PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

The train runs.

Even in the scorching desert where the hot sun blazes, in the vast plain covered with lush greenery, and amid rugged mountain ranges.

The imperial transcontinental train crossing the wide territory of the empire continues to run without rest by overcoming numerous environments.

Night has arrived for this imperial transcontinental train.

In the deep night, the bright moonlight shining on the tracks reveals that many young talents responsible for the empire’s future are aboard this train.

“Ugh….”

Chloe, one of the honored passengers, woke up mumbling incomprehensibly.

She sat up in her soft bed. The moonlight streaming through the window delicately illuminated the bedroom, which was furnished with two sets of bunk beds.

Since the imperial transcontinental train travels endlessly along the long tracks that penetrate the empire, it was equipped with bedrooms for the passengers, and their quality rivaled that of the Caldera Imperial Academy’s dormitory.

As Chloe enjoyed the excellent quality of her sleeping space, she realized that she had woken up in the early dawn and tilted her head.

“What time is it…?”

She picked up the wristwatch that she had placed by her bedside. The hands of the watch indicated that it was two o’clock in the dawn.

Chloe buried her face in the plush pillow. She felt so drowsy that she seemed about to fall asleep again.

Suddenly, before a terrifying imagination surfaced. Chloe glanced at the window that allowed her to see outside from the bedroom.

The rapidly changing scenery outside the window felt eerie. Watching it reminded her of the frightening story that Daniel had told her.

– There was a passenger on the train who heard someone knocking on the window. When he looked out, he saw a woman running at full speed, keeping up with the train. This was while the train was moving very fast…

“Ugh…!”

Chloe subtly peeked under her bed. She glimpsed Elin’s arm, who was sleeping on the bottom bunk.

In the other bed, Vivian and Sofia Sub-priest were asleep, but they were all turned away from her, making it hard to see their faces.

It seemed that even encountering another person’s face would be better, but this only added to her anxiety.

Chloe tucked her feet back under the blanket and, even more, wrapped herself tightly in it.

Even though it was a midsummer night and she immediately felt the heat rising, being under the blanket still provided her with a layer of comfort, so Chloe endured.

The fact that she had been so absorbed in Daniel and Vivian’s spooky stories was the problem. Even when trying to close her eyes and fall asleep, the ghosts described in those stories appeared vividly in her imagination.

Where her eyes should be was filled with pure black darkness, and a woman with disheveled hair was dripping dark red blood…

“Ugh…!”

Chloe suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to urinate and rose from the bed. Her body, wrapped in the heat of the blanket, trembled as it encountered the chilly air.

“B-bathroom…”

Biting her lip in hesitation, Chloe slowly climbed down the ladder from the bed. She thought about waking Elin to go with her, but seeing how deeply she was sleeping made that thought evaporate.

In the end, Chloe had no choice but to head to the bathroom alone. Her small hand grasped the doorknob and slowly pushed it aside.

Creeeak—.

Beyond the softly opened door appeared a corridor shrouded in chilly darkness. The lights mounted sporadically on the corridor ceiling were brightening the area, but they only contributed to the eerie atmosphere.

‘I’m scared…!’

Chloe swallowed hard. She took a shaky step into the corridor, where the cool and muggy air lingered.

‘Just go to the bathroom quickly. I’ll be back quickly…!’

Thus, Chloe carefully approached the bathroom. If she quickly returned, she thought she could sleep peacefully again.

Creeeak—!

“……”

If only the door hadn’t suddenly opened next to her. Chloe was so startled that she froze, unable to scream.

That door was certainly the one belonging to the bedroom next to hers where she had been sleeping. From within the darkened room, a large black silhouette slowly approached.

“…hick!”

Tears welled up in Chloe’s eyes, and she involuntarily hiccuped. She was gasping for breath.

And then.

“…Chloe Student. What are you doing at this hour?”

From inside the opened bedroom door came a very familiar soft voice. Chloe cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.

The person who appeared after opening the bedroom door was Professor Antorelli, the mentor of the Occult Research Club students, including Chloe.

Seeing his typically expressionless face, Chloe let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

“Oh, Professor Antorelli…”

Of course, it was a secret that she almost let it slip.

* * * * *

Why am I here? What am I doing standing in front of the women’s bathroom?

If someone asked, I could proudly answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, Professor Antorelli. You’re still outside, right?”

“…Yes. I’m still here.”

Chloe’s trembling voice echoed in the bathroom. I answered her from outside the women’s bathroom and let out a small sigh.

Tonight, I had slept better than usual, but still, overcoming nightmares caused by conversations with Professor Armstrong was no easy feat.

After waking from another unsatisfactory dream, I was about to leave the bedroom for a smoke.

And at that moment, I unexpectedly ran into Chloe, who was sobbing and clutching her legs.

I fiddled with the cigarette pack in my hand and then slipped it back into my pocket.

Even though I was just standing at the entrance to the bathroom, it wasn’t right to smoke in the corridor where others came and went. Especially in front of students.

Instead, I took out my Bible. It was a small Bible that fit comfortably in the palm of my hand and that I always carried around.

I hadn’t particularly practiced any religion before possessing this body, but this was a world where the Lord’s power was vividly present. Claiming to have no faith would have been a lie.

Of course, Helena’s influence was significant as well. I briefly recalled that, then immediately shook my head dismissively.

How long had I been reading the Bible quietly?

Swish—.

Just after I heard the sound of water flushing in the bathroom, I heard the sound of the faucet turning on at the sink.

And shortly after, I caught sight of Chloe emerging from the bathroom, wiping her hands awkwardly.

“Did you take care of everything?”

“Y-yes….”

“Then hurry back and get some sleep. The grade-by-grade duel starts tomorrow, doesn’t it?”

Students need to be in top form for the grade-by-grade duel. The academy had rented a high-class train this time for that very reason.

After hearing my words, Chloe glanced nervously at me for a moment before grabbing my sleeve and mumbling in a barely audible voice.

“…c-could you…?”

“Please speak a little louder.”

“So…! If you could go back with me…”

As I was about to send Chloe back to the bedroom and head to the smoking room, her request was not one I particularly wanted to comply with. However, I didn’t want to refuse a request from a student in my charge.

I nodded silently and walked ahead toward the bedroom. I could feel Chloe slowly following behind me.

We walked down the train’s corridor without saying a word. The lukewarm night air swirling in the corridor didn’t sit well with me.

“Professor Antorelli…”

Suddenly, Chloe spoke up from behind me. I turned my head to face her.

Seeing me turn, Chloe flinched and then continued speaking.

“Were you… unable to sleep, so you woke up?”

“…Chloe, that’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Still…”

Chloe, who had been mumbling for a moment, lowered her head with a dejected expression. I was about to ignore her and move my feet when…

“Fuu…”

I stopped and let out a sigh as Chloe bumped into my back while trailing behind.

“Ah…!”

“Chloe.”

“Yes, yes.”

I turned to face her directly. Chloe glanced back at me with a flustered expression.

“Are you feeling sleepy right now?”

“Uh… no, not really…”

“Then it’s fine.”

I could roughly surmise why Chloe was so fearful.

It was probably due to the series of scary stories that Daniel and Vivian had recounted throughout the train journey. After the finger incident last time, Chloe had seemed particularly frightened by anything related to ghosts.

And she had enjoyed the cocoa I made for her exceptionally well.

I turned my footsteps, which had been heading toward the bedroom, back around and changed direction toward the bathroom. Chloe, who was following behind me, looked at me with wide eyes.

“Are you also in a hurry to use the bathroom, Professor?”

“No.”

After passing by the bathroom, we came upon a cozy lounge area.

* * * * *

Clank.

“Go ahead.”

Chloe stared blankly at the mug placed in front of her. The mug, filled with a rich brown liquid, released warm steam and exuded a sweet aroma.

“Th-thank you…”

The warm cocoa flowed down her throat and seeped into her body. Chloe shivered at the intense sweetness that tickled her tongue.

Strangely, her heart filled with fear slowly began to settle. Her mind, which had been brimming with visions of all sorts of ghosts, felt foggy.

Drinking cocoa on a midsummer night felt a bit out of place, but in the air-conditioned lounge, it surprisingly felt warm.

In the lukewarm summer night air, the warm cocoa melted away Chloe’s body and mind. Without realizing it, she wore a loose smile.

“Ahhh…”

Before her, Professor Antorelli quietly sipped his tea and gazed out the window.

As Chloe savored the rich flavor of the cocoa, she gathered her expression before looking at him.

‘This person is really…’

He was indeed a puzzling individual, Chloe thought.

At the beginning of the semester, he had left a fearful impression due to his frozen demeanor and rigid teaching style, as well as his sharp reprimands toward Laura von Adelheit.

However, that perception gradually changed with each class. It was the same when she had blended into the academy with the Occult Research Club, and also when he had helped her use divine power.

And it was true when she had collapsed after stopping Giovanni, the chief priest’s ghost.

Experiencing all these things, whenever Chloe saw Professor Antorelli treating her with the same kindness as always, she couldn’t help but think.

‘Perhaps… he’s just clumsy at human relationships.’

Professor Antorelli was a person with a kind and warm heart.

He might be a pitiful one injured by something that happened in the past…

Gazing blankly at his maudlin face, Chloe thought so.

The gentle moonlight illuminating his face looked truly dreamlike.

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