The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 38

“Ugh….”

If I was just recklessly pouring all my mana into my attacks, Seymour was precisely calculating the trajectory and power of every move.

It was true that Adela’s help had improved my ability to use mana, but compared to Seymour, a main character, I was still lacking.

He wasn’t the main antagonist for nothing.

After all, Seymour is a character who would eventually grow to rival even Lee Han in power.

I had no choice but to use my mana at full capacity.

“Huff… Huff.”

But—

Recklessly using mana like this quickly drained what little I had left.

Boom—!

Seymour’s magic knocked my wand out of my hand and sent it flying across the room.

“I pitied you and held back, and this is how you repay me…?”

“Ugh, Seymour…”

“Did you really think you could deceive me? Are you insane?”

My body was flung against the wall, leaving me crumpled on the ground. I couldn’t even scream as I collapsed.

Seymour’s fierce eyes locked onto me as he began to strangle me. His grip was full of malice.

“Kegh….”

My mind went blank.

Now, the difference in our abilities was clear.

Just as I had been sent flying by Adela’s basic attack during our training, Seymour was far too overwhelming an opponent for someone like me, an extra, to defeat.

I used every ounce of strength to pry Seymour’s hand off my neck, but it was futile.

That’s just how it is.

Defying the natural order of the original story isn’t easy, and this was never a battle I was supposed to win.

But

I believed in the words spoken to me by the prophecy book.

“O, Outsider”.

“Every action you take will twist the fate of this world”.

I was a being who created countless variables just by existing.

And among those variables, there was a chance I could win. Because I was not yet defined in this world, I could show Seymour moves he couldn’t predict.

I had to believe in that.

I had to believe in myself.

“Ugh… Get off me.”

Like a small pebble causing ripples across a still pond, a small variable was about to be introduced.

That variable was Basilus, who had started this journey with me.

Whoosh—.

“Argh!”

Seymour was suddenly thrown off balance by Basilus’ breath attack.

Although Seymour quickly summoned an Air Shield with his wand, Basilus’ attack was stronger.

Caught off guard, Seymour was uncharacteristically helpless in the face of Basilus’ assault.

This wasn’t the time to laugh, but despite the pain, I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“That crazy dragon!”

Basilus’ fire breath melted through Seymour’s shield.

In that moment, when Seymour stumbled and Basilus grabbed hold of his leg with his jaws—

Ding—.

A notification appeared in the air.

[You have reached Level 10.]

[A new skill has been unlocked.]

Huh? I didn’t expect this!

[Fire Spike: Summon a pillar of fire accompanied by a lightning strike. Targets all living creatures within a 1-meter radius, except the Tamer.]

Level: 10

Mana: 59

Strength: 68

Agility: 43

Intelligence: 19

[Fire Breath Lv 3][Mana Shield Lv1][Poison Resistance Lv 3][Flame Vortex Lv 3][Fire Spike Lv 1]

I wasn’t sure what this was, but…

It wasn’t just a fire-based skill typical of a Red Dragon; it also involved lightning magic, making it a powerful move I could rely on.

“What’s happening?”

Seymour sensed something off about Basilus’ mana and began to back away.

As usual, he was quick to recognize when the tables were turning.

But it was already too late.

“That… that thing is doing something weird.”

“What is it?”

“Oh… oh no!”

Boom.

In a flash, Basilus’ body glowed with a fierce light and struck the Necromancy students with a lightning bolt.

It all happened in an instant.

“…”

The three Necromancy students were knocked out on the spot, and only Seymour, who had quickly cast a shield, was left trembling in shock.

“What the hell… what was that?”

The situation had turned in an instant.

Whoosh.

As Basilus stepped closer to Seymour, who was now frozen in fear, the flames around them roared higher. The once-arrogant Seymour now wore a pale, terrified expression.

Step, step.

“G-Get away from me!”

Seymour’s lips quivered with fear, his voice trembling as he struggled to speak.

Basilus, having lost control, extended his claws and landed on Seymour’s shoulder.

“Aagh!”

Seymour screamed as Basilus’ claws dug into his shoulder, tearing into his flesh. Desperately, Seymour grabbed his wand for one last attempt to fight back.

But there was no way his weakened attack could harm Basilus.

Before Seymour could even cast a spell, Basilus, now fully enraged, prepared to unleash another breath attack.

“Basilus.”

I called out to him.

Basilus was ready to kill Seymour.

No, he could definitely kill him.

With those sharp claws, he could easily slit Seymour’s throat.

Knowing this, I called out to him.

“koo….”

Could you please not turn around with that cute face while covered in blood?

My voice came out dry as it passed through my parched throat.

“That’s enough.”

He was really about to tear someone apart.

My connection with Basilus was severed.

Without my control, he had started to go on a rampage. I struggled to stand up, groaning in pain.

Seymour, who had lost all will to fight, lay on the ground with a pitiful expression.

I approached him silently, pulling out a length of rope. As I bound Seymour’s arms, the color slowly returned to his previously pale face.

His voice, trembling, came out in a low murmur.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you letting me live? If you’d let your dragon go wild, you could have easily killed me here, couldn’t you? So why… why are you showing me mercy…?”

I tied Seymour’s arms tightly and looked him straight in the eyes.

You might think it’s easy to just get rid of people you don’t like, but the thought of killing someone with my dragon doesn’t sit right with me.

I can’t say that’s the only reason, though.

Why am I letting you live?

Having read the original novel to the end, I knew the answer.

But did I really need to tell him?

In a dry tone, I responded.

“Well, I think you already know the answer.”

* * *

Following Dean Ernest’s orders, all five Necromancy students involved were sent to the underground prison.

For two days, there were constant discussions about sending this case to the Magic Association for further action.

The entire Ardel Academy was enraged, not least because the victim was Natalie, a student beloved by everyone in the school.

And so, amid all that chaos, my name became known.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Did you hear? Han Siha was the one who saved Natalie?”

“Wow… If it were me, I would have fainted on the spot.”

“Oh my gosh, there he is, walking by!”

The fan service I provided during the Magic-Necromancy competition, coupled with saving Natalie, had made me the center of attention.

It was almost overwhelming to walk down the hallways with so many eyes on me.

Even the students who used to badmouth me after Basilus bit them earlier in the term were now too wary to speak ill of me openly.

“I guess that guy really is in the Magic Department.”

“You said he was a glitch in the system, remember? Idiot.”

“Well, I was just saying, you know…”

They bickered among themselves while sneaking glances at me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle and closed my book.

While one major issue had been resolved, there were still plenty of things left to ponder.

One of the biggest questions was how to deal with Seymour.

Truthfully, considering the possibility of Seymour’s future descent into darkness, killing him when I had the chance might have been the right choice.

However, Seymour becomes even more powerful after death.

That’s due to his unique trait.

Revenge. In the original story, as Seymour was dying, he used his last bit of life force to complete the ultimate dark magic circle—a spell so dangerous that it could have wiped out half the continent if Lee Han hadn’t stopped him in time.

If I killed Seymour under the wrong circumstances, the consequences could be catastrophic.

So, while I had to keep him alive, letting him go unchecked wasn’t an option either.

Was there a way to turn him back before he fully embraced the darkness?

“Hmm, what should I do…”

I was deep in thought when—

“Han Siha!”

Natalie came running toward me, her steps quick and light.

Considering the danger she had just been in, it was surprising to see her smiling so brightly.

I couldn’t tell what she was feeling inside, but she looked healthy, and that was a relief.

“Where are you heading?”

“To Professor Ernst’s anatomy class.”

“Ah. And then you have Professor Grint’s practical magic class after that, right?”

“Yeah.”

Natalie hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

“Well, then… are you busy after class today? I wanted to thank you, so maybe dinner…”

Busy?

Hmm.

“Oh, I’m going to be really busy.”

The smile on Natalie’s face faded instantly.

“Oh, I see… Really busy.”

“I barely have enough time even if I had two bodies. Why?”

Why is she so interested in my schedule?

Natalie’s lips moved as if she had more to say, but instead, she hugged her book to her chest and shouted suddenly.

“I just wanted to say that I’m busy too!”

Whoa, that startled me.

“Huh?”

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded.

You know, she’s kind of… strange.

“What was that about? Not that I’m curious.”

I scratched my head.

But no matter what Natalie had to say, the truth was, I really was busy.

Even though the Necromancy students had been captured, my role wasn’t over yet.

“Time to get moving.”

So many things to take care of.

* * *

Seymour would definitely escape.

He’d return much stronger, long after the main character, Lee Han, had forgotten about him.

In the early parts of *Smart Academy* Readers thought he was just a one-off villain, but they were in for a shock when Seymour Parker came back with a vengeance, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

I could still vividly recall the words Lee Han muttered as he lost one comrade after another to Seymour.

‘I could have changed everything….’

‘If only I had gotten through to him in that underground prison….’

But killing Seymour would only make him more dangerous.

He’s a dangerous person whether alive or dead.

This was the only chance I had.

Seymour Parker was certainly a villain, but he wasn’t irredeemable trash.

If he hadn’t been expelled for the dark magic club incident, disowned by his family, and beaten by Lee Han’s group every day, he might not have turned out so twisted.

Could I set him on the right path?

I couldn’t be sure.

“We’ll see when I meet him.”

Creak—

I opened the iron door and entered the underground prison. Located more than ten floors below Ardel Academy, this was the deepest, darkest place in the entire school.

“Yes, Han Siha, you’re cleared to enter.”

Normally, students weren’t even allowed here, but thanks to Dean Ernest’s authorization, I was able to visit Seymour.

After walking down a seemingly endless corridor and taking a deep breath on the cold cement floor, I finally reached the end of the underground prison.

There, in a place where not a single ray of sunlight reached, sat Seymour Parker.

Not long ago, he had been a well-dressed noble.

Now, he looked so wretched that it was hard to believe he was the same person.

Seymour Parker raised his head from the shadows.

He was leaning against the cold wall, his expression contorted in anger.

“What do you want?”

Well, I didn’t expect him to greet me warmly.

“Did you come all the way down here just to gloat? How noble of you.”

He naturally assumed I was the one who had put him in this hellhole, so his reaction was expected.

His eyes gleamed with a vicious grin.

Ignoring his hostility, I calmly spoke.

“Why do you look at me like that? You’ll walk out of here unscathed, after all.”

“What?”

“The ones you should pity are your lackeys, not yourself. Why are you playing the victim?”

“You son of a—have you said your piece?”

Thud.

Enraged, Seymour grabbed the iron bars with both hands.

He looked like he wanted to strangle me, but there was nothing he could do from behind those bars.

His hands trembled before falling limp.

He swallowed hard, suppressing his anger. He must have realized that causing a scene would only make things worse for him.

“What do you want?”

“A conversation.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Seymour glared at me, his teeth clenched. His voice was cold as ice.

“You must have a reason for coming all the way here. Just get to the point.”

Why does he care so much about my reasons?

I wanted to tell him there wasn’t one, but I couldn’t lie.

The truth was, I was here because I had a reason—a very specific reason.

I was going to try and rehabilitate him.

That was my goal, and the reason I was here.

This was my best shot. If this didn’t work, I would have no choice but to support Lee Han in killing Seymour and getting rid of the threat once and for all.

Even if it meant taking a huge risk, I had to consider the worst-case scenario.

“Here.”

Thud.

I pulled out a worn piece of paper from my pocket. To a third party, it might look like an ordinary piece of paper, but to Seymour, it would be invaluable.

“Give this to your father when he comes.”

“What is this…?”

Seymour Parker’s family couldn’t be called clean, considering they had turned a blind eye to corruption for generations.

But they were the type to eliminate anything that would tarnish their family’s reputation.

That’s why they had disowned Seymour, their only son.

If it became known that Seymour was behind all of this, he would be excommunicated.

He would spend years suffering, fueled by hatred for Lee Han, and now for me as well.

I had no desire to leave a time bomb like that behind.

The letter contained evidence that Seymour had been blackmailed by a dark magic group.

With a story like that, his family would find it easy to clean up the mess.

Seymour, who had grasped my intentions, looked up at me with a sour expression.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

But more importantly—

“Where did you get it?”

—

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