A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

The Devil’s Magic Circle is engraved in places that might easily be overlooked under normal circumstances.

For example, on the clock in the Training Ground or the model in the Cleric Museum, and so on.

However, the most controversial one among them is the Hero’s Statue at the center of the Main Building.

The statue, modeled after the Hero, has existed alongside the Memorial Tower since the Academy’s establishment.

If you only look at it up to this point, you might ask, “So what about it?”

Hundreds of years have passed since the Academy was built. In that time, pulling off such a stunt wouldn’t have been difficult.

But the issue lies in the location and timing of the Magic Circle. The others were installed relatively recently.

In contrast, the Magic Circle on the Hero’s Statue is somewhat peculiar. It is embedded in the eyes of the statue.

In other words, it wasn’t engraved like a drawing but actually embedded as if they were real eyes.

This means it was installed at the time the statue was created. This ignited the biggest debate regarding plausibility.

Some argued, “Even if they defeated the Demon King, wasn’t this too careless?” while others countered, “It’s possible to be careless sometimes.”

The most significant point was that unless the Hero deliberately turned a blind eye, installing it would have been impossible.

“Should we call it being blind under the lamp?”

The Memorial Tower is designed to disable the use of Mana upon contact. If it had been installed there, the controversy would have been even greater.

Anyway, the Magic Circle was removed when the Hero’s Statue was decapitated(?).

Rather than removed, it’s more accurate to say the Trigger was obtained. As mentioned earlier, it’s the eyes.

“I’ll help you smooth things over this time. But in return, make sure to properly educate the child.”

“…I’m sorry. I have no excuses, even if I had ten mouths.”

“Apologize to Sivar, not to me.”

And now, Marlboro and I are standing side by side, being scolded.

To be precise, Marlboro is the only one being scolded. I’ve taken a step back in this matter.

Even though the Hero’s Statue was decapitated, it was an unavoidable situation. The cause of the incident was entirely Don’s impulsive action.

You can’t hold a five-year-old child accountable, so the blame naturally falls on the parents.

“The problem started with entrusting a child to another child in the first place. I thought you had better judgment.”

“?”

He treated me like a child, but I let it slide. There’s a saying that staying silent gets you halfway there.

Moreover, the decapitation of the statue would normally have been a highly complicated incident.

It’s essentially the destruction of a cultural artifact, one that is also a symbol of humanity.

An incident so significant it could be called a major catastrophe. But it’s fine.

“If Sivar had been a Noble, it would’ve been a huge uproar. We’re lucky to avoid such a headache.”

Because I’m a Wild Man with no connections or backing. In this regard, things can be smoothed over easily.

Even as a Commoner, people often make all sorts of excuses based on nationality, but I don’t even have that.

Most will likely just sigh and say, “Ugh, another accident. Tsk tsk,” and move on.

Of course, since Don caused the incident, the blame could shift to Marlboro.

“Rod will handle that well enough.”

This is a personal issue, far from escalating into a political matter.

Even if someone tries to create a justification, they’ll face backlash for involving a child.

As Rod emphasized earlier, it’ll likely end with a warning to properly educate the child.

“Anyway, I’ll handle the cleanup to some extent, so you may leave. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy.”

“Thank you. Don, let’s go.”

“Okay. Goodbye! Take care, big brother and big sister!”

Don, still too young to grasp the situation, waved cheerfully. His face was nothing but pure innocence.

As I waved back to see them off, Don suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!” as if he’d remembered something.

“And don’t eat beetles! If you eat beetles again, you’ll cry!”

“… …”

It seems the beetle-eating incident left some kind of Trauma. Sorry, but I can’t promise that.

They tasted surprisingly good when I tried them after a long time. I think I’ll eat them whenever I go to mark territory.

“Sigh. So, Ellie, why did you enter the forest? I’m sure I told you it was off-limits.”

After Marlboro and his son left, Rod asked. Ellie had been sitting quietly by my side until now.

Access to the forest is currently restricted. Even though she’s an acquaintance of mine, this time Ellie entered alone.

So Rod couldn’t help but ask. If an accident were to happen, it would be a major headache.

“I was looking for herbs that the Headmaster could use. His poisoning symptoms aren’t completely gone yet.”

“Hmm… That’s true, but wasn’t it too dangerous to go alone?”

“Ratatoskr was nearby, so it was fine.”

“Ah, if it was that, then it’s fine.”

No wonder she went into the forest alone; it seems Porori accompanied her as well.

And although it’s Porori’s Territory, there were surprisingly many squirrels, likely due to Porori’s influence.

Rod exchanged a few more words before letting it go without further questioning. He seemed to think it was unavoidable since it was to save a child.

“Rod, where is Luna?”

“She’s currently training in the Rear Clearing. Why do you ask about Luna?”

“I have something to talk to her about.”

I thought of the “eyes” I had hidden securely in my back pocket. They were starting to press uncomfortably against me.

As I mentioned earlier, what I found this time serves as a sort of Trigger. You could think of it as a starting point.

It’s an extremely important item that could prove useful in other ways later. When it comes to matters related to demons, it feels like a master key.

Of course, since it requires reverse-engineering the Magic Circle, it might take a long time. For that, I’ll need to find someone else.

“Then, Headmaster, should I brew the herbs for you? I found some that are good for lung health.”

“Haha. I’m imposing on you every day. I can handle that much myself.”

“No, it’s just that this one requires precise measurements…”

While Ellie brewed the herbs for Rod, I headed toward the Rear Clearing to find Luna.

Originally, it was a yard, but after the trees were destroyed last time, it’s now being used as a clearing.

When I arrived at the backyard, I saw a familiar figure. Golden hair tied tightly in a ponytail.

“Should I play a little prank?”

I suppressed my presence and quietly crept closer.

******

During the break, Luna’s daily routine was very simple. Wake up in the morning, do some light exercise, and have breakfast.

After washing up, she would read books until lunch, then go to Rod for training.

Sometimes, she would spar or chat with Kara when she visited. It was a structured pattern.

“When will the demons attack, I wonder?”

That doesn’t mean she felt at ease. She never knew when or where a demon might appear.

She could ask Sivar, but the opportunity rarely presented itself. This kind of thing required meticulous planning.

Above all, she needed to inform Rod, who would be her greatest ally. However, revealing Sivar’s secret was a delicate matter.

“There’s a chance Sivar isn’t a living being.”

After reading the description of the Bloodstained Greatsword, that suspicion grew stronger.

The greatsword, which reacts to life, didn’t respond to Sivar. In other words, Sivar isn’t classified as a living being.

Yet he’s alive and moving just fine, leaving Luna utterly baffled. Then what exactly is Sivar?

“Luna.”

“Eek?!”

While Luna paused her training and was lost in thought, a voice suddenly came from behind. She hadn’t sensed any presence.

Startled, she turned around to find Sivar standing there with his usual blank expression.

Luna calmed her pounding heart and opened her mouth, stammering from the shock.

“S-Sivar? W-Why are you here all of a sudden?”

“This.”

Sivar handed something to Luna. She looked at the object resting in his palm.

It was a round, almost spherical object. About the size of an eyeball candy, with a rather peculiar color.

It reflected white under the light but turned black when engulfed in shadow.

Curious, Luna cautiously accepted it.

“It’s not edible, is it?”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

Then why was he giving it to her? Luna stared intently at the orb, which resembled an eyeball candy.

[Colorless Magic Circle: ???]

[A magic circle created without using any color.]

[A magic circle crafted for a special purpose. There is only one group that refrains from using color.]

[Special Effect: ???]

“··· ···”

As expected. It was just as I had feared—a sphere engraved with a Colorless Magic Circle.

If that were all, Luna’s expression would have frozen completely, but there was more than one message displayed.

Beyond the magic circle etched on the surface, the orb itself had its own unique effect.

[Artificial Eye of ??: ???]

[An artificial eye embedded in the Hero’s Statue. It feels more like a key.]

[The Hero’s Statue was constructed shortly after the Academy was established. This artificial eye was embedded at that time. Who could have placed it there?]

[Special Effect: ???]

“······What?”

Reading the description, Luna reacted in confusion. The magic circle was puzzling enough, but the orb itself was shrouded in even more mystery.

She turned her head to look at Sivar. As the description suggested, the first thing she needed to figure out was its origin.

“W-Where did this come from?”

“The Hero’s Statue’s head. I smashed it.”

“W-Why would you break… No, never mind.”

Sivar causing trouble was nothing new, so she let it slide. The orb was the real issue at hand.

The Hero’s Statue had never left the Academy grounds in hundreds of years. It had been preserved as a cultural artifact since its creation.

Who could have installed this artificial eye in the statue’s head? Was it placed there during the statue’s construction?

If so, how had people of that time, especially the Hero, failed to notice it? It made no sense.

‘Did the demons plan for a distant future?’

That was the only explanation she could think of for now. The Demon King War was a massive conflict that had erupted centuries ago.

It was more than enough time for humanity, now complacent in peace, to grow careless and turn on one another.

“What are you two doing?”

Just as Luna’s head was starting to ache, a voice interrupted them.

When she turned, she saw Ellie standing there with a curious expression, likely on her way to brew herbs.

“E-Ellie? When did you get here?”

“Just a moment ago. But what’s that? Candy?”

Ellie must have noticed the orb in Luna’s hand. Luna darted her eyes around nervously.

What could she say to keep Ellie from growing suspicious? She racked her brain before recalling Ellie’s earlier words.

“Y-Yeah! That’s right. It’s candy. I was going to give it to Sivar!”

“Really? What flavor is it?”

“W-Well, I don’t know. Want to try it?”

“··· ···”

When Luna held out the orb, Sivar’s expression became a sight to behold.

Though nearly expressionless, his face clearly conveyed, ‘Are you serious right now?’ But given the circumstances, he had no choice but to go along.

“Nom.”

He put the orb in his mouth. To avoid suspicion, he actually placed it in his mouth.

Luna realized too late that she had misspoken, but the damage was already done.

As Sivar pretended to chew the orb like real candy, Luna felt the blood drain from her face.

‘If he actually eats it······!’

Regardless, Sivar rolled his eyes dramatically as if savoring the taste.

Fortunately, he neither swallowed it nor crunched it to pieces. Finally, Sivar gave his verdict.

“Tastes bad. Like metal.”

“That’s surprising. Sivar even eats bugs, so how bad must it be?”

“R-Right?”

It seemed the crisis had been averted. Luna silently prayed for Sivar to spit the orb out quickly.

Ellie then went inside to check on the herbs, and the situation settled down for the moment.

No, it wouldn’t truly be resolved until Sivar spat out the orb. Luna let out a sigh of relief and spoke to him.

“······Spit it out now.”

“Ptoo.”

The orb popped out of Sivar’s mouth, now thoroughly coated in saliva.

He wiped it off with a piece of cloth and handed it back to Luna. She accepted it cautiously, her face betraying her discomfort.

And just as she looked up to praise him for his cooperation—

“······Huh?”

Plop-

The orb slipped from her hands and rolled across the floor. That was how shocked she was.

She couldn’t tell if what she was seeing was reality or a dream. At the same time, a dream she had once came to mind.

A man standing atop a mountain of corpses, wielding an axe in one hand and a greatsword in the other. The silhouette of a man she knew all too well.

And when that man turned around, she had seen his vividly glowing purple eyes.

“Luna?”

Just like the Sivar standing before her now.

Sivar’s crimson eyes, which had always been ominous, were now a striking shade of purple.

He seemed unaware of the change, but Luna, standing so close, could see it clearly.

“Hey?”

“··· ···”

“Knock, knock. Luna. Anybody home?”

“O-Oh?”

Sivar’s repeated calls snapped Luna back to her senses. She quickly shook her head and looked at him again.

As if it had all been an illusion, his eyes had returned to their usual red.

‘······Am I just really tired?’

She pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. It seemed the exhaustion from her intense training was catching up to her.

Afterward, Luna picked up the orb from the floor. She decided to return to the dormitory for some rest.

“······Good work. Let’s talk about this later.”

“Okay.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“Carve.”

“Alright. Got it.”

Luna rubbed her eyes as she walked away. For some reason, her eyes felt slightly sore.

The shock must have been overwhelming. A good wash and a nap seemed like the best idea.

“Luna, student.”

“······Headmaster?”

It was as she entered the building. Rod was waiting at the door.

And he was holding a drawn sword. The blade shimmered faintly with mana.

His expression was just as rigid as his stance. Rod stared intently at the space beyond the door.

Luna followed his gaze and turned her head. At the end of his line of sight stood Sivar.

“I might be mistaken, but······ didn’t you feel a heavy presence just now?”

“······A heavy presence?”

“Yes. Like the monstrous beings I encountered in the East······ No, never mind.”

Swish- Clack!

Rod shook his head and sheathed his sword.

He then ran a hand over his face and muttered softly.

“All I see is a troublemaker······”

And that troublemaker—

“La la la~ La la~”

—was happily humming as he immersed himself in his hobby.