The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 56

Solia squeezed her eyes shut.

Only three students could be chosen for the student research group this time. If it were anything else, she might have been less concerned, but this was an opportunity she desperately wanted to seize.

No, she believed she could seize it.

If you were to name the top three strongest second-year students at Ardel Academy, it would undoubtedly be Lee Han, Adela, and Solia. This ranking had never wavered since their entrance into the academy.

But for the first time, that once-solid ranking felt shaky, beginning with the first test in Magic Practical.

The final Taming practical exam only solidified her doubts.

‘He’s too good…’

While other students struggled to merely keep their wild werewolves under control, Han Siha’s werewolf had already been completely tamed.

Its calm demeanor made it hard to believe it was the same kind of werewolf. The way it responded to commands like a fully grown one would—it was undeniable proof of Han Siha’s talent as a Tamer.

What Solia had gradually noticed since the Magic Practical exams, what she had tried to deny, was now clear—Han Siha was gunning for her spot.

And now, it was time for the results.

“…Ah.”

Solia blinked in disbelief at what she saw.

Below the names of Lee Han and Adela, who had, as always, secured the top spots, there was a different name where hers should have been.

“Han Siha…?”

She neither sighed in despair nor openly showed her disappointment. She just stood there, dazed.

Whispers started to spread as people glanced her way.

“What? Han Siha got third place?”

“How did he do that?”

“No way. He got a perfect score in Magic Practical? In Professor Grint’s exam…?”

“Unbelievable. He’s the top student in Magic Practical?”

“And he ranked first in Advanced Taming too. Wow, Adela almost lost her spot. If Han Siha’s Taming score had been just a bit higher, she would have been bumped down.”

“Wasn’t he near the bottom of the class before? How did he turn into a monster all of a sudden?”

“Hey, look at Solia’s face.”

“She must be in shock. It’s the first time she’s been knocked out of the top three.”

“Hey, keep it down. She can hear you.”

Solia had supported Han Siha.

Maybe it was because of their childhood connection, or maybe because of how drastically he had changed.

She didn’t dislike him anymore.

But still…

Stepping down from the top was more painful than she had anticipated.

She wished he hadn’t been aiming for her spot.

Solia lowered her head, feeling an unfamiliar sense of defeat.

‘You did well.’

This wasn’t about her failing. It was just… that Han Siha had done exceptionally well.

Muttering to herself, Solia quickly left the area, as if she were fleeing.

* * *

“So, you three are the ones?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes!”

Dean Ernest looked at the students in front of him with satisfaction.

He had worked tirelessly to secure a spot for Ardel Academy’s students at this research group. He believed it would be a valuable opportunity for them—especially for the talented ones.

Now, before him were the three students he had high hopes for.

Among the second-year students at Ardel Academy, these three were the most promising: Lee Han, the first-year top student; Adela, the runner-up; and…

“Han Siha.”

“Yes, Dean.”

And Han Siha, who had surpassed Solia with his rapid progress to take a seat among them.

Dean Ernest leaned on his hand as he offered them various pieces of advice.

The upcoming research group would feature lectures by the Mage’s Association, student competitions, and exhibitions over three days.

Since talented mages from various countries would be gathered, there were often incidents.

Especially on the third day, when the inter-school competition took place—there were always underhanded tactics, sometimes even brawls.

The stakes were high, with considerable prize money and, more importantly, the honor of their schools on the line.

While Ernest had confidence in his students, he cautioned them to avoid getting caught up in any chaos.

“This isn’t a research group exclusive to Ardel Academy. Students from other empires will be there as well.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t get into fights, don’t stress yourselves out. Just enjoy the experience. Take it easy.”

“Of course.”

“Oh, by the way, are you planning to participate in the competition?”

Dean Ernest’s casual question made Adela blink in surprise.

He quickly waved his hands, laughing heartily.

“Oh no, I don’t expect anything from you. I just think it would be a good experience if you participate. Haha.”

He looked very expectant, though.

Han Siha scratched his head and glanced at Lee Han.

The research group was open to second-year students, and since Ardel Academy’s participation was decided so suddenly, they hadn’t prepared much in advance.

“This year’s competition theme is herbology, right?”

“…I think so.”

“Do you know how to do it?”

“….”

An awkward silence followed.

All three of them were exchanging glances, trying to gauge each other’s reactions, while Dean Ernest looked as delighted as if he were the one competing.

“You know, since it’s your first research group, it might be good to participate just for the experience. And if you bring back a prize, even better.”

“….”

“Don’t feel pressured, though.”

“Ha-ha…”

“I’m definitely not saying you have to win anything. Ho-ho-ho.”

Why did it feel like a heavy weight had been placed on their shoulders?

* * *

At 5 AM, the train platform was bustling with people.

The upcoming research group seemed to have drawn more people than usual.

It had been a while since I’d gone outside Ardel Academy.

Since becoming immersed in the world of *Smart Academy*, I hadn’t really explored the outside world much.

I muttered to myself as I waited for Adela.

“Basilus!”

Wait, why is she looking for the dragon and not me?

Adela’s voice, loud enough to be heard clearly from five meters away, rang in my ears as she bounced over toward us.

From a distance, I could see Adela running toward us with an excited expression. True to her slightly clumsy nature, she was dragging her bag along the ground as she approached.

“You’re early! Oh my, Basilus… you’re even cuter today.”

“koo!”

“Haha, yeah, yeah. But Han Siha, why do you have so much luggage?”

“Because of this guy, obviously. Just think of me as a zookeeper.”

Having extra companions meant double the baggage.

I squeezed through the crowd with a groan and finally boarded the train.

“Good thing we didn’t miss this one.”

“It’s a long ride, right?”

“It’s really far. We’ve still got a long way to go, so you should try to get some sleep.”

I’d heard that this research group was being held in the Seinen Empire, not the Ardel Empire.

It would take us at least five hours by train to get there.

It would have been much faster if we had something like a KTX, but no use wishing for something that doesn’t exist here.

The train rumbled as it started moving, signaling our departure.

Adela, sitting next to Basilus, widened her eyes as she started chatting.

“Lee Han said we’re going to be making potions too?”

“Who decided that?”

“Dean Ernest… I guess? He apparently pulled Lee Han aside and talked to him about it for another hour.”

“Seriously, that man can’t help himself.”

“So, we should study this in advance.”

There was no stopping Lee Han’s enthusiasm.

It was very protagonist-like of him. I took the herbology book Adela handed me and nodded absentmindedly.

“They’ll provide the ingredients to the research group, right?”

“Yeah, we just need to brush up on the recipes. You took basic herbology in your first year, didn’t you?”

“….”

That was Han Siha, not me.

The only good thing was that he barely passed that class himself, so his grades were as bad as mine.

I smiled awkwardly and tried to change the subject.

“I think I failed herbology.”

“Oh…!”

Adela froze, her expression turning serious.

“…We’re in trouble.”

“As long as we know, we’ll figure something out.”

Just then, a middle-aged man sitting in the adjacent seat leaned over.

Despite the weather, he was wearing a heavy coat and a hat pulled low over his face.

Dressed quite sharply, the man spoke in a deep voice.

“Are you students from Ardel Academy?”

“Yes, we’re on our way to the research group.”

“Oh… the research group?”

Considering how crowded the train was, it seemed like many people were heading to the same event.

Seven schools were participating, and besides the students, many related individuals would be attending as well.

Adela’s eyes sparkled as she asked the man a question.

“Are you going to the research group too?”

“That’s right. I know someone there.”

“Then are you a wizard?”

“I can do a few tricks.”

The man pulled out a worn-looking staff from his coat and began murmuring an incantation.

Whoosh—.

A small flame sparked at the tip of his fingers.

A red, flickering flame.

Adela, intrigued, reached out to touch the flame.

Unlike most offensive magic, which would typically cause damage, this one was different.

It wasn’t hot at all, and it burned gently like an illusion.

Crackle, crackle.

Despite that, the flame continued to consume air, burning steadily, causing Adela to let out a quiet exclamation.

It seemed she had never seen magic quite like this before.

“I told you it was just a trick.”

“But it looks like real magic to me.”

“That’s because it is real magic. Not all magic has to be harmful. In fact, this is what real magic should be.”

It seemed more like a conjuring trick than actual magic.

In my mind, corrupted by the logic of 21st-century science, I started seriously pondering if there was some kind of trick involved.

The man, perhaps misinterpreting my interest, chuckled.

“Do you want to learn?”

“Sure, it sounds interesting.”

Since I was bored, I readily accepted the offer. Besides, there was something about this gentleman that piqued my curiosity.

“You’ve learned fire magic before, right?”

“Yes, at least the basics.”

“The principle isn’t much different. The only difference is that you’re using air instead of fire.”

“Since it’s not hot…?”

“Exactly. Now, try to visualize it in your mind. A flame filled with air. You just need to tweak your thinking a bit.”

The geometric structure of a rune appeared in my mind.

Instead of air, I filled it with fire.

It was something I had learned in Magic Practical class.

Am I doing this right?

Whoosh—.

Soon, a flame blazed on my fingertips.

It burned much more intensely than his. I must have miscalculated the amount of magic I used.

The man blinked in surprise.

“You picked that up faster than I expected.”

“Maybe I’ve got some talent?”

“Seems like you might be a genius.”

“I’ve heard that a lot… Ah, never mind.”

The man went on to teach us several other interesting spells.

All of them seemed like they would be useless in a real fight, though.

Adela, who had always been serious about learning, eagerly followed along, her eyes lit up with excitement.

The man smiled approvingly, nodding as he watched.

“Looks like you’ll do well at the research group.”

“Thank you for the lessons.”

“It was fun.”

“I enjoyed it too. Oh, and about the research group… While everyone else is focused on powerful magic, showing off something like this might set you apart. It’s a bit different, don’t you think?”

“I’ll keep that in mind if the situation calls for it.”

“Go and make Ardel proud.”

The man waved his hand as he prepared to get off at the next platform.

We still had a few more stops to go, so we bid him farewell.

“Thank you! Take care!”

I waved goodbye energetically and then turned to look out the window.

For some reason, I was thinking about how unusually pleasant everything had been—especially for *Smart Academy*.

Clunk.

“…Huh?”

Screech.

”The train is experiencing a delay”.

Of course, this damn steam train wasn’t going to run smoothly.

Why couldn’t this world have a KTX…?

Or even a Mugunghwa train, for that matter?

I miss Saemaeul-ho!

What?

Adela frowned and abruptly stood up.

With less than two hours left until the event began, it seemed she realized waiting for the next train would make us late. She quickly pushed me toward the exit.

“Hey, come on, let’s get out of here!”

“Whoa!”

—

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