A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 20

It was something I had somewhat expected. After all, there are only so many people suited for this kind of task.

The top student upon entering the Academy, Luna glanced back at Sivar, who was trailing closely behind her.

Since this was a field experience rather than formal enrollment, his attire was simple: a white shirt paired with comfortable brown pants.

Once he added shoes to the ensemble, he looked like an utterly ordinary person. That is, an ordinary man with a strikingly handsome face.

His overall features leaned toward those of an Easterner, but his unusually pale skin stood out.

His red eyes, in particular, exuded an air of mystery, making him even more captivating.

Of course, if one knew what red eyes truly signified, they could hardly call them mysterious.

‘There’s just too much to figure out.’

Even though Elvin hadn’t anticipated being assigned to Sivar, it didn’t matter to him.

After all, his primary goal was uncovering the truth behind Sivar and the murals he had seen in the cave.

Not only was Sivar’s origin unclear, but the cave murals only added to the layers of enigma surrounding him.

Moreover, according to Ellie, he had managed to write short sentences in less than a week.

While he couldn’t speak yet, the fact that he could communicate in such a short time was enough to demonstrate his extraordinary nature.

‘But why did he choose Professor Godin?’

That thought crossed Luna’s mind as she glanced at Sivar once more. He was curiously looking around at everything.

Currently, Luna and Sivar were on their way to Professor Godin’s private research lab. Elvin, meanwhile, was off to seek permission from another professor.

Since it was just before class time, they occasionally ran into other professors.

Each time, Luna greeted them politely, and the professors responded warmly.

Sivar, however, mostly just cast a brief glance their way before moving on.

‘Given what’s happened, it’s no wonder rumors are spreading like wildfire.’

And it wasn’t just about the sparring matches. Word had it that he had climbed to the top of the Memorial Tower with his bare hands.

No one knew why he had climbed it or what he had been thinking while doing so.

What was clear, however, was that Sivar’s physical ability was far beyond expectations.

The Memorial Tower was designed with special materials and magic, making mana control difficult the moment one touched it.

Essentially, climbing it required relying solely on one’s physical body, yet Sivar had done it with ease.

As Luna wondered just how far his limits extended, she continued walking.

Knock, knock, knock—

[Yes~ Come in~]

When she knocked on the door to the research lab, Godin’s voice granted them permission from the other side. Luna waited a moment before opening the door.

As soon as the door opened, the musty scent of books greeted them. Luna quickly scanned the interior of the lab.

It was far from clean, to say the least. Papers, books, and pens were scattered everywhere.

Godin’s desk was no exception. It was piled high with books, a testament to his passion for research.

“Student Luna? And behind you is…”

Godin, who had been sitting at his desk, trailed off. While Luna’s presence was expected, Sivar’s appearance was entirely unexpected.

Not to mention, his memories of Sivar weren’t particularly pleasant. Hadn’t Sivar reacted strongly to one of Godin’s pranks before?

As Godin wore a somewhat reluctant expression for these reasons, Luna greeted him politely.

“Hello, Professor Godin. I came to speak with you briefly.”

“Hmm… Judging by the looks of it, this has something to do with Sivar, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Actually…”

Luna proceeded to explain everything that had happened up to that point.

The more Godin listened, the more peculiar his expression became, until he was visibly flustered by the end.

“…Sivar chose me? Why?”

“I’m not sure about that either.”

“Hmm…”

As the conversation unfolded, Godin turned his gaze toward Sivar, as if the gist of the story had finally sunk in. Sivar, in turn, met his gaze with a blank expression.

Godin couldn’t fathom why Sivar had chosen him.

It made sense, considering their first impression of each other hadn’t been great. It couldn’t even be described as remotely positive.

Normally, Godin should have been engraved in Sivar’s mind as someone to be wary of.

With that thought, Godin asked Luna in a tone of disbelief.

“He doesn’t see me as prey, does he?”

“…Surely not.”

Luna, finding his words somewhat plausible, glanced at Sivar with a hesitant expression.

Of course, Sivar had no intention of hunting Godin. If anything, he was more inclined to befriend him.

However, since there wasn’t an immediate opportunity to grow closer, he planned to remain still for now. Affinity build-up could happen gradually.

“I suppose starting with introductions would be best. Your name is Sivar, correct?”

Sivar nodded in response to the question. Godin looked slightly surprised.

It was understandable, given that it had been less than a week. Yet Sivar was already showing signs of understanding speech.

Godin stared into Sivar’s intensely red eyes for a moment before shrugging, as if to say, “Well, why not?”

“My name is Godin Erebus. I’m in charge of magic. I look forward to working with you.”

As Godin introduced himself, Sivar bowed his waist politely in greeting.

Luna knew that this behavior was something Sivar had learned from Ellie, but Godin did not.

Godin couldn’t hide his astonishment at how Sivar, who had seemed like a wildling just a week ago, now displayed such refined manners.

“W-Was that bow directed at me?”

“He’s simply mimicking what Ellie taught him. From what I hear, he follows the Headmaster and Ellie’s words unconditionally.”

That’s not true. What kind of misunderstanding is that? Sivar grumbled inwardly.

While Sivar silently complained, Godin wore an expression of fascination.

“I see. Basic greetings are essential for Sivar to adapt more easily. Ellie taught him well.”

“There are things that can be taught and things that can’t, which is the unfortunate part.”

“He’ll learn those gradually as he adapts.”

Godin went on to say that they could come to him anytime if they needed anything or if he could assist in any way.

Contrary to his suspicious appearance, he showed genuine kindness toward Luna and Sivar.

“Ah, come to think of it, isn’t it almost time for class? You must be tired. Would you like some coffee?”

“No, thank you. We need to get going now.”

“Understood. See you later, then.”

With a bright smile, Godin kindly saw them off.

Luna gave a slight bow, and Sivar followed suit, mimicking her polite gesture.

That alone was enough to make Godin smile warmly, but Sivar’s next action caught him off guard.

Sway, sway—

Just as Luna stepped out the door, Sivar waved his hand at Godin.

If the earlier bow had been a gesture of politeness, this wave carried a sense of familiarity.

Godin widened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected gesture before smiling kindly.

“Take care.”

As Godin gently waved back, Sivar turned and stepped outside.

By chance, Luna glanced back but couldn’t tell what Sivar had just done.

‘Now it’s time to head to class…’

With their discussion with Godin concluded, the only thing left was to attend class.

While Elvin explaining things to the professor was one concern, Luna was more worried about whether Sivar would behave.

Unlike when Rod and Ellie had been teaching him, class was a different matter. Professors couldn’t give him their full attention.

The only time anyone would pay attention to Sivar would be if he caused trouble.

And given that he was already marked as someone to watch out for, causing trouble could lead to who-knows-what consequences.

“Hey, you two. What are you standing around for?”

“Hm?”

While Luna was lost in thought, someone called out to her. She and Sivar turned their heads to look.

It was a fairly young man, much like Godin. He had brown hair and a friendly demeanor.

However, his mismatched shoulder-length hair gave off an odd sense of dissonance.

“Class is about to start soon, isn’t it?”

“We were just about to head there.”

“I see. And the one next to you is…”

As the man shifted his gaze to Sivar, his expression immediately hardened.

Judging by his reaction, he seemed to know who Sivar was through rumors, but his expression was far from welcoming.

Following that, he shifted his gaze toward Professor Godin’s research lab and asked in a tone full of displeasure.

“Do you have some business with Godin?”

“Yes. The Headmaster asked me to assist with Sivar’s adaptation period.”

“I see? Helping this Wildling’s adaptation period is one thing, but why choose such an insignificant person?”

Luna’s expression turned puzzled at those words.

It was somewhat understandable for someone like Elvin to cast a disapproving gaze toward Sivar.

But she couldn’t understand why anyone would criticize Godin. His suspicious appearance might invite misunderstandings, but he was an exceptionally kind person.

Meanwhile, the professor glanced at Luna with a subtle look before smiling warmly and speaking.

“Could you perhaps speak to the Headmaster again? Ask him to entrust this matter to me instead of Godin.”

“Excuse me, but may I ask your name, Professor?”

“…You don’t know who I am?”

“No.”

Luna’s confident reply left the professor visibly taken aback.

However, Luna genuinely had no idea who he was.

She had only recently enrolled, and each class had a different professor assigned.

Moreover, having grown up in the countryside and entered the Academy purely on merit, her information-gathering skills were naturally slower than others.

“Well… I suppose it’s possible since you said you’re from a remote place. Where are you from again? All I know is that you’re the top student.”

“…The Kalis Region of the Matra Empire.”

“Never heard of it. Anyway, my name is Delphoi Trassi. I also teach Magic Studies like Godin. Oh, but I’d prefer if you didn’t treat us as equals.”

At his response, Luna nodded. She still had no idea who he was.

However, his disparaging remarks about Godin and his casual use of informal speech hinted at his dismissive attitude. He didn’t seem like a good person.

Luna had learned from her master that people who gossip about others often lack integrity.

With that in mind, she decided to offer a brief farewell and head to class.

“I see. Pardon me, but I must leave now. Class is about to start.”

“Before that, I’d like an answer to my suggestion. If you speak to the Headmaster, I can offer some assistance.”

“That won’t be necessary. Professor Godin is more than capable. We’ll be going now. Sivar, let’s go.”

Why was he being so persistent?

Luna suppressed the urge to frown and began walking away.

His mismatched bobbed haircut was strange, but what was even more off-putting was his disparagement of Godin.

She even doubted whether he was truly a professor. It seemed like a good idea to investigate who he was later.

For now, leaving this place was the priority.

“Wait, don’t go. I—”

As Luna turned her back and started walking, Delphoi reached out to stop her.

Just as his sinister touch was about to land on her shoulder, an unexpected event occurred.

Crack!

“Aaargh!”

Sivar, who had been silently observing, grabbed Delphoi’s wrist and twisted it.

Though it appeared as if he had grabbed lightly, judging by Delphoi’s scream, it was clear significant force had been applied.

If Sivar twisted any further, the joint would be in serious danger.

“What the… Sivar?! What are you doing?!”

Startled, Luna shouted at Sivar after grasping the situation.

Despite her outcry, Sivar remained expressionless as he continued to twist Delphoi’s wrist.

“L-Let go of me! You barbar—Aaargh!”

Delphoi tried to threaten him with a face twisted in pain, but it was futile. Sivar responded by twisting his wrist even further.

In the end, Luna managed to intervene and defuse the situation. However, Delphoi’s wrist didn’t look good.

It was already swollen, suggesting damage to the ligaments.

“What’s all this commotion… Professor Delphoi?”

At that moment, Godin appeared, opening the door after hearing the uproar.

He looked puzzled as he saw Delphoi clutching his wrist and then glanced at Luna and Sivar.

As Godin silently requested an explanation, Luna looked at Sivar. However, Sivar simply stared at Delphoi with an impassive expression.

“Damn it… So the top student associates with the likes of him.”

“…”

“Let’s see how far you can go with someone worse than a barbarian. Worthless fools.”

Delphoi spat out insults as he clutched his wrist and walked past them.

Or rather, he tried to walk past them.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

That was until he tripped in a disgraceful manner.

Just as Delphoi was about to pass by Sivar, Sivar discreetly stuck out his foot.

“Pfft.”

Luna let out a laugh at the utterly ridiculous slapstick. It was more of a sneer than genuine laughter.

Her puffed cheeks, as she tried to stifle her laughter, gave off a mischievous rather than stoic vibe.

Meanwhile, Delphoi staggered to his feet and hurried away without looking back. His retreating figure was nothing short of pathetic.

Despite the commotion, Luna remained unfazed and greeted Godin, who had stepped outside.

“We’ll be leaving now, Instructor Godin.”

“Oh, uh… Yes. Take care.”

“Sivar, let’s go.”

Following Luna’s command, Sivar moved his legs.

Godin watched the two heading toward the lecture room before quietly closing the door.

“Sivar.”

“?”

Luna paused on her way to the lecture room and looked at Sivar. Sivar met her gaze with his usual expressionless face.

The way Sivar had grabbed Delphoi’s wrist earlier—why had he intervened when he had been standing still?

He usually stayed put, even when Ellie played pranks. But this time, he had outright grabbed and twisted Delphoi’s wrist.

Could he have sensed some sinister intent in Delphoi’s actions? If so, how had he sensed it?

“Hmm… Never mind. Let’s go.”

After staring at Sivar for a moment, she decided to let it go.

If he had acted on Wild Instinct, it would make some sense. Of course, this was just speculation.

‘I’m glad I entrusted this task to him.’

Sivar intrigued her even more.

******

What a pity. He should’ve broken the wrist entirely instead of just twisting it.

Following behind Luna, such thoughts crossed his mind. Delphoi was a professor with a thoroughly sinister nature.

An elitist villain who had climbed the ranks through privilege. The quintessential elite-type antagonist.

‘Though his behavior is anything but elite.’

He stood in stark contrast to Godin, who had become a professor purely through hard work and a passion for research.

‘I don’t even know how he became a professor.’

Moreover, judging by how he had just tried to lay a dirty hand on Luna, it was clear he was trash. Irredeemable trash at that.

He had used grades as leverage to pressure many students and had even targeted female students.

When that came to light, he tried to pin the blame on Godin. Truly irredeemable trash.

Thankfully, Godin’s false accusation was cleared up quickly, but the female student was left with an indelible scar.

To make matters worse, the student was the daughter of a high-ranking noble, escalating the issue into an international conflict.

‘Who was that student again?’

She had a significant role, but her name escaped him. He only remembered that she was the child of a high-ranking noble.

One might wonder how someone with such a background fell victim to Delphoi.

The answer was simple. He gradually seduced her under the guise of academic counseling and lured her into his research lab.

What happened after that didn’t need to be spelled out. Among all the trash, he was one of the most memorable.

‘I’d probably remember if I saw his face.’

With that thought, he continued to follow behind Luna.

The students passing by in the hallway gave them curious looks, but he paid them no mind.

Clatter-

At last, they arrived at the lecture room where the class was about to begin.

When Luna opened the door to the lecture room, a familiar yet all-too-common sight greeted them.

It was an ordinary university lecture room. The morning was for theory classes, while the afternoon was for training.

How did he know this? Ellie had told him. Since communication was possible, she shared various details.

‘Did she say they split roughly 100 new entrants into three classes?’

He had heard that the three classes were divided by mixing 10 top students, 10 mid-level students, and 10 lower-level students in each.

Honestly, aside from the top five rankings, the entrance rankings didn’t hold much significance. The entrance exam itself was inherently disadvantageous for mages.

What mattered was what came afterward. Interest shifted based on the changes in rankings that occurred later.

For non-combat roles, professors personally selected students. In Ellie’s case, she collaborated with the Herbology Professor.

“Hey. Hey. Look over there.”

“Huh? What is it? Why is that person coming here?”

“No way, are they actually enrolling?”

The unexpected appearance of him caused the lecture room to instantly buzz with murmurs.

He had anticipated this much, so it didn’t faze him. The same went for Luna.

She glanced around to find an empty seat, then flinched. Following her gaze, he looked in the same direction.

Unlike other areas, there was a conspicuously empty space. It was at the edge of the middle row.

At the far end of that space, a woman sat confidently.

‘That person is…’

Fiery red hair, deep green eyes, and sharp features that gave her a fierce impression.

Lastly, her bronzed skin, a symbol unique to her people.

The Princess of Tatar, Kara, rested her chin on her hand, looking at them with an intrigued expression.

‘Come to think of it, she’s in the same class.’

Most of the major characters with significant roles were in Luna’s class. There wasn’t much need to pay attention to the other classes.

Meanwhile, Luna briefly made eye contact with Kara before scanning the surroundings again, seemingly searching for another seat.

However, there were no other seats. Only the area around Kara remained empty.

This meant she had no choice but to sit next to Kara.

“Of all places…”

Luna muttered in a troubled voice. It seemed even she found sitting next to Kara burdensome.

In the original story, the protagonist also sat next to Kara. That was how they gradually became closer.

Besides, Kara’s personality wasn’t particularly bad. Most of the violent incidents involving her were cases where she had been insulted.

‘I think there was even an outcast meme about her.’

Since no one approached Kara, the meme naturally emerged.

She probably felt somewhat bitter about it herself. Even now, she was pretending not to care.

In any case, sitting next to Kara was inevitable. Luna seemed to accept this as she slowly began to move.

Step- Step- Step-

As they walked, all eyes in the lecture room focused on them.

Considering the combination, it was only natural that they drew attention.

A princess from a newly established nation often dismissed as barbaric, the top student of the entrance exam, and a wildling who was practically a hot topic.

Hmm. Just looking at it, it was a bizarre combination. If it were him, he’d watch too.

“Sivar. Sit here.”

At last, Luna reached the seat next to Kara and instructed him. He followed her words and sat down.

Kara, seemingly intrigued by the sight, greeted them in a cynical tone.

“Hello, friend. You’re a bit late today, aren’t you?”

“As you can see, I had to take Sivar somewhere.”

“Really? But why are you the one taking care of him? Wasn’t the Chancellor supposed to be looking after him?”

“… …”

Luna only glanced at her without responding. Judging by her tone, one might think Kara was picking a fight.

But she wasn’t picking a fight at all. She was genuinely curious.

If one wondered why her tone was like that, it was simply because her manner of speaking and intonation naturally sounded that way.

You know, like how certain regional dialects can sound confrontational? It was that kind of feeling.

“Could you not ignore me? I’m starting to feel hurt.”

That wasn’t an exaggeration but her genuine sentiment. Kara was sincerely feeling hurt by Luna’s indifference.

There was a reason for the outcast meme. Despite her rough exterior, she was quite sensitive inside.

However, Luna, oblivious to this, opened her mouth in a sharp tone.

“I don’t believe I’m obligated to inform you.”

“Hmm… Well, that’s true.”

Kara nodded as if she understood Luna’s response.

As one could see, she wasn’t a sociopath. The rudeness of civilized people had shaped her into what she was.

Originally, she was the type to use polite speech, but the uncivilized behavior of the so-called civilized people had twisted her demeanor. That’s why she spoke informally now.

Judging by how well the conversation flowed with Luna, it seemed they had grown somewhat closer.

“Then let’s ask him instead. His name is Sivar, right?”

Kara directed her question to him, who was seated beyond Luna.

He blinked and pointed to himself with his finger.

“Yes, you. What’s your name?”

“It’s Sivar.”

“Not you, idiot. Are you really from the wilderness?”

Kara ignored Luna, who had answered on his behalf, and asked him again. At the same time, Luna also looked at him.

Unsure of how to respond, he fell into brief contemplation. Saying “Sivar” felt odd.

So, he gestured for a pen, indicating he wanted to borrow one. With paper and pen, he could construct sentences.

When he made the gesture, Kara spoke with a slightly displeased expression.

“What? Are you saying you can’t talk?”

“Damn.”

That wasn’t the case, though. His response made Kara frown.

“What? You can talk? Are you messing with me?”

“Damn (No).”

“That’s the only word he knows.”

“… …”

Kara’s expression grew even more peculiar at Luna’s explanation.

Feeling slightly awkward, she moved on to another question.

“Hmm… I didn’t know that. Still, judging by how he understands, you must have taught him well?”

He shook his head. It wasn’t Luna who had taught him but Rod and Ellie.

Seeing his reaction, Kara’s expression brightened slightly. She seemed to think they were finally having a proper conversation.

“Really? Then who taught you… Oh. You can’t talk, right? Then can you write? It looked like you were asking for a pen earlier.”

He nodded. Kara then readily extended her palm toward him.

Luna, caught between them, seemed slightly flustered as she glanced back and forth.

She appeared to have difficulty grasping the situation.

“I don’t have a pen either, so just write on my palm. Use your finger like this, like this. Got it?”

[Like this?]

Following Kara’s request, he wrote on her palm with his finger. He wasn’t sure if he had written correctly.

Regardless, every time he wrote on her palm, he felt a rough texture. It was the calluses she had developed from enduring countless battles.

“Yes, that’s right. Just like that. It seems you’ve learned the common language.”

[That’s correct.]

As the conversation progressed smoothly, Kara smiled in satisfaction.

Contrary to her fierce aura, her beautiful appearance became fully evident.

“Who taught you to write? Or did you already know how?”

[Rod. Ellie.]

“I don’t know who Ellie is, but Rod—the Chancellor—taught you? He must have a lot of free time. Then what about her?”

[Familiar. Help.]

“Familiar? Oh, adaptation period? What, are you going through an adaptation period too? I had a hard time with mine, so yours must be even tougher.”

“Um······”

While we were smoothly continuing our conversation, Luna, who had been sitting between us, interrupted.

Both Kara and I turned our heads toward her.

Luna looked at the two of us with a confused expression before blurting out a rather foolish question.

“······What are you doing right now?”

“What?”

Kara responded with a look that suggested she had just heard something absurd.

“We’re talking right now. Can’t you see?”

“Talking······ you say?”

Despite Kara’s straightforward answer, Luna’s expression didn’t clear up. She still looked as though she couldn’t understand.

Regardless, Kara extended her palm toward me and continued her questioning.

“I saw you sparring before. You’re really good at fighting, aren’t you? How did you get so strong?”

[Survive. Eat.]

“‘Survive’ must mean survival, and ‘eat’······ hunting? Survival and hunting······ that’s such a you-like answer. Come to think of it, do you know my name? You don’t, do you?”

[Don’t know.]

“My name is Kara. It’s originally longer than that, but just call me Kara······ No, never mind. You can’t speak anyway. I’ll show you how to write it.”

Our ‘conversation’ continued for quite a while.

“······?”

Only Luna, caught in the middle, wore a bewildered expression.