Academy’s PTSD Chaplain

40 – 40. Beast (5)

It had been a few days since I had a conversation with Father Pedro. During that time, my mind had been filled with thoughts about Father Giovanni’s fingers, and I had a strong desire to somehow overcome this frustrating situation. ‘Sophia, may I speak with you?’ ‘Yes?’ Sophia, who was diligently working in the professor’s office, turned to face me. I stared into her eyes. There are demons in the academy. Three of them, to be exact. Should I tell her this fact? I pondered while looking at Sophia.”

“…Let’s not talk about it.”

And so, the conclusion was to keep one’s mouth shut. There was no desire to spread stories about this incident unnecessarily, creating needless trouble.

Sophia Buje had just graduated from the Priest Academy, still in a somewhat fledgling state, if one were to be precise, merely a dreamer of the priesthood.

Given that one of the conditions for falling into the clutches of demons started with recognizing their existence, there was no intention to make her aware of the dangerous presence of demons.

Certainly, if a substitute for Buje was needed for the Kumaye ceremony, even if a priest appeared within the academy, there was no need to drag Sophia Buje into it. It would be better to conduct the ceremony with Priest Peter instead.

“Why did you call me?”

Lost in various thoughts, I suddenly found Sophia Buje stopping her work and staring at me intently.

I maintained a seemingly indifferent expression and spoke.

“It’s nothing. I apologize.”

“Head Priest, do you believe in a woman’s intuition?”

“… I don’t.”

“I do.”

Sophia Buje rose energetically from her seat, slowly approaching my desk. Her confident footsteps were intimidating.

“So, what’s the matter this time?”

“…”

“Ah, it must be something you find difficult to talk about?”

Does the intuition of women really exist? I became a little perplexed.

“It really is nothing.”

“Hmm….”

Her gaze piercing through me was uncomfortable. I discreetly turned my head and checked the clock on the wall.

“Oh, the time has already passed like this….”

Being caught up with Sophia Buje, I realized the time for my appointment with Priest Camilla for counseling was approaching. I quickly stood up from my chair.

“Oh, leaving like this?”

“…It’s not like that.”

“Alright. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

Ignoring the muffled sounds and closed eyes of Sophia Buje, I left the professor’s office.

* * * * *

The main hall of the academy’s chapel was still quiet. Only a few theology professors and students who were praying inside the chapel recognized me, nodding their heads and greeting me.

Acknowledging their greetings, I walked towards the Head Priest’s office.

The steps up the stairs were heavy. As I walked along the path to the Head Priest’s office, memories of my first meeting with Priest Camilla came to mind.

Today’s meeting, the second encounter with Sister Camilla.

It had been almost a month since our first meeting. I walked quickly, exhaling a deep sigh.

As I walked, two figures standing in front of the head priest’s office caught my eye. It was Brother Peter and Sister Camilla.

As I approached, Brother Peter, sensing my presence, turned his gaze towards me.

“Oh, Head Priest. Have you come?”

“Hello…”

Like Brother Peter, Sister Camilla lowered her head with a puzzled expression. I silently took out the key and opened the door to the head priest’s office.

“Please come in.”

“I’ll excuse myself.”

“Uh, excuse me…”

The head priest’s office hadn’t changed much from before. Sophia and I had come here discreetly to clean.

I started preparing tea naturally. I prepared my portion with a cheap tea bag, while Sister Camilla and Brother Peter brewed the high-quality tea that Professor Esther had reluctantly handed over earlier.

The aroma of tea gently wafted through the head priest’s office. I handed them their tea and took my portion, settling on the sofa.

“The tea is really good.”

“It’s nothing special.”

Brother Peter was enjoying the tea with a pleasant expression. After a bitter sip of tea, I turned my head towards Sister Camilla.

When our eyes met, Sister Camilla awkwardly rolled her eyes. I stared at her eyes intently.

“Sister Camilla.”

As I spoke, her body twitched slightly in surprise.

Seeing her reaction, my eyebrows narrowed slightly. I wasn’t about to devour her, so I wondered why she was reacting so sensitively.

“Yes.”

Sister Camilla hesitated before answering. I spoke calmly to her.

“You wanted to meet me, didn’t you?”

Sister Camilla nodded silently. I glanced at her complexion.

There were dark circles around her eyes, and shadows hung heavily beneath them. With slightly bloodshot eyes, her condition seemed similar to someone who hadn’t had enough rest in the past few days.

“Brother Peter roughly told me the situation, but I heard that you’re having trouble sleeping properly.”

“Yes. That’s right…”

Sister Camilla gripped her sleeves tightly. She looked somewhat unstable, as if she were afraid someone might be chasing her.

“Is that why you’re seeking counseling?”

“Yes. It’s similar.”

“First, could you explain what you’ve been through?”

Priestess Camilla took a sip of her tea. As the warm tea went in, she seemed to calm down a bit.

“I… participated in the Great War.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Oh, that…! What I just said, it was just a simple statement! I didn’t mean to insult you, Reverend Senior!”

I made a subtle expression. Her attitude, which was so audacious and lacked manners that it even seemed disrespectful, had truly changed surprisingly.

In truth, I didn’t have completely negative sentiments towards her. Ignoring other things, it was an undeniable fact that she had spoken insulting words to me without any hesitation or consideration.

However, that didn’t mean I had the intention to torment someone who was in such an anxious state. I wasn’t a narrow-minded adult or a naive child, nor was I a person who harbored hard feelings.

The timid expression she showed towards me was so unfamiliar. I spoke softly to her, trying to calm her down.

“I’m fine. Please continue with the story.”

“Ah… thank you. And, that incident… I was truly sorry for it. I sincerely apologize…”

“…Priestess Camilla, there has been no progress in the story. I really am fine, so please don’t worry too much.”

Her demeanor, which had become even more timid than I had imagined, was surprising. It was difficult to consider it a positive change. What had she gone through to change so obediently?

“Since the day I entered the academy, I have been plagued by auditory hallucinations every night.”

“Auditory hallucinations?”

Priestess Camilla nodded. I gestured with my chin for her to continue speaking.

“So… to put it more accurately, it’s the sounds I occasionally heard when I participated in the Great War… like the screams of the wounded soldiers. I keep hearing those sounds, and I can’t get a good night’s sleep because of it.”

“Hmm. Did this never happen before?”

“No. At that time, I saw many injuries that were difficult to even look at, and the shock was significant, but it wasn’t to the extent that I would have such aftereffects.”

She seemed a bit envious. How good would it have been if I was like that too. Without realizing it, my eyebrows furrowed a bit.

“Let’s move on from the story about the war as soon as possible.”

“Oh, yes. Well…”

To summarize her story, it went like this.

Every night, she hears auditory hallucinations. The sounds mainly consist of the screams of the wounded soldiers she heard during the Great War.

While it could be considered a factor that could arise from psychological trauma, it was the first case where these symptoms manifested years after the trauma occurred.

“But those aren’t simple hallucinations.”

“Not simple hallucinations?”

“…This is about something that happened last week.”

Priestess Camilla started her story with a serious expression. I withdrew my hand that was resting on my chin and began to focus on her words.

As I had conversations with her, I could understand.

Something smells. A very foul stench.

“That day, like usual, I was tossing and turning in bed because of auditory hallucinations. Unable to fall asleep, the hallucinations started again. However, it wasn’t the screams of the wounded this time; it was a different sound, the first time I heard something other than the cries of the injured.”

“What kind of sound was it?”

“The clattering of dishes, the sound of something hard being chewed, the cawing of crows… It seemed to be around that range.”

“…Three different sounds.”

“Yes.”

I gazed at Father Pedro, who was narrating the story as I lay there pretending to sleep. Father Pedro nodded with a serious expression.

The unidentified noise that Camila Sister heard was of three types.

And oddly enough, the estimated number of demons believed to still linger in the Chaldea Imperial Academy is precisely three.

Camila Sister’s story continued.

“And at that moment, when I turned around… there was something unidentifiable in my room. As soon as our eyes met, I woke up again.”

“So, are you saying that all happened in a dream?”

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“…I can’t be sure.”

“Where was it?”

“That… well…”

“…?”

Camila Sister’s reaction was a bit awkward. I asked her again.

“Where exactly was it in the dormitory room, do you remember?”

“Where was it…?”

“…In the living room?”

“No. It was in the bedroom…?”

“….”

The staff dormitory room had a layout with a bed placed in one corner of the spacious living room. There was no separate bedroom.

“Not in the living room, but in the bedroom, right?”

“Oh, the living room. Right. The living room.”

“Even in the living room, where exactly was it located?”

“Um…”

Camila Sister hesitated again. I couldn’t understand what she was so conflicted about.

After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly started glancing around the head priest’s office. Her finger pointed to a spot.

“What was the name of that…?”

“Is it about the wall clock?”

“Yes, that’s right. The wall clock.”

“Was it below it?”

Camilla nodded her head. I decided to rephrase the question.

“Um… it’s something whose identity cannot be known. Do you happen to remember what it looked like?”

“Um…”

Camilla priestess started scratching her head, pondering. I patiently waited for her answer.

“So… what did it look like…?”

“…Yes?”

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think there was such a thing.”

……

I gazed into Camilla priestess’s eyes, motionless. Her pupils were also staring straight at me.

It was a completely different sight from her timid attitude before.

I glanced at priest Peter. He was still nodding his head with a serious expression.

I looked back at Camilla. She was still glaring at me.

I looked at priest Peter again. He was nodding his head with a serious expression.

…I hadn’t made any gestures, actions, or said anything.

He was simply nodding his head. Slowly. At a steady pace, neither slow nor too fast.

“…Let’s end the counseling session here for today.”

“Already?”

Camilla priestess pouted as if disappointed. I nodded and showed them out.

“We should continue the counseling session next time. Something urgent has come up for me.”

“Oh… I guess we can’t help it.”

Even priest Peter, who expressed regret, got up from his seat. After they left, I bid them farewell with my usual expression.

As naturally as possible.

Camilla priestess had a very regretful expression until the very end.

“Well then, we’ll be going now.”

“Please counsel us again next time.”

I silently nodded. Priest Peter and Camilla priestess finally left for the dormitory.

……

I headed back to the head priest’s room. My steps quickened.

Thud! Click.

After returning to the head priest’s room, I swiftly closed and locked the door. A quiet stillness enveloped the room.

I slowly lifted the sleeves of my priestly robe. As I brushed my skin, a shiver ran through me, conveying a subtle, chilling sensation.

I muttered softly.

“…It’s not three; it’s four.”

Though it went against my will, I now needed Sophia’s assistance.

Because the time given to us was not abundant.

Suddenly, I glanced at the wall clock. The clock hands pointed to 2:59 PM.

It was just before three.