A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 50

It had been about an hour since I caused a major accident and was punished by Rod.

I wanted to resort to tricks or act tough, but Rod stopped me with precision.

If it were anyone else, it might have been different, but it had to be Rod—those who comprehend the Heavenly Principle and wield Navy-Colored Magic.

Even though Hector, the King of Destruction, is said to be a step below him, that single step is an insurmountable gap.

No matter how much I resist, if Rod simply swipes his sword—game over.

My head would fly off and wander the sky, and I’d become a cold corpse without putting up proper resistance.

He’s the kind of person who slices through ‘space’ itself as if cutting tofu. The chances of my sturdy body being of any use are slim.

“There, there. It must’ve been tough, right? Don’t do that again next time.”

At least the punishment didn’t last long. Perhaps Rod felt bad, as he only gave me about an hour.

And as soon as the punishment ended, I approached Ellie, who had been watching and worrying nearby, and buried myself in her embrace.

The moment I leaned my face against her soft chest, she patted my back. The slightly sunken mood I had completely disappeared.

‘I want to stay like this forever.’

Ellie once said that if I wanted, she’d let me touch her chest legally anytime.

However, openly touching it would prick my conscience (?), so I decided to only embrace her in situations like this.

Does my conscience not prick at all? Not in the slightest. It feels new and thrilling every time.

How could I possibly give up this sensation? At moments like this, even my Wild Instinct remained silent.

Or perhaps it was my Wild Instinct urging me to do this—to bury myself in her chest and find peace of mind.

“But you have to know that Sivar was also at fault. Didn’t we agree not to break things recklessly?”

Ellie, still holding me in her arms, reminded me. I quietly lifted my head to look up at her face.

Her smiling face and golden eyes that seemed to draw me in. Along with her soft embrace, she exuded a saintly kindness.

But separate from her kindness, this incident was a bit unfair. The Death Beam going off was something even I didn’t anticipate.

“Unfair.”

“Unfair? What’s unfair about it?”

“Not. On purpose.”

“Even if it wasn’t on purpose, you still caused an accident. No matter how unintentional, if you break someone else’s belongings, you have to apologize.”

Ellie gently stroked my head while mildly scolding me. As she said, not all mistakes are forgivable.

Besides, hasn’t Rod always said it? If you make a mistake but apologize and reflect, he’ll tolerate it to some extent.

But maybe because I’ve gained a sense of romance, or perhaps because I’m used to breaking things, it’s hard to be self-aware.

What’s even stranger is that the larger the scale of destruction, the more desensitized I become. Breaking small items feels more noticeable.

‘Is it because breaking trees was a daily occurrence when I was in the forest?’

Back in the forest, breaking trees or rocks was a frequent event. It was because most of the prey I hunted was large.

Moreover, when fighting Porori, it wasn’t uncommon for the surroundings to be completely devastated. When Berserk Mode triggered, it turned into a wasteland.

Usually, large-scale destruction meant a big fight had occurred, so maybe that’s why I didn’t recognize it.

“Got it? Next time you break something, you have to apologize.”

“Okay.”

“Good boy, my Sivar. Is there anything you want to eat?”

Ellie rubbed her cheek against mine as she asked. Thanks to that, my face burrowed even deeper between her chest.

Momentarily flustered by her affection and the soft sensation, I managed to voice my desire. My pronunciation was slightly muffled since my face was buried.

“Candy.”

“Absolutely not.”

I was clearly asking Ellie, so why was Rod the one answering? Not only was he strict, but he also cut me off firmly.

Ellie also seemed to think it was difficult, judging by her expression. It seemed eating candy was out of the question.

“And Ellie, aren’t you being too lenient with Sivar? If you spoil him too much, he might develop bad habits.”

“I know that too. That’s why the Headmaster punished him, isn’t it? But after punishment, you have to comfort him like this.”

For some reason, it sounded like a quarrel between a mom and dad. They often argued over my upbringing (?).

Rod had lived as a Wanderer his entire life, so he had no experience raising children. Let alone someone like me, who wasn’t an ordinary child but a full-grown adult.

I wasn’t lacking in mental maturity; I just had slightly (very) poor social skills. That’s why I probably seemed childlike.

‘There’s a reason they say humans are social animals.’

A lack of social skills means being less of a person. I fall into that category too.

Being somewhat desensitized to breaking things, it’s no wonder they end up arguing about it.

“I don’t mind you comforting him, but······”

A voice that wasn’t Rod’s or Ellie’s. I turned my head toward the source of the voice.

For some reason, Kara was wearing a dissatisfied expression. Her hands on her waist indicated her disapproval.

“Aren’t you hugging him too much? If someone saw, they’d think you were really a couple.”

It seemed she was bothered by how openly I was clinging to Ellie’s chest. I had been too blatant about it.

“What’s wrong with this? I like it, and Sivar likes it too, so what’s the problem?”

But Ellie gave an answer that far exceeded Kara’s expectations. She even subtly pressed my head down further.

Ellie’s personality of not caring about others’ opinions was on full display. Kara’s expression turned complicated and subtle.

“······Headmaster. Can’t you say something about this?”

“Ahem.”

Unable to bear it, Kara appealed to Rod, but he simply cleared his throat and stared off into the distance.

“······Sivar grew up without parents. But it doesn’t make sense for him to have lived in the forest since he was a baby. So maybe he’s doing this as part of regaining past memories. That’s just my theory.”

“··· ···”

Kara looked dumbfounded at Rod’s explanation, which somehow made sense and didn’t at the same time.

I did have parents and didn’t grow up in the forest from a young age. Honestly, this is just ‘instinct.’

It’s not some Wild Instinct or nonsense—it’s an instinct ingrained in men. Practically unavoidable.

“······I don’t know. I’ll just trust you to handle it. I just hope he doesn’t end up pouncing on someone.”

In the end, Kara gave up completely. It seemed she decided not to think too deeply about it.

Still, it wasn’t as if she wasn’t concerned at all. She glanced at me, leaning against Ellie’s chest, with a hint of worry.

Then, meeting Ellie’s gaze, she spoke in a voice tinged with concern.

“Can you handle it later? He might not realize it now, but he could become aware of his desires.”

“I can handle it. I’m the one who brought Sivar, so it’s only natural for me to take responsibility.”

“If that’s the case, then fine······”

Kara scratched her cheek. Ellie had mentioned responsibility to Kara before as well.

Asking for details would probably only lead to an embarrassing conversation. For now, it’s best to let it slide.

“Alright. Then I’ll help out a bit too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m the one who taught him how to use his power. If you think about it, I share some responsibility too. I’ll help from the sidelines.”

“Thank you, sis.”

On the surface, the atmosphere seemed heartwarming. It looked like I’d be able to cling to Ellie’s chest without complaints in the future.

But there was something that still bothered me.

‘Come to think of it, was Kara there at that time?’

It was after the combat with Hector, when I fainted and then woke up. Ellie had boldly declared that I could touch her chest anytime I wanted.

At that time, I could sense Ellie’s strong sense of responsibility, but only Luna had heard her words.

So there was a high chance Kara had built up a misunderstanding. That’s why you should always listen to people until the end.

“Kara, your chest is big too, so you’ll be a great help. Right, Sivar?”

“······?”

Ellie gently stroked my head while seeking agreement, and Kara tilted her head in confusion.

That confirmed it. Kara was thinking of a completely different kind of responsibility than what Ellie had in mind.

‘Well, there’s no point in explaining it now······’

I could clear up the misunderstanding slowly later. For now, I just needed to keep my mouth shut.

As I said earlier, my conscience didn’t prick at all. If I could sell my conscience for happiness, I’d gladly enjoy it.

But Kara would need to be careful. Luna would explain the details to her later.

‘What would Kara feel like?’

But I couldn’t help my curiosity. I stared at Kara’s chest, which, while not as large as Ellie’s, was still quite ample.

“Oh. You’re here?”

“Yes.”

“What did they say over there?”

“Fortunately, they said the training will proceed. But they asked us to refrain from causing trouble again, as it would put them in a difficult position.”

“At least that’s a relief.”

Fortunately, Luna returned at just the right moment and didn’t notice my gaze. I decided it was enough and turned my face away.

The sour mood I had after being scolded by Rod was completely gone. It was time to return to normal.

“Now that everyone’s here, we can bring it up. Did you say Sivar uses red mana?”

With Luna now present, Rod began discussing what had happened today. Specifically, my red mana.

“As I mentioned before, when the gods created the world, the first thing to appear was the rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. These were the first colors to exist in the world, and they hold immense significance.”

Just as demons are an example of beings stripped of all color, in the Soul World, ‘color’ holds a very important position.

Losing one’s color is akin to losing one’s life. That’s why demons desperately try to reclaim their colors.

“For people like us, most of our mana is blue. But it’s not blue from the start. Sometimes it devolves into green, or conversely, evolves into indigo.”

“I heard that Headmaster Gloria uses indigo mana······”

Luna cautiously brought it up. Though her words trailed off, it was practically a request.

Perhaps understanding her intent, Rod silently raised his hand to show us.

Woong-

Soon, mana began to ripple in his hand. It was indigo mana, darker than blue.

A color that only those who have grasped the Heavenly Principle and can manipulate it at will can possess.

Everyone, including Luna, stared at it in amazement. It was my first time seeing indigo mana as well, so I stared intently.

“There are very few people whose mana evolves into indigo like mine. At most, there are about three, including myself. All of them are related to ‘stars.'”

“Then, is there anyone who has reached violet?”

“There is. Someone who not only manipulates the sky but places the sky itself beneath their feet.”

I know who that person is. A monster residing in the East.

It’s unlikely to encounter them early on, but they appear without warning in front of the protagonist during the mid-phase.

It’s not something to worry about for now, but they have a rather troublesome and difficult personality, so caution is necessary.

“Violet mana can only be used by gods or beings equivalent to them. It’s easier to refer to them as Primordial Beings.”

“Primordial Beings······ Does that mean demons can use it too?”

“If there are demons with violet, they could use it. Just as demons with blue mana use blue mana.”

Rod explained up to that point and then looked at me. Red mana, which stands in complete opposition to violet.

If violet symbolizes Primordial Beings, then red, conversely, symbolizes lower beings.

Among demons, those with red mana are insignificant. They’re nothing more than ordinary beasts.

Moreover, they lack almost any ‘intelligence,’ so unless it’s a frenzied attack, they can’t even properly utilize their mana.

“But red······ Theoretically, it’s the lowest color, but it’s not necessarily inferior. It’s likely the first color used by beings that could be called human.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Have you heard of the hypothesis that humanity evolved from apes? It’s still a topic of debate among scientists and theologians.”

“······No?”

At Rod’s question, Luna responded as if she didn’t know. On the other hand, the rest of us seemed to be aware of it.

Kara, being a follower of Gulak, must have read related texts, and Ellie is an avid reader in general.

That doesn’t mean Luna is ignorant. It’s just that the public education system in this world is abysmal, as expected for the era.

From my perspective, it’s basic common sense, but for Luna, it’s likely the first time hearing about it.

‘People who aren’t interested in something tend to remain completely uninterested.’

While I was thinking that, Rod began explaining. It seemed he was being considerate of Luna.

“There’s a theory that humanity gradually evolved from apes, and along with that, the color of their mana changed. On the other hand, theologians believe humanity always looked as it does now, and that mana evolved as civilization advanced.”

“Both sound plausible at first glance.”

“That’s why the debate is never-ending. But Sivar is less like an ape and more······”

Rod trailed off as he looked at me. In the endless debate, I aligned more with the creationism side.

“Sivar looks just like us. And he’s cute too.”

“······I’m not sure about the cute part, but he does look just like us.”

Rod chuckled at Ellie’s response. Being called cute instead of handsome was a bit embarrassing.

“Anyway, theoretically, Sivar aligns with what theologians claim······ but honestly, I’m not sure. The gods would probably know best.”

“So we need to talk to the gods? Which means······”

“It means heading to the Holy Kingdom Byzantium. It’s difficult for now, but I’ll send you there if the opportunity arises.”

The Holy Kingdom Byzantium. As its name suggests, it’s a nation where religion is its foundation.

Unlike countries that each have their own state religion, this kingdom worships all three gods.

Rather than venerating a specific god, it was established to honor them collectively, making it a place everyone must pass through.

“That’s about the conclusion we’ve reached, Sivar.”

“Yes.”

“If possible, refrain from using your mana. Physical enhancement is fine, but anything that visibly manifests is not.”

“Huh.”

That’s a bit hard to accept. I understand, but it’s like being told to give up on dreams.

How am I supposed to resist firing a Death Beam from my hand? Even if it’s Rod, that’s a no-go.

“If things get noisy, both you and I will suffer. Just nod while I’m being nice.”

“Yes.”

But in the face of power, everyone is equal. I’ll gladly give up on dreams.

I’ll just cast it in the forest when I’m bored. That’s the only way to let it out.

Knock knock knock-

Just as the conversation was wrapping up, I heard a knocking sound—not on the door, but the window.

Turning my head, I saw Porori standing outside the window, holding an acorn at his side.

Squeak-

After politely “knocking,” Porori opened the window. He then hopped toward us with little jumps.

“What were you talking about? Let me join in too.”

Naturally, he settled on Ellie’s lap. He popped the acorn into his mouth and rested his head against her chest.

Ellie gently stroked his head and tail, then spoke in her characteristic soft voice.

“We were talking about Sivar. Come to think of it, Ratatoskr, you know Sivar’s mana is red, right?”

“Huh? You didn’t know until now? I thought you already knew.”

Crunch- Crunch crunch-

Porori answered while chewing on the acorn. I have no idea where he finds acorns big enough to tuck under his arm.

“Ratatoskr, do you know what red mana signifies?”

“I just know it means ridiculously strong power. Especially that beam that comes out of his mouth.”

“······From his mouth?”

Ellie looked puzzled at the mention of a beam coming from my mouth. The others, including me, were equally baffled.

I had learned yesterday that I could fire a Death Beam from my hand. But a beam from my mouth? That was news to me.

“You didn’t know······ Oh. I guess you wouldn’t. He only uses it when his eyes turn even redder. Every time he’s about to pass out, he fires it from his mouth.”

“······What is he, a dragon? Shooting mana from his mouth?”

“Even dragons use Breath Attacks, not beams. Is he really human······?”

Kara looked incredulous, while Luna seemed to be seriously contemplating it. Lastly, Rod fell into thought.

“Amazing. Ratatoskr, can you do it too?”

“I can’t. That’s something only he can do.”

Meanwhile, our ever-innocent Ellie didn’t think much of it. She just accepted it as a matter of fact.

In the meantime, I got a little excited at the idea of firing lasers from my mouth. The Death Beam alone was already romantic enough.

But firing lasers from my mouth? How could I possibly resist that?

“Hey.”

“Huh? What?”

“Is it true?”

I asked again for confirmation. Was it really true that I could fire lasers from my mouth?

Porori, seemingly unbothered, answered casually while munching on his acorn.

“It’s true. Why don’t you believe me? Try it out later.”

“Okay······!”

“But don’t do it here. If you’re not careful, you’ll turn the whole area into a wasteland.”

From my mouth! A laser! How can I hold back?

My eyes sparkled at the revelation Porori had shared. Since I’d learned engraving, it might actually be possible.

“What if.”

“······?”

Just as I was getting excited, Rod, who had been deep in thought, spoke up.

Although his tone was no different from usual, the atmosphere contained within it was entirely different.

How should I put it? It felt as if his presence was pressing down on me, threatening me. My instinct told me so.

“If. You hear. A sound. In the forest.”

“··· ···”

Rod spoke to me, pausing between each word. An indescribable sense of pressure weighed on me.

A terrifying pressure that even Hector could never exude. It was the kind of intimidation only someone capable of wielding Navy-Colored Magic could display.

Rod then quietly observed me, who had become utterly intimidated, before delivering his final words.

“I will administer punishment again, so be aware of that. Understood?”

“··· ···”

“Answer.”

“Yes······”

It seems I’ll have to give up on romance for the time being.

“······That old human is truly terrifying.”

I couldn’t agree more. Feeling dejected, I lowered my head.

‘······Wait a moment.’

At that moment, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.

If I were to cause trouble, Rod would scold me, and then Ellie might comfort me, wouldn’t she?

Ellie would embrace me warmly after Rod’s punishment, and I could claim it was for emotional stability as I nestled into her arms.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I looked at Ellie, who was holding Porori. She wore the benevolent smile of a Holy Mother.

Porori might be enjoying that abundance now, but it wouldn’t be long before I could claim it for myself.

‘······Alright.’

I’ve found a chance to catch two rabbits at once.