Chapter 62

Creeeak—!

With a tearing friction sound, the train stopped. I slowly stood up from my seat.

– This stop is Bruytni Station. Bruytni Station. Passengers, please check once more for any belongings you may have left behind before disembarking.

After a full day of travel, the train safely brought the students of the Caldera Imperial Academy to Bruytni. I got off the train with the students of the Occult Research Club that I was leading.

“Ooo… Is this really Port City Bruytni?”

“It smells like the sea. It’s been a while since I’ve smelled this.”

Chloe and Elin’s eyes sparkled as they looked around. The wind carrying from beyond the station had a salty tang.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Bruytni Branch School.”

“Yeah. Didn’t they say there was going to be an exchange meeting among the top students? That was last year, right?”

Vivian and Daniel, who were surveying the station with calm expressions, seemed to have visited the branch located in Bruytni before.

By the way, an exchange meeting among top students… It was baffling. I had thought they were spreading strange rumors about the school, but perhaps I had been chosen as a top student at some point.

“Have you ever been to the sea, Head Priest?”

At that moment, Sofia Sub-priest, who had been unable to hide her excitement next to me, looked at me with gleaming eyes and asked.

The sea… It was an awkward question to answer.

I had obviously been to it before I possessed this body, but I hadn’t been to it since. However, if I were to argue, I suppose it was technically correct to say I had been.

“Yes. I have been.”

“Ooo…! When did you go?”

“…A very long time ago, so long ago that I can hardly remember.”

I fell silent. Any further conversation would clearly lead to awkwardness. Sofia Sub-priest seemed to sense the strangeness in my reply and also fell silent.

At that moment, I felt a light tap on my back. I turned around.

“Professor Lucio!”

“Professor Esther.”

It was Professor Esther. Behind her stood the students she was leading, among whom was a familiar face.

‘Laura von Adelheit. She went to join Professor Esther.’

Laura was surveying the area with her usual aloof expression while glancing at Chloe, who stood behind me. I subtly blocked Chloe’s view and said to Professor Esther.

“There seem to be a lot of students here.”

“Well, yes. The students of the Caldera Imperial Academy are all moving together. By the way, Professor Lucio, what club are you in charge of?”

I glanced at Daniel. The way he quickly averted his eyes upon making eye contact felt suspicious.

“I’m in charge of the Occult Research Club.”

“Aha… Speaking of which, those are the kids from that time. Daniel and… Vivian? Am I right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Vivian still maintained a casual tone. It was quite remarkable that she didn’t seem rude.

Professor Esther smiled brightly at Vivian, nodded, and then introduced the students behind her. There wasn’t a single male student, only girls.

“I’ll be in charge of the Magic Theory Research Club. I’m the advisory professor here.”

“Is that so?”

Hearing Professor Esther’s words, something felt off. Looking around, other advisory professors were also mainly leading students from their respective clubs.

Professor Esther then opened her mouth towards me.

“By the way, it’s surprising. I thought Professor Lucio would be in charge of a theology-related club. Is it because of that finger-related incident from last time?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Pardon?”

Professor Esther’s words suddenly felt uneasy. I unconsciously swallowed dryly.

“Um… Were you not assigned to the Occult Research Club because of that incident?”

“I have yet to be assigned to any club as an advisory professor.”

“Huh? That’s strange…? I heard the students being led this time are supposed to be assigned by their advisory professors from each club?”

“……”

I inadvertently wore a blank expression. Slowly turning my head to look at Damian, he smiled awkwardly at me.

“Well, uh… The head professor asked for the names of the advisory professors, and I unintentionally…”

“……”

“Uh… It’s okay! Professor! The paperwork hasn’t been registered yet, I believe? …Probably?”

Having been in the academy for three months, I had become an advisory professor of a club I never expected.

And that too, without my knowledge.

* * * *

Bruytni Branch School. To be precise, it was the Caldera Imperial Academy Bruytni Branch School.

As I walked out of the station, we soon arrived there.

The first thing I noticed was the dazzlingly white sandy beach. The coastline stretched out endlessly.

In front of such a beautiful seaside, the Bruytni Branch School stood. I scanned the courtyard of the Bruytni Branch School that lay before my eyes.

Generally, the architectural style was similar to that of the Caldera Imperial Academy, clearly indicating it was a branch that had split from the same root.

If I were to point out a difference from the main academy building, it would be the exterior walls painted in bright white. It was a style commonly seen in buildings built by the seaside.

“It’s beautiful.”

While standing still and admiring the courtyard, Professor Esther approached me. Smiling brightly at me, she continued.

“The sandy beach is pristine white, and so are the buildings… It feels like we’ve come to a resort, doesn’t it?”

“It really does.”

“It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the sea. Can you see? The water is incredibly transparent. I should have brought a swimsuit…”

As she said, the sea that crashed and broke white against the sandy beach was truly beautiful. It resembled exactly the ocean I remembered.

No, perhaps it was even more beautiful than the sea I remembered.

On the clear blue water, there were quite a few vacationers enjoying water activities. Watching them swim through such clear water, it was not surprising that ordinary people would want to dive in.

Of course, I did not feel that way at all.

“Do you know how to swim, Professor Lucio?”

“I cannot.”

“Uh… Really?”

Professor Esther looked at me with a disbelieving expression. I shrugged my shoulders and muttered.

“I truly cannot. I don’t even know how to float in water.”

“Hmm… That’s a bit unexpected.”

“Is that so?”

Though I said that, it wasn’t that I didn’t know how to swim. It’s just that looking at the sea brought back some bad memories.

– Bwaaa—!

At that moment, a faint sound of a ship’s horn echoed from far away at sea. Professor Esther and I turned our gazes that way.

Beyond the horizon, three or four ships were floating. Professor Esther opened her mouth as she saw them.

“They said it’s a port city, and look, there are such large ships out there. I had heard there was a big port nearby.”

“……”

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. The sea wasn’t a place I was particularly happy to see. I wondered why that was.

Could it be that I had memories of being stung by jellyfish during my childhood before I possessed this body?

Or was it because I had heard the news of dwarfs temporarily seizing maritime rights?

Or perhaps it was due to the maritime rights being seized, which led to a shortage in supplies, making me go a month without resupply?

Or perhaps because I couldn’t defend against the joint offensive of the elves and dwarves due to ammunition shortages?

…Because you died in that battle?

I didn’t know. I couldn’t understand, but…

At the very least, it was certain that I didn’t like the sea as much as I used to. Yet, I was still looking at it.

– Once the war is over, I want to see the sea with my own eyes.

“……”

I fixed my gaze on the sea for a moment. It was undoubtedly a beautiful sea, but for some reason, it looked like an incredibly lonely place.

“Professor Lucio? It seems it’s about time to head into the dormitory.”

“Understood.”

Following Professor Esther as she walked ahead, I turned my back on the shimmering blue sea.

The sound of the ship’s horn lingered in my ears, stretched out unnaturally long.

For a long time, continuously.

…Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming urge to tear my ears off.

* * * *

The Bruytni Branch School had fewer students than the main campus of the Caldera Imperial Academy, and it was characterized by having a large dormitory built specifically for students who frequently visited from the main campus.

This was fortunate for us. If we had planned to book accommodations in the downtown area, we might have faced exorbitant prices.

As for the Caldera Imperial Academy, they might have such a budget to distribute… But still, it wasn’t the time to discuss that.

What I really wanted to address was…

“Huh…! Head Priest! Look at that! You can see the ocean all at once!”

“Wow…!”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been here. Ugh… Vivian, I’ll be going to the bathroom for a moment.”

“Okay.”

“……”

Why was I using the same dormitory room as the students of the Occult Research Club?

In actuality, it wasn’t that strange when you thought about it. No matter how much they had a separate dormitory for students visiting from the main campus, it was only natural it wouldn’t be big enough for all the students of Caldera Imperial Academy.

Additionally, it was also true that the two bedrooms within the dormitory were divided enough to be considered separate rooms. If I were to sleep in that bedroom, some indecent incidents could probably be somewhat prevented.

However, what I truly wanted to address was the ethical issue.

Regardless of how separate the rooms were, I never imagined the academy would thoughtlessly assign dormitory rooms by club.

It was possible that boys and girls could be mixed in the same dormitory room. The advisory professors assigned to each club were also a contributing factor.

I fervently wanted to go straight to Dean Damian and demand an explanation, but I was certain that if I did, I would just hear something like, “Isn’t Professor Antorelli a cleric? I believe no indecent incidents would occur. Ha-ha.” Was this how the world in stories was?

In fact, the biggest problem was that the students I was to lead were the gems of the Occult Research Club. Realizing that, I felt an overwhelming urge to scream.

Rather than screaming, I quietly called Sofia Sub-priest, who was sticking her face to the glass window of the balcony. Sofia Sub-priest followed me out with a bewildered expression.

Once we entered a room where the students were out of sight, I cautiously asked Sofia Sub-priest.

“Sofia Sub-priest, is this really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

Do I have to explain this in my own words? I made an expression that suggested I was being sincere, but Sofia Sub-priest still tilted her head in confusion.

“That… The dormitory. Both Daniel and I are boys… I wonder if the other girls, including you, will find it uncomfortable.”

“Ah… That’s fine! The bedrooms are completely separated, after all!”

“Oh, no…”

Was I too tightly wound with narrow-minded thinking? It had already been over ten years since I possessed this body, but perhaps there were still remnants of Confucian ideals within me?

“…Is it really okay? If it’s uncomfortable, feel free to tell me anytime.”

“Come on… it really is fine. If you’re really worried, should I ask the students about it?”

“I would appreciate it if you could do that.”

However shockingly, the students also didn’t show any particular resistance. They simply looked at Sofia Sub-priest strangely for asking such a question.

As I was blankly staring, Chloe and Elin returned to stick their faces against the glass, looking out at the sea again.

“Wow… Isn’t the sea really beautiful?”

“Yeah… Elin. When we have some spare time, should we go to the sea?”

Thinking about how to control these gems made me dizzy already.

I just desperately hoped that the Grade-by-Grade Duel would end soon.