A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

I'm not exactly sure why faith has increased, but I went home regardless.

Ellie and Kara bickered on the way home, but even that quickly ended. They alternated, each agreeing to give me a hug. I didn't care who hugged me, so I stayed quiet.

In such cases, not answering and keeping your mouth shut is the best. I might not understand why they're arguing, but I do know this much.

"Fortunately, nothing is broken. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

The house was very clean. I worried that calling Ragnarok might have caused some destruction, but luckily it was just needless worry.

I wouldn't leave it outside, though. Forest animals might take it, which would be a headache.

It's not out of the question, considering creatures like raccoons or squirrels were always snatching things away.

When I lived in the forest, I often lost food to thieving raccoons sneaking around.

"Now I should tell you how to get closer to Lord Chaos. Since Brother Sivar will be receiving his blessings in the future, I’ll share my know-how."

Lize in her Saintess mode, not Martial Saintess, spoke to me. I just blinked in response.

As I said before, Chaos usually confers blessings on the so-called ‘fools.'

Just now, I don’t know the reason, but for Chaos, it must have been an amusing situation.

"Receiving blessings from Lord Chaos is actually very easy. You just need to pique or satisfy his interest. That's all there is to it."

"Is that it? No need for prayers or offerings?"

Kara asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice. She is a follower of Gulak who is accustomed to making offerings.

Even with various offerings, the benefits are not that great. Moreover, the stronger you get, the better the quality of the offerings you need to make.

People like Hector and Kara could easily master lightning because they had made numerous offerings during the tribal unification.

Even Porori, in his own way, offered something precious like acorns, which is why Gulak blessed him directly.

While the standard for offerings is stricter and simpler than expected, Chaos is literally complex and raises questions.

"Yes. Lord Chaos is between Lord Gaia and Lord Gulak. He oversees between the earth and the sky. Some say he refers to humanity, others say he refers to the world we live in itself. Since there were the heavens and the earth at the beginning of time, but not the world we inhabit. It means he takes the greatest interest in the world we live in."

"… …"

Sure enough, I can't understand a thing. It's frustratingly cryptic, as if I'm on the cusp of understanding.

The others looked just as confused, wondering what she was talking about—except Rod, who knows her well.

Predicting our puzzled expressions, Lize flashed an easy smile and summarized succinctly.

"Simply put, he’s a very human-like deity. Not an observer like other gods, but a god who has emotions and wants to coexist with us. Closer than anyone, yet fathomless due to being a deity. And, while he loves us more than anyone, he also isn’t afraid to offer sharp criticism because of that love."

"…It really does sound like chaos."

Luna replied somberly, her face indicating she couldn’t quite grasp it.

"You don’t need to understand. Lord Chaos isn’t concerned with that. However, after decades of service, I’ve realized that he does pursue something."

"What is he pursuing?"

"That… something I haven’t heard before. Or maybe I just don’t remember."

In Soul World, being chosen by Chaos is referred to as stepping in it.

Restarting is far better, except for the conceptors, who had to scheme greatly.

Even the old-timers gave up analyzing Chaos's unpredictable actions. It’s that impossible to pin down.

While I pondered, Lize took a sip of her tea and then began to speak in a calm tone.

"It’s about proof."

"Proof…?"

"Yes, proof. Getting results from your efforts. That's what Lord Chaos prefers."

I thought about that. Could there have been such a tendency in Soul World?

However, ‘proof' as Lize mentioned is hard to demonstrate in a game, leaving my memories cloudy.

To begin with, the worshippers chosen by Chaos are few, and it's hard to meet them.

"So if Brother Sivar can prove himself, Lord Chaos will be pleased. For now, it would be freely controlling fury."

"What happens after that? Is it over once he can control fury?"

"No, Brother Sivar has to decide what he wants to pursue. Lord Chaos respects our choices."

So start by detaching from fury. With Lize’s help, I should be able to control it quickly.

But the real question is what comes after. What did Chaos see in me to choose me?

‘Is it because I came from another world?'

It's very likely. Otherwise, there's no reason for Chaos to take any interest in me.

Moreover, what I aim for is a smooth clear. Perhaps Chaos knows this and therefore chose me.

‘But why me, of all people?'

I'd like to grab him by the collar and ask. Out of so many souls, why me?

And setting that aside, why did he have to drop me in the forest, and not just any forest, but that intense Forest of Chaos?

At least Gaia and Gulak have temples, but Chaos doesn’t even have a temple. It's pointless to head to Byzantine.

‘Essentially, Lize stands in for Chaos.'

Want to grab Chaos by the collar? Then grab Lize.

Needless to say, I know the outcome. If I dared, my head would be flying off in an instant.

I sighed inwardly. Now that I've heard what Chaos pursues, I'll just have to focus on clearing things for the time being.

‘T here's still a lot left of that Academy destruction part.'

All I can do is hope that Rod's physical condition improves by then. It’s been slowly getting better.

And since Rod is also gently probing behind the scenes, the ‘backer’s' identity will likely be revealed soon. Crushing that guy will make my future path smoother.

"Ah, one more thing. There’s another situation that could gain Lord Chaos's interest."

Just as I was about to wrap things up, Lize started speaking. Everyone's gaze turned to her.

She donned a gentle smile and looked around me and the two sitting by my sides. Ellie and Kara sat next to me, flanking me.

Lastly, Luna sat at the edge, next to Kara. What stood out here were Kara and Ellie.

While Luna had enough space to make herself comfortable, Kara and Ellie were practically glued to me.

It was subtly burdensome to be shoulder to shoulder, especially because they were unusually clingy today.

"There is a saying that humans are social animals. In other words, Lord Chaos takes a very keen interest in human relationships."

"Human relationships…?"

"Yes. Comrades, friends, lovers, spouses, nemeses, enemies, siblings, parents, subjects, and so on. We live with numerous relationships. A friend can become a lover or even an enemy, and perhaps ultimately a parent."

"Is there really such a ridiculous thing happening?"

Luna asked disbelievingly at the notion of a friend becoming a parent.

Anticipating this, Lize cheerfully offered an excellent counterexample.

"There are no ridiculous things in this world, Luna. There are just too many absurd situations."

Who was it? I can't remember well, but I believe there's an exact opposite example.

The story of a president who married his friend's mother, making the friend his son.

It was a rather interesting anecdote that gained global attention for their pleasant marital relation.

"Anyway, the more complex Sivar's relationships are, the more interested Lord Chaos will be. Especially on the day Sivar gets involved with a lover, Lord Chaos might even applaud him."

"Is it that significant…?"

Ellie asked, her tone one of confusion. Maybe it was just my imagination, but a hint of expectation lingered.

Along with that, Kara sneaked a glance at Ellie. Her expression was steady, but there was a feeling of caution.

"Have you seen that ? A story of a man who lived in the wild but falls in love with a woman from the civilized world, much like Sivar. It was truly beautiful and fascinating."

"I've read it too!"

Ellie excitedly jumped into the conversation as if it were a book she knew. She spilled out details—the name of the protagonist, the lifestyle, the exploration team, and the process leading to falling in love.

To anyone watching, she was utterly smitten with the tale.

The ending wasn't too happy, though. The man and woman's relationship was fine, but the exploration team was the problem.

They discriminated against the man until the end, saw him as inferior, and the ensuing conflict erupted.

"I just don't understand. Why is it a problem to help someone live like a human being?"

"People are such creatures, Ellie. They discriminate based on skin color alone, imagine what they would do to a wild man."

"That’s painful to hear."

Kara murmured softly. Having faced discrimination more than anyone since coming to the academy, she must have suffered.

Even though it’s got somewhat better now, she was still despised as a barbarian at any chance. I silently held her hand in mine.

She already had it hard without my causing her unnecessary attention. I felt a little sorry for crushing Hector.

Although it was he who picked a fight, he was still her father, so there is some guilt.

"Sivar?"

"I'm fine."

Was it because my faith increased? I managed to speak in more than two syllables effortlessly.

Kara looked surprised at that too, her eyes widening into circles before she smirked and pinched my cheek affectionately.

"That’s good. Similar fates should stick together. Thanks for the solace."

"Similar fates…"

Ellie muttered under her breath as if Kara's words ruffled her. I chose to let it wash over me.

"Even if Sivar learns to control the fury, it doesn't mean he'll completely transform into a regular person. He will need everyone's help to form normal relationships like any common man. So I ask for your support."

"Of course. After all, he's the only one we can hang out with."

"Sister, why not just hang out with me? Why only Sivar?"

"Sivar feels lonely. We have to play when we're together."

"I can play, too."

They are arguing again. I leaned back as I heard them starting their quarrel.

I really don’t understand why they're fighting like this today. Couldn't they both just get along?

During this, Lize shifted from the arguing pair and turned her attention to Luna.

"Luna."

"Yes, yes?"

Caught in deep thought, Luna was startled by the call and looked up.

Lize, still glancing at the arguing couple, smiled freshly before making a request.

"Luna, I ask for your special attention, too. As I heard, you and Ellie were among the first to meet Sivar?"

"Ah. Yes. I’ll do that."

"Luna, you too?"

"Why?"

Right after agreeing to Lize's request, quick accusations flew at her. Naturally, they were from Ellie and Kara.

Both of them appeared quite uncomfortable with the situation. The expressions of ‘You too?' on their faces were just the icing on the cake.

Consequently, Luna, looking somewhat flustered and a bit aggrieved, retorted.

"I, isn't it okay to show concern…?"

It was an objection filled with misunderstanding.