Chapter 257

Winter came to an end.

The harsh chill that froze everything retreated, replaced by the warm sunshine of a refreshing spring day.

Though the cold has not completely dissipated, at least when I catch the scent of the green shoots and various flowers blooming along the roadside, I instinctively realize that this vibrant season has returned once again without tiring me.

Having passed through the bleak winter, we could safely welcome the spring.

And spring is indeed the season of beginnings.

It marks the start of a new year, as the four seasons cycle, a time when all living beings, which had been holding their breath, stretch and awaken; but more importantly, spring also signifies the season of a new academic term.

A new term, a new academy, a new grade, and… new freshmen.

“There are so many…”

Sofia Sub-priest, sitting next to me, exclaimed blankly as she looked at the incoming freshmen crowding into the Main Building Courtyard.

It was no surprise; I had heard that this year’s intake of freshmen was slightly larger than last year’s. They plan to slightly increase the enrollment at the Caldera Imperial Academy.

Since the Main Building is a relatively new construction compared to the academy’s history, there were inevitably areas that remained unused, which had apparently drawn the attention of the royal inspection.

After all, the royal family provided the funds to build the main building.

Given that the royal family directly supported the budget, it makes sense to maximize the efficiency of the building. The existence of unused space is unacceptable.

“How many more have enrolled?”

“It’s a little over sixty, I estimate.”

“That means two additional classes…!”

With a class size of thirty-two, as Sofia Sub-priest stated, two new classes would be newly established. It seems the divisions between levels will be a little more detailed, which may lead to some confusion.

Lost in thought, sitting on a bench with Sofia Sub-priest watching the freshmen, I realized that soon the freshmen crossing the Main Building Courtyard passed right in front of us.

“Hey, look over there.”

“Um… are those professors?”

“They’re priests!”

“Since there’s a church at the academy, they must be affiliated with that. Or they might be teaching theology.”

“By the way, their faces are quite—”

As they chattered amongst themselves while passing by, snippets of their conversation were enough to stir my mind.

I offered a warm smile to the freshmen glancing over. At that, a group of female students who had been whispering and glancing our way quickened their pace.

…Indeed, it seems they still feel awkward about smiling. Was it that off-putting?

“Head Priest.”

“Yes, Sofia Sub-priest.”

“Please don’t act like that.”

“…I apologize.”

Seeing Sofia Sub-priest frown, it must have been awkward enough to be quite displeasing. In any case, it would be better to behave as I normally do rather than feigning anything. I nodded in agreement.

The freshmen passed through the Main Building Courtyard and walked along the large tree-lined path that connects to the Academy Main Chapel, heading towards the auditorium beside the Main Building. They all wore expressions brimming with anticipation, which felt refreshing.

I felt like I couldn’t check each of those faces back in the day.

“Back then, it was tough for me too.”

I was inexperienced at that time. I couldn’t fully control the memories of my past, and there were times I nearly got engulfed by them.

I would often break into a cold sweat out of fear just because there were many people gathered.

“…It’s not that different now, though.”

At the very least, I’m no longer lost in my own world as much as I once was. I have gained a certain conviction.

Now, the many freshmen bustling in the courtyard of the Main Building are completely different from the countless comrades who had fallen in the past.

I don’t need to equate their deaths with the mere fact that there are many people gathered. The past and present are distinctly different.

I have gained such conviction and confidence. The reason, of course, is the absence of guilt regarding Helena.

Without guilt, I could embrace my own thoughts completely.

Once I accepted my own thoughts fully, I began to see the world differently. It was just a crowd. There was no need to be afraid at all. I just needed to do what I had to do.

Of course, while I think that way in my mind… my body responded instinctively.

I wiped the cold sweat pooling in my hands with a handkerchief and wiped away the sweat that threatened to drip off my forehead.

Although I usually let my appearance go, thanks to having neatly combed hair today, there weren’t any strands sticking to my forehead. As the handkerchief passed over my sweat, a cool spring breeze gently caressed the spot.

My hands trembled slightly, but thanks to Sofia Sub-priest noticing my condition and tightly gripping my hand, the tremors began to settle.

Still, it seemed unnecessary to squeeze my hand so tightly that it would break.

“By the way, is it alright for us to be so relaxed like this?”

Once I had eased into a somewhat relaxed state, Sofia Sub-priest asked, looking at the freshmen with a slightly anxious expression.

Having not even attended last year’s entrance ceremony, she had a history of losing her appointment letter on her way from the Holy Empire to here and arriving only after the ceremony had ended, so it was understandable that she wouldn’t know much about today’s ceremony.

I continued to enjoy the cool spring breeze, gently closing my eyes as I nodded.

“There’s still quite a while before the entrance ceremony begins. The doors to the auditorium probably just opened a short while ago.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Most importantly, not all of the freshmen have arrived yet.”

Indeed. Even though the courtyard was bustling with many people, it felt like only about half of the freshmen had shown up. It wouldn’t take long for the rest of the arriving freshmen to show up, but the ceremony’s start time was fixed.

I opened my eyes and quietly checked my wristwatch. The hands pointed precisely to 7:45 AM.

“Forty-five minutes… I should think of it as roughly forty minutes left.”

The entrance ceremony would start at 8:30 AM, so there was still some time.

Moreover, the person who should be busy is not me. Last year, I was a newly appointed professor in charge of the freshmen, so I could say I was busy, but this year’s freshmen will be handled by last year’s third-year professors. That is to say, Professor Armstrong and the experienced professors under him.

There’s nothing for me to worry about. They are people who successfully concluded the graduation ceremony for the third-year students, so they will manage just fine. It’s not like they have only experienced this one or two times.

At that moment, my view was suddenly obstructed. A slightly reddish darkness covered my sight.

“Who is it?”

“…Professor Esther.”

The one who covered my eyes with her hand was none other than Professor Esther. She playfully laughed as she removed her hand from my eyes and then sat down quietly beside me.

“Indeed, this year isn’t as hectic. I remember last year being quite busy welcoming the freshmen…”

“Second-year students have normal classes, right?”

“That’s true, although even if they say normal classes, there are very few professors actually having classes. If they started doing that from the first day of the semester, they would surely earn the students’ ire.”

I subtly avoided the gaze of Sofia Sub-priest, who was looking at me intently. She was the one who had stopped me when I tried to prepare classes from the first day.

Thanks to her objecting along the same lines as Professor Esther, I was quite close to facing student backlash.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Professor Lucio also mentioned that he planned to only provide club-related information today and finish the classes, right? Since it’s a common subject that only has one exam per semester, there’s no need to rush through class material starting today.”

“…Professor Esther is correct. Who on earth starts classes on the first day of the semester?”

“Well, at the academy I worked at before coming here, there were a few professors like that. Thankfully, there aren’t any here…”

While Professor Esther unexpectedly criticized the previous academy she worked at, I listened vaguely to her words while watching the freshmen. Each one wore cheerful expressions as they explored the academy.

“Many new faculty members will surely attend, right?”

Professor Esther asked. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her look no different from those freshmen. I nodded in response.

“I believe so.”

“…Professor Lucio, you are the second-year top professor too, aren’t you? Why do you sound so uncertain…”

“I still haven’t fully grasped my duties. I was suddenly thrust into such an important role.”

“Ah… That makes sense. I really don’t understand why Professor Madison didn’t tell me earlier.”

Seeing Professor Esther nodding in agreement, I fell into thought for a moment.

I had definitely attended an important meeting at the academy a week before the entrance ceremony…

“I believe there are about four new professors.”

“Hmm… That’s more than I expected. It seems to be roughly similar to last year…”

Considering the increased number of freshmen, it is indeed a small ratio.

Still, they will manage that on their own. I’m swamped just managing the first-year students from last year and the current second-year students.

“Anyway, today I’m planning to encourage the students to promote club activities. After all, there are no classes today, and the exact scope of the exams hasn’t been released yet. There’s no need to bury them in studies.”

“That’s a good idea. I also…”

…Then I remembered that Daniel and Vivian, heads of the Occult Research Club, are now third-years.

If that’s the case, the new head of the Occult Research Club will have to be chosen from among last year’s first-year students, and since the two who became third-years might not be able to participate actively in club activities as they did before…

“…We’ve got a problem.”

In the end, new freshmen must enter the Occult Research Club.

I already felt a headache coming on, placing my hand on my forehead and letting out a low sigh.

I wondered what kind of new students would join the Occult Research Club this year.

“What lovely weather!”

“…Indeed.”

Whether it knew my thoughts or not, the weather remained consistently fresh.

It was spring.