A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 158:

Lucky (2)

***

Karas’s ideology, filled with a taste of red, is similar to communism, yet distinct.

For starters, communism is vastly different from capitalism. The two stand on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

However, the communism Karas envisions is infused with capitalism. It treats communism as an ideology rather than a system.

‘The Soviet Union adopted it as a system and completely collapsed.’

Communism has clear limitations. It showed us what happens when you disregard human desires.

While i those below.

‘But wasn’t Stalin only obsessed with power?’

There’s a famous anecdote that when Stalin’s wealth was investigated after his death, he was found to be no more than middle class.

Most dictators amass wealth like madmen, but Stalin was only interested in power.

In many ways, he was the closest thing to an “Iron Man,” but even he couldn’t overcome human desires.

“What do you think? Do you understand?”

“No. I’m not interested in philosophy, so I don’t really get it.”

“Hmm. Is that so? Well, that’s fine. Just think of it as a dream to create a country where everyone can eat and live well.”

“That sounds nice.”

Communism on Earth walked the path of self-destruction because it ignored human desires.

Even in a fanht be realized more closely here.

Even if power is strong, if an individual’s abilities are stronger, they can topple that power. As mentioned before, Rod is a perfect example.

Moreover, it’s not complete communism but rather an ideology that’s somewhat close to it. With a slight adjustment in direction, it would be more like “Lucky Senator” than “Lucky Stalin.”

Since it’s a blend of various ideologies, it can be extremely confusing. But in this fantasy world, it might be a policy and ideology that could somehow be realized.

“But if you become the next emperor, will you really implement it?”

“No. First, I need to put out the immediate fires. The world has been quite turbulent lately.”

“The world is turbulent? Why?”

“As a student, you don’t need to know.”

In that sense, his head is screwed on straight. He’s not so lost in his ideology that he can’t read the current situation.

Moreover, he’s skilled at reading human psychology, making him excellent at consolidating power. The reason he’s called “Lucky Stalin” is that he doesn’t engage in mass purges.

He even tolerates those who openly oppose him, as long as they don’t directly infringe on freedom.

‘There’s potential. There’s potential.’

Communism on Earth was adopted as a system based solely on potential and ideals. And it utterly failed.

Addiht anytime soon.

In half a year, the academy collapse incident will occur. Forget succession; there’ll be a mountain of immediate crises to deal with.

“So, what do you think? If you understood my words, you should know how precious freedom is.”

“I do.”

“And?”

And what? Just thinking about the story is already overwhelming.

I wanted to spout something like that, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.

So, what should I say to make Karas understand? No matter what I say, he’ll likely take it positively.

‘Should I just criticize him outright?’

It’s less criticism and more of a critique. No matter how feasible the ideology seems, human desires can’t be ignored.

Unlike communism, capitalism satisfies human desires. Even if it’s riddled with absurdities.

So, instead of criticizing the system, I thought it would be better to bring up a more fundamental issue.

“I lived in the forest. I hunted, ate, slept, rested, and hunted again.”

“That sounds free.”

“But it’s not like that here. No need to hunt. Just eat, sleep, fight, rest, and play.”

I do hunt occasionally, but I left that out. It’s more about expanding my territory than actual hunting.

Karas listened to my words with a curious expression. He seemed eager to hear what I would say next.

Now that I had his attention, the rest was simple. I fidgeted with my fingers before speaking.

“But I want to eat more. I want to sleep more. I want to play more. I want to rest more. I want to play with my friends.”

“Hmm…”

“Other people might not know. But they’re similar to me. Everyone wants to be comfortable.”

Every living creature, including humans, tends to get lazy when their stomach is full and they feel warm.

Originally, they would burn calories while hunting and replenish them with their prey.

But with civilization, that’s hardly necessary. You can solve most things with money.

Especially on Earth, where machine civilization is highly advanced, there’s little need for physical activity. There’s a reason obesity has become a significant issue.

“People are greedy. They have many desires. You’re the same.”

“I’m the same?”

“Yeah. Doing what you want. That’s desire.”

“…”

One of humanity’s most primal urges is desire. The strong yearning to achieve something.

It’s the foundation of civilization and the driving force behind progress, but it can also be a dangerous factor leading to destruction.

As I mentioned earlier, communism is an excellent ideology both religiously and ideally.

It can be said to be the closest thing to a utopia, but to achieve that, you must “satisfy” everyone.

Can there truly be a country that can satisfy everyone? For that to happen, humanity would need to be free from all desires.

“We’re not free. We can’t be free. We get hungry, we need to sleep, we have to rest. It’s instinct.”

“Then, to gain true freedom?”

“Impossible.”

As long as we’re born as living beings, we cannot be free from death.

If we starve, we get closer to death. If we can’t sleep, we get closer to death. If we can’t relieve stress, it’s the same.

“…In beings.”

“Maybe?”

“If gaining freedom is impossible, and realizing ideals is difficult, then what’s left?”

Did he understand my words? Or did he want to deny them?

Karas, his usual smile wiped from his face, asked me in a voice that sounded a bit cold.

It must’ve felt like what he firmly believed in had shattered like glass. Unfortunately, that’s reality.

Humans are guided by reason within the framework of civilization, but outside of it, we’re all the same.

“What’s left? There is something.”

“What is it?”

“Progress.”

That’s why humanity can endlessly progress. You could call it the drive for ultimate efficiency.

Karas’s eyes widened at my mention of progress. It seemed like an entirely unexpected answer.

“Hunting was hard for me too. But I tried. I got stronger, made axes and spears. Thanks to that, hunting became easier.”

“…”

“It’s the same for everyone. They all progress.”

Hardly anyone is strong from the start. We tend to call that talent.

Rod didn’t earn the title of Sword Saint from the beginning. The same goes for Rize.

“Everyone’s beginnings are different. Their endings are different too. But the start and finish are different because of progress.”

“I see. So, for living beings, freedom equates to progress?”

I wasn’t too sure about that, so I just shrugged. I only said what I could.

Karas nodded and seemed to ponder for a moment. I could tell by the way his gaze dropped.

“Sivar. Where did you hear that?”

“From a book.”

“A book? What book?”

“I don’t know. I forgot.”

“Hmm… Was there such content in a book? I thought I only gave you fairy tales and novels.”

Ellie tilted her head in confusion. The best course of action was to keep my mouth shut.

Saying anything else would only cause confusion. I couldn’t exactly explain Das Kapital to her.

[Faith increased!]

Wait. Why did my faith suddenly increase?

I blinked at the message that appeared before my eyes. Did someone say something strange somewhere else?

“…So that’s what it is.”

At that moment, Karas muttered softly. Both Ellie and I turned our attention to him.

“That’s what it is!”

“?

What the hell are you talking about?

I stood there, dumbfounded, as Karas suddenly spread his arms wide and shouted.

The surroundings were growing darker, but it felt like Karas alone was shining brightly.

Even his expression was out of the ordinary. It looked like he was high on something.

All I did was share my experiences, but he was making a big fuss over it.

“I’ve been overlooking human desires! You’re right! Human desires are something we can’t control, even if we want to!”

I didn’t say that, though. What the hell kind of mental gymnastics did you go through?

While I was too stunned to speak, Karas suddenly grabbed my hand.

Normally, I could have pulled away, but as soon as I met his gaze, I flinched.

His eyes were so bright they nearly glowed. They were the epitome of madness.

“Others might not understand, but you’ve lived in the wild! Hearing such words from you makes them even more convincing!”

“…”

That’s a hasty generalization… or maybe it’s just that people like me are rare.

Some.

“Excellent! I’ll make sure to heed your words! No, you must continue to enlighten me!”

“…Me?”

“Of course! Who would know primal desires better than you? You can definitely help me!”

How on earth? How am I supposed to help?

I couldn’t understand at all, and I just blinked in confusion. I was beyond flustered.

Meanwhile, Karas released my hand and boldly walked back into the banquet hall, waving cheerfully.

“See you later! I’ll even invite you to the palace if you’d like!”

“…”

I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but since he was leaving, I waved back. Ellie, also bewildered, waved her hand like me.

And so, Ellie and I were left alone on the terrace. It felt like a storm had just passed by.

“…He’s gone.”

“Yeah.”

“What should we do now?”

“Not sure.”

With just the two of us left, it seemed like a good time to head back. I was about to start walking when—

Grab—

But I couldn’t take another step. Ellie gently grabbed my wrist.

I looked at her curiously. When our eyes met, she flinched and then gave me a bashful smile.

“So… Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to talk a bit more… Is that okay?”

I didn’t mind. It wouldn’t be bad to chat a bit more, just the two of us.

When I turned around to indicate my agreement, Ellie smiled brightly. Her face was as pretty as ever.

We then walked to the edge of the terrace and looked down at the lower floor. Countless people were still enjoying the banquet.

“There are so many people, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you dislike being in crowded places, Sivar?”

“If I don’t know anyone.”

If you don’t know anyone, even in a crowd, it feels lonely. Especially after experiencing human warmth.

If I hadn’t lived in the dorm with Rize, I probably would have felt lonely. But from the next semester, I’ll be living alone.

“You’re just like me. I feel uncomfortable in crowds if I don’t see any familiar faces.”

“…”

“How do you feel when you’re with me?”

As soon as I heard that, I looked at Ellie. Her gaze was on the first floor, but her face wasn’t.

As she spoke, her face was gradually turning red. I roughly guessed what was going on.

“I like it.”

“How much?”

“Hmm…”

“You can’t even express how much, right?”

She giggled, making a joke that wasn’t really a joke. She wasn’t wrong, so I just nodded.

Ellie smiled as I confirmed her words. At the same time, her face grew even redder.

“Then… even more than Kara?”

“Hmm…”

That was a tough choice. I furrowed my brows and thought before answering.

“I like both.”

“You like both… Sivar, you’re so greedy. But I like that. If you can choose both, why not? Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then if you date Kara, will you also date me? Grace included?”

So she’s suggesting I juggle multiple relationships? That’s a bit overwhelming.

Maybe it’s because she’s a commoner, or perhaps she was raised differently, but she was very open-minded about this.

“Think about it. There’s no need to choose just one person, right? As long as you’re capable, you can be with multiple people. Ah, but maybe Sivar doesn’t know much about relationships?”

“Kissing?”

“Kissing can be between mom and dad, or even friends. Now, let me see your face for a bit.”

I leaned forward at Ellie’s request, and she leaned in even closer.

I almost let my gaze drift to the overwhelming presence of her chest, but I barely managed to control myself.

“You still glanced at my chest in this situation. How cute.”

Damn it. I guess a man’s instincts can’t be defeated.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I watched as Ellie closed her eyes and leaned in closer.

Smooch!

A light kiss followed. Ellie smiled sweetly as she spoke.

“This is a kiss. Something even friends can do.”

“…”

“And this is…”

Ellie went in for another kiss. She closed her eyes just like before.

Smooch!

Buainst each other’s.

And it didn’t end there. Something wiggled inside Ellie’s mouth and soon entered mine.

I realized what it was when it touched my tongue. For a moment, I flinched, but then I instinctively moved my tongue.

“Sluurp… Haa!”

“…”

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. Just as our tongues started intertwining, Ellie hastily pulled away.

It felt like my heart was tingling, and it left me wanting more. I was probably showing it on my face.

“Haa… Haa…”

Ellie panted, her face flushed to the point of bursting. Saliva glistened on her lips, threatening to drip.

She quickly wiped her mouth and gave a shy smile, as if trying to brush off the moment.

“ot it?”

“Practice for what?”

As Ellie stammered out her excuse, a familiar voice cut in between us.

Startled, we turned to see Kara standing confidently. She held a glass of wine in one hand.

She alternated her gaze between Ellie and me, then snorted before speaking.

“Then can I practice too?”

[Faith increased!]

“For reference, I’ll be using more than just my lips. As practice.”

[Faith increased!]

This is getting interesting.

End of Chapter