A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 166:

Even If It Means Dirt Gets in My Eyes (1)

***

Though a chaotic incident occurred, it didn’t take long for it to be resolved.

Gaspard quickly caught up to the Pope and subdued him right away. The sight of him carrying the Pope off like a piece of luggage was quite memorable.

“No! My freedom! My utopia! My paradise!!!”

“Just wait and see! One day, I will definitely escape from this insane place! Definitely!!”

I seriously wonder if that guy is really the Pope. Judging by his use of the term “paradise,” is he perhaps from the East?

In any case, his behavior is typical of a follower of Chaos. On top of that, it gives me a rough idea of how stressful being the Pope must be.

The Pope is such a mess, yet the country runs smoothly. It’s truly fascinating.

Especially considering aging in such bizarre antics.

I thought about asking whether he behaved like this during diplomatic negotiations, but I decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. There’s no point in asking such detailed questions.

‘If he conducted diplomacy like that, the country would have fallen long ago, right?’

Or maybe, as a true follower of Chaos, he carries out his duties well but just doesn’t want to.

In any case, though there was a brief commotion, it didn’t stop us from continuing our journey. The first place we headed to was the Temple of Gaia.

“Is there anyone here who serves Gaia?”

“No, there’s nobody here.”

“Understood. Let me explain a bit about the temple then…”

On the way, Rize explained the details about the Temple of Gaia and the Temple of Gulak.

Having lived far longer than I, and with much more experience, she was brimming with knowledge.

“Each ht. Both were built long ago and have maintained their forms ever since.”

Just as Rize described, the Temple of Gaia resembled an ancient Greek temple.

Though temples, shrines, and other buildings dedicated to gods are often referred to as “temples,” the most common architectural style is the ancient Greek form.

The grandeur of the temple was indescribable, but interestingly, it wasn’t particularly tall.

“Is there anyone here who would like to pray?”

“If we pray, will the gods respond?”

“Not exactly. The gods merely watch over you.”

None of us intended to pray. None of us were followers of Gaia, and there was no pressing reason to do so.

That included me. Perhaps because of that dream, I felt a bit uneasy.

I wouldn’t mind praying just to hurl some curses.

‘…Should I?’

Gulak’s reactions were quite amusing, so now I’m curious about how Gaia would respond.

As I entered the temple, I asked Rize if I could pray for a bit.

Rize’s eyes widened slightly before she smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Sister?”

“Yes, Holy Warrior.”

As soon as Rize called for a follower of Gaia, a woman immediately responded.

It seemed that all religious figures are referred to as brothers and sisters, regardless of their faith.

“Could you bring the sacred flame for this gentleman?”

“As you wish, Holy Warrior.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

Soon, the follower of Gaia returned with the sacred flame. It wasn’t an Olympic torch but more of a dish-shaped vessel.

“Now, you just need to kneel and pray.”

“Alright.”

Following Rize’s instructions, I knelt down and clasped my hands together, closing my eyes.

‘Hey, you bitch.’

I started off with a curse. After all, I had been forcibly brought to this world, so she deserved it.

‘Why did you bring me here? Explain.’

‘If you don’t answer, I’ll take a dump right here.’

Despite my threats, Gaia remained unyielding, refusing to respond. The sacred flame didn’t ignite, which confirmed it.

I guess she just doesn’t want to talk to me. Unlike Gulak, Gaia’s lack of reaction makes this no fun.

etting close to a follower of Gaia in the future.

“Hmm… No reaction, it seems. That’s fine.”

“Click.”

With no further response, I stood up. It seemed she had no intention of talking to me, no matter how much I cursed.

In the end, I’m left to solve the mystery on my own. Or I’ll have to ask Gulak directly.

At least with Gulak, he might respond with a thunderbolt. I’m determined to provoke him somehow.

“Thank you for your help, Sister.”

“Farewell.”

After my prayer was over, we left the Temple of Gaia. Since nothing happened, I didn’t feel much of anything.

Next, we naturally headed to the Temple of Gulak. The Temple of Gulak had a rather unique appearance.

If the Temple of Gaia resembled an ancient Greek temple, then the Temple of Gulak looked like a tower modeled after an altar.

It closely resembled a ziggurat from Mesopotamian civilization, except it was taller and grander.

“Wow… It’s like looking at a giant altar. Did people really build something like this back in the day?”

As soon as Kara, a devout follower of Gulak, saw the temple, she couldn’t help but marvel at it.

Her eyes sparkled like those of a child in a theme park. That’s how much she truly respected Gulak.

While Kara was busy admiring the temple, I took a look around. As expected of a place dedicated to the god of destruction, there weren’t many people around.

It’s probably because life and destruction are such stark contrasts that this is inevitable. However, while there weren’t many people here compared to the Temple of Gaia, there were still quite a few overall.

‘Most of them seem to be warriors.’

The majority of people, regardless of gender, were heavily armed. The god of destruction has a strong, aggressive aspect, so it’s no surprise there are a lot of warriors.

But contrary to what one might expect, the atmosphere wasn’t rough. In fact, everyone seemed quite cheerful.

It’s like that feeling you get when even a drunk person entering a billiard hall suddenly becomes polite.

Despite their tough appearances, everyone was smiling kindly, which made for a somewhat surreal experience.

“Welcome to the Temple of Destruction. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

Just as Kara was looking around like a curious child, an elderly man approached us.

Despite his gruff voice, his sturdy physique was quite striking. It was clear he hadn’t neglected his training for a single day.

“Oh, and I see the Holy Warrior is with you as well. What brings you here?”

“It’s nothing. These people simply wanted to visit the temple.”

“I se

The old man scrutinized each one of us carefully. His gaze eventually settled on Kara.

It made sense since Kara was from the Tatars, after all.

“Are you perhaps from the Tatar tribe?”

“Uh, yes, that’s correct…”

“The Tatar tribe considers Gulak as their state religion, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you’re most welcome. We’re honored to have such a distinguished guest.”

As expected, there was no discrimination just because Kara was from the Tatars. The only thing that mattered was her belief in Gulak.

Initially, Kara was a bit wary, but after sensing the old man’s kindness, her expression softened. Now all that was left was to enjoy the visit.

The others also wandered around the temple, agreeing to meet up later. Unlike the Temple of Gaia, this one seemed like it would take a while to explore.

I decided to follow the old man’s lead along with Kara. I couldn’t help but notice Ragnarok strapped to my back.

“Could you tell me how the Tatars worship Gulak? I’m somewhat familiar with other countries, but I don’t know much about the Tatars.”

“Hmm… We usually offer sacrifices or perform dances. Gulak loves that.”

“Dances? Do you mean combat?”

“No, I mean literal dances.”

“That’s quite a unique culture.”

hts about Tatar culture.

Kara, too, learned quite a bit. She picked up on offerings she hadn’t known about, as well as ways to please Gulak. It was quite educational.

“Oh, and Gulak also bestowed a blessing upon my father. The axe Sivar is carrying right now.”

“I’ve heard the stories. That axe is quite famous among Gulak’s followers.”

“If you’d like, I can show it to you. Sivar?”

At Kara’s request, I silently handed over Ragnarok. Kara then passed it to the old man.

Normally, the axe should have sparked on contact, but since the old man was a devout follower of Gulak, it didn’t.

“It’s truly a divine weapon. I can sense Gulak’s energy vividly. Though there’s also a faint, strange aura mixed in…”

This was surprising. That faint aura must be the influence of Chaos.

At the same time, I grew curious. Who exactly was this old man? Kara seemed curious as well.

“It might be a bit late to ask, but may I know your name?”

“Oh, my apologies for the late introduction. Hohoho.”

The old man chuckled as he handed Ragnarok back to me. He had a kindly demeanor, not unlike Rod’s.

Then, with a slight bow, he introduced himself in a formal tone.

“My name is Heinkes, a faithful servant of Gulak. I serve as the priest of this temple.”

“If you’re the priest… isn’t that the highest position here?”

“Yes, you could say that.”

No wonder his presence was so remarkable. The position of priest is essentially equivalent to a cardinal.

He is responsible for overseeing all rituals, from the most basic to those involving entire factions. In terms of faith, he might even rival Kara.

“My name is Kara Maier Hectorsdottir. I serve as both a warrior and a shaman in the Tatars.”

“Hectorsdottir… if you’re the daughter of the King of Destruction, then you must be the princess of the Tatars. It’s an honor to meet you. And this gentleman is…?”

Heinkes’s gaze shifted to me. His eyes were filled with warmth.

Given that I could handle Ragnarok, he probably assumed I was a follower of Gulak.

Since I can use thunder magic, he’s not entirely wrong. But I didn’t feel the need to explain the whole situation.

“Sivar. My name is Sivar.”

“Sivar… I see. May I ask what your relationship with each other is?”

“W-What? Why do you ask…?”

Kara was visibly flustered by the sudden question. It was clearly something she hadn’t anticipated.

Seeing this, Heinkes chuckled while placing his hands behind his back, speaking in his characteristic kindly tone.

“ of Destruction.”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“It wouldn’t be odd for the princess to possess such a weapon, but this man is a different story. Ah, but if it’s uncomfortable for you to talk about, you don’t have to answer.”

“Well…”

Kara hesitated as she glanced at me. She seemed torn.

Her face was also turning slightly red, suggesting she found it embarrassing to admit publicly.

‘We’ve already kissed, so…’

It’s a relationship that’s more or less become a fact at this point. Seeing Kara’s embarrassment, I decided to answer confidently on her behalf.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

“Hmm?”

“S-Sivar?!”

“We’ve even kissed—”

I was about to say that we had kissed when—

KABOOM!!!

A bolt of lightning struck from the clear sky.

End of Chapter