The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 164

The one who snapped Count Dwayne out of his stupor was a guard’s urgent shout.

The presence of a Prince alone was enough to make his blood run cold, but the guard’s next words left Count Dwayne even more shaken.

“C-Count! Knights from Castica Territory have arrived!”

“Ca… Castica Territory?”

“Yes! And there are a lot of them! They’re threatening to force their way in if we don’t open the gates immediately!”

“What?”

If it came to war with Castica Territory, the outcome was already determined.

The Blood Count, Han taesu.

Known for his fierce reputation, he had aggressively expanded his territory in the past, but he wasn’t known to engage in wars without just cause.

So why on earth would someone like him bring his forces all the way here….

The old Arkenent Territory wasn’t even a land worth coveting.

Count Dwayne froze on the spot.

A Prince was sitting right in front of him, and Castica’s forces were at his gates.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation.

Going against someone like Count Han taesu was sheer madness.

Count Dwayne muttered with a pale face.

“They wouldn’t really start a war, would they?”

“They probably would.”

“Wha… What?”

The peculiar student with the Imperial crest.

No, the boy, who was very likely a Prince, spoke nonchalantly.

“I told them I was kidnapped.”

Wha… What?

“Kidnapped? You said you were kidnapped?”

“Yep.”

“H-Huh?”

Only now did Count Dwayne fully comprehend the gravity of the situation.

A royal kidnapping.

“Agh… oh no…!”

Such a dangerous matter, one he couldn’t even speak of, had ensnared his territory, and the Emperor, having misunderstood, had acted personally.

If Count Han taesu, favored by the Emperor, sent his forces because of this misunderstanding….

“This… this can’t be real.”

It wouldn’t be strange if his head was severed.

Castica’s forces would take over his territory and execute him for treason.

What kind of catastrophe was this?

Count Dwayne suddenly started speaking in a respectful tone.

“Wh-When did I ever kidnap anyone?”

“But I am kidnapped right now.”

The boy, sitting calmly in a chair without any restraints, uttered those terrifying words.

And on top of that, he clutched his chest, smiling.

“Ugh, I’m kidnapped.”

“That’s… that’s absurd…!”

“You just said you were going to throw me in the dungeon, didn’t you? That’s attempted kidnapping.”

“No, no! Th-that’s not what I meant! How could I possibly! I would never dare to imprison! The Prince!”

“…?”

Han Siha scratched his head, tilting it slightly.

He didn’t fully grasp the latter part, but he could tell that his plan was working perfectly.

‘Was the Castica family’s name always this powerful?’

Count Dwayne, with a panicked expression, stammered.

“I-I never did such a thing. Please, if you could show me mercy just this once….”

Count Dwayne, now trembling, clutched Han Siha’s hand.

Han Siha, looking displeased, shook off his hand and nodded towards the door.

“The one you need to ask for mercy is arriving now.”

“…What?”

Bang-.

As the door swung open, Count Dwayne’s face turned deathly pale.

“It’s been a while.”

The Count of Arkenent walked in slowly.

* * *

Seven years ago.

Count Arkenent would never forget the humiliation of that day for the rest of his life.

He never intended to sell his land, even if he was offered money.

But it would have been less miserable if that had been the case.

He ended up being chased out without receiving a single coin for the land he had nurtured all his life.

Finances were already in Dwayne’s hands, and he used that money to bribe people and gradually take over the territory.

Following the Emperor’s orders to exterminate the dark magicians.

Jumping into war for the safety of his land.

Neglecting the internal affairs of his territory became something he deeply regretted.

Dwayne, using the life of his young daughter as leverage, cunningly presented the contract.

It was a humiliating moment when he was forced to stamp the seal.

For years, he had bided his time, waiting for this moment and growing his strength.

Even during his alliance with Castica, he had made it a condition to receive support to reclaim his land; Count Arkenent was desperate.

If he had money, he would reclaim his land.

That long-held plan became a reality, expedited by Han Siha.

Through a sound teleportation system, he had been informed of Han Siha’s plan.

Using the justification of being kidnapped, Han Siha proposed that Castica join forces and invade this place.

From the Count’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse.

Thanks to this, the Arkenent troops he had saved for this moment, along with the Castica forces, were spread out around the old Arkenent Territory.

Count Arkenent looked coldly at Count Dwayne and spoke.

“The siege is already complete.”

“….”

“How does it feel to be a rat trapped in a jar?”

Count Dwayne glared at Count Arkenent with bloodshot eyes.

“You put the Prince out front like a puppet… and came up with such a vile plan?”

Trembling.

Count Dwayne’s words, uttered through his shaking, caused a chilling silence to settle over the room.

“Hmm?”

“Prince?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you’re not using the Prince as a front, then what is this?”

Seeing Count Dwayne’s gaze pointed at Han Siha, Count Arkenent tilted his head.

Then, noticing the fountain pen in Han Siha’s hand, he smirked.

‘What a huge misunderstanding.’

Either way, it wasn’t a bad situation for him.

There was no need to correct the misunderstanding.

Count Arkenent spoke calmly.

“You’ve been in a position far above your station for seven years. It’s time for you to step down.”

“What… what did you say?”

“For the past seven years, more than half of the residents have left this place. The finances are worse than they were right after the war, and the markets have fallen into ruin. If you had any sense, you should have realized this by now.”

Count Arkenent drove the final nail in the coffin.

“I’ll ensure adequate compensation for the territory. Enough that you could disappear into lands far beyond sight.”

The existing contract couldn’t be overturned, but he intended to prevent any backlash through compensation.

Count Arkenent presented the contract, just as Dwayne once did. Whether or not he accepted it was a different matter.

“That… I won’t accept that.”

Count Dwayne’s eyes burned with fury.

“This is my land, the land I’ve cultivated. You think I’d just hand it back to you?”

“….”

“I’ll appeal to His Majesty! How dare outsiders invade, falsely accuse me, and attempt to steal my territory!”

But Count Arkenent remained unfazed.

“Do you think His Majesty will listen to that?”

“…….”

Count Dwayne knew the reality.

Castica, favored by the Emperor.

And now the Arkenent family allied with Castica.

Land without power is taken; land without money must be surrendered.

For the past seven years, his finances had dwindled, and his military had weakened. He lacked the wisdom to govern such a vast territory.

And so, Count Dwayne chose a desperate final act.

He couldn’t touch the Prince, so he seized Solia instead.

“You dare!”

Grab.

Count Dwayne snatched Solia by the neck and pressed a dagger against her throat.

“I’ll kill her. One more move, and I’ll make sure to kill your child with my own hands…!”

Thud!

Before he could finish his sentence, Count Dwayne was slammed against the wall.

“Ugh… uh….”

Solia brushed off her hands and looked down at Count Dwayne, who was in a daze.

“…Did you really think that would work?”

Han Siha sighed and clicked his tongue.

“She’s not a ten-year-old kid anymore… She was ranked third in magic….”

There was no way that would work on her now, even if she had once been taken hostage because of her weakness.

Solia, gripping her staff, aimed it at Count Dwayne.

Count Dwayne’s lips turned an icy blue.

“W-What kind of power is this…?”

Count Arkenent, seeing his daughter grown so strong, laughed heartily.

“You’re getting exactly what you gave.”

“….”

“You forcibly took this land, so now you’ll lose it by force.”

“You… you scoundrels….”

As Count Dwayne tried to rise, clenching his fists—

Bang!

“Gah!”

Solia fired a magic projectile without hesitation.

A heavy sphere of light struck Count Dwayne square in the abdomen.

He gasped, his breath cut off, and collapsed onto the floor, trembling.

“Gah… gah….”

The child he once looked down on had returned, stronger than ever.

The power she displayed just now would be hard to beat even if all his guards attacked her at once.

“Ugh… You filthy brats… Gah!”

Solia fired another blast of magic.

Count Dwayne, writhing on the ground with his head pressed against the floor, was trembling in fear.

Solia stared down at him and spoke coldly.

“Return it.”

The land that the Arkenent family had ruled for a hundred years—she no longer wanted it to suffer.

She didn’t want the once lively territory to become a barren wasteland.

“This position doesn’t suit you.”

Solia’s staff once again pointed at Count Dwayne’s neck.

If she aimed properly, Count Dwayne would die.

His guards were completely terrified, and the fortress was already surrounded.

Weak nobles cannot protect their lands.

The most rational decision would be to take the compensation and leave.

“Hmph.”

As Han Siha thought that, he leaned in and whispered into Dwayne’s ear with a grin.

“Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

“Ugh… ugh….”

With the Prince’s words added, Count Dwayne had no choice but to make a decision.

“I… I’ll sign.”

A humiliating decision.

Count Dwayne gritted his teeth and reluctantly raised his hand.

“Ugh….”

He was receiving exactly what he had dished out seven years ago.

Looking down at the contract Count Arkenent presented, he grasped the fountain pen.

This humiliation….

I will, without a doubt….

As Count Dwayne muttered to himself, Han Siha suddenly stopped him with an urgent voice.

“Wait.”

Dwayne’s bloodshot eyes, filled with barely suppressed fury, stared at Han Siha.

Seeing Dwayne’s trembling fists, Han Siha suddenly remembered what he had said earlier.

“A contract made under coercion isn’t valid, remember?”

Well, this is awkward.

“…?”

Han Siha placed a hand on Count Dwayne’s trembling shoulder and whispered.

“Hey, smile.”

It was a Prince’s order.