The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 75

“The trap was found to be tampered with.”

During the horseback hunting event, there was a falling accident.

Burke was carried away with multiple broken limbs. Though his life wasn’t in danger, the severe accident during the festival left Ardel Academy in turmoil.

Professor Grint lowered his head with a serious expression.

“Was it deliberate?”

Originally, he should have been suspended and sent home, but due to this incident, he was forcibly brought back. If someone was responsible for this, they needed to be caught without fail.

Professor Ernst, who usually had a smile on his face, nodded solemnly.

“We should be able to confirm that after some investigation.”

As always, there was an awkward tension between the two, so Professor Grint trailed behind at a considerable distance.

The atmosphere was kept from deteriorating further thanks to Dean Ernest, who walked between them.

The Dean adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses and stroked his chin.

“Is this the place?”

The third trap, now broken.

Both Professor Ernst and Professor Grint frowned simultaneously.

The trap was designed in such a way that even stepping on it would cause the horse to stumble.

Even if the trap itself was avoided, merely stepping near it would trigger its dangerous mechanism.

Various types of traps were set up for the event, but none were intended to be so hazardous as to cause an accident. It was clear that this one had been tampered with.

Professor Grint sighed as he examined the trap’s condition, clearly tampered with by someone’s hand.

“It does seem to have been deliberately damaged.”

Concern also showed on Dean Ernest’s face.

Since no outsiders were allowed during the Ardel festival, it was clear that this was an inside job.

The Dean turned to Grint and asked, “How’s Burke?”

“He seems to have regained consciousness, but… he hasn’t spoken.”

“Is his condition alright?”

“It doesn’t seem good.”

“The horse was moving so fast… He’s lucky to be alive.”

As the serious conversation continued, Dean Ernest turned his gaze towards Professor Grint.

The reason Professor Grint, who should have been suspended, was brought here was for one reason alone—memory magic.

Although Grint’s expulsion was avoided due to his exceptional talent, he was especially skilled in memory magic, a rare ability not many across the continent possessed.

“Let’s have you take a look.”

Professor Grint nodded slightly and looked down at the damaged trap.

The poorly constructed trap was visible to his eyes.

The key issue now was finding out who had dared to sabotage Ardel’s festival by setting this trap.

Professor Grint placed his hand on the trap.

“…”

As he murmured a quiet incantation, a blue magic circle formed around the trap.

Professor Grint closed his eyes tightly and began to carefully read the memory imprinted in the earth.

The terrible accident during the festival, Burke being urgently transported, the crowd of students gathering, and the horseback hunting event that had started with a whistle.

The stadium of Ardel Academy, filled with the flying relay and various events.

“Hmm…”

His memory tracing continued, moving back further and further into the past.

Professor Grint, now sweating, trembled as he kept his hand on the trap.

“Ah…”

Finally, after several minutes of intense concentration, he found a useful memory.

His brow furrowed deeply.

“Did you find something?”

Professor Ernst cleared his throat and carefully watched Professor Grint. The seriousness of Grint’s expression indicated something significant.

Dean Ernest also pressed for an answer.

“Do you recognize the person?”

Professor Grint, with a bewildered expression, replayed the memory he had just seen. It made no sense, but his memory magic had never been wrong. The accuracy of what he saw made the result all the more shocking.

‘What exactly did I see?’

The person who had broken the trap and set the dangerous trap wasn’t just anyone.

It was Burke.

—

“Burke?”

“So, he got caught in his own trap?”

“What a lunatic. Serves him right.”

“I told you, those Necromancy kids are all creepy. They’re all like that, every last one of them.”

The next day, Ardel Academy was in an uproar.

Word had spread that Burke had set the trap to take down a student from the Magic Department.

Although the professors had hoped to keep the matter quiet, rumors spread throughout the academy in just one day, thanks to the teaching assistants.

The students from the Magic Department were abuzz with excitement as they gossiped about Burke.

Burke had generally been well-liked among the Magic Department students. Not only did Adela and Natalie interact with him regularly, but other students had often remarked that Burke didn’t seem to fit in with the Necromancy Department.

Yet, he had betrayed them.

It was said that he had planned the whole thing out of a grudge against the Magic Department, but his motive seemed so trivial that it was chilling.

If it had been something like Hughes Stancer’s incident, it might have been understandable, but Burke had no apparent reason to hate the Magic Department.

The problem was that he had been caught far too easily.

He probably hadn’t expected the professors to step in and use memory magic.

It was a mistake typical of a mere second-year student.

If he had been a higher-grade student, he wouldn’t have done something so foolish.

“It’s impressive how accurate the dice are.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“They have a knack for catching these creepy types.”

“He’ll probably get expelled from the academy soon.”

“They should kick him out immediately. Ugh, so creepy.”

Though Burke hadn’t died, with his limbs broken and unable to move properly, he was paying a price of sorts for his actions.

Even when the professors called him in for questioning, there was no way he could attend, given that he was still bedridden.

“How pathetic.”

“What if someone else had been caught instead?”

Solia nodded quietly, listening to her friends’ conversation. Her close friend, Berry, turned to her excitedly.

“Solia, weren’t you shocked too?”

“Yeah, quite a bit.”

Although she wasn’t particularly close to Burke, she never imagined he could do something like that. It was shocking indeed—a reminder that appearances can be deceiving.

‘Just like Han Siha last year.’

He had been the very image of gloominess, but now, he was showing a completely different side.

Resting her chin on her hand, Solia nodded along with the others’ words. Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

*‘You can’t die yet. If you die, I’ll die too.’*

Crazy.

Why was that popping into her head now?

Solia shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and took a sip of water to soothe her parched throat. Meanwhile, Berry continued chattering away beside her.

Of all times, that name came up in the conversation again.

“If Burke hadn’t fallen into his own trap, wouldn’t Han Siha have been the one to get caught?”

“That’s true.”

“But how did Han Siha avoid it?”

“He was lucky. If he had stepped on that trap, he would’ve gone down immediately.”

“But Burke stepped on it first.”

“Oh, right. That’s how it happened.”

Solia, who had been listening quietly, paused for a moment. She crossed her arms, pretending not to care, but in reality, she had been more absorbed in the match than anyone else.

“Hmm?”

Han Siha had definitely been in the lead. He was ahead at the first trap, the second trap, and even the third trap, where the problem occurred.

But right at the moment he was about to step on the trap, he had suddenly turned his horse.

Why?

Solia remembered Han Siha’s expression, the way he had urgently veered his horse as if in shock. At the time, she thought his reaction was due to seeing Burke fall, but now she realized it wasn’t.

Han Siha had noticed Burke’s trap before Burke did.

He must have seen that the trap was broken in that brief moment.

Because he changed direction, Han Siha, who should have fallen into the trap, ended up leaving Burke to fall into his own trap instead.

‘That’s impossible.’

Could someone really have such quick reflexes?

Solia bit her dry lips and suddenly stood up.

“Solia? Solia, where are you going?”

She needed to see him.

—

At the same time, Han Siha was deeply focused on his monster behavior homework in the library. As usual, Professor French Charlie had given them a bizarre assignment.

Describe five reasons why slimes are cute.

1. They are round.

2. They look delicious.

“What should the third one be…?”

Pondering with a serious expression, Han Siha was startled when a shadow loomed over him.

“What is it?”

“Han Siha.”

It was Solia, the Light Mage.

Her face, usually calm, looked unusually urgent today.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Solia hit him with a direct question.

“…You knew, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“About the trap.”

Ah, so it was about that.

Here’s how it went down.

Burke had always been notorious as a backstabber in Smart Academy. Even before being caught and expelled in his third year, he had betrayed countless students.

Most of the time, he didn’t even get caught.

He looked gentle and kind on the outside, but he loved to secretly mess with the Magic Department students.

He had probably set the trap to take Adela down, but when the order changed, Han Siha ended up in that spot.

Knowing that the trap would be sabotaged, Han Siha had kept a safe distance as he moved forward.

Just before stepping on the trap, he had changed direction.

The fool following behind, unaware of the trap, hadn’t slowed down and ended up falling into his own trap.

Of course, Han Siha couldn’t explain everything, so he had to come up with a somewhat clumsy excuse.

While pondering the third reason why slimes were cute, Han Siha wrote on his paper:

3. They look dumb, but are surprisingly clever.

“I didn’t know. I just saw it.”

“…What?”

Solia blinked in disbelief.

His expression was utterly confident, his voice as if what he did was no big deal.

‘So, it really was just his reflexes…?’

Her guess was right.

That absurd assumption turned out to be true.

“Could he be a genius?”

Solia muttered to herself in shock.

—

After unintentionally leaving Solia in a daze, Han Siha finally stood in front of a door with a note in his hand.

(205, 014)

Room 205.

It was the classroom currently used by the Necromancy Department.

Since this was where students stored their belongings, it wouldn’t be unusual for anyone to come here.

Who would be crazy enough to leave a cube in a place like this?

“Whew.”

According to his memory, the second cube should be found in a dungeon.

‘It wasn’t in a locker, though.’

However, assuming his interpretation was correct, he had to check it out.

Han Siha swallowed hard and squeezed through the slightly open door.

Since it wasn’t class time, the classroom was quiet.

Without hesitation, Han Siha headed for the lockers in the back.

“The fourteenth one…”

His guess was right.

Burke’s locker.

It seemed unlikely, but could the second cube be inside?

Having come this far, it was a bet worth taking.

Han Siha extended his trembling hand, thinking of Burke, who was currently hospitalized.

At that moment.

Bang!

He heard the sound of the door opening from behind him.

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