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.

‘It’s a wonder this country hasn’t collapsed.’

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.

“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 Chapte