A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 146

There is a term called “Death from Shame.” It literally means being so ashamed that you could die.

That perfectly describes my current situation. I’ve shown everything I never wanted anyone to see.

To make matters worse, it wasn’t just anyone who saw—it was one of the people I’m closest to. I can’t even begin to describe the embarrassment.

Knock, knock, knock—

[Sivar? Can I come in? If it’s okay, please open the door.]

While I was lying in bed, completely buried under the blanket, Kara knocked on the door.

I wanted to open it and pretend nothing had happened, but I didn’t have the courage.

In the wilderness, I could do my business in the open without a care. But back then, there was no one around to see.

If others were watching, they might think I was slowly adapting to civilization. The problem is, I only appear to be a Wildling on the outside; inside, I’m a Civilized Person.

‘Why did it have to happen at that exact moment… I didn’t expect her to come so soon.’

I thought she’d start looking for me on the third day at the earliest. I figured she’d be too busy fighting for at least the first two days.

But surprisingly, it seems the fight ended quickly. Maybe Kara’s presence had a bigger impact than I thought.

No matter how skilled the Academy students were, they would’ve been no match for Kara, who had faced real Strategy and Tactics.

[I’ll wait outside. Open the door when you’ve calmed down.]

When I didn’t open the door until the end, Kara gave up. Or rather, it was more like she decided to put it on hold.

When she said she’d wait outside, it sounded like she was planning a Sit-in.

I needed to calm myself down too, so I decided I’d go out a little later.

[Let’s go! Beyond that ocean…]

By the way, that orb is singing its heart out for no reason. Judging by the language, it seems to be from the East.

Normally, I would’ve stopped it because it was noisy, but the song was surprisingly good, and more importantly, I was too lazy.

I just want to lie here and do nothing. It feels like all my willpower has been drained.

[Faith Increases!]

Damn it. Are you trying to comfort me or mock me?

Earlier, when I was dying of embarrassment, it drastically increased my Faith.

Honestly, I don’t even know anymore. I can’t figure out what the Standard is for increasing Faith.

They say all Followers of Chaos are clowns, and it fits perfectly. If Chaos saw this, they’d be rolling on the floor laughing.

‘Can’t I turn back time?’

The thought crossed my mind. If I could turn back time, I’d go back ten minutes.

Of course, even Chaos can’t turn back time. Not even the Gods can defy time.

They might be able to resist it, but that’s all it would be—resistance, not defiance.

‘Was it in the Soul World…? I’m not sure.’

I let out a deep sigh. My mind was in turmoil, and countless worries swirled around in my head.

Judging by the Presence I sensed, Kara seemed to be wandering around outside. I felt bad about leaving her like that.

Swoosh—

With that, I quietly emerged from under the blanket. Leaving the overly enthusiastic Eastern music playing, I walked toward the window.

Looking out the window, I saw Kara examining some wooden carvings here and there. They were things I had carved myself out of boredom.

There were axe carvings modeled after Ragnarok, as well as figures and all sorts of tools. My Dexterity was good enough that the shapes turned out quite well.

‘That one’s Iron Man…’

Among them, the one I had poured the most effort into was, without a doubt, Iron Man. It was a piece I had carved by wringing out my now-faded memories.

It was only natural that Kara didn’t recognize what it was, and she quickly lost interest. She probably thought it was just some kind of armor.

I thought about giving it to Jane after the trial was over. I hoped it might inspire her.

‘But I’m pretty sure there was someone else besides Kara.’

I looked away from Kara and glanced elsewhere. When Kara discovered my Hobby, I had definitely heard another sound.

It was the sound of someone laughing at me. It was hard to discern because I was wearing Headphones, but it was definitely a woman’s laughter.

Kara had probably noticed it too. She just didn’t do anything about it, so she stayed quiet.

Creak—

Resolving myself, I opened the door. As the door creaked open, Kara stopped what she was doing and looked in my direction.

The atmosphere was about to turn awkward again, but thankfully, her Refreshing Smile diffused the tension.

That signature smile of hers is always beautiful, no matter how many times I see it. It suits her usual image so well.

“Have you calmed down a bit? You sing pretty well…”

Thud—

If only she hadn’t opened her mouth.

When Kara brought up my Dark History again, I quietly closed the door. She hurriedly apologized.

After accepting Kara’s Apology, I reopened the door and stepped outside. My face was burning, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes.

“Sorry. I was just joking, but I guess you didn’t take it that way. This will be our little Secret… or not?”

“… …”

Kara averted her gaze as she said that. It seemed she was aware that someone else had seen it too.

I don’t know how long this Secret will stay buried, but I hope it remains quiet forever.

“By the way, when did you learn another language? It doesn’t seem like the Common Language.”

“I just mimicked it.”

“You mimicked it and got it that accurate? That’s impressive.”

That wasn’t all. Even though it was a language I’d never heard before, I could understand it completely.

I couldn’t speak it properly, but I could comprehend everything. When I first met Luna and Ellie, I understood them perfectly too.

‘This is pretty fascinating. What kind of half-baked privilege is this?’

To be honest, I was grateful for it. If I hadn’t understood anything at all, I would’ve been frustrated to death.

Thanks to that, I could understand most of the song lyrics and even sing along. Though I had to pause here and there, it couldn’t be helped.

I wonder when I’ll finally be able to speak fluently. I’m almost at the end of learning Common Language vocabulary, but my speech is still broken.

‘I guess I’ll figure it out when I visit Byzantium.’

I spent time chatting with Kara about the carvings. Surprisingly, she didn’t bring up anything about the contract.

It seemed like she was planning to bring it up when another team came looking for me. Or maybe she really was just here to hang out with me.

“There are so many different songs. It’s amazing how each one from the West, the East, and Santia has its own unique character.”

“What about the Tatars?”

“The Tatars only have songs related to rituals. Most of them are filled with percussion like drums.”

Even just talking about songs, time flew by. Kara also wandered around my room, inspecting various things.

As a joke, Kara said she could live here forever. Honestly, the amenities were pretty good.

About thirty minutes passed as we chatted back and forth.

“So this is where you were, Mr. Sivar.”

“Grace…”

Just as I expected, Grace came looking for me, clutching her cherished doll, Lee Yeonju.

Kara’s expression shifted as if she had just remembered something. Grace had also come to make a contract with me.

While a subtle tension brewed between the two, I noticed something strange. Specifically, it was about Lee Yeonju.

“Pfft…!”

“… …”

As soon as Lee Yeonju saw me, she started stifling her laughter. Her cheeks puffed up, and her eyes curved into a bright smile.

Seeing her reaction, I tilted my head in confusion for a moment before realizing it. So she was the one who had burst out laughing earlier.

The person who had always maintained a perfect poker face couldn’t hold back her laughter at my expense. A wave of shame hit me.

‘Look at her. Look at her, biting her lips like that.’

To avoid breaking the atmosphere, she was even biting her lips. Her expression became oddly distorted because of it.

I’ll have to find her later and ask her to keep it a Secret. Otherwise, she’ll probably laugh every time she sees me.

“What kind of conditions did you propose to Mr. Sivar, Kara? I hope they’re decent. Though I doubt they’re better than mine.”

“Confident, aren’t you? So, what kind of conditions are you planning to propose?”

“Hehehe…”

Grace chuckled for a moment during their little standoff. For some reason, it felt sinister.

Then, she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. It was probably the contract.

“By the way, did you know? You’re not supposed to disclose the terms of a contract. The Tatars are very particular about money matters, so you should know that much.”

“Tch. I’ve got nothing to say to that.”

“Well then, Mr. Sivar? Here’s the contract. Please take a look.”

I accepted the contract from Grace. As I took it, I noticed her face gradually turning red.

She was definitely embarrassed. Worried that there might be something strange in it, I quickly checked the contents.

I could feel Kara sneaking glances at me from behind, but I ignored her. This much should be fine.

“Let’s see… The supplies are just as expected. They’ll even cook for us?”

This isn’t bad at all. Instead of just providing raw supplies, they’ll prepare meals for us.

Everyone knows I have to eat more than others. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind breaking the contract.

Additionally, the terms of the contract are simple. Once the castle is occupied, the contract is fulfilled, and renewal is possible if necessary.

It seems they added a renewal clause to prevent me from leaving immediately after fulfilling the conditions. With this, even Kara can’t interfere.

“…What is this? ‘Something sweeter than candy and softer than cake will be provided. Also, Mr. Sivar can give it too?’ Are you kidding me?”

Kara, who had been sneaking glances at the contract from behind, seemed to have spotted this clause.

Normally, she would have let it slide, but the clause was so absurd that she couldn’t help but question it.

I felt the same way and showed an equally baffled expression. Are they offering food or not?

“Actually, that’s the most crucial part. I can’t explain it here, but if you sign the contract, I can guarantee you’ll get it.”

“Hey. Don’t do this. People who mess around with contracts are the worst.”

“Ms. Kara, this is Mr. Sivar’s choice. It’s not for you to advise—”

“No.”

I answered firmly. Even without Kara’s advice, I had already decided to hold off on signing.

Because it’s too vague. Even though she’s a noble, her lack of worldly understanding is glaringly obvious.

“W-Why? I can guarantee it! On my honor!”

Grace seemed genuinely flustered by my firm refusal. Seeing her stake her honor—more precious than life to a noble—made it clear she was serious.

I responded in my usual blunt tone.

“Standards.”

“Standards?”

“Yeah. This is based on your standards. Mine are different. For starters, it’s not food.”

The difference in standards was too stark. This contract was tailored entirely to Grace’s perspective.

Considering her life experiences, it’s understandable, but what’s unacceptable is still unacceptable.

Grace seemed to realize her mistake belatedly, her expression showing a sudden “Ah!” moment.

“So, this is just a piece of scrap paper now? Then…”

“A k-kiss!”

“?!?”

Just as Kara was about to casually pass it back to me, Grace suddenly dropped a bombshell.

Both Kara and I were stunned, staring at Grace. Her determination not to lose was evident in her eyes.

Her face was burning red, and her violet eyes were trembling fiercely. Yet, she boldly revealed the true nature of the contract.

“I will grant you the honor of receiving my kiss! I can assure you it’s sweeter than candy and softer than cake!”

“…”

“You don’t need to worry about rumors! After all, you protected my chastity, so this much is more than fair, isn’t it?!”

Grace unleashed a carpet bombing of words as if she’d resigned herself to whatever may come. The problem was, every bomb hit a strategic point.

I was left dumbfounded, staring blankly at Grace. Her face was so red that she looked like she might faint at any moment.

Even Lee Yeonju, standing nearby, had her mouth agape as if questioning whether this was really happening. Thankfully, there weren’t many people around to witness it.

“…Oh. Really? A kiss?”

While I was still in a daze, Kara muttered in a chilling tone from beside me.

She then grabbed my face with both hands and forcibly turned it toward her. This brought her face directly in front of mine.

Her expression showed a resolute determination, different from Grace’s. What on earth was she planning to do?

Before I could properly react to the unexpected situation—

Smooch!

Kara’s face suddenly drew close, and I felt a sensation on my lips. It was truly sweet and soft.

In other words, Kara kissed me. It was more of a light peck than a deep kiss, but still.

A kiss is a kiss. And she did it boldly, even with someone watching.

“…”

“Like this?”

While I was still struggling to grasp the situation, Kara spoke. At the same time, she subtly wrapped her arms around my waist.

To make matters worse, she pulled me tightly against her, as if flaunting our relationship.

“What should we do now? I took the kiss first. So, the contract is completely void, isn’t it?”

Despite her words, her face was as red as if it were about to explode. Her dark skin only made it less noticeable.

Of course, Grace wouldn’t care about that. Her current state could be described as this:

She was dying of embarrassment. Her face was red, but her eyes had gone black, as if her soul had left her body.

“I-I…”

Grace pointed a trembling finger at Kara, barely able to form words.

She looked like she might pass out at any moment.

“Tanned… barbarian…”

Fortunately, it seemed a sliver of her ideals still remained.

“You savage…!!”

Unable to fully articulate “barbarian,” she fainted on the spot.

[Faith Increases!]