The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 39

“What is this?”

Dean Ernest, who had been smiling kindly with his eyes, straightened up and crossed his arms.

Until that moment, I was lost in thought, staring intently at the sheet of paper in my hand.

A long letter adorned with the symbol of the dark magic organization.

I forced myself to look up nonchalantly, pretending not to know.

“Is it an important letter?”

“I thought your words had merit, so I prepared this.”

I was the one who persuaded Dean Ernest.

To stop Seymour Parker from going astray, I believed there was no other way, so I clung to Dean Ernest without hesitation.

‘Is there something you particularly want? I promised you a reward, so I can help you as much as I can.’

My response to his considerate offer might have seemed rather meddlesome at first glance.

I asked him to help Seymour Parker.

Even if he must face punishment as a student, I wanted to ensure that he wouldn’t cross a line.

And this was his response.

I slowly lowered my head and began reading the letter.

A false letter claiming that Seymour Parker was threatened by the dark magic organization.

It was surprising enough that Dean Ernest himself had crafted this, but there was something even more astonishing.

He had perfectly grasped my intentions.

“I’m genuinely impressed. I didn’t anticipate this aspect. As expected, you’re quite remarkable, Han Siha.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“That boy might stray down an even darker path. Perhaps to a level that Ardel Academy can’t handle. He’s someone with a devil’s talent, after all.”

Seymour becomes stronger when driven by vengeance.

It seemed Dean Ernest had reached the same conclusion as I had.

He wasn’t the Dean of Ardel Academy for nothing.

Dean Ernest looked at me with a gentle gaze, a satisfied expression on his face.

“I’ll deliver this well.”

“I trust you will.”

Was it just my imagination?

I had the feeling I wouldn’t be able to escape from this radar.

* * *

Professor Grint, who is strict but cares for his students.

There’s a common trait among such professors. It’s a concept that resonates not only in Korea but also in the Ardel Empire.

Unfortunately, those professors… sadly, they love student-led classes.

In other words, to put it simply…

“There will be a group project.”

Oh, please.

Group projects are the perfect opportunity to experience various types of human behaviors, from the bus driver to the free riders and the troublemakers.

Sighs erupted from all corners.

Professor Grint adjusted his sharp suit and began explaining the first group project for the Practical Magic class.

“You will conduct field research in groups. There’s no issue as long as your chosen location doesn’t overlap with another group’s.”

I had already been glancing at the list distributed earlier.

It was a list categorizing various dungeons within the Ardel Empire by difficulty.

Some dungeons were familiar, while others appeared challenging for students.

The legendary group project of Practical Magic.

I remember reading about this group project episode at the academy.

The task was to return with the specified items from each dungeon, with bonus points awarded for exploring higher difficulty dungeons.

However, because the project period was relatively short, the risk of failure, which would result in a zero score, was a significant part of Professor Grint’s group project.

In short, he was telling us to choose carefully.

Professor Grint, who had kindly explained the important points I already knew, continued his explanation as he looked around at the students.

“The main criteria for evaluation in this project will be, of course, whether you clear the dungeon, your safety, and lastly, your teamwork.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Although I won’t be able to directly observe how well each of you fulfills your roles during the dungeon exploration, the results will undoubtedly speak for themselves.”

Won, who had been quietly listening to Professor Grint’s words, lowered his voice and whispered.

It seemed he had quickly grasped the nature of the group project.

“Hey, it looks like these dungeons can’t be cleared alone. The difficulty is insane.”

“You’re an observant student.”

“…!”

Professor Grint, who had overheard, looked directly at Won and smiled slightly.

Won quickly straightened his posture with a surprised expression.

“I’m confident, Professor!”

“Good, then. I expect all of you to demonstrate excellent teamwork.”

Indeed, most of the dungeons on the list were structured in a way that made them impossible to clear alone.

Without proper role allocation before entering, you’d likely face a disaster.

Thorough analysis before approach. And strategies regarding the dungeon’s difficulty.

This group project isn’t just about going in and taking down monsters—there are countless things to consider.

But there’s something even more important.

“I will leave the group formation entirely to your discretion.”

“…!”

“You have ten minutes.”

Let’s find some competent teammates.

* * *

The first member was Won, who was practically glued to my side like a sticky rice cake.

He was quick-witted and reliably gathered important information from here and there, making him a rather dependable asset.

Honestly, he was the only one I could really trust.

Won, full of unnecessary bravado, blurted out confidently.

“Oh, just trust me. I’m sure we can sweep through any dungeon.”

“If only.”

“But what about our other group members? Anyone in mind?”

Won’s eyes widened as he took a bite of a sausage.

The room was bustling.

While others were already busy recruiting group members, it was starting to make me anxious just sitting still.

We needed at least one more member since the group had to be composed of about three or four people.

But no one particularly came to mind.

I nudged Won and subtly urged him.

“Can’t you use that impressive network of yours to get someone?”

“My network? I’m not close with anyone in our year. I’m more acquainted with seniors.”

“What an impressive network.”

In any case, it’s completely useless in the current situation.

By now, most of the main characters were likely busy forming their own groups.

It was also obvious that those who weren’t very close were forming Avengers-like groups based on mutual interests.

“Want to join my group?”

“Well… I’ll think about it?”

“You should decide quickly. We only have five minutes left.”

“What about other members?”

See? Look over there.

Adela, who was shrugging her shoulders as she received countless offers from all directions, caught my eye.

As expected, even though she’s from a commoner background, those opportunists who want to hit the jackpot are flocking to her.

Of course, Adela was consistently turning them down, though.

“But what should I do? I’m thinking about joining another group.”

Creak.

Adela, who had just stood up from her seat, suddenly turned to look this way.

Won lowered his voice and poked me in the side.

“Hey, do you think she wants to join our group?”

I wasn’t sure. If she wanted to, Adela could easily team up with Lee Han, the protagonist.

Why would she settle for us? We had grown closer, but still… I doubted she’d choose to associate with me.

Yet, here she came, walking straight toward us without hesitation, her expression unreadable.

Rejecting all the famous characters who had eagerly proposed to her, she boldly made her way over, and then said something unexpected.

“Let’s do it together.”

Her voice was calm, but her eyes were smiling.

“Seriously? With us?” Won exclaimed in disbelief.

He was making us look really desperate.

“Why? Let’s hear the reason,” he continued, even though we should be thanking her profusely for wanting to join us.

I sighed, lifting Won by the collar and moving him aside. I turned to Adela with a grin, trying to calm the chaotic atmosphere that had formed.

“Ignore him. He’s just excitable.”

“I know. He was just yelling back at the Demon’s Tree.”

“Hey… don’t ruin my image.”

“What image? I’m only stating facts. Right?”

I understood why Won was so shocked.

While I considered Adela and I to be on friendly terms, from her perspective, she had likely made this decision based on strict criteria essential for survival at Ardel Academy.

Won wasn’t exactly at the top of the class, and I doubted I was up to Adela’s standards either.

Earlier, I even noticed Lee Han asking Adela if she wanted to team up. Yet, she had bypassed all those flashy lineups to come to us.

It was unexpected, to say the least.

Extending my hand toward her, I said, “Looking forward to working with you.”

“Just so we’re clear,” Adela said, “I’m here because I think this group is competitive, not because of any other personal reasons.”

“I wasn’t thinking otherwise.”

“…!”

Adela gave me a sidelong glance and smirked.

“You’re funny.”

“Was it that obvious? I was debating whether I owed you a debt of gratitude for saving my life.”

“That debt was settled a long time ago.”

“…True enough.”

“But is this all? Just the three of us?”

Adela tilted her head as she rolled a smooth pebble in her hand, then nodded confidently.

“Well, even if it’s just the three of us, with me, it’s enough.”

Her confident statement was met with Won’s immediate flattery.

“As expected! We believe in you, our carriage driver!”

Carriage driver? Not a bus this time?

That’s a bit cheesy.

Whatever, they were having fun.

“Just remember, if you don’t pay your fare, I’ll bury you in the ground.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As I chuckled at Adela’s confidence, a shadow suddenly loomed over us. I flinched as a face appeared out of nowhere, causing me to step back.

“Huh?”

The face that appeared, with golden hair and a smiling expression, belonged to Natalie.

Adela frowned and asked curtly, “Are you trying to join us too?”

“Is there room for me?”

“No way!”

Won, who had been in a state of shock, finally snapped out of it and began pouring out flattery.

“Of course! Here, have a seat. We’ve polished it up nicely for you, right?”

It didn’t seem like it was about her grades.

Wait… could it be that Won liked Natalie?

“This is great!”

“I’m loving our group already!”

“This is amazing!”

Yeah, it looked like I was right.

Won, thinking he hit the jackpot, quickly offered Natalie the chair next to him. Natalie, smiling, accepted his gesture and spoke pleasantly.

“I wanted to join from the start.”

“…That’s surprising.”

Adela was one thing, but Natalie was the type of group member everyone would want. She was popular and likely had plenty of offers.

I could feel the envious stares from the other students. Even Creek, who had been worshiping me lately, was clenching his fists in frustration.

“You… that’s too much.”

“How could you take them all?”

Hey, what did I do wrong? I haven’t done anything, guys.

Yeah, go ahead and blame me, I guess. I casually extended my hand.

“Anyway, looking forward to working with you.”

“Same here!”

It was a group I never expected. All my worries about struggling to find teammates in the Magic Department turned out to be completely unfounded as the group formed smoothly.

Even Adela, who had been wary, welcomed Natalie with a relieved expression.

Natalie, a water mage, and Adela, an earth mage, were a perfect match in terms of synergy.

I handed the list to the two of them.

While they would undoubtedly be strong allies in combat, I knew that I was better suited for strategizing based on my extensive knowledge of the dungeons’ characteristics.

Pointing to the list, I said, “Now that we have the perfect group, let’s decide where to go. I’ve been considering the Witch’s Lodge, the Haunted Forest, and the Dark Marsh. Oh, and we should skip the marsh since the three of us have trauma from that place.”

“Perfect group? What, are we done already?”

“…Hmm?”

A strange voice made me look up sharply.

The intense stares from earlier had returned, but now there was more noise and murmuring.

“What the…?”

“Why is Lee Han going there?”

“Adela, Natalie… and Lee Han? Did Han Siha recruit them all?”

“Are you out of your mind? Does that even make sense?”

What in the world…?

Feeling a sense of unease, I scanned the person in front of me as if I were chewing on gravel.

“Can I join too?”

A strikingly handsome figure with an unmistakable protagonist filter.

His every word and gesture radiated an aura of untouchable superiority.

With cold but harmless eyes, he looked down at me.

The main character of the Academy, Lee Han.

Wow, I really didn’t expect this.

I couldn’t help but chuckle reflexively.

“Not a bad idea, right?”

The relaxed confidence of someone who had never been rejected.

His smile wasn’t condescending but rather a reflection of his firm self-assurance and high confidence. I knew his personality well enough.

Some people just make you feel like your head is going to roll off your shoulders if you spend too much time around them.

A group project with the main character from the Academy…

“Um… this is really…”

“So, what do you think?”

It’s too much.

“No.”

—

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