The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 186

The Ardel Academy competition was nearing its end, with only five contestants remaining.

If Han Siha defeated the prince here, the next step would be the finals.

Marcel, the prince of the Ardel Empire, and Han Siha, the legitimate heir of Castica.

The two stood facing each other in the duel arena, and the audience watching the scene was in an uproar.

Adela frowned and spoke to Seymour.

“He’s the toughest opponent.”

Marcel Sylvester Edwin. Adela’s remark wasn’t solely due to his skills.

Marcel was a talented senior, but he excelled more in theory than in actual combat.

In his previous duels, he had advanced with lackluster performances, making it hard to believe he had gotten this far on his own merits.

However, his status as a prince played a significant role.

As someone from a commoner background, Adela couldn’t overlook that.

“It’s unsettling whether he wins… or loses….”

“He’s obviously supposed to lose.”

Seymour chuckled dryly at Adela’s muttering.

Coming from a prestigious family and having seen countless power struggles among nobles, Seymour had a different perspective.

“Hey, commoners like you wouldn’t get it. If you went up there and knocked down the prince, what do you think would happen? They’d just dismiss it as a commoner’s arrogance. ‘Uneducated brats,’ they’d scoff.”

“What?”

“But if it’s Han Siha up there?”

“….”

“Then it’s Castica recklessly challenging the imperial family.”

Adela grimaced at Seymour’s scornful remark, but she couldn’t deny it.

In fact, looking at how the other noble heirs had been defeated by Marcel in succession, it was clear.

Even if Marcel’s skill truly did overpower them, it was obvious none of them were fighting with all they had.

Seymour clicked his tongue, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Who has the guts to actually try to beat the prince?”

Right, there’s probably no one with those guts….

This match was, regrettably, going to be Han Siha’s loss.

As Adela muttered to herself, she glanced at the duel arena, where the fight had already begun, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“What?”

Han Siha stood there, grinning fiercely,

While Marcel seemed frozen, as if he had heard something shocking.

Even from quite a distance, Han Siha’s energetic voice rang clear.

“Hey… Your Highness? I’m guessing this is your first time getting beaten up?”

What the hell is he saying?

“Is he insane?”

* * *

Marcel Sylvester Edwin.

The top student of the fifth year and prince of the Ardel Empire, he had never been insulted like this in his life.

“Hey… Your Highness? I’m guessing this is your first time getting beaten up?”

A mere third-year student, two years his junior, had the audacity to humiliate him, the prince of the empire.

“It is my first time. Because I’ve always won.”

“Ah, then I’ll take it easy on you. Isn’t your loyalty just touching?”

“…Do you have a death wish?”

“My apologies. I’ll do my best, then.”

Thankfully, that last comment had only reached Marcel’s ears.

A boy who spun a pen with the imperial crest engraved on it. Marcel had always known he was an oddball….

‘Arrogant.’

Marcel had heard that Han taesu was one of the founding contributors to the Ardel Empire, recognized for his great deeds… but apparently, the household failed in education.

Though he inherited his father’s talent, his personality was that of an unruly colt.

I will beat you, no matter what.

Marcel made up his mind as he gripped his staff.

If it were Lee Han, the top of the third year, it might be a challenge, but defeating Han Siha wouldn’t be difficult.

…Or so he thought.

Boom.

That was until a mana orb, difficult to block with one hand, came flying at him.

‘What the—?’

Though Han Siha’s talent for magic was close to zero, he had entered the academy thanks to his overwhelming mana reserves.

Marcel had heard those stories, but he hadn’t expected this level.

The mana orb seemed powerful enough to knock someone out in a single blow.

And Han Siha, as if mana was in no short supply, kept summoning orbs recklessly.

“Ugh….”

Marcel was initially startled by the first attack but quickly figured it out.

Lack of experience. In reality, over half of Han Siha’s mana orbs weren’t even close to hitting their mark.

Marcel began calculating, trying to assess Han Siha’s strength.

Han Siha’s greatest assets were his monsters, Basilus and Kloshti, but due to duel regulations, he could only bring one with him—the dragon, Basilus.

It seemed like Han Siha was using these sloppy attacks to pin Marcel down, planning for his dragon to strike at an opportune moment. But Marcel had no intention of falling for such a shallow tactic.

He first restrained the dragon, Han Siha’s main force.

“Not bad.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Feigning that he was merely defending against Han Siha’s attacks, Marcel quietly etched a magic circle onto the arena. As a third-year student, Han Siha couldn’t decipher the magic circle, so Marcel wasn’t disturbed in the process.

“It wasn’t a compliment. It just means it’s still nowhere near enough.”

It was easy. Marcel judged that the tide of the battle had fully turned in his favor.

It was the perfect chance to land a massive blow on the arrogant opponent who had dared to taunt him.

“Try blocking this.”

Boom.

Marcel’s attacks, fueled by newfound confidence, became even more aggressive.

He closed in bit by bit, pushing Han Siha back, who was struggling just to defend.

“Huff… Huff….”

Marcel attempted to kick Han Siha into the wall.

Han Siha barely escaped but exhaled heavily, showing signs of exhaustion.

“I told you, it’s not enough.”

“….”

Han Siha likely hadn’t noticed the magic circle meant to bind his dragon was complete.

Marcel grinned and raised his staff into the air.

It was time to show the reckless Han Siha, who had been throwing mana orbs blindly, what true skill looked like.

“You wouldn’t have seen this coming.”

At that moment.

The magic circle shone brilliantly, and Basilus, who was about to unleash its breath, became frozen, trapped within the magic.

A binding spell, part of the defensive class of magic.

A magic circle that someone like Han Siha, a mere third-year, couldn’t possibly interpret or anticipate.

“Graaah!”

The dragon, which had been an annoying threat with its fiery breath, was now helplessly thrashing inside the trap.

With this,

Victory was practically in Marcel’s grasp.

Or so Marcel thought at that moment.

“Ugh!”

A mana orb struck Marcel in the solar plexus.

Han Siha charged at him immediately afterward.

The distance between them closed in an instant, and Marcel tried to retreat, but Han Siha was faster.

A movement he hadn’t shown before.

Before Marcel could even process what was happening, a second mana orb hit him squarely.

“Argh!”

What’s going on?

This was the same guy who couldn’t land a single hit with his mana orbs and was just flinging them haphazardly. How did he suddenly—

Boom!

The attack hit its mark again.

‘Guess it’s your first time getting beaten up, huh?’

“Guess it’s your first time… getting beaten.”

“Guess it’s…”

Han Siha’s words floated in Marcel’s mind like an afterimage.

“Damn it.”

He realized it too late.

The meticulously honed attacks.

Han Siha hadn’t been unable to control his mana; he had just pretended to be inept.

It wasn’t that Marcel had restrained the dragon; it was that he had been restrained by it.

While Marcel had been focused on binding the dragon, Han Siha had waited for the perfect opportunity to strike, catching him off guard.

It was terrifyingly precise.

Marcel had been played with entirely.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the fierce attacks that kept flying at him.

He had always thought of himself as the strongest.

There was no way he could be losing to someone who wasn’t even the top of the third year.

The competition’s victory was supposed to be his….

“You’re not as impressive as I thought.”

Marcel’s face twisted at Han Siha’s remark.

“Is this really your best?”

“You little bastard… ugh!”

Whack. Whack.

Han Siha was now toying with him, beating him up with deliberate pauses in between.

“How did you even win last year?”

There was a guy this relaxed who was easily overpowering him.

How had he ever won?

“Oh….”

Now it made sense.

Everyone had let him win.

The reason his previous duels had felt so lackluster was that no one had truly given it their all.

No one had put in 100% of their strength….

That’s how he had been able to claim victory, a realization that had come far too late.

“Aaaargh!”

Marcel lunged forward in desperation.

* * *

At the same time, Solia was watching from the fence.

After losing her duel, she had spent some time looking for the others before finally joining their group.

Next to Solia were Adela, Seymour, and Yoon Haul. Now was not the time for idle chit-chat. All four were completely focused on the duel, barely blinking.

The duel unfolding before their eyes was a major match between Han Siha and the prince.

Of course, Adela’s thoughts on the matter were:

“No one else would be crazy enough to fight the prince like that.”

Initially, it seemed like Han Siha was hesitating, but that too had turned out to be a fake.

Once he began his real attacks, he didn’t allow a single hit to land on him.

Whack. Whack.

The prince, experiencing being hit for the first time in his life, was rolling on the ground….

Han Siha casually strolled around the arena, mercilessly beating the prince one-sidedly.

It became clear that he wasn’t even using mana anymore.

“Ouch!”

“Aagh!”

Smack!

“Wait! I said wait!”

The quiet arena was now filled with the pitiful cries of the prince.

Adela blinked and muttered under her breath.

“He’s toying with him.”

“Is… is this even allowed?”

Solia was at a loss for words, knowing that her former fiancé was the one doing this.

Seymour sighed and replied to Solia.

“Does it look like it’s allowed? Try keeping your fiancé in check. Not that someone like him would listen.”

“….”

The audience’s reaction was no different from theirs.

“He’s that overwhelming…?”

“Was His Highness always this weak?”

“My goodness….”

The fifth-year seniors were in shock, unable to believe Marcel was being so thoroughly beaten. The fourth-years exchanged glances, struggling to suppress their laughter.

As for the third-years…

They were simply in awe.

The academy’s “Prince Killer.”

Han Siha had beaten Fabian last time, and now he was thrashing the prince.

“Surrender! I surrender!”

Finally, the prince, his eyes swollen, shouted his surrender.

“….”

Wow… Aaaaah….

Solia, who had reflexively started clapping, quickly stopped upon noticing the chilly atmosphere around her.

“Wow….”

Their expressions showed approval, but with the prince lying defeated like that, the third-years were hesitant, unsure of how to react.

Unlike the other heated duels that had riled up the crowd, this victory felt almost solemn.

Adela briefly considered clapping on their behalf, but Han Siha’s reaction was quicker.

“…What are you all doing?”

Striding confidently up to the stands, Han Siha shouted loudly.

“Hey, third-years! Why aren’t you cheering properly?”

* * *

Barbecue was just around the corner. And now that it had come to this, he was determined to have some.

With the prince defeated, only the finals remained.

Despite having an important match ahead, the cheering was surprisingly subdued.

‘I need some motivation.’

That’s where his classmates came in handy.

“Third-years, let’s hear some noise!”

The first to respond to such a call was always Yoon Haul.

“Woooo! You’re amazing! Awesome!”

“Woooo… Aaah….”

Those sitting around hesitantly began to cheer as soon as Yoon Haul raised her voice, looking around to gauge others’ reactions.

“Hey, he said to cheer.”

“He’s our classmate….”

“Can we do this?”

That hesitation didn’t last long.

“Shout!”

“Han Siha! Han Siha! Han Siha!”

The mob mentality kicked in, and soon the third-years, who were very serious about their barbecue, started chanting in unison, heating up the stands.

“Hm, let’s do it one more time.”

“Woooo! Han Siha! Han Siha! Han Siha!”

Th-this guy….

He was clearly enjoying himself.

Han Siha smiled broadly and raised his voice even higher.

The poor prince, being carried away in the background, was the least of his concerns.

“Huh? I can barely hear you! Louder!”

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Yes, that’s the spirit.”

Adela sighed as she watched Han Siha nodding his head in time with the cheers.

“He’s a real lunatic, seriously.”

Of course, Basilus, wagging his tail beside him, was even more extra.

The attention-seeking dragon, starved for the spotlight since the festival, didn’t know where to put himself with all this renewed interest.

“Move over!”

Basilus pushed Han Siha aside and strutted to the front, striking a pose.

“Basilussss!”

“Keeemchi!”

At this point, the prince really did look pitiful.