A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Byzantium (3)

***

I carried the unconscious Luna on my back as we entered the Papal Palace.

Since it was just a simple fainting spell, there was no need to visit the Temple of Life, and she was likely to wake up soon.

Of course, her loud scream had drawn some attention, but fortunately, it passed without much incident. People seemed to think it was just a prank.

At any rate, we entered the Papal Palace, which, judging by the entrance, resembled a dungeon. However, the interior wasn’t as complicated as the entrance suggested.

In fact, it was quite clean. It seemed that whoever designed the Papal Palace decided to keep the interior relatively simple.

“You’ve arrived. The Holy Warrior mentioned you were coming.”

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

Actually, the robes seemed to emphasize his broad shoulders even more. Though not as imposing as Rize, he was still quite impressive.

“My name is Gaspard di Amante. I am a faithful servant of Chaos.”

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

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

Did I mishear that? Who did he say she was training with?

Kara seemed just as confused as I was because she asked Gaspard in an incredulous voice.

“Wait a minute. She’s training with the Pope?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just…”

People usually have a certain image that comes to mind when they think of a Pope. A gentle, portly old man.

But if the Pope is training with Rize, then he’s probably far from that image.

“…I don’t know much about Byzantium, but is the Pope usually chosen as a follower of Chaos?”

“Yes. Buaia or Gulak.”

“To maintain balance?”

Even Byzantium can’t escape power struggles, it seems.

This isn’t just a matter of the gods but also of humans. It’s been this way since the dawn of civilization.

“No, that’s not it. They’re chosen by drawing lots.”

“Excuse me?”

“By drawing lots. The Papal Palace gathers all the believers ranked bishop or higher and conducts a lottery. That’s how the Pope is chosen.”

What kind of crazy country is this? They pick their highest authority by drawing lots?

Boht bizarre.

“It’s a tradition that has been passed down through the ages. To be honest, the Pope is more of a figurehead, not a prestigious position.”

“But does the country even function like that?”

Kara was so astounded that she couldn’t help but question it, despite her usually composed nature. And this is coming from someone whose country, the Tatars, was only recently founded. ℟�

The Tatars are still in the early stages of nation-building, with much left to be desired. But even to her, this sounds absurd.

After all, they’re choosing their highest leader by drawing lots. If another country did this, it wouldn’t be surprising if they collapsed immediately.

“Yes. Since the one chosen is directly selected by Chaos, nobody disputes it. Moreover, the governing system isn’t solely centered on the Pope.”

“Even so…”

“I don’t fully understand it either. But this tradition has persisted since the war against the Demon Lord, so there’s nothing more to say.”

I’m not sure if this makes any sense, but it seems to work, so I have nothing more to say.

Perhaps Chaos sub all the sects follow it without question.

‘Why does Chaos have such high authority? From what I’ve seen, he’s fickle and rarely offers direct help.’

I’m not criticizing Chaos; I’m just stating the facts. The fact that no message appeared suggests Chaos agrees.

Maybe the lack of authority is why people think he’s fair. There’s a lot to ponder.

As we followed Gaspard, I surveyed the interior of the Papal Palace. It was evident that great care had been taken in its design.

“… …What’s that?”

“Oh, that’s the head of a Red Dragon. I believe it was hunted by the knights long ago.”

“Why is it displayed here…?”

“Is there a problem?”

Of course, the Papal Palace was filled with the unique, eerie designs characteristic of Chaos. While the interior was clean, the decorations were rather crude.

Dragon head taxidermies were common, and there were plenty of other stuffed creatures. Amidst the civilization’s grandeur, the barbaric design stood out.

It felt like a tribal village inside, especially with the dungeon-like entrance. The presence was overwhelming.

‘If nothing else, the taxidermy is really…’

lass windows and chandeliers.

Strangely enough, it all seemed to fit together somehow. It’s like mint chocolate—something you either love or hate.

“What exactly do you do, Gaspard?”

“I serve as an attendant to the Holy Warrior. There are many others like me, all of whom have been inspired by her beliefs and undergo training.”

“So it’s about eliminating the source of harm rather than just treating the damage.”

“Exactly.”

No wonder he looked so normal, yet he’s a follower of Chaos.

He might even be pretending to be ordinary. After all, Rize also appeared to be a polite lady at first.

Of course, that was only in her Holy Warrior form. In her Holy Sword form, she was undeniably imposing.

“We’ve arrived. The training should be almost over by now.”

Before long, we arrived at the training grounds where the Holy Warrior and the Pope were supposedly training. Fortunately, the training grounds appeared ordinary on the surface.

Gaspard quietly opened the door, and we stepped inside. For reference, Luna was still unconscious on my back.

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

“Ugh…”

As soon as we entered, we witnessed a rather unusual sight.

Rize stood tall in her Holy Sword form, while a man lay sprawled on the ground in front of her.

From this scene alone, it looked like Rize had mercilessly pushed around who I assumed to be the Pope.

“Shibal… Why am I the Pope…”

He’s definitely the Pope. As expected of someone chosen by Chaos, his language is anything but pope-like.

Rize turned around, leaving the sprawled Pope behind, and looked at us. When our eyes met, she smiled softly.

However, given her appearance, even her gentle smile felt rather bold. She was dressed in an outfit that exposed all her muscles.

She wore shorts that barely reached her thighs and a black t-shirt that seemed to be highly elastic.

“Broht now.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Just kill me instead… I don’t want to be Pope… Why did I have to be…”

Regardless of the Pope’s mutterings, Gaspard respectfully followed Rize’s orders.

The only issue was that “respectfully” meant slinging the Pope over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Quite the treatment for the Pope.

“You arrived sooner than I expected. Was the journey uncomfortable in any way?”

“Not at all. Just that Sivar here… caused a bit of trouble.”

“Hmm. Does that include the unconscious Luna on your back, or is she an exception?”

Why does she have to phrase her questions like that? Have I really caused that many accidents?

…To be honest, I have caused quite a few. It’s all my own doing.

Rod explained to Rize what I had done, except for the part where I made Luna faint.

How I couldn’t resist my curiosity and stuck my hand into the space that had been sliced, resulting in it being cleanly severed.

Rize seemed a bit surprised by the incident, not having anticipated it, but she appeared to understand.

“It was an understandable mistake. Even though your hand regenerated, there could still be nerve damage, so it would be wise to visit the Temple of Gaia.”

“I was planning on doing that anyway. But before that, about Sivar’s identity…”

The purpose of coming to Byzantium was simple: to find out who I really am.

I need to understand why I was brought to this world. At the very least, I need a reason to make it all feel less ridiculous.

“You don’t need to worry about that. We have a way to find out. Sivar?”

“Huh?”

“Could you put Luna down for a moment?”

Surprised by Rize’s request, I obediently set Luna down.

Luna was still unconscious, but she had been out for quite a while for just getting shocked.

Normally, she should have woken up by now. Why is she still asleep? I was pondering this when—

“Well then, excuse me for a moment.”

Thwack!!

An enormous impact struck the back of my neck. It felt like the shock started at my neck and reverberated all the way to my head.

It seemed Rize had struck the back of my neck. An ordinary person would have been knocked out instantly by that blow.

“???”

But not me. I widened my eyes in surprise at Rize’s sudden attack.

My neck felt numb, and the pain was no joke. It was as if my entire head was ringing.

“Hmm. You are indeed quite sturdy.”

“Why… why did you hit me…?”

“To make you faint. Now, please offer your neck willingly.”

What does knocking me out have to do with Chaos? I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

But Rize remained firm. She showed me her enormous fist, making it clear this was less of a request and more of an ultimatum.

“Will you faint voluntarily, or should I make it hurt?”

The answer was obvious. Resisting would be futile.

Besides, Rize isn’t someone who would do something reckless. I bit down on my lip and quietly replied.

“Okay… just make it gentle…”

“Understood.”

Thwack!!

And with that, an even stronger impact than before shook the back of my neck.

“Aagh!!”

“Hmm. It still wasn’t enough.”

Thwack! Thwack!

After being struck two more times, everything went black.

******

Before Sivar lost consciousness, Luna was experiencing something rather peculiar.

She was already shocked that Sivar had knocked her out as a joke, and now, she was dreaming. Not just any dream, but one where she could move her body.

‘What’s going on? Where am I?’

Luna blinked and looked down at her hands. For some reason, her hands were much rougher and more calloused.

It wasn’t just her hands. Her outfit was also heavily armored, as if she were preparing for battle.

If it were just this, she could dismiss it as a mere dream. But the surroundings were far from anything she could dismiss as a simple dream.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The world was on fire. Quite literally, everything was burning.

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

Even though it was a dream, she didn’t feel the heat. Her eyes didn’t sting at all.

‘What the…’

Luna, still bewildered, began to walk. Standing still seemed like a bad idea.

As she continued walking, she witnessed a scene even more horrifying than the waves of fire.

‘Oh my god…’

A sea of corpses. Mountains of bodies and rivers of blood.

The scene before her was like the embodiment of the phrase “mountains of corpses and seas of blood.”

Jusht was terrifying.

‘What’s that…’

And atop the mountain of bodies, someone was standing tall. The person’s back was turned, so Luna couldn’t see their face.

But she saw them clearly, as if they were right in front of her. Perhaps it was her special vision.

Judging by the broad shoulders and build, it was definitely a man. One hand held an axe, and the other a sword.

Both weapons were too large to wield with one hand, but the man held them effortlessly in each hand.

‘That figure looks… familiar…’

Luna was thinking this when—

“…It

Luna’s mouth moved on its own. She didn’t intend to speak, but the words slipped out.

She was startled, and her lips trembled. For some reason, she couldn’t move her body.

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

“…!!”

Luna’s eyes widened in shock. The man had turned around, and she could see his face clearly.

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

His hair was slightly longer, and his youthful features had mostly disappeared, but if he grew up, he would look exactly like this.

At the same time, she knew this wasn’t the person she knew. His eyes were a deep, deep red.

“…You’re here.”

But the eyes of the man standing before her now—

“Friend.”

—were a vivid, vivid purple.

End of Chapter