The Academy's Barbarian

May 14th, Friday.

Two weeks after the Abyssal Rift was closed, following a new incident of death that occurred after the Abyss Worshipers' attack, the atmosphere within the academy had somewhat sunk into a melancholic state.

It didn't last long, however.

The news that spread among the students was far more exciting and noteworthy.

"Hey, did you hear about that?"

"Hear what?"

"Our academy just signed a sisterhood agreement with Eloden Academy of the Holy Kingdom."

"What? Really?"

"Is it official?"

"Yeah, that's what I heard."

Conversations echoed like soft whispers among nearby seats.

An envoy from Eloden Academy, renowned as the foremost educational institution in the Holy Kingdom, had arrived. And there was only one purpose: to establish a sisterhood agreement with Arsene Academy and engage with its students.

Of course, if you only hear about it like this, you might wonder why it's such a big deal.

After all, it was just an exchange between two schools.

On the surface, it wouldn't seem like much of an event. However, once you understood the peculiarities of Eloden Academy, the story took a different turn.

'Eloden Academy.'

Of all the educational institutions on the continent, it held a reputation for being the most exclusive.

If you weren't from the Holy Kingdom, admission wasn't guaranteed. And if you belonged to a different religion, you would be rejected outright in the document review.

Naturally, they didn't accept transfer students, and since its founding over a hundred years ago, there had never been a sisterhood agreement with any other academy.

So, proposing such an arrangement was bound to surprise everyone. Thus, in the first week of June, the inaugural exchange event was confirmed.

'And one more thing.'

There was a peculiar detail that only Noah knew.

In the current Eloden Academy, there were not one but two students who would later join the ranks of the Warrior Party.

'The Saintess and the Paladin.'

Laurea Lo Charpel, the next Saintess.

Ian Marcus, the next Paladin.

Currently, both were in their second and first years respectively, enrolled at Eloden Academy.

I wonder if they'll participate in the exchange.

If they did, it would be a major event; it would mean that five of the seven warriors who would face the abyss would already be gathered together.

As Noah was about to recall information about the two warriors,

"By the way."

a voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Ibella, sitting next to her. She sipped her coffee with lots of ice and muttered curiously.

"As for the exchange itself, it doesn't matter much. But what about Larba Academy?"

As soon as Ibella finished speaking,

Ulan, who was sitting across from her, tilted his head, "What is that?"

"What? Larba Academy, don't you know?"

"I don't."

The answer came back confidently, as if it wasn't a big deal.

While Ibella looked awkward, Dilia and Noah explained, "It's the Royal Academy of Lacerda."

"They've been forming a sisterhood agreement with Arsene and exchanging annually for decades."

The Kingdom of Lacerda.

A fairly large maritime kingdom in the Kingdom Alliance, bordering the Holy Kingdom.

And the Larba Academy was the first educational institution established there. As Dilia and Noah explained, Ulan finally understood.

"I see. So the exchange periods overlap?"

"Yes. That's why I was wondering," Ibella nodded vigorously.

Suddenly, Ulan spoke up, "Do we really need to be curious about that?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

If we do it at the same time, itll be solved.

Eloden Academy and Larba Academy.

It was a problem that could be solved if they held the exchange with both schools at the same time. Noah sighed in response to Ulans simple and straightforward solution.

"Because that's not possible."

"Why?"

"Because Lacerda has a strained relationship with the Holy Kingdom."

"Historically, they've fought several wars in the past, and there are territorial disputes on their borders."

Unlike the Holy Kingdom, which was monotheistic, the Kingdom of Lacerda recognized freedom of religion.

Moreover, while the Holy Kingdom didn't view other races as equal to humans, Lacerda actively pursued a policy of racial harmony, seamlessly integrating diverse communities into everyday life.

Whether it be religiously, culturally, socially, or politically, the Kingdom of Lacerda stood in stark opposition to the Holy Kingdom. Given these fundamental differences, it came as no surprise that relations between them were strained.

As the fervent explanation of the two ended, Ulan wore a subtle expression, "It's a complicated relationship."

Thats right. So, if we try to do it at the same time, it will definitely lead to a big fight.

Noah nodded.

And just like that, as the conversation came full circle

DING! DONG!

a bell chimed from the clock tower in the square. It signaled the end of the lunch break. Dilia stood up from her seat with a disappointed look on her face.

"Well, first, I'll be going."

"Okay. I'll see you in the evening."

"Mm-hmm."

As Ulan waved goodbye, she smiled brightly, as if she had never had a regretful expression on her face.

But that was only for a moment. She glanced at Ibella; because, as far as she knew, Ibella, too, had a lecture right after lunch.

Youre not going?

Yeah, Im right next door, Ibella replied with a bright smile.

It meant she would get up a bit later. Dilia turned with a pouting expression.

Some time later.

After Dilia had completely disappeared.

Ibella let out a short, hollow cough, "Cough! Hey, Ulan?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember the promise we made last time?"

"Promise?"

"About the permission to go out."

"Oh, I remember."

Ulan recalled that they had planned to go out together once they received the Outing Pass after the midterm exams. Originally, they had intended to go in early May, but various things had caused them to forget.

As Ulan remembered, Ibella hesitated for a moment before speaking, "That's what I'm saying, would you like to go out together tomorrow morning if it's okay?"

"Sure."

"I mean, really, really?"

"Yeah."

Because they had already made a promise, and he didn't have anything else to do tomorrow morning, Ulan readily accepted.

Evidently pleased with his unhesitating answer, she replied with a beaming smile, "I'll book a carriage, and I'll meet you at the front gate at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, I'll remember that."

"Yeah. Well then, I'll be going."

Having accomplished what she set out to do, Ibella turned around while humming; she was heading to attend her class.

Looking at her receding back, Noah narrowed her eyes.

Ibella definitely has a crush on Ulan.

This was the result of observing Ibella closely while they have been together. It was obvious just from the fact that she wanted to go out to the capital with him alone.

'And.......'

The evidence doesn't stop there.

This evening, Noah has plans with Ibella.

If the fact that she is going out with Ulan was confirmed, it was an appointment to ask for advice on what to wear and her plans for the outing.

It's obviously a date.

By this point, anyone, even someone who was not good at romance, would be able to tell that Ibella had a romantic interest in Ulan.

I can understand that to some extent.

Unlike the original, Ulan was actively involved in Ibella's character's story; he made Himmel almost bleed to death to defend her honor, and even fought an honor duel with Count Deorg.

Add to that one of Ibella's defining traits, Muscle Fetishism, and it was a recipe for a crush on Ulan.

'The only problem is.......

Ibella wasnt the only one with a crush on Ulan. With a sigh, Noah remembered the girl who had been here only moments before.

'......Dilia Arpen.'

Based on what shed felt in the past few days, Dilia also seemed to harbor feelings for Ulan, similar to Ibella.

If she considered the constant bickering between the two girls and their subtle competition over Ulan, the situation fit perfectly.

But I really don't understand Dilia.

Where did she fall for Ulan?It's not like she has a muscle fetish like Ibella, and she hasn't received significant help from Ulan either.

'Well, in the original story, Dilia was.......

She was not particularly interested in the opposite sex. Even when one of her companions, Paladin Ian, expressed a romantic interest in her, she remained aloof until the end.

After pondering about it for a while,

Eh, I don't know.

Noah shrugged off her thoughts.

'They'll figure it out on their own.'

Besides, it was not a very important issue compared to other problems. Noah shook her head vigorously and immediately stood up.

"Then I'll get up too."

"Do you have any appointments?"

"I have some research to do at the library."

Noah had been living in the library lately.

She was researching how Ulan knew of the existence of the Frost Dragon.

'Based on the original story, it's normal to not know about the Rulers of the Abyss.......

Currently, the world was going in a completely different direction from the original work; so, it may be that records of the Rulers of the Abyss already exist. This was the part that Noah was investigating.

"Anyway, if you'll excuse me."

With that, she bowed her head and turned around to leave.

But then, out of nowhere, Ulan grabbed her wrist. With a serious look in his eyes, he said, "Noah."

"Huh?"

"What are you hiding?"

"......!?"

Noah's eyes widened for a moment. As if she'd been caught off guard by his unexpected words.

But for a moment, she managed to suppress her startled heart, her tone nonchalant, she asked, trying to stifle her surprise, "M-me?"

"It's useless to deny it."

His eyes glowed with conviction and Ulan rose from his seat; the strange pressure he exuded made Noah take a step backward, but she found herself in a dead end, her back against the wall.

"Because I already know."

"W, w, what do you mean?"

In this tight spot, composure disappeared.

As Ulan gradually approached, Noah reflexively closed her eyes.

But nothing much happened.

Ulan simply slipped his hand into Noah's pocket and took something out.

"You've been fidgeting with this since the day before yesterday."

He pulled out a small glass vial. It was an elixir, the achievement reward for defeating the Frost Dragon, Glesia.

"What is this? Is it important?"

"Phew, you could say that," Noah breathed a sigh of relief; she realized that when Ulan said 'something you're hiding,' he meant the elixir.

She let out a short cough, but soon began to explain about the elixir.

"It's an elixir. It's a very rare potion. It is said that if you take it, it will maximize the potential of the person who drinks it."

"What kind of potential?"

"You won't know that until you drink it."

In fact, there was a possibility that the penalty might also double, but she did not mention this fact.

Instead, she changed the subject a bit.

"Actually, I was going to give it to you, Ulan."

"To me? Why?"

"Because I saw the distant future."

Noah stared into Ulan's eyes; her face serious.

"A future in which Ulan continues to fight the monsters he saw in Zone 2."

"......."

"That's why I wanted to give it to you, because I thought that if it increased your potential, it would be of great help to you in fighting those monsters one day."

This answer was true.

Since Ulan's triumphant victory over the Frost Dragon in Zone 2 just two weeks ago, Noah had been deep in contemplation. Eventually, she reached a resolute decision she chose to invest in Ulan.

'Although there is a certain fate.......'

Honestly, this time, it seemed like he might defy fate. No, not just evade it, but possibly shatter the preordained fate entirely.

The current Ulan was far stronger than the original, and his growth rate was terrifying.

Above all, the defeat of the Frost Dragon was largely due to Ulan. It would be no exaggeration to say that he practically single-handedly killed it.

So she readily agreed to give it up.

'And one more thing.'

There was another reason.

The elixir was a potion that enhanced the performance of a characteristic or attribute by more than twice, but the penalty was also included in the attribute.

'In other words, if you're unlucky, the penalty could double or even triple.'

But what if Noah took it and the Frailty penalty doubled? She would become so weak that she would be unable to live a normal life.

In other words, the risk was significant.

'On the other hand, Ulan's penalty is.......'

Just Berserker and Stone-head; even if they doubled, it wouldn't matter

Ulan was already on the ignorant side, so becoming more ignorant wouldn't make much of a difference.

'At most, he wont be able to do double-digit math.

So relatively, Ulan, who had a lower risk, was more qualified to be the owner of the elixir.

After a while, after finishing all the explanations, Noah added a caveat.

"Just a word of caution."

Even if it's just a caution about the penalties, it was better to mention it.

"There's a very small chance that it might have side effects, so you'll have to decide carefully and...... Huh? Wha-what are you doing now?!" Noah exclaimed in surprise.

The words of caution were barely out of her mouth when Ulan gulped down the elixir.

In an instant, the bottle was empty.

She stared at it blankly and muttered, "D-Did you drink all of that?!"

"I drank it all."

"What if it was poison?!"

"It's okay. There was no poison."

"No, I don't mean that, I mean......!"

She hadn't even explained the penalty yet, and he drank it already. She was stomping her foot in frustration when Ulan spoke up, "I trust you."

"......."

For a moment, she was speechless; the trust in his eyes was palpable.

"Above all, you have no reason to hurt me."

So he drank it.

That's how Ulan responded.

Even if that's the case, it's better to listen to the caution and then drink it. Did he have to just drink it without listening first? Noah sighed without saying a word.

But the dice had already been cast.

Let's see what's changed for now.

Noah looked at Ulan and blinked to check his status window.

[Name]: Ulan Bator.

[Age]: 17 years old

[Grade]: SS+

[Trait]: Protection of the God of War

[Attributes]: Titanforce, Valor, Honor, Trust, Unbreakable Faith, Berserker, Stamina, Stonehead, Eager to Learn

As soon as she saw Ulan's status window, she knew what had changed.

'Might has changed to Titanforce.'

In {Arsene Continental War}, if Might was comparable to the strength of a monster, then Titanforce means the strength that surpasses a giant.

In other words, Ulan's strength had increased by more than twice its original level.

Good.

Increased strength was definitely helpful.

It would make fighting the monsters of the Abyss much easier in the future. Noah looked relieved.

"What do you think? Do you think something's changed?"

"Hmm, I don't know."

Unlike the change in the status bar, Ulan hadn't really noticed the change in himself. So Noah asked with a subtle hint.

"Do you feel like your strength has increased?"

"Strength?"

"Yes, do you feel like your strength is surging?"

"Well, then Ill test it."

What? How are you going to test it?

At the moment when Noah made a puzzled expression.

Ulan clenched his fist. Then, he suddenly kicked the wall he was expecting he was leaning against.

And the result.

BOOM!

A chunk of the wall flew away just like that.

"......?"

That wasnt all.

With the wall flying away, the shockwave that occurred swept through like a storm. As a result, a huge cloud of dust rose, sweeping everything around.

"Cough, Cough!"

"What, what's going on?"

"All of a sudden, all this dust..."

The students were stunned into silence.

Leaving them behind, Ulan, with a face that seemed to have clearly realized something, muttered, "I've definitely become stronger."

"It certainly looks like it."

Noah had seen Ulan punch his fist towards the wall before. And at that time, there was only a hole in the wall.

But did the wall actually fly away?

When Noah burst into laughter with a bewildered face.

Whoosh!

The rest of the wall collapsed helplessly, unable to withstand the shock. Even the other walls crumbled like dominoes.

"......."

"......."

Noah, of course, and Ulan, too, were speechless.

It was instinctive intuition.

If they continued to stand there like this, there was a high chance they would be dragged to the Student Counseling Division.

"What do we do now?"

"Uh, I mean......."

As Noah pondered, a thick layer of dust drifted into her eyes. Upon this, she seemed to recall some trick and smiled, saying:

"Let's get out of here before anyone sees us."

"That would be a good idea."

Ulan agreed as well.

However, they didn't know.

That every nook and cranny of the cafeteria was equipped with numerous surveillance devices.

Two hours later.

Ulan and Noah were arrested for vandalism of public property and dragged to the Student Counseling Division.

End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .

Translator's Notes:-

Sorry for the delay. I have stomach pain lately and couldn't focus in translation work. Will probably go back to my hometown to spend some time with family and rest. I will try to make regular releases though.

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