A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 140

I was a bit taken aback at the idea of being treated as either siege weaponry or a mercenary, but upon reflection, it made sense.

The main theme of this test is an occupation battle. There’s a high likelihood it will devolve into a chaotic mud fight.

In such a scenario, if I were to belong to a specific team, that team would gain an overwhelming advantage.

Even if the students swarmed me like a pack of wild dogs, they wouldn’t be able to defeat me. That’s an undeniable fact.

“It’s about time you all accepted it. No matter what you do, it’s nearly impossible to beat Student Sivar. Yet excluding him would be unfair.”

Marlboro ran a hand down his face, looking troubled as he spoke.

Even though it was their own idea, it seemed they weren’t entirely satisfied with it. That must’ve been the best they could come up with.

“Therefore, Sivar won’t participate directly but will instead have his score calculated in a different way. Details will be provided after the test, so leave it at that for now.”

“Professor, wouldn’t Sivar be capable of demolishing a castle entirely on his own? Is that really okay?”

Kara raised her hand as she spoke. It sounded like an exaggeration, but it wasn’t.

She was one of the few who had witnessed my strength firsthand. It wasn’t strange for her to say such a thing.

In reality, just a few shots of my Death Beam could obliterate most castles. Again, not in one shot, but in a few.

“Because the castles are incredibly sturdy.”

In my past life, castles were essentially fortresses. Some even stood firm in their original spots for centuries.

Yet even those castles were rendered useless in the face of gunpowder weapons like cannons. But this world is different.

Here, they’re absurdly, almost ridiculously durable. Even after being bombarded with magic, they often remain intact.

I don’t know what material they’re made of, but their resilience goes beyond mere sturdiness.

“That’s why we’re treating Sivar as a siege weapon. We adopted this approach under the assumption that Sivar could easily destroy the city walls. If they don’t break easily, all the better.”

“It’s like you’re treating him as an ultimate weapon.”

Grace muttered in disbelief from the side. I agreed with her sentiment.

The problem was that I couldn’t find any grounds to refute it. As I mentioned earlier, the professors had done their best to devise this plan.

“Unlike other siege weapons, Sivar’s position is fixed. However, since he’s both a siege weapon and a mercenary, forming an alliance requires a ‘contract.’ If the contract is broken or Sivar is dissatisfied, it can be nullified.”

“Will the terms of the contract be explained at the exam hall?”

“No. You’ll have to present your conditions directly to Sivar.”

At Marlboro’s response, the students began murmuring among themselves. At first glance, it sounded like this could escalate into a political battle.

Perhaps anticipating this, Marlboro added further clarification.

“However, bringing in external matters is strictly prohibited. For example, promising something after the test is over is not allowed. Contracts can only be based on what’s available within the exam hall.”

“What a shame. I was planning to bring chocolate.”

“That makes things a bit trickier.”

Kara expressed her disappointment, while Grace nodded seriously with a thoughtful expression.

The method itself was questionable, but the content wasn’t bad. It was more reasonable than last time.

Allowing external matters to interfere could lead to chaos, so they seemed to have preemptively blocked that possibility.

They probably came up with this new rule after seeing how Kara tried to coax me during the midterm exam.

“Student Sivar should also be cautious about one thing: benefiting from double contracts. Such cases could lead to penalties or even elimination, so make sure to form contracts carefully.”

“··· ···”

While others were taking the test, it seemed I was being guided to learn about social dynamics.

It wasn’t entirely bad. From my perspective, I only needed to choose whoever offered the better contract.

However, given the nature of the test, deciding on the right contract would require a lot of deliberation. The most practical approach would likely involve food distribution.

“Professor, may I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“You mentioned earlier that supplies could be replenished from occupied territories near the main base. How much supply are we talking about?”

“That’s an excellent question, Student Luna.”

Right on cue, Luna asked a pertinent question, and Marlboro looked pleased.

When she speaks without thinking, it leads to disaster, but when she thinks it through, her words are remarkably insightful.

“The amount of supplies will be distributed based on the number of people. Currently, there are 31 students in this class, including Sivar. Thus, each team will have 15 members. The supplies will also be allocated precisely according to the number of people.”

“Then, if we include the castle······”

“The castle will not receive any supplies. Keep that in mind.”

The most critical piece of information came from Marlboro’s mouth. Unlike occupied territories near the main base, the castle would not receive supplies.

To be precise, this meant they would need to establish a supply route from the occupied territories. They would also have to operate a logistics unit to transport the supplies.

“This really is a high-risk, high-reward scenario.”

If you formed a contract based on food supplies, you’d have to brace yourself for the possibility of starvation.

Unless the castle was destroyed, the contract would automatically be nullified, and in that case, the chances of victory would plummet.

When you analyze it step by step, it becomes evident that collective intelligence was at play. The professors weren’t fools.

“Sivar’s supplies will be sustained as long as he remains in his position. However, the moment he leaves, all supplies will be cut off. Keep this in mind.”

“What is this, some kind of eccentric hermit from the East······”

“Even in the East, there’s no such eccentric.”

Lee Yeonju cut in sharply, as if she had overheard Grace’s muttering.

Indeed, there wouldn’t be a reclusive eccentric who assists in exchange for food. Perhaps a sociopath, but not that.

In any case, the test was intriguing in many ways. While I learned about social dynamics, others focused on the test.

Marlboro concluded the announcement by emphasizing that bringing in external matters would result in immediate elimination.

“I hope everyone gives it their best effort. Any questions?”

“Do we need to appoint a team leader separately?”

“That’s something for the teams to discuss later. While this test focuses on individuals, the command of the leadership will be crucial.”

Following this, Marlboro left the lecture room, mentioning that there would be a grace period before the test began.

As soon as he left, the students began exchanging a few words with one another.

“It seems fair, but······ it’s still tough. At least we can wash up, right?”

“If the supply route gets raided······ ugh. I don’t even want to imagine.”

“How are we supposed to form a contract with him? That’s what I’m curious about.”

No one seemed particularly dissatisfied with the test. The professors’ effort was evident, and most importantly, I wasn’t participating directly.

My very existence posed a significant balance issue, so my distance from direct involvement was reassuring.

Of course, the perception of me as an ultimate weapon hadn’t changed. They were undoubtedly scheming something.

“Sivar.”

“?”

“Is there anything you like besides food? Oh, wait, am I even allowed to ask this?”

It was Kara’s question. She hesitated after asking, as if realizing too late that it might have been inappropriate.

In any case, there was almost nothing I could demand in the exam hall besides food.

There wasn’t anything else they could offer me. Only food.

“There’s nothing I can ask for in the exam hall besides food. The issue is that I might have to use the supplies as maintenance costs······ it’s a headache.”

“Forcing the other side into a contract and holding out could also be a strategy.”

Antonio interjected casually. Even as an impromptu strategy, it wasn’t a bad idea.

However, to enforce such a contract, they would have to occupy the castle. Or face the risk of having their main base raided.

In many ways, this test was fitting for a final exam. Honestly, even I was somewhat looking forward to it.

“······It’s not entirely impossible, though.”

While everyone was sharing their opinions, Luna timidly opened her mouth. Her voice was so soft that it could’ve easily gone unheard.

But Kara, with her sharp hearing, was right next to her. As soon as she heard Luna’s words, she grabbed her arm.

“What is it? You’re not planning to tell only your team, are you?”

“Uh······”

Luna’s eyes darted around nervously under Kara’s persistent questioning. She hadn’t expected anyone to hear her.

As always, that big mouth of hers was the problem. If she had just kept quiet, nothing would’ve happened.

Still, I was a bit curious. What could there be besides food that would allow someone to form a contract with me?

“Kara, don’t bully Ms. Luna unnecessarily. Let’s play fair, okay?”

“Fair? It’s suspicious that she knows something I don’t.”

“Hey, you know it too, you know!”

Perhaps feeling cornered by Kara’s accusatory tone, Luna shouted in a panicked voice.

Kara looked at her with eyes urging her to speak. Luna’s eyes darted around again.

If you could hear the sound of her brain working from here, it wouldn’t be an illusion. It definitely wasn’t.

More than anything, that big mouth of hers was bound to say something again. What would it be this time?

“I know it too? What is it?”

“Well······ it’s a bit awkward to say here. Can we move somewhere else for a moment?”

“Hmm······ fine. Let’s step outside for a bit.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but can I listen in too?”

Antonio subtly interjected. Since scheming was his forte, he must have decided it was worth stepping in.

However, Luna shook her head firmly, adamantly refusing. This alone was puzzling, but what she said next was even more suspicious.

“No. Especially not Mr. Antonio.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a man.”

“······?”

Antonio tilted his head slowly, his reaction showing he had no clue what was going on.

Eventually, Luna, Kara, and Grace stepped outside. As they left, I quietly got up.

“Uh, where are you going?”

“To eavesdrop.”

“Ah, no. Eavesdropping is bad.”

Just as I was about to leave, Lee Yeonju stopped me with determination. Did Grace ask her to do this?

Since she was so insistent, I quietly sat back down. It wasn’t urgent anyway.

‘I can always find out later what kind of deal they make.’

Let’s just wait until then.

About five minutes passed.

[Faith Increases!]

“······”

What did she say this time?

******

Grace was curious. Other than food, what did Sivar like?

Though she had been observing Sivar closely, she knew very little about his personal preferences.

Unlike Kara and Luna, she had only recently begun to grow closer to Sivar, and she didn’t go out on weekends either.

As she had mentioned before, unless Sivar came to find her directly, she rarely left the dormitory.

But this was a chance to learn what he liked. She could use that knowledge to approach him gradually, but······

“······Huh? What did you say?”

“A hug. You know, spreading your arms wide and embracing someone.”

Luna spread her arms wide as she explained. Thanks to her appearance, it came off as rather cute.

Luna’s answer, that Sivar liked hugs, was enough to leave Grace flustered.

“That’s it? I can do that anytime.”

In contrast, Kara’s reaction was one of disbelief. Still, she seemed embarrassed, as her face turned slightly red.

It was just that her bronzed skin made it less noticeable. The embarrassment was still there.

“Wait, is that really why you asked to meet separately?”

“There’s more, but······ please don’t tell anyone. It’s kind of embarrassing as a person.”

“Th-that’s fine. Even if it’s worse, I can listen.”

It was something that had to be addressed eventually. Grace barely managed to swallow her words and spoke up.

If they were to become a married couple, hugging was something they could do. No, it wasn’t just something they could do—it was something they absolutely had to do.

While hugging, they would slowly savor each other’s warmth, and to feel even more warmth, they might even······

‘B-because it’s something we’re supposed to do······!’

Lost in inappropriate thoughts, Grace’s face turned visibly red.

Outwardly, she crossed her arms and maintained a dignified demeanor, creating a stark contrast that was striking in many ways.

Meanwhile, Luna scratched her head, pondering. She wondered if saying this would really have any impact on the trial.

‘It should be fine, right? It’s not like it’ll happen anyway because of the rules.’

Probably. Luna thought so as she brought her hands closer to her chest.

At the same time, she made a kneading gesture. It wasn’t intentional, but it was necessary to elaborate.

“Well······ you could say he likes things full of maternal affection.”

“······What do you mean? Surely it’s not the chest, right?”

“It is.”

“······”

Words failed them. Not just Kara, but Grace too.

But Luna didn’t stop there. She continued, offering her reasoning.

“Maybe it’s because Sivar lived in the wilderness, but he seems to like being in someone’s arms. Especially when he hugs Ellie, he always buries his face in her chest.”

“······Now that you mention it, he did. But wasn’t it just because it was big?”

“If that’s the case, you’re big too. Ellie said he could lean on her anytime, so that’s why.”

“······When did she say that?”

As Kara muttered as if chewing on her words, Grace couldn’t say anything.

She simply glanced downward, stealing a look at her own chest. Thanks to her noble upbringing, she was quite well-endowed.

‘Th-that’s fine. This is something that will happen naturally anyway. If it’s going to happen, I might as well think of it as getting a head start······!’

Grace was steadily moving forward. The funny thing was, she wasn’t denying anything; she was accepting it all.

Kara seemed to notice this as well, furrowing her brows slightly. She wanted to close her eyes and set such conditions aside.

“······Let’s move on. If we’re not careful, he might end up being labeled a pervert. It could even fall under public indecency regulations.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Luna and Kara thought it wouldn’t work out.

‘Normally, no one should touch a noble young lady’s body recklessly, but since it’s Mr. Sivar······ if rumors spread this time······!’

Everyone except Grace.