A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy - Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Lucky (1)

***
Karas’s chillingly psychopathic words caused the atmosphere to freeze in an instant.

Even if he wanted to punish his brother’s notorious promiscuity, suggesting smashing his head with a bottle was extreme.

The fact that Ellie seemed eager was one thing, but the mere suggestion revealed much about Karas’s nature.

“Ho… hoho. You have quite the sense of humor, brother.”

“And when have I ever joked, Diana?”

“I had no idea this handsome gentleman already had a lover. I apologize.”

Diana, sounding slightly flustered, bowed her head. It was an apology directed at Ellie.

A princess bowing her head to a mere commoner like Ellie—this showed just how frightening Karas was.

In fact, Karas was known for almost always following through on his words. He rarely told lies.

‘He probably never felt the need to lie.’

If I, as a wildling, am free from many societal constraints, Karas, being in a position akin to the highest authority, is infinitely free.

His siblings don’t dare speak against him because he holds at least one devastating secret over each of them.

Karas may allow his siblings to help him ascend the throne, but that doesn’t mean he likes them.

“Since you’ve apologized, I suppose it’s fine now. Hand me the bottle.”

“Here you go.”

“Hmm. This has quite the weight. It must have hurt a lot.”

Karas tapped his head with the empty bottle as he spoke, likely recalling the incident where the prince’s head was smashed earlier.

Then, Diana hastily left the scene, and just as Karas was about to follow, he paused.

“Oh. Would it be alright if I take this one with me? There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean…”

“It’s nothing much. I’m just curious about the opinion of someone from the wild.”

“It’s fine, but…”

Grace said this while looking at me. It was a silent indication that my decision was most important.

Normally, I wouldn’t want to be alone with Karas. But he wouldn’t hold a grudge if I refused.

However, perhaps it was the alcohol talking. Or maybe it was witnessing his truly psychopathic behavior.

I found myself a bit curious. What nonsense would this man spout next?

The alcohol clouding my judgment likely played a part.

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“I’ll go.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

“Sivar, even if you’re fine, we’re not.”

Luna bluntly stated. She seemed worried I might make a mistake.

Though her words were a bit harsh, they were true, so I just pouted. I wasn’t crazy enough to hit Karas.

“Haha. There’s no need to worry. Even if this one were to smash my head, I’d let it go.”

“…Please don’t say such frightening things, even as a joke.”

“It’s not a joke. Anyway, I’ll be borrowing him for a bit. Unless someone else wants to come along?”

“Me!”

Ellie enthusiastically raised her hand. While others hesitated, she was cheerful.

Karas seemed to appreciate it, nodding in approval.

“Now that I think about it, you’re a commoner too. I don’t mind sharing my thoughts. Anyone else want to join?”

“…I’ll pass.”

“Me too.”

Luna and Grace declined. Luna looked uneasy, and Grace seemed uncomfortable.

While Luna’s reaction was understandable, Grace seemed to have a rough idea of what might come up.

Just as we were about to leave, Grace grabbed my shoulder and whispered quietly.

“Try to take what he says with a grain of salt. It might be hard for you to understand, Sivar.”

“Okay.”

After hearing Grace’s advice, I had a better idea of what Karas might talk about.

Kara had been blunt the day before the banquet, explaining why Karas was considered a lunatic.

As I followed Karas with Ellie, I looked around. I noticed a familiar face.

‘Kara looks… exhausted.’

Kara was one of the biggest draws of the freshman banquet, surrounded by countless people.

Some were drawn to her unique appearance and beautiful figure, while others were captivated by her natural charisma.

I could say this with certainty because there were just as many women as men around her. She was clearly popular with both genders.

‘Wasn’t there an event where Kara gets angry?’

Maybe the alcohol was making my memory fuzzy. There was supposed to be an event involving Kara at the freshman banquet.

I couldn’t remember who, but someone provoked her, calling her a barbarian, and she took the bait.

If no one intervened, Kara would punch that person. But right now, she seemed to be conversing normally.

‘Oh, right. The provocateur was a prince.’

It came back to me. The one who provoked her was none other than the prince.

He had said that if she became his concubine, it would strengthen relations with the Tatars.

Naturally, it was insulting both as a warrior and as a woman. He deserved the subsequent lesson.

‘Well, this turned out fine.’
Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k ingm t l . o rg

In any case, it’s fortunate the troublemaker is gone. As long as everyone’s happy, that’s all that matters.

I turned my attention away from Kara. It seemed it would take time to have a conversation with her.

Besides, now was the time to talk with Karas. I’d have to postpone any thoughts of Kara for later.

“This should do.”

Following Karas, we arrived at the terrace on the second floor of the auditorium. I didn’t even know this place existed.

It was quiet, with few people around, making it perfect for conversation. Even those present were too busy talking among themselves.

“Oh. This is unfortunate.”

As I looked up at the sky, which was gradually darkening, Karas’s disappointed voice reached my ears.

When I turned, I saw Karas with a cigar in his mouth. However, he had no way to light it, despite having a match.

Seeing this, I wordlessly held out my hand. It was a gesture asking for the match.

“Hmm? Are you interested in smoking too?”

“Sivar, smoking is bad.”

Karas looked surprised, while Ellie scolded me with a stern expression. But I wasn’t interested in smoking.

Even when I lived on Earth, I stayed away from smoking. I barely even drank.

“No, the match.”

“The match?”
T h i s wa s c opi e d f r o m ki ngm t l .or g

“Yeah.”

Though puzzled, Karas handed me the match. The smooth floor offered little friction.

Snap!

So, I snapped my fingers to create a spark. All it takes is heat from friction.

Karas’s eyes widened as I lit the match with a snap of my fingers, and he let out a chuckle.

“I’ve experienced many things in life, but this is a first.”

With that, Karas took the lit match and used it to light his cigar.

He then put out the match and tucked it back into his pocket. It seemed he didn’t like littering.

“Now, where was I?”

“You haven’t said anything yet.”

“Is that so?”

Karas had a slightly absent-minded side. He took a deep drag from the cigar and exhaled slowly.
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Thick smoke billowed out, and the strong smell assaulted my nose, causing me to frown.

“It stinks.”

“Isn’t it fragrant?”

“Ugh.”

“Hahaha.”

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Even as I openly expressed my dislike, Karas just laughed it off. In the end, I had to step back a bit.

Ellie, who seemed to also dislike the smell, retreated alongside me. Despite this, Karas continued to puff away on his cigar.

“Sivar, you shouldn’t take an interest in smoking. Okay?”

“Yeah. I hate smoking.”

“I don’t understand why you dislike something so good.”

After a few more drags, Karas finally extinguished the cigar. The remainder went back into his pocket.

As the last wisps of smoke dissipated, Karas looked at us and began to speak.

“Before we start, have you heard any rumors about me? Don’t worry, you can be blunt.”

“Lunatic?”

“Sivar… that’s a bad word.”

Ellie quietly scolded me from the side after I spoke openly. Not because she was surprised, but because I used bad language.

Even though I had just called the crown prince a lunatic, she focused on the fact that I used inappropriate language.

What was more absurd was that Karas nodded in agreement. He didn’t seem to mind at all.

“You know me well. Then, do you know what my creed is?”

“Freedom?”

“That’s part of it. But to be more precise, it’s this: When people lose their freedom, their true nature emerges.”

Sounds like something a certain dictator from a space game would say. That guy killed billions of people.

If the crown prince were a dictator of that caliber, it would be a problem, but strangely, he’s not. I remember this clearly.

“I once lost my freedom too. I lived almost like a wildling, imprisoned by my siblings, barely getting enough to eat, and constantly fearing assassination attempts. It was a time when I feared every day might be my last.”

“…”
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That sounds exactly like my life. When I lived in the forest, it was just like that.

I often went hungry because I couldn’t find proper food, and even when I did, I had to risk my life for it.

Sleep? That was a luxury. My wild instincts were so sharp that any noise would wake me instantly.
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“That’s when I realized. When deprived of food and sleep, humans are no different from beasts. Whether you’re a crown prince, a prince, a noble, or a commoner, it’s all the same. Once freedom is taken away, everyone becomes a beast.”

“Are you talking about Sivar?”

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Ellie seemed to have the same thought as me and asked cautiously. It sounded like a description of me.

But Karas shook his head, denying it. He meant it as a general statement, not just about me.

“Quite the opposite. Sivar, was it? He’s the epitome of a true free spirit. He eats when he wants, sleeps when he wants, and acts when he wants. Isn’t that the essence of freedom?”

“And what about you, Crown Prince…”

“I attained power to ensure that no one could interfere with my life.”

Even those in power aren’t entirely free. Once they lose that power, they also lose their comfortable lifestyle.

“You were a commoner, right? What do you think freedom is?”

“Well… like you said, being able to eat well, live well, and do what you want.”

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“Simple but accurate. And what if you lost that freedom?”

“Then I’d starve, be oppressed, and be miserable.”

“Also accurate. So, what would you do to regain that freedom?”

Ellie tilted her head, indicating she hadn’t thought that far.

Most people in such situations are divided into two groups: those who perish and those who take by force.

Humans have always been like that. The only reason civilization exists is because it acts as a huge fence. Without it, humans are no different from beasts.

“You don’t know yet. Because you’ve never lost your freedom. I, too, would like to take away the freedom of my people so they can realize its value. But that would be too cruel, so I discarded that idea.”

This is the main reason Karas is not a tyrant. At least his head is screwed on straight.

The problem is that some screws are loose. It’s a bizarre way of thinking.

“After much contemplation, I came up with a solution. To build a nation where the people can earn their freedom.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Simply put, it means that people get rewarded based on their efforts.”

“Isn’t that the same as now?”

“Of course a commoner wouldn’t understand.”

Though his words carried a hint of elitism, Karas is the crown prince. It’s not strange for him to speak like that.

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Moreover, even if he holds elitist views, he’s not arrogant. He never looks down on commoners.

“To gain freedom means that with enough effort, you can rise to greater heights. Just as my siblings and I worked together to reclaim our positions, commoners, too, could unite to overthrow nobles and kings.”

“Hmm…”

“Of course, that usually happens when people have lost their freedom. If they’re living well and doing what they want, they’d think, ‘Why bother?'”

“It feels like… everything’s all jumbled up…”

Even the smart Ellie seemed to find Karas’s philosophy hard to grasp. Honestly, I did too.

However, if you delve deeper, it’s a somewhat dangerous yet romantic idea. A world where everyone is given freedom, but only those who fight for it can truly claim it.

It’s reminiscent of the Wild West, but not quite. It would still be under the rule of law within the walls of civilization.

“Freedom comes with responsibility. But I will never forgive anyone who takes away another’s freedom without reason.”

If you’re having trouble understanding, his nickname given by the players might help.

“He suppresses the beastly nature of humans with the fruit of freedom and builds a more solid and resilient ideal.”

An idealistic communist or,

“For that, an ‘Iron Man’ who cannot be broken must stand at the top.”

Lucky Stalin.

End of Chapter