A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 133

The foolish genius, Jane, formed a pact with Rize after that.

The pact’s terms were simple: receiving investment funds from me and delivering corresponding results.

But the most important part was the amount. Initially, the contract was for 10,000 silver coins, but the newly updated one was much higher.

“W-W-What?! 1 million silver coins?! Did I hear that wrong?!”

“No, you heard right.”

“W-What on earth made you think I’m worth that amount…?”

Because if you were to fall into the hands of the Demon Side, you’d probably create something worse than a nuclear missile.

In the Soul World, it ended with just attaching machines, but if it had advanced further, there would have been no hope or dreams left.

Honestly, even making a battery based on that formula is an incredible feat. It’s clear she’s a genius far ahead of her time.

“Thank you! From now on, I will become Mr. Sivar’s—no, Lord Sivar’s loyal slave!”

“It’s fine. I don’t need that.”

“No, I insist! I will voluntarily become your slave! Please use me however you wish!”

This woman is saying some extremely dangerous things. If others overheard, it could easily lead to misunderstandings.

It’s almost on the level of Luna’s big mouth. It’s a relief that Rize is the one listening.

“Instead of being Brother Sivar’s loyal follower, how about becoming a devoted believer of Lord Chaos? After all, Brother Sivar also serves Lord Chaos.”

“Of course, I will serve! I believe all of this is thanks to Lord Chaos!”

“?”

What kind of absurd nonsense is that? I trusted Jane because I knew the future.

However, there was one thing I overlooked, which Jane pointed out.

“The reason Lord Sivar trusted someone like me, who had nothing! I believe it was Lord Chaos guiding you. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense. This is truly a bond forged by Lord Chaos, isn’t it?”

No. The way her thought process worked left me so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even respond.

Chaos has only ever messed with me, never helped me.

But there’s a problem. I can’t reveal the ‘reason’ I invested in Jane.

If Luna were here, she might have understood my predicament. Times like this make me miss her a little.

[Faith Increases!]

This god is messing with me again. I could only let out a hollow laugh at the message displayed before me.

A believer, and one who firmly believes in them at that, has appeared, so of course, they’d be pleased.

Moreover, it’s like winning a guaranteed lottery. It’s as if a fortune rolled in without even scratching the ticket.

“That’s a good attitude, Sister Jane. But Lord Chaos favors those who prove themselves, so you’ll need to work even harder.”

“Of course! I’ll work like a dog to produce great results!”

Rize diligently spreading the faith, and Jane faithfully following her.

It’s chaotic enough to perfectly embody the word “chaos.”

Thankfully, there are only two followers of Chaos so far. If the number increases, it’ll be troublesome for me.

‘Could Luna possibly…?’

Considering her mouth, which surpasses chaos itself, it’s not entirely impossible.

However, since she hasn’t been chosen by Chaos yet, there must be some other reason.

If even Luna starts believing in Chaos, my head might explode in more ways than one. First, I should make sure to shut her mouth.

“Saint, what does Lord Chaos desire? Should I pray or offer tributes?”

“Lord Chaos values Jane’s growth the most. As proof, Brother Sivar boldly invested in you, didn’t he?”

“Oh! So that’s how it is!”

Let’s just not say anything. She interprets things positively on her own, so saying more is meaningless.

After that, I took out paper and pen to draft the pact and contract. Surprisingly, when the pact was sealed, the paper burned.

According to Rize’s explanation, the only way to retrieve the pact document is for her to summon it herself.

If it’s fantasy, it might as well be thoroughly fantastical. Jane and I just accepted it and moved on.

“Then, I look forward to working with you, Sister Jane.”

“Yes! Saint and Mr. Sivar, take care! I’ll work hard here!”

“Aren’t you going to change your workshop?”

After giving her that much money, wouldn’t it be odd not to change her workshop?

At my question, Jane made an “oh no” expression and scratched her head, looking embarrassed.

“Well… I paid for five months’ rent in advance… It feels like a waste.”

“…”

Five months’ rent equals 500 silver coins, or about 500,000 won.

I just invested 1 million silver coins, yet her miserly tendencies are kicking in.

Of course, an artisan doesn’t choose their tools, and with Jane’s skills, it wouldn’t matter where she worked.

“Today, I achieved an unexpected result. I’m really pleased.”

After parting ways with Jane, Rize spoke. Judging by her expression, she seemed genuinely happy.

Rize usually wears a gentle smile, but it’s rare for her to show such heartfelt emotion.

It proves how sincere her faith in Chaos is. That’s probably why she became a saint.

“While we’re at it, it might not be a bad idea to find someone at the Academy who has gained Lord Chaos’s favor. What do you think, Brother Sivar?”

“Do as you like.”

Honestly, I don’t care. Jane’s case was completely unexpected, so I was just caught off guard.

Even if they find a follower of Chaos, the missionary work will be Rize’s responsibility. It has nothing to do with me.

‘Even if it does, it’ll just mean an increase in faith, and that’s it.’

Thinking that, I returned to the dormitory. For the next week, I’ll be busy with classes and training.

“May the world be filled with chaos.”

“…”

Rize muttered something ominous beside me, but I lightly ignored it.

Surely, there won’t be another one around me.

*****

The next day, classes began. The content wasn’t anything special.

With the final exam approaching, we were told to prepare thoroughly and that there would be more autonomous training until then.

Hearing about the final exam made me curious about one thing: how I would be treated.

“Student Sivar will take the exam in a ‘special way.’ Don’t worry, it won’t be as unreasonable as last time.”

Marlboro answered my question like that. Last time, the trial was ruined due to Delphoi’s political intrigue, but not this time.

The professors must have put their heads together to come up with the best solution, so I just need to stay quiet.

Besides, I don’t even care about the point system. There’s something more urgent, so I can’t help it.

Scholarship? I’m steadily earning money through stocks, so I don’t really need a scholarship.

“Ha. I need to maximize my points this time. I lost too much in stocks.”

“Who told you to invest everything? Diversified investment is the basic principle.”

When Antonio lamented over losing most of his money in stocks, Grace retorted sharply.

In reality, Antonio was overly greedy, so it’s no surprise he lost money.

Even though I know the future, I wouldn’t act like Antonio. I’d follow Grace’s advice and diversify my investments.

“You don’t have to worry about money. You’re a noble, and the Duke’s Young Lady at that.”

“…Excuse me, but not all nobles are wealthy, you know?”

Grace twitched slightly, forcing a strained smile as she replied.

I had no intention of being sarcastic, but mentioning her household might have touched a nerve.

Grace doesn’t like her household. Especially after the Delphoi incident, that feeling must have intensified.

As evidenced by her choosing me as her bodyguard, she doesn’t care about her family’s honor or anything of the sort.

“And there are many things more important than money in this world. But countless people have been ruined because of it. Please keep that in mind.”

“Yes, yes. Got it.”

That’s why he keeps losing money in stocks. Grace gave him some advice, but he just brushed it off.

Well, if I lend him some money later, I might gain his help in return.

If not, I could just tell him about stocks that will skyrocket. That should be enough.

“By the way, Sis, what happened with the Magic Stone Mine?”

Luna, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, asked Kara.

Kara, who had been pinching my cheek or twirling my hair, responded with a casual “Hmm?”

“The Magic Stone Mine? Oh, that? It’s progressing well. Why do you ask?”

“I was just thinking about whether to invest more in it.”

“If you’re not careful, that could violate the regulations. So instead of asking me, you’d better ask Sivar.”

Does she really think of me as some kind of octopus? Still, Kara had a point, so I had nothing to say.

Besides, Luna knows my secret. It’s practically like having a solid insurance policy.

“Sivar, what stock item would you recommend?”

“Nothing in particular right now.”

Tatar-related stocks have already peaked, making them unappealing for investment, and the rest aren’t yielding much profit.

The only viable option might be trade using the sea, but it’s far too random to recommend.

‘Damn pirates.’

Whenever there’s an opening, pirates plunder. Even Santia, which uses steamships, isn’t safe.

They also revere Gulak, much like the Tatars. To the point of fanaticism, even.

It’s no wonder they cling to their faith at a fanatical level when their ships often capsize in storms.

“Then when would be a good time to invest?”

“Later.”

“Can you tell me when that ‘later’ will be?”

“··· ···”

Has she lost her mind after tasting money? I stared blankly at Luna, who kept pressing me with questions.

If I keep talking, it might arouse strange suspicions, so I couldn’t understand why she was asking these things.

“Ah, never mind. Tell me later when it’s just the two of us.”

“··· ···”

There it is again—her damn mouth causing trouble. The atmosphere grew oddly tense, and I glanced around nervously.

Kara gave a dry laugh, wearing an expression that said, “Here we go again,” while Grace frowned, clearly displeased.

“······Ms. Luna? Mr. Sivar is currently my bodyguard. At least during the weekdays, he needs to stay by my side, so please refrain from such remarks.”

“It’s fine. We meet every weekend anyway.”

“··· ···”

You’re leaving out Rize in the middle of all this, Luna.

Grace’s expression grew sharper, but Luna seemed completely oblivious.

Her already piercing gaze became even more intense—so much so that even Lee Yeonju, standing beside Grace, flinched.

“Um······ How about we eat lunch first?”

In the awkward atmosphere, Lee Yeonju cautiously spoke up, clearly wanting to escape the situation.

Is that an act, or is she being sincere? I leaned toward the former.

“Sure. I was just starting to feel hungry myself.”

“Then I’ll head out first. See you later.”

Antonio left, and not long after, the rest of the group followed him out in a rush.

‘This always leaves me as the only guy among a bunch of women.’

If even Elvin were here, it might be different, but he’s busy right now.

It’s probably about his household matters—likely the timing for the uproar over his engagement.

“······Huh? Who’s that?”

It was on our way out to the restaurant. Kara spoke in a puzzled tone, as if she’d spotted someone.

At this, the rest of us, myself included, turned our heads to look in that direction. And everyone reacted similarly.

“······Is that the Saint?”

“Judging by the hair color, it seems like it······ but the body doesn’t match.”

“No, before that, what is she even doing?”

Silver hair is rare in this world. In other words, it’s easy to pinpoint who it belongs to.

And judging by the massive axe in her hands, it was obvious who she was.

Though her once ample chest had diminished, the combination was still striking enough to be unmistakable.

‘······What is she doing there?’

Rize was wandering around, holding Ragnarok.

At one point, she handed the axe to a passing pedestrian, and as soon as they touched it, sparks erupted.

Immediately after, Rize bowed her head in apology. The pedestrian, looking bewildered, simply went on their way.

“······Huh? Ah! Brother Sivar!”

At that moment, Rize spotted us and approached with a bright expression.

Coming toward us with an axe in one hand, the atmosphere felt anything but ordinary.

If she weren’t the Saint, people would’ve dismissed her as a lunatic.

“······What are you doing?”

I alternated my gaze between Rize’s face, her chest, and Ragnarok as I asked.

Her face and Ragnarok were the same as ever, but her chest seemed larger than yesterday.

“I was searching for someone favored by Lord Chaos. But it’s not easy.”

“··· ···”

Could this be because of what happened with Jane yesterday? I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak.

‘Wait a second. Then how did she find me?’

Was it because Luna misspoke back then? That’s the only explanation that made sense.

Meanwhile, Rize scanned our group and locked eyes with Grace.

Then, in a cautious voice, she spoke.

“Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

“I-I’m Grace of Duke Berche’s Household······ It’s an honor to meet you, Saint.”

Though flustered at first, Grace quickly composed herself and greeted Rize politely, following proper etiquette.

Rize nodded at the greeting, then smiled warmly as she extended Ragnarok toward Grace.

It might have seemed threatening, but Rize’s gentle demeanor mitigated that impression.

“You must be the one Brother Sivar saved. Would you like to touch this axe?”

“Uh······ What?”

“Just place your hand on it, that’s all.”

She’s treating it like some kind of magical conch shell. If Hector saw this, he’d be fuming.

No, not just Hector—Gulak himself would be furious. The weapon’s purpose had been completely flipped.

And what if someone gets hurt while she’s doing this? I was debating whether to intervene when it happened.

Tap-

“L-Like this?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

But surprisingly, nothing happened. Grace lightly touched the axe, yet she remained unharmed.

Rize seemed equally astonished and even pushed the axe toward Grace.

Of course, with Grace’s frail strength, even holding it with both hands was a struggle, but she managed to touch it.

“W-Why are you giving this to me······?”

“Ah······!”

While Grace was flustered, Rize’s face lit up with joy.

“The world is brimming with chaos······!”

“··· ···”

Why? Why would someone so far removed from chaos be chosen?

Grace is a noble, after all. Despite her innocent heart, she’s a realist who understands the world.

[Faith Increases!]

Why on earth is this happening?