I Had No Choice But To Call
“Is there any student for whom today’s lecture exam is the last one?”
Professor’s question hung in the air, and a few students raised their hands almost guiltily. The professor’s face softened into a warm, genuine smile.
“Thank you for your hard work. You really struggled through the exam. Of course, there’s still the final exam left, but half of you have already taken it. Keep doing as you’ve been doing so far, and keep it up from now on.”
The words were small, but they carried real weight for the students who had just survived the exam. Up until now, professors had only ever said things like “The exam will begin” or “Cheating will result in a zero.” This was different.
As the students’ smiles bloomed in their chests, exam papers were passed out to them one by one.
“All right. Shall we take the exam again?”
Ellipses.
Ellipses.
The questions the professor had set were of truly devilish difficulty.
Students who saw them all felt their smiles and relief vanish into the trash. The professor was clearly a demon who enjoyed drinking students’ tears.
*
The middle exam was over. It had been a brutally difficult time in every sense.
“Ugh…”
“I hate the professor…”
After the inevitable defeat, the underclassmen left the lecture hall with their shoulders slumped.
Even though they were first-years, exams were exams. Having bombed the middle exam, they had no choice but to throw everything into the final.
The worse their scores, the more pain they would face in the next year. If they wanted even a little breathing room in upperclass life, they had to work hard from the very beginning.
“Karl-senpai seems to have done well on the exam.”
“Huh?”
“Your expression looks good.”
One underclassman who had been leaving the lecture hall with them suddenly approached Karl with a sly grin.
“Eh, well… I didn’t exactly ace it, but I didn’t completely bomb it either.”
“Really? You really are different from the rest. It’s impressive that you’re so careless with your studies.”
Sorry. The truth was, I had pulled strings. Why didn’t you guys ask for the same favor?
After leaving the underclassman with nothing but a pat on the shoulder and the words “Good luck,” Karl headed toward the promised meeting place.
It was a cafe near the academy that had recently unveiled its new menu.
Top Sensation! Mint Chocolate! Combined with Ice Cream!
New Menu. Meet the Mint Chocolate Ice Cream!
Anyone who saw those signs would have shouted “Ugh. This demon’s product is going to be the death of me!”
But when they read the fine print underneath, that urge vanished.
A portion of mint chocolate sales will be used as operating funds for the Empire’s honorable pension fund for war veterans and their families.
‘Well, at least in the corners where the protagonists usually shine, the brains still work.’
The Empire practiced conscription. Most citizens had served in the military, and many of them had seen combat, directly or indirectly. That was why the patriotic note hit them hard. It made people reconsider their earlier impressions and reinforced the positive ones.
Perhaps part of mint chocolate’s absurd popularity came from that very thing.
I was just here to buy some ice cream, but if it helped someone, that would be even better.
“Hey, Karl. How was the exam?”
As they stepped inside, the Four Idiots were already occupying their usual seats.
Right in front of them sat the mint chocolate ice cream, of course. For a moment something in Karl’s chest tightened, but he decided to let it go. He was grateful the ice cream hadn’t been turned into a fish-shaped bread.
“I did all right.”
“Was it helpful?”
Karl nodded at their answers.
“As expected.”
“We told you. We did fine on the exam too.”
“Our heads are good, right? Karl, even after all this you still don’t believe us?”
“Of course I don’t. Would you believe it if it were you?”
“Why?! We said we did well!”
They were asking because they didn’t know. Friends, drink some cold water first and then listen.
“Because our heads are good, we got graduation probation?”
“Ugh…”
“Damn. Nothing to say.”
“That’s cowardly, Karl! That’s too cowardly!”
Isn’t the root of all this your own fault for creating the group? Don’t call me cowardly!
“Well, anyway, thanks. Thanks to you, the middle exam went smoothly.”
“That’s only natural. As friends, we have to help each other.”
Schlippen let out a booming laugh and slid the mint chocolate ice cream across the table toward Karl.
Karl almost kicked it back, but remembered he was still inside the cafe and held himself back.
“How’s the patent going? Looks like it’s doing well?”
He pushed the mint chocolate ice cream toward Joachim, who had just arrived.
Joachim accepted it without hesitation and immediately started stuffing it into his mouth.
Schlippen grumbled about why he was getting it, but Karl ignored him.
“It’s going amazingly well. The biggest worry was managing the funds, but His Highness assigned professional managers from our families. It should run smoothly.”
“Trustworthy people?”
“Of course. All of them have served as retainers in their own families for at least twenty years.”
Who else but the retainers of these very families could be trusted?
With that, the biggest worry—the money—should be much lighter.
“Don’t get too attached to mint chocolate. The fish bread and hotteok business is also doing well.”
“That’s Wilhelm and Alexander’s department.”
“Really?”
At Schlippen’s words, Karl looked at the two who had been called. They nodded in unison.
“Mint chocolate isn’t bad, but it’s not exactly amazing either.”
“We were thinking about changing it a little. Besides what you suggested, maybe something else. Winter treats sell better than summer ones.”
“Since we’re saying this, putting mint chocolate inside fish bread is the worst idea. Cold is tolerable, but hot is truly awful.”
Fortunately, Wilhelm and Alexander immediately agreed with Karl’s strong opinion.
On the other hand, Schlippen and Joachim lamented that even warm it had its own unique flavor.
Karl’s sense of justice was about to boil over, but he barely held it back.
These were friends. Friends. Allies. Do not shoot. Do not even prick!
“By the way, Karl, you really aren’t going to take much interest in the patent or the pension fund?”
“Yeah. I’ll just listen through you guys about how things are going.”
“Why?”
“Honestly, your family members will handle it more effectively than I could.”
It was hard to present concepts and then execute them well. More importantly, Karl had no head for numbers.
Money was always sensitive. A single number could swing things dramatically.
Better to stay quiet and let someone else take the blame than to make a mistake and tarnish his reputation.
Moreover, hadn’t the heads of their families already attached his name to the pension fund?
If he got too involved, the fund might start looking like it was for him.
“And I’m busy. Something came up.”
“What? What is it?”
“Are you going somewhere for fun?!”
“Who with? Is it Selena?”
Why was Selena suddenly brought up? And what fun?
“It’s not fun. And you idiots, when have I ever gone out and had fun?”
Suddenly feeling wronged. Right after returning to school, you all got drafted and went to the training camp to stop it.
Even though you survived being caught up in a terrorist attack, you still caused a ruckus with one medal.
Since then, you’ve protected the academy students and handled every other task. There’s no way you’ve had time for fun.
“It’s work, work. Don’t talk nonsense.”
“The middle exam is over! I know all about the fun trips!”
“Don’t say that. Just tell me. I’ll keep it secret. Okay?”
“Who are you going with? Really Selena?”
Hahaha. You clearly have no intention of listening to me.
“Yeah, let’s go. Come on. Let’s go together.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you come with me. To the palace.”
Uwoooo! The guys who had been yapping froze as if they had heard a promise.
They were probably wondering what they had misheard. Or if they had heard correctly.
But no. You heard right. That’s it. That’s what I said!
“Let’s go together, right? Oh, and just so you know, I didn’t call the First Princess or the Crown Prince. His Majesty the Emperor summoned me personally. I was going alone, but if you come with me, I’d be grateful.”
Schlippen was the first to grab the ice cream in front of him.
He gulped it down like it was water, then slammed the empty cup onto the table.
“I have work, so I’ll head out first. Good luck, Karl. Take care, everyone.”
“Wait a sec. Now that I think about it, I have something urgent too.”
Followed by Wilhelm, then Alexander.
“Well, um… have a good trip, Karl.”
Finally Joachim, who looked terrified at the idea of going together, vanished in an instant.
I hadn’t expected it… Tch. Traitors. You could at least have said you’d come with me.
*
Karl had tried to stay silent. If he got too involved, it might set a precedent.
In the Empire’s history, few heroes had received the Medal of Honor, but there were several.
All of them had been treated like true heroes—commoner or noble, young or old. They had lived with honor and glory without regard to their status.
The Emperor of the Empire had been one of those who praised them. Whether noble or absolute ruler.
More than that, because they were the most noble and most powerful, they deserved it even more. Only then could the imperial house they served with utmost loyalty stand firm as the true master of the Empire.
But that was as far as it went. He had not called them forth unnecessarily or placed them at the forefront of the Empire.
It was not unpleasant that they had their own lives and that the Empire did not rely on any single hero.
More importantly, if one person received such treatment, the standing of the other Medal of Honor recipients would become difficult.
‘…Even those past heroes would understand this.’
The Emperor, who had just stood up from his seat, thought of the young man who was probably heading to the palace right now.
Medal of Honor twice. Imperial Military Honor four times. Multiple War Veteran Medals. And, although not of the Empire, the highest honor—the Legion of Honor from the elves.
Given the situation, the silence surrounding the young hero had become something other than kindness.