A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

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******

The time for practice had arrived. Each team moved to their designated positions under the guidance of the professors.

Soon, all the teams arrived at their respective command posts, and the professors, as always, began observing them.

This time, it seemed they came prepared, bringing snacks like popcorn. Now, the atmosphere was half-watching for entertainment.

"I didn't expect Sivar to enter the command post."

"Doesn't that make it more interesting?"

At Yi Yeonhwa's words, Marlboro spoke up. Sivar entering the command post was an unexpected variable.

Although restrictions were heavily placed to control Sivar's absurd strength, Sivar was still Sivar.

"Maybe this could be better. We can also see how smart Sivar really is."

"Since the idea itself is outstanding, good results will come."

"If only he wouldn't use that brain of his for strange things."

Still, the professors didn't pay much attention. If things went awry, someone from the command post could step in directly.

Above all, it was easy to grade from their perspective. Sivar usually received ambiguous evaluations.

He was smart, but his physical prowess was so overwhelming that he didn't use his brain. It was an evaluation that fit Sivar perfectly.

In reality, his martial prowess was extraordinary, and he also had a strong tendency to resolve things in that manner.

From a commanding standpoint, he was an unparalleled sword and shield, but there were times when brains were needed.

"He wouldn't do something strange like last semester, right? That time, we had to write so many reports because of water torture and a bomb attack."

"Oh, there's nothing like that in this practice. Worry about the next brawl instead."

"Come to think of it, there is a brawl after this practice, isn't there?"

Marlboro mentioned the brawl, and Serah reminded them, causing a peculiar atmosphere to settle among the professors.

After this practice, there would be an event replacing the midterm exam: duels and brawls. The difference with duels was that they were conducted with another class.

The most critical thing to pay attention to here was the brawl. As the name suggests, it was a method where teams joined forces to fight against opponents.

"A brawl... Is there someone like Sivar in the other class? At least if they had someone like Kara, it would be manageable."

"Well, weirdly enough, the outstanding talents seem to be concentrated in our class. The other classes are just average."

"I don't know whether to see this as a good thing or a bad thing."

Talented students were concentrated in one class. Looking at this alone, one might ask why they were divided this way.

But from the academy's standpoint, it was inevitable. The classes were divided based on their entrance rankings.

Moreover, it wasn't that the other classes' skills were low; it was just that Sivar was overbalanced.

"Ah. By the way, there's a strange rumor going around in the other class these days. Who was it again... Erica?"

"Erica? Ah, the one rumored to be the successor of the Fist Saint?"

"Not the successor of the Saintess?"

Since a major event was approaching, the professors were also gathering rumors.

As mentioned before, there was political strife among the professors, which made their tendencies somewhat closed-off.

Because of this, they only knew who caused accidents or who was talented in the other classes, but nothing beyond that.

Still, as the saying goes, "A needle in a pocket will eventually poke out," and rumors eventually spread throughout the academy.

In Sivar's case, his fame spread widely due to his reputation in various fields.

"Last semester, he was just an average priest, but this semester, he's unrecognizably different. Even his fighting style resembles the Saint."

"Could it be that student also transformed from an ordinary body?"

"We'll find out during the brawl anyway. And in any case, I still think Sivar will win."

Marlboro's faith in Sivar was strong. This sentiment wasn't limited to him but was shared by others as well.

Sivar's martial prowess was something even the professors found hard to handle. Hopefully, he wouldn't do anything crazy during the brawl.

"By the way..."

Marlboro looked at the observation screen. Each team in the command post began to move.

The command post of Karas's team consisted of Karas, Grace, and Sivar.

And the command post of the opposing team consisted of Dan Yerin, Antonio, and one mage.

Except for Sivar, the composition of the command post was mostly predictable.

Marlboro observed Karas's command post closely and crossed his arms.

"He wouldn't cause trouble while staying with Grace, would he? That's my biggest concern."

Marlboro mentioned Sivar and Grace living together, one of the hottest topics currently.

At this, the other professors each shared their opinions.

"Are you worried that Sivar might cause trouble?"

"No. It's more like... I'm scared the other students might cause trouble. Especially Luna and Kara. Rumor has it there's even a non-combatant student involved."

"Hmm. I think I understand what you mean."

It might seem like a trivial topic, but Yi Yeonhwa nodded seriously with a grave expression.

Everything in the world always starts with human relationships. When human relationships spread, they can escalate into political conflicts.

Especially those around Sivar were politically influential. Of course, except for Luna.

"Recently, even Kara's personality has mellowed, but... her fiery side remains. She even kissed Grace suddenly to provoke her."

"But wouldn't she understand? The reason Grace is living with Sivar is because of that incident."

Originally, cohabitation between different genders was impossible. However, Grace was an exception.

It was an extremely disgraceful incident that tarnished the academy's honor, and Grace's background couldn't be ignored.

If the academy had refused, who knows how Duke Berche's Household would have reacted. It could have left room for interference.

"It's a separate issue from understanding. If Grace crosses the line, the other students will definitely cause a commotion."

"Crosses the line? What do you mean?"

"Pregnancy? Sexual relations might be tolerable."

"... ..."

At Yi Yeonhwa's blunt words, Godin made an awkward face. He looked momentarily at a loss for words.

"Why are you making that face? Do you know how many students have dropped out because they didn't use contraception? At the very least, contraception should be certain."

"Uh... That's true. But I can't imagine Mr. Sivar causing such trouble..."

"That's true. Sivar would be the one being pounced on, not the one pouncing."

At Serah's apt analogy, Marlboro chuckled. It was so accurate that he couldn't hold back his laughter.

To outsiders, especially those who knew the situation well, Sivar was as pure as a kitten.

A kitten that caused trouble every time but couldn't be hated. The problem was that the kitten's size and strength were too overwhelming.

It wasn't aggressive enough to be called a tiger. And like any animal, it would get angry if provoked first.

"It feels like someone brought in a stray cat and started raising it."

"Are you saying he's a butler? Somehow, it fits."

"At least he's kind, so that's a relief."

"He's kind, but he's not stupid. If he had grown up in a normal household instead of the wild, everyone would have drooled over him."

At Serah's words, everyone nodded in agreement. Sivar was a gem discovered far too late.

If he had grown up in a normal household, the nation would have personally stepped in to educate him. But he suddenly appeared from the wild.

"I'm curious. Why did Sivar's parents abandon him in the forest? What on earth for?"

"It might not have been abandonment; maybe he simply lost his memory. Do you think it's possible for a child to survive alone in the forest?"

"Looking at Sivar's talent, it doesn't seem impossible. Nobody knows what happens in the world."

Once again, Yi Yeonhwa and Serah began their debate. Marlboro left them to argue and continued watching the screen.

As Godin explained, the distance between the command posts and the occupied areas was very far, and the teams were still moving.

"Enough of that. Let's check how each team created their cipher."

"For now, it's highly likely that both teams based their cipher on homophones."

Godin analyzed accurately. It was based on the data from the practices they had undergone so far.

What's more important is the rule they applied to create the cipher. For that, communication would be crucial.

With that, Godin turned up the volume and checked their transmissions. Understanding what they were saying was the priority.

[Baldy. This is Mouth. We've arrived at Occupied Area 1. There's nothing visible.]

Luna was the first to start the communication. Her pronunciation felt uniquely distinct.

"Baldy... what? That's the first time I've heard that."

"They must've written down random words."

"Call signs are usually like that."

They let the Baldy call sign slide. The important thing was the opponent.

[What about the appearance of the tiger?]

[None. Completely clear.]

[Good. Occupy the area and stand by.]

It was the communication between Dan Yerin's team and the students under them. Faces were already filled with tension.

"It seems the tiger refers to Sivar, right?"

"That's right. It seems they don't know that Sivar is still in the command unit."

You might think, how could they not know after all that commotion?

However, they might judge it as a kind of bluff. It's something that doesn't make sense logically.

The professors looked around each team and then turned their gaze back to Karas's command unit. And they witnessed an amusing scene.

[Alright. Mr. Sivar. I'll teach you how to use the communication orb. Infuse mana into it here...]

[Infuse mana into it...]

Sivar was following Grace's instructions and infusing mana into the communication orb.

Just looking at this, it was an incredibly satisfying sight...

Crack!

[Huh?]

[...Why did it break?]

It seemed the communication orb couldn't handle Sivar's red mana, and a crack appeared on it.

As the crack formed, the communication naturally got cut off as a bonus. Among the professors watching, Yi Yeonhwa muttered.

"That thing is very expensive... It shouldn't break..."

"... ..."

"...I'll go for a replacement."

A report form was already added to the pile.

*****

Fortunately, the broken communication orb was resupplied. Since communication was the most important thing, they provided it again.

Of course, while resupplying, Godin wiped his tears, saying it was incredibly expensive and begging them not to break it.

Honestly, I didn't expect it to break. I infused mana as instructed, but it just broke.

In the end, I took on the task of intercepting or translating the opponent's communication. To be honest, this is my main job.

[Zone 5 is empty. Occupying it.]

[Enemy found in Zone 2! It's the Lion's team!]

[Understood. The second team will head to Zone 2 immediately.]

The method of interception was extremely simple. You just use an interception communication orb.

This also requires mana, but it was better than the dedicated communication orb earlier. That one consumed a ridiculous amount of mana.

Thanks to this, even after infusing mana, it didn't break and remained intact. Thanks to that, I could comfortably listen to the opponent's communication.

"They're in Zone 5. Zone 2 is in battle. They're heading there for support."

"Good. Then that means these zones are empty..."

When I reported the interception results as they were, Karas took care of the commands.

The command unit could only judge the situation through communication, so in that sense, it was similar to having a map hack.

Of course, for now, only communication could be exchanged, but when the situation calms down and written communication begins, it will get complicated.

'This alone is a cheat.'

They were also using call signs like us to cause confusion.

However, they didn't use call signs for zone names, probably because it was still the early stages.

The main essence of this practice is territorial acquisition. The real fight is the mind game after the situation calms down.

[Baldy! Baldy! This is Mouth! One team member has fallen! Retreating!]

"Pfft...!"

A call sign that didn't suit the serious situation. It contrasted with Luna's urgent voice and brought laughter.

I tried my best to suppress my laughter. Laughing here could lead to who knows what.

"One person has fallen... Come to think of it, what happens when someone is eliminated? They didn't explain this."

"Perhaps they'll return here? Just returning would take time."

"Then it might be better to be wiped out all at once."

As Karas said, it might be better to be wiped out in this practice. As they say, respawns could get tangled.

It strongly felt like the professors had planned this well. It seemed like this practice would be quite interesting.

Beep! Beep-beep!

At that moment, strange noise reached our ears. We immediately turned to look in that direction.

Turning our gaze, something was displayed above the interception communication orb. It looked like a message.

"It seems they're sending written communication."

"Indeed."

Seeing them send it already, it seemed they were plotting something. I carefully observed the content.

Of course, it was written in code. Grace immediately started jotting it down on paper upon seeing it.

From now on, decoding this would be our duty and...

[Zone B3. Hwarang team moving. 10:30 AM.]

"...?"

What is this? Why is it automatically "translated"?

I blinked and stared at the automatically decoded text.

It wasn't in the common language, but how should I put it? It strongly felt like it just naturally read itself.

Though I couldn't figure out the call signs, I could decode everything else.

'Ah. Come to think of it...'

After some thought, I realized one thing.

'I've hardly seen other countries' languages until now, haven't I? No, wait. This is a code.'

What could this be? Anyway, it doesn't matter.

'Either way, it's confirmed to be a disruptive species.'

The fight was already tilting in our favor.