A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 152

While idling away my free time with nothing to do, the weekend crept up on me before I realized it.

The weekend was the day to buy my outfit, as promised earlier. So, I arrived at the plaza at the agreed time.

“Ah. There he is.”

“Sivar! Over here! Over here!”

When I reached the meeting place, everyone except me had already arrived. And there were still ten minutes left until the appointed time.

I moved toward Ellie and the others, who were waving enthusiastically to welcome me. They were all people I had planned to meet in advance.

‘Hmm. Everyone here is a woman except me.’

And not just any women—they were all stunning beauties, each with a distinct charm.

No wonder rumors would spread. Two of them even made a mark during the final exam, didn’t they?

Although there wasn’t any awkwardness or strange tension, I couldn’t help but feel a tickling sensation in my chest. They didn’t seem to care, though.

“Did you eat before coming?”

“Yeah. I ate with Rize.”

“What did the Saintess make for you?”

“Meat.”

Rize usually takes care of most of my meals. But soon, she’ll return to Byzantium.

Once she goes back to Byzantium, I’ll have to handle meals on my own. Of course, I’m interested in cooking, so it won’t be a problem.

After all, even when I lived in the forest, I added all sorts of herbs to create unique flavors. Civilization only offers more spices, not fewer.

“Ms. Ellie, it might be challenging to find clothes that fit you right away. You’d likely need custom-made ones, which would take a lot of time.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Put your hand on your chest and think about it.”

“Ah. I get what you mean.”

On our way to the clothing store, we chatted about various topics.

The final exam was over, and the only thing left was the Freshman Banquet.

Everyone roughly shared their plans for the vacation.

“Ms. Grace, what will you do during the vacation? Will you return to your household?”

“Probably. I’d prefer to stay here, but given my position, I don’t have much choice. Ms. Ellie, you’re staying, right?”

“Yes. It takes a month to travel back to my hometown.”

“······Where exactly do you live?”

“Batonto Village.”

“······?”

Sometimes, amusing situations arose, particularly in conversations between Grace, a noble, and Ellie, a commoner.

Grace hailed from a ducal family, second only to the Emperor in authority, while Ellie came from a remote village even more isolated than Luna’s.

Perhaps because of this, their conversations, while seemingly on the same wavelength, often weren’t, which made them oddly entertaining. Moreover, both were chosen by Chaos.

“So, Ms. Grace, you won’t be able to hang out with Sivar during the vacation?”

“Th-that’s right. That’s what frustrates me the most······”

“It’s okay! Seeing Sivar’s face every day is nice, but seeing your family’s faces isn’t so bad either, right?”

“··· ···”

Although there were moments when she lacked tact.

For Grace, her family was practically strangers at this point. Ellie had unknowingly stepped on a landmine.

Of course, Ellie probably said it to comfort her. She couldn’t have known better.

“······I guess I’ll just have to sneak out.”

[Faith Increases!]

I already felt uneasy. As expected of Followers of Chaos.

I could sense the world brimming with chaos. If Luna’s big mouth joined in, it would be the icing on the cake.

Fortunately, Luna kept her mouth shut and didn’t say anything. She didn’t seem to have anything to add.

“Luna, you’re planning to go to Byzantium during the vacation, right?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m going with Sivar. Do you want to come too?”

“No, I’m fine. Gathering herbs during the vacation will be tough enough. And with Ratatoskr around, it won’t be dangerous. What about you, Kara?”

“Of course, I’m going. Even if it weren’t for Sivar, I’ve always wanted to visit at least once.”

For reference, Kara had a strong fondness for Byzantium. The Tatars owed much of their recognition as a nation to Byzantium’s support.

Byzantium is the only place where a temple, rather than a church or altar, has been established. With enough faith, one can even receive an oracle directly from the gods.

As is typical of highly religious nations, Byzantium is a staunchly neutral country. It’s also remarkably inclusive, as long as one isn’t a heretic.

“Come to think of it, the Tatars also revere Lord Gulak as their state religion, right? At least you won’t hear any discriminatory remarks.”

“That’s what I like most about it. Barbarian or not, if you’re a religious person, that’s all that matters.”

There’s a phrase often used to describe Byzantium: the most non-discriminatory nation in the world.

As long as one worships Gaia, Chaos, or Gulak, their identity doesn’t matter. Everyone is generally welcomed.

This inclusivity was evident in the Tatars’ path to recognition as a nation. Hector personally visited Byzantium to demonstrate the power of Gulak.

What would normally be considered a show of force was met with a cool “Acknowledged” by Byzantium. Though they did receive some stern words in return.

“There’s a temple for Chaos too, right? Shouldn’t Sivar head there?”

“We can ask the Saintess. She knows more about religious matters than we do.”

“For now, let’s focus on getting Sivar’s outfit ready. We’re almost there.”

Chatting and laughing, we eventually arrived at the clothing store. It was located in the bustling commercial district.

The Academy, originally an educational institution, had grown to include all sorts of miscellaneous buildings. It had everything one could need.

Ding-dong-

“Welcome! How can I assist you?”

“We’d like to get formal attire tailored for this gentleman. Do you have anything suitable? Don’t worry about the cost.”

Oh. Impressive.

How could the words “Don’t worry about the cost” sound so cool? Her noble grace was practically dripping with elegance.

The clerk’s eyes sparkled upon hearing Grace’s conditions, and they quickly turned their gaze to me, scanning me up and down.

“What a dashing gentleman. Understood. Do the rest of you need anything as well?”

“Do you have formal attire that would fit me?”

“For the lady······ Uh······”

While my situation was handled smoothly, the clerk hesitated when it came to Ellie.

The clerk’s gaze was fixed squarely on Ellie’s chest, their expression one of intense mental effort.

Thankfully, the clerk was also a woman; otherwise, they might have been mistaken for a pervert.

“······First, let’s check both of your body shapes. Could you step this way for a moment?”

“Sure. Luna, what about you?”

“······I’ll do it later.”

Luna glanced at Ellie’s chest before looking down at her own.

Feeling sorry for her, I wanted to cheer her up.

“Luna.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve got this.”

“··· ···”

So, I actually did it. Her eye twitched as if I’d hit a nerve.

She looked like she wanted to smack me right then and there. Luna is always the most fun to tease.

“Hmm······ The gentleman is quite tall. His shoulders are broad too. What style of formal attire would you like?”

“Please make it in black tones.”

Getting my outfit tailored wasn’t too difficult. My body shape was still within the normal human range.

The problem was Ellie. As soon as the clerk measured Ellie’s chest with the measuring tape, they let out an exclamation.

“Wow······ Miss? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine. Do you have anything that fits me?”

“I’m sorry, but it seems we’ll need to custom-make something. The smallest we have is at least two sizes too big.”

“If I wear that······”

“The dress will rip.”

She gave up immediately. In the end, Ellie decided to attend in casual clothes.

Afterward, I tried on the formal attire the clerk brought out, checking for any discomfort in detail.

The top was fine, but the pants posed an issue. The hem was slightly short.

The short hem could be adjusted, but the biggest problem was the crotch area.

“······It’s too tight. Uncomfortable.”

“Uh, uh, right. Why is that······”

“Ahem. Ahem······”

I had no idea where it was made, but that area stood out conspicuously.

It was completely different from what I had in mind—way off. Even others reacted with embarrassment.

“It seems like the size is a bit small······ don’t you think?”

“I-I’m sorry. It seems I made a mistake. Hohoho.”

Thankfully, it was determined that the size was too small. When the clerk brought another outfit, it fit perfectly.

Honestly, it wasn’t all that embarrassing. During the Midterm Exam, I had shown everything without hiding.

After getting the pants tailored as well, Grace paid the bill. It was quite expensive, but she acted as if it was nothing.

“Ms. Luna, if there’s something you want, please pick it out. As I mentioned before, I’ll buy it for you.”

“Really?”

“Do I seem like someone who’d go back on my word?”

“Thank you! What should I choose?”

Luna is still a woman, it seems. The moment she saw the dresses, she started picking and trying them on.

Or maybe she’s just focused on the fact that it’s free. Unlike me, Luna chose a white dress.

The dress suited her slender figure perfectly, giving off an almost fairy-like impression.

Moreover, its design, which revealed her shoulders and back, exuded plenty of feminine charm.

‘Is this a coincidence too?’

It’s the most commonly chosen dress by users in Soul World. I had picked it as well.

People’s tastes seem to be similar everywhere. With Luna’s fair skin, it matched her perfectly.

“Thank you! Please visit again!”

After purchasing all the clothes, we stepped out of the clothing store. Since there was still plenty of time, we decided to wander around.

We’d probably return to the dormitory only after dinner. While walking around, we had various conversations.

“Who attends the Freshman Banquet? I heard some important figures are coming too?”

That’s when Ellie brought up a somewhat sensitive topic—who would attend the Freshman Banquet.

Normally, only freshmen attend such events. But as with most banquets, it’s closely tied to politics.

Take Grace and Kara, for example; they’re inevitably involved in politics. Besides the freshmen, others would likely attend as well.

“A lot of people will surely attend. High-ranking officials from various countries will probably come too. Think of it as an extension of the Nurturer program.”

“Do you know who from your country is attending? For the Tatars, there’s only me.”

“Hmm. From what I’ve heard, there’s a rumor that the Crown Prince will attend······”

“The Crown Prince?”

Kara’s eyes widened at the mention of the Crown Prince. Others reacted similarly.

I pretended to remain indifferent outwardly, but I paid close attention. The Crown Prince of the Matra Empire is someone worth noting.

“Yes. It’s just a rumor, but judging by his actions, it’s safe to say there’s a 99% chance. He’s just so······”

Grace paused for a moment and glanced around, checking if anyone else might be listening.

Fortunately, we were in a cafe, and we had booked a private room.

With no one else around to overhear, Grace continued speaking freely.

“······He’s a mentally unstable person.”

“I heard he’s rumored to be a crazy person?”

“I can’t deny that.”

Even when Kara used such blunt language, Grace didn’t refute it. Her nod implied agreement.

If one only heard this, their first impression of the Crown Prince would be terrible. But the Crown Prince of the Matra Empire is a rather unique individual.

“Only when you lose freedom can you truly understand it. He’s someone who lives by this phrase······ and his reputation isn’t great.”

“But I heard he’s exceptionally capable.”

“That’s the biggest problem. It’s why he makes people so uneasy······”

Grace then looked at me. Her eyes were filled with worry.

“I really hope Mr. Sivar doesn’t attract his attention······ but that’s unlikely, right?”

“Considering the things he’s done, it’d be hard not to attract attention.”

There’s no need to worry too much. While it’s true the Crown Prince is a crazy person, he’s at least someone you can reason with.

The real issue lies elsewhere. The Crown Prince isn’t the one who will cause direct problems.

There’s a high likelihood of conflict, especially with Kara. The same goes for the individual coming from the Eastern Nation.

‘It’s going to be a busy time.’

It seems there won’t be any days to rest. That’s what I thought to myself.

“By the way, Grace, what will you be wearing to the banquet?”

“Well······”

Grace said this while giving me a sly smile. Her sharp gaze softened, leaving only a refreshing smile.

Judging by the faint blush on her cheeks, she seemed to be preparing something.

“You can look forward to it. I’ve decided to go all out this time.”

In Soul World, I recall she had worn a plain dress.

But judging by her words, it might be a bit different this time.

‘Will it be similar to Kara’s dancer’s outfit?’

Probably not to that extent.