A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Final Exam (3)

***

The group that had stepped outside returned about ten minutes later.

I had no idea what they talked about, but everyone looked embarrassed.

Grace, in particular, had a flushed face and turned noticeably red when our eyes met.

Given the increase in faith and their reactions, it seemed Luna’s mouth had stirred up something again.

Otherwise, my faith wouldn’t have risen so suddenly. I wanted to ask what it was, but they probably wouldn’t tell me.

“Ahem. Sivar?”

“?

What the heck. If you’re going to say something, say it all.

I tilted my head at Grace’s incomprehensible behavior.

Stopping midway through a sentence is one way to annoy someone, and Grace did just that.

Especially with her uncharacteristic shyness, my curiosity only grew.

‘I’ll find out during the final exam, right?’

It starts next week, so I just need to wait a bit longer. I should plan how to tackle the castle over the weekend.

But that thought didn’t last long.

“As mentioned earlier, this afternoon’s class is self-training. Oh, and Sivar?”

“Yes?”

“Sivar, come with me for a moment.”

Marlboro, who was in charge of the theory class, called me as he ended the session. I wondered why he called me this time.

Curiosity aside, with the final exam approaching, it likely wasn’t for a good reason.

‘Is he going to tell me not to do anything strange?’

I followed Marlboro with a sense of intrigue.

He checked occasionally to ensure I was following and led me somewhere.

We walked for quite a while, and when we headed outside the main building, it seemed to be an outdoor location.

“There it is.”

“We’ve arrived.”

We finally reached a vast field where Yeonhwa, Serah, and Godin were present. Seeing all the professors overseeing our class gathered, it seemed serious.

At least I trusted them not to impose any strange penalties on me. That was reassuring.

“Godin, is the wall’s strength identical to the ones we’ll encounter?”

“Yes. Both the strength and material are the same, so there’s no need to worry.”

Godin replied, pointing to a certain spot. There stood a massive wall.

It wasn’t a wall made by stacking square stones; it looked like a solid wall made of reinforced concrete.

While I was curiously observing it, Marlboro placed a hand on my shoulder and pointed at the wall.

“See h, but your performance will determine the wall’s strength.”

Contrary to his usual stern tone in classes, Marlboro spoke kindly and warmly.

He maintained a professional demeanor in public matters, but in personal ones, he was friendly.

Remember when Luna first brought me to him? It wasn’t awkward at all.

“If you’re curious about its sturdiness, you can hit it with this. Want to try?”

Marlboro handed me a massive hammer, not just an axe, a warhammer, and suggested trying it.

I was curious about the wall’s sturdiness, so I accepted without hesitation. Testing it wouldn’t hurt.

‘In the Soul World, cannons barely made a dent.’

Cannons in this world aren’t as advanced. That’s why castles still exist.

This issue can’t be solved by magic alone; only pure science can help.

Moreover, bringing a magician is more effective than using cannons.

A few words can produce more power than a cannon, making it more efficient and potent.

‘First, I’ll channel mana only into my body.’

If I infused the warhammer with mana, it would explode. So I channeled mana solely into my body.

I stood confidently before the wall and touched it. It felt like a solid wall, not a magically created one.

‘Was it repairable?’

I couldn’t remember, but I believe it was repairable by applying a certain material.

I couldn’t recall the exact principle, so I moved on. Gripping the warhammer tightly with both hands, I swung it forcefully at the wall.

BANG!!

The moment the hammer struck the wall, a loud noise assaulted my ears.

The impact felt through my hands indicated the wall was indeed solid.

“It did take significant damage.”

“It’s a direct hit, after all.”

“It’s like using a battering ram. Not a gate, but a wall.”

Just as the professors said, the wall was deeply indented and on the verge of breaking.

A large crack formed from the impact point, with fragments crumbling down.

Even without infusing mana into the weapon, pure physical strength caused this.

If I had infused mana, the wall wouldn’t just dent but likely explode.

“Good. This should suffice as an obstacle. They won’t be able to use cannons from afar. Godin?”

“Yes.”

Marlboro, satisfied, called for Godin. Godin approached the wall.

Instead of standing beside me, he went behind the wall and muttered something. Then, something astonishing happened.

Ssss-

The damaged section began to restore itself, and the cracks started to heal.

Godin mentioned earlier that it was ‘replicated’ with the same material and strength, so he took specific measures.

I didn’t need to know the details, so I didn’t ask.

“All done. Let’s move to the next step.”

“Alright. Sivar? You can come back now.”

Marlboro called me back to the original spot. Of course, I returned the warhammer.

For the record, the warhammer’s handle bent significantly after one use. The professors looked uneasy seeing this.

“His strength is incredible. One hit did all this…”

“Indeed.”

That’s without using mana. I wanted to say that but held back.

I didn’t even use my full strength. Just a bit of effort.

Saying this would likely give the professors headaches, so I stayed silent.

“Good job, Sivar. Sorry for bothering you. Here, have this.”

“Oh.”

Marlboro handed me a handful of candies. Not just one, but a handful.

He really understands give-and-take. I took one candy and pocketed the rest.

Of course, I thanked him. It wasn’t much trouble, and it was for the exam, so I didn’t mind.

“Thanks. I mean, thank you.”

“Haha. Just don’t do anything reckless in the exam. Especially no carrying bombs.”

“Okay.”

I definitely won’t do that. I doubt I’ll need to use bombs in this exam.

Even the cannonballs aren’t what we know; they’re just big stones.

Bombs exist, but magic is more efficient, so they haven’t developed much.

‘I won’t use Death Beam either.’

Using Death Beam would reveal my red mana.

Rod would scold me for that. I don’t mind rumors, but Rod’s wrath is scary.

“Huh?”

As I was about to leave, munching on candy, I noticed something.

It was a cannon. A real iron cannon. There was also a catapult beside it, but I ignored it.

“Curious about the cannon, Sivar?”

Marlboro asked as I examined the cannon.

I nodded. It seemed they brought it to test the wall’s strength.

Marlboro alternated his gaze between me and the cannon, then smiled and spoke.

“If you’re curious, watch how the cannon works. You might need to move or destroy it.”

“You make it sound like fireworks.”

“So what? You’re at the age to be curious about big, beautiful things. Plus, you’ve never seen a cannon, right?”

Was he treating me like a kid? But resisting the allure of an old-fashioned cannon was impossible.

Cannons have always been a man’s dream. Especially a vintage one like this.

‘And I can check its power too.’

If the cannon’s performance is lacking, I have another method in mind.

Marlboro began explaining the cannon’s workings to me.

He first showed various cannonballs.

“See these round objects? These are cannonballs. They used stones in the past, but now iron is more cost-effective.”

“What about explosions?”

“Explosive shells? Ah, you mean high-explosive ones? Those are for military use, so we can’t use them here.”

Even with high-explosive shells, they couldn’t breach the gate. The walls that block magic would be similar.

Marlboro explained slowly and loaded a cannonball into the cannon. He seemed excited.

I heard he sometimes showed his son this stuff and got caught. Poor guy.

“Now, light the fuse…”

Sizzle!

Marlboro lit the fuse with a match. I watched the fuse burn quietly from a safe distance.

I couldn’t watch the entire process as Marlboro pulled me away, warning me of the danger.

The moment the fuse burned out…

BOOM!

A loud explosion and smoke filled the air as the cannon fired the ball.

The cannonball hit the wall, but the impact seemed minimal.

Cracks formed like before, but they weren’t noticeable. However, being able to strike from afar was a significant advantage.

“How was it? Impressive, right? Military shells would explode there, but we can’t use them here at the academy.”

“Well…”

I can handle that later. I left the proud Marlboro and looked elsewhere.

I saw scattered cannonballs and picked one up.

It was heavy due to being iron, but manageable with one hand.

“Hey. Don’t take that. Put it down.”

“You’re treating Sivar like a kid.”

“Didn’t he say his son is a troublemaker? Maybe that’s why.”

“Hahaha.”

In the warm atmosphere, I held the cannonball. My large hands made it easy to grip.

I then looked at the nearly broken wall. We were quite far from it, considering the exam.

‘I’ll use mana for body enhancement only…’

I used more mana than with the warhammer. My muscles surged with power.

I didn’t hear Marlboro’s words. This was my test.

“Sivar? What are you doing…?”

Marlboro seemed uneasy as I ignored him. But my test was more important.

I pulled my arm back slowly, aiming at the target, and threw the cannonball with all my might.

BANG!

The cannonball shot towards the wall with a tearing sound. It was literally launched.

It was much faster than the cannon’s shot. Noticeably so.

What about the impact?

BOOM!

Whee of collapse. A few more throws would destroy it completely.

The exam walls would be sturdier and larger, making them harder to breach.

“Hmm.”

Seems like I’ll need to use my strength in this exam. Otherwise, breaching the walls will be tough.

As I pondered while rubbing my arm, I overheard the professors murmuring.

“What should we do? It flew faster than the cannon.”

“I don’t know. Who knew he was a real siege weapon?”

“Better we found out now. If we realized during the exam…”

“We’ll need to reinforce the walls more.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have shown them this.

End of Chapter

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