Chapter 36 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 36



You might not remember, but Kara has a unique character trait. She’s basically a ‘loner’ or ‘outcast.’

Hector, before he founded Tartar, brutally destroyed and plundered surrounding nations, and his infamous reputation spread worldwide.

Even after establishing the nation, his notoriety remained, with people calling him a barbarian. Kara didn’t escape that judgment either.

Because of this, the students at the Academy avoid getting close to Kara, and she is well aware of this fact in her daily life.

Of course, if any student crosses the line, they get beaten up so badly that they can’t even speak. That’s a major reason for her bad reputation.

Anyway, it’s an undeniable fact that Kara is a lonely outcast with not a single friend. If you were to express her in animal terms, she’d be a hedgehog covered in spikes.

But hedgehogs tend to retract their spikes when they trust someone, and they are generally quite gentle. Kara is the same.

‘The impact is surprisingly good too.’

I chuckled internally as Kara tried to console me, rambling on.

It’s obvious that being hurt was just a joke. I already fully understood her personality, so what injury was she even talking about?

I was just teasing her a bit. She’ll never get that until the day she dies, though.

“Uh… candy! I’ll get you some candy later! So don’t be too sad, alright?”

“Okay.”

Looks like Kara is trying to win me over with candy now. But that’s not too bad, so I responded positively.

Kara let out a sigh of relief, thinking that my mood had improved, and then shot a sharp glare at Hector.

Hector was staring at me with a pensive expression, as if he was deep in thought. Did he somehow catch on that I was just joking?

“…Father.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you in advance, I’m friends with him, so you have no complaints, right?”

Kara seemed to think Hector was having some pointless, or rather rude, thoughts.

Since Hector met with Luna when she was hospitalized, he must have talked about me too.

A wild person entering the Academy. Unlike the barbarians who exist alongside civilization, there wasn’t even a trace of civilization to be found in him.

“I didn’t say anything, though?”

But Hector replied nonchalantly, as if he had no thoughts. It was more like he was asking what kind of bias I had.

Upon hearing that, Kara flinched and started to sneak glances at me. It seemed she was observing to see if I understood the meaning behind his words.

Indeed, a barbarian, meaning someone from the Tartar race, would probably think that’s a bit… The guy can’t even talk properly from the start.

“…Anyway! He’s my friend, so just accept it. Got it?”

Kara said urgently, gripping my hand as if declaring it to Hector, her face still flushed.

Hector’s expression changed peculiarly. He rubbed his beard, seemingly deep in thought.

I couldn’t tell if it was simple curiosity or calculation, but the former was more likely.

People usually don’t think much when they’re physically fit, and Hector’s physical condition is among the best even in the Soul World.

‘It’s no wonder he’s called the Destruction King.’

In terms of sheer ‘destructive power,’ there’s hardly anyone comparable to Hector. At most, there are about two I can vaguely remember.

And those two are beings that fit the title of the strongest in this world, showing just how tremendous Hector’s physical prowess must be.

Even if his skills slightly lag behind Rod’s, as a Tartar, his combat prowess is quite high.

“Well… if that’s what you say, then that’s it. It wouldn’t hurt to associate with nobles instead of commoners, either. It might help you greatly in the future.”

“Forget it. I don’t want to associate with those who talk nonsense. I’d rather stick with him.”

“This isn’t just advice; it’s a recommendation. Didn’t I teach you? The more allies you have, the better, and the fewer enemies you have, the better.”

Hector, despite appearances, is quite wise. He just lacks clarity in his explanations.

He founded the nation because he instinctively felt they’d eventually be wiped out. There were just too many enemies around.

Other nations might find it annoying, but considering Tartar’s geographical advantages and individual strength, they had to acknowledge it, which was a smart move.

The issue is that it was too rushed. They should have taken things one step at a time, but instead, he forced Kara into the Academy. That’s why she’s struggling now.

“And who created those enemies? Don’t even think about passing the blame to me.”

“…I just meant not to create enemies in the first place.”

“Forget it. I know who my enemies are and I can judge for myself. For now…”

Kara answered brusquely and showed Hector the hand she was holding with mine.

“You know Sivar is on my side, right? Father, you’ve seen how strong he is, haven’t you?”

“…”

“So just leave now. I want to take a rest, too.”

“……Alright.”

At her request, Hector quietly stood up from his chair. He exuded an overwhelming presence, as if a mountain was rising.

After that, Hector alternately glanced at me and Kara with a still ambiguous expression before fixing his gaze on me.

His green, glowing eyes held complex emotions. I just stared back.

“I’ll see you later.”

His uniquely deep voice echoed in my ears. Hector walked away with heavy steps.

*Thud!*

He lightly patted my shoulder while walking away. It carried considerable force.

For an average person, it would have hurt quite a bit. But I was sturdy, so it didn’t bother me.

‘That definitely left a mark, right?’

It might have left a mark since the moment I took Kara down, but it would be a proper mark as of today.

Even in the Soul World, if I build up a good rapport with Kara, Hector will react to it. His reactions vary depending on gender.

When the Protagonist is female, like Luna, he would chuckle approvingly. But if it’s a male? Then he’d start shooting laser beams from his eyes.

It’s only natural for a father to take issue when his only daughter, who is objectively pretty, suddenly has a male friend.

Especially since I’m a wild man with impressive power, I can’t help but attract negative attention.

*Thud-*

The heavy atmosphere lifted as Hector stepped out the door.

The only people left in the hospital room were Kara and myself.

“Whew…”

“…”

“…Hey. No, Sivar.”

After letting out a deep sigh, Kara quietly called my name. It was different from when she usually just calls me “hey.”

When I looked at her, I saw her hesitate, mouth moving as if she was struggling to find words.

Her usually bright green eyes were cast downward, and her face had turned slightly red.

“…Do you know what a friend is?”

Finally, Kara spoke up. But her gaze was still directed elsewhere.

It seemed she was embarrassed at saying it herself. It was a stark contrast to her usual confident demeanor.

‘Was she like this in the Soul World as well?’

I vaguely remember it being somewhat similar, but not entirely.

Due to her position as a princess back home, and being a barbarian in the Academy, Kara occupies a position where it’s hard for her to find friends easily. The more she tries, the more stress she likely builds.

So, gaining her favor was relatively easy, but if she ever felt betrayed, it would turn into the worst kind of enmity.

Of course, that would never happen. I nodded in response to Kara’s question.

“I do. Ah.”

“What’s it… never mind. Asking that kind of question is kind of silly.”

She seemed like she was about to say something more but ended up laughing and shaking her head.

Then she looked up at me squarely. It seemed like this was the first time we were gazing at each other from this close.

“Regardless of anything else, remember this: Friends can tease each other, but betrayal is absolutely forbidden. You got that?”

I’ve heard phrases like that in the Soul World too. It’s what tends to come out when Kara’s favorability reaches a high level.

Kara has experienced all sorts of schemes due to her position as a princess back home. She loathes that kind of manipulation, especially having seen it around the Academy.

“Yeah.”

“Alright then. Let’s promise not to betray each other. Understand?”

“A promise?”

I tilted my head. This wasn’t something I recalled being done even in the Soul World.

While I was pondering, Kara quietly reached out her hand. It was in a cast, but there was a little space left at the fist part.

She then managed to extend just her pinky finger. I thought I knew what she wanted.

“Just cross your pinky with mine. That way, it signifies we made a promise. You can’t break it until we die.”

This girl is trying to inject me with some bizarre sense of common knowledge.

As I blinked in surprise, Kara seemed to realize she was being a bit awkward and yelled urgently.

“J-Just do as I say! Hurry up before anyone sees!”

“Okay.”

I figured I’d just do as she wanted. I could always use it to my advantage later.

I crossed my pinky finger with hers as instructed. It felt strange considering it was the arm I had broken.

Upon seeing me comply, Kara gave me a gentle smile. It wasn’t a bright smile showing off her white teeth, but rather a smile revealing she felt oddly relieved.

*Knock knock knock-*

Just then, someone knocked on the hospital room door. Kara and I turned our heads toward the sound.

*Click-*

Before long, the hospital door swung wide open. Simultaneously, Kara hastily let go of my hand.

There wouldn’t be anyone coming in after Hector had just left. So who could it be?

“Oh! Sivar, you’re here too?”

“You are…?”

An utterly unexpected person appeared. Kara seemed to have a similar expression to mine, asking in a dazed voice.

With her fitting brown bob and sparkling golden eyes, her chest stood out prominently.

“Eli?”

Eli had come to visit Kara in her hospital room. It was even more surprising that it was her and not Luna.

Eli looked back and forth between me and Kara, then gracefully walked over and innocently asked.

“Why did Sivar come here? Were you resting?”

“That’s what I’d like to ask! Who did you come to see?”

Kara asked earnestly. Eli’s visit must have been thoroughly unexpected for her.

It wouldn’t be odd for Luna to come by since we had chatted a few times, but Eli was a whole different story.

We barely ever met, and aside from visiting Luna, it was almost like we were strangers.

“Well, of course, I came to see Miss Kara. I was watching the duel.”

“So you came for that?”

“Yes. I was a bit late because I was watching Luna’s duel too. Oh! Luna said she was tired and would take a short break before visiting.”

Eli kindly informed us about Luna’s recent situation. Thinking about it, there was indeed a duel involving Luna.

Normally, the atmosphere would be awkward, but thanks to Eli’s characteristic cheerfulness, the vibe remained pleasant.

Kara might have felt a bit uneasy, but she didn’t have an uncomfortable look. Even though she could lack intuition, it wasn’t that she had a bad heart.

“But why did Sivar come to see Miss Kara?”

Eli asked me, her expression filled with curiosity. I cleared my throat and replied calmly.

“F-friend.”

“Friend? Who?”

“K-Kara.”

“Kara?”

As I answered, Eli turned to look at Kara. Kara scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.

“She said she came to apologize for hitting me. She thinks of me as a friend.”

“Is that true?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded in agreement, my response entirely straightforward.

Eli’s face lit up with a bright smile as she came closer to me.

*Squish-*

Then she tightly hugged me. Still sitting in the chair, my head got buried in Eli’s chest.

Caught off guard by her sudden action, Eli praised me in a very serious tone.

“Good job! You did really well! Friends should act this way. Sivar, you’re so sweet.”

“…”

Everything is great, but can you please let go? I started to voice this but got cut off.

It was way too soft. How could a human’s body feel even softer than a bed?

Porori wasn’t wrong to lean on such comfort. I wanted to feel this softness just a little longer.

“…Hey. Let go, or I’ll suffocate.”

Kara urged in a low voice as if she felt uncomfortable. The tone easily conveyed her displeasure.

Eli gently eased her grip on me at Kara’s urging. Honestly, I wish I could have held on a little longer, but that’s a bummer.

I mean, if I asked Eli, she would probably comply, but that would make Kara uncomfortable. I’ll have to put that on hold for later.

“I wanted to get some candy for you, but I don’t have any right now. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Forget that, but why did you come looking for me? Just saying you watched the duel isn’t a valid excuse.”

While Eli was apologizing, Kara’s question chimed in.

Eli, still standing behind me, answered.

“Well, as Miss Kara knows, Sivar’s common sense is quite lacking, right? That’s why I came to explain that he didn’t mean any harm.”

While saying this, Eli started to mess with my face. I lent my head back against her chest, finding extreme comfort there.

I was relishing in an indescribable feeling of comfort. How on earth was it this pleasant?

Meanwhile, Kara glanced at me and couldn’t help but chuckle, showing a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

“Malice, huh? You might not know, but do you realize how much he has teased me? Whoever it was really taught him well.”

“Really? Sivar teased you?”

“Yeah. He teased me, saying I was weak and that I’d lose.”

“That sounds weird. Neither I nor the headmaster have ever taught him that…”

As Eli said this, she took a small step back and then came beside me to face me.

Normally, she would have looked down, but it seemed her ample chest was blocking her view.

*Prodded*- *Prodded*-

Just what was she doing pushing her face against mine? The moment Eli locked eyes with me, she poked my cheek with her fingers.

I just stared at her without reacting at all. Eli then grinned broadly before turning back away.

*Fiddle fiddle*-

Now she was back to fiddling with my cheek again. It seemed she had developed a taste for it.

Since I could lean against her chest as a cushion, we both gained from this relationship.

“Maybe he learned something while attending classes. I hope he didn’t learn anything bad…”

“Hmm…”

Kara’s expression changed as if guilt was gnawing at her. She rolled her eyes, looking away.

Though the provocations were things I’d learned myself, I bet there were a lot of sore spots for Kara.

“…So you’re here to apologize? You are Sivar’s guardian too, right?”

Kara hurriedly shifted the conversation. Eli nodded.

“Yes. I was the one who insisted on bringing Sivar, who lived in the forest, here. So if Sivar ever causes trouble, I feel responsible for it.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

Kara appeared to understand. It would certainly make sense from Eli’s perspective.

Even Luna had been skeptical at first about taking me in. I hadn’t even known how to speak or read a single word at that time.

But Eli insisted that people should live like people, sticking to her opinions firm and strong. That’s how I ended up fighting Porori.

If I caused any trouble, good-hearted Eli would undoubtedly feel a sense of responsibility. Though Road would share some of that responsibility, it wouldn’t really change much.

‘Some people might use that to their advantage.’

I have to be cautious about that. Though Porori would keep an eye on me, they wouldn’t always be around.

Let alone that Eli is a character who could die easily in the Soul World if she lets her guard down. It’s a savage world where even the most outrageous deaths can happen in the name of balance.

“I’m fine, so you don’t have to feel responsible. If anything, I like someone level-headed like you.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that. In that case, would you like to have this?”

Eli wiped her brow with relief and presented a small vial she was holding out.

It was a small cylindrical glass bottle filled with a red liquid.

“This is a recovery potion. I made it myself.”

“Thanks. Can I drink it now?”

“No, not yet. You just finished treatment, so it’s time for the potion’s effect to diminish. It should be fine in about a day.”

“Got it. I’ll drink it well. Oh, right.”

As Kara placed the potion atop the drawer, she seemed to recall something.

She then continued to relay a message to Eli, who was still fiddling with my cheek.

“I’ll also be a guardian for Sivar, so keep that in mind.”

“What?”

Eli looked taken aback at the notion of becoming my guardian. Her stammering clearly showed her surprise.

On the other hand, Kara explained it in detail, as if it wasn’t all that significant.

“You know I’m in charge of Sivar’s training, right?”

“I heard that from Luna.”

“Listening to you, I figured I should also bear some responsibility. I wouldn’t want to feel bad if he caused any trouble using the skills he learned from me.”

“You really don’t have to take on that much responsibility…”

“Oh, it’s beneficial to have more guardians, right?”

“Hmm… That’s true.”

The more people who can manage my antics, the better. Road’s job of clutching his neck will only increase, but such is life.

Relieved to hear Eli’s reluctant affirmation, Kara smiled brightly and promptly concluded.

“I look forward to working with you. I’ll probably visit the headmaster’s office this weekend, so let’s meet then.”

“Understood. I look forward to working with you too, Miss Kara.”

“You can just call me ‘sister’ like the others.”

“Is that okay, sister?”

“…I didn’t expect you to use casual speech.”

Kara chuckled lightly. It seemed she was not too concerned about it.

“Is there anything I need to be careful about while I’m with him?”

“Not really. I do the training every weekend. Since you’re related to combat, just tell him not to mess around with it.”

“What if someone insults Sivar?”

Kara questioned with a slight edge in her voice. She tends to be violent if someone calls her a barbarian.

However, she had managed to remain in school because the Academy’s regulations were very strict against racial discrimination.

Even so, Kara’s violence is still the same, and while it isn’t mutual fault, it often leans toward self-defense.

“I’ve also let him know that he can hit anyone making discriminatory comments.”

“Wow.”

Kara seemed impressed by Eli’s response, almost reflexively clapping her hands before quickly stopping upon noticing her arm.

Kara’s face broke into a full smile as she sincerely remarked,

“I’m glad you like it. I figured you’d just tell him to put up with it like everyone else.”

“Denial of the Academy’s principles in the most direct way means that it should be this way. Those who can’t learn have no right to attend the Academy.”

“Hmm, hmm. Of course, that’s how it should be. You’re a breath of fresh air compared to Luna.”

Hmm. Is this really correct?

I kept contemplating as Eli continued to play with my cheek.

‘Even if it wasn’t me, it might have colored in an odd way.’

Nonetheless, judging by how we communicate well, it seems we’ll get along nicely.

As for me, I would continue life thinking of the story as usual.

“But why do you keep messing with my cheeks?”

“Huh? Oh, this? I’m not sure why, but it’s just so soft. Would you like to touch it too, sister?”

“Can’t you see my arms? He did this to me.”

“Oh! Sorry.”

And thus, an alliance between the two ladies was formed, and the duel event came to a close.

There were a lot of complicated matters that arose, but after a long struggle, what arrived was a weekend sweeter than honey.

Luckily, I usually spend weekends studying various words, so I generally feel relaxed.

But then, someone came to ruin that weekend.

“Can I interrupt for a moment?”

“As long as you don’t break anything.”

“That might be a bit hard.”

The Destruction King had arrived.


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A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

아카데미에 야생인이 들어왔다
Score 8.2
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2023 Native Language: Korean
Usually when you possess a novel, you start in the city, but I fell into the forest.

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