I’m an Ordinary Returning Student at the Academy
Chapter 40

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]

Chapter 40

“Can we really go?”

“You can. Hurry up. Karl, you have a guest waiting for you. Selena, you’ve worked hard today too.”

“Are you sure we can go? Can you all manage without us?”

“Ah! We can! We can do it! Stop worrying and go quickly!”

I feel even less reassured when they say that. You assholes.

I think I’d rather be like, “Okay!” and then I’d be like, “Yes!” and then I’d leave.

I sighed, but thinking about Rav waiting for me, I couldn’t delay any longer.

I noticed earlier that she seemed to have come straight after being discharged. It would be a terrible sin to make her wait longer as a fellow discharged soldier.

“Let’s go, Selena. We might be late otherwise.”

“Uh-huh! I’m coming!”

But why is Selena coming with me? It all started because of her request.

“Karl! The favor you mentioned earlier! I want to use it now! I want to go too!”

The words I left for Selena while temporarily leaving her in charge of the booth to deal with the Kanfras.

It was a promise that if she granted my request, I would fulfill one of hers later.

And she wanted to use that one-time favor to go meet Rav.

Then, there you go, ‘Okay. Did you say, ‘Then that’s it!’?

Actually, I was going to do that, but my conscience stopped me. Honestly, isn’t that a bit much?

She doesn’t know much about me. Still, she was someone who tried her best to comfort me.

In fact, I was able to let go of my heavy burden and feel relieved, even if just for a moment.

Calculating and ending it like cutting with a sword just didn’t sit right with me.

“No, Selena.”

“Huh, is it not possible?”

“It’s not that. Even without you saying so, I was planning on going with you.”

Honestly, I felt somewhat sorry for Selena deep down.

Think about it. Those idiots are staying here at least until next semester due to being on academic probation.

On the other hand, Selena, diligent and well-organized as she is, has already fulfilled all the graduation requirements.

That means this festival will be her last opportunity to enjoy the Academy Autumn Festival.

Moreover, previous festivals ended in just one day due to the Luzernes War. So, Selena has never had the chance to experience a proper festival during her four years at the Academy.

And I took away her first and possibly last chance to really enjoy a festival.

If I take it away, I have to make it up to her. It’s only natural.

…Shit. Suddenly, I’m reminded of how I lost two years of youth and gained a military uniform in my previous life.

Anyway, for these reasons, I have a pang of conscience about asking her to go with me to see Rav.

I’d rather take the initiative and ask her to come with me, then she won’t have to.

Besides, it would be nice to see the festival lights.

It’s probably because it’s the first festival held after the war ended. It’s quite spectacular.

Every night, there are fireworks, and the whole academy is adorned with sparkling lights.

Sometimes, thoughts of the battlefield come to mind, but… I try to ignore them.

“It’s pretty.”

“Oh, uh, yeah! It’s really pretty!”

Selena, who’s been walking at a bit of a distance, sneaks up beside me.

“Um, so… Oh! I heard that the Department of Magical Research put in a lot of effort to decorate!”

“Oh. So, that’s why it’s so splendid. Is it a kind of talent donation?”

“They decided to give extra points to the hardest-working group!”

“….”

As expected, even amidst all this, the pragmatism of the Academy is maintained. Geez. To think they’d use decoration for points. Professors are evil for that!

“This must be a first for you.”

“What?”

“The Autumn Festival, I mean.”

“Me? No! Why would the festival be my first…?”

“Until now, it ended on the same day due to the war, and they tried to keep it as simple as possible.”

At my words, Selena seemed to understand and sighed as if recalling those days. Then she said, ‘Right. We had to do that for three years.’

“Sorry.”

“Why suddenly?”

“Perhaps this is the first and last ‘real’ festival for you, Selena. You’ve already prepared for graduation, and she’s got time on your hands, and I’ve been making you work the whole time.”

If I had to compare this… There are three days left until discharge, so is it like they made me work for three days straight?

Wow, that makes me feel like an asshole.

“No, Karl. No way! I just did it because I like it!”

“But…”

“Don’t. That just makes me feel worse. I really, really just… I just want to help you, Karl and it’s really embarrassing when you do that.”

Yeah. Just apologizing for making her work isn’t enough. Rather, I should express my gratitude.

Someday, it’s only right to say that I’ll definitely repay her kindness.

“And… I didn’t intend to, but… doing this together…”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing!”

Selena, who was struggling, came a little closer to the side. Then she suddenly crossed her arms.

“Selena?”

“Ahem! it’s just that there are so many people, I thought I might lose you!”

“I don’t think there are that many people….”

“Shut up! Anyway, it’s a lot right?!”

That’s it again. If you miss it, you’ll probably be looking for it for a while, if not forever.

Plus, I’m still not very familiar with the layout of the Academy, so if I get lost once, I might wander around for quite a while.

“Karl, I have a question out of curiosity.”

After a brief silence, Selena slowed her pace and spoke up.

“The… graduation deferment.”

“Graduation deferment?”

“Yeah, so… Oh! Right! It’s Shulifen, Wilhelm, Alexander, and Joachim!”

“The four of them? What happened to them all of a sudden?”

“Graduation deferment. Have you heard?”

I’ve heard. I’ve heard it directly from them, in fact.

It’s still absurd when I think about it. No, how come these academy students misunderstood their own lecture scores and are being deferred based on that?

I could understand if they got an F for failing an exam or not attending. Everyone has times when they don’t want to study!

“I heard it. As soon as I heard it, I was like, ‘You pathetic little shits!’”

“Being deferred from graduation… Do you hate it? Doesn’t it seem utterly foolish?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I hate it? It’s completely ridiculous. Even the reason for it is absurd. They’ve been diligent with attendance, and their exam and assignment scores aren’t bad either. There’s absolutely no reason for them to be put on probation just because their scores were mixed up. They’re like complete idiots.”

If they were my juniors, I would have unleashed a storm of reprimands right away.

I don’t think you’ll make it through the rest of your military career with that mentality. My subordinates will eat you alive.

“Hey… ! Also, you idiot!”

“But why are you surprised?”

“Huh? Oh, um, it’s nothing!”

Ah. Could it be that Selena was also shocked? That might be the reason.

After all, she made it to the last year of the graduation class without as strict management as she had. How pathetic she must feel as a peer.

Ugh, those four enemies. Selena is graduating, what on earth are you guys up to!

* * *

“Oh, those four idiots.”

Again, idiots! Not just regular idiots, but fucking poop idiots! Oh my god. Oh my god!

‘I shouldn’t do this? If I do this, I’ll become an idiot too, right?!’

Even in the next semester, I envied those four who could still be with Karl.

That feeling grew stronger after hearing the part about the ‘first and last festival’ from Karl’s mouth just a while ago.

The first and last festival. More precisely, the first and last academy autumn festival that Karl and I could enjoy together.

I will graduate next spring, but Karl will still be an academy student. He will continue to enjoy the festival.

And next to him, other pretty female students will be laughing…

“Oh, no!”

“Selena? What’s wrong?”

I hate it. I hate it so much! I hate it! Maybe, maybe it would be better to have just one more year.

Not two years, not three years, just one year. If only I could delay graduation for that time, how could I…

But. But! Karl hates deferment, doesn’t he! He calls it being a poop idiot! I asked him just in case, and he said that deferment is indeed foolish?!

I don’t want to be a fool! I don’t like being a fool, but I especially don’t want to be a fool acknowledged by Karl!!

“Oh. There she is. Hey! Rav!”

In the distance, I see a woman with red hair waving her hand.

Neat army uniform. Medals on the chest. And a very pretty face.

Feeling a little bit nervous, I glanced at Karl’s face, but there was no sign of even a slight blush.

…Thank goodness. I was worried about what to do if that happened.

“Master. Um, who is this lady next to you?”

“Let me introduce. This is Selena Ifrit. A senior in the academy’s 4th year graduation class. My classmate. Selena? As I mentioned earlier, this is Rav Lavrenti. A fellow soldier I happened to meet in the military.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Selena Ifrit.”

As I extended my hand for a handshake, the woman smiled brightly and shook hands.

“I’m Rav! You’re a noble?! Please feel free to speak informally! Oh, now that I think about it, Master, you’re a noble too, right? I momentarily forgot!”

“Back then, we were both covered in mud, so it’s understandable that you didn’t know.”

“Whether back then or now, Master is cool enough!”

“Stop saying weird things. Rav.”

This woman seems to have feelings for Karl, doesn’t she?

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to smile like that. She’s a formidable opponent.

It’s ironic that I’m facing a military comrade who shares a sense of camaraderie that I’ll never understand.

If I were to use that as a weapon and confront Karl, would I have a chance of winning…?

“By the way, Master. This lady here named Selena… Oh! Could she be your fiance?”

“Huh?”

“…Huh?”

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]