PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

Chloe blinked her sleepy eyes. She had covered her mouth with her hand and yawned repeatedly, to the point that she had lost count.

“Ugh… I’m so sleepy…”

She somehow managed to prop her limp body in the chair, but it was hard to withstand the encroaching drowsiness. Chloe glanced over at Elin, who was sitting next to her.

“Yawn… Elin, aren’t you sleepy?”

“Zzz—.”

“……”

Elin seemed to be at the level of fainting. It wasn’t that she hadn’t slept either; she simply hadn’t been able to sleep thanks to Chloe’s meddling.

Chloe had two reasons for her lack of sleep. One was the daunting assignment in her theology class that was fast approaching, and the other was the ghost of Father Giovanni.

The assignment presented by Professor Antorelli was incredibly difficult. No matter how much she scoured theology texts, she couldn’t find a clue. And yet, the submission date was just three days away.

Even without that, a comfortable sleep was out of the question; but it was like adding insult to injury. The second reason was hardly any less troubling.

After experiencing the ghost incident, she had naturally become conscious of the existence of ghosts. She had nearly wrapped herself up in her blanket to prevent even her toes from sticking out, and if she ever pulled a chair away, she would put it back in without fail before going to bed. It was almost an obsession.

It had reached a pathological level. At the time, thanks to Father Antorelli’s prayer, it hadn’t seemed that frightening, but as soon as the prayer’s effect wore off, his face kept drifting back into her mind.

Thus, the fact that she had spent the night talking with Elin had become a problem, although Elin was quite annoyed by it.

Suddenly, she looked at the clock. The short hour hand was pointing at the number 9. There was still another 30 minutes before class started.

Chloe pulled her chair closer to the desk. Once she had both of her sizable arms resting on the desk, she felt a bit more comfortable as her stiff shoulders began to loosen.

Lying down like that, she found a stable position. Chloe closed her eyes with satisfaction.

‘I wonder how Professor Antorelli is doing?’

She had gone to visit him with Professor Esther over the weekend, but since there hadn’t been any response, she had returned to her dorm. The last image that lingered in her mind was that of Professor Antorelli being carried away after fainting, so it was only natural for her to feel anxious.

‘…Professor, you were so reassuring.’

On that day when she felt the presence of the ghost with her whole body.

Chloe had caught a glimpse, however small, of why Professor Antorelli was a professor at the Caldera Imperial Academy. His divine power was that brilliant and solid. It was enough for Chloe to be deeply impressed by Professor Antorelli.

She felt incredibly reassured. The golden walls that had appeared after she had recited prayers with Sofia Sub-priest had given her a sense of security every time she stood in front of Professor Antorelli’s back.

“Ugh…!”

She was excited about Professor Antorelli’s class. It wasn’t just because of what had happened on the first day of class; she was genuinely curious about Professor Antorelli’s condition.

Chloe lifted her head. Time had passed quickly, and the clock was now pointing to 9:29. Chloe gazed intently at the second hand.

“57 seconds. 58 seconds. 59 seconds….”

And then, finally, when the second hand pointed at 12.

Creak—!

‘…He’s here!’

Chloe sprang up from her half-lying position. Elin, who had been lying next to her, was now looking at the platform with her writing tools ready.

Step. Step.

A determined sound of footsteps echoed. It was the appearance of the first-year A-class theology professor, Professor Lucio Antorelli.

‘He looks well. Thank goodness….’

Chloe smiled softly. Today, without fail, she would find the key related to the assignment.

After briefly looking around the classroom, Professor Antorelli nodded slightly as if satisfied with the quiet, calm atmosphere and headed for the platform at the front of the classroom.

Even during this time, silence remained in the classroom. No sounds were heard. Not a single student took their eyes off him.

This was Professor Antorelli’s theology class. There was not a single moment to be missed.

The assignment Professor Antorelli had given on the first day of class. With only three days remaining before the deadline, everyone was diligently focused on it.

In addition to the assignment, there were many students who found strong appeal in Professor Antorelli’s class itself. Most of them were from the magic department and the theology department, wishing to witness once again the realizations or the thrill of belief experienced during the first class.

Such students viewed Professor Antorelli’s theology class as a ‘wall to break through’ and sought to reclaim the pure essence crafted from his brilliant intelligence and faith, eagerly absorbing the knowledge of theology through diligent note-taking in each class.

“Hello, everyone.”

Professor Antorelli grasped the lectern and opened his mouth. Chloe straightened her posture.

“And so, another week has passed, and here we are again… But I want to say that this week will be a little different.”

With his glasses perched on his nose as always, Professor Antorelli scanned the classroom with tired, sharp eyes. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he continued speaking.

“Three days from now. That is, this Friday will be the deadline for the assignment I presented to you.”

With three fingers raised, as he spoke, the students swallowed nervously. What kind of future would unfold if they failed to submit the assignment? They didn’t want to think about it.

“I hope you all spent the last weekend without regrets.”

With that chilling remark, Professor Antorelli silently opened the Bible and theology texts. The hands of students eager to turn the pages began to move.

“Well then, I will begin the first-year A-class theology class.”

Thus, a peculiar class, where the eyes of all the students sparkled with each of their desires, commenced.

* * * * *

The class proceeded quietly and smoothly, just like any other time. I felt a sense of pride as I continued teaching.

“And so Peter said to his disciples, ‘Blessed be, blessed indeed. Yesterday, when I rebuked the schemes of Satan and the evil spirits, the heavens opened, and the judgment of the Lord came down from the glass palace and drove them into hell. The path to heaven is thus so beautiful.’”

Since the deadline for assignments was rapidly approaching, I was covering material related to the assignment. I continued, scanning the students who were diligently taking notes.

“This passage relates to the previous one where demons tempted Saint Peter. Saint Peter, not succumbing to the wicked traps, immediately rebuked them, and with the grace given by the Lord, he used divine power to drive the demons away, prompting him to say these words.”

“Blessed be, blessed indeed. Truly a blessed thing.”

I paused to observe the students’ reactions, for this verse pierced the core of the assignment.

However, everyone was focused on their notes, and not a single student tried to interpret it on their own.

I let out a faint sigh. It was good that everyone was focused in class, but mechanically jotting everything down was foolish.

I looked at a few students whose gazes met mine. They must each have their own thoughts, but there was something common that could be gleaned. I couldn’t help but blame myself.

‘…My class seems too theoretical.’

What I was seeing in their eyes that were mechanically taking notes was the overly theoretical nature of my teaching. A class that halted the students’ thinking.

In that case, there had to be a way.

“Alright. At this point, I’ll conduct a simple experiment.”

The students’ eyes changed immediately. Glimmers of anticipation sparkled here and there.

“Um… there. Chloe Student?”

“…Uh, yes?”

I pointed to Chloe among them. With a surprised expression, she hesitantly turned to look at me.

“Please come to the front.”

“W-Well… okay…”

Blushing and hesitating, Chloe approached the front of the classroom. I whispered to her once she was next to me.

“You don’t need to be too nervous. It’s just a simple experiment.”

“Ugh… yes.”

The students’ eyes were intense. The looks brimming with curiosity and expectation were almost like beams of light shooting out from them. Even Sofia Sub-priest, who was sitting somewhat farther away.

“As we just reviewed, Saint Peter left the words ‘Blessed be, blessed indeed.’ Is that correct?”

Nods of agreement arose among the students. I stroked my chin and continued.

“Isn’t it curious? Why did Saint Peter think it was a blessed thing to have driven away the demons using divine power?”

The classroom fell quiet again in a different way. None of the students raised their hands, which was unlike the anticipation.

As I was about to open my mouth reluctantly, a slender arm raised from the front row.

“Laura von Adelheit Student.”

It was Laura. Her usual haughty demeanor was replaced with elegance as she stood up gracefully and spoke.

“The demons are the source of all evil, and by sending them back to hell with the Lord’s help, it seems she expressed it was a blessed thing to ensure the safety of the disciples.”

“…That wasn’t the answer I was thinking of, but it was a good response.”

Laura furrowed her brows slightly, then quietly returned to her seat. After Laura failed, the classroom fell even quieter.

“…Is no one else going to answer?”

My mouth felt bitter. Speaking the answer myself made me afraid the students would submit their assignments without any realizations.

I wanted to teach them how to catch fish, not hand them the fish.

“Then, I will show you the answer.”

So I decided to reveal it.

I grasped Chloe’s hand. She trembled as if she’d been shocked, then widened her eyes, alternately gazing at my hand and back at me.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Can I hold your hand for a moment?”

“Uh, uh….”

Chloe’s face turned beet red, and she barely nodded as she buried her face.

“Thank you, Chloe Student.”

I lifted our joined hands for everyone in the classroom to see.

“Chloe Student is a student from the magic department, am I right?”

“Yes, yes… that’s right.”

“Then, Chloe Student, have you ever used divine power?”

Chloe shook her head with a confused expression.

“No…? I’ve never used it.”

“Then here’s a question.”

Why haven’t you used it?

It was a foolish question, yet it was one she couldn’t answer. She had lost her words.

A first-year A-class student from the magic department, Chloe couldn’t use divine power.

Then why?

This was both a question that shattered common sense and one of the keys to solving the assignment I had presented on the first day of class. After all, the progress of knowledge comes from questions that break conventions.

All the students in the classroom, including Chloe, tilted their heads. They scratched their heads, tapped their pens, and cradled their chins.

Similar to the students flaunting their respective habits, after all their thoughts had processed, Chloe’s response was.

“Maybe it’s because my body can’t use divine power…?”

It was an expected answer, and the students seemed to think the same. More and more students nodded along with Chloe’s response, including Laura von Adelheit.

“Do you all agree?”

No student abstained. They all thought so.

Then, I would shatter that prejudice.

“I will state it here and now.”

I looked around at the faces of the students gazing at me. And with one sentence.

“By the time this class ends, I will make it so that Chloe Student here can use divine power.”

“……”

With mouths agape, all the students in the classroom wore dumbfounded expressions just like Chloe.

It was as if they couldn’t comprehend my words, and how long did that awkward silence last?

Bang—!

In an instant, starting with Laura in the front row, all the students in the classroom leaped out of their seats.

And it didn’t take long for a huge commotion to arise in the classroom.

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