PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

Mysterious. And chill.

Even after class ended, I couldn’t shake off that unsettling feeling. My neatly arranged hair from the morning felt strangely itchy.

Maybe it was because it had been months since I last held a class, but I felt more nervous than I expected. I tried my best to hide it on the outside, but after all, I’m a person too.

Of course, it was less nerve-wracking than crawling into an enemy trench with just a rifle covered in mud and a field shovel, but still.

“How nice it is to be all tidy! The students seemed quite surprised as well.”

“The students….”

Sofia Sub-priest, who had been walking beside me holding a bag and handouts, timidly poked her head out and spoke. I took half of the handouts she was holding and hugged them.

“I think it wasn’t bad.”

“Right? It might be a bit bothersome, but getting used to it going forward seems like a good idea. O-of course… the usual Head Priest is also okay, but…”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, no. W-what I mean is… usually, your hair is a bit messy, right? So, that messy hair has a sort of decadent and cynical charm… Ah, what am I saying….”

As Sofia Sub-priest began to ramble on, I recalled the kind demeanor I had shown to the students.

‘It looked fairly good, I guess.’

The students, even when seeing the kind mode of Professor Antorelli, didn’t seem to dislike it that much.

Laura had frowned slightly, but I was sure it was probably for another reason. I was convinced of that.

Anyway, the reason I was trying to change my personality and conduct was for a different purpose.

It was about recruiting new members for the Occult Research Club.

We had to showcase the club’s attractive aspects right away, but I, as the advisory professor, was too blunt and chilly, which led to the shocking opinion that students avoided me.

‘Is it really because of me….’

Of course, the one who confidently voiced such an opinion was Elin.

It couldn’t be dismissed as mere nonsense, for even Vivian, who had returned from the heir class along with Damian, nodded along to Elin’s words.

That said, I didn’t feel offended by Elin’s sharp comments. I was already aware that I was a bit blunt. However, I never dreamed that I had an ominous and scary image to the students.

Since most members of the Occult Research Club agreed on this, I concluded that I needed to appear differently to the students. The result of that was the class I just had.

Until now, I had merely kept my distance out of fear of forming new connections, like fleeting bonds on a battlefield, but that excuse had long since become irrelevant.

If I was afraid of forming connections, then what about Sofia Sub-priest, who was by my side?

Having already resolved to shake off such things, I discarded the idea of maintaining a stiff distance from the students. I want to get closer to them.

It might be good to maintain a slightly strict demeanor as a professor but, at least, I’d never seen them rebel against me. If I had to pick an exception, it would probably be Laura from last year.

Now that there are plenty of students who follow along without rebelling in class, I could afford to loosen the weight a bit.

But that aside.

“Sofia Sub-priest. Is there an urgent schedule at the Academy?”

“Uhm… No? I met with the head of the academic department this morning, but didn’t hear anything about it.”

“…Hmm.”

Today, the students’ attitudes were clearly strange. It was fine that they were wide-eyed and looking at the front of the classroom, but strangely, they couldn’t concentrate on class. No matter how I thought about it, the students’ condition was off.

“Could it be that having class the day right after the entrance ceremony…?”

As I mumbled that, this time Sofia Sub-priest shook her head and denied it.

“That seems a bit inconsistent. Other professors are also starting their classes today, after all.”

“Is that so?”

I wasn’t sure when she had looked into such things, but Sofia Sub-priest relieved my doubts by stating, “There exists an info network among the assistant professors.”

Well, it made sense; as long as there weren’t high-status or intimidating individuals around, Sofia Sub-priest shows astonishing friendliness to others. It wouldn’t be unlikely that she had become friends with other assistants.

“Then, what could the problem be…?”

“Uhm….”

As Sofia Sub-priest put her head together with mine, she also couldn’t come up with a reasonable reason.

“Um? Professor Lucio? Sofia Sub-priest?”

“Oh! Professor Esther.”

We encountered Professor Esther, who was approaching us for lunch.

“What are you doing here?”

“…Well.”

Sofia Sub-priest and I decided to lean on the wise brain of the mage. While walking to the cafeteria with Professor Esther, we had a long discussion.

By the time we reached the front of the cafeteria, Professor Esther, who had been quietly listening, tilted her head and came to a conclusion.

“Maybe the students were just shocked by the sudden change in Professor Lucio? They say people die when they change too suddenly.”

“Is that it?”

“Yeah. It’s cliché to grin and say ‘Hope you have a great day’ at the end of class, but… just imagine Professor Lucio doing that. I bet the students were surprised because of that.”

“Oh… that does make sense.”

Sofia Sub-priest actively nodded along in agreement. Dammit.

“It wasn’t anything special.”

“…It really wasn’t.”

“Well, it makes sense to be surprised. If the Head Priest suddenly smiled and said kind words….”

Sofia Sub-priest shivered slightly and covered her slightly flushed cheeks with her palms. To me, she seemed almost horrified.

“…Damn.”

It felt unjust.

“Ah…. P-professor! Hello…!”

“Oh…! Professor, hello!”

As we got closer to the cafeteria, several students who recognized me greeted me. Most were second-year students who were familiar with my face from the integrated theology exam or from my class in Group A.

I tried to smile at those students as best as I could and nodded. Even if it was just a slight lift of the corners of my mouth, it created a vague smile, but at least the students didn’t seem to dislike it.

No, rather…

“Huh….”

“Oh, oh wow….”

I wasn’t quite sure why they were gasping, but I was perceptive enough to realize that there weren’t any students who outright hated me smiling and greeting them.

As this sentiment repeated itself a few times, other students, who had been cautiously passing by us, started to greet us as well.

“Profess, professor! Enjoy your meal…!”

“Thank you. You enjoy your meal too.”

“Professor! Hello!”

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

“Professor, can I come to ask you questions later regarding Theology?”

“Feel free to come by anytime. My office is on the first floor of the main building.”

As if they were trying to unwind the reservations they had about approaching me until now, countless students greeted me and engaged in mundane conversation. I accepted them all with my unchanged vague smile.

Yet, for some reason, Sofia Sub-priest and Professor Esther, who watched me, seemed to have slightly stiff expressions.

‘Not bad. Let’s keep this up.’

Yes, it felt good.

* * * * *

The plan to recruit a bunch of new members into the Occult Research Club had produced lackluster results even after a week.

Following Professor Armstrong’s advice, I asked Daniel, who hadn’t really started classes yet, and Vivian, who returned from her family, about relic studies….

“We’re not really….”

“All the materials from that time are lost. Uh….”

Of course, there was no way they would know about those materials or stories from that time. If the Academy, which was celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, meant that the relic studies club was dissolved 90 years ago.

Unfortunately, applying Professor Armstrong’s advice seemed highly impractical. I didn’t show my frustration outwardly. The students of the Occult Research Club considered me as the one who would resolve this issue.

“Then, what should we do….”

I stroked my chin and fell into thought. How should I solve this problem?

If there’s a silver lining, even if Professor Armstrong’s proposed solution was dismissed, I felt like I could come up with a solution on my own.

Simply highlighting the attractions of the Occult Research Club. If we all brainstormed about that, surely some solutions would emerge.

‘The new students haven’t come yet.’

Today, while wandering around the Academy, I had been sprinkling bits of promotion for the Occult Research Club to every student I encountered.

Not directly suggesting they join but subtly planting the thought of “Oh, there was such a club?”

Since I had been diligently promoting to the new students, I felt a rising expectation that we might see some results. I had neatly summarized and conveyed the advantages and attractive points of the Occult Research Club.

Unfortunately, today was when the second and third-year students finished classes earlier than the first-years. The first-years were still listening to explanations about the classes that would be held during the remaining term.

Maybe right after the first-year classes end, a new student might hope to join. I harbored that hope inwardly.

“By the way, have you heard about that story?”

“What story?”

“Today, a super handsome professor was wandering around near the cafeteria. They call him the charming smiling professor.”

“Charming smiling…? Who could that be?”

“Is there really such a person in our Academy?”

“Well…”

I half-listened to the chatter between Daniel, Vivian, Chloe, and Elin while anticipating the number of new students who would come as soon as class ended.

If even just one showed up, I’d be grateful. I could just ask Lina, who was still contemplating joining.

As I continued that line of thought, I briefly tidied up my slightly messy hair.

– Creak.

The clubroom door opened, and all the gazes of the Occult Research Club students, including Sofia Sub-priest and me, focused there. Under the weight of our gaze, a timid girl slowly stepped into the room.

“Um, um… Is this the Occult Research Club?”

She had a somewhat petite frame, and her wavy long hair was close to a deep navy color. Dressed in a slightly oversized cardigan draped over her slender shoulders, the color of her tie was blue, indicating she was a new student.

“Uh, um….”

“Oh, um…. I would like to apply to join….”

I slowly stood up from where I had been leaning on the podium. Without hesitation, I took a step forward, opened the front door, and walked briskly towards the unidentified new student, who had stepped just one foot inside.

I firmly grasped the slightly hesitant new student’s hand.

“Ah….”

“Welcome! You really came at a great time.”

“Oh, um…?”

I bowed my head, as if I were bowing my entire body, while tightly holding onto her hand.

“I’m Professor Antorelli. I’ve decided to welcome you to this place…. Huh…?”

Just behind her, I spotted Lina’s familiar face, staring at me with a perplexed expression from the front of the classroom.

Even then, I didn’t let go of the new student’s hand.

‘Two.’

The Occult Research Club narrowly avoided dissolution.

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