The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 55

At a gukbap restaurant on the outskirts of Clent Market.

Natalie was sitting with a gloomy expression, continuing her story.

“I even gave it a name. It looked cold, so I made it a scarf.”

The topic was still the werewolf.

Though she’d had some experience with taming monsters, this was the first time she’d ever tried raising one herself, and it seemed the experience had left quite an impact.

“I didn’t think it would just run away like that.”

“That’s a rotten thing to do.”

“I treated it so well!”

“Yeah, I’m sure you did.”

“I really did…”

Natalie trailed off, looking downcast.

I clicked my tongue inwardly. A werewolf isn’t going to understand whether you treat it well or not.

The fact that she was opening up like this, when she usually wouldn’t, showed just how upset she was.

“You’re worried about failing, right?”

I took a sip of the hot broth and asked.

Natalie nodded in response. The real issue, beyond the sense of betrayal, was fear.

Even though she came from a wealthy family and didn’t have to worry about tuition, the prospect of failing and possibly being expelled was a scary one.

I knew exactly how she felt.

So, I thought of a solution.

“If your werewolf didn’t die but ran away, maybe you could find it again within the next two weeks.”

“Find it… again?”

If that frail creature hadn’t already dropped dead from the realization that life outside was harsh, then there might still be a chance.

“You could use a tracking spell or something, though I’m not sure how many of our classmates can actually use one.”

“I hadn’t thought of that…”

“It probably didn’t get far, maybe just the hills behind the academy. If you search thoroughly, you might find something.”

Natalie’s eyes widened as if she had found a glimmer of hope.

Of course, it was easier said than done, more like finding a needle in a haystack, but it seemed better than spending the rest of the time crying over it.

“I’ll look into a tracking spell!”

With a possible solution in sight, Natalie’s face brightened once more. True to her endlessly positive nature, she bounced back quickly.

But still, there was something really bothering me.

Why was she letting the gukbap get cold?

That’s just not right.

“Hey, you’ve got to eat that while it’s hot. Are you offering a prayer over your food or something?”

“Huh?”

Natalie’s eyes grew wide again.

“Add some gochujang too. The broth looks too plain without it.”

“Oh… Oh!”

“It’s good, isn’t it? Perfect for a hangover. Ah, refreshing.”

“How can it be refreshing when it’s hot?”

“It just is.”

Natalie didn’t seem to fully understand what I was saying, but she nodded eagerly.

“Ah, now I want some soju.”

This would be perfect with a shot of soju. It was frustrating that this world had gukbap but no soju.

Natalie, now enthusiastically eating her gukbap, looked at me with curious eyes and then began to mimic me.

It seemed like my menu choice, despite initial doubts, was turning out well enough.

Slurp.

After drinking the broth, Natalie rolled her eyes and said, “I feel like… my insides are warming up.”

Exactly. That’s it.

I had successfully introduced Natalie to the comforting world of hot and hearty gukbap.

Why bother with pasta when you can have this? It’s half the price!

Anyway, it was a satisfying meal after a long time.

“Ah, I’m finished.”

Natalie trotted out of the restaurant, and after settling the bill, I waited for her while glancing around the terrace of the neighboring shop.

A well-maintained flower bed and wooden chairs occupied by customers caught my eye.

As I slowly scanned the area, squinting against the bright sunlight, I noticed something unusual.

What’s that?

“Why is there a werewolf wandering around here?”

A baby werewolf with a bright red scarf was playfully nibbling on the flowers in the flower bed.

If the shop owner had seen it, there would have been a massive uproar, but the little creature seemed blissfully unaware as it pranced around.

And then, a memory flashed through my mind.

*‘I even gave it a name. It looked cold, so I made it a scarf.’*

The bright red scarf.

“Oh, crap. Natalie.”

“Yes?”

“I think I’ve found your werewolf.”

Natalie, who had just caught up to me, tilted her head in confusion.

I carefully approached the werewolf, which was preoccupied with eating flowers.

“Uh… Uh!”

“Shh! Be quiet!”

I quickly calmed Natalie, who was about to let out a scream, and took another cautious step closer.

A shadow fell over the werewolf.

“Woof?”

The werewolf sensed something was off and froze.

But I was quicker, ready and waiting. Just as the creature tried to bolt, I grabbed it with both hands.

“Squeak!”

Got it.

* * *

“Woof woof woof!”

Natalie smiled brightly as she looked down at the werewolf, which was barking furiously.

She had almost failed the Taming exam.

Han Siha had found Natalie’s runaway werewolf and even spent an hour teaching her how to properly care for it.

Though she was still a bit clumsy as a caretaker, Natalie could feel herself slowly connecting with the creature. It was all thanks to Han Siha.

The werewolf, now more relaxed, had stopped barking and was sprawled out comfortably.

Natalie looked down at the little creature, her thoughts drifting. So much had happened in just half a day.

She’d had an oddly soothing meal, retrieved her runaway werewolf…

And for the first time, she had shown a vulnerable side.

‘My… my werewolf ran away… So now… I’m going to fail… No matter how well I do in the finals, it won’t matter…’

She cringed at the memory.

Why had she done that?

Natalie kicked her blanket in embarrassment, her face burning with shame.

She had forgotten—why had she let herself cry like that, right in front of Han Siha?

It was embarrassing, but still…

In the end, it hadn’t been such a bad day.

“What a strange person he is. Right, werewolf?”

“Woof!”

Natalie had first met Han Siha when she was tasked with infiltrating the club at Dean Ernest’s suggestion.

Back then, she’d thought he was a calm and detached person, but now she realized that wasn’t entirely true.

He was a good person.

He seemed prickly, almost like a fearless little werewolf, especially when he didn’t like someone, but she knew now that wasn’t really the case.

Smiling, Natalie looked down at her werewolf, which was now nuzzling her clothes with its head. Yet, as she watched, another face came to mind instead of the creature.

For some reason, Han Siha reminded her of a werewolf.

Natalie’s smile froze for a moment.

“Uh.”

The werewolf was chewing on her clothes.

“No! Werewolf!!”

* * *

Murmurs filled the air.

The midterm results had come out sooner than expected, and a crowd of students had gathered in front of the Ardel Academy bulletin board.

The last exam had been Professor Zepalov’s Taming class, and with its conclusion, the midterms were officially over.

Students stood around, looking anxious, muttering to themselves.

This round of exams had been particularly challenging overall, and the biggest shock had come from what was supposed to be the easiest class, Taming, where Professor Zepalov had pulled a major twist.

“It’s out already?”

“What am I going to do?”

“Don’t worry, there’s still the finals.”

“Why are you giving up before you even see your score? Cowards.”

“Shut up, you’re the one who’s clueless.”

“Please, everyone, be quiet!”

The students were tense, nervously eyeing the bulletin board, which was still covered with a white sheet hiding the results.

Han Siha, pushing his way through the crowd, was clearly struggling to stay awake, swaying slightly as he moved. Won, standing next to him, didn’t look much better.

Natalie, noticing their state, asked with wide eyes, “What happened to you two today?”

“Stayed up all night with Basilus. We even had a farewell party for the werewolf.”

Apparently, they had thrown a big farewell party for the werewolf before sending it back. Won looked utterly baffled, but Natalie thought it was just like Han Siha.

“Aren’t you nervous about the results?”

“Not really.”

Han Siha shrugged, his face calm.

“I think I did well.”

His confidence was evident.

Natalie chuckled softly and turned to look at the bulletin board.

Unlike the other students, who were visibly trembling with anxiety, Natalie, ever the optimist, was relatively calm.

Just knowing she had avoided failing was enough to make the world seem brighter.

She had no expectations of making it into the top three or being invited to the Mage’s Association research group.

The world becomes a lot easier to deal with when you let go of unrealistic expectations.

‘Nothing to lose, nothing to gain!’

In moments like these, it was best to just enjoy the ride.

Although, there was one person who clearly wasn’t as relaxed.

Natalie’s gaze shifted to Solia, who was standing nearby.

Solia was biting her lower lip, staring intently at the bulletin board still covered by the paper.

Solia usually appeared calm, but Natalie knew she wasn’t devoid of competitive spirit.

Natalie had often spoken with Solia, who, like Natalie, was friendly with everyone.

Solia had a deep obsession with her grades.

Perhaps because she felt that reviving her fallen family depended on her academic success, there was a different kind of desperation in her.

‘She’s probably hoping to place in the top three.’

It was hard to predict the rankings this time since many had done surprisingly well. Even Natalie couldn’t guess easily.

Just then, Lee Han arrived, a bit out of breath.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m a bit late, huh?”

“Hurry up!”

“Hey, the results are about to be revealed. Everyone, focus!”

Lee Han, the second-year class president of Ardel Academy, was responsible for announcing the midterm results, and everyone had been waiting eagerly for him.

“Hurry up!”

Catching his breath after running, Lee Han nodded, a few students grumbling impatiently, but the crowd quickly quieted down.

“Alright, let’s reveal the results.”

With a swift motion, Lee Han raised his staff toward the bulletin board.

His low incantation echoed down the now-silent hallway.

And then.

“…!”

With a rip, the paper covering the board tore away, revealing the midterm results.

—

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