A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 73

I wasn’t sure why my faith had increased, but I returned home for now.

On the way back, Ellie and Kara bickered a bit, but it ended quickly.

They decided to take turns hugging me. Since I didn’t care who I hugged, I kept my mouth shut.

In such cases, staying silent and not answering is the best course of action. I may not know why they’re arguing, but I do know this much.

“Fortunately, nothing seems broken. Would you like some tea?”

“I’d appreciate it if you would.”

The house was impeccably clean. I had worried that summoning Ragnarok might have caused some damage, but thankfully it was just needless concern.

That being said, I wouldn’t store it outside. It’d be a hassle if some wild animal took it.

You might wonder what kind of wild animal would take it, but raccoons or squirrels often snatch things away.

Even when I lived in the forest, my food was frequently stolen. Most of the time, raccoons would sneak up and take it.

“Now, I should teach you how to get closer to Lord Chaos. Moving forward, Brother Sivar will also need to receive Lord Chaos’s blessing, so I’ll share some tips.”

Rize, in her Saint Mode rather than Martial Saint Mode, spoke to me. Hearing her words, I blinked in response.

As I’ve mentioned before, Chaos tends to grant blessings to so-called “clowns.”

Even now, though I don’t know the reason, it must have been an amusing situation from Chaos’s perspective.

“Receiving Lord Chaos’s blessing. It’s actually very simple. You just have to pique Lord Chaos’s interest or satisfy him. That’s all.”

“That’s it? No need for prayers or offerings?”

Kara asked in a slightly incredulous tone. She was a devout follower of Gulak, who required offerings.

Though the types of offerings could vary, the increase in faith wasn’t significant. Moreover, the stronger you became, the higher the quality of offerings required.

In the case of Hector and Kara, they had offered numerous tributes during the Tribal Unification, which allowed them to easily control lightning.

Even Porori had offered his precious acorns, earning him a direct blessing from Gulak.

While the standards for offerings were surprisingly strict yet simple, Chaos was so complex that it raised questions.

“Yes. Lord Chaos stands between Goddess Gaia and Lord Gulak. He governs the space between the earth and the sky. Some say he represents humanity, while others claim he embodies the world we live in. After all, in the primordial era, the sky and earth existed, but the world inhabited by humans did not. He is deeply interested in the world we live in.”

“··· ···”

I still couldn’t understand a word of it. I felt like I was on the verge of grasping it, but it remained elusive.

Others had similar expressions of confusion, except for Rod, who seemed to understand her well.

Perhaps anticipating this, Rize gave a bright smile and summarized it very concisely.

“Simply put, he’s a profoundly human-like god. Unlike gods who observe from afar, he experiences emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, just like us. He’s the closest to us yet, paradoxically, the farthest due to his divinity. He loves us deeply but also offers stern criticism when necessary.”

“······He really does seem like chaos.”

Luna replied hesitantly, her expression showing she was unsure of what to say.

“You don’t need to understand. Lord Chaos doesn’t particularly care. However, after serving him for decades, I’ve realized there’s something he seeks.”

“Something he seeks?”

“Yes. A definitive way to receive his blessing, not through vague methods.”

That was news to me. Or maybe I just couldn’t remember it.

In the Soul World, being chosen by Chaos was often likened to stepping on crap.

Unless you were a Conceptual Player, restarting was usually the better option, and even Conceptual Players had to use all their cunning.

Even veteran players gave up trying to analyze Chaos’s actions, as they were too convoluted to comprehend.

While I was lost in such thoughts, Rize took a sip of tea and began speaking in a calm tone.

“It’s proof.”

“Proof······?”

“Yes, proof. Achieving results through effort. Lord Chaos values this the most.”

Hearing this, I pondered deeply. Was there such a tendency in the Soul World as well?

However, the “proof” Rize mentioned was something difficult to showcase in the game, so my memory was unclear.

After all, believers chosen by Chaos were rare, and meeting them was even harder.

“So, if Brother Sivar can also provide proof, Lord Chaos will be pleased. For now, mastering berserk would be a good start.”

“And after that? Is it over once I control berserk?”

“No. Brother Sivar must decide for himself what to pursue next. Lord Chaos respects our choices.”

So, the first step is to master berserk. With Rize’s help, I should be able to control it quickly.

But what comes next is the real question. What exactly did Chaos see in me to choose me?

‘Is it because I came from another world?’

That’s highly likely. Otherwise, there’s no reason for Chaos to take an interest in me.

Moreover, my goal is a smooth clear. Perhaps Chaos knew this and chose me because of it.

‘But why me, of all people?’

If I could, I’d grab him by the collar and demand an answer. Out of all the countless souls, why me?

Not only that, why did he drop me in the forest instead of a city? And in the infamous Forest of Chaos, no less.

At least Gaia and Gulak have temples, but Chaos doesn’t even have that. It’s pointless to head to Byzantium.

‘In reality, Rize is essentially Chaos’s representative.’

Want to grab Chaos by the collar? Then you’d have to grab Rize’s collar instead.

Of course, the outcome is obvious without needing to say it. The moment I grab her collar, my head would probably go flying.

I sighed inwardly. Now that I’ve heard what Chaos seeks, I’ll just have to work hard on clearing for the time being.

‘There’s still a lot left in the Academy Collapse arc.’

All I can do is hope Rod’s condition improves by then. He’s already showing signs of gradual recovery.

Rod is also digging into the medical practitioner’s background, so the identity of their “backing” should be revealed soon. Once we deal with that person, the road ahead will be smoother.

“Oh, and one more thing. There’s another situation that could pique Lord Chaos’s interest.”

Just as we were about to wrap up, Rize spoke up. Everyone’s attention turned to her.

Rize smiled gently and glanced at me and my sides. On either side of me sat Ellie and Kara, respectively.

Luna sat at the far end, next to Kara. What stood out here were Kara and Ellie.

While Luna had ample space, Kara and Ellie were pressed right up against me.

Their shoulders were so close to mine that it felt slightly burdensome. I had no idea why they were acting like this today.

“There’s a saying that humans are social animals. In other words, Lord Chaos takes great interest in human relationships.”

“Human relationships······?”

“Yes. Companions, friends, lovers, married couples, rivals, enemies, siblings, parents, subordinates, and so on. We live with countless relationships. A friend can become a lover or an enemy, and perhaps even a parent.”

“······Is something that absurd even possible?”

Luna asked in a baffled tone at the idea of a friend becoming a parent.

Perhaps expecting this, Rize smiled and provided an excellent counterexample.

“Nothing is impossible in this world, Ms. Luna. There are countless absurd things in life.”

Who was it again? I can’t recall exactly, but I remember a story with the exact opposite example.

A man married his friend’s mother, making his friend his son—a tale involving a certain president.

It was an amusing anecdote, and the couple’s good relationship drew global attention.

“In any case, the more complicated Mr. Sivar’s human relationships become, the more intrigued Lord Chaos will be. Especially if Mr. Sivar ever gets a lover, Lord Chaos might even applaud.”

“Is it really······ that much?”

Ellie asked in a flustered tone. Perhaps it was my imagination, but there seemed to be a hint of expectation in her voice.

At the same time, Kara glanced sideways at her. Her expression didn’t change, but she seemed to be on guard.

“Have you read that novel? The one about a man who lived in the wilderness, like Mr. Sivar, meeting a woman from the civilized world and falling in love. It was such a beautiful and entertaining story.”

“I-I’ve read it too!”

Ellie, seemingly recognizing the book, became so excited that she started speaking rapidly. She talked about the protagonist’s name, his lifestyle, and so on.

She described how he met the exploration team, the process they went through, and why he fell in love with the woman. Her enthusiasm was evident to anyone watching.

Of course, the ending wasn’t very happy. While the relationship between the man and woman was good, the exploration team was the problem.

The team discriminated against the man until the very end, viewing him as inferior, and the resulting conflict eventually erupted.

“I just can’t understand. Why is it a problem to help someone live like a human being?”

“That’s just human nature, Ms. Ellie. People discriminate against others for something as trivial as skin color, so it’s no surprise they’d look down on a wildling.”

“That’s a harsh truth.”

Kara muttered quietly. She must have faced severe discrimination on her way to the Academy.

Though things have improved somewhat now, she must have had a hard time being scorned as a barbarian whenever the opportunity arose. I silently held her hand.

Things were already bad, but now Kara was receiving unnecessary attention because of me. I felt a little sorry for taking down Hector.

Although he started the trouble, he was still her biological father, so I couldn’t say I felt no guilt at all.

“Sivar?”

“I’m fine.”

Perhaps because my faith had increased, I could now manage three syllables instead of just two.

Kara, seemingly surprised by this, widened her eyes before letting out a small laugh. She then pinched my cheek and affectionately teased me.

“That’s right. It’s good for people in similar situations to stick together. Thanks for the comfort.”

“Similar situations······”

Ms. Ellie quietly muttered, seemingly bothered by Kara’s words. I deliberately let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Just because Mr. Sivar can control his berserk state doesn’t mean he’ll completely turn into a normal human. You all need to help him build human relationships so he can live like an ordinary person. So, I ask for your support.”

“Of course. Anyway, he’s the only one I can hang out with.”

“Sister. You can hang out with me. Why do you only want to spend time with Sivar?”

“Sivar gets lonely. At least when we’re together, we should keep him company.”

“I can do that too.”

Again, they’re arguing. I leaned my back against the two who had started bickering.

I have no idea why they’re fighting so much today. Can’t they just get along?

Meanwhile, Rize ignored the two who were arguing and turned her attention to Luna.

“Ms. Luna.”

“Y-Yes?”

Luna, who had been deep in thought, was startled by the call and quickly raised her head.

Rize glanced at the still-bickering pair, then smiled brightly as she made her request.

“Ms. Luna, I ask for your support as well. I heard you were one of the first people to meet Mr. Sivar along with Ms. Ellie?”

“Oh. Yes, I will.”

“Luna, you too?”

“Why do you care?”

As soon as Rize’s request was affirmed, the questions came flying in like arrows. Naturally, they were from Ellie and Kara.

Both of them wore expressions that clearly showed their discomfort. Their faces practically screamed, “You too?”

At this, Luna looked quite flustered and asked back, sounding a bit indignant.

“C-Can’t I show support······?”

It was a misunderstanding laden with a palpable sense of injustice.