Academy’s PTSD Chaplain

16 – 16. Fingertip (10)

The backrest of the chair leaned backward softly. Leaning my head against the backrest, I instinctively took out a cigarette from my pocket.

“Sigh….”

The memories of when I had barely slept for two days during the weekend until just yesterday resurfaced. I vaguely remembered crying pathetically, having a fit and complaining to Sophia.

There was another confusing memory.

When I woke up early in the morning, Sophia, who had been sleeping curled up in the blanket, came to mind. Sleeping soundly, occasionally calling my name and hugging my waist tightly.

I seriously considered whether I had caused the incident by having a fit, but I could be relieved because Sophia, who woke up soon after, reached out her hand in a fluster.

“Oh, huh…? I was sleeping on the sofa….”

It was beyond early spring and into the full swing of spring. It must be because of the cool night air. It was fortunate that it was just a small mishap.

However, Sophia, who had sincerely taken care of me and worried about me. I showed such a pathetic sight to her.

Of course, it was a disgraceful incident, and it was nothing but an inconvenience. I feel truly sorry for Sophia, who had to take care of me all weekend without getting proper rest.

The reason why Sophia is not in the professor’s office today is also because of this. She looked exhausted at first glance, so I told her to rest well today.

“…Perhaps I need to get another prescription for medicine.”

I grumbled while massaging my temples. I did hear from Dr. Moritz that further medication would be dangerous. But…

“I have to live for a long time….”

– So, Father Lucio, please promise me one thing.

“….”

The reason why that promise comes to mind now.

The reason why I remember saying foolishly to him, looking at him, to not do that. Didn’t we make a promise? Shouldn’t I see the students graduate? Perhaps, he was advising me not to think like that.

That thought crossed my mind.

I took off my glasses, tossed them carelessly on the desk, and splashed some water on my face.

“Hehe….”

Now, even I don’t know. I just burst into laughter. Maybe it’s because I find myself so pathetic and miserable today. Thinking of the uninteresting joke that maybe, on a Monday, there are so many thoughts bothering me, I sighed.

“What am I supposed to do?”

I nibbled on a cigarette. When I get lost in such thoughts, I miss the peculiar bitter scent of tobacco. I was about to take out a match, but I stopped.

As Dr. Moritz, my attending physician, suggested, I decided not to request the prescription for the medication I used to take.

It’s better to explore a healthier way to improve my shattered mental state. There must be a reason why I should still be alive.

My shoulder was still fine. According to Dr. Moritz, it’s slowly recovering.

…No. Maybe I overused my divine power last time, so it might be a bit worse.

“Sigh…. I don’t know.”

I lit the cigarette again. But the capsule still didn’t explode.

I just held it. Without bursting the capsule, the tobacco that didn’t catch fire didn’t emit the scent of bitterness. I took out the matchbox I had put in earlier and turned it around with my fingers, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“What are you doing?”

Suddenly, Professor Esther’s face came into view. I slowly took the cigarette out of my mouth.

“Professor Esther. When did you come?”

“Just now. I knocked several times, but you didn’t say anything.”

“…I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

As I apologized, Professor Esther smiled elegantly and extended her hand.

“Oh, no problem. More importantly… How’s your body?”

Professor Esther sat on the guest chair on the other side of the desk. I stared silently at her. Come to think of it, she saw everything, from when my right arm trembled to when I finally fainted.

“Well, I’m fine now.”

“Now… How was your weekend? I heard Sister Sofia took care of you…”

“…How do you know that?”

Professor Esther ruffled her navy-blue hair with her fingers. Then, with a hint of embarrassment, she lowered her head slightly and spoke.

“Well, after Professor Lucio fainted… I got a bit worried and went to visit him.”

“A visit… you say?”

I don’t remember such an incident. Could it be that they came during another episode, and I can’t recall?

Seeing my slightly puzzled expression, Professor Esther smiled gently and continued.

“Yes. I went to visit with some students, but no matter how much we knocked on the door, there was no response… I thought he might be sleeping, so we just left.”

“…”

“This morning, I happened to run into Miss Sophia, who had been nursing him all weekend.”

Fortunately, it seemed like they visited just when I had passed out. I inwardly sighed in relief. Then, out of the blue, Professor Esther approached me with enthusiasm.

“But, Professor Lucio, listen to this.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“This incident happened both within the academy and during your duty. Isn’t it a principle to report any emergencies that occur during duty?”

“Is that so?”

When I asked, Professor Esther looked at me with a surprised expression.

“No, Professor Lucio. Don’t you remember? Professor Andres took over during that time.”

“I apologize. My head is still spinning.”

“Oh… right. I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t consider that.”

“No, it’s alright. Anyway, what did you do then?”

“So, I went to talk to Director Damian earlier. But then…”

As I waited for Professor Esther to continue, I fidgeted with the cigarette case. I wanted to smoke, but I couldn’t bring myself to light up in front of her.

“Director Damian was quite surprised and declared that he would officially protest to the Holy Kingdom at this opportunity!”

“Suddenly, he said that?”

“Yes! So, I was taken aback and tried to dissuade him. It was the first time I saw him so angry. Why do you think he got so mad all of a sudden?”

“Well…”

The Holy Kingdom. I did witness a sinister presence similar to a devil, and it is right to take appropriate action in such a case.

However, I had a separate doubt that lingered in my mind.

“Why did Director Damian suddenly get so angry?”

“I don’t know! So, I tried to guess on my own… Maybe it was because the ghost that appeared then was Assistant Chief Priest Giovanni?”

“Assistant Chief Priest Giovanni? But that’s just a rumor…”

“If it isn’t just a rumor?”

I looked at Professor Esther in silence. Her deep purple eyes, now filled with seriousness, sparkled. She seemed as if she had become engrossed in occult studies.

“…If it is indeed true, then…should we be suspicious of the priests who came from the Empire a long time ago and showed suspicious behavior?”

“Surely, they wouldn’t have gone as far as to assassinate Father Giovani, would they…?”

“That would be unthinkable. The Empire would never let that slide.”

In the Empire, where murder is a particularly sensitive crime among the offenses that humans can commit, clergy killing other clergy is treated as a major sin.

The basic punishment is life imprisonment without parole, and in severe cases, they may even face execution, like heretics, witches, and worshipers of demons.

“In fact, there’s a description in the Bible of a priest being skinned, soaked in seawater for a full month, and then thrown to the beasts as food.”

“…That’s a bit terrifying.”

“What’s even more terrifying is that the laws of the Empire apply worldwide.”

To put it simply, once the criminal’s identity, along with all related information, is revealed, an international warrant is issued. It’s similar to the real-life Interpol warrants.

“Well, anyway…the dean was furious.”

“If we only go by the rumors…there does seem to be something suspicious about the priests…but it’s best to treat it as mere rumors.”

“I suppose so. Well, let’s go…!”

Professor Esther stood up energetically. As I stared at her dumbfounded, she shook her head and asked.

“What are you doing? Don’t just stand there.”

“Huh?”

“You should go eat! If you don’t, you’ll regret missing today’s lunch menu.”

“…Okay. Let’s go.”

I got up and followed Professor Esther. I put my cigarettes and matches back in my pocket. And like that, we left the professor’s office.

As soon as we left the office, Professor Esther seemed surprised, as if she had just remembered something, and opened her mouth.

“Oh, right! I need to get a grip! By the way, the dean was looking for Professor Lucio, right?”

“…Are you referring to me?”

“Yes. After finishing lunch, she asked you to go see her.”

“……”

I had a bad feeling about it, but all I could do was nod with a skeptical expression.

* * * * *

Knock, knock, knock.

I knocked cautiously. And then, I heard a familiar voice that I had heard before.

“Come in.”

“Profit—.

Pushing open the grand double doors with both hands, an elegant room unfolded before me.

The furniture seemed no different from a classroom, but the interior of the principal’s office was extraordinary from the size of the room. Suddenly, a refreshing breeze entered through the window, gently tickling my hair. My gaze involuntarily drifted in that direction.

There, by the window, a conspicuous white pottery-like pot caught my eye. The sight of a tree, suitable for indoor cultivation, growing in it was impressive.

“Haha… Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”

Before me stood an elderly man with a well-groomed mustache, holding pruning shears. I nodded slightly.

“Principal Damian. You mentioned that you were looking for me.”

“You found your way here. And, I apologize for welcoming you in this state.”

“If you’re busy, I can come back later.”

“Haha… No need. I was planning to wrap things up anyway. Oh, please have a seat.”

I nodded and took a seat on the reception sofa in the middle of the principal’s office. Principal Damian began to focus on trimming a branch with his pruning shears.

It seemed that Principal Damian’s hobby was tending to plants. Watching him diligently care for the tree was like seeing a good-natured grandfather in a rural village.

After a while, Principal Damian, with a satisfied expression, looked at the tree he had been working on.

“I’ve taken an interest in this recently. What do you think? Quite lovely, isn’t it?”

“The lush greenery is indeed a sight to behold.”

“Haha… Thank you for the empty compliment. Oh well….”

Taking off his slightly dirtied gloves and putting the pruning shears in a drawer, Principal Damian sat on the sofa, letting out a groan.

“That’s right. Thank you for coming, Professor Antonelli. By the way, get me a cup of tea or something; this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Hmm… Really? It seems like Professor Antonelli here knows that I’m not very skilled at making tea! Hahaha!”

Principal Damian, who had laughed heartily, suddenly stopped and let out a sigh.

“Phew… Professor Antonelli, are you by any chance from the Holy Empire?”

“No, but my father was.”

“Oh… I see. I see.”

Nodding slightly, Principal Damian spoke with a somewhat dark expression.

“Because of that incident this time… I got a bit angry. You already know, don’t you?”

“Yes. Professor Esther informed me.”

“Hmm… Well, I can’t go into the specifics of why I was angry, but a long time ago, there was an incident related to the Holy Empire at our academy, and we dealt with it a bit carelessly.”

“I see.”

“The reason our students were almost in danger this time was also because of our careless handling of the Holy Empire… I got angry without realizing it. Please apologize to Professor Esther for me.”

“Yes, I will inform separately.”

“Hehe… alright.”

Chief Damian, who was stroking his beard for a moment. I waited sleepily for his next words.

“Anyway, Professor Antinelli. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“I’m listening attentively.”

“This incident… well, let’s call it the finger incident. That finger… where is it right now?”

Chief Damian’s eyes narrowed. I swallowed my dry saliva.

“I have it in safekeeping. I thought it might be related to something dishonest.”

“…I see. I feel relieved knowing that Professor Antinelli has it in safekeeping. However, Professor Antinelli.”

Chief Damian stared at me with a sinister gleam in his eyes. I tightly clenched my fist hidden under the table.

“That item is truly… a very dangerous item.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And I want to protect everyone in our Caldea Royal Academy. No, I must.”

“I understand.”

“Yes. And using this incident as an excuse, I’ve made up my mind to send that damned finger to the Holy Land.”

Chief Damian truly seemed angry. Specifically, he seemed angry at the fact that the students, the professors, and even the academy itself had momentarily faced a threat.

“I have sent a letter to the Holy Land. If they have any decency and conscience, they should either take that damned thing that threatened the academy, burn it, or cleanse it themselves.”

“…”

“I will prevent such an incident from happening again. At least, as long as I sit in the position of chief, I will make sure it never happens again. I have little patience.”

Crack…!

The wooden armrest of the sofa, made of wood, twisted along Chief Damian’s hand.

Indeed, it seemed true that he was a promising professor of the combat department in the past. I discreetly turned my gaze, sweating cold sweat.

“Well….sorry for showing you a terrible sight.”

“It’s alright.”

“So, Professor Antinelli. There’s one thing I want to ask.”

Chief Damian smiled a little at the corner of his mouth. Then, he got up from the sofa and walked towards the desk for his work.

“Where did I put it… Ah, here it is.”

After rummaging through the desk for a moment, Chief Damian returned to his seat and handed me a letter. I silently looked at it and, a moment later, accepted it.

It was a very luxurious-looking paper. Somehow, it felt sacred, and at the bottom, there was the seal of the Pope….

“…What, what is this?”

“Hehe…. Actually, I wrote the letter a bit boldly…. and received a scolding from the Holy Empire. They instructed anyone who could handle it to deal with it. So, around this morning, this letter arrived.”

“Oh, no. This is…”

It was an official letter from the Holy Empire. Moreover, it seemed to be personally written by the Holy Pope.

Although the letter was filled with all sorts of religious expressions, in summary, it assured that a trustworthy priest had been dispatched, so there was no need to worry and await his arrival.

“Well…. still, since someone is coming to address the situation, we should extend hospitality while the assigned priest stays here, shouldn’t we?”

“Yes.”

“To be honest, I am not well-versed in the customs of the Holy Empire or how to treat priests…. It’s a bit awkward. Saying this might be a bit much, but in case anything unpleasant happens, it could be a bit tricky….”

“…Yes.”

“So, I was thinking it would be great if our Professor Antonelli could handle this…. Oh, of course, extra compensation will be provided.”

In short, that’s it. Keep an eye on the priest sent from the Holy Empire, and if anything suspicious happens, report it immediately.

“….”

It wasn’t a particularly difficult task. Dealing with a priest was an easy matter. But why did it feel so uncomfortable…?

As I remained silent for a while, Headmaster Damien leisurely reclined on the sofa, smiling as he took out a cigarette from his pocket.

“Do you smoke?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Here, let’s have one.”

Slyly extending the cigarette case, Headmaster Damien. I stared at it intently and instinctively felt something.

Accepting the cigarette here means complying with Headmaster Damien’s request, and refusing means rejecting his request as well.

After gazing at the cigarette for a moment, I subtly pushed it away. Headmaster Damien seemed slightly disappointed.

“Oh… was it too much to ask?”

“No, Headmaster.”

“…Huh?”

I took out my own cigarette from my pocket. It was a tobacco with a strong scent of licorice that I enjoyed smoking.

“I only smoke this particular brand.”

“…Hahaha!”

Headmaster Damien, who laughed heartily, asked for a cigarette. I also put a stick in my mouth. It was the same cigarette I had put away in front of Professor Esther a while ago.

I lit Headmaster Damien’s cigarette and then mine. Inhaling deeply, Headmaster Damien spoke.

“Sigh…. Anyway, I’m counting on you, Professor Antonelli. Whether they say they’ll take him back to the Holy Empire or purify him, ensure there’s no harm to the Academy.”

“Yes. I will make sure there is no harm to the Academy, without interruption.”

“Phew…. as expected, I think I made a good judgment about you.”

We exhaled cigarette smoke and smiled subtly.

It was the moment when the decision regarding the disposal of the headache-inducing matter, fingers, was made.

And I, too, was a participant in the agreement to ensure that the academy’s students did not fall into danger.

Because I intended to keep that promise, no matter what.