A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 128:

Chapter 128:

Blessing in Disguise (1)

***

One might say it’s disgraceful for a grown man to cry. I thought so myself.

But having spent a long time in the forest, I missed human contact, and the broken axe was also an issue.

I just felt sorry about the Usk axe, but Ragnarok was a much bigger problem.

Ragnarok is Hector’s symbolic weapon and very important to the Tatars.

Its importance is such that Ragnarok alone provided the ‘legitimacy’ to establish Tatars.

Historically, religion has held a very significant position in civilization, and Hector was chosen by Gulak.

Ragnarok is the proof of that. It’s not just a weapon but a divine relic, akin to a king’s symbol.

It plays a crucial role in the Tatars storyline, and now that it’s broken, the future looks bleak.

“Sister, is this supposed to break easily?”

“No. It’s a weapon blessed directly by Lord Gulak. It’s strange that it broke. It just shows how unbelievably strong the Holy Warrior is.”

Kara answered while looking at the remains of the broken weapon.

Although she said it was okay, her expression showed that she found it troublesome.

It’s understandable since a royal symbol was destroyed. It must be quite painful for Kara.

“Is it possible to repair it?”

“Repair is one thing, but the real problem is whether the blessing from Lord Gulak will remain after repair.”

“What do you mean?”

“Literally. Usually, equipment blessed by a deity becomes ordinary once it’s destroyed.”

The reason Kara was troubled was exactly that. Once a weapon blessed by a deity is destroyed, its effects vanish.

You might think that’s too harsh, but such equipment is extremely difficult to destroy.

Only equipment of the same level can destroy it, and even then, only by top-tier warriors.

“Of all things, it was the Holy Warrior’s full-strength punch…”

“My body is also blessed by Lord Chaos. All conditions were met.”

The problem lies in Rize’s punch. Her body, blessed by Chaos, is practically a weapon.

Combined with a full-strength punch, it’s no wonder Ragnarok shattered.

If I had reacted faster, the situation might have been different.

Ultimately, it’s largely my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on sparring, none of this would have happened.

“I’m sorry…”

“I told you, no need to apologize. You’re making me feel worse.”

Kara comforted me, patting my head. But the fact remained that my greed was the root cause.

I wanted to help somehow, but this wasn’t a problem money could solve. It’s a weapon blessed directly by Gulak.

In other words, to fully restore it, we need Gulak to bless it again.

“How long did it take for Lord Gulak to bestow the blessing?”

“I think it took over a year… It might take even longer now since my father isn’t around.”

But we don’t have that much time. Even if we offer tributes and hold ceremonies every day, it may not work.

When Hector acquired Ragnarok, it was likely during the tribal unification wars.

Back then, every day was a crisis, so he probably prayed a lot. Whether Gulak will bestow the blessing again is uncertain.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“First, I’ll take the remains to the altar. If I show sincerity, Lord Gulak might be favorable.”

Kara began gathering the remains in response to Luna’s question.

I didn’t just stand by and helped gather them. At least for the Usk axe, it was better for me to collect it.

If Kara got hurt while collecting the remains, I’d feel even more guilty. Better to prevent that in advance.

“We’ve gathered most of it. Next is the offerings… No, let’s place these on the altar first and think about the offerings. It’s almost noon anyway.”

Kara roughly organized the remains and looked up at the sky. I followed her gaze upward.

The sun wasn’t at its peak yet, so it wasn’t noon. Noon is the golden time for a ceremony.

“I have some preparations to do, so I’ll go ahead.”

“Alright. When should we gather at the altar?”

“Before noon… Wait, is the Holy Warrior also coming?”

Kara asked in surprise. It’s natural to be surprised if someone like the Holy Warrior plans to visit the altar.

Moreover, Rize is a follower of Chaos. No matter how much one pursues chaos, this seems a bit much.

“Yes. I also have some responsibility and plan to help.”

“Um… May I ask how you plan ulak’s ceremony. Sivar only performed the ceremony, so it’s different.”

“It’s nothing special. I just plan to offer my sincere apologies.”

That already sounds worrisome. Her saying this in her Holy Warrior form leaves me completely surprised.

But her willingness to help is sincere. Kara seemed to sense this and brushed it off nonchalantly.

“Well, it shouldn’t be a problem. If Sivar performed the ceremony, the Holy Warrior’s presence is even better.”

“Thank you. Lord Gulak will surely be pleased. Lord Chaos as well.”

Pleased? More like he’s determined to make me cry.

Forcing my emotions under control while receiving a barrage of faith was too much.

That bombardment loosened the knot and made my emotions explode. I couldn’t hold it back.

“Anyway, I’ll head off first. Luna, are you coming too?”

“I’ll come. I don’t have anything else to do.”

While I internally grumbled, Luna responded.

From Luna’s perspective, she genuinely had nothing else to do, hence her response.

But her former mentor, Rize, was right there. Rize interpreted her words differently.

“Hmm. It seems you’ve recovered. Alright, we’ll resume training after the ceremony.”

“Wait, no. That’s not what I meant…”

Our dear Luna, your mouth is always the problem.

Even when there’s no misunderstanding, she brings trouble upon herself with her words.

In the end, Luna looked distressed about the upcoming training, but it wasn’t my concern.

Eventually, Kara collected the broken remains and left, bringing the situation to a close.

The next step was to head to the altar at noon. We’d handle lunch afterward.

‘Do we really have to perform the ceremony every day for a year?’

I’m willing to do anything to restore Ragnarok.

Hector entrusted the axe to me to protect Kara. Even though an accident occurred, I must return it one day.

‘Should I use monsters from the Forest of Chaos? If I had known, I wouldn’t have sold the blade tusks.’

I sighed at the situation. Hopefully, we can restore it soon.

It’s just my wishful thinking, but with Rize offering help, it should be okay.

With these complex feelings, we all returned to my dorm.

“Sivar!”

“?”

A familiar voice called my name. A kind yet bright voice.

Turning around, I saw Ellie running towards us from afar.

With an expression of genuine joy and a heartwarming movement that rekindled my spirits, everything else faded away.

“Where are you coming from… Wait, did you cry?”

Ellie, who initially greeted me cheerfully, widened her eyes upon seeing my face.

Apparently, my tear marks were still visible. I turned my head awkwardly and answered softly.

“No, I didn’t cry.”

“You’re lying. Your pale skin shows the marks clearly.”

It was my skin that gave me away. My pale skin revealed everything.

“Ellie, I’ll explain. Here’s what happened…”

Luna explained in my place. She gave a brief summary of what happened.

Ellie listened with her usual bright eyes, nodding, until she heard about the destroyed weapon and looked slightly shocked.

She looked at my face worriedly and grabbed it with both hands, asking with such force that my lips puckered like a fish.

“Are you hurt? What if your face gets scarred?”

“I’m not hurt.”

“Even if you’re not hurt, you cried. Kara comforted you.”

She never disappoints. She revealed even the unnecessary details.

I was about to send a sharp glare at Luna when Ellie, sensing something odd, spoke up.

“What do you mean Kara comforted you?”

“Exactly what I said. Sivar was on the verge of tears, so she hugged him and said it was okay.”

“…Is that so?”

Why is her response half a beat late? And why is her expression blank, making me uneasy?

But it seemed my worry was unfounded as Ellie smiled brightly, as if it didn’t matter.

“It’s fine if it’s Kara. By the way, should I hug you too?”

With that, Ellie opened her arms wide. Her warm gesture filled my view.

Like being enchanted by a fox, I approached her and quietly embraced her. The comfort I felt was different from Kara’s.

“You’re still a kid, Sivar. You like being hugged so much.”

“…I’m not a kid.”

“If you’re not, then why did you cry?”

“…”

I couldn’t find the right words to respond, so I kept my mouth shut. I needed to savor this comfort for now.

After a long embrace, we returned to the main topic. First, Ellie’s decision.

“Can I come too? Ratatoskr also venerates Lord Gulak, so I thought I should go at least once.”

“Are you sure? It might be tough.”

“Of course. Despite how I look, I’ve conquered all the mountains near my home.”

Surprisingly, Ellie is quite physically strong.

Though not as strong as superhumans like Luna or Kara, she’s above average for a normal person.

To the extent that she has more stamina than Grace, who is a wizard. Her body shape is maintained as most of her fat is concentrated in her chest.

“When did Kara say we should be there?”

“We need to arrive before noon. The Holy Warrior will join us too.”

“Then how about we play a card game in Sivar’s dorm until then? We have time to kill.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

There’s nothing better than a card game to pass the time. Rize agreed as well.

So, we all flocked to my dorm and started a card game. The rules were simple enough for me to understand.

“Luna.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re terrible at this.”

“…Hey. Let’s play again.”

But Luna was truly terrible.

Her expressions gave everything away, making it easy to play against her.

******

After the card game, we headed to the altar at the appointed time.

Ellie, proving she wasn’t exaggerating, followed us without difficulty. She even picked some herbs along the way.

Rize climbed the stairs in her Holy Warrior form instead of her Holy Warrior form. She would probably switch back once we reached the altar.

“Kara should be there already, right?”

“Probably. She said she’d wait for us.”

“Why didn’t she come with us? What’s she preparing?”

I was curious, just like Ellie. When we parted ways, there was about an hour left until noon.

That was enough time for her to prepare with us, so it was strange that she went ahead.

And our curiosity was answered when we reached the altar.

“You’re early. You could’ve taken your time.”

“Uh…”

Kara greeted us warmly as soon as we arrived. But I couldn’t respond normally.

Neither could anyone else except Rize. We were all stunned at the sight of Kara.

“It’s a traditional Tatars outfit. Is it a dancer’s costume?”

“Yes. This matter requires showing sincerity.”

Her outfit highlighted her healthy bronze skin. Golden ornaments framed it.

But it barely covered the critical parts, leaving little to the imagination.

Her toned abs and fit body were clearly visible. Even her lower attire was a flowing garment.

If she spun around, her well-built thighs and other parts would all be exposed. It truly stirred a man’s desires.

“Is that the traditional Tatars outfit?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Isn’t it too revealing? It looks like just a piece of cloth…”

Even Ellie commented on it openly. Luna was just staring blankly beside us.

But Kara shrugged it off as if it was a common occurrence.

“I know. But Tatars is so hot that it can’t be helped. You’ll understand once you visit our country.”

“Does every woman in Tatars wear that?”

“No. This is a dancer’s costume. But we generally wear clothes that are well-ventilated.”

As explained before, Tatars is a country modeled after ancient Egypt.

So, they are very lenient about exposure. The weather is too hot to wear more.

Of course, they can wear such clothes because they have adapted perfectly to the climate, as seen from their bronze skin.

Outsiders wearing such clothes would get sunburned. That’s why most wear covering clothes.

“By the way, not all dancers are the same. See this ring on my middle finger? It indicates a dancer who performs ceremonies.”

Flutter-

Kara explained, waving her arms. The green cloth moved beautifully.

The green cloth matched her green eyes, and the circlet on her head suited her well.

“Beautiful.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Beautiful.”

“…You really mean it.”

Kara smiled shyly at my sincere compliment. It wasn’t just a polite comment; she genuinely looked beautiful.

In the Soul World, Kara had a dancer skin, but it wasn’t as revealing.

It had a top that covered her chest and pants for the bottom.

It seems there are different dancer outfits for banquets and ceremonies.

“Anyway, I’ll start the ceremony now. I’ve prepared the offerings, so we just need to receive a response.”

“Understood.”

“Sivar, come with me. If we pray together, Lord Gulak might give us a good answer.”

Kara extended her hand to me. Her bright smile was truly beautiful.

I responded by holding her hand. Kara flashed her characteristic cool smile.

Leading me to the altar, her exposed back caught my eye.

Her muscles, toned through countless training, were a work of art. From her slightly broad shoulders to her gradually narrowing waist.

Finally, her wide hips below her waist left me with nowhere to look. But one part drew my attention the most.

‘How does it…’

Her buttocks shifted with each step. The thin fabric revealed their shape clearly.

I wanted to look elsewhere, but I couldn’t. She was still holding my hand.

Rumble-

That’s just an excuse. Her back was so beautiful that my eyes naturally followed it.

When thunder rumbled from the sky, I hastily corrected myself, feeling a bit wronged.

Any man would understand. Kara’s current appearance could not be ignored unless you were a monk.

Men are naturally inclined to glance at beautiful women, even if they have a girlfriend or wife nearby.

‘Wait, did the thunder rumble to make me admit it?’

Surely not.

A perverted god who dresses his beloved priestess like this and enjoys it…

Rumble!

So, there really is one, damn it.

But I respect your taste. Every man can have their preferences.

‘I actually enjoy seeing her up close too…’

Crash!!

Just as I thought that, a bolt of lightning struck above my head. Fortunately, Kara, holding my hand, wasn’t harmed.

“What was that? Why did Lord Gulak…”

“…Cough.”

I can’t believe the god is being hypocritical.

End of Chapter