PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

A mansion that is unexpectedly spacious. Neatly dressed servants can be seen everywhere.

The faint scent of well-crafted hardwood fills this place, as if capturing the atmosphere all at once.

Turning my gaze towards the long windows that are spaced at regular intervals, the well-maintained shrubs of the garden come into view beyond the polished glass. It’s reasonable to assume that an expensive gardener has been hired.

Aside from that, this room was unnecessarily large. It’s more than one would expect for a mere reception room. At this size, it could easily serve as a bedroom.

While it is customary for aristocrats to have grand rooms for receiving guests, it merely seems like luxury to me.

Yes, this is Adelheid Duke Mansion. The place where I am seated is a lavishly decorated reception room.

‘It was a bit sudden.’

I thought as I tilted the teacup at hand to my lips. No matter how I think about it, it feels sudden.

So, where should I start explaining this situation?

It all happened last weekend when I had dinner with Jericho.

After finishing Sunday worship, I noticed a letter had arrived for me at the professor’s office through Sofia, the sub-priest, during a quiet lunch on the past Sunday.

* * * * *

“A letter has arrived!”

Sofia, the sub-priest who had come to the professor’s office earlier for work, spoke up. As she said, she held two letters in her hand.

It was a little unexpected, and I blinked sleepily, feeling the fatigue from conducting the Sunday service early in the morning.

“Are all the letters addressed to me?”

“Yes. They had the Head Priest’s name on them.”

“……”

The only person who would write me a letter would probably be Meijhem. I thought it would be no different this time.

However, my expectation was only half correct.

Along with Meijhem’s letter, there was also one handwritten by Adelheid Duke.

In my hand were two letters. One had Meijhem’s name in the sender’s field, while the other had the name of Adelheid Duke embossed on a vintage-looking envelope. It was a letter envelope used exclusively by the Adelheid Ducal House.

‘What is this?’

Having too many thoughts can sometimes be exhausting. I felt that way now.

As I held the letters and sat down at my work desk, I speculated on what reason the Adelheid Duke might have for sending me a letter. The first thing that came to mind was something about Riina.

He might be curious about how well Riina is adapting to academy life. After all, Riina had been bedridden for a long time.

But if that was the case, did he really need to ask me? He could simply ask Riina directly. How is her life at the academy lately? Has she made many friends…?

It felt ridiculous to guess the contents without reading, so I opened the envelope without hesitation. The first one I opened was Meijhem’s letter.

[ To my dear Priest Antorelli. ]

A rather clichéd sentence jumped out from the first line. Given Meijhem’s character, he wouldn’t indulge in such unnecessary embellishments.

[ Thank you for the advice you gave the other day. After I managed to pull myself together, Melissa has improved quite a bit. Just as you said, Melissa has her own struggles as well. ]

The following sentences were quite reassuring.

It is difficult to imagine how heartbroken Meijhem and his wife must have been after losing their third child. The fact that they managed to endure that pain and get back on their feet was a meaningful step forward.

Knowing how hard it is to rise after enduring pain and how much self-reproach accompanies that process, I felt my expression soften slightly as I read the letter.

[ Melissa is a strong woman. Perhaps even stronger than I am. Knowing that she was suffering so much… Maybe I was unfit as a husband. ]

Well, as far as I know, Meijhem is a good person trying his best to fulfill the role of a husband.

[ Well… still, I think I’m lucky to have realized it late, thanks to you. I will have a chance to have an honest conversation with Melissa. ]

Whenever something isn’t aligning properly, talking things out is always a good solution. From Meijhem’s wise navigation through life’s challenges, I could sense the weight and respect of a husband.

[ Anyway, let’s leave the embarrassing talk at that… I believe you haven’t forgotten about it this year. The… comrades’ reunion. ]

The comrades’ reunion.

As that gathering, which I had stubbornly tried to attend last year, came to mind, my eyebrows twitch unconsciously. It’s understandable, considering that memory isn’t exactly pleasant.

[ Last year, I didn’t know the address of where you were staying, so I ended up wandering quite a bit. This year, I believe the letter will reach you properly. I sent it to your professor’s office at the Academy. ]

Well, last year I ran into Meijhem only because I had briefly stepped outside the Academy, otherwise, I might have completely lost contact with him.

[ I trust you are reading this letter properly, and I hope you can certainly attend this year’s reunion. Everyone was really happy to see you. Dennis particularly liked it. Do you remember? ]

Private Dennis.

Although he returned to civilian life with the rank of sergeant around the time of his discharge, to me, he will forever be Sergeant Dennis. Just as I call Meijhem by his rank of Major instead of Colonel.

‘I heard he’s working in construction now….’

When I encountered Sergeant Dennis at last year’s comrades’ reunion, he was wearing work clothes quite dusty from dirt. He must have rushed over right after work.

In the years I hadn’t seen him, he had gotten a wife and a daughter. He had established a family.

I was so surprised when I heard that fact. I chuckled as I continued reading the letter.

[ So make sure you attend this time and don’t think about skipping. I’ll be sure to tell them that you will definitely attend. Just so you know in advance, if you don’t come, a bunch of drunken men might storm the Academy. ]

A group of men drunkenly knocking on the Academy’s front door at midnight.

It was a future I didn’t even want to imagine.

[ Due to circumstances, the reunion date was pushed back a bit compared to last year, but having it after the weather has warmed up a bit isn’t a bad idea either. I’ll send you the exact date when it’s set. Alternatively, you might want to start considering getting a phone for your professor’s office. Doesn’t the Academy offer support for that? ]

‘A phone….’

I had seen plenty of them on the battlefield. They were always available in a corner of the battalion command post.

Of course, they weren’t used often due to eavesdropping concerns, but…

I had heard that they would be commercialized shortly after the war ended. I never expected they would start spreading so soon.

[ I will send you the location and date later. Take care of yourself, and stay healthy. ]

With a sentence that felt quite awkward, Meijhem’s letter came to an end. The corners of my mouth had formed a slight smile.

Reading Meijhem’s letter in an atmosphere so different from last year was not unpleasant at all. If I picked up the phone, I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of sending a letter; I could communicate directly.

‘A phone….’

It may be costly, but just as Meijhem said, the Academy might provide support for it. I thought about discussing it with the Academic Affairs department later, and neatly put Meijhem’s letter back in the envelope and placed it in the desk drawer.

I had a habit of keeping read letters. I might need them later, and I didn’t feel inclined to just tear them up after reading.

‘Now, for the next one….’

The second envelope I picked up had a rather different appearance than Meijhem’s.

The pure white envelope was immaculate, as if it were made of fresh snow. I could guess that it wasn’t delivered by a letter carrier but directly handed over by a servant of the Adelheid Ducal House. It had no stamp and no specific address written on it.

Only the corners of the pristine envelope were adorned with intricate decorations, and in the center, there was a seal of a bright red owl holding a staff and a book. It represented the coat of arms of the Adelheid Ducal House.

The inscription at the corner of the envelope, “A member of the Empire’s honorable nobility and the Duke of Adelheid and Dukenham, Maximilian von Adelheid,” was rather cumbersome. I didn’t quite understand why there were so many ostentatious titles, but I figured it was just how nobles were.

I held a belief that it probably wasn’t anything major, but upon trying to open the envelope, I found I couldn’t recklessly tear it open like Meijhem’s. There was something emanating from the envelope.

‘How much is just this one envelope worth?’

It might be around 30% of my monthly salary as a professor. Just for a single envelope!

Carefully using a letter opener, I cut the entrance, and luxurious white stationery appeared before me. Slowly, I unfolded the letter.

The first thing that caught my eye was the seal of the Adelheid Ducal House impressed at the top. That same red owl welcomed me once again.

It was chosen as the supporter of the family crest to symbolize wisdom, but it felt eerie as it held its staff and gazed toward me, surrounded entirely by a red aura. I had the strong impression that the content written on the letter wouldn’t be very pleasant either.

As I began to read the elegant writing that flowed below.

‘…What is this?’

I could tell my premonition was right.

The elegant content of the letter, laden with unnecessary embellishments typical of a noble’s correspondence, was lengthy, but to summarize, it contained this message.

[ An unprecedented event may occur at the Academy. Please visit the mansion as soon as possible. ]

It was something I could not afford to ignore.

* * * * *

Although I had set an appointment for the following Saturday after receiving the letter, I didn’t feel good about it. I still didn’t have warm feelings toward the Adelheid Duke.

To be frank, the Duke played a part in Cesare’s death. Isn’t it largely his fault for not managing his subordinates properly?

Of course, I had come to terms with the fact that it may be pushing it to say he contributed to Helena’s death. Because of that, I no longer felt like I would have fits just by seeing his face like before.

– Knock, knock.

As I absentmindedly sipped my tea, someone cautiously knocked on the reception room door. It was Alfred, the elderly butler.

– Sir, His Grace is coming in.

“…Ah, yes.”

Before I could wipe the sour expression off my face, the door to the reception room opened.

The first thing I noticed was the still annoying white hair and beard, and the blood-red eyes. It was Adelheid Duke, whom I hadn’t seen in a while.

I struggled to suppress the unexpectedly bitter taste of tea as I rose from my chair.

“It’s been a while since we last met.”

“Yes. It’s good to see you.”

It was a reunion that felt anything but good.

---