A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 125

The news that I made a fortune through stocks spread quickly.

Investing in Tatar, which is known for its significant instability, was enough to draw attention, but it also showed an incredible growth rate.

If this were Earth, Kara and I might have been investigated by the financial authorities. Kara, being the Princess of Tatars, would have drawn even more suspicion.

“I only found out from the newspapers. Investigation? If I had known beforehand, I would have returned to my homeland.”

Of course, the situation was so unexpected for Tatar that the suspicions were quickly cleared.

Kara also considered returning to Tatar but decided to stay at the Academy after hearing Hector’s message.

It wasn’t just any reason—there was the discovery of a Magic Stone Mine with a large deposit. Leaving her position might mean being absent for a long time.

“So, how does it feel to make a fortune?”

Although the stock market turmoil caused quite a stir, time marches on.

Kara, who had arranged a separate meeting with me over the weekend, asked me this question. As always, she was in her comfortable sleeveless attire.

I was eating the Ice Cream she had bought for me, reflecting deeply. While I had earned a lot of money, I felt surprisingly indifferent.

“I am rich.”

So, I just answered plainly. There wasn’t much else to say.

Kara chuckled at my response. It was the reaction of someone thinking, “Of course.”

“Yeah. Like you said, the more money, the better. But don’t you regret it? The stocks are still climbing bit by bit.”

As you can tell from her words, I had already sold my stocks.

Tatar-Related Stocks were still steadily rising, but I sold them anyway. I needed cash immediately.

Besides, it wouldn’t be long before they peaked and began to decline gradually. Tatar is a Newly Established Nation, so there’s some overinflation involved.

“I don’t regret it. I have plenty of money.”

“Hmm… Well, 10 million silver coins isn’t something just anyone can have. It’s a lot, for sure.”

The money I earned from stocks was roughly 10 million silver coins. Converted to Korean won, that’s about 10 billion.

If an ordinary person had this amount, they could live a life of leisure forever. But I had plans to invest it elsewhere.

This includes stocks as well. Because of the Demon’s Magic Circle, I plan to visit the exchange frequently.

If I keep investing and making money, I might get VIP treatment. It’s best to aim for that moment.

If that happens, strange rumors might spread again, but I don’t care. Whether people follow me into stocks or not, as long as they don’t lose money, it’s fine.

‘I should invest a million silver coins each in Ellie and Jane.’

Ellie is already receiving full support from her professor, and Jane has the ability to turn trash into gold.

If both of them had access to massive capital, they could achieve tremendous growth.

Ellie would buy expensive herbs without hesitation, and Jane could work in high-end workshops.

“I’m curious about what weapons made from Usk Blade Fang would be like. Even the broken pieces were quite substantial.”

“They’ll be good.”

Anyway, the reason I met with Kara today was simple.

Today, the weapon made from Usk Blade Fang would be completed.

The material was sharp enough to tear through my skin even in its raw form. If a weapon was made from it, it would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

Although the material is rare, the Academy’s blacksmith is highly skilled. With talents gathered from around the world, excellence is inevitable.

‘Engraving it will be tough, though.’

To engrave it like Ragnarok, a small amount of Magic Stone powder is required.

Moreover, even with the powder, the artisan must personally carve the name for the effect to manifest.

The Academy blacksmith is great, but engraving isn’t one of their abilities. So, I’ll need to find another artisan.

‘I’ll take my time. There’s no need to rush.’

After all, I already have Ragnarok, so there’s no need to be greedy.

More importantly, once I grip the new weapon, I plan to devise a new combat style.

Since I had training scheduled with Rize today, I could ask her for a sparring session then.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before long, I arrived at the blacksmith where I had placed the order.

Due to its characteristic noise, the blacksmith was tucked away in a relatively secluded location, but I had a rough idea of where it was.

That’s because Jane’s workshop was nearby. You could think of this area as a sort of industrial zone.

“Hmm? Oh! A student has come. Are you here to pick up your weapon?”

The blacksmith, who had been hammering metal, recognized Kara and spoke to her.

His rugged arm muscles were impressive, but his face, marked by years of experience, was even more striking.

With his snow-white hair, he gave off an air of professionalism. Whatever he did, he looked like a 30-year veteran.

“Yes. I was told it would be completed today.”

“Wait a moment. Hey! Bring out the items made from Usk Blade Fang!”

“Yes, sir!”

When the blacksmith gave the order, the assistants inside responded energetically. By the way, they’re probably students, not just assistants.

At United Academy, alongside Herbology, this job class is considered one of the top two in importance.

Jane specializes in Mechanical Engineering but also doubles as a blacksmith.

Even now, she’s probably using a hammer and anvil to craft a Mechanical Arm, just like the blacksmith in front of me.

“By the way, is this man the Wildling from the rumors? Judging by his red eyes, it seems certain.”

While the assistants were bringing the weapons, the blacksmith looked at me and asked.

Rumors about me had already spread throughout the Academy. It wasn’t surprising that he knew of me.

Additionally, due to sparring and various incidents, the rumors might have spread farther than expected.

“Yes. He’s the one who took down Usk. Sivar?”

“Hello. I’m Sivar.”

Since I might see him often in the future, I greeted him politely. After all, I’d need to come to him for repairs.

When I bowed and greeted him, the blacksmith chuckled heartily. He seemed to like me.

“For someone who came from the wilderness, you speak quite fluently. My name is Wupong. I’m just an ordinary blacksmith.”

He was definitely not just an ordinary blacksmith. The fact that he worked at the Academy proved that.

He had to deal with clueless rookies and ridiculously picky brats.

While he laughed it off now, being difficult with him could lead to serious trouble. He was known to deliberately destroy weapons.

And when that happened, his line would be, “Oops! My hand slipped!” It reminded me of a certain blacksmith somewhere.

‘Even the Academy sides with Wupong.’

In any case, building rapport with Wupong wouldn’t hurt. It could save repair costs and greatly aid Jane’s growth.

Moreover, this wasn’t a problem money could solve. Unless you offered 100 million silver coins, Wupong wasn’t particularly interested in money.

“I’ve heard plenty of rumors about you. Not only did you kill Usk, but you also broke its Blade Fang with your bare hands? At first, I couldn’t believe it.”

“It must be incredibly tough.”

“Tough doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s so hard that even sharpening it grinds down the whetstone instead. It’s no easy task.”

Thankfully, it’s vulnerable to heat like steel, so shaping it is manageable. Still, my arms ache from doing this after so long, and so on.

As he rattled off words, his hands continued hammering diligently. It looked like he was doing a light warm-up.

“Wupong! Here it is!”

“Alright. Handle it carefully.”

“Yes, sir!”

Before long, the assistants brought over the ordered weapons. They were wrapped in cloth, giving the impression of being handled with care.

Wupong then set aside his hammer and unveiled the weapons wrapped in cloth. First up was Kara’s curved sword.

Most of the curved swords Kara used were in the shape of a scimitar, and this one was no different.

“Here’s the weapon you ordered. As you know, the blade is extremely sharp, so be careful.”

“Oh…”

At first glance, it didn’t look much different from any other Steel Sword. However, there were uneven parts here and there.

It gave the impression that the Blade Fang had been used whole. The handle was a sandy brown color, resembling Usk’s hue.

“Next is the axe… This one’s for you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Here it is.”

Next, he handed me the axe. Its size was similar to Ragnarok.

However, its appearance was the complete opposite. Unlike the dark tones of Ragnarok, the new weapon had a bright color scheme.

The axe blade was particularly striking. Like Kara’s curved sword, it gave off a strong impression that it could cut just by looking at it.

Most notably, the biggest difference was its weight. Upon closer inspection, the axe handle was made from Usk’s exoskeleton.

“An axe’s blade is crucial, but its durability is even more important. I mixed it with steel to make it sturdy. It’s heavy, but with your strength, having taken down Usk, it should be no problem.”

“What do you think? Does it suit you?”

I examined the newly received axe from various angles. Both in appearance and practicality, it was an excellent weapon.

Once it’s engraved, it’ll be perfect. However, there’s one concern I have.

‘Will it withstand my mana?’

The question was whether this weapon could endure my mana. Ragnarok was a weapon imbued with faith, but this one was not.

Even the supposedly indestructible Usk Blade Fang had shattered under my attack. This axe would likely fare no differently.

‘First, I should test how sharp it is.’

To confirm its sharpness, I brought the blade to my palm.

Considering the Usk Blade Fang had torn through my palm even before processing, I expected this to perform even better now.

“W-Wait! Just getting close to it will cut you······!”

Wupong tried to stop my eccentric act in a panic, but it was already too late. The axe blade had already pierced my palm.

Like slicing through a stack of paper with a sharp sword, the axe blade penetrated my skin and dug in deeply.

It went so deep that it nearly touched the bone. While it was sharp enough to cut through skin and muscle, it seemed the bone was its limit.

“It’s sharp.”

“Of course it’s sharp! You didn’t think it was a toy, did you?”

“It’s fine. For me, it was just a test. Now, shall I show you my palm?”

Having witnessed my eccentric acts many times before, Kara seemed to have a good grasp of my behavior.

As if to affirm her words, I nodded and showed my palm to Wupong. It was perfectly clean, with no trace of blood.

“H-Huh? I-I definitely saw it get cut······?”

“It was cut. Then it regenerated.”

“It was cut, but it regenerated? Are you some kind of monster?”

To others, I probably did seem that way. My eyes, glowing red like a berserk monster’s, only added to the impression.

But I wasn’t a monster—I was human. If fast regeneration made someone a monster, then Rize would be one too.

“I’m not a monster. I’m human.”

“Hah······ There really are all kinds of people. Anyway, you’d better handle it carefully. The blade is seriously sharp.”

“Got it.”

“Alright. Now that the weapon is made, what will you do next? If you don’t have the payment, you could use this as collateral.”

This guy really thought he could freeload. The money I earned from the Usk Blade Fang exceeded 3 million silver coins.

Anticipating this, I had prepared the payment in advance. Since the weapon was particularly difficult to craft, the expenses were considerable.

Wupong accepted the payment with a regretful expression. From his perspective, the Usk Blade Fang was likely more tempting than the money.

“How much is left?”

“Enough to make one more double-edged sword.”

“Make it.”

That one would be a gift for Luna. I wanted to give it to her, if only to ease my guilt.

After confirming with me again, Wupong drew up a contract and decided to start working. The deadline was one week.

Once the sword was completed in a week, I planned to visit the blacksmith with Luna.

“It was a good deal. Make sure to come back in a week.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”

After exchanging farewells, I immediately left. Perhaps due to the heat of the blacksmith, sweat was beading on my forehead.

As I was roughly wiping off the sweat, Kara, standing beside me, asked curiously.

“Sivar. Why are you having a double-edged sword made? Don’t tell me it’s for Luna?”

“It is.”

As expected, her intuition was sharp. When I answered while wiping my sweat, Kara’s expression turned subtle.

Originally, I had planned to give it to her once she reached Kara’s level of skill, but now that my secret was out, I felt compelled to give it sooner.

More importantly, I intended to invest in Ellie in various ways moving forward, so I should also invest in the protagonist. Otherwise, she might feel left out.

“Oh, right. Kara.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you do this too? Like Ragnarok.”

Kara tilted her head at my vague explanation but soon seemed to understand and asked back.

“You mean, can it hold lightning like Ragnarok?”

“Yeah.”

“It can hold it, sure. But it won’t be as efficient as Ragnarok. To be precise, it won’t achieve the maximum efficiency that Ragnarok does.”

So it was possible, but inefficient. There was a reason Ragnarok was considered the endgame item for Faith Characters.

In that case, it seemed best to use Ragnarok exclusively when utilizing lightning.

“But how do you plan to use your weapons? Don’t tell me you’re going to use both?”

“Yeah. One in each hand.”

“Dual wielding? You’re not a barbarian, and yet it oddly suits you.”

“Wild warrior.”

“Pfft!”

At my correction that I was a wild warrior, not a barbarian, Kara burst into laughter.

After laughing for a while, Kara wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and spoke.

“That’s funny. A wild warrior, not a barbarian? Where did you even come up with that?”

“My head.”

“You know, your brain really works well. Whether it’s the midterm exam or the stock market.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t use my brain; I was far from ignorant. This had been proven during the midterm exam.

Afterward, I returned to my dormitory while chatting about this and that with Kara. With everything done, it was time to part ways.

“So, what are you going to do now? Training with the Saintess?”

“Hmm······”

That was the original plan. But after receiving the new weapon, my thoughts had changed slightly.

Given how sharp the axe was, enough to pierce my palm, I wondered if it might even work against Rize.

Besides, I needed to refine my combat style, so sparring didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“Sparring.”

“Sparring? You’re going to spar?”

“Yeah. I got this.”

When I lifted the axe and spoke, Kara’s expression turned peculiar.

Then, as if muttering to herself, she spoke softly, so I wouldn’t hear.

“······Even if you’re smart, your learning ability might be lacking?”

I can hear you, you idiot.

[Faith Increases!]

Don’t mock me, you jerk.

[Faith Decreases······]

I’m sorry.