A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 85

In the end, Ellie scolded me. She said women are sensitive about their age, so I should call them “Noona” or “Nim” whenever possible.

Of course, Rize replied that she didn’t mind. She said she had long since given up on living as a woman.

The reason she froze up earlier was because it had been so long since someone called her “grandma.”

“You seemed pretty flustered for someone who says that.”

“It’s because it’s been such a long time since I last heard that term. Ever since I experienced rejuvenation, I haven’t heard it even once.”

“You’re not angry, are you?”

“I can say I’m not. After all, it’s true that I’m quite old.”

If we’re talking purely about age, Rize would be older than Rod. By more than ten years, at that.

Rod may look older on the surface, but surprisingly, he’s quite young.

It’s because he’s traveled the world, endured countless hardships, and is affected by the aging peculiar to Westerners.

On top of that, his mustache makes him look even older. Of course, he doesn’t care at all.

“But it seems you should be careful with your words. Sometimes, words can be more dangerous than violence.”

“Come to think of it, hasn’t Sivar gotten better at speaking now?”

Kara expressed her curiosity as she looked at me. Then, the others also turned their attention to me.

As she said, I can now speak to some extent. But I’m still far from fluent.

“I do speak. Like this.”

It’s roughly like that. I’ve barely spoken before, and I can’t even string words together properly.

It’s a bit like this: learning English conversation but having grammar that’s all over the place.

Moreover, since there are still many words I don’t know, I often mix and match them. I plan to keep studying diligently.

“You’ve really improved a lot. Do you have anything you want to say right now?”

“I want candy.”

“That’s what he said.”

“No.”

Rod firmly refused in a strict voice. No matter how endearing it was, candy seemed to be off-limits.

Considering all the trouble I’ve caused so far, it’s probably inevitable. All I can do is grumble.

“Why not?”

“Use honorifics.”

“······Why not?”

“Put your hand on your chest and think about it.”

I did as he instructed. I placed my hand on my chest and thought deeply.

Usually, that phrase is a metaphor for asking if one’s conscience is clear. But they must have assumed I wouldn’t understand that.

After thinking for a long while, I quietly lowered my hand and confidently spoke.

“I thought about it. Please give me candy.”

“Sigh······ I must’ve misspoken.”

The frustrated Rod elicited faint laughter from the others. In the end, perhaps giving up, he handed over the candy.

It was Nurungji-Flavored Candy, something I hadn’t tasted in a long time. When Kara secretly gave me candy before, it was usually apple or grape-flavored.

Anyway, this might be the last time I ask Rod for candy. Soon, I’ll be assigned a private dormitory.

“Rize. Let me warn you in advance—don’t indulge Sivar’s requests too much. It’ll spoil him.”

“You don’t need to worry. Soon, everything he eats might taste as sweet as candy.”

“······?”

What does she mean by that? It sounds really unsettling.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as others also had puzzled expressions.

It’s rare for food to taste sweet unless someone has undergone physical or mental hardship.

“Are you planning to train Sivar during your cohabitation?”

Luna was the first to voice her question. She undergoes training every weekend for “Che.”

She must have wondered if I’d go through a similar process, considering how grueling her single session of training was.

“Yes. While Ms. Luna focused on ‘Che,’ I plan to guide Brother Sivar with a focus on ‘Sim.’ I’ll combine what I learned in the East with my own experiences to teach him.”

“So controlling his berserk state isn’t enough, I see.”

“That’s correct. It will be similar to the Eastern legend where a bear became human by eating only mugwort and garlic.”

Surely, she’s not telling me to survive on just mugwort and garlic. I really hope not.

‘It probably just means she wants to build my patience.’

The legend Rize mentioned also emphasizes patience. It interprets the difference between humans and beasts as the ability to endure.

She might have judged me to lack patience after hearing me whine for candy.

Honestly, I can endure most things, but not delicious food. It’s a side effect of re-entering civilization.

“The method itself is simple. Brother Sivar?”

“?”

“Please stand up for a moment and come over here.”

What is she planning? I briefly wondered but stood up as she requested.

Then, I walked silently to the spot she indicated.

“Now, just stand still and do nothing for five minutes.”

“······?”

That’s it? I gave her a look that clearly asked if that was all.

The others seemed to share my sentiment, as they began to express their doubts one by one.

“Um······ Saint, no matter how restless Sivar is, he can at least manage that much.”

“You’re treating him like a fool······”

Those were Ellie and Kara’s respective comments. As they said, staying still isn’t particularly difficult.

After all, I’ve even mastered ambush techniques to ensure successful hunts. Killing my presence and doing nothing is a piece of cake.

However, Rize’s method was different. She smiled faintly and slowly stood up.

Bang!

The moment she stood, she shifted into Martial Saint Mode. Her muscles, especially her pectorals, were like sculpted stone.

As soon as Rize abruptly entered Martial Saint Mode, the atmosphere shifted oddly.

I almost took a step back but managed to suppress the urge.

“You’re right. Brother Sivar has lived in the wilderness and possesses considerable patience. But ‘Sim’ isn’t just about patience. Patience is merely one part of it.”

Step- Step- Step-

With those words, Rize approached me. I did my best to suppress my trembling.

Do you know the feeling of an immovable force closing in on you?

It’s like a massive wall slowly advancing, ready to crush you.

“What Brother Sivar needs is the mindset of a human. It’s the most crucial part of forming one’s character.”

“··· ···”

“Although we’ll be cohabiting, I won’t obstruct Brother Sivar’s path. I’ll allow him to pursue whatever he desires.”

If anything, that was a relief. I’d been slightly worried that Rize might interfere with my plans.

With her capabilities, it wouldn’t just be like putting a leash on me—it’d be akin to a full-blown execution.

Not an execution, more like shackling my ankles and sentencing me to life imprisonment.

“But I’ll help Brother Sivar make decisions befitting a human. Not just enduring or raging every time, but knowing when to endure and when to rage. That’s the ‘Sim’ I’ll teach you.”

Is she telling me to do whatever I want, or to think and make judgments? It’s ambiguous.

If it’s Rize, who thrives on chaos, this training method is very much like her. Then again, I’m not even sure if this qualifies as training.

What exactly does Rize want? It’s impossible to grasp her intentions.

“Brother Sivar. What do you want to do right now?”

“······I want to sit.”

“Alright. Then you may sit back down.”

Is that really it? Following her words, I quietly returned to my seat.

Once back, I instinctively leaned against Ellie. The tension in my chest eased.

“Remember this, Brother Sivar.”

Rize, still in Martial Saint Mode, looked at me.

“The true difference between humans and beasts lies in the heart.”

Her words resonated deeply, as if striking a chord within me.

******

Some time had passed since it was decided that I’d cohabit with Rize.

We decided to take our time getting the school uniform tailored, so for now, we were inspecting the dormitory where Rize and I would live.

“The size itself isn’t much different from a private dormitory.”

“It was already big compared to a private dormitory.”

I had seen it in the Soul World as well, but the dormitory was larger than expected. It could easily be mistaken for a four-person room rather than a private room.

There was even a kitchen where you could cook food, a shower room, and some simple exercise equipment.

Since nobles also stayed here, it was clear that a lot of care had gone into it. I could definitely live well here.

“What? Are we going to live here from now on?”

While we were looking around the dormitory, Porori came to find us. Judging by his behavior, it seemed he had followed the scent.

Considering he had always followed Ellie around, it wasn’t surprising that he found us.

“Yes. We’ll be staying here from now on.”

“Oh? You’ve gotten much better at speaking. Still not as good as me, though.”

“Want me to hit you?”

“Go ahead, try it, you little punk.”

As soon as I threatened him, Porori scurried over to Ellie. That annoying behavior of his never changed.

Still, since he was protecting Ellie, I had no choice but to let it slide. Besides, we were technically in a truce.

“There are two beds, and nothing seems particularly bothersome. Cooking can be done casually.”

“Sivar won’t be a problem either, right?”

“Yeah.”

There were no issues—except for the fact that I’d be living with Rize.

If it weren’t for Rize, I could’ve enjoyed more freedom, but I decided to let it go.

“Then, we’ll head out now. See you tomorrow.”

“Get along well with the Saint.”

Those were Kara and Ellie’s parting words. They said what they needed to and quickly left the dormitory.

The only person left was Luna. She stayed behind, saying she had something to discuss with the Saint.

“Do we have to take the test this weekend too?”

“Yes, that’s correct. If you’d like, you can take it here.”

“Really? Is Sivar okay with that?”

“Yeah.”

It didn’t matter. The dormitory was spacious anyway.

When I gave my permission, Luna’s lips curved into a wide smile. She looked a bit foolish.

‘She really does seem like a fool sometimes.’

Luna started grinning, completely unaware of my thoughts.

What on earth was she thinking? I was genuinely curious.

“Then, see you tomorrow! And I’ll see the Saint on the weekend!”

“Goodbye.”

With Luna’s cheerful farewell, she too left, leaving only Rize and me in the dormitory.

A man and a woman alone in the same room. No matter how much it was Rize, the atmosphere was bound to feel awkward.

“I’ll go take a shower first.”

“······Okay.”

Even saying something like that made the mood feel weirder. Rize left those words behind and headed straight to the shower room.

Here’s where I found something ridiculous—the shower room had semi-transparent glass walls.

In other words, you could see Rize’s silhouette clearly from the other side. Why on earth would they design it like this?

Ssshhh—

The sound of the showerhead turning on was accompanied by Rize’s figure being vividly projected.

Starting with her long hair, her shadow showed her tilting her head back to rinse it.

Due to her considerable size, certain parts of her silhouette stood out more prominently.

‘Wow······ Is that really a human body······?’

Comparable to Ellie in size. Watching her shadow made me marvel all over again.

The strange thing was that I didn’t feel any lust. I quietly admired the perfection of her physique.

Bang!

Suddenly, with a small explosion-like sound, her silhouette changed.

The smooth shadow instantly turned rugged as Rize struck her signature muscle pose.

[Hmm. It seems my divine power has increased again.]

She spoke softly, but I heard her clearly. She was probably checking herself out in the mirror by now.

‘Wow······ Is that really a human body······?’

I quietly admired her perfect physique once again, albeit for a different reason this time.