A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 104

What is the most important factor in building a civilization? Personally, I think it’s ‘culture’ that binds people together.

Most civilizations began with agriculture and communal living, but it’s not just about living well and eating well.

Among these, ‘law’ is a kind of boundary that symbolizes morality and ethics, as well as a powerful deterrent. Without laws, civilization would have collapsed long ago.

Humans are animals that have grown by relentlessly chasing their desires. If those desires were freely expressed, civilization would have crumbled.

Moreover, laws differ from country to country. As a result, it’s often difficult to understand the unique laws of each nation.

The reason I’m bringing this up is to emphasize that, no matter who I am, I cannot ignore the laws of this world.

Especially when it comes to ‘violence,’ which is widely condemned in most civilized societies.

“What is all this commotion…?”

“Ah. He’s here.”

It’s Friday and exam period, but there are still people around. Plus, with the door wide open, there’s no way to avoid the noise.

I still can’t forget the expression on the professor’s face when he arrived. He was struggling to grasp the situation.

Delphoi was lying unconscious, foaming at the mouth with all his teeth knocked out, while Grace was quietly catching her breath on the sofa.

Lastly, I was pressing Grace’s hand firmly, giving her acupressure. You probably can’t quite grasp what kind of situation this is.

But one thing is clear: I beat Delphoi to a pulp. This one undeniable fact meant I had to be arrested.

If a crime is committed at the Academy, punishment is handed down according to the laws of the perpetrator’s home country. But I am a Wildling with no such ties.

While the violence is evident, the differing laws of each country make it unclear what should be done. For instance, the laws of Matra and Granada are different.

Granada has a broad definition of self-defense and is lenient toward violence, while Matra is known for its strict adherence to the rule of law.

Because of this, I couldn’t leave my lodging all weekend and had to stay holed up. It’s a problem that arises from lacking a proper ‘background.’

“Professor Delphoi’s charges have been confirmed. He will spend the rest of his life in prison for attempted rape and drug misuse.”

However, it’s not as though there is no one taking responsibility. Rize, who lives with me, stepped forward as the person in charge.

When she declared she would take responsibility, it caused an uproar for a while, but I remained the eye of the storm. No matter how the situation unfolded, I stayed calm.

“The Duke Berche’s Household also requested to handle Delphoi’s disposition themselves. Iruril quickly handed over his custody. There shouldn’t be any major issues.”

“Nom nom nom.”

“Oh. By the way, Arias is famous as a land of magic. Visiting it someday wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

As I listened to Rize’s explanation, my hands kept moving. In front of me were the dishes Rize had prepared.

Since I couldn’t do anything over the weekend, Rize took care of all the meals. Thanks to her exceptional skills, I was mostly satisfied.

“Nom nom. What about me?”

That doesn’t mean I have no interest in the matter. I don’t care what happens to Delphoi, but I’m curious about what will happen to me.

The best-case scenario would be if this could be ruled as self-defense. However, given Delphoi’s condition, I occasionally overheard opinions that I had crossed the line.

His teeth are all broken, and he won’t be able to speak properly, let alone use magic, for the rest of his life. He also won’t be able to fulfill a man’s role anymore.

While it’s a fitting punishment for an attempted rapist, there are always old-fashioned people and complainants around.

Moreover, the fact that I come from the wilderness has spread like wildfire, highlighting the danger I pose.

“Brother, you don’t need to worry. Rod and I will personally step forward to defend you. Besides, the Duke Berche’s Household will never disregard this matter.”

“Got it.”

“The trial… well, you might not know this, but it won’t go that far. Since Professor Delphoi’s charges have been confirmed, the Academy will likely overlook this for the sake of its honor.”

It’s not just about honor; the fact that I acted in self-defense also plays a big role. Even if someone wanted to nitpick, there’s nothing they could do.

Sending me to prison through a trial? That would provoke backlash from the Duke Berche’s Household and others.

On the other hand, doing nothing might lead to me causing another unpredictable incident.

Thanks to Rize stepping forward, the situation was resolved smoothly. With her taking responsibility, no one could raise any objections.

“You did well. Lord Chaos will surely be pleased. He is someone who approves of necessary evils to fight against injustice.”

A message had indeed popped up, saying my faith had increased. I just ignored it while giving Grace acupressure.

When Rize mentioned Chaos, I briefly looked up. I wanted to check my current level of faith.

[Sivar]

•Strength: 145

•Agility: 140

•Stamina: 148

•Mana: 145

•Luck: 102

•Faith: 40

My faith was at 34 after the midterm exam, but now it’s 40. It has increased by a whopping 6 points.

It usually rises in small increments, but it seems Chaos was very pleased with my rescue of Grace this time.

‘But what can I do with faith?’

While it’s nice that it increased, the problem is I have no idea what to do with it. Lightning is already fused with my red mana, so that’s not an issue.

I wonder what this faith will eventually bring me. It’s nice that my language skills are improving, but I’m curious about the rest.

‘I guess I’ll find out someday.’

For now, the important matters are my treatment and Grace’s condition. While I’d like to visit her, she needs to rest and recover.

Moreover, she’s currently under strict protection from the Duke Berche’s Household, who were alerted by the news.

It was almost a case of locking the barn after the horse had bolted, but it was prevented in time.

“What about Grace?”

Still, I can’t help but be curious. Even in the Soul World, it was described how she suffered from trauma for a while.

Although it ended as an attempt, she came dangerously close to losing her purity. From now on, she’ll likely react sensitively to even the simplest touches.

“As I mentioned earlier, Grace is resting. It might take a while before Brother Sivar can visit her.”

“Hmm…”

“You don’t need to worry too much. If it weren’t for Brother Sivar, Grace would have been in grave danger…”

Knock knock knock-

Rize couldn’t finish her sentence. Someone knocked on the dormitory door, interrupting our conversation.

Both Rize and I turned to look at the door simultaneously. The Academy guards should currently be stationed outside my dormitory.

Until the charges are completely cleared, I’m in a semi-restricted state. The only reason I can go outside is thanks to Rize’s protection.

“Hold on a moment.”

Rize, sensing something unusual, stood up and walked toward the door.

I continued watching her retreating figure without stopping my hands. The food was so delicious that I couldn’t stop eating.

“Who is it?”

[We are from the Duke Berche’s Household. We have come to see Sivar. May we come in?]

Surprisingly, it was someone dispatched from the Duke Berche’s Household behind the door. Perhaps they came to express their gratitude.

In response, Rize slowly opened the door and faced the person claiming to be from the Duke Berche’s Household.

“Excuse me, Saint. May I come in for a moment?”

“Yes, please come in.”

Judging it to be fine, Rize allowed them to enter. As she stepped aside, the visitor walked in.

From the voice, I could already guess, but it was indeed a man. A man who looked strikingly similar to Grace.

He was fairly tall with a sturdy build. Being a noble, his handsome face was just a bonus.

“Nice to meet you. I am Arthas Aria del Berche, the eldest son of the Duke Berche’s Household.”

What a name that sounds like it could say, “I am your father.” I blankly stared at him as he greeted me politely.

Judging by his appearance, he seems to be Grace’s older brother. That sharp gaze and violet hair make it obvious.

“Are you Sivar? Your origin is quite unique.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded in response to Arthas’s question. I still didn’t get up from my seat and continued chewing my food.

In the meantime, Arthas stared intently at my face, as if he were analyzing me.

“May I sit down for a moment?”

He then asked for my permission. I didn’t particularly care, so I nodded to give my consent.

As Arthas took a seat, Rize also sat down next to me. Seeing this, Arthas’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

Well, it must be odd to see someone as significant as a Saint and Fist Saint casually sitting down. I’m used to it, so I just let it slide.

“First, I want to express my gratitude for saving my sister from danger. This is on behalf of the Duke Berche’s Household, as well as my personal thanks.”

“Yeah.”

“You may not have heard, but Delphoi, whom you stopped, will be transferred to the Duke Berche’s Household. A trial will be held there, but… it seems you’ve already delivered divine punishment.”

I don’t care about Delphoi’s disposition. What bothers me is the noun he’s using to address me.

Arthas referred to me as ‘Your Excellency.’ And this is coming from someone from the Duke’s Household.

Normally, it wouldn’t be strange for someone in his position to speak down to me. I don’t know if he’s being cautious because of Rize or for another reason.

“Your Excellency?”

So I asked why he was addressing me that way. However, I overlooked one thing.

“Ah. Is the term ‘Your Excellency’ unfamiliar to you? It’s a form of respectful address used to show reverence to the other party.”

I was being treated as a Wildling. Arthur kindly pointed that out to me.

I almost let out a hollow laugh but decided to let it slide. Asking too many questions would just be a hassle.

“This matter is deeply tied to the honor of Duke Berche’s Household. Therefore, I came here to assure you that there will be no disadvantage to you in any way.”

“Okay.”

“And also…”

Arthur went on with a long, tedious explanation. Something about how I wouldn’t have to attend the trial and how compensation would be provided, among other things.

As he rambled on with unnecessary details, I listened with one ear and let it go out the other. If they’re going to compensate me, I’d rather they just give me money.

Still, I can’t say I’m completely dissatisfied. Normally, this would be a situation where everything would have to be scrutinized and dragged all the way to trial.

For starters, they could question why I went to Delphoi’s Research Lab in the first place. To others, it might seem like the story doesn’t quite add up.

If they’re willing to cover all of this, I might be able to regain my freedom relatively quickly.

“Lastly, there’s a matter I would like to propose to you. Or rather, I should say it’s more of a request.”

“A request?”

“Yes. Duke Berche’s Household originally intended to assign Grace a bodyguard. However, Grace adamantly refused.”

I vaguely remember. After the incident, Grace’s confidence took a nosedive, and her character changed.

The confident demeanor she once had disappeared, and she even developed Social Phobia, becoming pitiable in many ways.

Over time, she gradually regained her confidence and her unique personality, but the sense of pity surrounding her never really went away.

“While we were struggling with this, Grace made a request. She hopes that you would become her bodyguard knight.”

“Huh?”

What on earth is this about? Did something like this happen in Soul World too?

I can’t quite remember, so I’m not sure. In the first place, I’m not even certain if this person visited me at all.

While I was showing a bewildered reaction, Arthur added an explanation.

“I understand that you must be busy as well. But for Grace’s psychological stability…”

“Alright.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll be her bodyguard.”

Why not? Being her bodyguard shouldn’t be too hard. But there’s one thing I want to ask.

As a bodyguard, I’d have to stay by her side all the time, but I wonder if that’s even possible.

More importantly, I’m a student. I’m curious if it’s even feasible for someone with my social status to serve as a bodyguard.

Even if we’re in the same class, there are bound to be times when we have to be apart. In such cases, the role of a bodyguard wouldn’t be fulfilled properly.

“How?”

Summing up all my thoughts, I posed the question to Arthur. If I become her bodyguard, maybe I’ll get some cake from Grace.

But there was one thing I overlooked. I was still being treated as a Wildling who knew nothing.

“Um… Should I start by explaining what a bodyguard does?”

“… …”

“A bodyguard, as the term suggests, is someone who protects their charge. So, you would need to stay by Grace’s side…”

I regretted asking.

‘But why was I specifically chosen as her bodyguard?’

What could have changed her? I’m a little curious.

[Faith Increases!]

What on earth is this now?