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Mediating something is no easy task.

Wherever there are more than two humans gathered, conflicts are bound to arise—be it in a quiet rural village or in an army that follows strict hierarchy.

Naturally, conflicts arise within the academy as well.

Resolving conflicts in human relationships is not only incredibly difficult, but one can easily end up being criticized from both sides, and it’s rare to gain anything beneficial, no matter how skillfully one handles it.

I stayed completely out of such disputes in the military. And I intended to continue doing so.

I was too busy with my own tasks to spare any thought for others’ problems. Let alone getting involved in children’s fights.

However, sometimes there are things that must be done, even if one isn’t accustomed to it, and now was such a moment. Yet, the likelihood of me resolving this problem alone was nearly nonexistent.

And the person I typically go to at times like this was predetermined.

After confirming that Saladin was heading to the infirmary after morning class, I made my way to the Teacher’s Office. Fortunately, the person I was looking for was there.

“Hmm, Eisenfeldt’s tactical report… There’s nothing to criticize. But if I tweak this point slightly…”

Instructor Rilya Bennett was deeply immersed in paperwork since the morning.

She was reviewing each assignment submitted by the students in her tactical studies class, praising the merits of their proposed strategies while simultaneously pointing out the areas needing correction.

Stealing a glance at her work, I found it quite impressive, even to someone who had spent decades in the military. One could nod in agreement, indeed, as a tactical studies instructor.

At this level of skill, it seemed likely that she would make quite an impact under the Kalstein Marquis at the command center. Of course, given that the war was over and the military was rapidly downsizing, pondering such hypotheticals didn’t hold much weight.

Lost in these thoughts, I suddenly grew curious.

Instructor Rilya likely hailed from a wealthy noble family, sufficiently provided for during her upbringing, unlike common folk.

I’d heard that she graduated early from Philion Academy and that her grandfather was a count, meaning she likely grew up in an environment that many nobles would envy. How did someone like her end up teaching tactical studies and history at the academy?

As I awaited the conclusion of her work, Instructor Rilya finally finished, stretching and taking off her glasses.

“Ugh—! I’m free now!”

“……”

Well, I suppose I shouldn’t think this, but when she stretched, it looked oddly like a child doing growth exercises.

After stretching, Rilya let out a sigh of relief, but then realized I was watching her and jumped, startled, sitting up straight.

“Y-you, Instructor Graham! How long have you been watching me!?”

“I’ve been here since you were reviewing Eisenfeldt’s assignment.”

“Th-that’s practically from the start!”

Seeing me respond calmly, Instructor Rilya’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she began to fidget with her bangs and adjust her clothing out of nowhere.

“Geez! If you were watching, you should have said something…! It’s not something a gentleman should do to silently observe a lady’s unguarded moments, you know?”

A lady? A gentleman?

Setting aside the fact that I’m not the type of man to fit the description of a gentleman, what really concerned me was the word ‘lady’.

Rilya did not have an appearance that could be classified as a lady, but mentioning that would certainly irritate her. Even I, who was awkward in human relationships, knew that much.

“I’m sorry. You seemed so focused, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“In that case, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Instructor Rilya seemed to feel a bit embarrassed for raising her voice over something trivial, scratching her cheek shyly.

I glanced at the pile of documents on the desk and continued speaking.

“You seem very focused on your work. Just observing how carefully you watch over the students is impressive.”

“Well, of course. The students learning tactical studies have a high chance of enlisting as officers in the Imperial Army. Eventually, these students will graduate and lead the Imperial Army, so it’s my serious responsibility to educate them properly.”

Instructor Rilya lowered her gaze, her expression turning somewhat bitter.

“If I teach them flawed tactics, and they end up dying uselessly on the battlefield, that would be a huge problem.”

“……”

For some reason, in that moment, I felt like I had briefly glimpsed a dark side of her past hidden away.

But I didn’t delve deeper into that subject; instead, I shifted to another topic.

“Actually, I have something to consult with you about, Instructor Rilya.”

“A consultation?”

I proceeded to explain the current situation to Instructor Rilya.

Saladin’s hostile attitude, and the internal discord within the class.

Instructor Rilya listened attentively for quite a while, nodding along before responding.

“That’s quite common.”

“Common?”

“It may have become somewhat overused and lost its meaning, but there’s a saying that children grow through fighting. They’re not quite children at eighteen, but let’s be honest, they’re also not adults yet, are they?”

“Hmm…”

I wasn’t sure if I should agree with that.

When I was that age, I had been on the front lines of the military, fighting for my life every day against monsters.

I could agree with the sentiment that children grow while fighting, at least to some extent.

Noticing my silence, Rilya seemed to feel she had made an inappropriate comparison and wore an ambiguous expression.

In the suddenly awkward atmosphere, I quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I thought you might have considerable experience in these matters, so I wanted to hear your perspective.”

“Well, if Instructor Graham needs my help, then of course I must assist! But…”

Instructor Rilya looked around. The Teacher’s Office housed other instructors, making it an inappropriate place for a lengthy discussion.

Already, with just our brief conversation, I could feel the curious gazes of the other instructors on us.

Since lunch was approaching anyway, Instructor Rilya spoke cautiously with a shy expression.

“It seems a bit awkward to talk here for too long. Since I owe you an apology for what happened last time, um… would you like to have a light meal outside?”

I didn’t refuse the suggestion.

*

To be honest, although Instructor Rilya offered to treat me to a meal, I wouldn’t have minded a student cafeteria or a cheap eatery on campus.

With the help I had received from Rilya up to this point, I had no reason to be concerned about where it was. As long as I could have a quiet place to talk comfortably, that was all that mattered.

However, the meal Rilya proposed turned out to be quite extravagant.

We took a tram to a high-end restaurant in District 7. At a glance, it was a restaurant with prices that seemed quite burdensome for a light meal.

Did we really need to come all the way to a place like this? But upon reflection, Instructor Rilya likely lived in an environment that didn’t leave her wanting for anything, not just being of noble birth. It was reasonable to assume she had visited such restaurants multiple times.

For her, enjoying a simple meal in a place like this might very well be the norm.

Respecting her choice, I didn’t refuse and entered the restaurant.

“Um… Cointreau, cassoulet…? Brunnoise? Um, that is to say….”

However, Instructor Rilya appeared flustered, even struggling to read the menu. She looked utterly unfamiliar with this kind of restaurant.

“…Is this your first time in a place like this?”

“N-no! Not at all! I’ve certainly been here many times! So please, Instructor Graham, don’t feel burdened—uh, um….”

As she scanned the menu filled with unfamiliar words, her eyes darted around, and she eventually sighed and admitted openly.

“Hah… You’re right. It is my first time in a place like this…”

“Then it would have been fine to choose a more casual place.”

“I wanted to treat you, Instructor Graham. And… I had this desire to go to a restaurant like this with a man someday…”

By the time she was finishing that last thought, Rilya had covered her face with the menu, muttering to herself.

Though it may have been a self-reflection for her, I could hear every bit of it.

However, instead of reacting to her words, I calmly raised my hand and called over a passing waiter.

The waiter looked startled for a moment when our eyes met. Then they quickly put on a friendly smile and approached our table.

“Yes, sir. Is there something you need?”

“It’s my first time in a place like this, so could you recommend something from the menu?”

The waiter nodded at my question and replied kindly.

“Of course. Our restaurant is particularly known for our meat and seafood dishes. I’d recommend the Chateaubriand or fillet mignon for steak, and for seafood, the oysters au gratin and salmon tartare are quite popular.”

Hearing this, Instructor Rilya asked in a bewildered tone.

“Shato… huh? What’s that?”

“To explain that menu…”

In the end, we ordered a few dishes based on the waiter’s recommendations.

Once we finished ordering, Instructor Rilya seemed drained yet bashful, as she bowed her head deeply.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s nothing. It happens.”

“You remain so calm, Instructor Graham. I was nervous once I got here and didn’t know what to do… Are you perhaps more accustomed to places like this than I am?”

“Not really.”

I shook my head lightly as I replied.

I grew up in the countryside during childhood and was fed army rations as an adult; there was no way I would be familiar with such places.

I just acted as I always had. Following the waiter’s recommendations in any restaurant guaranteed at least a decent meal. I assumed the same applied even to a fancy restaurant like this.

Instinctively, though, Instructor Rilya seemed somewhat intimidated by the atmosphere of the high-end place, whether the menu or the establishment itself.

“I was honestly surprised.”

“Did you think I’d be accustomed to places like this?”

I nodded slightly. There was no reason to deny the truth.

Instructor Rilya offered a somewhat awkward smile and began to speak.

“That’s not unreasonable. The fact is—”

Just as Instructor Rilya was about to say something serious, another waiter suddenly approached, clicking their heels as they approached our table and setting down two cups of coffee.

We hadn’t ordered coffee, so we looked at the waiter in confusion.

“Is coffee provided?”

“It’s a complimentary service.”

“Uh, thank you.”

“Not at all.”

The skilled-looking, long-haired waiter flashed me a warm smile before stepping back.

As Instructor Rilya was about to resume our previously interrupted conversation, she wore a tense expression as she spoke.

“Actually, I—”

At that moment, yet another waiter approached our table. This one had short hair, was tall, and had an elegant demeanor.

“Excuse me, sir. Is there anything else you need?”

“…No, there isn’t.”

“If you ever need anything, please let us know. I can refill the coffee as well.”

I hadn’t even taken a sip yet.

I lightly nodded, and the short-haired waiter smiled at me while turning away. They didn’t even glance at Instructor Rilya.

After that, the waiters kept approaching our table despite us never calling for them, engaging me in various ways.

It seemed that given the expensive restaurant, the service was pretty attentive. Just as I was thinking this, Instructor Rilya spoke with a somewhat tired expression.

“Instructor Graham… You’re quite popular, huh?”

“Am I?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

Somehow, Instructor Rilya’s mood didn’t seem particularly great despite what she said.

 

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