Academy’s PTSD Chaplain

56 – 56. Grade-by-Grade Sparring (5)

Laura von Adelheid opened her notebook.

The pages, flipping swiftly, were filled with notes from the previous class. If someone were to see it, they would be amazed.

Of course, this was a natural occurrence for Laura, who was recognized as one of the top students at the Caldian Imperial Academy. The corners of her lips twitched.

“…Did you see that?”

It was because Professor Antonelli’s gaze brushed past her. Laura subtly adjusted the angle of her notebook so that he could see it better.

However, Professor Antonelli’s gaze was already elsewhere. Laura frowned slightly.

“Tch…”

Without realizing it, Laura clicked her tongue and then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. It was an impolite action. It was hard for her to understand why she was acting this way.

No, in fact, she knew better than anyone. Laura recalled the past incident.

– I dare say. Among the assignments we reviewed today, the one submitted by student Adeleheid…. Without a doubt, it’s the best.

“Mmm…”

The rough voice that came with a faint smile. Although it had already been more than a month, the vivid memory still lingered in Laura’s mind, causing her body to tremble.

To be recognized by the person who broke through the barrier of learning, be it a magic tutor, her parents, or anyone else… It was truly a feeling that was hard to put into words.

That’s why she wanted to be acknowledged by Professor Antonelli once again. Even if it was in a small way, she wanted to experience that exhilarating feeling again.

Yes, Laura thirsted for Professor Antonelli’s praise.

However, to her dismay, Professor Antonelli did not look in the direction where Laura was sitting. Out of sheer pettiness, Laura changed the angle of her notebook so that he couldn’t possibly see the content.

“Hmph… I won’t show it either.”

Ignoring Laura’s behavior, Professor Antonelli began to speak.

“Until last time, we were covering the topic of Demonology.”

It was the start of a serious lesson. Laura’s expression, which had been sullen, changed in an instant. The same applied to the other students.

Their gazes were concentrated on one place. Naturally, Professor Antonelli stood at the end.

“So, now you should have a grasp of what demons are… I believe you should have a sense of it.”

The students nodded their heads. Some of them even shouted, “Yes!”

Professor Antonelli continued speaking.

“Now, all of you should have the minimum requirements necessary for studying Spiritual Theology. That’s how I see it.”

Spiritual Theology. The students recalled when they first started the Demonology class.

– Spiritual Theology. Originally, I had intended to lecture on that…. Unfortunately, it seems there isn’t a single student who properly understands what spirituality is.

“Okay. Professor Antonelli clearly said such things. At that time, there were also students who dissected those words. Most of them were theology students.

“From today, we take a step toward spiritual theology,” he said.

Professor Antonelli’s words were another small affirmation, just like when he presented the first task. The students nodded satisfactorily.

“In fact, the word ‘spirituality’ itself can have infinite meanings. As I mentioned when I first brought up spiritual theology, it permeates all aspects of daily life.”

Professor Antonelli gave various examples. The totality of a person’s faith, or the faith of a community, divine wisdom bestowed by the Lord, or moral and values based on the Bible and faith in the Lord, and so on.

“There are truly many. Isn’t that so?”

The students nodded their heads, barely managing. Their heads already hurt.

“It’s too difficult. It’s a bit difficult to understand the content. However, this is the story before learning demonology.”

If they had learned demonology, the story would be different. How exactly?

The students wondered. Their expressions became confused.

“For example, let’s see. If there is anyone who has witnessed the presence of a demon or has indirectly come into contact with one, please raise your hand.”

Of course, no one did. The existence of a demon was not something easily witnessed, and unless they were insane, there was no way a student could have come into contact with a demon.

“No one. The reason you are aware of the existence of demons is because until recently, I personally taught a course on demonology. Of course, there are still students who do not believe.”

Several students flinched or even nodded.

Most of them were students from the School of Magic. Since the field of magic itself involves reason and rationality, it was not unreasonable for them to find it difficult to believe in the uncertain existence of demons.

“I understand. Whether you believe in the existence of demons or not, it is not important now. However…”

Sophia Busje, who had been downstairs in thought, appeared on stage holding something that had been lying on the floor. The students’ gaze shifted to her.

It was a wooden box about the size of a person’s face. The lid had a round hole, making it seem possible to insert one’s hand inside at any time.

Professor Antonelli, who received the box from Sophia Busje, pointed to it and spoke.

“Would you all please look at this box?”

The students’ gaze was already focused. Professor Antonelli continued speaking.

“There is a demon inside this box.”

“….”

Silence fell in the lecture hall. The students did not even open their mouths. They just stared blankly at Professor Antonelli holding the box.

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After a while, the students who had absorbed his words into their minds began to doubt if their ears were playing tricks on them. They kept touching their ears and frowned.

“…Hey, I didn’t hear wrong, did I?”

“He said there’s a demon inside…. Did I hear that right?”

“What is this? April Fool’s Day has long passed, hasn’t it?”

A murmur erupted from somewhere in the corner, quickly filling the entire lecture hall. The students looked at the box in Professor Antonelli’s hands with disbelief and fear in their eyes.

“I don’t understand why you’re all reacting like this.”

However, the instigator who pushed the students into this sea of confusion, Professor Antonelli, shrugged his shoulders.

The attitude of Professor Antonelli, as seen by the students, was incredibly indifferent. Because of his nonchalant attitude, the confusion among the students gradually intensified.

“It must be a lie. Think about it. You really put a demon in there, right?”

“But first, do demons even exist? I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”

Some did not believe his words.

“No… Professor Antonelli wouldn’t lie.”

“There really is a demon…? I’m scared….”

Some believed his words and trembled with fear.

“It looks interesting, doesn’t it…?”

“Suddenly, Professor Antonelli, who casually holds the box with the demon inside, feels impressive.”

“A surprise worship.”

Others simply saw it as another form of entertainment or found it intriguing.

“I, I… there’s a beast inside…!”

“Oh Lord… please don’t let me be tested…”

There were also those who relied on their solid faith based on belief.

The thirty-two students were divided into different groups. Professor Antonelli, observing them indifferently, finally spoke when the classroom became increasingly chaotic.

“Everyone, please be quiet.”

As if swept away by a wave, the noise inside the classroom suddenly disappeared. The students remained frozen in their previous positions, their heads only turning to gaze at Professor Antonelli.

“It’s not that surprising, isn’t it? There is a demon inside this box. That’s all.”

“But, but…!”

One female student unintentionally spoke up. She immediately regretted it, but Professor Antonelli’s gaze was already directed towards her.

“You may speak.”

“Yes…?”

“I said you may speak. Oh, before that… could you tell me your undergraduate program and your name?”

The female student hesitantly stood up. She was an impressionable girl with round glasses.

“I, I’m Plata Banks from the Magic Department.”

“Hmm… Miss Banks. Are you a student of the Magic Department?”

“Yes…”

“I would like to hear the meaning behind your previous statement.”

Plata Banks hesitated for a moment, but eventually she dispelled her doubt and answered his question.

“The existence known as a devil, according to Professor Antonelli, is something we should avoid the most. However, it seemed odd to me that Professor Antonelli, who brought the devil himself, didn’t seem particularly bothered about it…”

“Hmm.”

Upon hearing her response, Professor Antonelli touched his chin and fell into deep thought. Fleta Banks, unable to sit still, stood and stared at him with a puzzled expression.

After a while, Professor Antonelli, lost in thought, spoke up.

“Isn’t that a bit strange?”

“…What?”

“When I mentioned students who don’t believe in devils, Miss Fleta also nodded in agreement, didn’t she?”

“Uh, yes?”

“If you don’t believe in devils, why are you afraid?”

The eyes of all the students in the classroom, including her, widened significantly.

Indeed, Fleta Banks, she was clearly skeptical of the existence of devils. Some of the magic department students felt the same.

However, the moment Professor Antonelli dropped a bombshell.

– Inside this box is a devil.

Students doubted his words, denied the existence of the devil, but still felt a subtle fear in his words.

“If you truly believe that devils do not exist, shouldn’t you feel no fear?”

Fleta was at a loss for words, standing still. Professor Antonelli gestured for her to sit.

“If I hadn’t started the demonology class, perhaps you wouldn’t have trembled at my words.”

It might be true. It couldn’t be confirmed, but it was a plausible story. Students nodded.

“But now, even if you deny the existence of devils, the concept of the devil has already taken root in your subconscious.”

A concept. It became a seed, sprouted in their minds, and grew roots.

Even if you deny existence, it comes to mind vaguely, with rough outlines and various imaginative branches spreading in all directions, much like tree branches.

“The appearance of devils, the texture and sensation of their skin, the scent they emit, the sounds they make. I can’t describe any of them in detail, but even so, you can vaguely imagine and be anxious about them.”

Thoughts are like frogs, and when you try not to think of any existence, it tends to be the only thing you think about. The students’ minds were like frogs.

Addressing those students, Professor Antonelli said,

“Spirituality is the same.”

He threw a pebble.

Ripples overlapped on the undulating surface of the lake. It seemed like raising waves, but it also looked like a meager rebellion of a tiny pebble.

Tying together devils and spirituality in a single thread, it might have been a statement that could be considered blasphemous from a theological standpoint. However, the students of the theology department silently observed his class.

“Things that cannot be interpreted as functional actions performed by humans. Even though you haven’t experienced all the functional actions—seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling with the skin—you instinctively recognize the fact that it exists.”

– To understand spirituality, you must not look at it with human eyes. In other words, you should not interpret it through all the functional actions humans perform. Do you understand?”

On the day when the word “spirituality” was first introduced in class, Professor Antonelli spoke. The eyes of the students who recalled his words lit up.

Yes, the words that should not be seen through human eyes. The words that should not be interpreted functionally.

Why couldn’t I understand it back then? Why couldn’t I recall it back then?

The feeling I have now is like when Professor Antonelli allowed Cloé to use spirituality.

Something brushed through the students’ minds, touching them as if they were grasping at straws, giving them strength and holding the reins like playing a game of whack-a-mole.

“Spirituality is a vast framework. It is like the laws of the world.”

And Professor Antonelli added a word…

“Human free will, love, beauty, hope, faith, belief, evil… and spirituality, as I mentioned before.”

That word appeared on its own, like a mole coming out of its hole.

“When defining the existence of a human, these are the elements that are recognized. The creative gifts of the Lord. They are all spirituality.”

In front of the students, he revealed that form.