The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 44

“Are you okay, Han Siha?”

“Did you get it?”

“Ugh…”

Adela and Won rushed over as Han Siha groaned, pushing himself up from the ground.

In his hand was a small lamp, glowing red like the heart of the boss ghost. Adela stared at it in awe.

“What is this…?”

Han Siha had poured out all his magic, nearly passing out from the effort.

He had worried he might have failed to capture it, but the notification that appeared before his eyes reassured him.

[You have cleared the Ghostly Forest (B) Dungeon.]

Han Siha climbed onto his horse and tossed the ghost’s lamp to Adela.

Unlike a typical lamp, which would be too large to hold in one hand, this one was miniature.

The strange magic radiating from it made Adela’s eyes widen.

Han Siha calmly stated, “It’s a hidden item.”

“A hidden… item?”

“No way.”

“That’s impossible.”

All three of them—Adela, Natalie, and Won—looked at Han Siha with disbelief.

Even Usher tilted his head in confusion. He had sensed that Han Siha was searching for something, but a hidden item?

“Does that really exist?”

The existence of hidden items in some dungeons had been mentioned in their textbooks, but most considered it to be theoretical—something that rarely, if ever, manifested in practice.

After all, there were almost no recorded instances of such items being found, especially in a mere B-rank dungeon.

To find a hidden item, incredibly difficult conditions had to be met. If Han Siha hadn’t removed the blindfold, if he hadn’t sensed the faint light, if he hadn’t realized it was a hidden item…

He had navigated through countless “ifs” to find it, against all odds.

So, it was hard for them to believe.

“But really…”

Adela slowly examined the lamp, her voice full of admiration.

“It’s brimming with magic—several times more than usual.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The color is different from the usual Ghostly Forest lamp, and the energy it emits is also different.”

The normal clear reward was definitely not this.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m telling you, it’s true.”

“It’s… really different, isn’t it?”

Adela, with her keen sense for magic, couldn’t fully grasp it, but she knew something was off. She couldn’t help but ask.

“How did you even find it?”

Han Siha quickly searched his mind for a plausible answer. He couldn’t exactly tell them he had set out specifically to find the item, so he needed something vague that could slide by….

A confident statement slipped out of his mouth.

“Instinct….”

A chilly silence followed.

Han Siha hurriedly apologized.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Get him!”

* * *

The day of the evaluation finally arrived.

A tense atmosphere filled Professor Grint’s classroom.

Everyone had felt it during the first midterm evaluation—Professor Grint was not the type to hand out scores easily.

It was clear that he would grade the group project with even more scrutiny.

Professor Grint entered the classroom, adjusting the fit of his sharp suit.

The students, seated in groups, swallowed nervously as they watched him.

He clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve all brought back.”

The expressions of the students varied widely from Professor Grint’s words.

Some, confident in their results, sat up straight, while others, likely having failed to clear their dungeon, hung their heads.

Han Siha glanced around the room, his expression calm.

Professor Grint was doing the same, making his way around the classroom, the sound of his shoes tapping on the floor.

And then, the blunt criticism began, in true Professor Grint fashion.

The first victims were Group 3, who had brought back frog eyes from a C-rank dungeon.

“Why did you bring back frog eyes?”

“Well… it’s an important item. They say if you put them in a soup, it’s great for your health.”

“So, did you eat it?”

“Yes, my friends and I ate it together.”

“…You still seem dumb, so I guess it didn’t work.”

“Oh?”

“It must not have any effect, given how stupid you still are.”

Ouch.

Han Siha clicked his tongue in sympathy.

Professor Grint sighed and moved on to Group 4.

“Hmm, let’s see if this group can do any better.”

It seemed Group 4 had tackled a B-rank dungeon.

Despite how difficult B-rank dungeons could be, Professor Grint’s sharp criticism continued.

“A rope? What’s the point of this? Can you explain?”

“Um…?”

“Is it for drying fish?”

“No, that’s not it….”

The student’s face turned red as they tried to salvage their explanation.

Apparently, the rope had some kind of binding magic on it. While it could be useful in combat, it clearly wasn’t impressive enough for Professor Grint.

Still, at least they weren’t completely torn apart.

“It’s passable.”

“Phew….”

The sigh of relief from Group 4 was audible even to Han Siha.

Won leaned over to Han Siha, whispering.

“The mood’s intense today. What if we get roasted too?”

“That won’t happen.”

Han Siha shook his head firmly and straightened up.

He was confident in their result. The real question was how Professor Grint would react to that other group.

Professor Grint stopped in front of Group 1.

Unlike the other groups, which had three or four members each, Group 1 had only two.

And if those two had cleared an A-rank dungeon, that was a different story entirely.

“The Witch’s Lodge?”

“Those two cleared it by themselves?”

“Wow, that’s incredible…”

“It’s like the ultimate duo teaming up.”

The main character of SLC Academy, Lee Han, and the Light Mage, Solia. They were an undeniably powerful combination, one that anyone would recognize as the strongest possible team.

Their choice of the Witch’s Lodge, a dungeon of the dark element that perfectly complemented Solia’s abilities, was strategic.

It was also remarkable that they managed to clear an A-rank dungeon that required cooperation, with just the two of them.

Given the dungeon’s difficulty, the rewards were substantial.

On the table lay the Witch’s A-rank Potion Set, an expensive collection of potions that fetched exorbitant prices on the market.

For the first time, Professor Grint smiled, looking at the two with satisfaction.

“You both deserve praise for clearing this dungeon.”

“Thank you, Professor!”

“Especially considering you did it as a duo—it couldn’t have been easy.”

It was unusual for Professor Grint to show such a soft expression. Group 3, who had just been harshly criticized, wore expressions of frustration, but even they couldn’t argue with the results.

“Everyone, give them a round of applause.”

“Wooooah!”

“Lee Han! Solia!”

“Amazing!”

The entire class erupted into applause, showering the two who had flawlessly cleared the A-rank dungeon with praise.

Professor Grint, looking pleased, turned away.

“There are some very talented students here. Now, let’s move on.”

Step, step.

After assessing Group 2, Professor Grint finally stood in front of Group 5.

This group included Han Siha, Adela, Natalie, and Won. In truth, Professor Grint had high hopes for this group as well. Especially for Han Siha, who had caught the professor’s attention since the last Magic Combat Tournament.

Normally, Professor Grint was adept at hiding his emotions, but this time, he couldn’t mask his anticipation.

“This group… has several students I’ve been keeping an eye on.”

Won looked up, visibly nervous.

Professor Grint’s sharp gaze scanned the students before he paused.

“What dungeon did your group clear?”

“The Ghostly Forest, Professor.”

The Ghostly Forest?

“Hmm…”

A hint of disappointment crossed Professor Grint’s face when he heard the dungeon’s name.

The Ghostly Forest (B-rank) was indeed tricky due to its mental attacks, but given the talent in this group, Professor Grint had expected them to tackle something more challenging.

With his hands behind his back, Professor Grint quickly surveyed the table.

“So, what items did you bring back?”

The Ghostly Forest was known to yield a decent number of items as rewards—the Ghostly Quill, the Glowing Lamp from defeating the boss, the rocking horse from the cabin, and more.

There were plenty of potential items to collect, but the table before him looked oddly empty.

Just as he was about to question it, Han Siha carefully placed a small lamp on the table.

“Professor, this is it.”

“Hmm?”

What?

Professor Grint couldn’t believe his eyes.

The lamp was significantly smaller than the usual Glowing Lamp, with a soft, red glow emanating from it.

He had never seen anything like it in the dungeon manuals.

“Was something like this even in the dungeon?”

Professor Grint accidentally let his thoughts slip out loud.

At first glance, it seemed unimpressive.

Did they fail to clear the dungeon? Did they bring back a fake lamp instead of the real one?

For a brief moment, complex thoughts raced through his mind.

The other students began whispering among themselves, and mocking comments reached the group.

“What is that?”

“Is that all they got from the Ghostly Forest?”

“They ignored all the other stuff and picked that up?”

“Did they grab it because it looked cute? This is hilarious.”

It was true that the miniature size of the lamp made it look like a decorative trinket.

Adela frowned at the derisive remarks.

Let them say what they want.

She firmly believed that Professor Grint would soon recognize the value of the item.

With a puzzled expression, Professor Grint picked up the small lamp.

And then it happened.

“What in the…”

Zzzt.

A jolt of magic surged through Professor Grint’s fingertips, causing him to startle.

Professor Grint had honed his sensitivity to magic to the highest level through decades of training.

No other professor at Ardel Academy could match his expertise in this area.

It was precisely because of this that he realized it instantly.

This was… a concentration of pure magic.

The amount of magic flowing through it was far beyond what could be produced by an ordinary lamp.

“Could it be?”

“It’s a hidden item, Professor.”

Han Siha’s words froze the room in silence.

* * *

“A hidden item?”

“Does that actually exist?”

“I’ve heard of it. It was mentioned in a practical combat textbook.”

“But still, finding something like that in a mere B-rank dungeon? Does that even make sense?”

“Is it true? Did they really find a hidden item?”

“If Adela and Han Siha were involved… maybe it’s possible?”

“Even the Principal couldn’t find something like that, you idiot.”

At first, the students were skeptical.

But seeing Professor Grint’s expression, they began to stir uneasily.

If it were a lie, Professor Grint would have immediately unleashed a scathing remark.

But he remained silent.

“Could it be… real?”

“No way.”

“That can’t be possible.”

No one dared to draw a conclusion easily.

They all wanted to believe it, but it was hard to accept.

Adela stared down the chattering students, waiting for Professor Grint to say something.

‘You must have realized it by now.’

The true value of that item.

‘So, please. Just say it.’

Thud.

Contrary to Adela’s hopes, Professor Grint silently returned to the front of the class.

Won’s eyes widened as he bit his nails nervously.

“What the heck? Why are we being skipped?”

“Are we in trouble?”

No, that shouldn’t be the case.

Han Siha shook his head, trying to stay calm.

What could he be thinking?

“Well then.”

Professor Grint slowly looked around at the students as he picked up a piece of chalk.

His voice, calm and measured, filled the room with anticipation.

“Let’s proceed with announcing the scores.”

—

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