Academy’s PTSD Chaplain

53 – Duel Between Grades (2)

“Wow… It’s really hot.”

Esther, the professor who had lunch with me, wiped sweat from her neck and mumbled.

“It’s ridiculous to have air conditioning maintenance on such a hot day… It’s just absurd.”

“Did you hear the cause of the malfunction?”

“Hmm… I heard that the cooling pump broke. Maybe that’s why.”

“When will the maintenance be finished?”

“Probably… by the end of classes? That’s what I heard.”

It was unfortunate news for Sophia-subje. Drenched in sweat and on the verge of collapsing, she had to go back to the faculty office.

“I’m worried she might get heatstroke.”

“Ah… Are you talking about Sophia-subje?”

I nodded quietly. The faculty office is still like a sauna, and I’m not sure if Sophia-subje can withstand the heat.

“What… If it’s too hot, why don’t we find a cool place to go?”

“…I wish.”

Professor Esther chuckled. I turned my head towards her.

“Why?”

“Professor Lucio seems to be very kind.”

Very kind.

It was a phrase I hadn’t heard before. That’s how unfamiliar it was to me.

Not knowing how to react, I stopped walking and stalled for a moment. Professor Esther playfully smiled and tapped my arm.

“Professor Lucio seems to have a natural tendency to take care of people.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes. It’s like a consideration that naturally emanates from his body. He may be blunt, but he always does his best for others.”

As I pondered her words for a moment, I continued walking.

I don’t know. Am I the kind and caring type?

“The annual class competition might be canceled.”

Professor Esther’s sudden statement was quite surprising. The annual class competition, the Chaldean Imperial Academy’s annual event, being canceled was unheard of.

“Cancel? Wasn’t it always held every summer without fail?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that too… But the weather is unbelievably hot. It’s not usually this hot around this time of year.”

As she spoke, Professor Esther continued to fan herself relentlessly. Her damp shirt revealed glimpses of her undergarments, causing me to instinctively avert my gaze.

“Well, that’s understandable.”

“Indeed. If the students succumb to the heat during the competition, it’ll be a big problem. Besides, it would be difficult to properly demonstrate their abilities in this weather. The magical circuits would also overheat…”

“Then, is this meeting related to canceling the competition?”

“Probably. I don’t know the specific agenda of the meeting either.”

I also don’t know what the agenda of this sudden meeting is, but I suspect her opinion is the most likely.

“Professor Lucio, have you ever been to the third conference room?”

“Today is my first time.”

“Hmm… I’ve heard rumors that it’s the most recently built conference room, but I don’t really know how big it is. They say it can accommodate all the professors of the Chaldean Imperial Academy…”

As we chatted about various things while walking, we eventually arrived at the place adorned with the plaque of the third conference room.

“Shall we go in?”

“Yes.”

Suppressing my anxious heart, we opened the door.

*** *** ***

“Huah…”

A refreshing and cool breeze, blown from somewhere, provided relief and cooled the sweat. Professor Esther, who saw the magic circles engraved throughout the vast conference room, wore a rapturous expression.

“It’s a cooling spell. Seems like the Life Magic department professor exerted some effort.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Well… in a space as large as the Academy training grounds, we can’t do this.”

Nodding in agreement with her words, I scanned the inside of the conference room.

The room, enlarged to about three times the size of the classrooms where I conduct my lectures, now seemed to overlap with the somewhat faded image of the grand National Assembly building.

Next, I saw Academy professors engaged in conversations with each other. Professors who usually went unnoticed by students were now gathered in great numbers here, giving me a fresh perspective.

Given the enormous scale of the Chaldea Royal Academy, it was expected to have a dense concentration of highly skilled professors.

Alongside those professors, assistants also gathered in one place, making it not surprising that such a large conference room was bustling.

“Fortunately, it seems we’re not late. Where would you like to sit?”

“Anywhere comfortable will do.”

Led by Professor Esther, I took a seat in the middle row of the conference room. There were people I knew and people I didn’t in the room.

Some professors who made eye contact with me exchanged casual greetings. Most of them were professors in the theology and related fields.

“Um… it seems others haven’t received the proper agenda for the meeting.”

Beside me, Professor Esther muttered, and dissatisfaction was evident on the faces of some professors. Since the meeting agenda was not properly communicated and was hastily convened, professors with busy schedules or personal matters were likely to be discontent.

“Oh… Professor Lucio. You should be a bit careful with that person. He’s really a formidable figure.”

Professor Esther subtly pointed to someone while whispering. I turned my gaze in the direction she indicated.

“Who is that person?”

“That’s Professor Sylvester Armstrong. He’s in charge of the third-year Combat Arts department and also the chief professor for the third-year.”

In the direction she pointed, there stood a professor who looked very aggressive, as she described. With thick eyebrows, wide-open eyes, and a bristling beard, his appearance was somewhat akin to facing a tiger.

Professor Armstrong was passionately expressing himself to another professor standing opposite him, and it was becoming increasingly worrisome as his face turned redder. It was a concern whether he might explode in anger.

The person conversing with him was a female professor specializing in incantations. Throughout the conversation, she maintained a seductive smile, and the more she did, the louder Professor Armstrong raised his voice.

“Who is that person?”

“Well… she’s Professor Scarlet Underwood. She belongs to the third-year Destruction Magic department.”

According to her, both of them were long-time professors at the Chaldea Royal Academy. They were highly skilled authorities in their respective fields.

“So, I told you! Our Combat Arts students can’t follow your curriculum!”

“Oh, then what should I do for you? I’ve made enough concessions…”

“Concessions? What nonsense! You were the one who suggested sparring practice out of the blue! Suddenly changing the class schedule, does that even make sense?!”

Anyway, the atmosphere between the two was unsettling. It felt like someone needed to intervene. The other professors seemed to treat it as a daily occurrence and made no effort to stop it.

“Shouldn’t we intervene?”

“Um, yes…. I’m a little surprised too.”

I was hesitant to step in. If I got involved between the two, I would either be crushed like a pancake or end up being crisply cooked in the future.

And so, as we anxiously watched over them, it happened.

Swoosh—!

Someone opened the door to the conference room and entered. Everyone in the room fell silent.

It was the same for Professor Armstrong and Professor Underwood. As everyone maintained their silence, the person who confidently opened the door and entered the conference room, spoke softly.

“Hmm… Has everyone gathered?”

A man who had reached the pinnacle of the great Cardea Imperial Academy.

It was Chancellor Damien’s appearance.

* * * * *

“First, before we begin the meeting… There is one thing I want to make clear.”

Chancellor Damien’s tone was calm, but his gaze was not.

Whether he heard the commotion and raised voices, his cold eyes were directed at Professor Armstrong and Professor Underwood.

“Professor Armstrong. And Professor Underwood. As professors of Cardea Imperial Academy, I hope you pay attention to your actions.”

“….”

“You have no reply?”

“I-I apologize. I will be careful.”

“I’m sorry, Chancellor.”

The atmosphere in the conference room became as cold as ice. Professor Esther, who was sitting next to me, swallowed dry saliva.

Chancellor Damien briefly glanced around the conference room, then returned with his usual warm face and leisurely opened his mouth.

“Well then, let’s start the emergency meeting.”

The tension was instantly relieved. I could clearly feel that Chancellor Damien had a firm grip on the academy.

The secretary, who was standing slightly behind Chancellor Damien, stepped forward. Just as her stiff expression, the cold tone filled the conference room.

“The agenda for this emergency meeting is related to the annual inter-grade competition that will begin in a week.”

“Yes, the inter-grade competition.”

Chancellor Damien smoothly continued her words. His secretary nodded and stepped back.

“I will start with the conclusion. This year’s inter-grade competition will proceed as scheduled.”

It was a statement that shattered Professor Esther’s and my expectations. And it seemed that we were not the only ones.

The conference room buzzed with tension. While some professors displayed signs of anger, the Earth Hospital officials responsible for student safety and the theology professors had darkened expressions.

“President Damian, may I speak?”

A professor sitting in front of us rose from his seat. President Damian’s gaze shifted toward him.

“You have the floor.”

“Yes. I’m Jane Cooper, the theology professor for Grade 2B. I would like to suggest canceling or rescheduling the annual combat training.”

Although some professors wore discontented expressions, no one opposed her words.

“Recently, temperatures have been abnormally high compared to previous years. Enforcing combat training in such weather is expected to lead to a surge in heat-related illnesses.”

“That’s right. Students won’t be able to perform at their best either.”

“Yes, President Damian.”

Cooper, who pointed out the weather’s impact on grade-level combat training, lost words in Damian’s seemingly already aware attitude.

Damian’s intentions were unclear.

“However, canceling the annual combat training is challenging. In the fall, first-year students will enter their exam period, making it difficult to conduct combat training during that time.”

“But, but…”

“Instead, I propose this.”

Until President Damian presented an alternative.

“This year’s grade-level combat training will take place somewhere other than the academy.”