The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 61

Kael glared menacingly to his right, pressing ice against his swollen eyelids, which were even more puffed up than the day before.

From the moment they first met at the training grounds, his gaze had been fixed on Han Siha.

This was the annoying guy who had not only knocked him out but also openly mocked him during lectures.

“This time, we’ll definitely win.”

“Right. We’ve had a year longer to eat more food than those bastards.”

“You’ve probably had two years more than us.”

“…Shut up, you jerk.”

Despite their bickering, Kael’s group remained wary of the Ardel Academy students.

The gathering of ingredients was already complete, with some forcibly taken from other teams.

They wanted to steal from the Ardel Academy students as well, but they avoided it, thinking it might add more bruises to Kael’s face.

Those guys are terrifying. One wrong move, and who knows what might happen.

“Evan, are we almost done?”

“It seems like everything is pretty much wrapped up.”

The potion they had made was one that increased physical strength. It was a way to enhance raw power, akin to a type of doping used by athletes.

Although there was a risk of placing strain on the body, it was a potion adventurers often sought out for its relative affordability.

While it might seem easy to make, it required a fairly advanced mixing technique to reduce the side effects to a level where it was safe for human use.

In their third year, Cardbel Academy students were required to take a course in herbalism.

Though they had resorted to a bit of trickery, the quality of their potion wasn’t something to be underestimated.

Looking around, it seemed that no other student had made anything nearly as good.

Kael gulped down the dark potion and clenched his fist.

“Wow, this is different.”

“What do you think? Does it seem like we made it right?”

Instead of answering, Kael picked up a steel pipe lying at his feet.

Crack.

With just a little force, the pipe crumpled easily in his hand.

His expression was calm, as if he hadn’t exerted any effort at all.

Evan’s eyes widened in shock at the display of such incredible strength.

“That much?”

“Pretty impressive, right? Do you know how hard it was to get this recipe? I even had to bribe our seniors.”

“You didn’t get caught?”

“Don’t worry. The professors have all been replaced anyway.”

Combining the basic knowledge they had with the recipe they got from their seniors made it perfect. There was no risk of being caught, and the result was top-notch.

However, something was still bothering him.

“Do you think they’ve learned any herbalism?”

Kael clicked his tongue for a moment before turning serious.

The only variable here was those students from Ardel Academy, who were diligently doing their work.

If they could just get rid of those guys, Cardbel would undoubtedly take first place again this year.

So, he decided to use a little trick.

Kael patted Evan on the shoulder and said, “How about slipping something weird into their potion later?”

“…Are you sure that’s okay?”

Once again, this kind of thing…

Evan frowned at Kael’s blatant suggestion.

But, as usual, Kael wasn’t going to listen to Evan.

“Do it, you idiot.”

“I’m telling you, we’ll get caught!”

Evan’s face twisted in distress, but Kael remained unbothered, as if it didn’t concern him.

As long as they didn’t make a dumb mistake, there was no reason they’d be found out.

“Hey, I’m not asking twice.”

Thud.

“Ah, damn it.”

Evan was reluctantly pushed out by Kael’s hand.

* * *

It was time for the final evaluation of the competition.

Kael nudged Evan in the side, asking if everything was going according to plan.

Each team had submitted one completed potion.

During that process, Evan had probably mixed some leftover ingredients into Ardel’s potion.

“You mixed it in properly, right?”

“I definitely did. The potion should be completely ruined.”

It didn’t really matter what ingredients had been added.

Even a small amount of foreign substance would completely alter the results of a potion crafted with a perfect balance and mix of ingredients.

This was their plan to completely sabotage the students from Ardel Academy.

“I can’t wait to see those idiots screw up.”

“Yeah… It’ll be fun, huh?”

Kael was confident.

This competition was his to win.

With the variable of Ardel Academy students out of the way, there was no school that could produce a better potion than theirs.

Finally, the judging began.

Kael, with a satisfied smile, tucked his hands into his pockets, brimming with anticipation.

The judges were Professor Bruce Miller and three other professors from the Magic Department.

With stern faces, they sniffed the potions, their lips twitching.

The results didn’t take long.

The brutal judging process.

Two teams were already eliminated.

“Seinen?”

“Yes, Professor?”

“Disqualified. Do you think anyone would pay for something this nasty?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

A sharp-voiced professor with strikingly red lips scolded him, sounding like an old fox.

No one expected Seinen’s team, one of the favorites to win, to be eliminated so quickly.

Well, Kael knew all along that their school was all reputation and no substance.

Smiling slyly, he began humming a tune to himself, as if it didn’t matter to him.

Other teams received similarly harsh critiques. Each team had failed to create a proper potion because Cardbel students had stolen an ingredient from every one of them.

“See? If you’re this incompetent, you shouldn’t even bother showing up.”

The Cardbel students snickered as they waited for their turn.

The deep blue potion they had made was now in Professor Bruce Miller’s hands.

Even the old fox of a professor, who had been doling out scathing reviews, nodded approvingly.

“This is practical. It’s impressive, especially considering that students made it.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m quite pleased. It could easily be used in combat, and the ingredients are readily available. It’s hard to believe students came up with this recipe.”

The Cardbel students burst into cheers at the judges’ praise.

“Yeah!”

“See? I told you it would be a hit!”

Professor Bruce turned to look at the Cardbel students, who were practically giddy with excitement, with a somewhat displeased expression.

‘It’s hard to believe students came up with this recipe…’

That’s exactly the problem.

Professor Bruce frowned, feeling uneasy, and picked up the next potion.

Inside the flask, various colors swirled together, creating a mesmerizing appearance. It was quite beautiful.

Sniff, sniff.

The old fox also sniffed it, shrugging her shoulders.

“Well, it doesn’t look bad. However, I still think the previous one was the best. That’s just my personal opinion.”

Such blatant favoritism.

Professor Bruce smirked inwardly, aware that she received money from Cardbel every year.

Of course, her being a Cardbel Academy alum didn’t hurt.

After a sharp glance at the potion, Professor Bruce lifted it up.

The potion inside the transparent flask shimmered mysteriously.

Seeing this, Evan rolled his eyes anxiously and spoke in a worried tone.

“Hey, what if something goes wrong?”

They had pulled off their scheme, but now he was nervous.

He believed that if the potion had been truly dangerous, the professors would have noticed just by smelling it, but still, there was always the possibility.

If this potion caused unforeseen side effects…

Who would be held responsible?

Kael shot a look at Evan, who was trembling.

“Shut up and watch. It’s not our fault.”

Meanwhile, Professor Bruce bravely took a sip.

Gulp.

The Ardel team’s potion slid slowly down his throat.

A strangely sharp aftertaste lingered.

“…Huh?”

The professor blinked in disbelief at the unexpected and unique effect.

What is this?

He had never experienced anything like it.

What exactly was this potion’s effect?

What kind of additional effect could cause such a profound sensation?

“What is this…?”

Suddenly, a powerful creative urge surged within him. The desire to create something new hit him like a hammer.

It was an instinctual feeling.

“Oh!”

A student watching from a distance gasped in surprise.

“Kyaaa!”

“What is that?”

“This is crazy.”

Shocked students looked up at the sky.

Suddenly, snowflakes began to fall.

Snow started to gently pile up on the students’ heads, despite the bright, sunny day.

The snowflakes danced beautifully like a snowfall in mid-winter.

Professor Bruce looked down at his hand, feeling the cold touch.

Ice crystals formed on the professor’s hand, creating intricate, sensory shapes.

They took on the forms of an ice carousel, a ferris wheel, and even lights.

Professor Bruce laughed in disbelief at the sight.

“I’ve never seen a potion like this.”

“Give it to me! Let me see!”

The old fox frowned and snatched the potion from him.

She was famous at Cardbel as a sand mage.

Maybe that’s why.

With just a bit of focus, she quickly crafted a sandcastle in her hand.

“Kyaa! What is this?”

It was a piece of art, perfectly detailed down to the finest features.

Although she had never dabbled in art, she had buried people in sand before. Now, she was screaming in amazement at what she had created.

“This is impossible! It can’t be real!”

With just a touch of her hand, the sand turned into a castle, a city, and even a fortress.

The professor, who had previously glared at students with a stern face, now wore a wide grin that was hard to believe.

Despite taking bribes from Cardbel, she should have been biased against the Ardel Academy students.

In fact, she had intended to be, but before she knew it, she had downed the potion in big gulps.

“Kya-ha! Isn’t this just too much fun? Which group made this brilliant potion?”

Her excitement skyrocketed.

It was as if she was slowly getting tipsy on a light alcohol buzz.

Is this the power of childhood wonder?

She continued to create elaborate sandcastles to her heart’s content until she suddenly felt her head spinning.

“Kya-ha-ha-ha!”

“Uh… Uh?”

Stumble, stumble.

Thud.

At that moment, everyone realized.

The potion had side effects.

Even Evan, who had been watching nervously from the back.

Kael scowled and grabbed Evan by the collar.

“Hey, you idiot! Did you spike it with alcohol?”

It wasn’t just a feeling of being tipsy—it was actual intoxication.

—

Bonus Chapter for Every Review on Novel Updates.