A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Because of Ms. Luna's excellent positioning, what could have been a good time was completely ruined.

Of course, both Ellie and I gave Luna sharp looks, but she probably has no idea.

There's a high probability she wasn't interested in the first place. Knowing Luna's personality, if she's not interested, she's completely oblivious.

She would have just let it go. Even if Ellie sulks a little, she's kind, so she'll get over it soon enough.

"I'll go sort the herbs for a moment. I'll also brew some tea while I'm at it."

"You always work hard. Thank you."

"It's nothing. I'm also on the receiving end of help, you know."

Ellie began preparing tea while organizing the herbs I had given her.

The herbs we just gathered today need to be dried to take effect. So she'll probably use something else.

"So, was there anything unusual in the forest?"

Rod asked me. It's a question he always asks when I return from the forest.

He's considering whether to permit entry to the Forest of Chaos, so regular reports are essential.

Even if there are investigators, they can't oversee the forest as well as I can.

"There wasn't anything particular. Except for one thing."

"One thing? What is it?"

"A bear was dead."

"A bear? Could it be another predator?"

At the mention of a dead bear, Rod showed curiosity. Bears are considered quite strong creatures in this world.

They can easily tear apart and kill an untrained ordinary person.

Of course, they're no match for someone equipped and armed. Mana compensates for their lack of physical strength.

"No. There were no wounds."

"No wounds... Could it have been a disease? Given the timing, it's not impossible for a plague to spread."

"No. Its fur was clean."

I can confidently say it wasn't a plague. Its fur was too clean, almost unnaturally so.

It looked as if only its soul had been completely sucked out. I described it as accurately as I could.

The more I explained, the more Rod's expression hardened. He looked like he knew something.

"It seems like only its life force was taken... Just hearing it makes it sound like the work of a demon."

"Do demons steal life like that?"

"The methods vary. Some demons take life through offerings. However, to fully absorb life force, they do it while the victim is alive."

Life is like fruit hanging on a tree.

When it's attached to the tree, it maintains its sweetness and freshness, as it continually receives nutrients.

But the moment the fruit is picked, everything starts to degrade. Life is no different.

To be most efficient, life must be absorbed while alive. This leaves very little trace.

"Of course, this also depends on the situation. You can't always feast on fruit hanging from the tree."

"In other words, the bear's life force could have been absorbed while it was alive."

"Correct. However, there is too little evidence to be certain."

He's right. We can't be sure with just one bear.

There's also the possibility it died of a heart attack. We have to keep our options open.

"I've brought the tea."

"Thank you. Ah, by the way, Ms. Ellie."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Could you summon Ratatoskr for me? I have something to ask."

Rod asked Ellie, who had brought the tea. It seemed like he wanted to check Porori's Territory.

Ellie looked puzzled at first but soon nodded and walked away.

She headed to the window. Then, she opened it and pulled something out of her pants pocket.

Beeeeeep!

When Ellie blew into it, a refreshing and clear sound resonated.

It seemed to be an instrument Porori had given her for summoning. Or perhaps they agreed to purchase it together.

"Why did you call me?"

After a short while, Porori appeared through the window.

He was still as large as a big dog, but his fur seemed thinner than before.

It must be shedding season since it's summer. By winter, his coat will be full again.

"The Headmaster asked me to call you."

"That old human?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Got it."

As always, Porori approached us with a large acorn tucked under his arm.

I wonder where he finds such massive acorns. I've never even seen one.

"What's going on?"

Porori, now leaning confidently on the sofa, asked Rod.

With his arms crossed, he truly seemed almost human now.

"I was wondering if there's anything unusual in the territory you manage. Have you seen any corpses without any wounds?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you come across bodies that seem to have had only their life force sucked out?"

"Not to my recollection."

"I see."

It seems nothing has appeared in Porori's Territory yet. Or it could just be a baseless concern.

"If something similar happens, let me know. Oh, and just in case, stay vigilant. Be wary of colorless beings."

"Colorless beings? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll understand when you meet one later. Especially you, since your life force is abundant, it might be dangerous."

Porori is a spiritual beast. One favored by Gulak at that.

His life force is so overflowing that it practically spills over. Demons would undoubtedly target him.

I don't think Porori would lose, but caution is necessary.

"Be careful of surprise attacks."

"Surprise attacks? Are you telling me to watch out for surprise attacks?"

At my warning, Porori asked incredulously.

His reaction was natural, as Porori is a beast. Beasts have keener senses than humans.

Detecting a presence approaching from behind is basic for him, and his reflexes are exceptional.

It's like telling a monkey not to fall from a tree. But even monkeys fall from trees.

"Yes, be careful. I'm serious."

"...Well. Since you're saying it, I'll believe you this time."

"If you die, it'll be troublesome for me."

"This guy..."

It's not a joke; I'm serious. The territory is already vast, and managing Porori's would be a nightmare.

Moreover, if Porori were defeated, it would mean the demons' power increased.

If they absorbed a spiritual beast, there's a high chance their color would change.

"Sivar gave good advice. Watching out for surprise attacks will be beneficial. If our concerns are correct, those guys can't be detected by presence."

"You mean they can't be detected?"

"Yes. Not only presence but also life detection is impossible. They're beings without life."

Any living thing typically has a detectable presence. But demons are beings without life.

If they deliberately hide in the dark or flee, tracking them becomes extremely difficult. You have to deal with them in one go.

"Just listening to this, it sounds just like what this guy does. He's good at hiding too."

"Back then, I just wanted to live."

"Well, you were incredibly weak back then. I get it. Anyway, is there anything more to say?"

No. Normally, I would have talked about the demon's appearance.

But revealing its form completely would raise suspicion, so I kept quiet.

With both Rod and me issuing warnings, that squirrel shouldn't get caught. If it does, it'd be stupid.

After that, Porori returned to the forest, and we drank the tea Ellie had prepared.

The unique spicy aroma of the herb made my body feel at ease.

"By the way, what were you talking about earlier? Is something wrong in the forest?"

This was Ellie's question, as she still didn't know the situation. She wasn't aware of the detailed circumstances.

At this, I looked at Rod. He could explain in my stead.

"There's been an ominous sign in the forest. Sivar mentioned finding the corpse of a bear with just its life vanished."

"Why does that matter?"

"It might be related to demons. Didn't demons appear near Unity Village during the vacation?"

Ellie also knows what I did during the vacation. She couldn't have missed me swinging the Bloodstained Greatsword around.

However, I didn't mention that demons attacked the Academy. I plan to slowly build that up like with others.

Moreover, Ellie isn't in combat-related work, so if she got involved unnecessarily, it would be troublesome. It's best to keep her as safe as possible.

"It's just a precaution. The ecosystem of the Forest of Chaos is still developing. If demons intervene, it'll be a headache."

"Hmm... Is that so? Then entering the forest is a no-go."

"Exactly. We'll decide after conducting an investigation. It's still too early to act."

"I hope we can at least gather some herbs."

Ellie, who wasn't very interested in combat, just accepted it. I'm confident in my ability to gather herbs well.

It was around the time we started chatting while drinking tea. I glanced to the side.

Ellie was sitting modestly next to me, but my gaze kept falling on the large mound.

Maybe it's because I stopped myself from touching it earlier or because I kept feeling a strange impulse. Still, I held back.

'But it must've been really heavy, right?'

If I felt it was heavy, how much more would Ellie feel? It's essentially like carrying two heads.

After a brief moment of thought, I discreetly stood up. Then, I approached Ellie from behind.

"Sivar?"

"Just a moment."

Press—

I pressed her shoulder with my finger, just to check, and goodness. I couldn't tell if it was stone or flesh.

Compared to others, Ellie often had her shoulders massaged. I didn't realize it back then, but they must hurt a lot.

"Ellie. Does it hurt?"

"You mean my shoulders? Yeah, they do. But I endure it."

"Want me to massage them for you?"

"Massage?"

"Yeah. I've learned a thing or two."

Not that I learned it for situations like this, but it could come in handy.

Ellie stared at me for a moment, then smiled and gave her permission.

Anyway, I've already touched her chest, so her shoulders are nothing.

Press— Press—

"Ahh... I feel alive..."

"Feel good?"

"Yeah..."

As I infused mana to loosen her stiff muscles, Ellie let out a moan of relief.

Not just her voice but her body seemed to go limp. I couldn't even imagine how much strain she must've been under.

"Come to think of it, Ellie, you should strengthen your erector spinae muscles. Otherwise, it'll put a severe strain on your spine."

Seeing us, Rod offered a piece of advice. It was a recommendation to exercise, especially because of her chest.

In this world, without things like cosmetic surgery, that advice was likely the best option. It's certainly better to start now.

"Exercise? But I'm confident in my stamina."

"It's not stamina; it's strength. For someone like you, your lower back is especially important. I can help you with it."

"Hmm... Alright. Should I do it with Luna?"

"Grace."

"Huh?"

Instead of Luna, I mentioned Grace. Ellie looked at me with puzzled eyes.

"Do it with Grace. Grace works out too."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then can I come by your room after class?"

"Sure."

All it takes is granting permission for a 'guest' to visit. While at it, we can work out together.

What started as a joke felt essential after seeing her overly stiff shoulder muscles.

Afterward, I carefully loosened her stiff muscles in detail. She'll probably feel comfortable for a while.

"Thanks. I feel alive thanks to you."

"No problem."

"Sivar. Could you do me as well?"

Why, Grandpa? I looked at Rod with that expression.

I couldn't understand why someone who knows the human body better than me was asking me.

In response, Rod shrugged and spoke in a carefree tone.

"Even for me, it's hard to grasp every part of my body. There are places I can't reach."

"...Did you read my thoughts?"

"No. It's all written on your face."

Am I really that transparent? I touched my face while approaching Rod from behind.

As I finally stood behind Rod, I could see his broad shoulders.

He's probably at an age where he's entering the later years, but his physique is truly remarkable.

That's why he can slice space with ease. I placed my hand on Rod's shoulder.

"Wow."

His muscles were like stone, but in a different sense than Ellie's. They weren't stiff; the muscles themselves felt like stone.

Is this possibly the peak of human physicality? I began to wonder what Rize's muscles would feel like.

Especially since Rize's muscles are formed with divine power. It's akin to a type of steroid.

'If I said something like that in front of Rize, I'd get beaten, wouldn't I?'

Clearing away those thoughts, I massaged Rod's shoulders, using the techniques I learned in class.

Rod didn't resist as my mana infused into his body; he simply left himself to me. However, he didn't forget to give some advice.

"If you observe closely, you'll find spots where mana gathers. These are usually where muscles are knotted. In the East, they call it 'Hyul.'"

"Hyul?"

"Yes. Throughout a person's body, there are points called 'Hyul.' They are where mana flows and strength accumulates. They can also be pressure points and serve various purposes."

"Hmm..."

What would happen if I blocked those points? I suddenly had that thought.

"If you were to block a pressure point, I could show you something interesting."

"... ..."

I'm sorry. I immediately abandoned that thought and continued massaging his shoulders.

After about five minutes, I finished the massage. Rod seemed satisfied and moved his body.

"Quite impressive. As a reward, I'll show you something interesting. Try lifting your arm this way."

"Like this?"

I raised my arm as Rod instructed, specifically pointing my elbow outward.

Then, Rod nodded and placed his index finger near my elbow.

"When a pressure point is attacked..."

Zap!!!

"Argh!!!"

As mana penetrated, a sharp pain surged through my entire arm.

No, it felt beyond sharp; it was like being struck by lightning. Even getting hit by a thunderbolt wasn't this bad.

It hurt so much that I clutched my elbow and collapsed. Tears sprang from the sheer agony.

"This is what happens. Especially, the pressure points near your joints cause immense pain."

"Ugh... Why, why... I didn't even do anything..."

"You subtly tried to probe my pressure points with mana. I caught it all."

"Ugh..."

Still, I gained valuable knowledge thanks to it.

"Actually, it's not really a pressure point."

"...?"

Then what on earth did you do?