At the end of Chapter 35, Tomohashi wonders if there really is an illness in the land. He wonders if the people are divided along these lines, and he wonders what the cultist's statement sounded like. The people seem to be divided, he says, but he thinks it's probably a hoax. The staff tried to persuade the girl to stay, he thinks, and now he's under stand. He imagines that the staff's goal is to stoke the fear of the enemy, and if the enemy can provide a cure, the more fearful the people will be, and the more demand there will be for it. If cid can provide the cure, then there's a perfect supply and demand. He's sorry that haraguchi came all the way to wish him a "happy new year," but he can't sit idly by, he wonders. The leader of the cids is cautious, he explains, because he knows that the enemy has already won. If a careful man is walking alone into enemy territory, he'll be cautious. He says, "Is this some kind or sick joke, what the hell you're talking about?" The five rudimentists decide to put the decision to a vote. They're not going to face Selia again, they say, but they'll attack Selia while he tries to make the decision. They don't want to disband, they just want him to join their staff and help them in some way.