Chapter 74

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 26, 2025

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I heard the explanation about controlling Berserk and Chaos from Rize around Saturday.

In other words, that means Sunday was still left, and at that time, Rize was helping Luna instead of me.

To give Luna a taste of how physical training would be from now on, she said she’d give a little preview.

Luna was even receiving training from someone like Gwonseong, so she took it happily. She wanted strength too.

“Uhh…”

And the next day, as soon as class began, she came back like a zombie. Rize, being a Saint, somehow managed to turn her into a zombie.

Luna usually never shows she’s struggling, even when things get tough. But now, she was burying her head on the desk, gasping for life.

She seemed too exhausted to even lift her head. Just getting here, she was staggering, so it was a miracle she made it.

“You look rough. What the heck did you do yesterday?”

Kara asked, noticing Luna’s unusual state, her tone filled with concern, as if she felt it was serious.

Luna shook a little at the question and barely managed to lift her head. Fortunately, her expression didn’t show any fatigue.

Her mind was perfectly clear, but her body was in dire straits.

“I just… really did exercise… but it was just too tough…”

“What kind of exercise did you do?”

“100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and then finally a 10km run.”

That sounded like a training regimen a bald guy somewhere would come up with. One could say, “Is that all?” but in reality, it was a brutally intense workout.

But this place was filled with superhumans capable of that. Kara could definitely handle it.

“Seems super easy. Were you surprisingly weak?”

“That’s not it… you have to do it all at once without a break. If you take a break, you start from zero. You can use magic, but you have to do 100 continuously.”

“That sounds really tough.”

“Yeah… I even ended up throwing up… But the Saint said I couldn’t even take a break with a potion… Haah…”

I had mentioned before that Rize’s training was throw-up-level hard.

Rize’s training pushes people to their limits and leaves them hanging right when they look like they might break through that limit.

If they reach the point of injuring themselves, she stops them immediately. Thanks to that, they gain strength without harming their bodies.

“Apparently, they have these kinds of tests every Sunday. If you don’t pass, you just keep repeating.”

“I really need to build up my strength. I need to learn the basics, too. It looks like I have a lot to do.”

“Yeah… So for the time being, could you take care of Sivar for me?”

“Sure. But first, let’s change seats. If you rest in the corner, at least you won’t draw as much attention.”

Luna had a pretty good reputation among the professors. They don’t scold her for sleeping during class, after all.

If you don’t attend class, you’re the one losing out. Plus, they think everyone has their own circumstances, so they tend to leave them alone.

After that, Luna switched seats with Kara and started resting face down. It didn’t take long before it got quiet; she really seemed to be asleep.

“Looks like it’s the first time we’re sitting next to each other. Right?”

“Yep.”

We had sat together during Survival Training, but this was the first time in class. Kara seemed to enjoy that fact, grinning widely.

No matter when you see it, her smile is refreshing. I thought about mimicking it, but then her advice popped into my head and I let my lips fall back down.

‘Was my smile that weird?’

I usually maintain a blank expression, so I didn’t really care, but I was a bit self-conscious. I thought I looked decent enough.

I might have to ask others, not just Kara, later on. For now, let’s focus on today’s tasks.

“Hello, Sivar. Did you have a good weekend?”

Time passed, and Grace arrived, sitting next to me. By now, it seemed like a set routine, as Lee Yeon-joo followed along too.

I wasn’t sure if Grace dragged her here or if Lee Yeon-joo came voluntarily, but the two seemed to be closer.

“Hey, Grace. How about you?”

“Wow. Can I really call you by your name now?”

“Yep.”

When I called out her four-syllable name, Grace’s eyes widened in surprise.

I thought my faith would only let me use up to three syllables, but I guess it turned out I could go beyond that. By the way, my faith is currently at 7.

It rose by a whopping 4 over the weekend. I don’t know what Chaos saw to boost my faith like that, but I’ve certainly become more articulate.

Of course, by my standards, being articulate means I still speak like a child. I can’t even read properly yet.

“Great! I’ve been curious about when I can be called by my name, so I’m glad about that. Then, it should be easy for Lee Yeon-joo too?”

“Uh, me? Are you talking about me?”

“Lee Yeon-joo.”

As I said her name, Lee Yeon-joo looked surprised at first. Afterward, she wore a slightly bewildered expression, then opened her mouth.

“It’s amazing! The pronunciation and intonation are almost exactly the same as in the Hwan Empire.”

“Is that so? I don’t notice much difference…”

“Grace also calls me 여언주 instead of Yeon-joo. Apparently, the ending consonants are tough?”

There are various languages in this world, and with them, pronunciation and intonation differ widely.

The Academy has to use a common language, so that’s somewhat helpful, but even then, you can’t hide the accent.

Even foreigners who are fluent in Korean tend to carry their own accent and pronunciation; it’s no different in this world.

“Speaking of which, I’ve heard that the language of Tartar is tricky to pronounce, isn’t that right?”

Grace asked Kara. Since they weren’t completely familiar yet, there was a hint of caution in her tone.

Kara, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind much and nodded in agreement.

“From what I’ve heard, yes. Would you like to try pronouncing ‘Einherjar’?”

“Einhe… what did you say again?”

“Ein… Ein…”

This weapon’s name is Ragnarok. As you can tell from Kara’s last name being Hectorstotir, Tartar’s language has a Nordic flair.

Although its inspiration is ancient Egypt, being combined with Nordic elements makes one think, “What a mix!” but it oddly fits well.

Considering that Tartar itself is a country of powerful warriors, it harmonizes nicely with the uniqueness of Nordic mythology.

“It’s tough, isn’t it? In common language, it means ‘those who cannot die.’ Just to clarify, it refers to warriors who fight even after death, not the undead. You can think of it as the best warriors in Tartar.”

“I see. So, does that mean Kara is also an Einhe…?”

“I’m a princess, you know?”

“Oh.”

At her blunt response, Grace made a momentarily dumbfounded expression. She seemed to forget for a second that she’s a high-ranking individual.

It was understandable, considering she displayed behavior far removed from authority and had that kind of personality in reality.

Kara herself doesn’t take her title too seriously, so her hinting at it felt more like an inside joke.

“I was active as an Einherjar during the tribal unification. It’s gotten tedious now that I have to uphold dignity and all that.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing that, Grace examined Kara from head to toe. It was as if she was observing her closely.

Maybe that gaze felt unpleasant to Kara, or perhaps it was just Grace’s sharp eyes at play.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think it’s weird that I’m a princess?”

Kara said, slightly furrowing her brows in a tone that showed her discomfort.

For Grace, that must be frustrating, but her intense gaze could easily be misunderstood.

“Oh, no. It’s just, I was suddenly curious. What would Kara look like in traditional Tartar attire? Plus, since you’re a princess, wouldn’t you wear something extravagant?”

In response, Grace didn’t flinch at all and cleared up the misunderstanding. This must have happened often enough for her to respond this way automatically.

The one feeling awkward was Kara. She blinked a few times, scratched her cheek, and answered in a bashful voice.

“Extravagant… well, it is extravagant. But to you guys, it might seem a bit… embarrassing. Like, really much.”

“Embarrassing…? What do you mean by that?”

Kara rarely belittles Tartar, but she mentioned the clothing as embarrassing.

Let me mention a fact in advance: even though Tartar’s language is close to Nordic, its inspiration is ancient Egypt.

The lifestyle of ancient Egyptians has many fantastical elements, especially evident in their clothing.

“Yeah. Most people wear clothes that are quite revealing. It’s normal for men to go shirtless, and women basically just wear underwear and a single skirt. Sometimes, they even wear outfits that are worse than being completely naked.”

“Whoa… ugh…”

Lee Yeon-joo blushed and let out a distinct sound of discomfort. The Hwan Empire is conservative compared to Tartar and is strict about modesty.

Just hearing that description made her give such a cute reaction. Grace was no different, her face reddening as well.

Soon after, Grace cleared her throat and started glancing around cautiously. Finally, she quietly asked.

“…Do you wear that sort of thing too, Kara?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Isn’t that embarrassing?”

“Not at all. Our country has a hot climate, so it’s unavoidable. Here, I keep it in check, which is why I’m holding back.”

Even the restraint she showed still looked refreshing. When you see her outfit during training every Wednesday afternoon, it’s certainly the case.

Her toned abdomen was always on display, and sometimes she even wore short pants that made it a bit embarrassing.

The weekends were no different. She’d stroll around in sleeveless tops and short pants, attracting gazes everywhere she went.

On top of that, her healthy, sun-kissed skin made it impossible not to look.

“I’d honestly like to tie my school uniform around my waist. The dress code is pretty strict, huh?”

“Yeah. If you wear something oddly, I believe it gets you points deducted.”

“That’s a bit disappointing. If there weren’t any dress codes, I’d be wearing the outfits I brought from Tartar.”

“…You brought them?”

At first glance, it sounds like she brought Tartar’s traditional attire. Grace seemed to catch on to that, asking with a slightly flustered tone.

With a face that seemed to ask why she was asking that, Kara replied casually.

“Of course I brought them. Didn’t I hear they were having some kind of festivity or social event? I heard it from my dad.”

“That’s true, but… do you really have to stick to traditional attire?”

“I hate dresses because they’re uncomfortable.”

“………”

Oh. Now I remember. It’s a unique skin only Kara can show.

Most others come dressed in gowns or Asian-style garments, while Kara is off in dancer’s attire.

After that illustration was published, her fan base grew huge. Other characters got their share of fans too, but Kara dominated.

‘Elie was probably similar.’

I can’t recall what Elie wore. Given her figure, anything she wore would likely be shocking.

“Everyone’s here. As I mentioned last week, the priests will conduct the classes starting today. Soon, priests from each order will arrive, so follow along in your groups.”

Shortly after, Malboro arrived to inform us of the schedule. It was almost time to start searching for the Devil’s mark.

Coincidentally, the groups were arranged quite nicely. It was tailored with me, Luna, Kara, Elvin, Grace, and Lee Yeon-joo.

It seems they included Luna, Kara, and Elvin as my guardians. The other two were likely matched up from the Survival Training team we were in.

‘They seem worried about me causing trouble.’

Well, I would indeed cause trouble. It’s a real shame, but it’s true.

Afterward, before the priests arrived, I decided to wake Luna, who was still fast asleep.

Kara lightly tapped Luna, who seemed completely oblivious to the world, and said,

“Hey, Luna.”

“….”

No response. She really looked like a corpse.

Even when Kara tapped her shoulder, Luna remained utterly still. Goodness, how exhausted could she be?

“Luna. Get up. We need to go soon.”