Chapter 82

The grade-by-grade duel that lasted for four whole days has come to an end.

The students of the Caldera Imperial Academy boarded the train quickly at dawn on Saturday morning, guided by the faculty.

While everyone was enthusiastic during the grade-by-grade duel, exhaustion inevitably set in after so much play.

The train returning to the city was much quieter than before, and there were hardly any students exchanging lively banter with excited hearts. Most students began to sleep in their seats or quietly gaze out the window.

And Chloe was no different. She sat in her compartment, staring blankly at the moving scenery outside the window.

Thanks to the train running at a speed that allowed her to leisurely glance at the scenery, Chloe could freely enjoy the view outside.

Fields of green grass, trees full of freshness, and wildflowers blooming abundantly in the meadows.

And as the scenery passed by, the salty scent of the sea gradually faded with the lengthening distance. Chloe lost herself in thought as she contemplated it.

“It’s a little… disappointing.”

Aside from the travel time to and from Bruytni, it had only been four days. Yet, countless memories were made that she would never forget.

She had wanted to see the sea much more, but she hadn’t had the opportunity to take in the sights of the sea she longed for. That left her feeling somewhat regretful.

“… But still.”

Chloe recalled her memory of walking along the shore with Professor Antorelli. Having seen the serene night sea illuminated by the moon, she had to be satisfied with that for now.

“Cool…cool…”

Much like when they departed for Bruytni, Chloe was still in the A-3 compartment of the fifth car. She turned her gaze from the window back inside the compartment.

“Phew…”

In the cozy seats of the compartment, the students from the Occult Research Club, exhausted, slumped in their seats asleep. Elin looked as if she was having a bad dream, while Daniel rested his head against the window, and Vivian leaned on Daniel’s shoulder, creating a domino effect.

“Everyone’s sleeping…”

Chloe gently smiled as she looked at the sleeping members of the Occult Research Club.

The night before returning to the city, Daniel had wanted to go in search of the ghost stories of the Bruytni Branch School, and thankfully, she had managed to dissuade him. If she hadn’t, Daniel might have overslept and missed the train.

“Hmm…”

A mumbling sound came from beside Chloe. She turned her head toward the source of the noise.

“Head Priest… hehe…”

Sofia Sub-priest was mumbling in her sleep. As Chloe stared at Sofia, her gaze naturally drifted upward.

There, Professor Antorelli was not making even the faintest sound.

“……”

With his eyes quietly closed, he was resting comfortably, deeply asleep. Chloe stared intently at Professor Antorelli’s face.

“…Professor Antorelli.”

The person who had struggled the most during the grade-by-grade duel was likely him. Chloe genuinely believed that.

During the four days of the grade-by-grade duel, countless students had sustained injuries. He had been caring for them, along with Sofia, so it was no wonder he was worn out.

Thinking back, Professor Antorelli had looked especially tired throughout the grade-by-grade duel. They had crossed paths only twice during those late night hours when sleep eluded him.

Was there some reason he couldn’t sleep? Without thinking, Chloe found herself grasping Professor Antorelli’s hand.

“Uh…”

Suddenly, Professor Antorelli reacted as if he sensed her movement, pulling his hand away. He squinted for a moment, making an uncomfortable expression, and then began to mumble something.

“What could he be saying?”

Chloe leaned toward Professor Antorelli. She knew that this was considered a breach of etiquette, but her curiosity about the professor, who rarely spoke about himself, was overwhelming.

“…Go, don’t… my, foot…”

Although she couldn’t catch every detail of what Professor Antorelli was saying, he wore an expression of profound pain.

Chloe looked at Professor Antorelli’s face with a puzzled expression. What kind of dream could he be having?

“Ah, no…”

What kind of dream would cause him to have such a desperate look? Chloe moved even closer to Professor Antorelli, her brows furrowed in concern.

And then, she saw it.

Professor Antorelli, typically stoic in expression. Even among the first-year students, he was known for being stern and cold.

“Is he… crying?”

She noticed a single clear tear that had gathered at the corner of his eye.

Chloe realized at that moment that a person could indeed shed tears while sleeping. Her expression turned blank.

Suddenly, she recalled the time when she, along with the members of the Occult Research Club, had sneaked into the academy. She still remembered.

Professor Antorelli, who had protected the students with all his might, fainting as he trembled all over with a pale face.

Thinking back, Professor Antorelli had even taken sick leave to cancel class on rare occasions. As Chloe mentally organized these memories, she found herself thinking.

“Could it be that… Professor is… suffering a lot?”

Be it internally or externally. Perhaps Professor Antorelli had suffered a tremendous wound in the past and was still living in pain?

Had that unknown past caused him to become so cold and indifferent?

Reflecting on it, it was rather strange. Considering the warm side of him that Professor Antorelli had shown, he didn’t seem like a bad person at all.

On the contrary, he prioritized the students he taught and stepped in to help students in dilemmas or struggles, offering warm words of advice.

Much like the warm cocoa he had shared with her on the train last time.

And like how he had comforted her as they strolled along the beach.

So perhaps, Professor Antorelli’s personality was a defense mechanism stemming from past wounds.

“Maybe… he doesn’t want to become too attached…”

Chloe’s expression grew somber. It might be a baseless assumption, but Professor Antorelli was undoubtedly troubled in some way.

She examined his face closely. His furrowed brow still bore the signs of pain, making her heart ache. Seeing his sorrowful expression, she found herself whispering to him without even realizing it.

“It’s… okay… hang in there, Professor…”

“My, foot…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay… everything’s fine, so just sleep comfortably now…”

Whether it was due to Chloe’s gentle whispers having an effect, or not, Professor Antorelli’s tense brow twitched slightly.

For a moment, he wore a somewhat relaxed expression, which prompted Chloe to let out a faint sigh without realizing it.

“Phew… Huh?!”

And in an instant.

“Safe… safe…”

Professor Antorelli, who had leaned toward her, pulled Chloe into a firm embrace.

Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. She couldn’t comprehend this situation at all.

“Eh, ah… huh…?”

All she could do was mumble some foolish words, tightly embraced in Professor Antorelli’s arms. As she began to grasp the situation, her eyes started to tremble intensely.

“Pro… Professor…?”

“……”

“Professor…!”

Chloe’s face flushed red as she whispered desperately, yet Professor Antorelli didn’t show any signs of reaction. He didn’t seem like he had any intention of releasing her from his tight embrace.

For a moment, Chloe struggled against him but soon gave up. The more she struggled, the more tightly Professor Antorelli’s arms gripped her.

It felt as if he was holding on tightly to something he absolutely did not want to lose.

“Ugh…”

Faced with such desperation, Chloe accepted it without resistance. One reason was that it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“That sound…”

– Thump. Thump.

The sound of a vigorously pounding heartbeat echoed in her ears. Chloe found herself confused, unsure if the sound was Professor Antorelli’s heartbeat or her own.

“……”

As she watched Professor Antorelli’s expression relaxing with a deep, soothing breath, Chloe slowly closed her eyes.

In Professor Antorelli’s embrace, there was a refreshing scent of mint.

*

Three days had already passed since the grade-by-grade duel ended and they returned to the city.

Since the train that carried us arrived in the city on Saturday evening, Dean Damian declared Monday a holiday.

Thanks to that, it was a good day to relieve the fatigue built up from the grade-by-grade duel. Despite having trouble sleeping lately, for some reason, I was able to enjoy a very comfortable nap.

I wondered if there had been any positive events that I simply couldn’t recall, but nothing came to mind. It was a good thing for me, so I let it slide.

After relieving the accumulated fatigue, another day passed, and it was now Tuesday.

Tuesday was one of the two days in the week for my class on theology with the first-year A students.

Sofia and I were conducting class in the lecture hall as usual.

“…Here, we come to one question: What was the reason for the betrayal of the son of lies, and what was his final fate?”

Perhaps youth really is supreme. The eyes of the students who had likely accumulated the most fatigue during the grade-by-grade duel were bright and eager.

“There are completely different interpretations among theologians regarding this matter. There are scholars who argue that the reason for the betrayal was due to envy and jealousy, while others suggest it was simply because of greed.”

I was satisfied as I looked at the excited students diligently taking notes and continued the lecture.

“There are also various claims about his fate. Some say he was cursed and fell ill, dying as a result, while others claim that, in the end, he hanged himself and thus continued to sin until the very end.”

I paused for a moment, picking up the Bible that lay on the lectern. The students naturally followed suit, flipping through the pages of the Bible.

“Let’s examine Genesis chapter 8, verse 12.”

Joseph said to the Lord, “My brothers are traitors of the nation.

They have sown discord and caused confusion, which is, indeed, an act of national betrayal.

This has defamed the Lord’s name, making it something no son of man should do.”

“And the Lord said, ‘Even if they are brothers, they stand at a crossroads where their fellowship divides; this is because he is the son of lies.’”

I closed the Bible with a resounding thud. The students’ attention, which had been focused on the Bible, shifted toward me.

– Ding— Ding—.

The bell signaling the end of class rang at that moment. I began to put the books from the lectern into my bag.

“Today’s class ends here. Since summer vacation is approaching soon, I hope you all make diligent plans for your break under the Lord’s grace.”

Seeing the students nodding, I turned to leave the lecture hall.

As I stepped out into the hallway, I noticed other students rushing out of their classrooms, heading straight for the dining hall.

“Please do not run in the hallway.”

“Yes! Sorry!”

As they apologized, I couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t stop running.

I let out a soft sigh as I moved on. Sofia had followed closely beside me as we exited the classroom.

“Thank you for your hard work today…”

“You worked hard too, Sofia.”

Sofia wiped her sweat with a handkerchief, looking exhausted. Having experienced the cool sea breeze of Bruytni, the heat of the city felt even more stifling.

Walking with a look that seemed about to melt away, Sofia suddenly remembered something and exclaimed.

“Oh, right! Head Priest! A note arrived for you!”

“…A note?”

Sofia rummaged through her pocket and handed me a neatly folded piece of paper. I took the note and examined it carefully.

It was a well-sealed note. Perhaps worried someone might open it, the outside had been secured with glue, and my name was written on it.

“…Who sent the note?”

“I’m not sure either. I checked it this morning, and it was wedged in the crack of your office door.”

“……”

So it seems to contain something meant for my eyes alone.

Since it could have very personal or sensitive content, I couldn’t read the note in front of Sofia. I slipped the suspicious note into my pocket and continued walking.

“Ugh…! It’s so hot…!”

I didn’t know what the note was about, but it seemed I had to rescue Sofia, who was about to become a slug.