The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 83

Dust floated gently in the air, accumulating to such an extent that just standing still made one’s throat feel parched.

The sheer amount of dust indicated just how long this place had been left neglected.

This was Ardel Academy’s secret storage.

Even among the staff, very few were aware of its existence.

If it hadn’t been for a tip from a professor who had served at Ardel Academy for the past 20 years, Han Si-hyuk wouldn’t have known about this place either.

The hidden corridor behind the conference room where today’s award ceremony took place—only after dispelling the barriers in that area was he able to enter.

“Hoo.”

He had to move quickly before anyone arrived.

He had already confirmed things using astrology before coming in, but there were always variables in any future.

Han Si-hyuk, finding the dust clinging to his crisp suit intolerable, did something unusual: he took it off and tossed it aside.

“Albert.”

“Yes, I’ll hold onto it.”

Now just in his white shirt, Han Si-hyuk ventured deeper into the storage room, holding his breath as he reached out with his hand.

“Somewhere around here.”

Reaching into the pitch-black darkness, he grasped a few sheets of paper enveloped in dust.

Initially, Han Si-hyuk was about to discard the stained papers, which were so smudged that the contents were unreadable.

However, something on the paper caught his eye, making him inspect it more closely.

Though faint, it was clearly written there.

The expression on Han Si-hyuk’s face, which had been grim due to the dust clinging to him, brightened at that moment.

A dark magic scroll.

Han Si-hyuk inhaled deeply.

“I’ve found it.”

This was his true objective all along.

Why would a prophet, recognized not just in the empire but across the continent, bother judging a student competition?

Of course, he hadn’t planned on unexpectedly encountering his insolent younger brother, but that couldn’t be helped.

“Han Siha.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, never mind.”

Han Si-hyuk frowned and shook his head, annoyed that the thought of that brat had suddenly crossed his mind.

‘You pretended not to know me, even when I asked if you were feigning ignorance about your own brother.’

‘I… I don’t remember.’

“…Crazy bastard.”

A wave of irritation surged through him.

Anyone with half a brain would know that was a blatant lie. It was so absurd that he had been momentarily speechless.

What could be his motive for pretending not to recognize him?

‘Is he uncomfortable around me?’

That shameless kid wouldn’t care about something like that.

If that wasn’t it, then…

‘Did he figure out my plan?’

Was Han Siha pretending not to know him, thinking that he might get caught for trying to steal the scroll? Maybe he lied so brazenly in front of the professors to sever any potential ties.

“Surely not.”

Han Si-hyuk considered this possibility but quickly dismissed it.

Han Siha wasn’t the type to think that deeply. He wasn’t particularly quick-witted either.

‘…Instinct?’

At that moment, he could almost hear that annoying brat’s voice echoing in his ears.

Han Si-hyuk shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of an unpleasant thought.

Han Siha, who had sat there seemingly lost in thought, had quickly scribbled down answers based on ‘instinct’ and managed to win the competition.

If Han Siha’s victory was truly based on that so-called ‘instinct,’ there was still a test Han Si-hyuk had prepared for him.

Han Si-hyuk smiled faintly and glanced back at Albert.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, it is. Shall we proceed tomorrow?”

“Go ahead with it.”

If he really manages to pass this based on instinct…

“…Then I’ll believe it.”

* * *

Natalie sat on the stairs, sucking on a lollipop.

It was a new item that had just come out in the school store—an odd lollipop that changed flavors as you sucked on it.

The color was changing faintly, too.

It had been yellow a moment ago, but now it was turning blue.

The flavor shifted from lemon to lime.

“That’s amazing.”

Natalie murmured to herself, satisfied with her latest purchase.

It was a busy time, with everyone preparing for final exams, so she planned to take a short break before heading back in to study.

She didn’t really need to worry about scholarships, having grown up in a wealthy family, but she still needed to study enough to avoid failing.

“Time to get back to it.”

Natalie stretched and stood up.

Just then, she heard someone calling her name.

“Natalie, Natalie!”

She turned her head quickly, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Hmm?”

Judging by the name tag, the person was a second-year student from the Magic Department. The unfamiliar student beamed as he spoke.

“You’re Natalie, right?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

There were plenty of people who might be looking for Natalie during lunchtime.

She was known as the social butterfly of the academy, so even if she didn’t know someone, they often knew her. Therefore, Natalie nodded without suspicion.

“What’s up?”

“Han Siha was looking for you. He seemed really eager to find you.”

“Han Siha?”

Natalie asked back, surprised.

If Han Siha, who usually didn’t care about others, was suddenly looking for her, there had to be a reason.

Natalie glanced around and then asked the student.

“Where is he?”

“He’s waiting for you in the storage room on the right side of the field. He said to meet him inside.”

The storage room where they kept equipment for sports events and combat classes.

Knowing where it was, Natalie smiled and nodded.

“Okay, got it. Thanks for letting me know.”

She thanked the student and trotted off toward the field.

As the student had said, she could see familiar silhouettes in the distance. It seemed she wasn’t the only one he had called.

Why the storage room, of all places?

And why ask them to wait inside, not outside?

These questions crossed her mind briefly, but seeing the familiar figures entering ahead of her, she didn’t think much of it and followed them inside.

“Hello!”

Natalie waved and smiled brightly.

Won and Adela were already inside the storage room, escaping the scorching sun.

It was certainly cooler here than outside, though the musty basement smell wasn’t pleasant.

“Did Han Siha call you too?”

“Yeah. Where is he?”

“I don’t know. That guy… He calls us and then disappears.”

Won frowned, grumbling.

“He said he’d be here in ten minutes, but I haven’t seen him all lunchtime. Is something up?”

“Who knows.”

“He said to wait inside. Apparently, there’s something interesting here.”

Adela’s words made Won give her a curious look.

“Something interesting?”

“Maybe there’s a secret passage. There are quite a few of those in the academy!”

“That could be it. But I guess we’ll have to hear it from him.”

The three of them were all focused on why Han Siha had called them.

“When’s he getting here?”

Just as they were murmuring about it, they heard a sharp sound from the left side.

Creak. Bang.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, the heavy iron door slammed shut.

Adela frowned and stood up quickly.

“Who closed the door?”

“Not me.”

“No?”

Something was off.

Her instincts were telling her so. A chill ran down her spine.

“Hold on a second.”

Adela tried to open the door.

It wouldn’t budge.

It wasn’t a mechanical failure. The door felt as if it had been intentionally sealed, giving off a chilling sensation.

Just then.

“What’s this?”

A thick, acrid smoke began to seep in through the crack under the door.

Natalie, sensing the growing tension, voiced her concern.

“Is there a fire?”

“…No.”

Adela shook her head firmly.

With more combat experience than Natalie or Won, Adela quickly recognized the nature of the acrid scent.

It might have been safer if it were just a fire.

Better that than losing their magic.

“Ah.”

Her magic was rapidly depleting.

Even someone like Adela, who had a considerable amount of magic, found her reserves quickly draining.

She bit her lip.

“It’s poison.”

“What?”

A mage without magic quickly becomes weak.

Bang.

Bang.

Adela urgently gathered the remaining magic she had to try to break the door down, but it was no use.

What kind of poison could drain magic so quickly and cause such severe debilitation?

Meanwhile, Won and Natalie were also struggling to open the door.

“Why won’t it open?!”

“This is driving me crazy.”

They pounded on the door, but it wouldn’t give way. Despite the lock being on the inside, it wouldn’t open, as if someone had cast a binding spell on it.

Won screamed in frustration as he clung to the door, but it was to no avail.

“Damn it.”

Meanwhile, the thick smoke was filling the storage room, making it harder to breathe with each passing moment.

A look of distress crossed Natalie’s face.

Won, gritting his teeth, desperately searched for Han Siha.

“Where’s Han Siha? Where the hell is he?”

“Han Siha wouldn’t have called us here if he knew this would happen.”

“…We’ve been tricked.”

If it were something important, Han Siha would have called them himself.

Why did he relay the message through another student?

They had assumed he was just busy, but that wasn’t it.

Han Siha wasn’t the type to trust others so easily.

They should have sensed something was wrong from the start.

But now, it was too late.

* * *

“Argh!”

Shouts of distress echoed from within the storage room.

“Hmmm…”

At the same time, someone observed the scene with keen interest.

From the vantage point of the second-floor lounge, it was a prime spot to watch the unfortunate events unfolding below.

Han Si-hyuk, having cleaned the dust from his suit and put it back on, stood there calmly.

From outside, faint sounds of frustration could be heard. The noise was so faint that only someone attuned to the energy of the stars would be able to pick it up.

That was expected. A sound-blocking barrier had been put in place.

“When is Han Siha coming?”

“Yeah, where is that guy?”

Han Si-hyuk stroked his chin thoughtfully.

He had been waiting to see how Han Siha would react to this situation, but the brat was nowhere to be seen.

“Is he just lying around somewhere?”

Whether he burst through the door to save his friends or chose to abandon them and look out for himself, either way, it would be an entertaining spectacle.

If Han Siha chose the latter, Han Si-hyuk would ensure that he paid the price.

‘…Pathetic.’

‘Do you think you’re actually my brother? That’s laughable.’

This was a test for that arrogant kid.

It was to determine whether Han Siha had any redeeming qualities that made him worth keeping alive.

If he didn’t even have loyalty, then there was no reason to trust him any longer.

Just as a sardonic smile crept onto Han Si-hyuk’s lips, the door behind him creaked open.

And then, a voice, entirely unexpected, broke the silence.

“…You pathetic bastard.”

“What?”

The tone was exactly the same as the voice he had heard in the mansion three years ago.

“How are you…?”

It was Han Siha.

* * *

Boom.

A blast of magic struck the spot right next to where Han Si-hyuk was standing.

No, to be precise, it nearly went through him, but he managed to dodge with a quick, agile movement.

Han Si-hyuk bit down on his lower lip.

‘This, I didn’t anticipate.’

Judging by the look on Han Siha’s face, it seemed he had figured out who was behind this setup.

An impressive sense of intuition.

Han Si-hyuk’s expression twisted into a grimace.

“How did you know?”

Han Siha answered calmly.

“They were trapped. There’s only one person who would pull a stunt like this.”

To see that scene and immediately come here… It was a bold decision.

Han Si-hyuk took a step back, his face cold and expressionless.

When it came to a battle of magic, he was no pushover either.

A protective barrier against magic attacks was a necessity for prophets, who were often physically frail.

The problem was that Han Siha knew this too.

Prophets often had a deep understanding of magic. Astrology itself didn’t stray far from the four elements, which were fundamental to the principles of magic.

Of course, knowing how to use magic and attacking with it were different things, but essentially, it meant prophets could evade magic attacks with remarkable skill.

They were also adept at defense.

Just like Han Si-hyuk had done a moment ago.

But…

Hand-to-hand combat was a different story.

Han Siha grinned wickedly as he reined in the magic crackling around his hand.

Han Si-hyuk’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected move.

“…What are you planning?”

He made up his mind.

He was just going to beat him up.

“Urgh!”

Thud.

A pained groan echoed through the lounge.

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