A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 167

There’s one thing I keep forgetting every time I meet with Gulak, as if struck by lightning.

Lightning is both Gulak’s power and his symbol. Therefore, its meaning changes depending on how it strikes.

For example, if lightning strikes the altar where an offering has been placed, it can be interpreted as a positive response.

If the lightning strikes somewhere other than the altar, it’s a delay; if nothing happens at all, it’s a rejection.

Among these, if the lightning strikes the person who made the offering, it’s considered an overwhelmingly negative response.

It’s what people call ‘divine punishment.’ But I had momentarily forgotten this after being struck by lightning so many times.

The reason I’m explaining this now is because I’m currently in Gulak’s temple—the altar closest to Gulak himself.

“L-Lord Gulak is furious!”

“Who the hell is that guy? What did he do to make Lord Gulak deliver divine punishment?”

“Unbelievable. He didn’t even make an offering. Just how blasphemous can he be······!”

As if a lightning strike from a clear sky wasn’t shocking enough, the lightning hit me directly.

To anyone watching, it was clear that Gulak himself had delivered divine punishment. From my perspective, it was absurd.

‘What? We even kissed. So why?’

I let out a faint laugh in disbelief.

The priest, Heinkes, who had witnessed everything, erased his shocked expression and hardened his face.

Being a follower of Gulak, he seemed to realize just how serious the situation was.

“······It seems Lord Gulak is displeased. And he must care deeply for Sister Kara.”

“What? Oh, yes. He does care for me, but······”

“Then it makes even more sense. From Lord Gulak’s perspective, an irreverent man coveting his beloved shamaness is intolerable.”

“··· ···”

Kara looked completely at a loss, her gaze darting between me and the sky.

A god interfering in the romantic affairs of his shamaness? He’s worse than Hector.

Sure, I’ve hurled plenty of profanities at the gods, but I’ve never caused them direct harm.

If anything, I’m the victim here. They dragged me out of my peaceful life and put me through hell.

‘Seriously, such a petty god······’

Crash!!

Could he read my thoughts? Or was it because this is a temple?

Blue lightning struck me again, this time directly above my head. My whole body tingled with electric energy.

“Not once, but twice?! What the hell is going on······”

“Sivar, don’t say anything disrespectful to Lord Gulak. Even if it’s more than once······ he’s probably holding back.”

The priest looked horrified while Kara gently tried to calm me down. I let out a hollow sigh.

As I exhaled, gray smoke puffed out of my mouth, accompanied by the scent of scorched flesh.

Since I had no intention of causing trouble here, I decided it was best to comply.

“What do you mean it’s not the first time? Has this happened before?”

“Well······ yes. But it’s not like he hates you outright. It’s more like disciplining a reckless child? Besides, Sivar can control lightning too. Isn’t that right, Sivar?”

Kara was desperately defending me. I felt guilty, thinking she was suffering because of me.

Perhaps thanks to her defense, Heinkes didn’t kick me out, though he did offer some pointed words.

“Understood. However, it’s clear Lord Gulak doesn’t like Mr. Sivar, so you should be cautious.”

“Yes.”

“This is unfair.”

The words slipped out on their own, fueled by genuine frustration. I was simply stating the facts.

Seeing me dispirited, Kara offered words of comfort. She’s truly the only one I can rely on.

Afterward, we headed to the top of the temple with Heinkes to continue the ritual.

Perhaps because of the recent lightning strike, all eyes were on us.

Feeling embarrassed, I was about to sneakily grab Kara’s hand.

Rumble······

‘What the hell.’

So even holding hands is off-limits? Just how much does he cherish her?

Not even the Academy altar was this strict. Kara might dislike this, and I wonder if he can handle that.

In the end, I gave up on holding Kara’s hand and climbed to the top. Someday, I’ll find a way to get back at him.

“Come to think of it, Mr. Sivar, you survived being struck by divine punishment from Lord Gulak. Normally, even one strike would stop a person’s heart, let alone more than one.”

“Sivar is, well······ no, he’s very sturdy. Maybe it’s because he’s been struck by lightning so often?”

“Hmm. Lightning is an excruciating pain that’s hard to grow accustomed to. You’re quite a remarkable individual.”

The first time I was struck by lightning, I thought I was going to die from the pain.

What was especially troublesome was the paralysis caused by muscle contractions, rendering me immobile.

I had to struggle desperately to barely escape; otherwise, I’d inevitably take the next attack.

‘It’s probably thanks to regeneration that I’ve managed to endure.’

Without it, I’d have been roasted or reduced to ashes. Even in the Soul World, lightning was one of the most menacing abilities.

While there weren’t any stats for lightning resistance, it seems the body can adapt over time.

Lost in distracted thoughts, I eventually reached the top of the temple. Surprisingly, there were hardly any people, just a solitary altar.

“This place can only be accessed with my permission. It’s where offerings are made during large-scale rituals.”

“Is it okay for us to be here?”

“Sister Kara is favored by Lord Gulak, and Mr. Sivar has also piqued his interest, so it’s fine. Do you have any tribute to offer?”

“Yes.”

Kara pulled something out of her pocket. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary dagger.

“It’s a dagger imbued with Thunder’s Energy over time. This should suffice as a tribute, right?”

“It’s more than sufficient.”

“Sivar, let’s bow together.”

I didn’t particularly want to, but since Kara asked, I had no choice but to follow.

Standing before the altar, we carefully prepared for the ritual, just like we had at the Academy.

Kara placed the offering on the altar first and bowed deeply to greet Gulak.

Fwoosh!

As soon as she bowed, flames erupted on the altar where the offering had been placed. From behind, I heard Heinkes exclaim in awe.

It seemed Gulak’s immediate response was unusual and surprising.

It must mean he cherishes Kara that much. And I’m the scoundrel trying to steal her away.

“Kara.”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to dance?”

“No. I’m just here to say hello today. The offering is modest, and I plan to do it properly later.”

So it’s just a simple greeting. She seems unable to forgive herself for preparing so casually.

Despite her usually bold personality, she’s meticulous in moments like this. No wonder Gulak showers her with favor.

‘But what about me?’

If he cherished me like Kara, I’d gladly reciprocate. So why doesn’t he?

······Though, to be fair, I did beat Kara up during a sparring match. But that was unavoidable, and Kara had moved past it.

Maybe it’s because I’m a follower of Chaos. Gulak and Chaos aren’t exactly on friendly terms.

‘Which makes Gaia feel like the odd one out.’

The ritual concluded without incident. Thankfully, no lightning struck this time.

If it had, I’d have been furious enough to shout—or more likely, act.

Temple or not, I wouldn’t have cared. I’d have defied Gulak at least once.

“The ritual is over. Shall we head down now?”

“Yes.”

“If I may ask, what did you request? It’s the first time I’ve seen Lord Gulak respond so quickly.”

Before we descended, Heinkes, who had been observing from behind, asked with curiosity in his voice.

Kara gave an awkward smile at his question and glanced at me. Scratching her head, she answered.

“I just······ asked him not to hate Sivar too much. Look at his face. Does he look like someone who’d do anything bad?”

“His eyes are so unnervingly red that he looks like a monster······”

“Well······ he does act like a monster sometimes, but only occasionally. He’s never caused us any harm.”

“Hmm······”

Heinkes looked at me with suspicion-filled eyes. Since it was true, I couldn’t even argue.

Then, with a nod, he chuckled softly. His kind smile was as warm as ever, rivaling even Rod’s.

“The Kara sisters seem to really like Mr. Sivar.”

“··· ···”

Kara didn’t say anything. She simply blushed and pressed her lips together tightly.

Just from her reaction, it was easy to infer a positive answer.

‘See? She likes me too, so why do you keep interfering······’

Crash!!

Once again, lightning struck down above my head. At this point, I wasn’t even angry anymore—just dumbfounded.

The warm atmosphere was completely obliterated by a single bolt of lightning. Everyone just stared at me with wide eyes.

“······Sivar? What were you thinking?”

“······Kara.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You like me, don’t you?”

Kara hesitated for a moment before nodding her head.

I then looked up at the sky and began to move my feet cautiously.

At first, everyone had expressions that said they had no idea what I was about to do. But they were all shocked by what I did next.

Squeeze!

“Kyaa! S-Sivar? What are you doing?”

Kara was visibly flustered, and for good reason—I had approached her from behind and wrapped my arms around her waist.

It was what people call a back hug. I had noticed it before, but her waist was incredibly slim. Maybe it was because of her well-toned figure from regular exercise.

On top of that, it didn’t feel soft but rather firm, with a strong sense of elasticity. Just by hugging her, I could feel the muscles in her body.

Anyway, skipping over all that, I lifted Kara up while still holding her from behind. Specifically, I raised her toward the sky.

“Kara says she likes me! But you don’t?”

“W-What? What?!”

“Petty God! Go ahead, strike me again!”

Using Kara as a hostage, I issued a threat. Kara didn’t resist and simply stayed quietly in my grasp.

Would Gulak’s dislike for me outweigh his feelings for Kara? If so, he’d strike me with lightning.

But if that happened, Kara would also be hit by the lightning. I had intended to step down quietly, but now I was too annoyed to let it go.

“You can’t do it, can you? You can’t! So just give me your blessing!”

“W-What blessing?”

What else? I’m formally asking for permission to date her.

Otherwise, I feel like I’ll keep getting struck by lightning every chance I get. And as much as I hate to admit it, lightning hurts.

Rumble!!

At first, Gulak seemed flustered and didn’t react. But soon enough, his response began to take shape.

Earlier, lightning had struck out of a clear sky, but now the sky was gradually darkening. Pitch-black clouds started gathering at an alarming speed.

Heinkes, upon seeing the dark clouds, became visibly alarmed. He urgently pleaded with me.

“P-Please, don’t provoke Lord Gulak any further! This could turn into a real disaster!”

“This isn’t provocation! I’m angry too!”

They dragged me here against my will, and now they won’t even let me date freely?

No matter how magnanimous I try to be, there’s a limit to my patience. This is my way of protesting.

Normally, I’d comply with their demands, but this time, I want something in return. Otherwise, I’ll make a scene.

From the gods’ perspective, the future I know isn’t just valuable—it’s a mission that absolutely must be fulfilled.

Even with Luna around, it’s too much for her to handle alone. This is essentially my declaration of a work stoppage.

“Give me Kara! Then I’ll listen to what you want!”

“Aah······ I’m so sorry, Lord Gulak······”

At my bold declaration, Kara covered her face with both hands. She seemed utterly embarrassed.

However, she didn’t object and continued to let me hold her quietly. That must mean she didn’t entirely dislike the idea.

I still hadn’t received a definite answer. With the dark clouds gathering, I was certain a response would come soon.

If there was no response, that would be as good as granting permission. After all, silence has always been a substitute for agreement.

Rumble!!

The thunderclouds grew thicker, and the sound of thunder gradually intensified.

I held onto Kara without flinching. Occasionally, I adjusted my grip to make sure she wasn’t uncomfortable.

Crash!!!

In that instant, an enormous bolt of lightning struck down. It was so massive it resembled a pillar of light rather than a mere bolt.

The lightning struck directly at the altar, but strangely enough, it didn’t dissipate right away. Instead, the pillar of light lingered.

Turning my body, I looked toward the altar—still holding Kara, of course.

Sizzle—

Eventually, the pillar of light began to fade. Despite the lightning’s intensity, the altar remained intact.

“Huh?”

“What?”

But the altar itself wasn’t the same. A person had appeared on top of it.

Even from a distance, it was clear he was almost bear-like in size. Just how massive was his frame?

And his attire—he wore light leather armor and a fur cloak that evoked images of Northern Europe.

“Ah. Seriously, this is so annoying.”

The man, who had appeared out of nowhere, rubbed his nose and reacted gruffly.

His hair, though seemingly unkempt, was surprisingly well-maintained. His appearance, with his Viking-like braided beard, was striking.

His blond hair, tinged slightly with brown, was noticeable, but what stood out the most were his eyes.

“Why am I the one being sent just because you’re bullying my kid?”

The man’s eyes gleamed with a vivid indigo hue.