A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Byzantium (2)

***

Although there was an unexpected commotion, it was fortunately resolved smoothly.

Rod scolded me as soon as he saw my severed wrist but quickly retrieved my hand.

Since the cut was so clean, it was as simple as reattaching a prosthetic. The regeneration ability really came in handy.

“Phew. This was my mistake. I can understand why you were curious.”

“Does he always do this?”

“He does. The reasoning behind it goes something like this.”

Rod explained as he drew a diagram on the dirt with his sword.

As Rod had just done, you could slice through space to connect the two areas, or you could use teleportation—there are multiple methods.

“But if the connection is severed midway, there’s no escaping the damage. Unless you can control space itself, that is.”

“Because my hand was in that space.”

“Exactly.”

When teleportation or blink, or other spatial movement spells fail, the caster doesn’t get torn to pieces.

If ger at all.

However, Rod’s space-slicing technique is different. It directly interferes with the laws of the world, so the risks are high.

“Is it hard to grasp this concept through theory?”

Luna asked. After witnessing the dangers of space slicing firsthand, she seemed curious.

I never thought I’d reach that level myself. The most I’ve mastered is basic martial arts.

On the other hand, Luna is closer to being a true warrior. It’s still a long way off, but she could become very strong.

“It’s difficult to understand through theory alone. You must develop a sense for it, rather than relying on your mind.”

“What kind of sense?”

“It’s like becoming the sky itself. Instead of seeing the world with your eyes, you look down on yourself from above.”

Does that mean it’s like switching from a first-person to a third-person perspective? I’ll just take it to mean that.

But I’m not sure what that has to do with space slicing. It’s still a long, long way off for me.

Moreover, Rod is incredibly strong even without using space slicing. His regular attacks could probably rival other people’s finishing moves.

“Well, enough chit-chat. Let’s head to the checkpoint. And Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

“In the future, if you’re unsure about something, it’s best not to do it. Try to get permission wherever possible.”

Since I caused a major incident, Rod was treating me like a child. It reminded me of something I heard in the military.

I was slightly annoyed, but given the impact of the incident, I couldn’t complain.

“Don’t take it too hard. The Principal is just concerned about you.”

“Still.”

“If there’s something you want to eat, just tell me. I’ll buy it for you right away.”

As expected, Kara is the only one who truly understands me. How does she know exactly what I want?

When I looked at her with sparkling eyes, Kara responded with a bright smile and even pinched my cheek.

“By the way, your hand is fully healed, right?”

Kara pointed to my reattached hand and asked.

It had recovered so cleanly that it was hard to believe it had been severed.

Instead of answering, I demonstrated by rotating my wrist or flexing my fingers as I pleased.

For ordinary people, rehabilitation alone would have taken several months, but not for me. I recovered so quickly that even strenuous activity was possible. 𝘳

“It’s amazing every time I see it. How high does your regeneration ability have to be to do this? Are you even human?”

“I am human.”

“Yeah, yeah. Chaos himself chose you, so you must be human.”

Forget everything else—just the fact that Chaos chose me says it all.

I’ve sometimes doubted whether I’m genuinely human, but meeting Rize made me realize something.

Ah, I am indeed within the bounds of humanity. Rize, on the other hand, is someone I genuinely question whether they are human.

“Juse.”

“Alright.”

Since I’m at it, I plan to visit the temples like Luna. I have a mountain of questions to ask them.

But I wasn’t expecting much. Although it’s possible to communicate directly with them, it’s very rare.

There’s no need to mention Chaos. As a formless will, direct conversation is nearly impossible.

Maybe Rize could manage some level of communication. After all, she did come to the academy looking for me.

‘The most likely candidate is probably Gulak?’

Of course, I’ll have to endure a few thunderbolts, but I should be fine as long as I ask the right questions.

Besides, Kara will be next to me, so I can’t be reckless. Even if I don’t care about others, I genuinely value Kara.

“We’re almost there. That’s the checkpoint of Byzantium.”

Not long after, we arrived at Byzantium’s checkpoint. Given the era, a massive wall stood behind the checkpoint.

Unlike typical city walls, this one was pure white. One of Byzantium’s nicknames is the Land of Pure White, and this wall is the reason.

“Ah, you must be the esteemed Sword Saint. The Holy Warrior informed us in advance. Please proceed.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

The checkpoint was practically a free pass. It seemed Rize had informed them beforehand, as they let us through as soon as they saw Rod.

We proceeded through a gate meant for pedestrians rather than the main gate and entered the city.

Immediately upon entering, the sight that greeted us was the same pure white as the walls. The entire city seemed to be made of snow-white materials.

“Do you see that tall building in the center? That’s the Papal Palace. It also serves as the Temple of Chaos. And the temples of each god line either side of it.”

“The Papal Palace is also the Temple of Chaos?”

“It’s because of Byzantium’s history. Chaos is the one who enabled gods with opposing natures to coexist.”

As Rod explained, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were a country dedicated to a particular god. But Byzantium has its own unique characteristics.

Raods. The entire nation can be seen as both a temple and an altar.

“Well, life and destruction are opposites, so coexistence would be difficult. Chaos has certainly had a significant impact on history.”

“Indeed.”

Looking at this world’s history, there’s a common thread in key moments. It’s highly likely that Chaos followers were involved.

Those who made significant contributions to human history or proposed ideas that were incomprehensible at the time were often associated with Chaos.

Just like the geniuses who were ridiculed as heretics in their time but left a lasting legacy.

‘But how do they know those people were followers of Chaos?’

It’s worth noting that unless it’s well-documented in history, it’s all very ambiguous.

We can’t say for sure whether they were truly chosen by Chaos, and it all remains in the realm of speculation.

Even ious, most people only think of Gaia and Gulak.

‘Chaos is indeed chaotic in many senses.’

It’s called Chaos for a reason, but there are many unclear aspects. There’s no set doctrine or standard, and it’s all about human will.

Chaos even favors human “evil” as long as it meets certain conditions. Even Rize’s beliefs align more with violence.

At least they dislike people who have lost their humanity. Chaos has no interest in those who have lost their human hearts.

“Hmm? That woman has bronze skin, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah. Only the Tatars have bronze skin, right?”

As we neared the Papal Palace, I heard whispers from the passersby.

Kara was the center of attention, likely due to her distinct skin color. It was unavoidable.

Though my skin is unusually pale, it doesn’t stand out as much as Kara’s.

“Is she here to visit Gulak’s temple?”

“Probably. The Tatars made Gulak their state religion.”

“Maybe she’s moving here? They say our country is one of the best places to live.”

There wasn’t a trace of discrimination in their remarks. Their curiosity was almost pure.

Even Kara, who had been secretly listening, looked slightly bewildered. It seemed this was her first time experiencing this kind of attention.

‘It’s probably the first time she’s heard someone say they’re moving here.’

In fact, Byzantium is considered one of the best countries to live in. Unless you’re involved with demons, there’s little chance of getting caught in a war.

. All the religious power is concentrated in Byzantium.

In any era, the justification for religion is extremely powerful. Label someone a heretic, and they become a public enemy.

The Tatars have reaped the benefits of this. Otherwise, they would have been destroyed long ago.

“Byzantium was founded after a hero defeated the Demon Lord, right?”

“That’s right. The academy was established simultaneously. The proximity between Byzantium and the academy is due to this.”

“The more I learn, the more profound it seems. But…”

Before long, we arrived at the Papal Palace. I made sure to follow closely, not straying off.

From a distance, the Papal Palace looked ordinary—just a grand cathedral.

“Was Chaos… lacking in design sense?”

Luna remarked as she looked at the entrance to the Papal Palace, making an observation that wasn’t so much a criticism.

Rod also gave a wry smile.

And for good reason—the entrance of the Papal Palace was… rather grim.

Far from being white, it was pitch black. Even the path leading to the entrance was lined with torches.

Thank goodness it was daytime; otherwise, it would’ve felt like walking into a dungeon. The atmosphere was truly eerie.

“This wasn’t designed by Chaos himself but by a follower. You’d have to ask that person.”

“The ambiance is fitting, given the name Chaos.”

“Why did they build it like this…? It’s really bizarre.”

While Kara shrugged it off, Luna remained puzzled. She was muttering everything she thought out loud instead of keeping it to herself.

Maybe this is why Chaos doesn’t like Luna. Watching her tilt her head in confusion, I had a great idea.

And .

So, I took out Ragnarok and brought it close to Luna’s arm. I was curious to see if Chaos would show any will.

Bzzzzt!!

“Aaah!!”

Unlike the small sparks from before, this time, something much more intense happened.

The sparks grew into full-blown lightning, exceeding any normal level. Luna’s body twitched like a fish out of water.

Thud—

Jushtning strike.

Unlike me, Luna has almost no resistance to lightning. You have to be struck and roasted like me to build up some tolerance.

“…What are you doing?”

“Sivar, why…?”

Kara and Rod both looked at me with expressions of disbelief.

Instead of scolding me, they seemed utterly baffled by my actions.

I alternated between looking at the twitching Luna on the ground and them, then quietly explained.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it?”

At Kara’s question, I glanced at Ragnarok. Come to think of it, lightning is Gulak’s domain.

Although Chaos might have lashed out at Luna out of displeasure, Gulak probably had a hand in it too.

But I couldn’t blame Gulak, especially with his favorite person standing right there.

So, what excuse should I make? Rolling my eyes around, I finally spoke.

“Chaos.”

“Chaos? Are you saying Chaos did this?”

“Yeah.”

I’m pretty sure it was him.

[Your faith has increased!]

So it really was him.

End of Chapter