Chapter 104

What’s the most important thing in creating a civilization? Personally, I think it’s ‘culture,’ which brings people together.

Most civilizations started with agriculture and communal living, but having enough to eat and live well is just the beginning.

Among these, ‘law’ serves as a kind of moral and ethical line—a strong deterrent. Without laws, civilization would have crumbled long ago.

Humans are creatures that grow in pursuit of their desires. If they were free to express those desires as they pleased, civilization would have fallen apart.

Also, laws aren’t the same in every country. So, when I look at the unique laws of each nation, I often find myself scratching my head.

The reason I’m saying this is because, no matter what country I’m in, I can’t ignore the laws of this world.

Especially when it comes to the ‘violence’ most civilizations employ.

“What’s all this ruckus…?!”

“Oh. They’re here.”

It’s Friday, and even though it’s exam time, there are still people around. Plus, with the door wide open, there’s no way it’s quiet.

I still can’t forget the professor’s expression when he arrived—he was clearly trying hard to grasp the situation.

Delphoi was passed out, frothing at the mouth, while Grace lay quietly on the sofa, catching her breath.

Meanwhile, I was pressing on Grace’s hand, giving her acupressure. I’m sure she’s confused about what the hell is going on.

One thing is clear though: I had pounded Delphoi to a pulp. That was a fact, so I was bound to get caught.

If I commit a crime at the Academy, I would be punished according to the laws of my home country, but I’m just a wildling.

It’s clear that violence is involved, but since laws vary by nation, I have no idea what to do. In reality, the laws of Matra and Granada are different.

Granada has a fairly broad definition of self-defense, being lenient on violence, while Matra is known for its strict rule of law.

Because of this, I couldn’t go outside at all this weekend and had to stay cooped up in my dorm. This is the problem caused by lacking any ‘background.’

“Delphoi’s charges have been revealed. He’s going to serve a life sentence for attempted rape and drug abuse.”

But there’s not a complete absence of responsibility. Rize, who lives with me, stepped up to take charge.

When she said she would take responsibility, it got noisy for a while, but I was like the eye of the storm—calm no matter how things were shaking out.

“The Verche Duke’s family has also requested to handle the disposition regarding Delphoi. The Irulil side quickly passed the issue over, so there shouldn’t be a significant problem.”

“Nom nom nom.”

“Oh, by the way, Arias is famous as a magical country. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit once in a while.”

Listening to Rize while my hands kept busy, I found a feast spread out before me that Rize had prepared.

Since I hadn’t done anything all weekend, Rize took care of all the meals. Her skills were impressive, so I was mostly satisfied.

“Nom nom. What about me?”

It’s not like I’m completely uninterested. I don’t really care what happens to Delphoi, but I’m curious about my own fate.

It’d be best if I could pass it off as self-defense. But with Delphoi’s condition being what it is, I’ve heard opinions suggesting I crossed the line.

His teeth are all broken, and he won’t even be able to speak, let alone perform as a man for the rest of his life.

It’s a fitting punishment for someone attempting rape, but you know there are always old farts and uncomfortable folks around.

Furthermore, as the news of me being a wildling spread, the risks surrounding me are becoming more pronounced.

“Brother, you don’t have to worry. Rod and I will personally handle the defense. Above all, the Verche Duke’s family won’t take it lightly.”

“Got it.”

“The trial… I don’t know if you’ve heard, but it won’t go that far. With Delphoi’s charges revealed, they’ll likely avoid it for the Academy’s reputation.”

While reputation is one thing, the fact that I’m the one who carried out the self-defense is huge. No matter how they try to nitpick, they can’t do much.

A trial to imprison me? If that happens, others, including the Verche Duke’s family, will surely have something to say.

But then again, doing nothing leaves it up in the air what kind of bomb I might end up dropping next.

Thanks to Rize stepping up, things have gone smoothly. Once she took responsibility, nobody could voice any objections.

“Well done. I’m sure Chaos will be pleased. He’s the kind who would commit necessary evils to combat injustice.”

I did receive a message that my faith has increased. I disregarded it while pressing on Grace’s hand.

I lifted my head when Chaos was mentioned by Rize, just to check how much faith I had.

[Shivar]

•Strength: 145

•Agility: 140

•Stamina: 148

•Magic Power: 145

•Luck: 102

•Faith: 40

My faith was 34 after midterms, and now it’s 40. It jumped by a whopping 6.

It usually rises slowly, but it looks like saving Grace made a big impact.

‘But what can you even do with faith?’

It’s great that it went up, but I’m at a loss about what to do with it. Lightning blends perfectly with my red magic, so no issues there.

What kind of gift will this faith bring me? It’s nice that my language is becoming more diverse, but I’m curious about other things.

‘I guess I’ll find out eventually.’

What matters right now are how I am treated and Grace’s condition. I’d love to go check on her, but she needs to rest.

What’s more, she’s currently under strict protection from the Verche Duke’s family due to the news.

It nearly became a case of “crying over spilt milk,” but thankfully it was avoided.

“Grace?”

Still, I can’t help but wonder. I remember there was mention of her suffering from trauma in the Soul World for a while.

Although it didn’t go beyond attempted assault, she nearly lost her purity. From now on, she’s likely to react sensitively even to simple touches.

“Grace is, as I mentioned earlier, stabilizing. It might take a little while for Shivar brother to visit.”

“Hmm…”

“There’s no need to worry too much. If it hadn’t been for Shivar, Grace would have been in serious danger…”

Knock knock—

Just as Rize was about to finish her thought, someone knocked on the dorm door, cutting off our conversation.

Both Rize and I glanced toward the door simultaneously. The Academy guards must be stationed in front of my dorm right now.

As long as I don’t completely clear my charges, I’m in a sort of half-restrained state. Thankfully, with Rize’s protection, I can still go outside.

“Just a moment.”

Rize must have felt something was off too as she got up and walked to the door.

Even while watching her back, I couldn’t stop my hands. The food was so delicious I couldn’t put it down.

“Who is it?”

[We come from the Verche Duke’s family. We’d like to meet Shivar student. May we come in?]

Surprisingly, it was someone dispatched from the Verche Duke’s family at the door. I wondered if they had come to express their gratitude.

Rize slowly opened the door to meet the person who claimed to be from the Verche Duke’s family.

“I apologize. Saint, may I come in for a moment?”

“Yes, please come in.”

Rize seemed to deem it okay and allowed the visitor entry. After she stepped aside, the visitor came in.

From the voice, I could guess he was a man, and indeed he bore a striking resemblance to Grace.

He was fairly tall and built, with the handsome features typical of a nobleman.

“Nice to meet you. I am Arthas Aria Del Verche, the eldest son of the Verche Duke’s family.”

That name sounds like something out of a romance novel. I stared at him blankly as he greeted me politely.

Looking at him, he seems to be Grace’s biological brother. I can tell just by those sharp eyes and purple hair.

“Shivar… right? You have a very unique background.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded in response to Arthas’s question. I still hadn’t gotten up from my seat, too busy munching away.

Arthas continued to stare at my face, as if surveying me.

“May I sit for a moment?”

He then asked for my permission. Since it didn’t bother me, I nodded in approval.

As Arthas sat down, Rize took a seat next to me, which made Arthas’s expression shift slightly.

Well, it would look odd for a saint and so-called ‘Gwonseong’ figure to sit down naturally, right? I’m used to it, so I can brush it off.

“First of all, I want to thank you for saving my younger sister. This thanks is from both the Verche Duke’s family and myself personally.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know if you have heard, but the Delphoi you stopped will be transferred to the Verche Duke’s family. A trial will be held there, but… it seems you’ve already delivered divine retribution upon him.”

Delphoi’s fate doesn’t matter to me. What I find irritating is how Arthas keeps calling me ‘you.’

Arthas refers to me as ‘you.’ Not something you’d expect from someone of noble birth.

Usually, I’d expect to be looked down upon, but whether he’s mindful of Rize or has other reasons, who knows?

“You?”

So, why the formal address? I asked. But I overlooked one thing.

“Oh. Is ‘you’ a difficult word? It’s used out of respect to refer to someone.”

He kindly explained while creating a picture of me as a wildling.

I nearly let out a laugh but held it back. I don’t want to get tangled up in annoying questions.

“This matter deeply relates to the honor of the Verche Duke’s family. Therefore, I want to assure you that you will not face any disadvantages from this. That’s why I’ve come to inform you.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, and also…”

Arthas launched into a lengthy, boring speech. He mentioned that it should lead to me not having to attend the trial and that I’d receive some form of compensation, among other things.

I only half-listened, letting it go in one ear and out the other. If he’s going to compensate me, I’d rather have it in cash.

Still, I’m not entirely displeased. Under normal circumstances, I’d be in a position where I needed to nitpick and drag things to trial.

He could at least cover for why I went to Delphoi’s research room. To anyone else, it’d seem like there’s something off.

If he manages to cover for all that, I might regain my freedom relatively soon.

“Lastly, I’d like to propose a matter to you. I should say it’s more of a request.”

“A request?”

“Yes. The Verche Duke’s family originally planned to assign a bodyguard to Grace. However, Grace firmly refused.”

I vaguely recall that. After the incident, Grace lost her confidence and had a complete change of character.

The self-assured attitude I saw before was gone, and she developed a social phobia, which was quite pitiful.

Given time, her confidence returns and her unique personality comes back, but pitying her still remains.

“While she was experiencing all of this, Grace requested that you become her bodyguard.”

“Yeah?”

What’s that supposed to mean? Did something similar happen in the Soul World?

I can’t remember clearly, and I can’t be sure. I’m even questioning why this person is visiting me.

While I was showing a confused reaction, Arthas added more explanation.

“I know you must be busy. But for Grace’s psychological stability…”

“Fine.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll do it. Be her bodyguard.”

What’s the harm in being a bodyguard, right? But I want to ask one thing.

Being a bodyguard means I need to stay by her side all the time, but is that even feasible?

More importantly, I’m a student. Is it really okay for a student to act as a bodyguard?

Even if we’re in the same class, there are times when we shouldn’t be together. If that’s the case, how can I properly protect her?

“How?”

I lumped all those questions into one and shot them at Arthas. Protecting her might just mean getting some cake from Grace or something.

But I overlooked one vital point—I’m being treated like a clueless wildling.

“Um… should I first explain what being a bodyguard entails?”

“…”

“Being a bodyguard means you’re protecting someone. So you’ll need to stay by Grace’s side…”

I regretted asking.

‘But what made him single me out for this bodyguard role?’

I’m curious about what sparked this change in her.

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