A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 68

After Rize literally shattered the sky, Rod handled the aftermath.

Rod poked at the sky here and there with his sword, and before long, it returned to its original state.

According to Rod, it wouldn’t have mattered if they left it as it was, but he took action to avoid unnecessary attention.

Rize admitted that while she was proficient in many things, she lacked talent for meticulous tasks, so it was better for him to handle it.

“Who’s this muscle-bound human? I rushed back because the sky seemed off, and now there’s some weirdo here.”

As I was pondering whether entrusting things to Rize was the right decision, Porori returned to his dwelling.

It seemed he had hurried back the moment he saw the sky being wrecked. Given his sensitivity to the sky, it was a natural reaction.

“Hmm? A talking squirrel? Are you some kind of spirit beast?”

Rize was slightly surprised by Porori’s presence but didn’t make a fuss.

Having traveled the world for decades like Rod, she wasn’t particularly fazed by the sight of a spirit beast.

“I sense a strong aura of Lord Gulak from you. Have you perhaps been blessed by him?”

“Uh… sort of? I wield lightning like that red-haired woman over there.”

Porori answered while pointing at Kara. That reminded me of the time Kara first learned of Porori’s existence.

She had been dumbfounded when Porori not only saved Hector but also demonstrated better control over lightning than her.

I, too, had felt a sense of defeat in various aspects when it came to Porori, and I knew Kara felt similarly.

“But what exactly are you? You look male on the outside, yet you reek of a female scent. Is my nose broken?”

Porori circled around Rize, trying to discern her identity.

Like me, Porori was a being with exceptional instincts. He must have long realized that Rize was biologically female.

However, her appearance screamed masculinity—her physique was one even most men couldn’t hope to achieve.

“Biologically speaking, yes, I am a woman. But I have been blessed by Lord Chaos. When it comes to physicality, I can confidently say I surpass anyone.”

“Ah, that makes sense now. Chaos—isn’t that the same god as that guy over there?”

Porori gestured toward me, seated on the sofa, as he asked. At that moment, I was indeed sitting on the sofa.

Ellie was sitting beside me, lovingly stroking my hair.

Normally, I’d be too self-conscious to act spoiled in front of others, but witnessing Rize’s transcendent strength had changed my perspective.

I was already dreading the multiple instances of physical hypnosis I’d have to endure in the future, and Ellie knew it, comforting me as best as she could.

“Yes, Brother Sivar has also been chosen by Lord Chaos. That’s why I intended to help him.”

“Help with what?”

“To master the ability to control berserk mode freely and manage his instincts.”

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

Porori crossed his arms and nodded at Rize’s explanation, indicating his understanding.

Porori has had the most experience fighting me when I was in berserk mode, so he must have realized the importance of control.

Didn’t he previously tell me to do something about my red eyes? In the civilized world, control is essential, unlike in the wilderness.

“If that’s the case, why did you destroy the sky earlier? It gave me chills and scared the hell out of me.”

“Ah, that was for hypnosis. I was planning to help Brother Sivar starting this weekend.”

“…Destroying the sky is part of hypnosis? Is there something wrong with my eyes?”

Porori muttered in a bewildered tone, still unaware of what physical hypnosis entailed.

I didn’t want to undergo physical hypnosis either, but there was no other viable option.

‘They say it doesn’t involve direct impact, but I don’t get it.’

Rize had emphasized this repeatedly: destroying the sky was merely an example, and there would be no direct impact.

Technically, she was right—shattering space and using the shockwaves as an attack wasn’t direct physical contact.

But it would still hurt like hell. Attacks related to space inherently rendered “defense” meaningless.

In the Soul World, it’s classified as defense-piercing damage, a special ability that ignores all forms of protection.

Iron King, shield techniques, hardening techniques—they’re all bypassed, and the damage lands directly.

‘Is she planning to disintegrate my bones and flesh from the inside out?’

I’m used to pain, but I still hate it. With the weekend just around the corner, I was already anxious.

“You can handle it, right? You seem stronger than that old human, but he’s no pushover either.”

As I sighed inwardly, Porori asked Rize in a concerned tone.

Porori had only managed to take me down with Hector’s help, and even then, Rod had to deliver the final blow.

Before I learned various techniques, I was evenly matched with Porori, but as I grew stronger, even he found me challenging now.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s not necessary to trigger berserk mode completely. For now, we just need to awaken the sensation right before it activates.”

“Hmm, hearing about it doesn’t make much sense. Since it’s happening this weekend, I might as well watch.”

Rize seemed to have grown close to Porori before I knew it. She exuded the vibe of talking to a person rather than an animal.

Porori seemed to notice this belatedly and asked Rize in a puzzled voice.

“Come to think of it, you seem quite comfortable talking to spirit beasts. That red-haired woman over there doesn’t even want to talk to me.”

“Huh? Me?”

Porori pointed at Kara as he spoke. Kara, suddenly called out, reacted with surprise.

It was true—Kara avoided talking to Porori. To be precise, she found it awkward and difficult to converse with him.

In fact, Kara’s reaction was normal; the rest of us were the odd ones. Anyone would feel a sense of disharmony talking to a squirrel that speaks human language.

No matter how fantastical the world is, awkwardness is still awkward. Besides, spirit beasts are rare, making it even more unusual.

“I’m used to it. I’ve met a deer spirit beast that protected the forest and even a white tiger guarding a region. I’ve also encountered spirit beasts in human form.”

“Human form? Are you saying I could become like those humans?”

“I thought that was just a legend.”

After Porori’s astonished reaction, Rod spoke as if questioning its authenticity.

Even Rod, who had spent his life as a wandering ronin, was surprised, which showed how exceptionally rare it was.

Spirit beasts like Porori are already rare, but evolving into a human form is an extraordinary case, closest to the concept of “indigo.”

“I met one by chance. It was a nine-tailed fox with eight tails.”

Rize crossed her arms, emphasizing her robust biceps, as she delved into her memories and began to speak.

In terms of age and experience, she surpassed even Rod. She had traveled not just across the world but even to regions inhabited by demons.

“Except for its ears, it looked no different from a human. However, it was a spirit beast on the verge of walking a corrupt path.”

“A corrupt path?”

“It was contemplating whether to absorb human vitality like a succubus. Realizing this, I guided it onto the right path. By now, it should have taken on a fully human form.”

I think I know who that is. There’s only one nine-tailed fox deeply connected to Rize.

By now, she’s probably traveling across the East, harboring deep gratitude toward Rize.

‘Guided it onto the right path? More like beat it into submission.’

Of course, the nine-tailed fox had attacked first, so Rize’s response was merely self-defense.

While defending herself, she must have said something that inspired the fox. Either way, it’s quite an amusing story.

“So, you too could become a spirit beast. According to a legend from the Hwan Empire, there’s a case of someone who became human by eating only mugwort and garlic in a cave.”

“…Are you telling me to eat nothing but mugwort and garlic?”

“It’s just an example. Eating mugwort and garlic symbolizes ‘patience.’ Don’t you already know what patience is?”

“Yeah, offering acorns I worked hard to gather to the sky every day is tough. I guess I should start practicing bending my thumbs first.”

Porori extended his hands, wiggling his fingers. He still couldn’t bend his thumbs.

I wondered how he’d look if he transformed into a human. The nine-tailed fox had been a stunning beauty.

“By the way, Saint—no, Virtuous Saint, will you be staying at the academy for a while?”

While Porori was wiggling his thumbs, Luna spoke up, asking if Rize would remain at the academy for the time being.

Rize turned her back and faced Luna. The moment their eyes met, Luna flinched.

Simply turning around was enough to exude overwhelming intimidation.

“I think so. But I can’t stay away from my duties for long. After helping Brother Sivar, I’ll return to Byzantium.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing Rize’s response, Luna glanced at Rod. She seemed to be wondering if she should mention the demons’ involvement with the academy.

Rod, understanding Luna’s silent question, shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up.

Even Rod himself wasn’t certain, so it was likely to avoid unnecessary confusion. The demons might also catch on.

‘After all, Rize was the person demons feared the most.’

Rize’s nickname, “Ultimate Weapon against Great Demons,” was a testament to her overwhelming advantage against them.

With the combination of “Virtuous Saint” and “Saintess,” she was the demons’ natural enemy.

From holy power, which demons are weak against, to her space destruction ability that bypasses all defenses, she was unmatched.

Just Rize’s presence at the academy would have put the demons on high alert.

‘If the timing aligns perfectly, the Academy Collapse arc could be cleared easily…’

But the odds were practically zero, making it nearly impossible. The demons meticulously tracked Rize’s every move.

If Rize were at the academy during their planned operation, they’d postpone it entirely.

That’s how immense Rize’s influence was, and excluding her was the only viable option.

“Understood. So, since you’ll be staying here for the time being… where will you be handling your meals and lodging?”

“I’ve already arranged a place for meals and lodging. My aide worked hard for it. Instead…”

Bang!

Rize trailed off, and then a very faint explosion occurred. A sound like puffed rice popping echoed, and a hazy smoke screen began to rise.

Soon, Rize emerged from the smoke screen in her Saint Mode. Instead of her imposing pectoral muscles, a chest as abundant as Ellie’s stood out.

Unlike the purely macho Martial Saint Mode, this appearance was the epitome of femininity. Rize wore a slightly dissatisfied smile and grumbled.

“I’ll have to stay in this form, right? I came here as a Saint, not as a Martial Saint.”

“…Is there really a difference between the two?”

“Of course there is. If I came in my Martial Saint form, it would be as if I came here to conduct an Inquisition.”

Luna’s question was answered by Rod instead. Coming as a Martial Saint was essentially a declaration of intent to use force.

From the Academy’s perspective, they’d be confused about where that force would be directed, so Saint Mode was more appropriate.

“…What the? Where did that guy from earlier go? Why is there a real woman here?”

“It’s the same person.”

“Don’t be ridiculous… No, never mind. The world is full of all kinds of people, just like that one.”

Even Porori, who rarely gave up on thinking, found Rize baffling. Truly, she was the perfect embodiment of ‘Chaos.’

“…So, what exactly is your true form? Is it this one, or the one from earlier?”

Having seen both the Saint and Martial Saint forms, Kara asked in a hesitant voice.

Not just her, but everyone seeing Rize for the first time wore expressions of complete incomprehension.

The question of what Rize’s true form was must have dominated their thoughts.

Perhaps aware of this, Rize responded with her characteristic bright smile.

“Both are my true forms. If I channel power into this state, I transform into the form you saw earlier. Honestly, I prefer the Martial Saint form, but my aide insisted so much that I’m maintaining this one.”

“How does it work?”

“It’s nothing special. I just channel power into my body to transform.”

Nothing special, indeed. Everyone’s expressions mirrored my own disbelief.

Perhaps sensing her explanation was insufficient, Rize placed a hand on her ample chest and elaborated.

“To explain in more detail, this form is better for storing power. The form from earlier is the opposite.”

“…I still don’t understand at all.”

“Hmm. Would it be easier to understand if I said this form prevents muscle loss? It’s like converting chest muscles into this fatty form. Plus, it’s more convenient for storing Divine Power.”

She emphasized her notably abundant chest as she added further explanation. Naturally, no one was convinced.

“…So, does that mean I can become like the Saint as well?”

Except for Ellie. Given her chest, which was no less impressive than Rize’s, it seemed like a plausible question.

At that, Rize gazed intently at Ellie’s chest before shaking her head. It was a clear no.

“I’m sorry, but Ms. Ellie, that won’t be possible.”

“W-Why not?”

“It’s natural. The only thing that can be stored there is Divine Power.”

I had no idea how that was relevant.

“Besides, it could get even bigger. Are you okay with that?”

“…As long as Sivar is okay with it?”

“?”

Why me.