A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 164

I carried the unconscious Luna inside myself.

Since it was just a simple fainting spell (?), there was no need to go all the way to the Temple of Life, and she was likely to wake up soon.

Of course, her shrill scream had drawn some attention, but thankfully, it passed without much issue. Everyone seemed to think it was just a prank.

Anyway, I entered the Papal Palace, which, judging by the entrance alone, was no less imposing than a dungeon. Contrary to the entrance, however, the interior was not that complicated.

Rather, it was very clean and orderly. It seemed the person who designed the Papal Palace had chosen to keep the interior relatively simple.

“You’ve arrived. I’ve been informed by the Saint.”

Not long after we stepped inside the Papal Palace, a guide approached us.

He was a sturdy-looking man, and what stood out was that, despite wearing priestly robes, his muscles were quite prominent.

No, actually, it might be more accurate to say that the priestly robes accentuated his broad shoulders. While not as imposing as Rize, he was still quite solidly built.

“My name is Gaspard di Amante. A faithful servant of Lord Chaos.”

“Rod. What is Rize doing at the moment?”

“She’s training with the Pope in the training arena.”

“······?”

Did I mishear that? Who is she training with in the training arena?

Kara, seemingly as confused as I was, asked Gaspard in a puzzled voice.

“Wait a moment. Did you say she’s training with the Pope?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not that······”

When one thinks of a pope, certain images come to mind. A gentle, portly old man.

However, the fact that Rize was training with him suggested he was far from that stereotype.

“······I’m not familiar with Byzantium, but are most popes chosen from among the followers of Chaos?”

“Yes. However, they are often selected from the Gaia or Gulak factions.”

“To maintain balance, I assume?”

Even in Byzantium, it seemed impossible to escape the power struggles.

This wasn’t just an issue among the gods; it was a human problem, one that had been established since the dawn of civilization.

“No, that’s not it. We simply draw lots.”

“What?”

“We draw lots. The Papal Palace gathers believers ranked bishop or higher and conducts a drawing. That’s how the Pope is selected.”

“··· ···”

What kind of insane country is this? Selecting the highest authority through drawing lots?

Not just me, but even Kara was left speechless. While other nations are embroiled in power struggles, this place is downright bizarre.

“It’s a tradition that has been passed down since ancient times. Honestly, being the Pope is more of a figurehead role than a prestigious position.”

“But does the country even function like that?”

Kara’s incredulity was understandable. Her own country, Tatars, was newly established and still had many shortcomings.

For someone from such a fledgling nation, this system must seem utterly nonsensical.

After all, selecting the highest leader through drawing lots would spell doom for any other country.

“Yes. Since the Pope is personally chosen by Lord Chaos, no one dares to object. Moreover, the governing system isn’t solely concentrated on the Pope.”

“Even so······”

“I don’t fully understand it myself. But this tradition has persisted since the Demon King War, so there’s nothing more to say.”

“··· ···”

It felt absurd, yet I couldn’t argue against it. If they say it works, who am I to question it?

Perhaps Lord Chaos subtly manipulates the drawing to ensure a capable person is chosen.

As ridiculous as it sounds, it also underscores the immense authority of Chaos. The fact that all the orders follow it without question speaks volumes.

‘Why is Chaos so revered? From what I’ve seen, he’s capricious and rarely provides direct help.’

I’m not criticizing Chaos; I’m just stating the facts. The absence of a message suggests even Chaos acknowledges this.

Maybe it’s precisely because he lacks authority that he’s perceived as equitable. There’s a lot to ponder.

As I followed Gaspard, I took in the interior of the Papal Palace. It was evident that a lot of effort had gone into its design.

“······What is that?”

“Ah, that’s the head of a Red Dragon. I understand it was subjugated by the Knights Order in the distant past.”

“Why is that here······”

“Is there a problem with it?”

Of course, the Papal Palace was filled with Chaos’s signature bizarre designs. Unlike the clean interior, the decorations on the walls were rather crude.

The taxidermied dragon head was just the beginning; there were numerous other taxidermied items as well. The juxtaposition of civilization’s splendor with barbaric designs was striking.

The entrance earlier and now the interior gave off the vibe of a tribal settlement. Its presence was unmistakable.

‘If nothing else, the taxidermy is just······’

If I were to judge solely on the taxidermy, it reminded me of the cave I once lived in. Except for the chandelier and colorful stained glass windows, of course.

Strangely enough, it all somehow fit together. Like mint chocolate, it’s a matter of taste.

“What is your role, Gaspard?”

“I am a retainer who assists the Saint. There are many other retainers like me, all inspired by the Saint’s conviction to train themselves.”

“So instead of treating the damage, you eliminate the source of it?”

“Yes.”

It made sense now. He looked normal, but as a follower of Chaos, there was a reason behind it.

Moreover, he could just be pretending to act normal. After all, didn’t Rize also seem like a polite woman at first glance?

Of course, that only applied to her Saint Form. Her Authority Form was enough to make anyone think, ‘She’s strong.’

“We’re here. The training session should be wrapping up about now.”

Before long, we arrived at the training arena where the Saint and the Pope were supposedly training. Fortunately, the arena appeared ordinary from the outside.

Gaspard quietly opened the door and stepped inside. For the record, Luna was still slung over my back.

“Well done, Your Holiness. Your skills are improving day by day.”

“Ugh······”

As soon as we entered, we witnessed a truly unusual scene.

Rize stood confidently in her Authority Form, while a man lay sprawled out in front of her in the shape of a large X.

At first glance, it looked as though Rize had been tormenting the man, who appeared to be the Pope.

“Damn······ Why am I the Pope······”

“··· ···”

He was indeed the Pope. The problem was his choice of words, which were anything but papal, though it was fitting for someone chosen by Chaos.

Rize turned away from the Pope, who was sprawled on the floor, and looked back at us. When her eyes met ours, she gave a soft smile.

Given the situation, even her gentle smile felt rather bold. Her outfit, which accentuated her muscles, didn’t help either.

She wore shorts so short that her thighs were fully exposed, paired with a black T-shirt that seemed quite stretchy.

“Brother Gaspard, please escort His Holiness to the infirmary. He’s likely too weak to walk right now.”

“Understood.”

“Just kill me······ I don’t want to be Pope······ Why do I have to do this······”

Regardless of the Pope’s mutterings, Gaspard respectfully carried out Rize’s order.

The problem was that his method of carrying the Pope was more like hauling luggage over his shoulder. So much for papal dignity.

“You’ve arrived quickly. Was there any trouble on your way here?”

“None, though Sivar caused a bit of······ an incident.”

“Hmm. Does that include Ms. Luna, who’s slung over your back, or exclude her?”

What kind of question is that? Do I really cause that many incidents?

······Honestly, I have caused a lot of trouble. It’s all my karmic debt, I suppose.

Rod explained everything I had done, except for the part where I made Luna faint.

Out of sheer curiosity, I had reached into a severed space and ended up cleanly losing my hand.

Rize seemed slightly surprised, as if she hadn’t anticipated such an accident. Still, she appeared to understand.

“Fortunately, it’s within understandable limits. However, even if your hand has regenerated, there might be issues with your nervous system. I recommend visiting the Gaia Temple.”

“I was planning to do that anyway. But before that, about Sivar’s identity······”

The reason I came to Byzantium was simple: to figure out who I really am.

I needed to learn from the gods why I was brought here. At the very least, knowing the reason would make it less unbearable.

“You don’t need to worry about that. There’s a way to find out. Mr. Sivar?”

“?”

“Could you set Ms. Luna down for a moment?”

I was momentarily puzzled by Rize’s request but obediently set Luna down.

Luna was still unconscious, and for someone who had only been shocked, she had been out for quite a while.

Normally, she should have woken up by now. Why is this happening? That thought hadn’t even fully formed in my mind yet.

“Then, please excuse me for a moment.”

Thud!!

A tremendous impact hit the back of my neck. It felt like the shock traveled from my neck all the way to my head.

It seemed that Rize had struck the back of my neck. If I were an ordinary person, I would have passed out immediately from such a blow.

“???”

But I wasn’t an ordinary person. I widened my eyes at Rize’s rather abrupt attack.

The back of my neck stung painfully. It wasn’t just my neck—my whole head felt like it was ringing.

“Hmm. As expected, your body is quite sturdy.”

“Why… why did you hit me…?”

“To knock you out. Now, please cooperate and offer me the back of your neck.”

What does knocking me out have to do with Chaos? I stared at her with an expression that clearly said I didn’t understand.

But Rize was resolute. She showed me her fist, which was as big as a pot lid, in a gesture that was more of a threat than anything else.

“Will you pass out willingly, or shall I make it painful for you?”

“… …”

The answer was obvious. Resisting would be pointless.

More than anything, Rize wasn’t the type to do something without reason. I clenched my lips tightly and spoke quietly.

“J-Just go easy on me…”

“Understood.”

Thud!!

At the same time, an even stronger impact than before struck the back of my neck.

“Argh!!”

“Hmm. This still isn’t enough.”

Thud! Thud!

After being hit two more times, everything went dark before my eyes.

******

Before Sivar passed out, Luna was having a rather peculiar experience.

It was already absurd enough that she had fainted because of Sivar’s antics, but now she was dreaming. And it was a dream where she could move her body freely.

‘What is this? Where am I?’

Luna blinked and looked at her hands. For some reason, her hands were covered in far more calluses than usual.

It wasn’t just her hands. Her outfit was heavily armored, as if she were prepared for combat.

If it were just these details, she could dismiss it as a random dream. However, the scenery around her was far from ordinary.

Crackle! Whoosh!

The world was on fire. Quite literally, everything was engulfed in flames.

The flames roared as if they would consume her, contrasting sharply with the dark night sky.

Perhaps because it was a dream, the fire didn’t feel hot. Her eyes didn’t sting at all either.

‘What on earth…’

Still in a daze, Luna began to walk. Standing still didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

As she slowly moved forward, she came upon a sight even more horrifying than the waves of flames.

‘Oh my god…’

Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Blood.

An idiom from the East used to describe a massacre—and it was precisely what Luna was witnessing now.

Just as the phrase described, corpses were piled high into mountains, and blood pooled into lakes. It was a horrifying sight that made her shudder just by looking.

‘That is…’

At the peak of the mountain of corpses, someone stood tall. Their back was turned, so she couldn’t see their face.

Yet, Luna could see them as clearly as if they were right in front of her. Perhaps it was thanks to her special eyes.

Judging by the broad shoulders and body shape, it was undoubtedly a man. In one hand, he held an axe, and in the other, a sword.

Both weapons were far too large to be wielded with one hand, yet the man held them with ease.

‘That figure… looks familiar…’

As Luna was thinking this—

“…Is it you?”

Her mouth moved on its own. She hadn’t intended to speak, but the words came out anyway.

Startled, she stammered, but something strange was happening. She couldn’t move her body.

It was as if she had lost all control, her body moving on its own. Meanwhile, the man standing atop the mountain of corpses turned around.

“…!!”

Luna’s eyes widened in shock. And for good reason—when the man turned, she could see his face clearly.

The man’s appearance was… shockingly similar to someone she knew.

His hair was slightly longer, and most of his youthful features had faded, but if he were to grow, he would look exactly like this.

At the same time, she could tell it wasn’t him. Because the man’s eyes were a deep, vivid red.

“…You’ve come.”

However, the eyes of the man standing before her now—

“Friend.”

—were a striking, vivid purple.