26. The Returning Student Is Adapting
“…At this time, the Empire’s more sophisticated system is being established… um.”
The professor, who had been deeply focused on the lecture, suddenly fell silent.
He crossed his arms and began staring intensely at the seated students.
“?”
“?”
Even the students who had been diligently taking notes during the lecture realized something was off.
They turned their gazes in the direction the professor was looking.
“Kuuu…”
One male student was found dozing off in a very uncomfortable posture, head bowed.
“That’s you again.”
“Hey, wake him up.”
At the students’ urging, another student sitting right beside him woke the dozing one.
“Huh?”
The startled student jolted upright and quickly tried to play it cool.
But by then, every eye in the lecture hall was fixed on him.
“Lack of sleep from studying? Or something else?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“If you’re sleepy, stand up and listen from the back. That’s the bare minimum of courtesy to this professor.”
“I’m sorry!”
The professor clicked his tongue and resumed the lecture.
“Again. In the early days of the Empire’s founding, there were countless large and small wars—far more than can be compared to today. Right away, His Majesty Emperor Constantinus, the second emperor, carved his name into eternity through territorial expansion. And the system he personally created back then was the Medal of Honor.”
The highest honor bestowed upon those who displayed heroic feats on the bloodiest of battlefields.
Since it was personally created by the Emperor himself, it had been strictly maintained without fail.
Back then, simply seeing a Medal of Honor recipient would bring one to tears and inspire one to bow in respect.
Even now, not to the same extent, but the Medal of Honor recipients were undoubtedly extraordinary individuals!
“…”
“…”
Students suddenly turned their heads somewhere else in the middle of the professor’s passionate lecture.
One, then two. Before long, the entire lecture hall was staring.
In the direction of their gazes stood a male student who was grumbling while taking notes.
“What? Why.”
He was a one-month-returning senior and same-year classmate.
Yet in just that one month, he had been showcasing an overwhelming presence—the infamous “storm” that was the returning student.
“Karl student.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“If you’re done with your notes, can I erase this area?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
This returning student was in the midst of desperately trying to adapt to academy life.
*
I’m going insane. Truly insane. Why is note-taking this difficult?
Probably because I spent too long in the military. My hands and brain must have rusted solid.
Otherwise, how could writing down the lecture content on the blackboard be this hard!
Ah, Professor! Please don’t erase there! I haven’t finished yet!!
“Damn… Military trauma is really that bad.”
Even the best of us become ordinary humans after two years in the military, they say.
In that regard, I, who was originally an ordinary human, became subhuman…!
“Hey, Riley.”
“Yes, senior. What is it?”
“Um… Could you show me the notes you took a moment ago?”
“Notes? Of course! Anytime!”
Hic… Thanks, junior! I’m really grateful!
Thank goodness. In my previous life, there were guys who would have tried to sabotage even this.
Those cowardly trash who would eliminate competitors just to steal their scores!
“Thanks, Riley. Really, thank you.”
“Aww, it’s nothing. The Medal of Honor recipient asking, how could there be anyone who’d refuse?”
“…”
Saying it that way gave off the vibe of “If you don’t help me, I won’t leave you alone.”
Couldn’t you soften it a bit? No, don’t mention the Medal of Honor at all!
Just say you’re helping a returning student because you want to!
When I returned to the academy, I thought as long as it wasn’t some idiot who enlisted as a private just to chase girls, it would be fine.
An unpopular returning student brother and a high-year senior brother I had no desire to befriend. That seemed mild enough.
But in reality…
“Um, but… senior. You really used a dagger instead of a gun because you were worried about wasting bullets on the train, right? I keep hearing from some knight that your marksmanship was terrible, but honestly, how can a Medal of Honor recipient not be able to shoot? Especially since you did amazing things in the war!”
“…Yeah. That doesn’t make sense.”
“The crazy combat powerhouse who wears the Medal of Honor on his chest, carries a dagger in one hand and an elf’s neck in the other, and keeps his pistol tucked at his waist.”
If you add “elf slayer” or “terrorist mass murderer” to that… wow. Anyone would think he’s a villain. Wait, mass murderer level!
“A war hero clutching a dagger instead of a gun because hostages were in danger. Wow… that sounds really cool.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
If you’d ever experienced even a little bit of soldier life, you wouldn’t have said that.
Now I really don’t know. Is the unpopular returning student brother better, or the one with a bunch of stories even though he’s tired and all over the place?
People say that if you receive too much attention, you’ll get addicted without realizing it.
People have no choice but to demand attention, but I’m not a sycophant either.
I just wanted to spend time at the academy like everyone else, but what kind of chaos is this.
The saddest part is that this doesn’t seem like the end, but just the beginning.
I try to convince myself “It won’t be like that. It won’t be,” but I probably can’t escape it.
Why is it that sad premonitions have never been wrong, as the lyrics of that really sad song say.
“You two. That’s enough gossip. Focus on the lecture.”
“Yes! Sorry!”
Even in the middle of it, the damn body reflexively answered like a soldier.
Two months had passed since my discharge, so I thought the military vibe had faded.
There was still a bit of the rice-scent, but I figured the civilian air would at least show through.
Yet I was still the Empire Army, Sergeant Karl Adelheit…!
“…Afterward, the Empire rapidly grew and clashed intensely with neighboring kingdoms. The fiercest conflict was with the elves. They were engaged in border disputes over the Great Forest.”
Unlike in my previous life, borders here weren’t walled off, barbed-wire enclosed, or constantly monitored by every strategic asset twenty-four hours a day.
Therefore, borders were natural obstacles—rivers, lakes, mountains, and so on.
Among these natural obstacles was the massive Great Forest in the Empire’s south.
The problem arose here: the border line drawn from the Great Forest was perceived completely differently between the Empire and the elves.
The Empire wanted the southern side of the Great Forest as the border, while the elves wanted the northern side.
In short, both sides wanted the Great Forest as their own territory.
Thus, “This guy crossed the border!” “That guy crossed the border!” chaos erupted.
Especially since it was the Great Forest, there was no way to draw a clear line and say “If you cross, you die.”
As time passed, the conflict only grew more extreme rather than resolving.
“Eventually, the first Great Forest battle began, marking the start of the long conflict between the Empire and the elves. After the Empire achieved consecutive victories, the elves split into hardliners and moderates, causing internal division. The hardliners who advocated fighting the Empire were the Luzens. Conversely, the moderates who called for peace with the Empire were the Heigens.”
The next routine was the same. Luzens provoked, Empire responded.
Then Heigens, caught in the middle, got beaten by Luzens instead.
By the way, it had been less than thirty years since Heigens took the lead.
Until then, they had been verbally and militarily crushed by the hardliners every single day.
Then, starting from the Eighth Great Forest War before I joined the Luzens conflict, the tide turned.
No matter how much the elves looked down on humans and how many times Heigens had faced crises because of it, the fact remained that in inter-group battles, the side that grew weary first would start to feel resentment.
And the Luzens elves were perfectly outmatched by us in two aspects.
“The Luzens elves had too much faith in their magic and bows. When the Empire introduced guns and gunpowder, which they had invented, the Heigens actively adopted them, but the Luzens ignored it and ridiculed it. But the result? In the Seventh Great Forest War, our Empire’s single regiment defeated over ten thousand Luzens soldiers.”
Highly trained knights were undoubtedly a terrifying force.
Mages without casting limitations were themselves a disaster just by existing.
Guns weren’t invincible either. In this era, they weren’t automatic rifles.
But clearly, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages enough to turn the tide.
The result was this: the Empire and Heigens soared, while Luzens plummeted.
“Then, the best idea they came up with was to stir up trouble to sow discord between the Empire and Heigens. Anyway, those damn gganfs. You have to understand their hatred.”
“As it became harder and harder to defeat the Empire, the Luzens recently changed their methods. They aimed to carry out terrorist acts against the Empire and turn public sentiment against the elves among the Empire’s citizens. I remember there was an incident where it almost happened this time.”
…It’s starting again. Huh? It’s starting once more.
Right after the gganfs’ terrorism was mentioned, the juniors all stared at me at once.
Especially Riley right next to me was giving off the vibe of “Whoa, whoa.”
“To the Empire’s hero who stopped such acts, please give a round of applause.”
At the professor’s words, the juniors applauded enthusiastically. The lecture hall was about to collapse.
Um, but… Professor. Since you’re doing it, can’t you add extra points besides applause?
If not, could you please write on the blackboard a little slower… Following a returning student is too much for me…
*
“Karl!”
After the lecture ended, Selena came running up from ahead.
She seemed to have something important to say, as she accepted the juniors’ greetings half-heartedly.
“Karl. I’m really sorry, but do you have time tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? When.”
“Late afternoon, or perhaps evening.”
“That should be fine. But why?”
“My brother really wants to see you.”
…Ah. Is it referring to that person I rescued in a daze?
“Should I go?”
“It’s up to you, Karl, but I hope you do. Father thinks you owe him a huge debt. Please.”
At Selena’s words, I unconsciously scratched the back of my head with a “tsk.”
Others boasted about doing amazing things, but I only felt ashamed.
It was all because I went crazy trying to save my squad members.
Every time I was called a hero or awarded a medal, my heart felt even more uneasy.
“…Yeah. I’ll meet him once.”
“Ah! Thank you! Thank you, Karl! Really, thank you!!”
Even so, I couldn’t refuse because I understood that feeling too.
I wanted to convey my gratitude, but without a target, I understood the feeling of being sorry.
“Those bastards. Why did they go first so urgently? They couldn’t even say ‘Thanks for saving me.’”
William, Thomas, Martin, Frederic, and the other squad members.
Those damn guys. They were truly cool bastards.