Chapter 270

When Sofia Sub-priest opened her mouth, it was already the time when the students had begun to leave school.

“Head Priest, do you have time after work today?”

Sofia Sub-priest, who asked in her usual even tone, threw a questioning glance at me as she stared intently at the nearly finished paperwork. Her slightly barren lips came into view.

“…After work, you say?”

“Yes. I’ve run out of food supplies in my dorm, and I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping together in case you are running low as well…”

Sofia Sub-priest and I occasionally went shopping together. Every weekend, we checked the food supplies and daily necessities remaining in the dormitory and went shopping to replenish the shortages roughly every two weeks.

Although the academy provides basic necessities, there were still many things lacking. At the very least, cigarettes.

Furthermore, today is Friday. It wouldn’t be a problem to go shopping after work and return to the dorm.

I looked at the clock. The hands pointed to 5:47 PM. There were exactly 13 minutes left until the end of the workday.

Indeed, if I was going to go shopping, it would be beneficial to start preparing from now. However…

“I’m sorry, Sofia Sub-priest.”

I gently shook my head and declined her offer. Having been buried in paperwork for so long, Sofia Sub-priest finally raised her head to look at me.

“Do you have plans?”

“Yes. After work, I have someone to meet.”

“…May I ask who it is? It’s not a woman, is it?”

“It’s Colonel Meijhem.”

“…Ah.”

Sofia Sub-priest nodded as if she understood. A strong hint of disappointment was evident on her face.

It’s true that the food supplies at the dormitory were running low, but at least for today, I had enough to get by. Since Sofia Sub-priest was also someone who went shopping with me, she was likely in a similar situation.

However, today I had a prior engagement due to a letter from Colonel Meijhem. Since nothing had been communicated during the last festival, I was keen to meet and talk this time.

I said, looking at the somewhat dejected Sofia Sub-priest.

“How about going shopping tomorrow instead?”

“Well… That sounds good. Let’s go shopping tomorrow.”

Fortunately, Sofia Sub-priest understood my circumstances and nodded. She put on a forced smile, but her expression still bore a deep disappointment.

I wasn’t oblivious to the reason. Sofia Sub-priest likely had some level of affection for me. I didn’t particularly want to reject that.

It was indeed a strange feeling. While the affection Sofia Sub-priest had for me may very well have been genuine, I couldn’t muster a proper response.

Every time I tried to come up with an answer, Sofia Sub-priest would repeat that she would hear about that later and sidestep my response, leaving me with no way out.

‘In the end, it’s my fault.’

Ultimately, this problem stemmed from my failure to provide a proper response to Sofia Sub-priest’s actions. I might be feeling a sense of responsibility.

Removing the feelings I held for students, it had been quite a while since I felt a sense of responsibility for how someone of the opposite gender treated me. Perhaps it had been since Helena.

“Ugh…”

Sofia Sub-priest stretched and flopped down on her desk. Her limp hand stretched out to the edge of the table, dangling in the air.

Even such a scene seemed somewhat cute, and it surely wasn’t just my imagination.

I made a resolution. I would meet Colonel Meijhem for a meal today, and tomorrow I would go shopping with Sofia Sub-priest and share my answer regarding her confession.

It hadn’t been right to drag it out until now. However, having had such a long preparation time allowed me to make up my mind to give a proper answer.

“Sofia Sub-priest.”

“Um… Yes?”

“Tomorrow, while we are out shopping, how about we have a meal as well?”

“…Huh? A meal?”

Her slightly intense eyes trembled ever so slightly. Was she flustered?

“Yes. It would be a shame to just get the groceries and go back. It’s a rare outing.”

“T-That is…”

“…If you don’t want to, it’s fine to refuse. It was just a thought…”

“No! I’ll go! Let’s go!”

Sofia Sub-priest exclaimed in a hurry. It was no surprise; there was no way she would turn down such an offer. I tidied up the scattered books and paperwork on the desk, a smile creeping onto my face.

“Sofia Sub-priest. Do you like seafood?”

*

After work at the academy, I went straight back to the dorm, organized my things, and headed out to the courtyard.

The weather wasn’t cold enough for a coat, so I thought I wouldn’t need to wear one. That thought was shattered the moment I stepped outside the courtyard.

The chill of early spring night air was quite brisk. I involuntarily shivered at the colder-than-expected chill.

Eventually, I returned to the staff dormitory and threw on a clerical overcoat, called Greca, over my priest’s robe. I left about ten minutes ahead of my meeting time with Colonel Meijhem, so wearing the coat and heading back out should have me arriving right on time.

I generally prefer to leave slightly earlier rather than exactly on time, but there was nothing I could do.

The streets of the city were bustling as usual. It was a Friday, not just an ordinary weekday, and people were loosening their belts and heading towards pubs, loudly chatting amongst themselves.

Not every street in the city was packed with people, but at least the street I was walking down was. This was a street filled with many restaurants and pubs, so that was expected.

The restaurant where I was to meet Colonel Meijhem was the one I had initially recommended to him. The place where I had eaten seafood fried rice with Colonel Meijhem.

Having only been there once, I didn’t get lost. I maneuvered through the crowd, following the clearly memorable path.

As I walked, the number of people increased, and the delicious smells of food and alcohol wafting in from nearby grew stronger. The loud voices of people who had drunk too much echoed occasionally.

Among the crowd, I finally spotted the seafood restaurant I was looking for. A quick glance at my wristwatch showed that the time was just a bit past seven.

The appointment was for seven o’clock. I was roughly five minutes late. Without any hesitation, I stepped straight into the restaurant.

The familiar, savory, and slightly spicy aroma, which I had experienced once before, hit my nose. It was the distinctive scent of seafood dishes.

“Welcome, Priest.”

A different staff member welcomed me than the last time I visited. Still, it seemed they managed their staff well, as this employee was just as lively and polite as the one who had greeted me before.

Showing courtesy toward others always earns goodwill. I gave her a small tip and asked.

“It should be under the name Anton Meijhem.”

“Please follow me this way.”

As I walked behind the staff member, I glanced around at the roughly half-filled restaurant. People were enjoying various dishes; some were having cozy meals with their families, while others were in a romantic mood with their loved ones.

Yet, I did not see Colonel Meijhem among them. The staff member walked without hesitation, leading me deeper into the restaurant.

“…Excuse me, but are we going to the table where that person is seated?”

“Yes. He has taken a seat a bit further inside.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

I followed the staff member without further comment. Meanwhile, my mind was in utter turmoil.

It was, in a good light, an intimate space, but if viewed negatively, it felt like I was heading to the most secluded, dark area of the restaurant. And Colonel Meijhem, of all people, did not like such shady and dark corners. No, he even had a pathological aversion to them.

It was another small scar he had obtained from the battlefield. Having been trapped in a collapsed battalion command post due to a nearby enemy shell explosion, Colonel Meijhem developed a fear of dark, secluded places.

Having been trapped in that confined space alongside the corpse of his close communication squad leader, one could only imagine the immense pain he must have endured.

When I last met Colonel Meijhem, his choice of seating close to the window was likely for that very reason.

However, for some reason, the further I went today, the dimmer the lighting became. Eventually, the footsteps of the staff member guiding me came to a stop.

“Here is table number three, customer.”

“…Ah. Thank you.”

“If you have a menu you would like to order in advance, I can take it now.”

“I’ll decide after discussing with my company. Thank you.”

“Yes, take your time to choose.”

As the staff member turned her back and walked away, I began to walk slowly towards the table she pointed out. A slightly hunched yet sturdy back, which could not be hidden, caught my eye.

As I got closer, Colonel Meijhem, sensing my presence, turned to look at me. He looked much the same as he had when we last met. However, the slightly gaunt look on his face was hard to miss.

I naturally took a seat across from him. The soft cushions nestled comfortably against me.

After looking at me for a moment, Colonel Meijhem lowered his gaze to the menu.

“…What will you eat? Do you have any menu in mind?”

“I’m fine with anything.”

“Don’t just say that; try to choose something.”

Colonel Meijhem gently slid the menu towards me. I looked at his face for a moment before lowering my gaze to the menu. I couldn’t read the emotions on his face.

“…How about seafood fried rice?”

“That’s what we had last time.”

“Do you not want it?”

“…Today, let’s eat something other than seafood.”

It was a bit of an odd remark. Wasn’t it Colonel Meijhem who suggested we meet here?

Regardless, he didn’t care about my expression and instead rang the bell on the table. When the staff member approached, he ordered a simple salad, grain stew, and bread. After placing the order, Colonel Meijhem turned to me.

“What will you eat?”

“…”

Normally, Colonel Meijhem enjoyed meat, especially seafood. It was puzzling why he only ordered things that didn’t have any meat, but now wasn’t the time to inquire.

I hastily ordered the beef stew and potato salad written on the menu. The staff member who noted our orders bowed slightly and walked away.

Once again, silence loomed over the table. An awkward silence.

Unable to withstand this awkward atmosphere any longer, I stammered to break the ice.

“Colonel Meijhem, have you been well lately?”

“…I’ve been fine.”

No. The expression on Colonel Meijhem’s face contained some indescribable emotions. It was definitely not the sentiment of “I’ve been well.”

“How about you? Have you been well?”

“Well… It’s been the same.”

“…I see.”

The conversation stopped there. Had it been a usual meeting, Colonel Meijhem would have asked, “Is there any fun happening at the academy?” and continued the flow of conversation. This time, however, he abruptly interrupted the dialogue, leaving me at a loss for words. Did something happen that made him disappointed in me?

I acknowledge that our last encounter hadn’t ended well. Last summer, I had made a scene in front of Helena’s grave. I had apologized to Colonel Meijhem for that incident.

“Colonel Meijhem, I’m sorry for that time.”

“What for?”

“At the graveyard.”

“It’s fine. Did you resolve things well with Sofia Sub-priest?”

“Yes. Somehow, it was resolved well.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Once again, the conversation came to a halt. I tried to recall another incident that might have caused Colonel Meijhem to feel let down.

Then I remembered saying I wanted him to baptize my third child when it was born.

By now, the child should have been born, so could that be the reason?

“By the way, how is the third child? What name did you give?”

At my question, Colonel Meijhem’s shoulder trembled. His quivering gaze locked onto me.

His lips trembled. His eyes shook violently. He opened and closed his mouth several times.

And finally, a trembling voice slipped from Colonel Meijhem’s throat.

“…It was stillborn.”

A glass tipped over. Cold water spilled all over the tablecloth.

It was the result of me abruptly standing up.

Colonel Meijhem was not looking at me. His gaze was directed somewhere other than the restaurant.

“Colonel Meijhem.”

“Do I need to repeat myself? It was stillborn.”

The baptism was, after all, unnecessary.