Chapter 94

Forced falls, water torture, bomb vests, and to top it all off, self-resurrection and nude exposure.

The nude exposure was accidental, but it’s still a situation that happened.

Would you believe all these acts came from just one person? Just the bomb vest alone sounds like the work of a madman.

But Sivar, only because he had no attack rights, went all out with every possible means. That’s proof he’s not stupid by any means.

The problem is, the methods were downright ruthless. With no attack rights, he resorted to every method, most of which were shocking.

“How on earth did he come up with those methods? Especially since it’s Sivar, it’s even more puzzling.”

“Right? There’s a saying that humans are inherently evil. Maybe that’s why?”

“The theory of innate evil? I might believe that a little.”

Sivar is a wildling. He struggled to survive in the forest and has only been civilized for about two months.

You can’t really say he “learned” all that in such a short time. After all, he was living with Rod.

So it’s normal to assume he thought of those methods himself. But the real question is whether it should be made an issue.

“If the attack rights had been granted from the start, none of this would’ve happened. I even question whether there was malice behind his actions.”

“Malice… He might’ve just prioritized efficiency in his own way, so it’s something to consider.”

“I don’t think there was any malice. He probably just thought this was the best way.”

The professors who watched Sivar thought the concepts of morality and ethics existed in him, but to a very low degree.

To survive in the wild, he would have used every means available, likely leading to the hunting of various animals.

It’s impressive how he has a low tendency towards violence in such an environment. Some argued he might be even more violent than Kara, the barbarian.

“Come to think of it, the professor who restricted the attack rights was Professor Delphoi, right?”

“Yes. He’s the one who has never liked Sivar from the start.”

“Let’s bring that guy in first.”

The prime example is indeed Delphoi. Unlike other professors, he opposed Sivar more vehemently.

Originally, they had planned to grant attack rights to Sivar for the sake of fairness and justice.

Being too strong isn’t an issue either. If he’s strong, he can just be evaluated as such.

Did survival rankings go up just by avoiding Sivar? That would raise his evaluation further.

Hasn’t it always been said that winning without fighting is the real victory?

Avoiding unnecessary fights while getting everything you need is the ultimate goal of this exam.

“…And because of this, we all have to write incident reports. Professor Delphoi probably has to write a few more pages.”

“…”

“Fairness and justice disappeared the moment Sivar’s attack rights were taken away. Do you have anything to say about this?”

Thus, we began questioning Delphoi, who was the root of all troubles.

Delphoi, engrossed in his research, was flabbergasted and then quickly turned to irritation.

“No, I made a suggestion, but you all accepted it, right? I’m curious why it’s just me you’re blaming.”

Delphoi had a point. He had merely made a suggestion, while it was the other professors who accepted it.

Moreover, some professors agreed with him, finding merit in his opinions. It was a somewhat unjust situation.

“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean you can escape responsibility. Even we who opposed it have to write reports now.”

“Well…”

“More importantly, what did you say, Professor Delphoi? You said Sivar needed to restrain his violence to enter civilization, right?”

Delphoi stated that Sivar, being even more violent than Kara, needed to be restrained forcibly.

Like putting a muzzle on a large dog, that was his logic—treat him as a beast rather than a human.

His opinion faced opposition from professors, including Malboro, but regrettably, it was passed by majority vote.

For reference, the professors who voted in favor weren’t from Sivar’s direct teaching group.

Judging only by rumors, they were twisted in their views, aligning with Delphoi’s opinions.

“Look at the results now. Restraining violence? That’s a ridiculous claim. Forcing Sivar to restrain himself when the other students are being more violent is absurd.”

“It’s actually giving the students serious trauma. Especially the one who endured water torture might need counseling and a hospital visit.”

“It’s strange that we’re letting others decide what should be ours to decide.”

As Sara coldly remarked, it was originally the duty of the professors in charge to settle this. Yet Delphoi had carelessly changed it for his own political games.

The academy is a place where brutal competition takes place, and the professors are no different. Each of them represents their country.

To say there’s no politics in such a society is absurd. Delphoi cunningly exploited this to overstep his bounds.

“But as I’ve said, that wildling did no wrong and committed violence against me! I just wanted to greet him, and he twisted my wrist!”

As the atmosphere turned tense, Delphoi hastily spoke up.

He mentioned the incident where he annoyingly approached Luna and got thoroughly dealt by Sivar.

Shamefully, he omitted anything that was disadvantageous to him.

“Is it possible you were touching his shoulder from behind or something?”

“N-no, that’s not it!”

In response to Yeonhwa’s question, Delphoi replied, slightly flustered. While he did try to touch Luna’s shoulder, Sivar was not involved.

The professors didn’t seem to sense any falsehood in Delphoi’s words and all tilted their heads.

“That’s strange. The Sivar student I observed doesn’t recklessly commit violence.”

“He mostly stayed still unless defending himself. He caused trouble during class but listened attentively.”

Only positive opinions about Sivar emerged. From their perspective, he was a “well-behaved student.”

It sounds funny, but it’s true. He’s a student who diligently listens to class instead of slacking off.

Though he engages in wild behavior during afternoon training or practice, he’s the type that professors can’t help but adore.

“Professor Delphoi?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure you haven’t omitted anything you might have done wrong?”

That was Godin’s question. He didn’t take Delphoi’s words at face value.

It was when Sivar broke Delphoi’s wrist. At that moment, Delphoi had clearly been gossiping about Sivar.

Would someone who was badmouthing greet warmly? At least Godin didn’t believe so.

“…What do you mean by that? Are you saying I did something wrong first?”

“Umm… I misspoke. I meant to ask if you engaged in any actions that might have caused misunderstandings.”

Delphoi flinched again at Godin’s detailed inquiry. He surely did engage in such behavior.

But if he spoke candidly, it wouldn’t be beneficial. So he furrowed his brow and raised his voice.

“That’s not true! Do I look like the type that would do that, Professor Godin?”

“Is that so? That’s rather strange.”

“What’s strange about it?”

Malboro asked Godin. Apparently, there seems to be a disconnect in the story.

“Remember, I first placed my hand on Sivar’s shoulder?”

“Of course I remember. You were almost shredded back then.”

“Uh… yes. Anyway, after that, I took on the responsibility for Sivar, and he greeted me warmly by shaking my hand. Even when there could’ve been bad feelings due to that earlier incident.”

“Really?”

That was a little surprising. It seems odd to greet warmly despite the bad feelings.

Not only that, but if you look at Sivar’s circle, he only has kind-hearted people around him.

Kara, too, is more kind-hearted than rumors suggest. He keeps close company with those he can trust.

“Could it really be a wild instinct?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that.”

“Anyway, let’s move past that and focus on writing our reports. I’m curious how the Chancellor will react.”

“Maybe they’ll just laugh it off? That fits their personality.”

Considering Rod’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising. But Sivar’s water torture and bomb vest won’t be easily overlooked.

As it appeared that the situation was winding down, Delphoi bit his lip and turned away. It felt as if he had received every humiliation possible.

“That guy twisted my wrist first!”

He was still furious. He simply reached out in friendliness, and Sivar twisted his wrist.

Though there was some sticky desire hidden in that friendliness, Delphoi shrugged it off.

He only remembered the violence he suffered from Sivar.

“…Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes. Oh, Professor Delphoi.”

“What is it again?”

At Godin’s call, Delphoi replied in a cold tone without turning around.

Sivar wasn’t the only one who was angry; Godin was equally furious. He had disliked him from the start.

“You know Grace, right? The noble lady of the Verche Duke’s Family?”

“…Yes. Why do you ask?”

“She wants to ask me for guidance after this exam. Could you provide information about her later?”

“…”

The question was devoid of malice and only contained genuine curiosity about a student. However, to Delphoi, it was truly humiliating.

It implied that Godin’s teaching was deemed superior to his. Delphoi’s pride was being shattered before his eyes.

Moreover, even though Godin made his request as politely as possible, the tone carried an air of condescension.

“That guy and this one…!”

He wanted to express his anger right now. But for the moment, it was difficult.

Delphoi resolved to release this pent-up desire as soon as possible while suppressing his anger.

“…She is a good student. So good that even Professor Godin might find her hard to teach.”

“Is that so? Then it’ll be a good experience for me too.”

Godin replied with a bright smile. His overly kind nature shone through in his response.

The point is, that only added to Delphoi’s irritation. He no longer answered and simply walked away.

The other professors, excluding Godin, sensed that Delphoi was clenching his fists but chose not to mention it.

There was a strong premonition that a big incident was about to occur. Moreover, it seemed to be related to Delphoi.

“Alright. We also have to write reports, so let’s focus on the exam for now.”

“Shall we lift Sivar’s attack rights now?”

“That would seem too indecisive. For now, it’s best to observe…”

Sara glanced at the screen where the exam was underway and immediately stopped speaking. Simultaneously, her blue eyes began to tremble slightly.

For someone who usually maintained a blank expression, it was an unusual reaction. Consequently, the other professors turned their heads toward the screen.

On the screen was Sivar, having changed clothes and returned to his team. The problem was his actions.

[What are you putting in that bag?]

[Bombs.]

[Why bombs? No, why do you like bombs so much?]

Sivar was putting bombs into a bag. It was a bag meant for carrying various items.

It was one of the items collectable at the examination ground. Also, depending on the entity, the bag’s capacity differs.

[Open it and boom!]

[…]

Sivar’s description left even the professors, including Grace, at a loss for words.

If the bag is opened, the bomb explodes right away. That’s a revelation that can shock anyone, just behind the bomb vest.

Where on earth did he learn such ideas? They felt so ingenious that it left everyone speechless.

[Are there any other ideas?]

[Yep. A pit and a water bottle.]

[A pit I understand, but what about the water bottle?]

[A bomb in the water bottle. When you drink it, boom!]

[…]

Bright ideas kept pouring out that seemed promising for the future. Grace appeared to give up on responding any further.

The professors stared blankly at the scene. Finally, Malboro sighed deeply and spoke up.

“…Let’s grant him attack rights. This is the academy, not a terrorist training camp.”

It strongly felt like there would be more reports to write.

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