The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 78

After the Combat Practical Studies class, Seymour Parker was lost in thought, his eyes reflecting deep confusion.

‘Why did he help me?’

He still couldn’t find the answer.

Han Siha’s actions were a mystery.

“Idiot, get it together.”

Seymour Parker recalled Han Siha’s low mutter from the classroom.

There was no reason for Han Siha to help him. If anything, he should hate him.

After all, Seymour had tried to kill Natalie and Han Siha.

He was fully aware that he had committed sins he could never repay, no matter how much he begged for forgiveness.

A wave of discomfort swept over Seymour Parker.

Even before this, Han Siha had helped him.

‘You made a foolish mistake. Yet, you asked for a chance.’

Ernest, the Dean, had visited Seymour when he was sitting alone in the underground prison. This was after Han Siha had left an inexplicable letter and disappeared.

“Han Siha, you say?”

Despite being on the brink of being disowned by his family, Han Siha had helped him.

At first, Seymour thought Han Siha had ulterior motives, perhaps trying to leverage him for something in the Necromancy Department. But Han Siha’s actions had been entirely different.

‘He doesn’t seem to have any interest in the Necromancy Department.’

Han Siha was no longer the person who could be swayed by petty gains.

He had too much already to demand anything from Seymour.

‘It wasn’t like he saw someone he shouldn’t have.’

‘No, it’s more like he expected you to come out of prison. I thought he’d be more shocked.’

Even when they met again in the classroom, Han Siha wasn’t particularly surprised, as if he had predicted it.

“What a strange guy.”

Seymour had to admit it.

That endlessly calm expression. It was as if Han Siha could see the entire board and was making his moves accordingly.

He was someone who saw what others couldn’t.

“Sigh.”

Seymour Parker shook his head, trying to push thoughts of Han Siha out of his mind.

His head was already so full that it felt like it might explode. Adding worries about Han Siha wasn’t the right move.

“What’s this now?”

Seymour Parker picked up a package that had piled up in front of him.

There was no sender listed, so it was likely from his family.

Casually opening the box with a knife, Seymour dropped the package in shock.

“…!”

He nearly screamed.

Inside the box was the bloodied corpse of a pigeon, and next to it was a bizarre, threatening letter, written in what looked like blood.

“Who…?”

Taking a deep breath, Seymour Parker pushed the box aside.

The package had a clear intent.

There was even a sharp blade inside that he had almost cut his hand on.

“Damn it.”

Seymour quickly tried to figure out who might harbor such intense hatred towards him.

But his thoughts were quickly followed by a curse.

‘Shit.’

There were too many.

Too many to narrow down.

‘I should have lived a better life.’

It wouldn’t be surprising if it was someone from the Magic Department, but it could also be someone from the Necromancy Department.

The worst-case scenario was that it could be the dark mages he had been associated with, the ones he had tried so hard to ignore.

Seymour Parker sighed and closed the package.

If he had the kind of fragile mentality that could be shaken by something like this, he wouldn’t have applied for a correction in the first place.

In fact, the reason he had returned to the academy and moved to the Magic Department was similar.

It was because of the unusual movements within the Necromancy Department.

Although most of the students were living quietly, a few who had ties to dark mages were plotting something strange.

Of course, he hadn’t stayed out of it completely.

If the same thing happened again, not only would he be expelled from his family, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he were kicked out of Ardel Academy as well.

“Get a grip.”

He decided he wouldn’t shorten his lifespan by engaging in any more foolishness.

Taking a rough breath, Seymour Parker shoved the dried-up pigeon corpse aside.

Through the window, he could see the Magic Department students running around on the field.

“Sigh, I’m in a pathetic situation where I don’t belong anywhere… Neither here nor there.”

There was no one else to blame.

He had brought this upon himself.

Seymour Parker let out a self-mocking laugh as he looked out the window.

“Damn it.”

The road ahead was long. Even graduating quietly wasn’t going to be easy for Seymour at this point.

As he muttered a low curse and turned his head, something caught his eye.

“Hmm?”

Seymour Parker frowned and looked out the window again.

A man dressed in a suit that didn’t match the weather was entering Ardel Academy, accompanied by a guide.

It was a familiar face.

Seymour Parker quietly sifted through his memories.

“…Damn.”

The curses he had muttered earlier were just the tip of the iceberg. This was the real deal.

Seymour’s expression turned icy.

The man in the black suit strolled leisurely through the school gates with a relaxed smile.

There was no doubt he was from Han Siha’s family.

For a moment, that cold gaze turned in his direction.

Seymour Parker bit his lower lip and quickly ducked under the window frame.

“Ah, I’m really screwed now.”

That man was dangerous.

* * *

Ardel Academy’s library.

It was always crowded during exam season.

I was buried in books, preparing for the final evaluation.

It felt like no time had passed since the midterms, and now it was time to prepare for the next exam.

Ah, screw this.

“Han Siha!”

“Oh.”

I almost tore the page by mistake.

Natalie blinked and turned to look at me.

Today’s study group consisted of three people.

Natalie, Adela, and me.

Oh, there was actually one more person.

They just hadn’t arrived yet.

Adela was picking out potential exam questions for the two of us.

She twirled her pen while looking at us and suddenly asked a question, as if she were the professor.

“Name three characteristics of kobolds. This is going to be on the test as a short answer.”

“Oh, I know this one. They’re obsessed with metal, and their height is… 72 cm?”

“72 cm is important. If you get the number wrong, you lose points. That professor is always like that.”

“Ugh, so petty.”

“And the third one?”

“Hold on, I’ve fought these things before.”

While I was thinking, Natalie raised her hand.

“They don’t have a specific hierarchy! Right?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Wow, are you going to get a perfect score in behavioral studies, Natalie?”

“Last semester… I didn’t even get half right. I was so close to failing that I went all in this time.”

Natalie scratched her head and laughed brightly.

Wow, I didn’t know she had messed up that badly.

“…Let’s work hard.”

As I turned the page, offering a silent prayer for Natalie’s grades.

“Waaaah!”

A loud scream that was unmistakably Won’s echoed from afar as he ran towards us.

He said he’d come early, but he was ridiculously late. Adela clicked her tongue and scolded him.

“What on earth were you doing to show up at this time…?”

“That’s not important right now.”

Won, panting heavily, pulled a poster out of his pocket.

He must have been in a real hurry, as he gasped for breath and immediately started speaking.

I was wondering what all the fuss was about.

“A competition?”

Adela frowned.

Won nodded enthusiastically and pointed at the poster.

“Yeah, the announcement just went up. I took it down from the bulletin board.”

“Why’d you take it down?”

“I don’t know, just look at it.”

“Astrology… competition?”

Natalie blinked in confusion, tilting her head.

The name of the competition and its content had nothing to do with us. It was a competition hosted by the Theology Department. What had gotten into Won to suddenly bring up astrology?

Seeing my lukewarm reaction as well, Won lowered his voice, waving his hands.

“This time, it’s worth it. I heard some inside info…”

As the official informant of the second-year students at Ardel Academy, Won’s words piqued Adela’s interest, even if she was skeptical.

“You all took Intro to Astrology in your first year, right?”

“Yeah, I aced it.”

“Natalie, how about you?”

“I did okay in astrology!”

“I didn’t do well in anything my first year.”

“…Oh.”

Won awkwardly scratched his head at my comment.

“Well, it’s fine if you’re doing well now. Anyway, the important thing is that the competition covers basic astrology, the stuff we’ve all learned. We’re not at a disadvantage!”

“How are we not at a disadvantage? It’s their major, and we only took a single semester of intro classes!”

“It’s practically a competition just for the Theology students. The competition is low, and the rewards are great.”

Beyond the cash prize, the most enticing reward was the academic credit.

“If you win, they’ll award you three credits for the Theology Department. And with top grades, no less.”

“…Oh?”

“You can skip one of Professor Grint’s awful classes next semester. Do you know how hard I worked to dig this up? A senior strongly recommended it!”

Skipping a Grint class…?

For a moment, the icy expression on Adela’s face softened. Natalie, too, seemed interested, judging by her audible gulp.

Hmm.

The catch was that none of us had seriously studied astrology before.

I shrugged and added my thoughts.

“But we’d have to win, and we don’t know much about astrology.”

Won shook his head firmly.

“It’s not hard.”

He glanced around cautiously, then whispered something shocking.

“We can just sneak into the classes.”

“…What?”

“The astrology classes.”

He was serious.

Won’s eyes sparkled with an unsettling determination.

“Take off your uniform.”

Huh?

In all my years, I’d never heard of skipping classes by sneaking into another department’s lectures.

“Are you crazy?”

I might be a bit unhinged, but Won was no ordinary person either.

* * *

Clatter, clatter.

The Theology Department’s lecture hall was so quiet it felt like we had stepped out of the real world.

We awkwardly entered the lecture hall, dressed in borrowed Theology Department uniforms.

I was sure of it now—Won wasn’t the only crazy one; the four of us had collectively lost our minds.

Natalie glanced nervously at me and whispered, “We won’t get caught, right?”

“If Won’s right, it seems unlikely.”

“Hey, don’t worry. Remember Professor Zepalov from the Magic Department?”

Ah, the guy who told us to raise a werewolf and left the lecture hall after 10 minutes.

“Apparently, this professor is just like him. The Zepalov of the Theology Department.”

Natalie’s face brightened instantly.

“Maybe we won’t get caught after all!”

Advanced Astrology was a large lecture that all Theology students attended.

The professor didn’t do roll calls, and according to Won, they barely paid attention to the students. It seemed like the chances of getting caught were slim.

“Let’s sit in the back.”

A few Theology students blinked in our direction, noticing something odd.

“…”

But it was still silent.

They were notorious for not even recognizing their classmates, and seeing them in person made it clear how little they cared about others. It didn’t seem like they thought we were from another department.

We also made sure to hide our faces as we came in.

Won wasn’t as well-known, but Adela, Natalie, and I stood out a bit.

“Just lay low.”

“Got it.”

I nodded and slumped over the desk.

That’s when it happened.

Thud—.

The astrology professor entered the room calmly.

“…Students?”

The professor adjusted his round, horn-rimmed glasses and walked in, wearing a long robe. His permed hair left a strong impression. Even at a glance, there was a mysterious air about him.

I thought it was just the usual vibe of Theology students, but the professor was on another level.

His aura was so intimidating that Won gulped in nervousness.

“Let’s begin the lecture.”

Even though we were technically skipping, we sat up straight, ready to take notes.

We were in the very back, so none of the students up front seemed to be looking back at us.

‘Looks like we’re in the clear.’

Won’s information was reliable after all.

The professor began his explanation in a calm voice.

I’d thought the Magic Department professors were dull, but this was practically a lullaby.

The lecture quickly got to the point.

“Pentacles symbolize material things, often associated with money. Now, what does the cup symbolize?”

“It symbolizes emotions!”

“The water flowing from the cup can be interpreted as human emotion. Of course, interpretations vary depending on context and circumstances.

Astrology is the same. You must consider all aspects before you can understand the message of the stars.”

The professor summarized the theory briefly, pacing in front of the chalkboard with his hands clasped.

Most of it was beyond my understanding, but I scribbled down notes as fast as I could.

Then, the professor smiled faintly and pointed at someone.

“Let’s hear your interpretation today. You, the student with the black hair? Would you help me?”

“Yes…? Yes.”

Yoon Haul, looking like he had just woken up, shuffled forward with his messy hair.

He was asleep!

Well, I should be thankful that the notorious class-skipper hadn’t ditched this lecture yet.

Yoon Haul confidently walked up to the professor.

“Oh, sleep…”

I’m not sure if that was something to say in front of the professor.

But Won was shocked for a different reason.

Sitting in the corner and trying to stay out of sight, Won nudged my side in a panic.

“What the heck, this professor never does interactive lectures!”

“Yeah, it feels… off.”

Then again, we were the real problem, not Haul. If we got caught sneaking into the class, it’d be a disaster.

Something felt off. The professor smiled again and turned his head.

“Who should I call on next…?”

When professors call on students, it’s usually the ones in the front row or the very back who stand out the most.

As an uneasy feeling crept up from my toes, I heard the dreaded words.

“You there, the student in the very back?”

Huh?

No way. Is it me?

I’m always the one picked for demonstrations, the prepared graduate student, and the professors’ favorite.

Sure, that’s me, but…

“Why don’t you come up and give it a try?”

…I’m screwed.

No matter how I looked at it, I was definitely screwed.

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