A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

The first practice session after transferring.

A practice room, supplies, personnel, and so on that match the reputation of a world-class academy.

From the perspective of the one giving instructions, it was truly a happy environment. Dan Yerin also participated diligently and with satisfaction.

However, as time passed, the smile on her face gradually disappeared. Instead, only confusion and frustration took its place.

[A lion appeared in Zone B2. We barely managed to retreat, but the zone was taken.]

[Signs of an offensive occurring in Zone A3. Request immediate support.]

Communications sent almost simultaneously. Just seeing them, it was clear the situation wasn't good.

Together with the resourceful Antonio, efforts were made to turn the situation around, but it was insufficient.

Are we at a disadvantage in terms of power compared to the opponent? In a way, that might be true.

However, this practice requires brainwork more than absolute strength.

There's no need to fight unnecessarily. As long as you occupy more zones, it's over, like a game of territory capture.

If a battle breaks out during the process, it can be avoided. This approach brought considerable benefits.

'Something feels off.'

But at some point, decisive losses began to occur frequently.

At first, they resolved to aim for the next opportunity, thinking it was unavoidable, but as time went on, it became strange.

How should I put it? It felt like playing in the palm of the opponent's hand. It seemed like all plans were exposed.

'Did they figure out the cipher?'

At this point, that's the only conclusion to draw. The problem lies in the beginning.

Even though only a few communications were sent just in case, the opponent saw through everything.

On the contrary, they couldn't decipher the opponent's cipher at all. The combination of shapes and symbols made it quite tricky.

'...If someone cracked it, there's only one person who could've done it.'

The current personnel assessment is complete. Thanks to that, they figured out who's in the opponent's command.

Karas, Grace, and Sivar—these three. Among them, Sivar must have cracked the cipher.

Karas would be too busy commanding, and Grace wasn't highly regarded. However, Sivar's abilities were directly experienced.

He understood all languages he heard for the first time. Even common languages, which usually have unique nuances, sounded native when he spoke them.

Thus, it was judged that written text wouldn't be any different. While it might be hard to pronounce without learning, he could grasp the meaning contained within.

'But it's not perfect. He doesn't know the call signs.'

The terms used to refer to something, like nouns or pronouns, were taken literally.

The reason for noticing this was simple. It was an agreement made by the teams before the practice began.

To confuse the opponent, call signs were to be changed at regular intervals.

This was Dan Yerin's idea, and it was proving to be highly effective, like rain during a drought.

No matter how much they grasp the movements, it's meaningless if they can't figure out the location.

"Antonio."

"Speak."

"We'll change the call signs. To the third set."

"Isn't that changing them too frequently?"

"The cipher has been cracked. We must at least change the call signs."

At the mention of the cipher being cracked, Antonio frowned. He had a similar suspicion.

But hearing it directly, it seemed plausible. Otherwise, it didn't make sense.

"No wonder. Whenever we sent communications, they responded. Who could've cracked it?"

"Most likely Sivar."

"...Aren't you overestimating him? You haven't even known him for long."

"It's an objective perspective."

Dan Yerin replied as she recalled Sivar's abilities one by one.

If he truly possessed interpretation and deciphering abilities, that alone made him a formidable existence.

It meant that no cipher or confidential document would be safe in front of him. It was natural to covet such a talent.

'If only I could keep him by my side...'

He would be a great help in securing the Emperor's position. He's a talent anyone would desire.

Moreover, to Dan Yerin, he was her only conversational partner. Drinking together at night and soothing her emotions was unparalleled.

'I should've come earlier.'

A slightly regretful thought. If she had enrolled earlier, she could've met Sivar from the beginning.

At the same time, she felt fortunate. In such an absurdly vast world, they had formed a connection.

Dan Yerin thought about Sivar but soon folded those thoughts away. What mattered now was the practice.

Since Sivar was currently an enemy, and part of the leadership at that, she needed to strategize to increase the chances of victory.

'The end is approaching. I must settle it in this battle.'

Even if the cipher was cracked, they didn't know the call signs. This could be cleverly exploited.

The opponent also preferred to respond based on communications rather than making the first move.

Dan Yerin carefully examined the status board and pointed to a captured zone with her finger as she spoke.

"We'll hold Bulgae. I'll use this place as the foothold to prepare for an offensive."

"Isn't that too obvious? The opponent will know too."

"That's why we'll capture another location. To make them mistake it for Bulgae."

Even if the cipher was broken, it didn't matter. As long as they didn't know where the attack was aimed, it was over.

Dan Yerin, with a tense expression, pointed to a captured zone with her hand and spoke.

"This will be a fight for survival."

*****

I didn't immediately reveal that I could translate(?) the opponent's communications.

It would seem suspicious to figure it out with just one document. So, I waited until several had arrived before revealing it.

At first, even Karas doubted me, but as time passed, he relied on me more and more.

Unfortunately, since I didn't know the opponent's call signs, the overall situation wasn't overwhelmingly favorable.

The general strategy itself was about response and defense, which gave us a relative advantage. However, ultimately, this was a battle for territory.

Without launching an attack, it was hard to figure out the opponent's call signs. Still, it was true that we had a slight advantage.

"Holding Bulgae... It seems they've changed their call signs again."

"They must know this will be the final battle."

As time passed, the practice was nearing its end. The battle was almost concluding.

Karas and Grace alternated between looking at the status board and the communications I translated, deep in thought.

The opponent seemed poised to launch a final offensive, but the problem was figuring out where.

"The most likely place is the central area here..."

"The issue is that it's too obvious. Even if they capture another area, they'll end up surrounded."

Out of the nine captured zones, we had five. The opponent had four.

Even after deciphering the cipher, not knowing the call signs dragged things out like this.

It wasn't that Karas lacked ability; rather, the opponent was skilled.

The opponent also realized the cipher was cracked. At the same time, they knew we didn't know the call signs.

So they frequently changed the call signs to confuse us. Not knowing the location made it hard for us to act decisively.

"Is there no way to figure it out?"

"Well... We're sure they'll attack one of our captured zones, but there are too many options."

"Hmm... If we could just figure this out, the game would be over. We've been too defensive."

Karas rarely showed a troubled expression. It was understandable since we focused more on defense than offense.

But this exam's theme wasn't war. Even if someone was knocked out or rendered unable to fight, they would revive after some time.

While it took some time, it meant there were always opportunities. In other words, the attacker had the advantage.

"First, we need to confirm where Bulgae is. Send a message to the team leaders in each zone to secure their positions."

"Understood."

"... ..."

While Karas issued instructions, I stared intently at the status board. Then I asked Grace.

"Grace."

"Yes?"

"Can we send messages from this captured zone?"

"It's possible.

Each captured zone has items for sending messages. Because of the distance, we had no choice but to use messages.

Therefore, it was possible to share information about what was lacking in each captured zone. After much deliberation, I spoke.

"I'll be back in a bit. Is that okay?"

"It seems you've thought of something."

"Yes."

"Go ahead."

As soon as I heard those words, I dashed out like an arrow. The place I was heading to was the zone presumed to be Bulgae.

It was currently occupied by Kara and was faithfully serving as a bridgehead.

'It's quite far, but it should be fine.'

The key point was whether the other side was intercepting communications. But since this was the last time, they were likely squeezing out as much mana as possible.

Eventually, after arriving at the zone where Kara was staying, I made a request to her.

"What? You want me to send a communication saying we're short on supplies? But our supplies are abundant."

"Just send it. In five minutes."

"Hmm... Alright. You must have a plan. But who gave such an order?"

"Me."

When I answered confidently, Kara looked at me with a peculiar expression. It was a face asking what I was thinking.

I waved my hand lightly at her and returned to the command post. Even though I ran without rest, the round trip took 30 minutes.

"Ah, Mr. Sivar. You came at the perfect time. The other side has sent a communication."

"Show me."

At just the right timing, the other side sent a communication. I checked the intercepted communication from Grace.

If my prediction was correct, there would surely be something about supplies in the communication. If not, there was nothing I could do.

[Notification that supplies are lacking in Bulgae. Supply support is needed before the offensive.]

"... ..."

Gotcha. I smiled.

"We won."

"Pardon?"

"They're coming to Kara's side."

"...How do you know that? The communication only mentions Bulgae."

I gradually explained to Grace, who expressed doubt.

The more I explained, the more admiration settled on Grace's face.

It was a face that said she hadn't thought such a method could be used, even though the approach itself was simple.

"Wow... That's amazing. To use a messenger in this way. The other side won't even know they're being tricked."

"Exactly."

"Mr. Karas."

"Yes."

Karas smiled with great satisfaction and certainty.

"We've won, Sivar."

"Yes."

"Go and break their backs completely."

It was time to deliver the final blow.

******

Time passed, and the offensive began. Dan Yerin's team advanced with two teams simultaneously for the offensive.

Dan Yerin was also part of this, but the command was entirely entrusted to Antonio to provide support.

Although directly stepping onto the battlefield was far from ideal, the situation left no other choice.

'I wish I could call in another team...'

If that happened, other zones would be at risk. The moment their base was raided, the practice would be over.

'But why do I feel so uneasy?'

Dan Yerin looked around. They were even pulling carts for supplies as part of the advance.

This was because they had intercepted a communication stating that supplies were lacking in Bulgae, the planned offensive zone.

If they were ambushed in this state... Just imagining it was horrifying.

Fortunately, Antonio's report came in saying there were no special movements on the other side.

Even so, it was too quiet. Far too quiet. The other side must know this would be the final battle.

'Are they confident?'

It made sense since Kara and Luna were there. Sivar, who was holed up in the command post, was an exception.

"By the way, Sivar hasn't been part of this practice."

"Is he really at the command post? What's with him?"

"I don't know either. But it's fortunate for us."

While Dan Yerin was pondering, the students were chatting noisily amongst themselves.

Every one of them seemed relieved by Sivar's absence. This showed just how significant Sivar's presence was.

Dan Yerin quietly listened to their conversation and, feeling a bit curious, asked softly.

"Is Sivar that dangerous?"

"Pardon? Ah... Princess, you wouldn't know. That guy's a beast, a beast. You can't stop him."

"You can't stop him..."

"He's especially skilled at ruining people. I heard a student was waterboarded during the midterm exam in the first semester."

I knew that well. It was one of the eccentricities of Sivar that I learned while gathering information.

Among them, the highlight was the bomb vest incident. The story of how professors had to write ten reports after that incident was famous.

Other impactful incidents included the attempted rape of Professor Delphoi and the recent tongue-cutting incident. Each one was astonishing.

'I'd like to see his strength with my own eyes...'

It was around the time Dan Yerin was thinking that.

Swoosh!

A sound of something slicing through the wind was heard.

Thwack!!!

A student walking in front of Dan Yerin staggered heavily and fell.

"W-What was that?!"

"It's an ambush! Everyone, be careful!"

Someone shouted that it was an ambush. Hearing that, Dan Yerin visibly panicked.

'How? They shouldn't know our call signs.'

Thwack! Crack!

Even amidst the chaos, people kept falling one by one. The precision was so exact that they couldn't even scream in pain.

Dan Yerin noticed something had fallen under the body of a fallen person.

'...A rock?'

It was a rock. A tiny pebble.

Her momentary confusion passed, and she turned her head in the direction from which the rock had come.

As she turned her head, someone began walking out slowly from the bushes.

"...Ah, damn it."

"T-Tiger...! It's a tiger!"

The students, having identified the ambusher, were greatly agitated. It was understandable since the most dangerous person had appeared.

The tiger, presumed to be holed up in a cave, had emerged. That tiger had crawled out of its den.

Dan Yerin stared blankly at the tiger, or rather, Sivar, who was slowly walking toward them, and her expression hardened.

"Everyone, stay calm! The opponent is just one person!"

Yes. Just one person.

And that thought changed in less than five minutes.

"Now, who's just one person?"

"... ..."

Dan Yerin had a defeated expression. Around her lay the students who had been standing just moments ago.

Naturally, it was Sivar who had taken them all down. No matter what attack they tried, it had no effect.

Meanwhile, they couldn't even respond. One by one, they were taken down effortlessly.

It became abundantly clear why the students feared Sivar and why the professors found him troublesome.

"...I surrender."

"Good decision."

The practice was over. With the offensive thwarted, there was no chance left.

Before returning to the command post, Dan Yerin faced Sivar.

As always, his face was expressionless. His blood-red eyes looked rather intimidating.

'This kind of man comes to me every night...'

Truly a fascinating man. Based on his actions and personality, anyone would think he resembles a cat.

But just now, he was clearly a tiger. A creature revered and feared in The East as sacred.

If he's an ally, he's not just reliable but someone you'd want to depend on. If he's an enemy, he's a source of terror.

And Dan Yerin wanted to have Sivar as an ally.

"Sivar."

"Hm?"

"I find myself wanting you more and more."

She spoke in the language of The East, but Sivar must have understood.

Sivar blinked at Dan Yerin's straightforward words and responded clearly.

"Give me something sweet."

"What?"

"I like people who give me sweet things."

Hearing those words, Dan Yerin momentarily wore a dumbfounded expression.

"...Pfft."

She let out a deflated laugh. It was a face that truly showed she was amused and delighted.

"Really..."

After chuckling to herself for a while, Dan Yerin looked at Sivar.

Her eyes were filled with deep affection.

"Being with you is truly enjoyable."

And a bit greedy, too.