Abandoned by my Childhood Friend, I Became a War Hero

34 – When the problem goes away

“Can I come in?”

“… Yes. Come on in.”

Titania showed a surprised look at my unexpected visit, but she nodded her head and opened the door wide, as if she thought she couldn’t just leave me standing in front of her door.

There were already other passengers in Titania’s room besides me.

“Instructor Ion?”

Oznia and Marian’s gazes were directed this way at the same time. Oznia returned with Titania, so it was unexpected that Marian was here.

Marianne came towards me with her slightly excited steps.

“Instructor! You said you got caught up in a riot? Are you okay?”

“No one among us was hurt, so I’m worried-“

“No! I mean opponent. You didn’t kill them all, did you?”

“… ….”

Marianne wasn’t me caught up in the riot, she looked at me as if asking if the ringleader of the riot had died at my hands.

Was the combat practice class quite impressive?

“There are no fatalities, and all injured are receiving treatment. And most of the protesters were immediately arrested on the spot.”

Marian smiled reassuringly.

“Still, I’m glad. No one is dead, and both Oz and Tanya are back safely.”

“… ….”

Even with empty words, you never say that you’re glad I’m safe. There seemed to be no thought in Marian’s mind of the possibility that I might have been in danger.

I made eye contact with Marianne and Oznia in turn.

“I would like to speak with Titania. Could you please vacate her seat?”

Marian looked carefully at Titania. Then Titania hesitated a little and nodded her head, and Marian and Oznia, confirming her will, quietly left the room and closed the door.

Before I left the room, Oznia passed me and said in a low voice.

“Please.”

I didn’t bother to answer that. It was because it was clear without asking who he was asking for.

Soon after the two left, Titania said with an awkward smile.

“… Can I get you a cup of tea? Marian just brought me black tea, which is the first time she’s tried it, but it’s pretty good.”

Black tea….

I thought for a moment and then shook her head.

“It’s okay. I’m not here to drink tea.”

“In that case….”

As if Titania herself had no intention of drinking her tea, she climbed onto her bed and hugged her lap. She still looked as if her shock at her market had not completely dissipated.

However, it seemed that something deeper was lurking beyond the shock of witnessing a violent scene and almost being kidnapped.

Chief Heinkel and Oznia seemed to want me to be able to calm Titania down, but no matter what they expected of me, I’m no good at comforting or placating anyone.

Slapping Titania like slapping a panicked soldier on the battlefield was out of the question from the start, and I didn’t think Titania would be comforted much no matter what I said, since I was not good with words in the first place. Marian would be better at that.

So, instead of comforting me with meaningless words, I decided to get to the point right away.

“I just came to discuss your treatment.”

“My treatment?”

“There is an opinion that since there is danger to you, you should return it to the forest for your own safety.”

Titania widened her eyes in surprise, but immediately quieted down with a small nod of her head. She was like someone who heard what she was saying she didn’t want to hear but she expected.

“So how did it go? Should I go back too?”

“I decided to listen to your opinion.”

“My opinion….”

Titania smiled bitterly and bowed her head. She muttered in a self-deprecating voice, as if talking to herself.

“You speak as if my opinion is important. I’ve never had anything like that in my life.”

I said raising one eyebrow.

“Isn’t the reason you’re here because you strongly wanted to go to school?”

“It was the first time in my life that I rebelled. I’m sure the instructor would be surprised to find out what I did to break the adults’ stubbornness.”

Titania seemed unwilling to say what she was up to in the forest, but it must have been something out of the ordinary for her to break the stubborn elven elders.

Titania’s bitter smile grew thicker.

“But this happened in less than a week. If the village elders find out about this, they will try to take me away right away, whether I want to or not.”

“You sound like you don’t want to go back to the forest.”

At that, Titania neither denied nor affirmed, and she remained silent for a long time.

Around the time the black tea on the table was getting cold, she opened her mouth with an awkward expression.

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“Instructor… Are there many people like that?”

It was abrupt and out of context, but I could easily understand what it meant. He’s probably talking about the scar man. The former soldier who had targeted Titania because she hated elves seemed to be deeply imprinted in her mind.

I shook my head.

“No. There are only a few of them.”

“But maybe not.”

Her words could not be denied.

“I heard that there are humans who hate elves. But I never thought it would be like this.”

Said Titania, hugging her knees even more deeply.

“The society of elves is closed. Most are born in the forest and are buried in the forest. To me, it was no different than prison. I wanted to see and experience the wider world with my own eyes.”

The expression on Titania’s face as she smiled brightly as she strolled through the streets of her market was obviously sincere.

She said she thought the same thing as me. She smiled.

“The trigger was definitely like that, but it’s a little different now. Even among the elves, there are people similar to that man. Most older elves hate humans, especially elders. If we keep hating each other without understanding each other, wouldn’t there just be more people like us?”

“Going back to the forest won’t solve anything. When humans and elves have misunderstandings, they don’t create a chance to resolve them, and the situation only gets worse in the end. But if I am here, maybe something will change.”

“If I can create an opportunity for elves and humans to understand each other, if there’s anything I can do here as the daughter of Elendrin, I don’t want to give up on that opportunity.”

“I know. That this is a dreamer’s idea. If I stay and put myself in danger, things will only get worse. Your friend might be in danger like now, but it could be a selfish choice. I’m not sure which is the right choice and which is the wrong choice….”

As Titania went through the chaos in her market, she was shocked and at the same time felt a sense of duty for her kind as an elven princess.

She also seemed to be in constant trouble as she didn’t know whether staying here or leaving was a choice for her species.

But that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“Just say one word.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to leave or not?”

Titania opened her lips small and looked at me with quivering eyes.

She said with a wistful smile after being speechless for a long time.

“I don’t want to leave.”

“That’s enough.”

I don’t know what the right choice is, and I can’t tell you the answer to a question that has no answer. So, as an instructor, there was only one thing I had to do.

To respect the choices made by students and to support them.

I went up to Titania and put her hand on her head.

“Oh….”

I am not used to appeasing someone. However, I was able to try, albeit clumsily, and this was the best consolation I could offer now.

Titania didn’t seem to fully understand what I meant, but at least she didn’t reject my touch right away.

I brushed her leafy hair a couple of times and turned her around. As I put my hand on her doorknob, Titania grabbed me with her urgent voice.

“Instructor Ion? Where are you going at this time?”

“If the guys who are after you are gone and your safety is guaranteed, the elders will have no reason to forcefully take you.”

“Yes? What the hell is that-“

Instead of answering her question, I opened the door and left the room.

There is no need to wait for the faculty meeting. Because when a problem goes away, it won’t be a problem anymore.

I thought that if I became an instructor, there would be no more blood on my hands. But once again I realized that things in the world don’t usually go the way you want them to.

It is still unknown who is targeting Titania and for what reason.

It doesn’t matter.

In any case, the ‘future of the empire’ will disappear today.

***

I left the academy and went straight to the headquarters of the Japanese military police.

The information I came to know gave me an unexpected shock.