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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – ChiSync]
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Chapter 4
Hey guys. Weren’t you in your graduation class? Weren’t your grades lacking? It seemed to me like they might be insufficient.
Unlike me, who wasn’t yet a slave to his grades, you guys have to butter up the professors, right?
The four protagonists, or rather, the Four Heavenly Kings who were rejected by Selena, were sitting across from me, sipping their coffee.
…But wait. Shouldn’t one of you be sitting next to me?
If all four of you sit over there, the dynamics will become subtle, you morons.
It’s not like we’re having a four-on-one, and I’m not the heroine.
Just because Selena says you guys are like her little siblings doesn’t mean this is some future sister-in-law interview!
“Long time no see, Karl.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. Oh, should I call you ‘senior’?”
“Never mind. The enrollment number comes before the grade.”
“Doesn’t the grade come first?”
“It’s the enrollment number, idiot.”
“I think it’s the grade that comes first.”
“It’s the enrollment number.”
“…”
Those jerks, why do they have to sit in front and whisper to each other? And with all four of them doing that, it feels like Cerberus critiquing itself.
Ah, Cerberus has three heads. Let’s call it Hydra then.
“Anyway, Karl.”
Shulifen, who insisted on our enrollment number coming first, changed the subject.
“Don’t beat around the bush. Why is the enrollment number more important than the grade, Shulifen?”
Wilhelm who was still not convinced by Shulifen’s argument.
He continued to ramble on and on, making it impossible for the conversation to continue.
Meanwhile, Alexander, who was secretly on Shulifen’s side, suggested maybe the grade should come first.
However, interestingly.
Even Joachim, who’s usually so aloof, got involved.
I want to ask the author why exactly were these jerks the male protagonists of the novel?
…Ah, yes. That’s right. It’s because they have handsome faces, isn’t it? Yes, I see. Fair enough.
But it would’ve been better if their minds were as attractive as their faces.
“Guys, can’t we get to the point quickly?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Joachim finally interjected, restraining the rest of the Hydra heads, even though he’d been dreaming of being a judge.
Thanks, Joachim. You were still the most useful head…!
“Sorry, Karl. We got a bit carried away.”
“I get it. So, why are the seniors, who value time so much, holding back a freshman like me?”
It took them only 10 minutes to finally tell me why they had grabbed me.
“Well, you see…”
“That’s the thing.”
“Well, you know Selena.”
“It’s fascinating.”
“…”
And here they go again, each of them blabbering away. Are you guys really a Hydra?
“For fuck’s sake, can’t we just have one person speak as the representative without interrupting each other?”
Damn it, these guys. As soon as the idea of choosing a representative comes up, they immediately start eyeing each other, trying to counteract.
The struggle for dominance among the four heads, from 1 to 4, is about to begin! I have to stop them! If I let this go on, I’ll surely be stuck here for another hour!
“Shulifen.”
I point to head number one. There’s no other reason. He’s just on the far left from my perspective.
“You go ahead. Keep it concise. Short and clear.”
“Well, as expected from someone who’s been in the military.”
“Why bring up the military… Wait a moment. How did you know I was in the military?”
“I saw the instructor on my way here just now. Anyway, very military-like of you. Short and clear. A very good attitude. Typically, men strive for extreme simplicity within complexity…”
“That’s enough. Wilhelm. You go.”
Head number one, who kept adding explanations, is out. Now, head number two. Your turn!
Meanwhile, Wilhelm seemed to want to be eliminated, even coughing to distract himself.
“So we’re doing this because we think you’re fascinating.”
“Fascinating?”
“Getting rejected by Selena and still casually chatting with her.”
That last remark really hit hard. Wouldn’t it be self-defense if I shoot them here? Why bring up that girl’s name at a time like this? You assholes!
“We haven’t even properly greeted Selena yet.”
“Huh?”
“If she sees us from afar, she’ll turn and run away immediately.”
“Huh?”
“Even though it’s been almost two years since the rejection… It brings back nightmares from that time.”
“Damn.”
“But today, we happened to see you being very comfortable with Selena.”
“That’s why we’re curious. That’s what we want to ask. How is that possible?”
I seemed to know why Selena was still single.
It wasn’t supposed to be like that.
Even though they got rejected, these guys who were supposed to be sticking to her like glue, were trembling like scared puppies. No wonder even though graduation was right around the corner, they’re acting like loafers.
I have no idea where, how, or why things got messed up, but it’s none of my concern. Just because I babysit these guys with some blunt talk doesn’t mean my future is going to change.
This isn’t a possession story. It’s a reincarnation story. If I really delve into it, I would add things I remember from my past life.
“So, that’s why it’s fascinating. That’s why we’re curious and doing this right now.”
“Yeah.”
“Right.”
“Yeah.”
“Exactly.”
“Tell us.”
Hydras. If I personally point to one head and ask, can at least one of you answer? My head is starting to ache now. Please, the Four Heavenly Kings. Can’t you comply?
“Okay. Fine. I’ll tell you. Get ready to jot it down.”
Curious? Fascinated? Want to know? Huh? Do you want to know so badly you could go crazy?
Then I’ll tell you. If the protagonists are curious, what power does an extra have, huh?
“Enlist.”
“…Huh?”
Damn it, these guys. It’s like they’ve unified with the same response every time.
“Enlist. Since you’re going to do it anyway, it’s better to enlist like me. If you say, ‘I want to serve alongside the hardworking soldiers for the glory of the Empire!’ they’ll just gladly enlist you as an officer. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Uh… ”
“When you’re there, you’ll feel like you can do anything in the future. Confidence will grow like a tiger’s spirit. And with all kinds of people gathering in one place, it’s the best for building social skills. Not to mention, it’s a bonus for both your physical and mental health. Take it from an experienced person, you can trust me on that.”
Hey, join the military? Try, try it! You can do it! If it’s you!
Enlisting as a soldier is so good that I definitely recommend it?!
“Umm…”
“Enlist…”
“That’s…”
I expected them to panic and say, ‘Oh, no way, not me! Where can I buy some drugs?’
But seeing them seriously contemplating like this, it seems the shock of being rejected was quite significant.
Looking at it that way, maybe it’s understandable why I enlisted as a soldier in the past…. No, wait. No matter how you look at it, that just can’t be the case. It wouldn’t be right if that were true.
I’ve told you the way you wanted. Can I go now?”
“…Karl.”
Amidst the collective stunned silence, head number three, Alexander, raised his head.
Could it be that he’s snapped out of the state of being the first to confess his love?
“Does this really make you feel better?”
“At least it did for me.”
Whether it’s because of enlisting, going through hardships, or maybe remembering my past life and feeling diluted because of it.
Nothing’s certain.
Honestly, I don’t even know.
One thing is clear, though.
Enlisting as a soldier alone felt too unfair.
I entrust the duty of protecting the nation to you all… Go! Become patriots!
‘I hope not for real.’
I didn’t know at the time, but the Four Heavenly Kings were probably more rational than I was. It’s been over two years, or at least over half a year, since they were rejected, so they should’ve healed by now.
Unless they’re really crazy, they wouldn’t do something like what I did.
***
“Have you heard the news? Shulifen’s sudden leave of absence.”
“They say Wilhelm is absent too?”
“Alexander and Joahim too!”
“They haven’t been seen at the academy since yesterday!”
…Surely these crazy bastards weren’t actually trying to enlist, were they?
***
[ Selena? ]
“Brother.”
[ What’s going on all of a sudden? Calling out of the blue like this. ]
“I have something I’m curious about.”
It felt a bit abrupt to bring up matters out of the blue after so long.
However, Selena was in such a hurry that she had no choice but to continue the conversation.
“Brother. You know, there was the war with Luzerne. You were there too, right?”
[…Yeah.]
“Can you tell me a little more about that, because, uh, one of my classmates who came back this time is similar to you, and I think I need to know a little bit about him in order to talk to him.”
A moment of hesitation from the man on the other side of the magic communication device.
Revisiting unpleasant, unwanted nightmares is always painful.
It was just when Selena was about to say, ‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
[ I don’t know about anything else, but I’ll tell you this story, Selena. In the midst of the war, our unit was nearly surrounded and faced annihilation. Almost 300 of the Empire’s soldiers nearly lost their lives without even engaging in proper combat. ]
“…”
[ But there were those who broke through the encirclement. There was another unit, similar to ours, that was surrounded, and one man was determined to save them. ]
“Unbelievable!”
[ When the Luzerne bastards realized that they had been breached, they realized that a major counterattack was imminent, and they quickly broke through. Hundreds of comrades were saved. ]
It’s astonishing. Especially hearing it directly from the person involved, it’s unbelievable. It was a miracle.
“Do you happen to know who that person is?”
[ I don’t. Not even their name, nor even their appearance. Everyone was covered in grime at the time to recognize anyone. ]
As if recalling that moment, the eyes of the survivor seem to glaze over slightly.
[ …Ah. Right. There’s one thing I do know. He was a soldier. The hero who saved hundreds was just an ordinary soldier. ]
To think a soldier saved so many people. Truly an extraordinary person.
With that in mind, Selena resolved to ask Karl about it later. Out of a sense of obligation to get closer to the person who enlisted because of her.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – ChiSync]
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