I'm an Ordinary Returning Student at the Academy-Chapter 167
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 167
The official appointment in the south had ended.
So many things had happened, and among them, this greatsword was the most impressive.
“…”
I discreetly took out the greatsword I had been keeping in my coat.
Ah, should I no longer call it a greatsword but the Sword of Oaths?
I wonder what expression our platoon leader would make if he saw this.
Would he shout, ‘That’s the one I gave you!’ as soon as he heard the rumor? Or would he say, ‘Karl, that guy?! Wow, now I’ve seen everything in this world!’
Honestly, I’d prefer the former.
It wouldn’t be good for him to go around saying unnecessary things and get trampled by an angry crowd.
I want him to live well off of my name, not get killed by a mob shouting, ‘Don’t insult our war hero!’
‘I should look for him someday when I have the chance.’
The platoon leader had left, saying he wanted to forget all these terrible memories and never be found again.
He had lost all his subordinates and even one of his own legs in the war.
But instead of cursing the Empire, the elves, or the world, he would tell himself, ‘Damn it! You’ve got a prosthetic leg, so walk properly!’ whenever he stumbled.
Even if he saw me carrying the greatsword he gifted, now a holy relic, he might still hide the fact that he was the one who gave it to me.
Thinking about old times brought a mix of joy and sadness.
I wondered if they were doing well, living well like me. Or were they still plagued by nightmares and insomnia?
“Priest.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“The next stop is the 2nd diocese, right?”
“That’s correct.”
If it was the 2nd diocese, that meant the eastern Empire.
I had heard that there was a memorial there for the fallen soldiers of the Empire.
It wasn’t a place that had any particular connection to me.
Those who died on the southern front either returned to their hometowns or were buried in the south.
And most of them were from the south, so it was rare for them to be buried in the east, far from their homes.
But what did it matter where or when they fought?
In the end, we all gathered to fulfill our duty, we sacrificed our youth, and we silently completed our task, even if no one acknowledged it.
“Welcome to the eastern Empire, Sir Karl Adelheit!”
“It’s good to see you again.”
For that reason, after arriving in the eastern Empire and completing important appointments, such as meeting with influential families supporting the pension foundation and the Cardinal of the 2nd diocese,
I decided to change the itinerary slightly and visit the memorial for the fallen soldiers.
* * *
“Hmm.”
Glen Robinson, a Knight of the Friedrich County.
He had accompanied Karl Adelheit, the heir of the Adelheit family to whom he swore allegiance, on a month-long journey to serve as his escort.
Their current destination was the eastern Empire, specifically the memorial for the fallen soldiers.
‘It seems he still hasn’t forgotten that moment.’
No, it was only natural that he couldn’t forget. Who in the world could forget something like that?
Glen stood quietly, watching Karl, careful not to disturb him.
“Sir Glen.”
Soon, the woman who would become the future mistress of the Friedrich County approached him.
Selena Ifrit, the daughter of the Marquis of Nafplion, and a companion on this journey.
From what he could tell, they had already promised each other their future. They were practically husband and wife, just without the official ceremony.
“Sir Glen, aren’t you going with Karl?”
“I was going to, but the young lord ordered me to wait here.”
“I see. Me too. He told me not to follow him, that he wanted to go alone.”
As Selena said, Karl approached the memorial alone.
He had no flowers or alcohol, the usual offerings people brought. He was empty-handed.
“…The weather isn’t very nice.”
The sky, which had been cloudy since they arrived in the east, was getting worse.
Dark clouds, a humid and stuffy feeling not suitable for winter.
“You’re right. It looks like it’s going to rain, not snow.”
As predicted, a downpour began in the middle of winter.
It wasn’t an ordinary one, but a heavy rain, the kind that usually fell in summer.
Meanwhile, Karl stood silently in front of the memorial, getting drenched in the rain.
“Karl! If he catches a cold…”
Selena fidgeted, then finally, unable to bear it, she tried to approach the memorial.
But Glen stopped her. He saw Karl raising his hand to stop her.
Of course, he wasn’t unconcerned.
Glen was accompanying Karl on this journey as his escort.
But what if Karl caught a severe cold or the flu in this winter rain? Even if he wasn’t responsible, it wouldn’t be a simple matter.
Not only that, but the priests from the Church who had accompanied them, and even the influential figures of the east…
They were clearly on edge, as if fearing the war hero, personally commended by the Emperor, might suddenly break collapse.
“….”
In the pouring rain, Karl raised his hand and stroked the memorial a few times.
He then leaned his head slightly against the rain and muttered something inaudible.
“Karl!”
“Young Lord!”
When he finally returned, Selena wiped his face and Glen hurriedly offered a towel.
The two, along with the others, all sent a questioning look, asking ‘Why did you do that?’
Karl smiled and said it was nothing.
“Getting wet in the rain like this was common on the battlefield. They were just like me. Just a little less fortunate. Seeing them, getting a little wet in the rain is nothing.”
He said, smiling brightly.
Karl turned his head slightly and looked at the memorial.
“I’ll take good care of our juniors, so everyone can rest easy.”
Karl leaves with the people, saying it’s fine now. Of course, the military personnel among them had very strange expressions on their faces.
And a little later, when the rain stopped, a ray of light poured onto the memorial.
* * *
Karl’s next destination was the western part of the Empire.
There, Glen had yet another unique experience.
“Young Lord?”
“Ah. My comrade’s son is getting married, so I have to congratulate him!”
By pure chance, they met someone Karl had fought alongside in the Southern Front.
Though not from the same unit, they had fought in close proximity.
Upon hearing the news, Karl postponed all other plans and headed straight to the wedding.
“I’m very sorry, Young Lord, but this is….”
“We’re going, no arguments.”
Needless to say, this comrade was a commoner. And so were his son and daughter-in-law.
It was a commoner’s wedding.
Even lower-ranking nobles who were acquainted often sent representatives.
The impact was immense when the heir of a count, not just any heir but a war hero of the Empire and a blessed individual of the Church, showed up.
Instantly, nobles from all over the west, whose names and faces were unknown, flocked to the wedding.
The wedding was almost turned into a place for nobles to show off, but Karl stopped it.
“This is a wedding. The protagonists of this day are only the couple. I would appreciate it if you didn’t disturb their wonderful day.”
Karl said, holding a flower in one hand and a greatsword in the other.
If there were any nobles who didn’t understand their place and acted up, Glen would have told them that they were truly deserving of the title of the bravest person in the world.
Anyway, the wedding went off without a hitch.
Correction. There were no hitches, but there was an incident.
“Thank you to the bride and groom, and their parents, for welcoming me as a guest, even though I might be crashing the party… Ah, ahahah!”
A light that had been dormant for a while crept in and shone on Karl.
This time, even Karl couldn’t bear it.
He insisted that the protagonists were the couple, not him, and asked the light to bless them instead. He strongly protested to the heavens, interrupting his blessings for the newlyweds.
And thankfully, the Goddess listened to Karl’s strong request.
The light that moved away from Karl shines on the couple getting married today.
And from somewhere, precisely from Karl’s direction, a whisper spreads among the guests.
“Kiss!”
A feeling that something would happen immediately if they didn’t kiss.
In the midst of this, the groom takes the courage and kisses the bride first.
“Yaaaay!”
“Live well! If you don’t, you’ll truly be punished by the heavens!”
The guests cheered loudly.
The light shone gracefully. And in between, the happiest of all, Karl.
Glen looked at Karl without realizing he was smiling too.
‘Perhaps.’
Perhaps, this is what Karl wanted to see all along. That’s why he was so fierce and desperate.
Fighting and fighting again, saving even one more soldier and sending them home.
‘This person, someday, will be my new Lord.’
The future of the county seemed quite promising.
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
