Chapter 25. Kali Ishtar

***

I became tense while looking at Kali.

This situation couldn’t be expressed in terms of whether I had confidence or not.

ㅡPredator and prey.

It felt completely different to receive Kali’s full attention, as if we were in such a relationship.

A cold smile.
Her red eyes gazing straight at me were beautiful, but… it wasn’t entirely pleasant right now.

Gulp.

Why did even swallowing feel so pronounced?

And then, Kali posed a question to me.

“Student Han Chunsung, do you think the empire’s current frontlines are being properly maintained? I’d like you to share your honest thoughts.”

The question that followed in a calm voice.

Although it was completely unexpected content, ironically, it didn’t feel strange.

‘A question only Kali could ask.’

That’s how it felt.

Kali Ishtar, one of the most distinctive characters I’d noticed at the Royal High Academy. She was truly unique.

Born with exceptional Talent and abilities, yet she constantly talks about effort. And she’s obsessed with ‘effort’ to a degree that anyone would find strange.

And I know why. Why she came to value effort so much. Even her current question about the frontlines was related to this.

Until this year, she had spent three years on fierce battlefields, showing remarkable achievements at what could be called the forefront.

The Blood Dawn. The fact that such a title follows her exists because she showed such great achievements.

“……”

After asking the question, Kali didn’t rush me for an answer.

She just met my eyes with a sunken gaze, as if willing to wait while I was lost in thought.

To this, I briefly organized my thoughts and immediately spoke.

“I think the frontlines will gradually be pushed back.”

I could infer the answer because I knew the future.

The future of this world as I know it.
Considering the current war situation, the empire’s frontlines had been in a stalemate for several years.

Neither pushing forward nor being pushed back. But soon, a sudden wind of change will blow.

A crisis of absolute proportions.

There should be at least some signs of this at the frontlines now.

“You say the frontlines will be pushed back. Why does Han Chunsung think so? The frontlines haven’t been pushed back in the last three years. Not even once.”

Was my answer unexpected? Kali looked at me as she replied assertively.

Her gaze was filled with interest, as if asking why I thought that way.

“The reason is that fewer and fewer students are willing to go to the battlefield, and the number of officers and soldiers maintaining the frontlines is also continuously decreasing, isn’t it?”

I could immediately provide an answer to that.

The various officers and soldiers struggling to defend the frontlines. And there were a few who could be called the pillars of this world.

The current frontlines are not being pushed back and are being maintained solely because of them. But each day is so fierce that it could be said that many of the empire’s talented individuals are being ground down at the frontlines.

Suddenly, Kali’s words came to mind.

ㅡNone of those currently serving as instructors at this academy have never stood on a battlefield.

So it was natural for Kali to look at us coldly now.

The perspective of those who have stood on the battlefield must be different from that of students who have just entered the academy.

Moreover, standing at the academy’s podium wasn’t just about teaching.
They stood there because they ‘had to’ teach.

The harsh reality of the battlefield. Those who have faced that truth couldn’t spend their days thinking normally and living ordinary lives.

Because they know that if they don’t do at least this much, there will be no future for this empire.

Kali, who had been giving me an intense look at my answer, smiled lightly and continued.

“Is Han Chunsung more interested in the battlefield than I thought? Most people wouldn’t try to learn about the battlefield like that.”

“I just happened to learn about it.”

“Is that so? Then even that must have been because you had at least a minimum level of interest to know about it.”

At Kali’s follow-up words, I just nodded slightly.

…I couldn’t think of any further response.

Still, I felt relieved that my answer didn’t seem to upset Kali.

Immediately after, Kali turned her gaze away from me.

And she looked brightly at the numerous students in the classroom with a different gaze than before.

As her gaze touched them again, the stiffened students gradually relaxed, and the heavy atmosphere in the room eased considerably.

At that sight, I too could exhale a small breath.

“Wow. That’s impressive.”

As David, who had also relaxed, whispered a small exclamation, I could only shake my head slightly without being able to answer.

What I had answered was only because I knew everything, so I could answer.
It wasn’t particularly impressive.

And at that moment, Kali gently erased the smile from her lips.

“Unlike Han Chunsung’s answer just now, the frontlines are certainly quite stagnant. And this state has continued for several years now. Most people in the empire think this stagnant frontline will continue. But as someone who spent day after day on the frontlines, I don’t feel that way at all. In the future, there’s a high possibility that the frontlines will be pushed back as Han Chunsung said. And the thoughts of other officers currently on the frontlines are not much different.”

As Kali calmly continued, all the students listened to her words.

Overwhelming presence. After seeing her slight display of skill earlier, not a single student took Kali’s words lightly.

And even knowing this… I felt my ears strangely tickle.

‘It seems a bit off for my name to be included in her words.’

Because my name was consistently included in her weighty statements, I felt my face heating up for no reason.

“And all the students here now have been given Talents related to combat and have entered the Royal High Academy. But now I want to ask you all. How many of the students here will stand on the battlefield in the future? In that sense, if there are any students who hope to stand on the battlefield after graduation, please raise your hands.”

As soon as Kali finished speaking, students began to raise their hands one by one.

Some seemed to raise their hands as if they had been moved by Kali’s words, while others raised their hands unhesitatingly as if they weren’t afraid of standing on the battlefield.

And there were also students who didn’t raise their hands, as if they had no intention of standing on the battlefield.

Rustle.

At that moment, even David right next to me raised his hand.

I… found myself pondering unconsciously.

‘My goal for living in this world after falling into it.’

I thought it would be enough if my safety was assured and I could live comfortably.

Enter the academy, graduate with decent grades, be chosen by a high-ranking noble, and then live as a knight or doing something suitable for my Talent.

I thought I could just live like that…….

But.

As various thoughts piled up along with Kali’s words, I felt that my thinking had been very naive.

Because the basis of that thought was the belief that the protagonist would take care of everything.

The numerous crises and adversities to come.
I had faith that Leonhardt would overcome all of that with his indomitable will.

Even when his heart should break, even when faced with various atrocities, Leonhardt’s heart doesn’t waver.

Because I believed in that. That’s what I thought.

I had read the entire vast volume of the “Royal High Academy” novel, and that was a big reason why I viewed it favorably.

The novel certainly had charming heroines, but that wasn’t the main reason. It was the protagonist’s attitude. His posture. I liked his indomitable will the most.

He doesn’t yield to adversity and hardship. He can overcome it with strong will.

Despite having a Legendary Talent, an overwhelming ability, the protagonist doesn’t look down on others or take them lightly.

It was truly ideal.

And such an ideal image… strangely attracted my heart.

Like watching a boy’s manga that was popular long ago. It resonated with me much more than other novels that lightly dealt with hardships and crises and solved difficulties.

But.

This world has changed now.

While there were parts that were the same as what I knew, there were also quite a few things that were completely different.

Just the fact that Grecia was assigned to the same class as Leonhardt. Besides that, the reality that Luna and Milia, who could be seen as the protagonist’s helpers, were assigned to C1 class like me instead of B class.

And even the fact that I had a duel with the protagonist just yesterday.
All of these were out of place and didn’t exist in the original work at all.

‘Yes. This world has already changed.’

In a completely different direction from the original work I had in mind….

Then, feeling numerous gazes, my reverie was broken.

“……”
“……”

Before I knew it, many students in the classroom were looking at me. And soon I realized why so many students were looking at me.

Kali, standing at the podium, was looking at me with an intense gaze.

Surely I wasn’t the only student who hadn’t raised their hand immediately. Yet Kali was just silently looking at me.

Unlike before, with eyes clearly tinged with ‘disappointment’.

And even her not opening her mouth felt like she was giving me time.

As if her eyes were saying to raise my hand even now… that kind of feeling.

“…”

Swallowing inwardly, I slowly raised my hand.

Honestly, I didn’t know what was what anymore.

How I should live. Whether it’s right to live thinking only of my own safety as I initially thought… I was confused to that extent now.

‘If this world is really… different from what I knew.’

Can I live so naively?
Can I believe that Leonhardt will overcome everything that’s coming?

ㅡSuch worries echoed countless times in my heart, stirring my emotions.

Whether my attitude of trying to live while turning a blind eye to what will happen in the future was right.

And in the midst of such thoughts, I could see.

Kali slowly curling up the corners of her mouth and smiling.

Her smile looked very satisfied, as if she had thought I would raise my hand like that… making me feel unnecessarily embarrassed.

‘If it was going to be like this, I should have raised my hand from the start.’

It wasn’t like I raised my hand forcibly.

But to other students watching now, it might have looked like I raised my hand forcibly, pushed by the gazes.

Rustle.

As I fully raised my hand like that, Kali nodded while brushing her red hair once.

“Now more than half of the students have raised their hands, saying they will stand on the battlefield in the future. You can lower your hands now. Although many students might have raised their hands due to my gaze, or being swept up in the atmosphere. I think that by the time graduation approaches, not even one-tenth of those who raised their hands now will actually stand on the battlefield. Nevertheless, I’m sufficiently satisfied with this sight alone. This mindset. Even if you don’t end up standing on the battlefield, just thinking about the battlefield has its own meaning.”

…Kali’s words, spoken while looking at the students with a somewhat gentle gaze, seemed to move everyone deeply.

Just having this serious mindset now is enough.
It’s fine just to have an interest in what’s happening on the empire’s battlefields.
That’s what Kali was saying now.
It’s okay even if you don’t actually stand on the battlefield.

“…”

However, those words seemed to be aimed at me.

There was no way that could be true.

Yet I felt that way to an unusual degree.

To me, who knows the future of this world….

Her words didn’t sound light at all.

Just as I was lost in thought for a moment.

“In that sense, student Han Chunsung?”

“…Yes, Instructor.”

As I answered blankly to the sudden call, Kali suddenly smiled a very strange smile.

“After today’s lecture is over. The student will follow the instructor.”