A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 159:

Lucky (3)

***

Kara’s sudden appearance caught me off guard.

I was too absorbed in spending time with Ellie to notice someone approaching.

But the fact that she managed to sneak up without making a sound meant she had planned this. And she must have witnessed everything that just happened.

“Oh, when did you… No, before that, I mean…”

Ellie was just as flustered by Kara’s arrival. Her face was still red.

Kara, observing her fumbling, scoffed before slowly walking towards us.

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“I’m saying you’re not the only one who’s done something like that. If you’d like, I can show you right now.”

Kara, who had approached us, said with a smile.

Ellie blinked at her words, then suddenly turned her head towards me with a sharp motion, making a whooshing sound.

“Sivar, did you really kiss Kara?”

“Not a kiss, just a peck.”

“And with Grace too?”

“Yeah.”

My straightforward answer left Ellie looking a bit crestfallen. She must have thought she was the first.

Meanwhile, Kara casually sipped her wine before spitting it out. She looked at me with wide eyes.

“What? You kissed Grace too? When?”

Come to think of it, Kara had left by then, so she wouldn’t have seen it. Only Luna witnessed it, so it made sense she didn’t know.

“After you left.”

“Seems like you had fun. Well, I guess that’s understandable.”

Kara was surprised but didn’t seem to care much. At least in this regard, she was quite straightforward.

But it was a different story for Ellie. She looked slightly disappointed and muttered softly.

“So I’ve been worrying for no reason. It feels a bit anticlimactic.”

“But I didn’t do anything as intense as you did. I’m a bit jealous. Where did you learn that?”

“My mom taught me. She said men like it.”

What exactly did her parents teach her? Given that they were from a rural village, Ellie’s knowledge was likely inherited from them.

Bue, passing down knowledge from generation to generation.

“It’s true that most men would like that. But what did you mean by ‘practice’?”

“My mom said it’s like following steps. How do I explain it? More than friends, but less than lovers? Anyway, at this stage, it’s called practice.”

“That’s… peculiar. But strangely, it makes sense.”

Kara nodded in agreement. Even if it’s just practice, kissing is a serious matter.

Maybe the norms of this world are different. Considering Kara’s reaction, it might be true.

“If you’re lovers, then it’s not practice anymore, right?”

“Yeah. That’s when you use everything you practiced. After becoming lovers, you become a married couple. Am I right?”

“You are, but… I don’t really know what to say. Let’s just charm him in our own ways. That seems best.”

Kara made a straightforward conclusion. My opinion wasn’t even considered.

Even if I did voice my opinion, it would probably be dismissed with something like, “You don’t understand.” Honestly, I didn’t mind the situation, so it was fine.

“Oh, right. How did you know we were here?”

“That’s what you ask first? I saw you two following the crown prince of the Matra Empire. What did you talk about?”

“I don’t really know. He just rambled on about freedom and stuff.”

Ellie shrugged. Since she had little related knowledge, she must have dismissed it as nonsense.

Even on Earth, we’re clueless about topics we don’t care about. In this world, it’s even more the case. For most people, as long as they can eat and live well, that’s enough.

“So he talked to you about that too. He said something similar to me. The future of the empire seems complicated.”

“Did you talk to Karas too? I saw you talking to others earlier. What did you talk about then?”

“Just… this and that.”

Kara gave a bitter smile as she approached us. She quietly passed by and leaned on the terrace railing to look down.

This gave me a better view of her expression. For some reason, she looked bitter.

“We talked about a lot of things. Surprisingly, people didn’t look down on me as a barbarian. I was worried about that.”

“Isn’t it the people who openly say that who are the problem?”

“That’s what I thought at first. But it turned out to be different when I actually faced it.”

Originally, Karas’s younger brother, Prince Leo, was the one who insulted the barbarians. He even made the outrageous suggestion that Kara become his concubine.

But since I smashed his head, there was no need for such insults.

No matter how much of a fuss Kara made, if someone disrespected her like that to her face, they’d be socially ruined.

“I can tolerate the insult of being called a barbarian. The problem is that there’s a direct victim among them.”

“A victim?”

“Yeah. You know how our Tatars used to raid neighboring countries, right? One of the people there was related to someone who suffered because of us.”

“…”

It’s a rather complicated matter. And it’s a burden the Tatars must bear.

Back then, they had no choice but to raid to obtain the necessary resources. But now that they’ve established a nation, it’s no longer a valid excuse.

In fact, if the Tatars hadn’t received recognition from Byzantium, they wouldn’t even be acknowledged as a country. Even after establishing a nation, they still face disdainful looks.

“Given the setting, that person didn’t curse me outright. But they subtly implied it. They asked what I’d do for those who suffered because of us, whether I could handle it.”

“What did you say?”

I asked. While the prince’s insults could be overlooked, this was different.

It was a direct consequence of their actions. If this had happened outside the banquet hall, it wouldn’t have been surprising if swords had been drawn.

A similar siance.

She argued that they had no choice but to raid due to the harsh desert climate, and questioned why they were bringing it up now when they were doing well.

“Whaized.”

But this time was different. Kara handled it with remarkable maturity.

People are often selfish, focusing only on their own perspective. But Kara lowered her head and apologized.

Even last time, she seemed more mentally mature. I’m not sure when she grew this much. Maybe there’s an event I missed.

“Your country is in the desert, right? Didn’t you have no choice?”

“It’s true we had no choice. That’s why we raided. But those are just words. Understanding and forgiveness are separate issues.”

Kara is right. Even if you understand, wrongdoings remain wrongdoings.

If someone could truly understand everything, they’d be a saint or a Buddha. Evil deeds that surpass the bounds of understanding can’t be forgiven.

Now, all she can do is apologize and slowly move forward, drawing a new future. Even gods can’t turn back time recklessly.

“Kara.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you hate civilized people?”

That aside, I’m still curious. How did Kara achieve such growth?

I’ve been racking my brain, but I can’t pinpoint anything significant. My memories are mostly of us laughing and having fun.

Kara stared at me for a while after hearing my question. Perhaps due to the amount of alcohol she’d consumed, her face looked a bit flushed.

“I used to hate them. It’s complicated…”

Kara turned her head with a troubled expression. She seemed to have something to say, judging by her fidgeting.

Come she wanted to tell me but needed the help of alcohol to do it.

Even with the alcohol, it seemed hard for her to bring it up. It must be a difficult topic.

“…It might hurt you. Is that okay?”

“I’m fine. Because it’s you, Kara.”

“Alright. Hoo…”

Kara let out a long breath. It seemed like she was trying to calm her trembling heart.

Then, she downed the remaining wine in her glass in one go. Wasn’t that a pretty strong drink?

“Ellie.”

“Yeah.”

“What did you think when you first met Sivar?”

Ellie looked up as she considered Kara’s question. She seemed to be thinking deeply.

Then, she blinked and offered an honest answer.

“The person who saved me? That’s all.”

“Nothing about him being a wildling?”

“That’s about it. I just thought he was really strong.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Kara nodded at Ellie’s response. Her expression was still complicated.

“At first, I thought the same. I even communicated better with him than with others. While others avoided me, calling me a barbarian, Sivar was different. That’s why we became close.”

That’s part of it, but it’s also because I knew Kara’s personality that we could become close.

Back then, she had a violent streak, but that’s almost gone now. After all, no one approached her.

“ them.”

“Same here. I like Sivar because he’s straightforward.”

“Me too. But… I realized at some point that I was thinking like this.”

As Kara spoke, she clenched her fist tightly. So tightly that the glass in her hand cracked.

It must have been hard for her to express this out loud. I waited quietly for her to confess.

Evene.

“It’s okay.”

“…Sivar?”

“I can understand. I can forgive.”

So I decided to give her some encouragement. Didn’t I say earlier that understanding and forgiveness are separate?

I returned those words to her. Kara looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Friend.”

“…”

“Kara is my friend.”

I added the word “friend” as a bonus. There’s nothing more powerful to Kara than the word “friend.”

Perhaps encouraged by this, Kara’s face twisted as if she were about to cry, but then she let out a hollow laugh.

“Honestly… I have no right to criticize civilized people. I despised them, yet I harbored the same feelings.”

“…”

“I’m disgusted with myself for thinking I was better than you. When in reality, I’m no better.”

So that’s how she felt. I think I understand now.

After being despised as a barbarian, seeing a wildling who was supposedly worse must have provided some comfort.

That’s human nature. Many people tend to compare themselves and think, “At least I’m better than that guy.”

.

“You know what’s even funnier? I like you. When I think about it, you were always by my side. I wanted to hide it, but I couldn’t.”

Honestly, Kara is pretty admirable. No, she’s more than admirable; she’s amazing.

Humans have an instinct to hide their feelings until the end. I don’t need to look far; even I’m hiding secrets.

Buive herself, but the courage to admit it is incredible.

“Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but… can I keep liking you?”

Kara confessed as she looked straight at me. It was similar yet different from the confession she made during the finals.

Back then, she hid her true feelings, but now she has nothing left to hide. She’s laid bare all her ugly emotions.

I stared at Kara’s face for a while before looking beyond her. Ellie was standing next to Kara.

Nod! Nod!

Ellie, meeting my eyes, nodded enthusiastically. It was a signal urging me to accept.

But even without her signaling, I would have accepted. There’s no benefit in distancing myself from Kara.

Besides, Kara and I get along well. It would be uncomfortable for me to drift apart over such petty comparisons.

“I like you too, Kara.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

Smooch!

As proof, I gave Kara a light peck on the lips. Her green eyes widened in surprise.

She touched her lips with her hand and then smiled softly. Relief was evident on her face.

“…ulak sent you to me.”

“…”

I don’t think that’s the case. If Gulak heard that, he’d probably roll over in his grave.

[Faith increased!]

He probably did cry. Anyway, seeing my faith increase means things went well.

There might be some awkwardness for a while, but that’s fine. Time will smooth things over.

“Do you want to drink more? The banquet isn’t over yet.”

“I do.”

“Drink in moderation. Otherwise, tomorrow will be tough…”

“Ah, here you are! You barbarian!”

Just as we were about to leave the terrace, a strange voice interrupted us.

Turning around, we saw a man standing there, seething with rage.

His hair was the same gray as Karas’s, but his expression was much more vicious.

“Nos!”

It was Prince Leo, the one whose head I smashed after he tried to mess with Ellie.

I’m sure his head was busted open, but he’s up and about now. How did he find us here?

“Who is this guy? Why is he acting crazy all of a sudden?”

“He’s a prince… He tried to touch me earlier and got hit on the head by Sivar with a bottle.”

“What?”

“Hmm?”

As Ellie summarized the situation, Leo’s gaze shifted.

His eyes landed on Ellie and then Kara. Slowly, a wicked grin spread across his face.

“Oh, this is an unexpected find! With that bronze skin, you must be the princess of the Tatars?”

“And if I am?”

“And if you are? Pah, you’re just another barbarian.”

“…”

Is this really happening? I was taken aback by this unexpected event.

Kara seemed displeased with Leo’s sudden insults, her expression darkening slightly.

Would she punch him in the face like she did in the Soul World? Or would she react differently, having matured?

“But you’re quite beautiful. I have a proposal for you…”

Smack!!

Just as I was getting curious about where this was heading, a sharp and familiar sound echoed in my ears.

At the same time, Leo staggered violently. He reached up to touch the back of his head.

Then, with a stunned expression, he looked back. Behind him stood a familiar figure.

“B-brother…?”

Thud!

With that short utterance, Leo collapsed. As he fell, another figure appeared.

“Haha! My apologies! I had a hunch, so I followed, only for him to cause trouble again.”

It was Crown Prince Karas. He was holding a half-broken bottle in his hand.

Judging by the glass shards scattered on the ground, it seemed he’d smacked Leo on the back of the head with the bottle, just like I did earlier.

Leo has now been hit on the head with a bottle twice. I hope he doesn’t actually die from this.

“Don’t mind me. Please continue. I’ll be on my way.”

With that, Karas left the terrace. His knight followed, carrying the unconscious Leo like a sack of potatoes.

“…Is he always like that?”

“Um… I’m not sure?”

“…”

I’ll just consider this another storm that has passed.

***

The day after the banquet.

‘…What’s this?’

Luna was incredibly confused. First of all, there was the unfamiliar ceiling she saw when she opened her eyes.

‘What the heck is this?’

Then there was the fact that she was only wearing her underwear—her panties, to be precise.

‘Seriously, what the heck is this?’

And right next to her lay Sivar.

‘Seriously, seriously, what the heck is this?’

Luna’s head was spinning.

End of Chapter