A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 55

If you were stranded in the wilderness trying to survive, what would be the most important thing? I think it would be drinking water.

The human body is both fragile and amazing—it can endure days without food, but without water, death comes quickly.

There’s a reason people say, “Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food.” Willpower might be the most important thing, but without water, it’s all meaningless.

We do have potions that can substitute for water, but we need to conserve them as much as possible.

“It’s a relief we brought water. If we ration it carefully, it should be fine.”

Thankfully, water was among the supplies we had planned for, so there was no need to worry too much.

Although we hadn’t brought any food, water could fit into a small pouch bag. More importantly, Grace is a mage.

She can create drinking water with magic. All she has to do is say, “Water!” into the void, and it starts dripping down.

At least when it comes to drinking water, luck seems to be on our side. Even when living in the forest, there was a valley near our hideout.

Still, it’s better to drink sparingly just in case. Each person was given one bottle of water, so I plan to do the same.

“The drinking water is fine, but… what about our meals?”

Lee Yeonju cautiously asked after taking a sip of water. Time had passed, and it was about time to figure out lunch.

Grace pondered Lee Yeonju’s question for a moment before glancing at me. It seemed she wanted to leave it to the expert.

‘Honestly, going without food for a few days isn’t a big deal.’

The human body is optimized to endure even without food. If anything, it’s a testament to endurance.

When I lived in the forest, I survived by catching and eating bugs or small animals. But even that was tough to keep up.

Later, after awakening my mana, I began hunting larger animals, but using mana drains stamina to an extreme degree, requiring significant calorie replenishment.

“…Mr. Sivar?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you possibly find us something to eat…?”

Grace cautiously asked. Hearing her request, I paused to think.

Honestly, I could just toss them a few plump bugs and be done with it. But they wouldn’t eat them.

So, that means hunting an animal and cooking it over a fire. Emergency rations alone won’t fill their stomachs.

‘There are plenty of animals around, though.’

Just from sensing their presence, there are more than a few animals nearby. Plus, we’re comfortably within the safe zone.

Judging by the lack of any other teams’ presence, it seemed certain that we were the only ones around.

“Alright.”

“R-Really?”

After a brief moment of thought, I replied, and Grace’s face lit up with a bright smile.

As a mage, Grace is one of those who burn through mana quickly. As I mentioned earlier, using mana directly depletes stamina.

“Bugs. Plenty of them.”

“… …”

When I suggested filling up on bugs, Grace’s smiling face froze solid. Lee Yeonju’s complexion turned pale.

Of course, I was joking. Thinking about it, while it might be fine for me, bugs are nothing but pure disgust to civilized people.

Even if I grilled them, it’s doubtful they’d eat them. Still, I should at least try.

I started gathering fallen branches from the ground as I looked around.

Normally, I’d look for a hideout like a cave, but since we’re not planning to settle here, it doesn’t matter.

“…What are you doing?”

“Fire.”

“Fire? Are you going to start a fire?”

“Yeah.”

Grace realized I was trying to build a fire. She watched me with curious eyes.

Perhaps feeling awkward just sitting there, Grace began picking up branches nearby and handing them to me.

Meanwhile, Lee Yeonju stood still, blankly watching. She seemed unsure of what to do.

Of course, that’s all an act. She’s deliberately doing nothing to maintain her reputation.

If it were her true personality, she’d be the first to jump in. For now, I can let it slide.

‘I’m a bit curious to see her true face someday.’

Soon, I had a pile of branches, topped with dry fallen leaves.

All that was left was to light the fire. I could use Grace’s magic, but conserving her mana is a priority.

Snap!

So, I simply snapped my fingers to create a spark. The friction from my fingers alone generated enough heat.

It’s the same principle as using flint. With my body being what it is, this sort of thing is possible.

“…Sammae Evolution?”

As the piled branches caught fire, Lee Yeonju murmured in surprise. It sounded like the name of a martial art she had heard somewhere.

But it wasn’t martial arts—it was just brute strength that lit the spark.

“Yeonju, what did you just say? It sounded like an Eastern language.”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I just thought it was fascinating how Mr. Sivar lit the spark…”

“Hmm. True. Lighting a spark with just a finger snap—how many people could actually do that?”

Whoosh!

While they were chatting, flames rose from the firewood I had lit. Now that the fire was ready, the next step was to gather materials.

I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out an emergency ration that doubled as a snack—a grub I had found in a rotten log a few hours ago.

Fortunately, it hadn’t burst or lost its shape, and it was still alive.

“You’re not seriously going to grill that, are you… Ugh…”

Crunch—

Grace was speaking in a frightened tone when a sound came from behind her—a branch snapping.

Though the sound of the burning firewood made it hard to hear, my ears caught it clearly.

“?”

Lee Yeonju, who also had sharp hearing, turned around with a puzzled expression.

Her reaction was instinctive, not even considering the smoke. It was a reflexive response.

Meanwhile, Grace was still staring at the grub in my hand, looking utterly horrified.

Though I wanted to grill and eat it, it seemed that wouldn’t be possible.

Rustle!

“Squeal!!”

A wild boar suddenly burst out of the thicket, charging straight at us.

As Marlboro once mentioned, wild boars are among the dangerous animals in the forest, alongside snakes.

“Aaaah!”

“W-What the…!”

The sudden appearance of the wild boar startled both Lee Yeonju and Grace.

Lee Yeonju’s reaction was at least an act, but Grace’s pretty face twisted in genuine terror.

Even in her panic, her sharp eyes remained striking, creating an oddly fascinating expression.

“Squeal! Squeal!”

The wild boar let out its characteristic cry as it charged toward us. More specifically, it was heading straight for me.

Normally, wild boars don’t attack first unless startled or faced with an unexpected encounter.

‘Is it because of me?’

It’s said that animals have a frighteningly sharp instinct. The wild boar must have sensed me as a threat and decided to launch a preemptive attack.

If it had been as docile as a herbivore, it would’ve fled, but wild boars are nasty-tempered beasts. Even in the forest, no other animal dares to mess with an angry wild boar.

Crunch!

But right now, it’s my lunch. I couldn’t believe my luck—a hearty meal practically walked right up to me.

Ignoring the charging boar, I hurled Ragnarok straight at its head. The axe embedded itself squarely between its brows.

With the fire blazing between the boar and me, it was crucial to keep it contained. Even if I’m fine, a forest fire would be a major hassle.

Thud-thud—

The wild boar collapsed instantly as the axe struck its head. Its momentum carried it all the way to Grace’s feet before it finally stopped.

Grace stared at the dead boar with a pale face and wide, terrified eyes. She turned to look at me, her expression frozen.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but her lips wouldn’t move. It was probably her first time experiencing something like this.

Leaving the panicked Grace behind, I stood up.

Squelch—

I then retrieved Ragnarok from the boar’s head.

Even though I hadn’t thrown it with much force, it had killed the boar instantly. The axe’s performance was truly remarkable. It would undoubtedly come in handy in the future.

“Hmm.”

I examined the wild boar from head to toe. Some wild boars are so massive they’re practically the size of a house.

However, this wild boar is small in size. It falls somewhere between a youngling and an adult.

Perhaps the Academy deliberately adjusted it for the students’ safety.

“A-Are you okay······?”

“Y-Yes? Oh, yes······ I-I’m fine······”

Grace barely managed to stand with Lee Yeonju’s support. Judging by her trembling legs, she must have been really startled.

Meanwhile, I checked the wild boar and then turned around to face them. I pointed at the wild boar.

“Lunch.”

“What?”

Grace widened her eyes at my words. Then, she looked at the wild boar behind me.

She blinked repeatedly, as if she still hadn’t grasped the situation. I emphasized again.

“Lunch.”

“······That wild boar is lunch?”

“Yes.”

Grace looked at the wild boar again after hearing my simple reply. The wild boar lay dead, its tongue sticking out.

Before long, her violet eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck them. It’s much better than bugs, but it’s still a wild boar.

For a civilized person, it’s an unthinkable meal ingredient. Enough to make anyone lose their appetite.

“W-Wild boar can be eaten. I heard that the pigs we know were domesticated from wild boars.”

As Grace’s worries deepened, Lee Yeonju carefully spoke up. She must be hungry too.

A wild boar of this size could not only fill their stomachs but also be preserved as food. Smoked meat, for instance.

“······Alright. But how do we butcher it?”

“Uh······ wouldn’t Mr. Sivar do it?”

“Mr. Sivar lived in the wilderness; he wouldn’t be unfamiliar with the concept of butchering, right?”

That’s a prejudice. It’s crude, but I’ve butchered animals before.

As soon as I heard that, I picked up the wild boar and moved elsewhere. It wasn’t appropriate to butcher it here.

Normally, I would’ve made various tools to make the process easier. But this isn’t the forest I used to live in.

All I need is enough to last until 7 PM tomorrow.

Squelch!

So, first, let’s start by severing the head. I swung the axe down on the wild boar’s thick neck.

Using red mana would’ve made it easy, but Rod’s advice came to mind.

Avoid showing red mana whenever possible. After hearing his explanation, I decided it would be too troublesome and put in the effort.

Squelch! Crunch!

With just three strikes of the axe, the wild boar’s head was separated from its body. At the same time, warm blood began to flow out.

Now, the task is to hang it upside down and drain all the blood. Conveniently, there was a tree to hang it from.

‘Ah. But I don’t have anything to tie it with.’

This is a bit tricky. I pondered how to tie it and then turned around.

I intended to ask one of the two if they had anything that could be used for tying.

And then, I witnessed a truly amusing sight.

“Ugh!!”

“A-Are you okay?”

Grace, having reached her limit, was vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the ground.

Lee Yeonju patted her back, expressing concern. Grace’s condition seemed serious, regardless of her acting or anything else.

All I did was sever the wild boar’s neck with an axe, yet she reacted like this. Scratching my head in disbelief, I asked.

We’re even planning to have an innards party later, but she’s already down from just this? How weak.

“What are you doing?”

This is why civilized people are like this.

*****

While Sivar’s team was heading toward complete chaos, other teams were surviving in their own ways.

Among them, the best-performing team could be considered Kara’s team. Kara’s team was well-balanced.

Kara, the Princess of Tatars, had a personality far removed from authority, and the other team members tended to obediently follow her instructions.

“Aren’t you going to eat that? If you don’t, you’ll struggle.”

“Even if it’s cooked over a fire, how can anyone eat bugs!”

Of course, that didn’t mean the food supply issue was resolved. Unlike Kara, the team members refused to eat.

Considering that their meal consisted of bugs, their reaction was entirely reasonable, though Kara couldn’t understand it.

“No, I’m telling you, this is tasty! In the East, they even roast pupae. Why can’t you?”

“That’s an Eastern thing! It’s a cultural difference!”

“How strange.”

Despite the team members’ vehement opposition, Kara popped a bug into her mouth. It was a bug with its innards completely removed and cooked over a fire.

Thanks to that, there was no disgusting taste, only a savory flavor lingering in her mouth. It suited Kara’s palate.

In Tatars, being a desert region, food crises are common. As a result, their food culture has developed uniquely.

Not just bugs but also rats and various beasts. If it can be eaten with fire, they eat it all.

‘Sivar would’ve eaten whatever was given to him.’

Kara left the team members, who were looking at her with disgusted expressions, and moved on.

They probably think of her as a barbarian. By now, she could just let it go.

As long as they didn’t say it out loud. The moment they called her a barbarian, she’d abandon the practical training and everything else.

Rustle-

At that moment, a rustling sound came from the thicket in front of Kara. Both Kara and her team members turned their attention toward it.

Unlike the team members, who began to grow tense, Kara’s expression remained calm. As if she had anticipated someone coming.

“Oh! Found you! Here you are!”

Emerging from the thicket was another survivor, none other than Antonio.

Kara’s expression turned curious as Antonio appeared. Antonio was part of Luna’s team.

Why was he reacting with friendliness instead of caution? In this practical training, every team besides one’s own was a rival.

“······Sister.”

While Kara was thinking that, Luna shyly stepped out. She seemed to be gauging the situation.

Could they have come to fight? While Kara was pondering this, Antonio spoke first.

“Princess Kara. Let me clarify in advance, we didn’t come here to fight.”

“Then what?”

“We came to make a proposal you might find interesting.”

“Hmm?”

At the mention of a proposal, Kara raised one eyebrow. At the same time, she shifted her gaze toward Luna.

Whatever their intentions were, it was unlikely to be ordinary, given that Luna had been persuaded.

Let’s hear it first. Kara slung her curved blade over her shoulder and nodded, signaling them to speak.

“It’s about······”

Antonio began explaining, just as he had to Luna. The proposal was to eliminate Sivar first.

They argued that defeating him in a fight was impossible and that the practical training itself was inherently unfair.

So, they suggested teaming up with other groups to eliminate Sivar.

“······Sounds reasonable?”

“It’s true that with him around, there’s nothing we can do.”

Kara’s team members seemed to have already been convinced by Antonio. Their nods of agreement made it clear.

However, Kara’s reaction was no different from before. She remained indifferent, as if she found it uninteresting.

“An interesting proposal.”

“Right?”

“Yes.”

Thinking he had almost won her over, Antonio’s face lit up.

Luna, who had been watching anxiously, felt the same. If Kara joined them, she’d be a reliable ally······

“There are many ways to commit suicide, but this is a novel one.”

“······What?”

“Sister?”

Kara’s response was a bit lengthy but very straightforward.

“It’d be easier to befriend a tiger.”

She was refusing.