A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 143

Perhaps because of the upcoming exam next week, the weekend flew by quickly.

Luna and Kara were busy devising strategy and tactics with their teams, so I didn’t even get to meet them, and I was occupied with tasks in the forest.

Thankfully, just when I was feeling bored, Ellie came to my dormitory and kept me company. She said she was busy preparing for the final exam too.

“Studying? Aren’t you studying?”

“Not really? The professor told us not to take the test and focus on practical training instead. That training is incredibly tough.”

“Is it always like that?”

“No. Apparently, it’s just me. The others are all taking theoretical classes.”

As expected, Ellie is overflowing with talent. How could someone with such talent have been stuck in the countryside?

If you think about it, Luna is also from the countryside, but she was discovered by her master, so it’s different. Ellie, however, was admitted purely on her own merit.

‘But does Ellie not have any friends?’

Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen Ellie hanging out with anyone else.

With her face and figure, it’s impossible for her not to be popular, yet she often wandered around restlessly on her own.

Of course, it’s a relief that no scoundrels approached her just for her looks. Perhaps being alone is better for her.

But considering she doesn’t even have any female friends in the same class… Could there be a problem? I cautiously asked her.

“Ellie.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you have any friends? In your major, I mean.”

“Nope.”

A blunt question and an equally blunt answer came back. She even had a look on her face as if wondering what was wrong with that.

Just as I was taken aback by her response, Ellie spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“At first, there were people who tried to get close to me. But they were all sleazy, so I didn’t like it. Some even tried to grope my chest while I was dozing off.”

“Who?”

I need to go and give them a good beating. I couldn’t ignore something like that—it made my blood boil.

Sensing my anger, Ellie waved her hand to reassure me.

“Don’t worry. They all disappeared at some point. Maybe they got roasted by lightning or something?”

“Lightning? Was it… Ratatoskr?”

“I’m not sure. But considering all the guys who approached me ended up getting struck by lightning, it might be? Thanks to that, people started calling me a cursed child or saying I’m favored by Lord Gulak, so no one comes near me anymore.”

Even if he seems lazy, Porori must have been working hard. I was starting to trust him a little more now.

Just as I was genuinely feeling relieved, Ellie smiled faintly and said something rather chilling.

“If that hadn’t happened, I was planning to report them directly to the Headmaster. They’d all have been expelled, of course.”

“…”

So she was ready to initiate a Buster Call. Especially with the recent incident involving Grace, it’s a very sensitive time.

Despite appearing delicate, her resolve was incredibly firm. No wonder she had the guts to venture into the forest alone.

But her bravery aside, she often engaged in reckless behavior, which was a problem. Last time, she got a poison ivy rash after discovering a new herb.

“By the way, were you worried about me? I’m really touched. As a reward, I’ll give you a hug.”

“Sure.”

When Ellie spread her arms wide, I immediately dove in without hesitation.

A soft and warm sensation enveloped my entire body. I wanted to stay like this forever.

“Brother Sivar, you really seem to love hugs.”

Until Rize spoke up from behind us. As I mentioned earlier, Ellie had come to my dormitory.

Naturally, Rize was also there, but she was maintaining her Saint Form rather than her Authority Form.

Moreover, the once-depleted Divine Power Pouch had been restored to its former state over time.

“Yes. Saint, you’re aware that Sivar grew up in the wilderness, right? Maybe that’s why he enjoys hugs so much.”

Ellie gently stroked my head as she answered. Her embrace was as comforting as that of a true saint.

Even though the real Saint was standing right in front of me, let’s move past that. It’s just a metaphorical expression, after all.

“How curious. He never made such requests when he was with me.”

“Really? That’s strange. You’re no less comforting than I am. Is there a reason for that?”

“…”

I avoided answering as much as possible. Whatever the reason, I felt a slight aversion to hugging Rize.

Perhaps it was because her Authority Form’s robust appearance came to mind. Her massive Divine Power Pouch didn’t seem soft but rather rigid.

‘And besides, it’s fake.’

If I were to say something like that out loud, Rize would definitely scold me harshly. I decided to just pretend I didn’t hear anything.

Since Rize couldn’t read my mind, she’d never know. She’d probably think it was because we hadn’t grown close enough yet.

“You’re awfully quiet. It seems the Saint still makes you uncomfortable.”

“I see. Well, I’m always available, so feel free to let me know anytime.”

“Okay.”

And so, I spent some happy moments in Ellie’s arms. With no one to criticize us, it was truly relaxing.

But all good things must come to an end. Once I was fully recharged, I reluctantly pulled away.

Ellie looked disappointed as I moved away. Still, I had to resist.

“Ellie.”

“Yeah?”

“Will you come to the banquet after the exam?”

“Oh, you mean the Freshman Banquet? Of course, I’ll go. You and the others will be there too, right?”

“What about your outfit?”

In the Soul World, Ellie had shown up in her casual clothes instead of a dress.

It wasn’t just because she didn’t have money as a commoner; she simply found it more comfortable.

Besides, her personality didn’t care much about others’ opinions, and her striking appearance made her stand out regardless, so a dress wasn’t necessary.

“I’ll just wear what I always wear. What about you, Sivar? What will you wear?”

“I’m getting something tailored. After the exam, over the weekend.”

“Really? Then I’ll come with you. I’m curious to see what you’ll choose.”

Perfect. That was smooth. This way, I could buy Ellie a dress.

I had more than enough money to spare. Surely, I could afford to buy Ellie a dress.

While I was at it, I could get one for Luna too. Even though Luna earned money through stocks, the cost of clothes was no joke.

‘Casual clothes are one thing, but formal attire is ridiculously expensive.’

On Earth, the issue of clothing as part of basic needs wasn’t resolved until after the Industrial Revolution.

The explosive productivity of factories allowed for a variety of clothes to be produced; before that, everything was handcrafted.

Thanks to Santia, the cost of clothes for commoners had decreased, but the formal attire worn by nobles still boasted exorbitant prices.

“A Freshman Banquet… As much as I’d like to attend, I’ll have to refrain. My presence would complicate things.”

“Then what will you be doing, Saint?”

“I’ll be praying for something that Lord Chaos would find delightful.”

“…”

Please don’t say such ominous things.

The fact that it sounded plausible made it even scarier.

*****

The weekend passed, and the time for the final exam arrived. The location for the final exam was the same as for the midterm exam.

Though the structure was the same, the venue itself was different. Being the world’s largest academy, it had plenty of exam halls.

“Attention, everyone. Soon, you’ll be divided into teams to take the exam. While the exam is important, the most critical thing is your personal safety, so please be cautious. Also, each team leader will be given paper to draw maps.”

Unlike the midterm exam, it seemed we’d have to draw the maps ourselves this time. It was quite an interesting setup.

Afterward, Luna and Kara, who were the leaders of their respective teams, received the paper, and Marlboro continued his explanation.

Starting from the strategic point of the castle and moving outward, there would be weapons effective for siege warfare as well as potential supplies.

Most importantly, my position was unknown to everyone, so they’d have to find me themselves.

“Sivar, follow me. I’ve prepared a place for you to stay until the teams come looking for you.”

Once the teams headed toward their respective destinations, Marlboro led me somewhere.

The overall atmosphere of the exam hall resembled the medieval era. There were plains, forests, and hills.

Lastly, the most important feature was the castle. From atop the hill, I could see the castle, which served as a pivotal point.

‘It’s pretty tall.’

It wasn’t called a castle for nothing. While it wasn’t as vast as a real castle, it looked like a scaled-down version of one.

It was the perfect size to be defended by a team of ten. Its height was considerable, requiring ladders to climb up.

However, there was no moat surrounding the castle. It seemed that would have to be dug after its occupation.

“You see that castle? That’s the building you might have to occupy. Don’t destroy it completely—just damage it appropriately. Got it?”

“Report.”

“Haha. Godin must be feeling pretty upset after all the effort he put into building that.”

Considering they even conducted a test, they’ve probably raised the difficulty level. Throwing cannonballs barehanded might be too much to handle.

Of course, I wasn’t worried since I had my own trump card weapon. I was only concerned about the team defending the castle.

After walking for quite a while, I found myself entering a forest. I wondered if they chose a familiar forest because it would be my living space.

“Here. This will be your home from now on. You’ll get meals every morning, noon, and evening, and there are plenty of things to keep you entertained, so you won’t get bored.”

“Oh.”

But that was a misunderstanding. Inside the forest stood a solitary house, perfect for living alone.

It looked like the kind of house a reclusive eccentric might live in, which made it even more intriguing.

“Here, you’ll find books to read and a magic orb to listen to various kinds of music. Do you know how to turn on the magic orb?”

“I don’t.”

“It’s simple. Just channel a little mana like this…”

Paah!

When Marlboro touched the green orb with his finger, it emitted light. Since it was something I had never seen before, it piqued my curiosity even more.

Soon, a crackling sound came from the green orb, followed by a sweet melody.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t just instrumental music but a song performed by a singer.

Considering the era, classical music or opera singers would be the norm, so having a singer was truly astonishing.

“There are over 50 songs stored in it, so it’s pretty decent. If you press the orb once, it will pause or play, press it twice to skip to the next song, and if you press and hold, it will go back to the previous song. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Lastly, if you want to focus more on the music, wear this. It’s an invention recently made in Santia.”

Marlboro handed me a pair of headphones. They weren’t the kind that fit into your ears but the type that covered the entire ear.

When I put on the headphones, the music flowed clearly. Even the sound quality was exceptional.

They weren’t connected by any wires, so I wondered how they worked. Truly fitting for a fantasy world.

“That’s expensive, so don’t break it. Though, I have a feeling you’ll break it anyway…”

“Hmm. Hmm-hmm.”

“You’re already enjoying it. By the way, is this your first time listening to music?”

It was. I had never been interested in music before, so I had completely forgotten about it until now.

While I was focused on the music, Marlboro gave me various explanations and then left.

As he left, he emphasized one thing: if I left the forest, I would never be able to return.

Since that was the only rule, I nodded. The headphones were still on my ears.

“Eh~ Eeeh~”

I spent the entire day wearing the headphones. Listening to music after such a long time felt amazing.

But I never imagined this would later turn into a poison for me.

“Da. Da-da. Da-da-da-da.”

Still, the music was genuinely good.

******

Meanwhile, the professors…

“Look at him dancing. It’s pretty cute.”

“His body is that of an adult, but his actions are like a child’s.”

“Hahaha.”

They were watching Sivar dance happily in real time.