Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Kalli Ishtar
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***
Looking at Kalli, I grew tense.
Whether I was confident or not was irrelevant; this situation couldn't be described in such simple terms.
—Predator and prey.
As if that was the relationship between us now. To be the sole focus of Kalli's gaze felt entirely different.
A cold smile.
Her red eyes, staring straight at me, were beautiful... but right now, that wasn't a good thing.
Gulp.
Why did even the simple act of swallowing feel so loud?
And then, Kalli posed a question to me.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong, in your opinion, do you believe the Empire's front lines are being properly maintained? I'd like you to share your honest thoughts, without holding anything back.”
The question, delivered in a composed voice, was entirely unexpected.
Yet, ironically, it didn't feel strange.
‘A question only Kalli would ask.’
That’s how it felt.
Kalli Ishtar, one of the most distinctive characters I’d encountered in Grand Royal Academy, was truly unique.
Despite being born with a special trait and talent, she constantly spoke of effort. And she was obsessed with ‘effort’ to a degree that anyone would find odd.
And I knew the reason why. Why she had come to value effort so much. Even her question about the front lines was a part of that.
Until this year, she had spent three years living on the fierce battlefield, distinguishing herself with incredible feats on what could be called the very front lines.
Crimson Dawn. She'd only earned such a title because her achievements were that extraordinary.
“……”
After asking her question, Kalli looked at me without rushing for an answer.
She simply met my gaze with a placid expression, as if willing to wait while I was lost in thought.
I quickly organized my thoughts and opened my mouth.
“I believe the front lines will gradually be pushed back.”
Knowing the future, I could deduce the answer.
The future of this world, as I knew it.
Considering the current state of the war, the Empire’s front lines had been in a stalemate for several years.
They neither advanced nor retreated. But a sudden wind of change was about to blow.
An absolute crisis.
Signs of it should already be faintly visible on the front lines.
“Pushed back, you say. Why do you think that, Cadet Han Cheon-seong? The front lines haven't retreated in the last three years. Not even once.”
Was my answer unexpected? Kalli stated it as a fact, looking at me.
Her gaze was filled with interest, as if asking why I thought so.
“The reason is that the number of cadets willing to go to the front is decreasing, and the number of officers and soldiers maintaining the lines is also continuously dwindling, isn't it?”
I was able to answer immediately.
The many officers and soldiers fighting to defend the front. And there were a few who could be called the pillars of this world.
The fact that the front lines weren't being pushed back and were being maintained was all because of them. But in return, every single day was so fierce that it could be said the Empire's talents were being ground down on the front lines.
Suddenly, Kalli’s words came to mind.
—Not a single instructor at this academy hasn't stood on the battlefield.
So it was only natural that Kalli was looking at us so coldly now.
The perspective of those who had stood on the battlefield was bound to be different from that of cadets who had just entered the academy.
Even standing on the academy’s podium wasn’t just about teaching.
They stood there because they *had* to teach.
The grim reality of the battlefield. Those who had faced that truth couldn't think and live their daily lives like ordinary people.
Because they knew that if they didn't do something, this Empire would have no future.
Kalli, who had been watching me with a deep gaze as I answered, smiled lightly and continued.
“It seems you have more interest in the front than I thought, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Most people wouldn't bother to look into it that deeply.”
“I just happened to find out.”
“Is that so? Then you must have had at least a minimal amount of interest to have found out.”
At Kalli's words, I just gave a slight nod.
...I couldn't think of any other response.
Still, I was relieved that my answer hadn't displeased Kalli.
Immediately after, Kalli averted her gaze from me.
And she looked out at the many cadets in the lecture hall with a brilliant gaze, different from before.
As her gaze touched them again, the tense cadets began to relax, and the heavy atmosphere in the room eased.
At that sight, I too could let out a small breath.
“Whoa. That's impressive.”
As David, who had also relaxed, let out a small, whispered exclamation, I could only shake my head slightly, unable to reply.
I was only able to answer because I already knew everything.
It wasn't anything particularly impressive.
And at that moment, Kalli slowly let the smile fade from her lips.
“Contrary to Cadet Han Cheon-seong's answer just now, the front lines are indeed in a stalemate. And that state has continued for several years. Most people in the Empire believe this stalemate will continue. But as someone who has spent day after day on the front lines, I don't feel that way at all. In the future, there is a high probability that the front will be pushed back, just as Cadet Han Cheon-seong said. And the thoughts of the other officers currently on the front are not so different.”
As Kalli spoke calmly, all the cadets listened intently to her words.
An overwhelming presence. After her brief display of power, not a single cadet took Kalli's words lightly.
And knowing that... I felt a strange tickling in my ear.
‘I don't think my name belongs in a speech like this.’
Because my name was being repeatedly dropped in her weighty statement. I felt a heat rising to my face for no reason.
“And all of you here have been granted combat-related traits and have enrolled in the Grand Royal Academy. But now, I want to ask you. How many of the cadets here will stand on the battlefield in the future? With that in mind, if there are any cadets who hope to stand on the battlefield after graduation, please raise your hand.”
As soon as Kalli finished speaking, cadets began to raise their hands, one by one.
Some seemed to have been moved by Kalli's words, while others raised their hands without hesitation, as if they did not fear standing on the battlefield.
And there were also cadets who didn't raise their hands, as if they had no intention of going to the front.
Rustle.
Just then, even David, who was right beside me, raised his hand.
I... found myself hesitating.
'The goal I set for myself after being dropped into this world.'
I had thought it would be enough to ensure my own safety and live comfortably.
Enter the academy, graduate with decent grades, be chosen by a high-ranking noble, and live as a knight or something else that suited my trait.
I thought I could just live like that…….
But.
As various thoughts piled up along with Kalli's words, I felt that my thinking had been incredibly naive.
Because at the heart of that thought was the belief that the protagonist would take care of everything.
The many crises and adversities to come.
I had faith that Leonhardt would overcome them all with his indomitable will.
Even when faced with heartbreaking situations and various tragedies, Leonhardt's spirit would not break.
Because I believed in that. That's what I thought.
I had read the entirety of the massive novel that was Grand Royal Academy, and a large part of why I viewed it favorably was for that reason.
The novel certainly had attractive heroines, but that wasn't the main reason. It was the protagonist's attitude. His posture. His indomitable will was what I liked most.
He doesn't yield to adversity and hardship. He can overcome it with a strong will.
Despite having an outstanding Legendary trait and overwhelming talent, the protagonist doesn't look down on or belittle others.
He was, in a word, ideal.
And that ideal image... strangely appealed to my heart.
It was like watching one of those old-school shonen manga. It resonated with me far more than other novels where the protagonist easily handled hardships and crises.
But.
This world had now changed.
While there were parts that were the same as what I knew, there were also quite a few things that were completely different.
The fact that Glacia was assigned to the same class as Leonhardt. The reality that Luna and Millia, who could be seen as the protagonist's allies, were assigned not to B-Class but to C1-Class with me.
And even the fact that I had a duel with the protagonist just yesterday.
All of it was different, and none of it had been in the original story.
'That's right. This world has already changed.'
In a direction completely different from the original story I had in mind….
Then, I felt numerous gazes on me, and my thoughts were broken.
“……”
“……”
At some point, the many cadets in the lecture hall were looking at me. And I soon realized why they were all staring.
Kalli, standing on the podium, was looking at me with a deep gaze.
I definitely wasn't the only cadet who hadn't raised their hand. And yet, Kalli was just looking at me in silence.
Her eyes, unlike before, held an obvious ‘disappointment’.
And the fact that she didn't speak felt as if she were giving me time.
It felt as if... she were telling me with her eyes to raise my hand, even now.
“...”
Swallowing hard, I slowly began to raise my hand.
Honestly, I didn't know what was what anymore.
How I was supposed to live. Whether it was right to live thinking only of my own safety as I had initially planned... I was starting to get confused.
‘If this world is really... different from what I knew.’
Could I live so complacently?
Could I assume that Leonhardt would be able to overcome everything that was to come?
—Such worries echoed endlessly in my heart, making it tremble.
Was my attitude of trying to live while turning a blind eye to future events, as if I were a mere bystander, the right one?
And amidst those thoughts, I could see it.
The sight of Kalli slowly curling her lips into a smile.
Her smile seemed so satisfied, as if she had expected me to raise my hand... it made me feel strangely embarrassed.
‘I should've just raised my hand from the start.’
It wasn't that I was forced to raise my hand.
But to the other cadets, it must have looked as if I had been pressured into it by her stare.
Rustle.
As I fully raised my hand, Kalli brushed back her red hair and nodded.
“More than half of you have raised your hands, signaling your intent to stand on the battlefield. You can put your hands down now. I'm sure many of you raised your hands because of my gaze, or perhaps you were swept up in the atmosphere. When the time for graduation approaches, I believe that not even a tenth of those who raised their hands today will actually go to the front. Nevertheless, I am sufficiently satisfied with this display alone. This mindset. Even if you don't end up on the battlefield, just thinking about it has its own meaning.”
...As Kalli spoke, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at the cadets, everyone seemed to listen, deeply moved.
Just having this serious mindset for now was enough.
Just having an interest in what was happening on the Empire's front lines was fine.
That's what Kalli was saying right now.
That it was okay even if they didn't stand on the battlefield.
“...”
However, her words sounded as if they were aimed directly at me.
There was no way that was true.
But for some strange reason, that's how it felt.
To me, who knew the future of this world….
Her words didn't sound light at all.
For a moment, I was lost in thought, but then—
“On that note, Cadet Han Cheon-seong?”
“...Yes, Instructor.”
As I answered blankly to the sudden call, Kalli gave a very peculiar smile.
“After today's lecture is over, you will come with me.”