Chapter 4

[Translator Angel Dust]

[Proofreader ChiSync]

Chapter 4

Hey guys. Werent you in your graduation class? Werent your grades lacking? It seemed to me like they might be insufficient.

Unlike me, who wasnt 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. Shouldnt one of you be sitting next to me?

If all four of you sit over there, the dynamics will become subtle, you morons.

Its not like were having a four-on-one, and Im not the heroine.

Just because Selena says you guys are like her little siblings doesnt mean this is some future sister-in-law interview!

Long time no see, Karl.

Yeah, its been a while. Oh, should I call you senior?

Never mind. The enrollment number comes before the grade.

Doesnt the grade come first?

Its the enrollment number, idiot.

I think its the grade that comes first.

Its 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. Lets call it Hydra then.

Anyway, Karl.

Shulifen, who insisted on our enrollment number coming first, changed the subject.

Dont beat around the bush. Why is the enrollment number more important than the grade, Shulifen?

Wilhelm who was still not convinced by Shulifens argument.

He continued to ramble on and on, making it impossible for the conversation to continue.

Meanwhile, Alexander, who was secretly on Shulifens side, suggested maybe the grade should come first.

However, interestingly.

Even Joachim, whos usually so aloof, got involved.

I want to ask the author why exactly were these jerks the male protagonists of the novel?

Ah, yes. Thats right. Its because they have handsome faces, isnt it? Yes, I see. Fair enough.

But it wouldve been better if their minds were as attractive as their faces.

Guys, cant we get to the point quickly?

Unable to bear it any longer, Joachim finally interjected, restraining the rest of the Hydra heads, even though hed 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

Thats the thing.

Well, you know Selena.

Its fascinating.

And here they go again, each of them blabbering away. Are you guys really a Hydra?

For **s sake, cant 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, Ill surely be stuck here for another hour!

Shulifen.

I point to head number one. Theres no other reason. Hes just on the far left from my perspective.

You go ahead. Keep it concise. Short and clear.

Well, as expected from someone whos 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

Thats enough. Wilhelm. You go.

Head number one, who kept adding explanations, is out. Now, head number two. Your turn!Yur fvorite stories on /o/(v)/lbn(.)cm

Meanwhile, Wilhelm seemed to want to be eliminated, even coughing to distract himself.

So were doing this because we think youre fascinating.

Fascinating?

Getting rejected by Selena and still casually chatting with her.

That last remark really hit hard. Wouldnt it be self-defense if I shoot them here? Why bring up that girls name at a time like this? You assholes!

We havent even properly greeted Selena yet.

Huh?

If she sees us from afar, shell turn and run away immediately.

Huh?

Even though its 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.

Thats why were curious. Thats what we want to ask. How is that possible?

I seemed to know why Selena was still single.

It wasnt 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, theyre acting like loafers.

I have no idea where, how, or why things got messed up, but its none of my concern. Just because I babysit these guys with some blunt talk doesnt mean my future is going to change.

This isnt a possession story. Its a reincarnation story. If I really delve into it, I would add things I remember from my past life.

So, thats why its fascinating. Thats why were 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. Cant you comply?

Okay. Fine. Ill 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 Ill tell you. If the protagonists are curious, what power does an extra have, huh?

Enlist.

Huh?

Damn it, these guys. Its like theyve unified with the same response every time.

Enlist. Since youre going to do it anyway, its better to enlist like me. If you say, I want to serve alongside the hardworking soldiers for the glory of the Empire! theyll just gladly enlist you as an officer. You dont have to worry about that.

Uh

When youre there, youll feel like you can do anything in the future. Confidence will grow like a tigers spirit. And with all kinds of people gathering in one place, its the best for building social skills. Not to mention, its 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 its you!

Enlisting as a soldier is so good that I definitely recommend it?!

Umm

Enlist

Thats

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 its understandable why I enlisted as a soldier in the past. No, wait. No matter how you look at it, that just cant be the case. It wouldnt be right if that were true.

Ive 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 hes 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 its because of enlisting, going through hardships, or maybe remembering my past life and feeling diluted because of it.

Nothings certain.

Honestly, I dont 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 didnt know at the time, but the Four Heavenly Kings were probably more rational than I was. Its been over two years, or at least over half a year, since they were rejected, so they shouldve healed by now.

Unless theyre really crazy, they wouldnt do something like what I did.

***

Have you heard the news? Shulifens sudden leave of absence.

They say Wilhelm is absent too?

Alexander and Joahim too!

They havent been seen at the academy since yesterday!

Surely these crazy bastards werent actually trying to enlist, were they?

***

[ Selena? ]

Brother.

[ Whats going on all of a sudden? Calling out of the blue like this. ]

I have something Im 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 dont have to tell me if you dont want to.

[ I dont know about anything else, but Ill tell you this story, Selena. In the midst of the war, our unit was nearly surrounded and faced annihilation. Almost 300 of the Empires 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. ]

Its astonishing. Especially hearing it directly from the person involved, its unbelievable. It was a miracle.

Do you happen to know who that person is?

[ I dont. 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. Theres 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.

[Translator Angel Dust]

[Proofreader ChiSync]

Chapter end