A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy -
Chapter 56: Before the Encounter (3)
[Don't you know what survival is? It's about staying alive. So why are you acting like you've got a death wish? I just can't understand.]
Nicely said. The professor in charge, Marlboro, silently agreed as he watched Kara utter those words on the screen.
The forest where the practice survival was taking place was equipped with special devices, one of which was the ability to broadcast in real time.
Cameras installed throughout the trees allowed them to monitor what was happening in the forest and keep an eye on the students.
Although automatic location tracking through bracelets was possible, additional methods like cameras allowed for more precise judgment.
"Befriending a tiger rather than fighting it, huh. Student Kara seems to understand the meaning of this exercise well."
Observing the screen along with Marlboro, Yeonhwa chimed in. She too seemed pleased with Kara, bearing a satisfied smile.
Sitting side by side, Serah and Godin expressed their own forms of satisfaction in different ways.
"These days, students are too competitive, it's problematic. At least in my time, it wasn't this severe. We used to make campfires together and the like."
With his arms crossed, Marlboro expressed a tone of regret in his statement. It might have sounded like the talk of an old man, but no one objected.
During the time Marlboro attended the academy, about 10 years back, the United Academy was relatively less competitive.
Although there were frictions among nations, students acted according to their age. They were more focused on relations with others than on grades.
However, in recent years, as conflicts between nations have intensified, this influence has reached the academy.
Students now tend to forget the essence as they focus solely on their grades.
"They'll only end up holding grudges. And if there's only resentment, cooperation becomes an impossible dream."
"A vicious cycle. These students are the future strength of their countries. It's disheartening to see them like this so early on."
Serah with her chilly comment and Godin with his worried tone each assessed the situation. They were concerned about the academy's original principles being lost.
Yet, we can't deduct points because what Antonio pursues is also cooperation.
Uniting against a formidable power is, in a way, the essence of what the academy promotes.
That's why it was difficult to pass a harsh judgment right away. Sivar's presence is just that overwhelming.
"It's true it's not fair, but no one said you have to finish first at all costs. I don't understand why they're obsessed with being number one from the start."
"Maybe they will complain later?"
"Probably. I made it clear survival is the most important aspect. They're the ones competing on their own accord, right?"
While speaking, Marlboro's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the screen. The other professors showed similar reactions.
Kara, who initially ignored Antonio's proposal, seemed to have persuaded her teammates as they now argued.
[Hey, think about it sensibly. Even if you gang up on him, do you really think you can beat him?]
[It's just about removing the bracelet, just that. We're not suicidal, we don't even think of winning.]
[Like you can even manage that. Why don't you try taking off mine first?]
[Ugh… Talking to you is pointless.]
Survival inherently has a divisive structure. Especially when disagreements arise, it can only get worse.
However, such divisions are usually related to food and water issues, not like this rare situation.
The conflict between those pursuing survival and those pursuing competition. Naturally, this has become a more frequent occurrence these days.
[Tatars people are all cowards? You're scared just because of one fight, that's disappointing.]
[…Are you done talking? What's it going to be?]
[Then just help us eliminate Sivar. I don't understand why you're being so stubborn.]
[No…! Ah, really. Don't you get what's most important in this drill? Even by the odds, you're at a disadvantage!]
Kara expressed her frustration. It wasn't just Grace going through hell in a group project.
At least Grace struggled due to team members with too strong personalities, whereas signs of division were not apparent for Kara.
[And you, Luna. You've got many positive traits, but why lack such calculating ability? You said there's not much difference between first place and a shared first, right? Then why insist on eliminating others rather than getting along with everyone?]
[…Because first place is better?]
[Ah! Luna, seriously! Your sister is so frustrated!!]
It was indeed a rare event. A person from Tatars, often perceived as less civilized, feeling like they're going to explode.
Cooperation is vital in the development of civilization. Competition is what happens when different civilizations meet.
The professors watched the scene unfold with interest, some chuckling and some grinning.
"It seems student Luna lacks situational awareness, despite being the top at admission."
"Precisely, she seems to be easily swayed by those around her. She lacks firm personal arguments."
"She doesn't have the qualities of a leader?"
At Serah's question, Marlboro shook his head. That wasn't the case.
"Not really. She's actually quite stubborn in her own way. It's just a lack of experience, she'll get better. I can guarantee that."
"Trust Marlboro on this. Ah, there they go."
Yeonhwa pointed at the screen. Kara's team, which had been arguing due to differing opinions, ultimately split apart.
Naturally, Kara scowled at the teammate who joined Luna's team. But there was nothing she could do.
[Sigh. Even ganging up on him won’t work. I just hope they don’t get themselves hurt.]
She was kind-hearted enough to worry about them, and soon she went on her way. Her departure was broadcasted for everyone to see.
The professors were unfazed by the typical occurrence in a survival practice. It was a reaction close to ‘it finally blew up.'
"Kara seems likely to survive for a long time."
"She could even aim for first place. If her words about befriending a tiger are any indication, she has high potential."
"The culture of Tatars probably played a part too. They always look after their own."
Despite the harsh circumstances, the professors were positive in their assessments. Hector, known as the ‘King of Destruction,' didn't care at all.
He objectively assessed the students themselves. National circumstances were of no concern to him.
"So, now we're left with Sivar's side…"
Marlboro turned his head, and the other professors followed suit.
The screen showed more than one scene at a time, broadcasting multiple events simultaneously.
One of them was Sivar's team. The last time they checked, Sivar was enthusiastically butchering a wild boar.
What could he be doing now? They were particularly attentive to this team, making it all the more concerning.
"…What is he eating now?"
"Uhh…"
Like Marlboro's confused query, the others were stupefied. At first, it appeared Sivar was proficiently butchering.
He was roughly cutting with a small dagger instead of a butchering knife, but his skills were passable. That part was fine.
The problem began with Sivar's actions afterward. It was good that he drained the blood and removed the entrails.
"It looks like… liver?"
"Really, is he some kind of beast or what?"
The issue was Sivar consuming the wild boar’s liver raw. Consequently, his face was smeared with blood.
While his teammates were cooking their share of the boar's meat over the fire, Sivar alone was eating the insides raw.
His diet was that of a true wild person. The scene of him eating raw organs was enough to make anyone feel sick, and Marlboro glanced to the side with a grimace.
"Don’t the Hwan Empire and the Frozen Duchy eat liver raw?"
The question was directed at Yeonhwa from the Hwan Empire and Serah from the Frozen Duchy.
Both nations are known to have cultures that consume the organs of animals.
"That's true, but… we in the Hwan Empire don't eat it like that. Besides, there are a lot of issues concerning parasites lately."
"He's risking illness. More than that, it's a behavior that significantly reduces the chances of survival. The nutrients in the liver can actually cause harm."
Flustered Yeonhwa and Serah gave detailed explanations with calm expressions. Consuming raw liver indeed dramatically decreases survival rates.
The nutrients in the liver can cause acute respiratory distress or rapid intoxication. It could even be fatal.
"Wild animals find it hard to obtain those nutrients so they prefer to get them from the liver. I suppose Sivar falls into that category."
"What about the parasite issue?"
"The Principal mentioned he is clean and free of things like parasites, didn't he?"
"Uh…"
At Godin's response, Marlboro focused intently on the screen with a look of deep contemplation. Grace was back to vomiting from Sivar's spectacle.
Yeonhwa patted her back trying to help, but judging by her pale complexion, she also seemed to be forcing herself to hold back.
Sivar, naturally(?), looked perplexed. It was a chaotic combination, different from Kara's team in many ways.
"How should we evaluate Sivar? If we're judging him as a wild animal, would that behavior be correct?"
"As a civilized person, it's absolutely something you shouldn't do. At least if he had cooked it over fire, that would have been better."
"Alright, let's go half and half then. Just in case, tell him to take an anthelmintic after the practice."
Marlboro wrote down the evaluation in his notebook, agreeing with Yeonhwa's opinion.
[Points deducted for not cooking over fire. However, his body appears to be optimized for survival.]
It was an evaluation that perfectly matched the theme of ‘survival.'
******
Animal entrails can only be eaten, heart, lungs, and liver.
I never touch intestines and stomachs. Who knows what's inside them.
But to a civilized person like Grace, whichever part I eat, it must all seem very wild. That can't be helped.
[Go wash up right now! Find a stream or something to clean yourself with!]
That’s why they chased me away. Even if I had eaten liver or heart, the blood smeared all over me must've been too much for them to handle.
However, I wasn't completely kicked out; we just separated to find running water. The meeting point was to be the place where we had butchered the boar.
There was no problem being apart, having entered the safety zone, and fishing seemed a better option than hunting.
Hunting would lead to butchering, and they probably feared I'd eat more innards raw.
‘Would it have been better cooked over fire?'
I pondered for a moment and thought cooked might have been better. I no longer live in the wild where nutrients are scarce.
Yet old habits die hard, and it seems I involuntarily put it in my mouth since it's been a while since I had eaten raw.
Just to clarify, it's not that Grace was overreacting; I'm the strange one here.
I'm aware of my own odd behavior, so I can hardly blame her.
‘I don't know much about preparing fish. Maybe I just need to remove the insides properly.'
Focusing my magical senses, I sought the sound of a stream. Suddenly, all the forest noises filled my ears.
The song of birds, the cries of insects, the distant roars of beasts, among others.
Finally, the flowing sound of stream water. Luckily, there's a stream nearby.
I found it and washed off the blood as best as I could, though it had already coagulated and wouldn't come off easily without scrubbing.
Even when I lived in the forest, it was always a struggle to wash off blood. Did I clean it off with animal fat back then?
During my time there, the blood would eventually be washed off without me paying much attention.
‘Other survivors will probably come here.'
Teams that didn’t manage to bring enough drinking water would likely head to this place. It could lead to a clash of wits or even physical conflict.
After a quick wash, I got up. The only thing left was to return to the meeting place and fetch the others.
I knew the way back, so I could walk there with ease.
As I exited the stream and re-entered the forest…
"…?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Something felt off in the forest.
Just like when I had heightened my sense of hearing, the forest is usually full of sounds.
But look at it now. Isn't it too quiet, as if a mouse had died? There’s only one reason for such silence.
‘Someone's here.'
You can fool human senses, but you can't fool animals, which are far more sensitive.
There's someone. Someone is hiding near here. Unless someone's stealth is maxed out, it's impossible to completely erase their presence.
As I just mentioned, humans are easy to deceive, while animals react heavily to even minor movements.
‘It doesn’t seem like a scouting attempt.'
I roughly know where they're hiding. And there are quite a few of them.
Maybe around ten? Given that each team can have up to four members, this means at least three teams are here.
Amazing that they all hid without being detected earlier. They certainly have the skills of academy students.
After some thought, I picked up a stone that was rolling on the ground. It was quite large and heavy.
It seems they're all hiding in preparation for an ambush, but it’s all in vain. The forest has already revealed their presence to me.
Crack! Crunch!
I clenched the stone in my hand, crushing it into fine pieces. It was easy with my grip strength.
Gripping the now granulated stone firmly in my hand…
Whoosh!
I threw it towards the hiding people. The shattered stones spread out wide like shotgun pellets.
If they won’t come out, I might as well be the one to go to them.
I wasn't about to ignore them, especially given their blatant hostility.
"Darn it! Block it!"
"How did he find out?!"
How, indeed.
‘I heard your nervous swallowing and everything.'
If you're going to ambush someone, you should've done it much sooner.
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