The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 89

Thud.

A heavy letter dropped to the ground.

It was a message from Ardel Academy.

Soon after, a loud, crackling sound from a speaker filled the air.

“Ugh.”

Han Siha instinctively covered his ears.

Seymour, scowling, grumbled, “They should really invest in better sound quality.”

I couldn’t agree more with him.

The letter speaker rattled and crackled like a car speeding down a bumpy asphalt road.

Despite the noise, a few words came through clearly.

“A… Ardel’s… course registration period… announcement…”

Course registration?

“Ardel’s course registration… will take place on Imperial Date August 14th… Students are advised to connect to the Magic Center on time.”

While Seymour and the others had already experienced course registration once, this was my first time.

I turned off the crackling speaker and tilted my head in thought.

It sounded like I needed to register a unique magic circle, log in at the designated time, and select courses.

There was no need to overthink it.

I could get more detailed explanations from Won that evening.

“Make sure you’re there.”

Holding onto an old-fashioned telephone that barely transmitted voices clearly, I had to listen to Won’s lengthy explanation.

His excited voice came through loud and clear even over the crackling line.

“You know how important course registration is, right? If you’re unlucky, you’ll have to take Professor Grint’s class again.”

“That’s the worst-case scenario.”

“As long as I don’t have Professor Grint, I’ll be fine.”

“I agree.”

That’s one thing we must avoid at all costs.

Ninety percent of the reason I won the astrology competition, despite all the hard work, was thanks to Professor Grint.

If I can avoid his class, I can cruise through the second semester.

Won lowered his voice conspiratorially.

“I found a spot where the magic reception is perfect. The seniors told me about it, and I’ve reserved it. Interested?”

“Definitely.”

In our terms, it was like finding a place with excellent Wi-Fi.

I decided to trust Won, who was an expert when it came to course registration.

People who take course registration seriously.

Holding the old, unreliable telephone, I asked, “So, where should I go?”

* * *

The Hills Behind Ardel Academy.

This was the spot Won had been bragging about for course registration.

In the distance, I saw Natalie and Won waving enthusiastically.

“Han Siha!”

“Seymour’s here too.”

“H-Hello.”

Seymour stood awkwardly behind me, but fortunately, neither Natalie nor Won seemed to mind.

Everyone was too focused on Ardel’s critical pre-semester event—the much-anticipated course registration.

Won was holding two metal rods in his hands, muttering under his breath.

This looked oddly familiar…

“Hey, are you dowsing?”

Won, self-proclaimed magic detector in hand, wandered around the hillside for a while before stopping at a spot overlooking Ardel Academy.

With a face full of awe, he looked up.

“The seniors were right.”

“About what?”

“In terms of feng shui, this is the best spot for magic reception.”

No sooner had he spoken than the rods began to vibrate strongly.

Should I believe this or not?

After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided it was pointless to argue, so I responded half-heartedly.

“Impressive.”

“Right? If I nail this course registration, you and Natalie better treat me like a king.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Here’s the timetable.”

With a flourish, Won spread out his hand-drawn schedule on the dirt ground.

“You actually planned this out?”

A masterpiece of scheduling.

He had perfectly balanced free periods and carefully selected only the top-rated professors at Ardel Academy.

It was astonishing that all of this was neatly packed into one timetable.

Even Natalie couldn’t help but be impressed.

He’s created art out of a class schedule.

Even with six years of college under my belt, I couldn’t match this.

I nodded vigorously and gave him a thumbs-up.

“I’m using this.”

“Let’s make sure we all succeed.”

If everything went according to plan, I’d nail my course registration. After practicing the unique magic circle a few times in the air, I glanced around.

“Ten minutes left?”

The clock on Ardel Academy’s tower was ticking quickly.

With everything set up and ready to go, it was time to focus on the registration.

I poured all my determination into the task, fueled by the desire to avoid Professor Grint’s class.

“Everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

“All set.”

“…Me too.”

Seymour, nervously licking his lips, hesitated as he glanced at Won’s meticulously planned timetable, unsure whether he should follow it.

Gripping his staff, he stared at the distant clock.

Five minutes.

Three minutes.

One minute.

Finally, the moment arrived.

Ding.

A heavy bell tolled through the hillside.

…And all hell broke loose.

Crash, bang.

“Please! Please!”

“Where did Basic Flight go?!”

As soon as the magic circle activated, the registration window popped up in mid-air.

The infamous Ardel Academy course registration window.

Faster than anyone, with utmost calmness.

I drew my unique magic circle and logged in.

This was my first time here, but having experienced course registration that closed in mere seconds in my previous life, I remained completely unfazed.

Unlike everyone around me.

“Aaaah!”

Amid the chaos, I moved with precise but swift actions.

Grab what’s needed, drop what’s not.

Quickly skip over anything that seemed impossible to get.

When everything lined up perfectly with my pre-planned strategy, I slowly lowered my staff.

I was probably the fastest to finish.

“Ahhhhh…”

Wails of despair echoed from all directions.

“Aaah!”

Won, who had failed a few times, looked distraught, while Seymour stood there with a grave expression.

Seymour, with slumped shoulders, trudged over to me.

“I ended up registering for Professor Grint’s class.”

“Well, it seems Seymour’s in trouble.”

Won sighed, pulling out another schedule from his pocket.

“I had a backup plan.”

This guy is terrifyingly meticulous. Absolutely terrifying.

I looked at him with wide-eyed admiration, and Won asked me, “How did yours go?”

Well…

I succeeded in everything.

Introduction to Basic Flight,Understanding Transformation Magic, Advanced Taming Studies… Monster Psychology.

I managed to snag all the highly coveted courses that Won had recommended, and I also made full use of Won’s meticulously planned schedule. It was so systematic and beautiful that it was almost an art form.

Won looked up at me, dazed. “How… how on earth did you manage to get a schedule like that?”

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.

Who knows?

“Just do something more intense for six years, and you’ll get there.”

“What… What’s that supposed to mean?”

There’s such a thing.

* * *

After surviving the chaotic course registration, we all headed to a stew house near the Ardel market.

The atmosphere was peaceful.

Normally, this place would be bustling with students, but since it was the break, it was rather quiet today.

Won swept his hand across the glossy table, then leaned back in his chair after placing our orders.

Before long, the octopus stew arrived.

“Is Adela not joining us?”

“She’s not in Ardel right now. She’ll be back today,” Won replied, taking a large spoonful of stew.

I had heard she went on a dungeon expedition recently, but I didn’t realize she still hadn’t returned.

It seems she’s been going at it with full determination.

Adela has always been fiercely focused on growing stronger.

Given the recent unrest at Ardel, it made sense.

Won looked concerned as he spoke, “She’s doing more than enough. I hope she didn’t go somewhere too dangerous.”

“She’s not the type to do anything reckless.”

“True.”

Seymour, who had been quietly keeping to himself, suddenly mustered up the courage to raise his hand.

Won turned to look at him with a curious expression.

“Could you pass the pepper?”

I was expecting something more profound.

Seeing Seymour Parker, the legendary troublemaker, looking so timid was a bit pitiful.

I chuckled and passed the pepper shaker to Seymour.

At that moment, Natalie spoke up.

“This is something I heard.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s a strange rumor going around the Ardel Academy dormitories lately.”

A rumor?

“It’s not a rumor about getting dragged into Professor Grint’s class if you fail course registration, is it?”

Won joked, making Natalie laugh.

“No, it’s about the Necromancy Department.”

Seymour, who was in the middle of taking a bite, awkwardly put down his spoon.

Hearing Natalie mention the Necromancy Department seemed to stir up some unpleasant memories.

But Natalie continued, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if she hadn’t noticed Seymour’s discomfort.

“Did something happen?”

“They’re not up to something shady again, are they?”

Won, who had a deep-seated mistrust of the Necromancy Department, immediately jumped to conclusions.

“I heard they staged a protest because Ardel Academy raised the dormitory fees.”

“A protest?”

“They threw a fit, saying they weren’t happy with the facilities, but then they suddenly backed down after just one day.”

“Maybe they got tired of it.”

“That would make sense, but… then they all moved out of the dorms in a group. Suddenly.”

Moved out?

They couldn’t have gotten a full refund either.

Why would students who were so upset about the dorm fees suddenly pack up and leave?

Natalie’s suspicion that they were up to something shady seemed reasonable.

“They all moved out together… and left the Academy?”

“Not all of them, but most did. Even those who usually didn’t care about such things followed suit.”

“That’s odd.”

Won rubbed his chin with a serious expression, then turned to Seymour and asked directly, “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“…”

Normally, Won wouldn’t have even bothered asking Seymour anything in a situation like this.

The fact that he was asking now meant he was starting to acknowledge Seymour to some extent, and Seymour’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the realization.

He didn’t seem to be upset about it, though. Instead, he looked genuinely clueless.

“I haven’t heard anything.”

“Nothing that stands out?”

“I haven’t been involved with the Necromancy Department for a while now.”

Seymour Parker shook his head.

It made sense that he wouldn’t know. Even as someone who had read “The Academy”, I couldn’t quite grasp the situation either.

There had been a few times when students from the Necromancy Department had moved out of the Academy en masse.

Generally, this happened right before a major incident occurred at the Academy.

It was as if they had an uncanny ability to sense when something ominous was coming and would take collective action.

But as far as I could remember…

There wasn’t supposed to be anything like that during our second year.

I checked and double-checked, but I was sure of it.

There wasn’t any major event that came to mind.

I couldn’t tell if some variable had changed or if they were just acting strangely for no reason.

But…

“This is unsettling…”

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

* * *

In the early dawn, faint light seeped through the curtains.

Even after returning home, I couldn’t sleep properly.

“I can’t put my finger on it, but…”

A sense of foreboding kept bubbling up inside me.

If it were a disaster I knew of, it wouldn’t be as frightening, but this… I couldn’t even guess what it was.

I threw the curtains open.

Although the Casticia estate was quite a distance from Ardel Academy, I could still make out the silhouette of Ardel’s tall spires in the distance.

I wanted to believe it was nothing, but dark clouds were gathering ominously around Ardel.

I took a deep breath of the cold dawn air that seeped in through the window.

Then I called out a familiar name.

“Basilus.”

“koo!”

I pulled out the dimensional bag where I had carefully packed all the essentials in case something happened.

If I suddenly disappeared, the mansion would be in an uproar. I had to slip away without Han Tae-soo noticing.

Hoo.

I took another deep breath.

I didn’t know what was going on, but I couldn’t just sit around with this uneasy feeling.

“Let’s go.”

It seems I need to head to Ardel Academy.

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