A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 110

I suddenly heard that Ellie would be joining us, so I asked for more details about the situation.

For non-combat roles like Ellie, supplying materials such as herbs and hides is extremely important.

Normally, they would handle their own supply runs while only exploring the supposedly safe outer areas, but even the outskirts are dangerous now.

As a result, non-combat roles have started accompanying combat teams during investigations or monster subjugations.

For Ellie, who collects a variety of herbs, this change has been a breath of fresh air.

“Hello! My name is Ellie from the Herbology Department! Please take care of me!”

The next day, I introduced Ellie to the team that would be entering the forest with us.

Her polite yet incredibly cheerful greeting, combined with her stunning beauty, left a strong first impression.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Grace Aria del Berche of Duke Berche’s Household.”

“I-I’m Lee Yeonju······”

Grace and Lee Yeonju each gave greetings that suited their personalities. However, their gazes wavered slightly.

They tried to keep their eyes fixed on her face, but occasionally, their gazes would drift downward.

Ellie’s ample figure is hard to ignore. Regardless of gender, it’s nearly impossible not to look.

“You’re all on the same team as Sivar, right? I’ll do my best not to be a burden! But don’t worry—I’m good at identifying herbs!”

In the meantime, Ellie lifted the team’s spirits with her uniquely bright personality.

Grace seemed to appreciate her cheerful demeanor, smiling in satisfaction.

Although her gaze occasionally wandered downward, she maintained her composure like a proper noble.

“Ms. Ellie, you seem very knowledgeable about herbs. You appear to be a commoner—may I ask where you’re from?”

“You probably wouldn’t know even if I told you. Have you ever heard of a place called Batonto Village?”

“Hmm······ I’m not familiar with it, perhaps due to my limited knowledge.”

“It’s a rural village—think of it as the countryside of the countryside.”

As expected, women become friends quickly. I watched the two of them chatting away already.

Grace’s noble demeanor and stern expression often make her seem unapproachable.

However, thanks to Ellie’s optimistic personality, they started talking sooner than I expected.

“Ms. Grace, your eyes are really striking. They’re as pretty as a cat’s.”

“W-What? My eyes?”

“Yes. I think they’re beautiful.”

She even complimented Grace’s sharp eyes. Grace, startled by the praise, touched her own eyes with a bewildered expression.

Most people would describe her eyes as fierce, not striking or beautiful.

But Ellie seemed genuinely fond of them. It wasn’t a warped sense of aesthetics—just a matter of personal taste.

“T-Thank you. Ms. Ellie, your eyes······”

Grace trailed off mid-sentence, her gaze dropping downward. I could guess where she was looking.

Afterward, she seemed to suppress words rising in her throat, forcing herself to continue.

“······Your eyes are truly beautiful. I’ve never seen eyes that shine like gold before.”

“Hehe. Thank you.”

It’s heartwarming to see them complimenting each other. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such kind people.

Ellie then asked Lee Yeonju about her origin. Naturally, Lee Yeonju mentioned a place outside the Hwan Empire.

Ellie didn’t seem particularly interested in this, so she moved on without much thought, showing another side of herself instead.

“This might be rude, but may I hug you just once?”

“W-What?”

Perhaps Ellie found Lee Yeonju’s petite frame and cute appearance endearing. She asked if she could hug her.

Lee Yeonju was flustered by the unexpected question, and Ellie, realizing her request might be inappropriate, gave an awkward smile.

“I guess it’s not okay, right? I’m sorry.”

“I-It’s fine······! Here!”

Despite her embarrassment, Lee Yeonju opened her arms wide. It didn’t seem like an act—it felt sincere.

Not missing the opportunity, Ellie gently embraced Lee Yeonju. Though Ellie’s height was average, Lee Yeonju’s petite frame fit snugly in her arms.

“Hoo······”

Lee Yeonju let out a soft sigh, basking in the warmth of Ellie’s maternal affection. Her expression looked as though all her worries had melted away.

I know that feeling. Any lingering wariness she had must have completely disappeared.

The two of them held each other for a while before slowly parting. Both seemed satisfied.

“Was that uncomfortable for you?”

“Not at all······ It was incredibly comforting······”

This is how Ellie wins people over, one by one. She probably doesn’t even realize it herself.

“Should I hug you too, Sivar?”

“Sure.”

Ellie’s boundless warmth is irresistible, even when you know it’s coming. I immediately accepted her offer and leaned into her embrace.

Though we were standing, and I couldn’t rest my face against her chest, just feeling her warmth was enough to satisfy me.

I’ll have to ask for a hug while sitting next time. It’s been so long since I felt this kind of comfort.

‘It felt awkward asking Rize for this.’

Rize is, well, someone I hesitate to make such requests to.

I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because of her title as the Fist Saintess, or perhaps there’s another reason.

The same goes for others. There’s no one as approachable as Ellie when it comes to seeking comfort.

“Alright. That’s enough for now. We need to head into the forest, so let’s separate.”

“······”

I wanted to stay in her arms a little longer, but I obediently followed her words, unable to hide my disappointment.

Ellie, finding my reaction adorable, gave me a bright smile and pinched my cheek. I don’t know why everyone, including Kara, loves pinching my cheeks.

“Everyone, gather around! As I mentioned yesterday, today’s focus will be reconnaissance! Avoid going deeper into the forest without your guardian’s guidance! The two students assigned as guardians yesterday will each receive a special compass for emergencies!”

The forest entrance was bustling with students, almost like a picnic. Instead of school uniforms, everyone wore their own casual clothes.

Perhaps due to the information about roaming monsters, everyone carried weapons. I was no exception.

It felt strange to hold Ragnarok again after so long. It’s been ages since I last had to use it.

“Ellie’s here too? I heard there would be some non-combat roles mixed in.”

After receiving the special compass, Kara approached our group. She didn’t seem particularly surprised to see Ellie.

It seemed Kara’s team also included non-combat roles, or perhaps she had already heard the news.

Ellie greeted Kara warmly with her signature bright smile.

“Hi, Kara Unnie. How have you been?”

“It’s only been a week since we last met. How about you? Did you do well on your midterm exams?”

“I’m not sure. I answered everything, but the results haven’t come out yet. Non-combat roles focus more on theory, so it’s a bit slower.”

“I see. I’m sure you did well. Anyway, we’ll head in first.”

“Alright. Stay safe.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Kara entered the forest with her team. I quietly watched her retreating figure.

I hadn’t noticed before, but Kara is really tall—taller than most male students.

Even now, as she stood alone, her height was strikingly apparent.

“Where’s Luna? Did she go ahead?”

“The first group already went in, so I think she’s with them. Let’s head in too.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Luna. We’ll probably run into her while exploring the forest.

I handed the special compass to Ellie. It seemed better for her to hold onto it.

‘Should we start by looking for Porori’s tracks?’

Porori, who was said to be in his mating season, could be anywhere right now.

Animals tend to become unpredictable during mating season, sometimes even attacking predators despite being prey.

Even though Porori has evolved into a spirit beast, his animal instincts likely remain. After all, even humans aren’t exempt from such tendencies.

‘I’m surprisingly calm.’

Having lived like a beast before entering civilization, I rarely feel such urges. That doesn’t mean I’m completely devoid of them.

I still pitch a tent every morning and have plenty of interest. It’s just that my patience is unusually strong.

I don’t know how long this patience will last, but I’ll endure as much as I can. If necessary, I’ll deal with it on my own.

“By the way, Ms. Ellie, how did you first meet Mr. Sivar?”

“Luna and I were the first ones to find Sivar. Do you know what a Manki is? It’s a large monster that looks like a gorilla.”

“Of course. Even seasoned knights struggle to handle those monsters.”

While I was scanning for any notable traces, Ellie and Grace started chatting behind me.

Grace seemed curious about my prior acquaintance with Ellie, given how friendly we were from the start. It was understandable.

“Actually, I almost died to a Manki. I had ventured deep into the forest in search of high-quality herbs and ended up in trouble.”

“So back then, Mr. Sivar······”

“Yes. Just before the Manki’s hand came crashing down on me, Sivar saved me. Honestly······ he was like a prince from a fairy tale.”

At the time, he was only wearing a rag, so he was far from princely. Still, it’s a relief she remembers it fondly.

“Even thinking about it now, it’s terrifying. The fact that I’m alive today is all thanks to Sivar, so my life practically belongs to him.”

“······Is that so? To the point of entrusting your life to him?”

“Of course. That’s how I was raised. If you owe someone your life, you should dedicate it to them. That’s what my parents taught me.”

That seems a bit extreme. I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even respond.

Just like on Earth, home education is crucial in this world, especially since there’s no internet, and society is very insular.

With such a narrow society, it’s easy to be influenced by strange ideas, and even someone like Ellie, who seems ordinary, can harbor extreme beliefs.

‘Ellie thinks of violence as a means to an end too.’

Using violence against criminals is acceptable. Ellie neither denied nor disagreed with this notion.

She’s a kind person at heart. It’s just that the era she lives in leaves little room for alternatives.

“I see. Then should I also dedicate my purity to Mr. Sivar?”

“What? What are you talking about now?”

“Well······ there was a recent incident where my chastity was almost in danger. Fortunately, Mr. Sivar saved me from that crisis.”

The issue was that Grace wasn’t one to be underestimated either. Grace brought up a recent incident herself.

Despite the likely trauma, perhaps because it was a shared topic(?), she spoke about it calmly. I was shocked just listening to her.

“If we’re following Ms. Ellie’s logic, shouldn’t I also dedicate my purity to Mr. Sivar?”

It seemed to be a sort of eye-level education. It was far from what I had imagined.

However, even Grace had unexpected aspects.

“Weren’t you planning to?”

“What?”

“From what you’re saying, it sounds like you’re always ready to dedicate it······ or am I wrong?”

Ellie seems both tactful and tactless at the same time. It’s probably due to her inherently optimistic personality.

The more awkward part is that this isn’t some kind of teasing. Ellie was genuinely curious when she asked that question.

“Well······ I can’t say no, but······ this, this requires mutual readiness······!”

“Readiness? What kind of readiness?”

“There’s, there’s something like that! Anyway, this isn’t the important issue right now, so let’s move on!”

In the end, Grace raised the white flag. No matter how bold she was, explaining this part must have been difficult.

“This is dizzying······”

Lee Yeonju, who had been quietly following behind, muttered softly. It seemed even she found the situation overwhelming.

Amidst this chaotic situation, how long did we walk? While gathering herbs here and there, we eventually found a trace.

“This is······”

“A Gnoll.”

We discovered a Gnoll corpse that seemed to have died recently. A humanoid monster with the head of a hyena.

They’re one of the monsters you can encounter in forests, grasslands, mountain ranges, and so on. I’d dealt with quite a few of them during my time in the forest.

However, this one didn’t seem to be from the outer area. It appeared to have been pushed to the outskirts after losing in competition.

‘But why is there only one?’

Gnolls, like many other monsters, live in groups. It was strange to see just one of them alone.

As I was about to investigate further, I noticed something unusual.

“Why is there only burn damage on the lower body?”

“Good question. It doesn’t look like it was burned by fire······”

Only the fur on the lower body was charred black. The rest of the body seemed relatively intact.

It looked like the lower half had been so severely burned that it died from the shock.

‘But this······ wasn’t caused by fire, was it?’

The marks weren’t from fire but resembled the aftermath of being struck by lightning. I’d seen enough lightning-struck bodies recently to tell the difference.

Then why was only the lower half electrocuted? To investigate further, I used a branch to thoroughly examine the body.

And before long, I noticed a ‘trace’ mixed with bright red blood.

‘······Could it be?’

I wasn’t certain yet. I needed more concrete evidence.

After finding several more traces, I came to a realization.

“Monsters killed cleanly and others with only their lower halves burned······ What does this mean?”

“I’m not sure. I really don’t······”

It’s because the mating season had hit hard.

At least, it was targeting only creatures with fur.