A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

The most displeasing thing in the world would probably be giving something and taking it back.

Losing my language while leading a harsh life in the forest doesn't bother me much.

The crux of the issue lies with Chaos, the god of chaos.

I suspect that he gave me the ability to survive in the forest in exchange for causing me to lose my language.

If I consider only this, it seems bearable enough to let it pass. However, it annoys me that he played tricks, giving and taking away the language in the middle of the night.

"Sivar, can you read this?"

"El. Li."

"Wow! You can finally speak!"

It's rather harmless except for the fact that he gave and then took it away.

While I couldn’t speak more than two letters, I was able to at least pronounce one letter aloud.

Accomplishing this was significant as it indicated that I was gradually moving away from being a primitive being.

"Can you read this sentence?"

"Shibal."

"Hmm, as expected, sentences are difficult."

However, whenever I tried to read a long sentence, I would invariably say "Shibal."

Porori might be around me, and it's better to ask him to interpret than to carefully read each letter one by one.

"So, friend, did you make this request to the sky?"

"Chaos."

"Not to the sky but chaos? Who is that?"

I only said one letter, and Porori seemed to understand.

It seems that it's not words but rather ‘intentions' that are conveyed when communicating with him. This method is much more convenient.

"Chaos? You mean the god of chaos, Chaos?”

Upon hearing the word ‘chaos', Rod asked back with a slightly surprised expression.

Feeling no need to conceal it, I nod in affirmation.

Seeing this, Rod makes an odd face. It seems an unexpected name has come up.

"Is there a problem?"

Luna cautiously asks after seeing Rod's expression. Honestly, there are many issues.

It's better to give up on faith while Chaos is watching.

Not only does he lower faith when he gets the chance, but the method of raising it is also random.

"Rather than it being a problem… it's because it's Chaos. Do you guys know what the gods are responsible for?"

"I'm not quite sure…"

Ellie responded in an uncertain voice. Granted, coming from remote rural areas, one wouldn't know much beyond herbs.

Luna isn't much different. She is also waiting for Rod's response.

"Gaia takes care of the land, Gulak the sky, and Chaos is in between. That's why I'm studying what it stands for, but generally, I believe it mostly represents humans. There are few things as ambiguous and chaotic as humans."

"What happens if you believe in Chaos then?"

"Chaos isn't a god that one can simply believe in and be saved by faith. Unlike other gods, you must be chosen exceptionally."

"Chosen…"

Probably the explanation about being chosen by the gods stirred them. Luna and Ellie look at me in surprise.

I'm sorry to them, but being chosen by Chaos doesn't mean you become a hero or anything.

‘A hero my ass, it’s just a jester.'

While I was thinking along these lines, it seemed Rod also noticed that they had misunderstood.

Laughing slightly, he glimpsed at me and then spoke in a quieter voice than before.

"Unlike what you guys are thinking, he's not a hero or anything. Chaos is very fickle and he often plays pranks."

"Pranks?"

"For instance, at a moment when you need healing, he gives a boost of physical ability, or it could be the opposite. The name ‘Chaos’ really suits him."

"Is that so? But isn’t he a good god then?"

At an unexpected answer, Luna asked another question in her confusion.

Rod gave a vague expression to that question, reluctantly nodding.

"He may have a mischievous side, but he's indeed good. Even when pursuing amusement and interest, he doesn't bestow his blessings on the likes of hedonistic killers."

That's precisely why Chaos is a ‘good god'. Although he instigates humans to play the fool, at least he doesn't cross the boundary of ‘goodness'.

He will laugh at justified violence as fun, but he will frown at those who wield violence for personal gain.

As if not able to forgive the fact that I had cursed while hunting to survive in the forest.

Such a stingy god.

[Insulting the god has lowered your faith!]

… I'm not supposed to say that! Just kidding.

While I was gushing internally, Rod's explanation continued.

"It's a bit regrettable to say so, but those who are blessed by Lord Chaos… are mostly those who have a screw loose. But at the same time, they possess a very powerful force."

"They're strong?"

"Lord Chaos, instead of being able to use divine power, bestows primal strength. That must be why Sivar’s physical abilities are unusually strong."

Moreover, he also tends to give skills as a bonus. The wild instincts I possess were likely given by Chaos.

Perhaps the system I've acquired is a result of Chaos' ability.

Then, who is the one who brought me here? That's the key question.

"Doesn't the faith in Lord Chaos increase even when prayers or offerings are made?"

"It depends solely on the believer's actions. As I mentioned earlier, he tends to favor believers who are a bit eccentric."

"…"

Luna and Ellie looked at me with a peculiar expression at the emphasis on the eccentricity.

Telling from their gaze, they seem to regard me as someone out of the ordinary.

"Well."

Luckily, I can say this curtly. It's too short to dismiss it off with a "shibal".

To be honest, I also believe I'm someone with a screw loose.

If I didn't go mad in this forest, it would be strange.

"… Ratatoskr, what did Sivar say?"

Ellie asked Porori in response to my short reply. It seemed too brief for her liking.

But the word I gave them was just that one word. It doesn't last long.

"He just said ‘Well'. Just one word.”

"Um… I wish the words were a little more polite."

"Look here, miss. You're mistaken. Do you know how bad his temper is? He's just holding back because you're a lady."

Ellie looked at me worriedly after hearing his answer.

Whether in games or reality, due to my carefree and cheeky personality, it’s hard to predict what I'll do next.

"Well, he won't explode unless someone hits him. You can just continue doing what you've been doing."

"Really? That's a relief. I thought Sivar wouldn't need to learn to write if he could speak."

Just look at her. As expected, she’s making strange assumptions.

Regardless of speaking ability, continuous learning is planned. It’s necessary to use Godin's magic.

"…"

While Ellie cleared her large chest with relief, Luna's face turned pale.

It looked like she had a premonition about the upcoming ordeal. After all, there’s a match arranged between Kara and me at that time.

Hearing that I have a notoriously bad temperament must give her cause for worry.

‘You don’t have to worry too much.’

Even if Kara provokes me, it would only hurt a lot, I wouldn’t kill her.

She’s one of the main characters. If I kill her, it’ll complicate the progress of the story.

Moreover, it implies I become sworn enemies with her father, endangering my life.

"Should we postpone the church visit? We will soon have a grand fight, so everyone must need some time off."

"That's not a bad choice. You're a herbologist, so you'll be busier."

"Yes. I have to meet the potion quota."

Numerous students are bound to bleed in the upcoming grand match.

Getting beaten up is inevitable, and there can even be cuts or fractures.

However, without a doubt, there won't be any deaths, and the aftereffects won't be serious.

‘Wasn't there a full-time staff dispatched from the Gaia Temple?'

As I have regeneration, it all ends with just a potion. It just costs a little more for meals.

"But I'm slightly worried."

"What's the issue?"

"It's about Sivar and Kara having a match."

Rod looks at me and speaks. Although he says he's worried, his eyes say otherwise.

Good for everything, but something's stuck – I don't quite understand what it is.

"Maybe Sivar will end up hurting Kara…"

"No, that won't happen. If there was a hint of that, I'd personally step in. It's just that her real father is coming."

"Her real father being…"

"The King of Tatars."

On hearing the calmly spoken words, both Luna and Ellie show a confused reaction.

For them, who are from rural villages, the king is an entity that seems somewhat far removed and difficult to connect with.

If Elvin had been there, it would have gotten serious; but currently, he is admitted to a hospital.

Rod smirks at seeing their unexpected reactions.

"Old man. A king means he's the highest among humans, right?"

In between, Porori asks Rod a question.

While fluent in speaking, he still lacks a lot of common sense.

"That's correct."

"So, is he higher than you, old man?"

"If you're talking about authority."

If it's about strength, Rod has the upper hand. Before his addiction, Rod himself was a beast.

In other words, the king of Tatars possesses strength one level below Rod.

It's natural as he's a battle specialist of the Tatar Tribe, and ruling from the top.

"Anyway, Kara's match will also be watched by the King of Tatars. He might even have heard already."

"What does that have to do with Sivar?"

"It's not just about Sivar, but you too. If you get unnecessarily noticed, it could become quite bothersome."

This "bothersome" doesn't mean suppressing with authority, or something like that.

It just means showing interest in other ways. It's an incredibly burdensome kind of interest.

"I'll warn you in advance, but it’s certain you’ll dismiss it lightly. Well, it's only if you draw attention, so there's no need to worry too much."

"Um… I understand. For now, it'll be best to focus on the match."

"That's right, but…"

With his trailing words and gaze focused on me, it seems Rod is also worried about something.

I feel awkward saying this, but he probably knows. Luna will have a hard time securing victory against Kara.

On the other hand, I'm not in the same boat. He's probably worried about me possibly defeating Kara.

‘It's understandable.'

Understandably, Rod has faced Kara's father a few times. That's how he knows the temperament.

Kara's father is famous among the first-round users for instilling fear and shock.

If Kara taught us the importance of skills, her father teaches us something even more.

"······ I hope nothing gets broken."

We will soon know what these words mean.

******

Apart from becoming capable of speaking, the days before the grand fight were simple.

I listened to the boring yet interesting theories in the morning and trained with Kara in the afternoon.

Luna also didn't interfere after the initial times, when I was receiving training from Kara.

Kara was not only an excellent teacher objectively speaking, but also increased Luna's training time.

"Speaking of which, Ms. Kara. Weren't you going to ask the Principal if you could become Sivar's protector?"

Luna asked when Kara was clumsily cleaning up the burst sandbags after the autonomous training had finished.

Hearing the question, Kara seemed to think for a moment and answered with an expression as if saying ‘Ah, right'.

"Ah. That's right. I completely forgot. I'll ask after the match."

It seemed that she really forgot. For the record, I forgot too.

I naturally forgot because I was always hanging around during autonomous training.

"But to be honest, aren't you half a protector already? Don't you think so too?"

"Yes."

"See."

At my response, Kara chuckled and lightly patted my shoulder, expressing familiarity.

She liked me very much because I followed her instructions without complaint.

On top of that, we never discriminated against each other, so we got along well.

"You still can't speak fully, right?"

"Yes."

"Even so. At least you're not mute. Can you call my name once?"

"Ka. Ra."

"Good. Good. I've never been glad that my name was short, but today is the day."

Kara smiled and carried the burst sandbags on her shoulder.

She seemed to lift the enormous weight with ease. This showed her considerable strength.

After a while, she tidied up the broken sandbags and the place. It was about time to leave.

"The match is after the weekend."

"Indeed."

"You don't regret not learning combat, do you?"

"There wouldn't be anything to regret."

There would be. I'm a bit worried since I couldn't learn ground techniques either.

Of course, It's not that Kara didn't want to teach me, she just didn't have time.

So she only taught me how to defend myself in ground technique situations.

"Ms. Kara."

"Speak."

"I heard that your father is coming to the match."

"··· ···"

At my words, Kara's smiling face hardened. She seemed uncomfortable.

Then, she quietly asked a question with a low voice.

"Why?"

"I heard from the Principal that he is extremely strong······"

"Yes. That's right. He's strong. Very strong. But that's not important now, is it?"

Kara smiled thinly, answering with her hand on Luna's shoulder.

Her eyes clearly showed a smile, but she was suggesting ‘Don't say anymore'.

Luna must have felt it too, as she nervously nodded her head.

"Yes. That's right······."

"If you are curious about how strong he is, just defeat me. Though, it will be tough for you."

"······You seem quite confident."

Kara quickly turned the potentially awkward atmosphere around.

Of course, I'm not sure whether choosing hostility over awkwardness was the right thing to do.

"He should know too, right? That I am stronger than you."

Why bring me into this? Kara unexpectedly mentioned me while provoking.

Facing her taunt, Luna glanced at me and laughed awkwardly. Her tone said ‘How ridiculous'.

"Ha. I don't know what you're basing that on."

"There's no basis. You lived in the wilderness so wouldn't those things be more developed in you? Like intuition."

It's not intuition, rather I know Kara's skills well.

Currently, Luna can't beat Kara. I can say this with absolute certainty.

"······Sivar."

"Yes."

"Who do you think is stronger? Between me and Kara."

Perhaps her pride was scratched, but Luna asked me. Kara also confidently turned her head towards me.

Why ask? Without hesitation, I confidently said.

"Ka."

Then, my finger pointed directly at Kara. At that moment, Luna's face tightened even more.

On the other hand, Kara had a triumphant expression. Following that, she placed her hand on my shoulder and opened her mouth.

"See? This guy has a discerning eye."

"······You must have misunderstood the question."

"Well~ I don’t think so~"

Kara, full of chuckles, continued to provoke. She seemed to be behaving like this because her father was mentioned.

Of course, Luna had no way of knowing this. She alternated her gaze between me and Kara and shook her head vigorously.

"Arguing like this is pointless."

"I totally agree with that."

"Thank goodness. And Sivar."

Why me again?

While I was looking at her with those thoughts, Luna spoke as if lecturing.

"You shouldn't judge the world only by your feelings. It wouldn't be bad to realize that now."

"··· ···"

She also has quite a strong sense of pride. I'm curious how she will react when she gets beaten excitedly.

"Answer if you understand."

Alright. I'll give you an answer.

I replied with a poker face, each word pronounced clearly.

"Un? A? Ware?"

"··· ···"

Luna's expression soured in real time.

"Puhahahahaha!"

Kara slapped my shoulder hard and burst into laughter.