A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 205

Lee Yeonju's character in the Soul World is solid.

A noble running around tirelessly for the independence of her homeland. Her patriotism is unmatched.

She acts weak and incompetent on the surface, but in reality, she is an assassin with overwhelming combat power.

She is unofficially affiliated with the independence army and possesses exceptional intelligence-gathering skills. Commonly referred to as a serious character.

Sometimes, when the player does something foolish or unusual, she gets flustered, or at worst, gives a disdainful look.

Except for when she's acting, she only talks about serious matters, making it difficult to become close to her. If you're close enough to exchange jokes, it means you're very intimate.

"Why, you ask? You're handsome and strong. What woman wouldn't fall for you?"

"... ..."

"And the way you've shown yourself is... truly dependable."

That's why it was even more confusing. Saying something like that with a serious face felt really strange.

Thinking of Lee Yeonju's character, it felt genuine, but the situation was definitely not.

It was just a blatant lie to escape somehow. If anything, it was incredibly brazen.

"Honestly, I even wanted to show my affection during class... But you know, right? Who's around you."

"... ..."

"I'm a bit timid, so it was hard to approach you. If it weren't like this, I wouldn't be able to see you."

Lee Yeonju blatantly lied without batting an eye. It was so absurd that words failed me.

She was blatantly crossing the line, but ironically, it somehow felt sincere.

That just means she's that good at lying. It's a skill to shake emotions and persuade.

'She's cleverly digging into human relationships.'

Lee Yeonju didn't think of me as a fool. Instead, she targeted my vulnerabilities.

To her, I must have seemed like someone lacking common sense and clumsy in dealing with people.

And honestly, it was half true, so I couldn't help but be impressed.

"Really? You like me?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"More than anyone else."

Lee Yeonju confessed seriously without even changing her expression.

The atmosphere felt rigid, far from sweet. However, seriousness sometimes has a more significant impact.

Unfortunately, it didn't work on me. For one, her words had a glaring flaw.

"Then why did you hit me?"

"It was an automatic counterattack. It couldn't be helped."

"Then why the groin?"

"That's..."

The counterattack could be excused, but hitting the groin was inexcusable.

Before Lee Yeonju could respond, I firmly built a wall of objection.

"Rod taught me. Don't aim for the groin. Hitting it is trashy."

Rod had advised me. He didn't care if I hit someone in the face or broke their limbs.

But he told me never to hit a man's pride. Of course, rapists were an exception.

When I asked why, he said it was an unwritten rule. The moment you target it, you're branded as a coward.

"That's true. But I'm a woman..."

"It's the same for women. Men value it deeply. You hit something precious. Therefore, you're a bad woman."

"... ..."

Through a miraculous three-step argument, I turned Lee Yeonju into a bad woman.

In truth, Lee Yeonju is an assassin, not a warrior, so she doesn't need to be picky about her methods.

But the current situation created a paradox. That earlier confession would now be nullified.

'What excuse will she come up with now?'

Normally, she should briefly explain her circumstances to smooth things over.

After that, she should slowly adjust the situation with Dan Yerin and persuade her.

Getting the two of them alone together should be the top priority. That would make things easier.

"...Sivar."

"Yes."

"Can you trust me?"

It looked like she was finally going to speak. I nodded in affirmation.

Lee Yeonju took a deep breath and looked straight at me before speaking.

"It's culture."

"...Culture?"

What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?

Seeing my expression, Lee Yeonju continued her explanation.

"There's a region called Johan, not the Hwan Empire. It was once a country, but... it's not important right now."

"... ..."

"Anyway, hitting the groin is part of Johan's culture. It's what women do when they meet a man they like."

It sounded like she was throwing out absurdities, yet it somehow felt strangely convincing.

"You don't know much about other countries' cultures, do you? If you don't understand, think about the animals in the forest. They court each other to form pairs, right? It's like that."

"...Really?"

"Yes. Really. You can trust me."

Does she really think I'm a fool? It was so absurd I couldn't even speak.

She was spouting nonsense to avoid being linked to me.

From her perspective, though, her logic was somewhat valid. After all, I'm a wild man from the forest.

If I lack basic common sense, how could I possibly understand other cultures? She had concocted a plausible excuse in such a short time.

'Impressive, I must admit.'

But it's sexual harassment. No, it's closer to sexual assault.

She's desperate to get rid of me. But I won't let her go until I get the answer I want.

And since she treated me like a fool, I planned to turn the tables on her.

Suppressing a laugh, I asked Lee Yeonju.

"Then what about the opposite?"

"Huh? The opposite?"

"Yes. When it's a man to a woman."

"Uh..."

Lee Yeonju's eyes darted around quickly.

Even in the darkness where nothing was visible, her expression was crystal clear.

Then, as if she thought of a good excuse, Lee Yeonju looked at me and spoke.

"Touching the cheek works. In Johan, physical contact between non-married individuals is strictly forbidden."

"Like this?"

I immediately acted. Before Lee Yeonju could react, I touched her cheek.

Lee Yeonju looked stunned for a moment, then widened her eyes in realization.

Though hard to see in the dark, it seemed like her face turned slightly red.

"Right?"

"Y-Yes! That's right! But..."

"Then let's do it now."

"Wait, what?"

While she was flustered, I grabbed her wrists with both hands.

Thud-

I pushed my upper body forward, forcing her to fall. Her arms were now restrained by my hands.

In other words, it looked as if I was pinning her down. Lee Yeonju realized this too late and looked shocked.

"W-What are you doing?! Why are you doing this?!"

"Mating."

"M-Mating?"

At my words, Lee Yeonju looked confused.

Her expression said she didn't understand at all. If so, it was only right to explain.

"You courted me, and I courted you. The only thing left is mating. Right?"

"Ah, no. Wait! That's not it!"

"Not it? Why?"

"Th-that's because...!"

I could feel Lee Yeonju struggling desperately to escape.

But escaping would be difficult. I was exerting my strength.

She compensates for her lack of strength with technique. As her slender frame suggests, she lacks physical strength.

"Ah, anyway, this isn't right! Did you do this to someone else too?!"

"No."

"Th-then why me!?"

"Because you courted me. Directly."

"... ..."

Lee Yeonju's expression could be summed up in one word.

Checkmate. She had completely gotten herself trapped by her own words.

Thinking of me as a wild man, she said such things, and I acted accordingly.

She was probably feeling a sense of crisis, as if her chastity was being threatened. The bigger problem was that she couldn't escape.

'Who told you to treat me like a fool?'

Of course, I had no intention of violating Lee Yeonju in the slightest.

At most, it was closer to teasing her, and this place was far too uncomfortable for anything else.

Furthermore, it was obvious it would only leave bad memories for both of us. So, I would only pretend.

"... ..."

"... ..."

But why wasn't she saying anything? I stared at Lee Yeonju blankly.

She also looked at me before averting her gaze. Her lips were still tightly shut.

'...Huh?'

Now it was my turn to be flustered. I was teasing her to draw out her true feelings, so why had it come to this?

Could it be that she intended to sacrifice her chastity to maintain secrecy? If that were true, it would be a checkmate for me.

I was only treating it as a joke, with no actual intention of following through.

But that didn't mean I could stop now. It seemed best to continue until she opened her mouth.

Swoosh-

Starting with her wrists, which I had restrained with each hand. I lightly restrained them with one hand instead of two.

My hands were quite large, and Lee Yeonju's wrists were slender, so it was possible with just one hand.

With my now free hand, I gently stroked Lee Yeonju's cheek.

I felt her flinch, but it wasn't a reaction of disgrace.

It seemed more like she was enduring in a different sense. I went a bit further.

Swoosh-

I stroked below her cheek, along her neck, and then down to her waist.

Thanks to her outfit, the curve of her slender waist felt even more pronounced.

"Hngh..."

As my hand moved back and forth near her waist, Lee Yeonju let out a faint moan.

She clenched her teeth to hold back, but there was no way to reclaim her already exhaled breath.

Moreover, seeing her legs twitching, it was clear she was quite excited.

'Let's see how far she can endure.'

Quickly, spill the truth. Otherwise, I'll have to begrudgingly go through with it too.

Maintaining a façade of calmness on the outside, I explored Lee Yeonju's body with my hands.

I mostly touched her upper body, avoiding areas like her chest or lower abdomen as much as possible.

"Haa... Mm..."

Surely, she wasn't enjoying this, was she? Initially stiff, Lee Yeonju had relaxed her body.

Judging by how she stopped suppressing her moans, it seemed she was gradually succumbing to her desires.

Was she really planning to sacrifice her chastity to keep her secret? This would truly be problematic.

'I need to snap her out of it.'

For that, the best approach would be to touch a more sensitive spot.

I moved my hand along the curve of her waist until I reached her pelvis. Despite her small frame, her pelvis was surprisingly wide.

Finally, as I stroked her pelvis and moved toward an area she would absolutely want to protect as a woman—

"Ah, no!"

It seemed she snapped out of it as Lee Yeonju urgently shouted. Naturally, my hand stopped.

With a questioning look, I stared at Lee Yeonju. Her face was a mix of countless emotions.

"S-sorry! It was all a lie!"

"A lie?"

"Yes! A lie! Everything I said earlier about courting methods was a lie! Even saying I like you was a lie!"

That's it. That's all I needed.

As Lee Yeonju confessed her true feelings, I removed my hands from her body. I also released her wrists.

Then, as Lee Yeonju sat up, she crossed her arms over her chest. Not that I had touched it in the first place.

"... ..."

"... ..."

An awkward silence settled between us.

Lee Yeonju was busy gauging my reaction, while I quietly waited for her.

Eventually, with an embarrassed face, she glanced at me before speaking softly. Her arms remained crossed over her chest.

"...I'll tell you everything. I went to see someone, not you, but Dan Yerin, the Hwan Empire Princess. I'm serving my homeland."

"Homeland?"

"Yes, Jo Han. It's a nation forcibly annexed by the Hwan Empire after betrayal. I'm working for its independence."

That's it. This was the answer I had been waiting for—nothing to do with some strange culture.

From then on, Lee Yeonju shared what I had heard in the Soul World.

She asked me to pretend not to know as much as possible and warned that she would find a way to deal with it if I didn't.

"You don't know much about the world... Just keep the secret. Okay?"

"Is it important?"

"Yes. It's important to me."

"Alright."

Of course, regardless of the promise, I would carefully mediate between Lee Yeonju and Dan Yerin.

There would be several appropriate opportunities, and I would aim for those moments. Until then, I would maintain a stable relationship.

"And... let's pretend today didn't happen. It's embarrassing for both of us. Okay?"

"Alright."

"Thank you. Tomorrow, let's act like nothing happened, as usual. I'll be going now."

Leaving only her parting words behind, Lee Yeonju fled.

I sensed her presence fading into the darkness before turning away.

There had been many strange occurrences, but it seemed things were resolved.

'She won't act awkwardly, right?'

Lee Yeonju was excellent at acting, so I believed that as I returned to the lodging.

Even after some time had passed, Grace was sound asleep, completely at ease.

'I should wash up first.'

With the smell of alcohol and dirt mixed together, a shower was absolutely necessary. Just as I finished and came out—

[Faith Increases!]

A mysterious message appeared before me.

******

"Whew."

Meanwhile, Lee Yeonju slipped past the guards and returned to the dormitory.

As soon as she entered her dormitory, she threw herself onto the bed, exhaling roughly as if she had escaped a near-death experience.

What had just happened was the most dangerous moment of her life, in many ways.

'Thankfully, Sivar tends to keep his promises.'

There was no risk of the secret leaking. Even if it did, Sivar wouldn't carelessly blurt it out.

As the heaviness in her heart began to ease, Lee Yeonju reflected on what had just occurred.

First of all, Sivar's overwhelming strength. No matter what techniques were used, it was all subdued with a single powerbomb.

His strength was so immense that no amount of struggling could break free. Especially when he locked her wrist with one hand—it was truly humiliating.

'His strength was incredible.'

Afterward, his large hand caressed her cheek and slid down along the curves of her body.

The sensation from that moment was something she could never forget. No, even if she wanted to forget, it was impossible.

It was just a simple stroke with his hand, yet her entire body flinched in response.

It was fortunate that she relaxed her body; otherwise, her legs might have given out from under her.

"... ..."

Wait a minute. Why am I recalling this?

Lee Yeonju blinked before her face began to flush red.

That sensation was too vivid—far too vivid. Even Sivar's handsome face was right there in front of her mind.

Her virtue, which should be protected like her life unless he was her husband, had been threatened, but she didn't feel any shame at all.

'Ah, no. It was to keep the secret. Yes, that's all it was.'

For the independence of her nation, she could throw away such trivial things as chastity. Her life belonged solely to Johan, after all.

Even as Lee Yeonju rationalized it to herself, the sensations kept resurfacing.

If Sivar's hand had gone further and touched a more intimate area without stopping... What would have happened then?

Would she have gone through with it in that state? On the hard ground instead of a bed?

'Now that I think about it, when I hit Sivar's groin...'

There was a considerable weight to it. Since she hit it with her hand, she could roughly gauge it.

Lee Yeonju felt her face growing hotter and hotter. At the same time, she rubbed her thighs together.

Like a girl encountering sexuality for the first time in adolescence, she found it difficult to escape her thoughts.

"Ugh, seriously."

Lee Yeonju got up, annoyed and frustrated. It seemed the stress had been piling up recently.

A shower might help clear her mood. With that thought, she threw off her cumbersome clothes.

Just as she was about to take off her underwear, she hesitated.

Because she felt a dampness in her underwear. Not on the upper part, but lower.

She hadn't noticed it earlier, but now it was clear. Her mind denied it, but her body was too honest.

"... ..."

She didn't head straight to the shower. Instead, she made a quick decision.

'It'll just get dirty again anyway, so I can do it later, right...?'

It was a perfectly rational decision.

'Besides, it's about time to wash the bed sheets, isn't it? Might as well do it all at once.'

It was closer to self-rationalization.

'It's because of stress. Not because of Sivar.'

Lee Yeonju believed this wholeheartedly. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.

Just a touch could drive someone to such intense desire? No matter how handsome he was, that was impossible.

But that belief didn't last long. Sivar's actions suddenly came to her mind.

'By the way, why did Sivar touch my cheek? Why, why?'

Lee Yeonju's mind was consumed by chaos.

Even as she spent a blissful moment by herself, her thoughts were filled with Sivar's touch.