A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 67

People’s gazes turned toward Ellie after her refusal. She clung to me tightly, as if to say she would never allow it.

Just as I was inwardly worrying about suffocating to death, Rize asked in a puzzled voice.

Her appearance alone carried such an overwhelming sense of intimidation that even a simple question felt oppressive.

“You say to build rapport first before persuading. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean it literally. You heard it from the Headmaster too, didn’t you? Sivar still doesn’t know much about the world. What if you take him recklessly and he ends up forming a bad impression?”

“Hmm.”

Rize crossed her arms at the reasonable explanation. Indeed, I couldn’t be judged by the standards of an ordinary person.

If I were an ordinary person, I would have either firmly refused Rize’s suggestion or eventually given in after some hesitation.

However, the current situation was a little different. I wasn’t just anyone; I was someone who had lived in the wilderness and crossed over into civilization.

Outside the wilderness, one’s personal judgment was bound to weaken. Rize was probably thinking along the same lines.

As expected, Rize nodded and spoke with a tone that suggested she understood.

“That makes sense. What’s the student’s name?”

“Ellie.”

“A nice name. The student’s argument is quite persuasive. I could forcefully take him, but that would only provoke resistance.”

Rize nodded while keeping her arms crossed. As I glanced at her, her thick forearm muscles stood out prominently.

“But leaving things as they are isn’t an option either. Ms. Ellie, you’re aware of how strong Sivar is, right?”

“Yes. I don’t know the details, but I know he’s incredibly strong.”

She must have only heard about it since she wasn’t present at the time. Hector had recklessly launched the first attack and was utterly defeated.

He had managed to push forward until the Berserk State activated, but once it did, he was completely overpowered.

Even though Ellie was far removed from combat, she already knew how strong I was to some extent.

Blocking the massive hand of that giant Manki with ease and even killing it—if she didn’t know, it would be strange.

“As long as Mr. Sivar cannot control his instincts, that strength could also be directed at Ms. Ellie. I can help with that.”

“How exactly would you help? Does it involve violence?”

“I can’t say it wouldn’t.”

Rize answered bluntly, as if wondering why she was even being asked. She openly declared that she would resort to violence if necessary.

At that, Ellie hugged me even tighter. I already had to turn my head just to barely breathe, but now even that wasn’t possible.

Tap- Tap-

In the end, just before I suffocated, I urgently tapped Ellie’s shoulder. Thankfully, she understood and loosened her grip slightly.

Now I think I understand why people suffocate on pillows. It’s softer than a pillow, yet this is the result.

“Phew!”

“…Did you just come out of drowning or something?”

Kara chuckled as she asked about my rough breathing. Ignoring her, I simply leaned back into Ellie’s chest again.

Normally, I would’ve been conscious of the eyes watching us, but that concern had completely vanished. Right now, Ellie was the only person I could trust.

It was Ellie who had firmly rejected Rize’s suggestion, and it was Ellie who was defending me.

…To be honest, I just wanted to lean on her because her chest was so comfortable. How could I resist?

“There’s one thing I’ve realized after decades of pilgrimage. As long as life exists, violence is inevitable.”

“…That doesn’t sound like something a Saint should say.”

“I’m well aware. Violence is a clear evil. But if that evil is unavoidable, I’ll gladly use it to eliminate the source of harm.”

That’s what set Rize apart from other Saintess characters. Most Saintesses were close to absolute good, but Rize was pure chaos.

At her core, she had a kind heart and was good enough to act on it. But she was also pragmatic and unhesitant about using violence.

Truly a conviction befitting chaos. With her striking appearance and bold personality, it was impossible for her not to be popular.

“Oh, and just to clarify, I’m not saying I’ll beat up Mr. Sivar or anything like that. It’s to prepare for a potential Berserk State. From what I’ve heard, once he enters that state, the only way to stop him is to knock him unconscious, right? That’s what Rod told me.”

“… …”

I glanced at Rize while resting my cheek on Ellie’s chest. Just getting hit by one of those fists, as big as a pot lid, would probably knock me out instantly.

Even if I were caught in a proper grappling move, there’d be no way out. Rize’s physical ability surpassed mine.

In every way, Rize was a superior alternative. Physical ability, techniques, traits—there wasn’t a single thing where she wasn’t better than me.

Like Rod, my Wild Instinct screamed at me. If I fought her, I would definitely lose.

“…Have you decided how the training will proceed? Just so you know, Sivar’s opinion is the most important.”

Perhaps influenced by Rize’s words, Ellie cautiously asked, adding that my opinion mattered most.

In response, Rize flashed a grin, revealing her pristine white teeth. Her bold impression stood out all the more.

“To gain control over the Berserk State, the first step is to make it possible to activate it intentionally.”

“…The Berserk State only activates when you feel a Death Crisis. Is that even possible?”

It was Luna who asked the question. As she said, the Berserk State wasn’t something that could be activated intentionally.

If it could be, it wouldn’t be a trait but an ability. It defied common sense.

“According to common sense, yes. But if you dismiss something as impossible without even trying, that’s just nonsense. It hasn’t been proven to be impossible, has it?”

“Still…”

“The first thing Lord Chaos taught me: there is no such thing as common sense. The very fact that humans can enter a Berserk State is absurd in itself. Mr. Sivar is far removed from conventional common sense, isn’t he?”

“… …”

I was immediately refuted. It was best to avoid verbal sparring with Rize whenever possible.

Despite her appearance as a simple-minded brute, she was a figure who had spent decades on the pilgrimage path.

Not only had she encountered all kinds of people, but her countless experiences had given her a remarkably open mindset.

Moreover, as a believer favored by Chaos, she was the type to accept strange occurrences without much fuss.

“But as things stand, it’s difficult to intentionally trigger the Berserk State. There probably haven’t been many instances of it activating.”

That was true. Although it had activated recently during the fight with Hector, it was generally hard to trigger.

The condition itself was a “Death Crisis.” Could that be intentionally brought about? Especially with my tenacity in the mix?

In game terms, it was like only activating when your stamina dropped to around 5%. Unless you reached that state, the Berserk State wouldn’t activate.

But Rize thought differently. Or rather, she seemed intent on shattering common sense.

With her signature refreshing smile, she raised her fist and said.

“Instead, I’ll help you. So you can familiarize yourself with the sensation of the Berserk State. To master that sensation and intentionally activate it, and even control it.”

Damn. That’s terrifying. With that face and such a refreshing smile, it’s even more chilling.

Even her tone carried a sense of benevolence, making the dissonance all the more striking.

“…So you’re saying you’ll resort to violence after all.”

Ellie, perhaps sensing my fear, patted my back and responded. It felt calming to my mind and body.

“It’s different. Awakening a sensation and directly striking are two very different things. Ms. Ellie, do you know the term Placebo Effect?”

“Yes. It’s when a substance with no real effect is disguised as real medicine, and the symptoms actually improve.”

Since Ellie studied herbology, she would have learned basic medical arts. Though it was more about remedies for symptoms than actual medical arts.

“What I’ll use is something similar. You could call it a form of hypnosis. You won’t actually die, but I’ll help you feel as if you are.”

“Is that even possible?”

“It is.”

Rize confidently declared that it was possible. Coming from none other than the Fist Saintess, her words carried weight.

Though I didn’t know the exact principle, I felt it might be worth trusting her. Even if it was still terrifying.

Now that Rize had laid out her method, all that remained was my consent. Ellie stroked my head and asked for my thoughts.

“Sivar, what do you think? Honestly, I’d like to help you myself, but I’m an outsider when it comes to combat.”

“… …”

“I’m sorry I can’t help. But I promise to grant you something you want later.”

Let me touch your chest. That would make everything forgivable.

The words rose to my throat but were forcibly swallowed back down. I was already enjoying enough as it was.

While leaning against Ellie’s chest, I glanced at Rize. She seemed willing to respect my choice without pressing further.

‘For now, I have no choice but to refuse.’

For the upcoming event, it would be too much for now. I’d probably have some leeway starting about a week later.

If I could truly control the Berserk State with Rize’s help, it would be an incredible advantage.

The Berserk State itself was a trait that made me several times stronger than usual. If it could be converted into an ability… it would be perfect.

Besides, Rize was stronger than Rod. With both the Sword Saint and the Fist Saintess present, the odds of an incident occurring were slim.

“Not now. Absolutely not.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means not now.”

Kara answered on my behalf. At some point, she had started speaking in a polite tone.

As I mentioned earlier, the Cleric Event made the next week difficult. Missing it would mean waiting until the next quarter.

But it wasn’t as if I had no time at all. The weekend was coming soon, so I could make time then.

And… it seemed best to at least see it with my own eyes. To see exactly what method Rize planned to use.

“Method. Experience.”

“They’re asking to at least demonstrate the method you’ll use, even if it’s just as an experience.”

“It’s really fascinating. How do you both understand everything Mr. Sivar says?”

This time, Ellie translated instead. Both Ellie and Kara could understand perfectly, even if the words were jumbled.

They probably didn’t realize it themselves. I mean, even I didn’t know how they managed to understand.

Anyway, I’d need to see the method. Rize, momentarily intrigued, opened her mouth to explain the “method.”

“It would be difficult to show you here. Shall we step out to the back for a moment?”

What kind of method was she planning to use? Just as I was wondering, Rize turned to Rod with a question.

“Is that alright?”

“As long as it’s in the sky and not on the ground, it’s fine.”

“It might rain, though.”

“Do as you wish.”

Rod seemed to have a vague idea of what she was about to demonstrate. Was this how conversations between the strong worked?

Following Rize, we headed out to the backyard. The area was quite spacious, bordered by a forest.

Even as we stepped outside, I carefully moved while holding Ellie in my arms. Rize was intimidating to approach closely.

Ellie, finding my behavior endearing, played with my hands. Judging by how she intertwined our fingers, she didn’t seem uncomfortable.

“Sivar. I don’t mind, but don’t do this with others, especially women. The waist is quite sensitive, you know.”

“Alright.”

She even gave me such advice in the middle of it. Kara glanced at me sideways but deliberately ignored it.

Eventually, we arrived at a wide-open space. All that was left was to wait and see what Rize would show us.

“I’ll show you the method I plan to use on Mr. Sivar. Just to be clear, it won’t involve direct impact, and it’ll be much weaker than this.”

Saying so, Rize slowly assumed a stance. She spread her legs slightly and lifted her head to look at the sky.

Then, she bent her knees slightly and began to draw her right arm back. I had a rough idea of what that stance was.

“Hup!”

After completing the stance, she delivered a clean straight punch toward the sky. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary punch.

Crack!

Until a fracture appeared in the void, as if glass had shattered.

“··· ···”

“······What is this?”

“A fracture······ in the void······”

It was an incredibly light punch, yet its impact was beyond imagination.

Everyone watching, except for Rod, couldn’t believe their eyes.

Crackle!

Meanwhile, the fracture in the void began to grow more severe. I worried it might completely break apart.

Fortunately, it subsided before long, but the effects of “breaking” the space gradually became apparent.

“Th-this, this······”

“Huh? Why are you—ugh?!”

At Luna’s urgent words, Kara looked up at the sky. Then, Kara also gasped in shock.

Considering they rarely got startled, it made me even more curious. I slowly lifted my head.

“······Oh.”

The current time was roughly 4 p.m. In summer, it was a time when the sun should still be shining brightly.

But look at the sky now. Some parts were as dark as night, others glowed like a sunset, and some were clouded over strangely.

Beyond just distorting space, the sky itself was ruined. It was more impactful than when Rod sliced through space with his sword.

If Rod’s swordsmanship was clean and precise, Rize had utterly shattered the space into pieces.

And she did it with nothing more than a simple punch.

Drip—drip—

Raindrops fell on my face. As I mentioned earlier, there was also a part of the sky where it was raining.

“This is the method I’ll use on Mr. Sivar. It’s just an example, and the intensity will be much weaker than this.”

“··· ···”

Rize’s voice pierced my ears. Slowly, I lowered my head and looked at her.

“The Placebo Effect is hypnosis. And······”

With a bright smile, Rize continued.

“The method I’ll use is also hypnosis.”

It was nothing short of terrifying.