Academy’s PTSD Chaplain

52 – Yearly Training (1)

Father Matteo left the academy. It had been exactly ten days since he first visited the academy.

I urged Father Matteo to stay a little longer. I wanted to have a deeper conversation with him, especially delving into his thoughts on ‘life.’

However, Father Matteo firmly declined my proposal, hurrying his return to the Holy Empire.

“If the return of relics like the censer of Saint Hieronymus and the mantle of Saint Thérèse is delayed, His Holiness the Pope will be greatly concerned.”

With those words, there was nothing I could say.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

Father Matteo smiled warmly and bid farewell. Beside him, Father Pietro and Sister Camilla did the same.

“We’ll be heading back now, Head Priest.”

Although Father Pietro’s complexion looked a bit worn as he bid farewell, seeing him in good health, I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

I had been silently worrying about their health during this time.

“Yes. Thank you for everything.”

Looking intently at Father Pietro, I said those words.

The night walk with Father Pietro and the conversations we had during that time felt more precious than anything.

“…Thank you for everything.”

This time, it was Sister Camilla bidding farewell. I turned my gaze to her.

Her distinct sharp eyes remained, but unlike before, there was less of an edgy expression. It was more like a slightly softened cat.

Whatever happened, it was a good change. I smiled slightly and sincerely blessed her future.

“I pray that the grace of the Lord accompanies Sister Camilla’s future journey.”

“That, I suppose I shouldn’t…”

“In that case, I won’t.”

“…….”

Her expression sharpened once again. It seems that even after making a joke, people don’t easily change their nature.

“It was just a joke.”

“…Anyway, I will go see. I hope we can meet again next time.”

“If our destinies intertwine, won’t we eventually meet?”

“Well…”

Priest Camilla chuckled. Her eyes curved and a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Maybe we will.”

I stared at Priest Camilla’s face for a long time.

There were still many stories I wanted to share with her. What direction is the empire heading in now? How are the people who left the empire and concealed their faces doing?

And, what was the relationship between Helena and I?

It was the most important question, but at the same time, the question that required the most caution.

That’s why, in the end, I didn’t ask. I wasn’t delicate enough to ask that question and to hear the answer.

“Priest Camilla. We should start to…”

“…Then, we really should go. We’re running out of time for the train.”

“Aww… I wanted to talk a little more…”

Sophia, who was standing next to me, sniffled. Being the only person from the empire in the academy, she seemed a bit homesick.

Priest Camilla and Priest Pedro also looked at Sophia with pitying expressions. Priest Matteo’s expression became slightly tense.

“Everyone, we can’t delay any longer.”

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“Oh. I’m sorry. Then, we’ll truly go now.”

“See you later, Miss Sophia.”

After finishing the short farewell with Sophia, the three priests were finally able to turn their backs to the academy. I watched their retreating figures for a long time.

“We’ll be able to meet again, right…?”

Just like me, Sophia, who was gazing wistfully at their backs, asked. I murmured softly.

“Connections are something we create ourselves.”

“What?”

“Isn’t the winter in the empire beautiful?”

I had also been considering a journey to the empire for Sophia’s sake. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“But the Holy Empire….”

Sophia, who had been looking at me for a moment, couldn’t continue her words. However, I could roughly infer what she was going to say.

In the Holy Empire, where painful memories linger, would it be wise to venture there voluntarily?

“I, too, now want to explore what life is.”

I replied in that manner.

Sophia seemed not to have heard my murmurs.

* * * * *

It felt like just yesterday that I attended the Academy’s entrance ceremony, but in the blink of an eye, May passed, signaling the end of spring.

So, without realizing it, summer had arrived. I looked at the calendar on the desk in the professor’s office.

June.

It was the starting line for summer, when the scorching sun began to spread its wings.

It was an indescribable feeling. I had worried about how well I, along with other students, would adapt to the Academy’s bustling atmosphere, but time laughed at those pointless concerns, flowing swiftly.

As much time had passed, the environment around me, including myself, had changed rapidly.

Firstly, I had stopped paying much attention to Chloe.

There didn’t seem to be any benefit in getting involved with the protagonist of this novel, and seeing Chloe, who was already carving her own path, made it seem unnecessary for me to intervene.

There were many other changes in various aspects, but if I had to pick the most significant one…

“Hee, it’s hot….”

It was the deadly heat that was brewing Sophia’s broth in real-time.

Sophia, with drooping energy, exhaled hot breath over the desk. With just one breath, the air inside the professor’s office felt as if it were heating up.

“Father Priestess… It’s too hot….”

I gazed gently at the languid Sophia. Her figure, devoid of any vitality, reminded me of a soft-bodied creature, like a squid.

“I’m hot too.”

“Ugh…. Liar…. Father Priestess, you don’t look hot at all….”

Sophia grumbled. It felt unjust for me.

I, too, wasn’t completely unaffected by the heat. However, my body strangely didn’t succumb to the warmth as much.

On the contrary, due to my strong aversion to the cold, I vividly remembered shivering intensely during the winter when the Great War broke out.

“It’s hot…. So hot….! It’s too hot! Incredibly hot…!”

It had only been a short while since June began, but the sun, high in the sky, was bestowing an insane amount of sunlight, causing the Academy to simmer.

Sophia seemed to have a particularly heat-sensitive constitution, so it wasn’t incomprehensible that she was making a fuss.

“This… This is undoubtedly a punishment from the Lord…!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Sniff…! Of all times, the air conditioner had to break down…. It’s ridiculous….”

Sophia Subje glared at the closed air conditioner with a resentful gaze. Despite her fiery stare, the air conditioner cruelly maintained its silence.

“They said they need to check the air conditioners throughout the academy, so there’s nothing we can do. Since Archbishop gave permission for summer attire, please bear with it for now.”

Priest robes, to be precise, there were no short-sleeved garments in the clergy.

In other words, it meant that there was no designated attire specifically for the summer. Traditional organizations still tend to enforce the obligation of wearing priest robes.

Strictly speaking, priests wearing attire other than priest robes violates the doctrine.

However, attire is something that evolves over time. Priest robes were no exception.

In certain lethally hot areas during the summer, under the discretion of the archdiocese, clad in white garments or shirts with white culottes. In other words, shirts with Roman collars could be worn.

Unfortunately, the summer in this region of the kingdom was particularly scorching.

Because of this, Sophia and I were wearing short-sleeved shirts with culottes under the permission of the archdiocese.

Walking around in short-sleeved shirts may feel refreshing, but without the civilization of an air conditioner, it would be pointless.

Fortunately, today was a day without classes. If we had to carry textbooks for class and walk to the lecture hall even on a day like this, Sophia might not have returned to her human form forever.

“I want to eat a refreshing ice cream….”

Sophia Subje murmured softly as if she had given up. I stopped my work and put down my pen.

“Ice cream….”

That familiar name came to mind out of nowhere. Ice cream.

That food easily tasted in modern civilization was one of the things I wanted to eat the most in the early days of my transmigration.

Come to think of it, when I first transmigrated into this novel, I had all sorts of thoughts.

On rainy days, I craved makgeolli and pajeon, and on hot days like today, I longed for refreshing carbonated drinks or ice cream.

Now, it has been over ten years, and I don’t feel anything special, to be honest.

It’s not like there weren’t carbonated drinks or ice cream in this world.

I simply thought that I was adapting to this world and living my own life.

“Life….”

It had been a week since Priest Mateo left, but our conversations were still fresh in my mind.

“Well, I don’t know if this place is another world from the novel anymore.”

This place truly felt no different from reality for me. It even felt like life on Earth had come to me on wings of imagination.

I had already lost touch with my true self.

“…Im Saje! Head Priest Im!”

Suddenly, I snapped out of my reverie. Sophia Subje, who had come closer without me realizing, was staring at me, sweat dripping down her face.

“I’m listening. Sophia-subje.”

“There’s going to be an intergrade duel this year. In relation to that, I just received a message that a meeting for the academy professors will be held. I think Headmaster Saje-nim should also attend.”

“…A meeting, you say?”

It was unexpected. I was aware that the annual intergrade duel at the Kaldia Imperial Academy was going to take place. But for there to suddenly be a meeting?

“…I’m not quite sure either, but it seems that there have been some changes to the rules for this year’s intergrade duel.”

“….”

Anxiety swept over me. I slowly stood up from my seat.

“Where will the meeting be held?”

“It’s in the third conference room in the main building.”

“Is it happening right now?”

“Um… I heard it will be held in two hours.”

I glanced at my watch. If it’s in two hours, then it’s probably after lunch.

“…First, we should have lunch.”

“Heh… The cafeteria must be a little cooler, right?”

With a glimmer of hope in her eyes, Sophia-subje and I made our way to the cafeteria.

It didn’t take long.