A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 106

Apart from the rise in faith, Grace’s bodyguard was decided. Arthur also explained in detail how to handle the role of a bodyguard.

Typically, a bodyguard should stay by the subject’s side except during sleeping hours, but my case is a bit different.

Apparently, the plan is to avoid taking away personal time as much as possible or something like that.

It seems less like being a bodyguard and more like keeping an eye on Grace until she regains her strength.

I had no reason to refuse, especially since getting closer to Grace wouldn’t be a bad thing for me.

“I will provide support wherever I can. Is there anything you need?”

“Sweets.”

“A dagger? Are you talking about a dagger?”

“No, sweets. Candy. Cake. Ice cream. Things like that.”

“······?”

When I said I wanted sweet food, Arthur’s expression turned peculiar. His face showed that he was questioning whether he’d heard me correctly.

At the moment, I don’t particularly need anything. Money? I can earn it by hunting in the Forest of Chaos.

The same goes for food. For now, Rod and Kara are providing support, so there’s no chance of starving.

However, snacks are a different matter. While Kara is buying them for me, it’s not good to rely solely on her.

Rod outright refuses to help. So, I need another sponsor.

“Brother Sivar, eating too many sweets can cause cavities. Moderation is key in everything.”

“Uh······ Saint? Are we talking about the same kind of sweet food I know?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Brother Sivar has a huge fondness for sweet food.”

“Hmm······”

After hearing Rize’s explanation, Arthur let out a low groan as he grasped the situation. His feelings clearly conveyed, “Is this really happening?”

I could fully understand his thoughts, but there’s no immediate need for money. In fact, I even question whether I need money at all.

Normally, expenses for medical treatment and potions would drain finances. That’s why Ellie is considered a Balance Breaker-level individual.

However, I can naturally heal without potions or anything else. Even if my teeth fall out, they grow back, so that says it all.

“Understood. I will provide support through Grace. Is there anything else you need? Perhaps weapons?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I already have a weapon that qualifies as an endgame-level item. I’ll make good use of it until heading to the Tatars.

Arthur seemed visibly restless when I said I didn’t need anything. Was it because he felt he had nothing appropriate to offer in return?

‘What can I do if I truly don’t need anything?’

The trial regarding the violence was blocked by Duke Berche’s Household. This was partly because the Academy and the various factions had aligned interests.

The disciplinary action will end after the weekend. Once that’s over, I will begin serving as Grace’s bodyguard.

So, there’s no need for Duke Berche’s Household to offer any additional compensation. It wasn’t like I protected Grace expecting a reward.

“Hmm······ I’ll think about this slowly. If you need anything, please contact me through Grace.”

“Alright.”

“Once again, I sincerely thank you. Thank you so much for saving Grace.”

Arthur stood and bowed deeply to express his gratitude. His demeanor was that of someone with a proper sense of decency.

Coming from a ducal family, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to speak down to me. After all, I’m just a wildling with no foundation.

As the saying goes, “The fuller the grain, the lower it bows.” He truly embodied that proverb.

‘If he’s this decent, why didn’t I see him in the Soul World?’

Did some incident happen in between? My memories aren’t complete, so I can’t be sure.

Eventually, Arthur left, bringing the matter of Grace’s bodyguard to a close.

All that remained was to laze around in the dormitory over the weekend. With Rize as my companion, I wouldn’t be bored.

Knock, knock, knock-

I was debating whether to follow Rize and do some stretching since I had nothing else to do.

About ten minutes after Arthur left, someone knocked on the door again. Both Rize and I, who were in the middle of attempting splits, turned our heads toward the door.

[Saint, a student named Luna has come to see you. May I let her in?]

It was the voice of the guardsman stationed outside my dormitory door. I looked at Rize after hearing his words.

Come to think of it, Luna was originally supposed to receive lessons from Rize every weekend. This time, because of the incident, she was staying with me.

It seemed Rize had informed Luna separately. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to come to my dormitory, which was guarded by a guardsman.

Bang!

As soon as the guardsman finished speaking, a small explosion occurred. A thick smoke screen rose, casting a massive shadow within it.

When the smoke cleared, what appeared was a muscular giant. She had switched from her Saint Form to her Muscle Form.

“Yes, it’s fine.”

[Understood.]

Creaaak-

After Rize gave her permission, the door slowly opened. Standing at the entrance was a very familiar face.

Luna entered hesitantly, her expression slightly awkward, as she cautiously stepped inside.

When she saw us attempting splits, she blinked and asked,

“······What are you doing?”

“We’re doing splits to improve flexibility. It’s excellent for mana circulation and injury prevention.”

“Uh······”

At Rize’s explanation, Luna rolled her eyes and looked at me. I was also in the middle of nearly a 180-degree split.

She must have been wondering what on earth was going on. But she soon gathered herself.

“So, I just need to take the test today as well?”

“Yes. Let’s aim to pass it lightly this time.”

“······I’m not sure if that’s possible.”

The test, as everyone knows, consists of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats.

At first glance, it might seem easy. Athletes could probably manage it without much trouble.

However, Rize is someone who pursues perfection without the slightest compromise. Especially when it comes to anything muscle-related, she’s endlessly strict.

“As I mentioned before, if you perform even one repetition sloppily, you’ll have to start over from the beginning.”

“······Yes.”

“The same applies if you take a break in the middle. You must succeed in one go.”

That’s how it is. The number of repetitions might seem ordinary, but the success criteria are insanely strict.

No wonder Luna has been complaining about muscle pain. Still, the results are bound to be effective.

‘I’m glad I don’t have to do it.’

For me, it’s about knowing how to use muscles, not about building them like Luna.

While I do light exercises with Rize daily, it’s more about maintaining my current state.

Even for me, not exercising would lead to muscle loss. This is reflected even in the Soul World.

“Alright······ Begin!”

“Hup!”

Luna started with push-ups. Her posture was perfect, and her pace was smooth.

Having prepared all week, she should pass easily. Even if she fails midway, she’ll push through with sheer determination.

“Stop. Start again. Your posture faltered.”

“Yes!”

I quietly observed from the side. It hadn’t been long, but beads of sweat were already forming on Luna’s forehead.

The sweat trickled down and gathered at the tip of her sharp nose before dropping to the floor. The ground was gradually becoming damp with her sweat.

“Again.”

“Ugh······!”

This time, it was close. She had just passed 90 repetitions when she had to start over again.

Rize advised her that she needed to engage her chest muscles as well as her arm strength for it to count as one repetition. By the way, she could use mana now.

Even with mana, she was struggling this much. It shows just how strict the standards are.

“Ninety-nine······ One hundred! Ahhh!”

“Good job.”

After about 30 minutes, the 100 push-ups were finally completed.

As soon as she reached 100, Luna collapsed as if her body had given out. Her face was drenched in sweat.

“Next, we’ll move on to sit-ups.”

“··· ···”

Of course, only the push-ups were done. The entire test wasn’t over yet. Luna staggered to her feet at Rize’s words.

Her face looked utterly exhausted, as if she might collapse at any moment. But her eyes still shone with determination.

She might appear frail on the outside, but she’s surprisingly tenacious. Her perseverance is remarkable.

“······Sivar doesn’t have to do this, right?”

But this girl is subtly trying to drag me into it. Is she annoyed because I’m just standing here watching?

While I was inwardly baffled, Rize turned to look at me. Maybe it’s because of her Authority Form, but just her gaze alone was a bit intimidating.

“Brother Sivar is fine. While he doesn’t know how to use his muscles properly, his body itself is nearly perfect.”

“··· ···”

“If you’re curious, would you like to touch it?”

“W-What?!”

Luna, who had been momentarily dumbfounded by Rize’s comment, jumped in surprise. Of course, she’d be flustered if someone suddenly told her to touch my body.

“Of course, it would require Brother Sivar’s permission.”

“Th-That’s, it’s fine! I’ve seen Sivar’s body before······!”

Luna waved her hands vehemently, firmly refusing. To someone who didn’t know the context, her words could easily be misunderstood.

She’s probably referring to the time when I lived in the wilderness. Back then, I only wore a rag to cover myself.

Hearing that explanation, Rize looked slightly surprised, then smiled and nodded.

“So that’s the kind of relationship you had. Understood.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Since you’ve had enough rest, let’s move on to the next activity.”

It felt like yet another misunderstanding was piling up, but Rize immediately moved on to the next exercise.

Luna, who had briefly shown a displeased expression, began groaning the moment she started doing sit-ups.

“Huff······ Huff······”

“Good work. You’ve definitely improved compared to before.”

After about an hour, we finally finished all the exercises.

As soon as the stamina training ended, Luna collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.

Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and perhaps because she was wearing a T-shirt, her curves were clearly outlined.

“Judging by your breathing, it seems you still have some energy left.”

“Huff······ Is that······ so······?”

Does that mean she used to pass out before? That’s probably half true.

Shortly after, Luna seemed to have recovered somewhat and slowly raised her upper body.

Sweat was pouring down like rain, causing her hair to stick to her face. Her determination was admirable.

“Then shall we check your flexibility now?”

“······What? It’s not over yet?”

“It’s just a quick check. Watching what Brother Sivar did earlier gave me an idea.”

But Luna’s ordeal wasn’t over yet. Rize gestured to her and instructed her to start with the splits.

Luna hesitated for a moment but slowly began attempting the splits. Since she was wearing workout clothes, the act itself shouldn’t be an issue.

“Wow.”

I couldn’t help but be amazed at Luna’s flexibility. It was truly impressive.

Her legs couldn’t even spread beyond 100 degrees. At that level, it’s quite serious.

“······It seems you’ll need to work on your flexibility too. That’s my misjudgment.”

Even Rize seemed to have underestimated Luna’s disastrous flexibility. Judging by her expression, she looked deeply concerned.

Luna, perhaps aware of her own lack of flexibility, appeared slightly embarrassed.

“Brother Sivar, could you help Student Luna? This is something that works best when done with assistance.”

“Sure.”

In that case, I should help her kindly. I stepped forward as she wished.

The first step was to face each other while doing the splits. In other words, I would assist Luna’s splits with my legs.

“Brother Sivar, you just need to push with your feet. Student Luna, if it hurts, please say so. Understood?”

“Yes.”

I held Luna’s hands and helped her get into position. Her face was deadly serious, as if bracing for pain.

‘Should I mess with her a bit?’

Once everything was ready, I began applying pressure with my legs. Slowly, Luna’s legs started to spread.

Luna grimaced as if enduring the pain, but when she couldn’t take it anymore, she finally spoke up.

“W-Wait. It hurts······”

Just before Luna could finish saying it hurt, I pretended it was an accident and applied even more force.

Her legs spread close to 150 degrees. Still far from enough, though.

“Aaaagh!”

At the same time, instead of saying it hurt, a scream burst out of Luna’s mouth. But I held firm.

“Let go, let go! I said let go!!”

“You didn’t say it hurt.”

“It hurts! I said it hurts! Let go already!”

Only then did I release Luna. The moment she was free, she clutched her aching groin and writhed in pain.

I don’t know about anything else, but seeing Luna in pain somehow amused me. It made me want to tease her more.

“Ugh······”

“Does it hurt?”

“Go away. You jerk······”

I should probably leave her alone for a while.