The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 57

A fierce wind blew, strong enough to make me feel like I might get blown away if I lost focus for even a second.

Panting for breath, I stood at the summit, overlooking the village below.

At first glance, this barren peak looked like it could be a helicopter pad or a bungee jumping platform. I glanced around, puzzled.

Adela had asked me to come here, so I did, but I had no idea what this place was for.

It didn’t seem like we were here for some kind of activity, and there certainly weren’t any helicopters in this world.

Trying to keep my balance in the gusts, I shouted to Adela, who was standing firmly against the wind.

“So, why did you bring us here?”

Adela shouted something back at me, but her voice was nearly drowned out by the wind, making it hard to hear.

When I asked again, she raised her voice even more.

“This is the fastest way!”

“The fastest way for what…?”

Before I could ask more, I realized what this place was as I took a few more steps forward.

At the edge of the high tower, a strange creature awaited us, saddled and ready.

It looked like a pterosaur—or rather, it was a real pterosaur, standing right in front of us.

– We’ll get you to your destination quickly and efficiently. (Safety not guaranteed)

Quickly and efficiently, huh? It might even be faster than a helicopter.

But wait…

Safety not guaranteed.

I was really bothered by that warning.

“Are you sure this is safe?”

Hey, I don’t want to die twice.

“Just give me a moment to mentally prepare myself.”

“Get on already!”

Please save me.

* * *

“It might be a bit rough, so hold on tight!”

“Is this really safe?”

“I almost fell off a few times, but it should catch you.”

“That’s really not reassuring!”

Adela’s conclusion was that while people had lost their grip and nearly fallen, no one had actually died.

That wasn’t a very comforting thought from my perspective.

“Aaaaah!”

So I screamed, half out of my mind.

This platform was called “Extreme,” but it was far more extreme than I had anticipated.

It felt like my life was dangling by a thread in midair.

Even Basilus, sitting behind me, was screaming and flailing his front paws in panic.

“koo!”

“Hey, you’re a dragon, you shouldn’t be afraid of flying.”

How could a flying creature be scared of flying?

“koo! koo!”

He seemed genuinely terrified.

The problem was, I didn’t have time to worry about Basilus.

“Waaaah!”

At one point, I almost fell off.

I had strengthened my mental fortitude by riding countless roller coasters at amusement parks, but…

“At least those had safety restraints! And they were run by major companies!”

“That’s a shallow mindset. I’m disappointed.”

“What are you talking about?! Oh my god, wait a minute.”

Thunk.

Every time the saddle wobbled, I felt my heart lurch with it.

How tough must the students of this world be to have grown up like this?

Even as I tried to hold onto my sanity, I clung tightly to the reins.

I was beginning to wonder if I’d collapse before we even arrived at the research group.

“I don’t feel so good.”

Ugh.

“Just hang in there! Look, we’re almost at Seinen!”

“Wha… What?”

Are we finally there?

Dear gods, please let me survive.

It seemed like I was going to make it, somehow.

* * *

“When are they going to get here?”

Lee Han grumbled, frowning.

Unlike him, who had arrived early over the weekend, Han Siha and Adela had stayed in Ardel to finish their business and were supposed to arrive on the day of the event.

With 30 minutes left until the research group began, there was still some time, but he was starting to get worried since they hadn’t shown up yet.

Lee Han glanced at his watch and sighed.

“Did they miss their train?”

The transportation between Ardel and Seinen wasn’t exactly convenient.

If they had missed their scheduled train, it might be difficult for them to arrive on time.

“What if they’re late? That would be bad.”

He was seriously considering whether he should go in and wait when something caught his eye.

“Hmm?”

Lee Han turned his gaze to a dot flying toward them in the distance.

A dot, but it seemed to be made up of several smaller dots…

“What the hell is that?”

As the dots grew closer, their shapes became clearer.

A massive pterosaur with two silhouettes and a small hatchling on its back.

Lee Han’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

Crash.

“Aaaah!”

“I’m never doing that again!”

“koo! koo! (Me too! Me too!).”

“At least we made it on time! Quit complaining already.”

The two people who rolled onto the ground upon landing—literally—were none other than his friends.

Lee Han couldn’t believe it.

Since when did trains fly?

What on earth had they been up to?

Han Siha, trying to fix his messy hair, took a deep breath.

The crisp Ardel Academy uniform that he had meticulously ironed the night before was now a disheveled mess, and Basilus, panting with a pale face, was covered in dirt.

With a look of shock, Lee Han approached them and asked seriously.

“What on earth did you two do?”

“A thrilling ride,” I said, grinning.

Adela chuckled, brushing some leaves out of her hair.

* * *

After the opening ceremony of the research conference concluded with a speech, we were given some free time.

There were special booths set up by mages from various empires, providing plenty to see and do.

Every step brought a new, eye-catching spectacle.

Later, there were scheduled lectures from renowned professors, so the next few days promised to be eventful.

I found myself craning my neck to watch colorful bubbles floating through the air before something else caught my attention.

“What’s that?”

The magic the man had shown me on the train was impressive, but this was on a whole different level—it was mesmerizing.

“Everything here must be expensive. Ugh, what a shame,” Adela muttered, looking downcast.

Given her family’s financial situation, she couldn’t afford to indulge in such luxuries without her scholarship.

I, on the other hand, still had some money saved up from selling straw dolls for curses.

Bubbling.

A constantly boiling teacup caught my eye as I entered a nearby shop.

“What’s this?”

“A magic teacup from the Cardbel Empire. It boils on its own, whether it’s tea or coffee.”

“Is it battery-powered?”

“…What?”

“What powers it? Solar energy?”

“What are you talking about?!”

Adela pulled me out of the shop, clearly thinking I was being ridiculous, and we moved on to the next stall.

There were plenty of fascinating items, some of which were surprisingly practical.

Lee Han, meanwhile, picked up a high-end staff and nodded in satisfaction as the shopkeeper explained.

“It’s made from a 500-year-old birch struck by lightning, with lots of additional effects. New mages love it—five people have bought one just today.”

“What kind of effects does it have?”

“It comes with an auto-shield and a buff.”

I turned my attention to a suit of armor hanging on the wall.

As a tamer, I relied heavily on my partner for most of the fighting. Alone, I wasn’t particularly strong.

That’s why most tamers were obsessed with defense, always prepared for the worst.

This particular armor, made from ogre hide, seemed durable and lightweight—ideal for everyday wear and well-designed too.

“Ah, student, that armor adjusts to your size. It’s magical.”

“Really?”

The armor fit snugly to my frame as soon as I put it on, as if it was tailored just for me.

“Do you have one in dragon size?”

“Try the mini version.”

“…!”

Though it was clearly designed for humans, as soon as Basilus put it on, the armor resized perfectly to fit him.

The sight was so intriguing that I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of amazement.

It looked like it was time to dip into my emergency savings.

“Alright, I’ll take two.”

I paid for the armor in one go and left the shop, feeling a bit lighter in the pocket but satisfied with my purchases.

The research conference booths were still buzzing with activity, like an ongoing festival.

“There’s so much to see,” Adela said, smiling as she joined me.

The night sky was already darkening as we pushed through the crowd, weaving around the brilliantly glowing bubbles floating in the air.

A noise had been nagging at me since earlier, and now it was getting louder.

Lee Han, who had been admiring his new 500-year-old birch staff, stopped in his tracks, surprised.

“Are they dueling?”

At the end of the alley, loud shouts echoed.

Adela’s eyes lit up as she pushed forward.

“Watching a fight is always the most fun.”

“I agree, but only when I’m not the one fighting.”

I followed Adela, focusing on the scene unfolding at the alley’s end.

Just as Lee Han had said, there was an ongoing duel.

New mages, all wearing uniforms, were going at it—students around our age.

Dean Ernest’s words came back to me.

All these talented students, constantly clashing because of the tension in the air.

‘Don’t fight, just enjoy yourselves peacefully!’

Following the advice of adults is usually the right choice, but things don’t always go as planned.

“Pathetic.”

It seemed that the three burly students had won, as they sneered down at their defeated opponents.

Their uniforms didn’t belong to Ardel Academy. They were much larger, rough-looking, and not faces you’d want to cross.

The students on the ground glared up at the trio with bloodshot eyes.

“You idiots. You shouldn’t have challenged us in the first place.”

“You guys cheated! Using underhanded tactics at a respectable magic research conference…”

“I don’t care for the excuses of the weak.”

“Do you think you can just—Ah!”

The largest of the trio stomped on one of the downed students’ fingers.

Lee Han frowned, clenching his fists.

“This isn’t a duel, it’s just a brawl.”

The duels at the research conference were more like sports matches, a tradition.

Even in the Magic Combat events, no one used physical force to dominate their opponent.

What was happening now was more of a street fight than a duel, just as Lee Han had said.

Adela narrowed her eyes as she studied the uniforms.

“That’s the uniform of Cardbel Academy, isn’t it?”

“How do you know?”

“I lived there for a bit when I was younger.”

“A notorious place. Low reputation.”

Lee Han muttered a curse under his breath.

Cardbel Academy was infamous even in Ardel, despite being far away.

They were known for using any means necessary to win the main competition at the research conference, often resorting to underhanded tactics to defeat students from other schools.

They didn’t shy away from cheating, even if it meant harming others.

While Ardel had struggled to participate in the research conference, Cardbel Academy somehow managed to attend every year, despite their poor reputation—probably due to their empire’s wealth.

A crowd of Cardbel students had gathered, cheering on their bulky classmates.

“Crush them so they can’t get back up!”

“Yeah, break a leg or something so they can’t compete!”

The duel was quickly devolving into a full-blown fight.

One of the brutes grabbed another student by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

“Ugh!”

“Want to go again? I’d bet on it—you’ll lose no matter how many times we fight.”

“You kicked him to prevent him from casting! And you call yourselves mages?”

“You think you’re real mages when all you can do is flap your gums?”

“Cough… cough!”

This was getting out of hand.

The brute had already planted a foot on the student’s leg, as if he was actually going to break it.

Lee Han, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward.

“Enough, this is getting out of control.”

Oh no.

‘Don’t fight, just enjoy yourselves peacefully!’

Having already seen the Magic Research Conference duel episode, I silently apologized to Dean Ernest.

…Professor, there was no way this wasn’t going to turn into a fight.

—

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