The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 198

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and Han Siha clamped a hand over his mouth, holding his breath.

The only saving grace was that the dimly lit warehouse would make it hard for anyone to spot them.

But a problem had arisen.

“Where the hell did that inventory chart go?”

The delivery chart that Han Siha was clutching tightly—the man seemed to be looking for it, scouring the area with a suspicious gaze.

Han Siha desperately wanted to put it back where he found it and hide properly, but that was easier said than done.

He glanced at Yoon Haul, who was crouching on the other side, just as tense.

Tap, tap.

“…It’s not here.”

The footsteps came alarmingly close, only to move away again.

Luckily, the warehouse was big enough that they narrowly avoided getting caught.

Creak. Bang.

Only when the heavy door slammed shut did Han Siha cautiously poke his head out from between the flour sacks.

Adela’s voice buzzed through the Smartphone, which had reconnected.

– Han Siha, what are you doing? Get out of there….

– I’m getting out right now.

Han Siha moved cautiously, keeping his footsteps quiet as he approached the door.

Peeking through a small gap, he checked outside.

No one was around.

– It’s clear. You can come out now.

Han Siha grasped the door handle, keeping his posture low as he tried to open it.

Or at least, he tried to.

“…Why isn’t this opening?”

He pulled with all his strength, his face growing pale.

The door was heavy, sure, but it wasn’t supposed to be this unmovable.

He tried again, this time using both hands, but the door didn’t budge.

“Damn it.”

He hadn’t heard any locking sound; maybe the door was just broken.

If things continued like this, they were going to be stuck.

“Ugh… Ugh!”

Han Siha wedged his hand into the gap and pulled with his full weight, but the door remained firmly shut.

After struggling for a bit longer, he had to admit defeat.

“Yoon Haul?”

“Why… what’s going on?”

“We’re trapped.”

—

They had been stuck for an hour now.

The warehouse wasn’t as frequently used as they’d thought; there hadn’t been a single sign of anyone outside.

By now, the battery of the Smartphone had also run out.

“Should’ve engineered a better battery.”

Without the full technological advances of the 21st century, the Smartphone was dead, severing their only line of communication with Adela. Until it died, she had been trying to find a discreet way to get them out.

“Looks like the door isn’t opening from the outside either.”

“What? Seriously?”

“We might have to force it open.”

Bang.

Han Siha kicked the door in frustration. The loud noise made Yoon Haul panic and pull him back.

“Stop, they might hear us outside.”

“What else can we do? Sit and wait?”

Han Siha held up his hands, peering through the crack in the door.

Something was definitely going on outside. It was noisy, chaotic.

Maybe they were dragging another innocent kid around and beating him up.

Regardless, the commotion was buying them time, but they still didn’t have a solution.

“Are we supposed to wait until someone opens the door? How long would that take?”

Sooner or later, someone would notice they were missing and come looking.

“We could just say we accidentally wandered in and got lost….”

“Does this place look like a bathroom? Who’s gonna believe that?”

“You never know! Maybe someone would….”

“They’d just think your eyes are broken.”

Making up a ridiculous excuse wouldn’t get them anywhere. They’d have to force their way out, one way or another.

But then—

“What’s going on out there?”

Han Siha and Yoon Haul had finally realized why no one had come looking for them.

Screams were echoing from outside, accompanied by the sound of bodies hitting the ground.

Merchants from the Cement Guild, who had been terrorizing children earlier, were now being beaten down mercilessly.

“What the hell is happening?”

Han Siha scowled as he observed the situation through the narrow crack in the door.

Yoon Haul squatted next to him, peeking out as well.

“This isn’t just a brawl, right?”

“This is practically a war.”

“What about Adela? Where is she?”

Adela was surely hiding somewhere safe, but they couldn’t just sit idly by in this chaotic situation without knowing exactly what was going on.

“It’s already a mess out there. Whatever we do now isn’t going to make things worse.”

Han Siha shrugged and picked up a heavy metal pipe lying nearby.

If earlier they had been cautious, trying not to draw attention while opening the door…

Now, the solution was simple.

Just break it down.

“H-Han Siha?”

“Ah, I’m sick of being careful.”

Having been cautious to the point of suffocation, Han Siha finally had a chance to take action.

“Hyahhhh!”

BANG!

With a spirited yell, Han Siha charged forward, swinging the metal pipe and smashing it against the door handle.

THUD!

“Oh… oh no!”

The impact was impressive.

Clang, clang.

Han Siha looked down at the handle rolling on the ground and kicked the heavy door open.

Just as expected, the door slowly swung open…

But it wasn’t Han Siha who opened it.

“What are these guys doing?”

Creak.

Sunlight poured into the warehouse as the door opened, causing Han Siha to squint from the sudden brightness.

He struggled to open his eyes, blinking rapidly against the glare.

“Are you from the guild?”

A woman with a bow strapped to her back asked with a wary expression.

—

Though her gaze wasn’t exactly warm towards Han Siha, it softened when it landed on Yoon Haul, who stood behind him.

His youthful face made him seem innocent, easing some of her suspicion.

The woman asked again, her voice sharp.

“You look like you were dragged here. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not a kid.”

“Well, I was still dragged here.”

“….”

A tense silence lingered as she scrutinized them, trying to gauge if they were telling the truth.

Their clothes, which were distinctly different from the Cement Guild merchants, were more like those of outsiders.

Finally convinced, the woman extended her hand.

“If you want to escape, follow me.”

Han Siha and Adela nodded and moved quickly. They exited the warehouse and looked around at the now-ruined Cement Guild base.

Smoke billowed up from various places, likely due to fires set during the chaos.

It was a midday raid, striking while everyone was off guard, making the damage far worse.

Fights were raging everywhere; it wasn’t surprising that someone could get stabbed in broad daylight in a place like this.

Fortunately, they found Adela hiding safely, and under the pretense of being part of the group, they followed the woman.

They had heard the two guilds didn’t get along, but they hadn’t expected things to escalate into a full-on war.

Still, most of these people were merchants who couldn’t handle weapons properly.

The fight over territory and resources was brutal, no matter where you went.

As they retreated to a safer location, observing the chaotic scene, the woman spoke up suddenly.

“Why do you look so shocked? Oh, you’re from out of town?”

“Yes, we came from the neighboring village looking for work.”

“That explains it. You seemed pretty rattled by what’s just an ordinary day around here.”

Adela glanced nervously at Han Siha, sending him a silent signal.

They were safe for now, thanks to this woman, but they knew nothing about the Freed Guild.

Han Siha cleared his throat, cautiously probing.

“So… are you with the Freed Guild?”

“I have business with them, yeah.”

“Oh.”

“Not exactly a merchant, but I do deals with them. Call me Elisa.”

“Okay, Elisa.”

Elisa briefly explained the situation. Apparently, near the Odryse Mountains, brawls and skirmishes were just another day in the life.

A full-on battle like this wasn’t out of the ordinary.

But the intensity was unsettling.

Their plan to stay embedded within the Cement Guild long enough to uncover the truth about the obsidian shipments was now out the window.

For the time being, they would have to stay with the Freed Guild.

The Freed Guild’s territory wasn’t far, just around the mountain.

Following Elisa, who moved like a mountain squirrel darting between rocks, was exhausting.

But one fortunate aspect was that even while they were rushing, Elisa kept talking, sharing insights into the two guilds that Mu-Myeong couldn’t provide.

The Cement Guild and the Freed Guild.

While the Cement Guild would do anything for money, the Freed Guild prided itself on having at least some moral standards.

Even so, the Freed Guild consistently turned a profit due to their high-quality goods, while the Cement Guild struggled with constant deficits.

In their greed, the Cement Guild had resorted to underhanded tactics, stealing the Freed Guild’s superior products, and that’s where the animosity began.

From Elisa’s account, it was clear that the Cement Guild was full of scoundrels.

“The Cement Guild started using force first. As you’ve seen, they’re more like thugs than traders.”

“That’s why you only work with the Freed Guild?”

“…Because some things should be done with integrity. Can’t stand seeing those scumbags doing well.”

Elisa smiled wryly and paused for a moment.

“Are you alright? Should we slow down?”

“Ah… thank you.”

She was considerate, slowing her pace when she noticed Yoon Haul struggling to keep up.

In reality, they had been moving slowly, but Yoon Haul was grateful for the gesture and paused to catch his breath.

Elisa looked at him, then asked,

“So, you’re looking for work?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not a hiring agency… but I could probably refer you.”

Han Siha had hung back slightly, and Elisa glanced back at him, nodding thoughtfully.

She wasn’t sure if the Freed Guild would welcome these kids, but Han Siha seemed capable enough to be accepted.

“Anyway, you can’t go back to the Cement Guild territory now unless you’ve got a death wish.”

Elisa’s bluntness was reassuring to Yoon Haul, who found her forthright nature trustworthy.

“So, how about I introduce you three to the Freed Guild? What do you think?”

With Elisa’s recommendation and her long-standing relationship with the Freed Guild, Yoon Haul eagerly nodded.

Adela, too, smiled at Han Siha, signaling her agreement.

“Yes, that would be great.”

“You there, handsome guy?”

Han Siha looked up at Elisa’s casual remark.

He was holding his Smartphone, which had recharged just enough from the sunlight to send a quick text to Lee Han.

– Preparing to infiltrate the second guild

After successfully sending the message without being caught, Han Siha grinned and replied.

“Yeah, count me in.”