the past is the past, they gave permission for the exhibition of sculpture works in the future.

Beyond that, they were granted free access to various areas of the Cathedral excluding prohibited zones and were allowed to borrow some of the artwork managed by the Cathedral—it was a total harvest that left Esumi and the others very satisfied.

At this point, one might think that other proposals or concessions should have been made from the beginning, not just the provision of art materials, but the Sisterhood hadn't even realized that the sculptures were no longer being managed. As a result, thanks to Esumi's mention, the Sisterhood's awareness of art became more proactive.

"Whatever happened in the past, sculpture is also one of the important elements that connects art, the church, and faith. However, the fact that we were unable to recognize that fact for so long is a result of the Sisterhood's own low awareness of art... thanks to Esumi-san and the members of the Art Club, we were able to reaffirm the connection between art and religion even further. Thank you."

So said the current leader of the Sisterhood, who could be described as a beautiful, pristine woman.

Esumi felt that considering this strange world where only students operated the autonomous district and the school, it was inevitable that such complex circumstances and discrepancies in perception would arise.

Since they can only attend school for three years, it is not rare for things that should be inherited not to be, and for only wrong perceptions and misunderstandings to remain for future generations.

Perhaps, after all, the intervention of reliable adults is essential in matters like these.

As she looked forward to the visit of the "protagonist" of the original Blue Archive story who would eventually come, Esumi replied with a rejection to the current leader, who was casually trying to recruit her by saying, "By the way, if you don't mind, Esumi-san, why don't you work under us in the Sisterhood in the future? I think you could become a good sister..."

《1-3》

"So... despite ending the meeting with the top of the Sisterhood, why are we still lingering in the Cathedral?"

Kio, who was perhaps an indoor type who didn't want to go out much, and who already had an expression of fatigue, threw the words at Esumi.

"Since we came all the way to the Cathedral, we have free access to the areas, and I thought I'd do some sightseeing while we're here."

"Sightseeing, huh... looking left and right, it's just earnest believers who worship God and sisters... We are really standing out from those around us. I wonder if we can really go sightseeing like this."

"Kio. Master is one of the most prominent painters not only in Trinity but in Kivotos, right? Sightseeing as Master calls it is surely an act to collect information and gain inspiration that is essential for creation. We must learn that spirit as budding artists!!"

"...No, it's really just sightseeing, okay?"

"You should stop that believer-move where you assume every single word and action of Esumi-san is correct and meaningful. To speak clearly, it is a nuisance to the person herself. Besides, I am not a budding artist; I am already an accomplished one... hah, I had expectations as the famous Kayama Esumi's only disciple, but in reality, you're just a fool whose only strength is your height and who has no awareness of your surroundings."

"Wh-what!? You're rude!! I am the one-and-only first disciple whose talent was recognized by Master, you know!! You who remain as Master's subordinate as just a vice-president of the Art Club—I understand Master better than you!! You seem to have sharpened your personality too much from carving all that stone you love!!"

"My, my, that's fine. If you want a fight, I'll gladly accept it!!"

As soon as she said that, Kio (under 160cm) and Cheri (170cm) started glaring at each other with their faces close together.

Although there was a difference in their heights, Kio spread the wings she possessed to the maximum to intimidate her opponent, while Cheri stood tall as if to appeal to her own good physique. In terms of impact, neither was losing.

Rather, for Esumi, the sight was quite heartwarming, like a bird and a cat playing, but it was by no means an act to be performed in public.

This was inside the Cathedral.

"...Both of you, if you're going to fight, I'm leaving you behind, okay?"

Esumi, exposed to the curious eyes of those around her, stained her ears slightly red with embarrassment, and waited for a reaction from the two who still wouldn't stop.

But unfortunately, sensing that there was no sign of them stopping, she decided it was embarrassing to stay there any longer, so she reluctantly chose to leave the two behind and walk away.

"In the first place, you're in the Sanctus branch and I'm in the Filius branch!! Originally, we are political rivals who glare at each other!! I heard you say you were scouted by Master and all that, but didn't you decide to join the club with the intention of using every trick in the book to pull Master into the Sanctus branch!? Besides, I heard that you have a policy of not doing anything that doesn't benefit your branch!! So tell me, what on earth is your purpose!?"

"Hah, if you're going to say that, Cheri-san, I heard that although you belong to the Filius branch, the only one you pledge loyalty to is Kirifuji Nagisa-sama, right? I wonder if someone who works under an individual rather than a branch can really be trusted as a member of an organization? If Nagisa-sama herself requested it, you would immediately restrain Esumi-san, send her to her, and end up confining her, right?"

"Wh-what!? Th-th-that means, if I confined her, Nagisa-sama and Master would always be together just the two of them!? ...What is that, are they living together? Living together, right!? Isn't confinement the best!?"

"Wait a second!! I said that as a joke, but honestly, that way of thinking is gross, you know!?"

"I know it's gross myself, perfectly well!!"

"Then stop saying it out loud!! This is the Cathedral, you know!?"

While desperately ignoring the existence of the two younger students who were still heated, with the topic of the argument always being about herself, and while still being looked at with curiosity by those around her, Esumi, feeling her ears and cheeks getting hotter and hotter, took out her smartphone and opened MomoTalk.

The person she sent the talk to was Kirifuji Nagisa.

'Sorry. Because of Otaru, strange rumors might spread, so could you confine her in your workroom for a while later and make her reflect... Also, you don't have to believe the strange rumors.'

'Confinement? Rumors? Um, what does that mean? What on earth is happening there?'

'Ignorance is bliss, Kirifuji.'

'Esumi-san!?'

Immediately after, the sound of an incoming call from Nagisa began to ring, but Esumi ignored even that and walked away as if fleeing from the scene.