The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 187

At the same time, the excitement wasn’t limited to just the third-year students on the benches.

Professor Grint, who had been watching the match with a stiff posture, unknowingly let out an exclamation.

Next to him sat Han Si-hyuk, who was watching the duel with the same indifferent expression as before.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, the two shared a lot of similarities.

The subtle disturbance of emotions that didn’t show on the surface. Professor Grint, trying hard to mask his amazement, spoke to Han Si-hyuk.

“He actually… made it.”

Han Siha had made it to the finals, and his opponent was the third-year top student, Lee Han.

Regardless of who won, the champion would be a third-year student, proving Han Si-hyuk’s prediction correct.

Professor Grint had come to be convinced that, at the very least, Han Si-hyuk was no charlatan.

Even though he didn’t fully trust prophecies, somehow the words of a seer always ended up aligning with reality.

In that sense, Professor Grint had come to rely on Han Si-hyuk’s prophetic abilities.

Though he still had serious doubts about the traces of mana he’d sensed.

Maintaining his cautious stance toward Han Si-hyuk, Professor Grint subtly probed.

“Can you predict the final match as well? Who do you think will win?”

Han Si-hyuk let out a chuckle as if he found the question absurd.

Han Siha and Lee Han.

Honestly, wasn’t the outcome already obvious?

No matter how fast Han Siha had grown, Lee Han, who had never missed the top spot for three years, was overwhelmingly strong.

He would likely leave his mark in Ardel Academy’s history.

So, even though Professor Grint surely knew, this result was….

“Han Siha.”

“W-what? Are you serious?”

“Really?”

Professor Grint’s previous skepticism vanished as he asked urgently.

Professor Ernst, sitting on the right, also chimed in with an excited voice.

“…It would be nice if he won, but that’s impossible.”

Han Si-hyuk calmly stated.

“Oh.”

“Aww….”

Professor Grint and Professor Ernst sighed in unison.

Their eyes, which had briefly sparkled with anticipation, now bore a glimmer of disappointment.

By chance, the two locked eyes.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Professor Grint immediately noticed the shared thought between them, and Professor Ernst retorted.

“How childish.”

Both of them… could be equally petty, and it was impossible to determine which was worse.

Han Si-hyuk, stuck between the two, clicked his tongue inwardly and turned his gaze forward.

It was time for the duel to begin.

* * *

The duel arena was shrouded in a cloud of dust, stirred up by the countless matches before.

Somehow, we ended up facing each other like this.

The protagonist of Ardel Academy, Lee Han.

He was never someone I could have faced, yet here we were in the finals.

Lee Han had defeated the top sixth-year student who had previously taken down Adela and Yoon Haul to reach this stage.

While I had also made it here by defeating the fifth-year top student, the skill gap between us was still significant.

According to the original story, Lee Han had undergone rapid growth in his third year.

I remembered that Lee Han in his third year was strong enough to defeat the Odopteon, which I had barely managed to subdue, in mere seconds.

This was a fight I couldn’t win.

Knowing this, I smirked slightly as I looked at Lee Han.

People with nothing to lose are usually calm.

He spoke first.

“How do you feel about being in the finals?”

“I’m so excited thinking about the barbecue that I might die.”

I wasn’t joking; I was dead serious.

Whether Lee Han won or I won, the barbecue was guaranteed.

The saliva pooling in my mouth was proof that instinct was overriding reason.

Basilus, too, was gleaming with determination in his eyes.

Lee Han seemed caught off guard by my unexpected response. He chuckled and asked,

“Who do you think will be the one to win it?”

“What?”

“I mean, who’s going to win the barbecue… No, wait, isn’t the barbecue irrelevant?”

“No way. That’s the most important thing.”

“I’m asking if you think you can win.”

I had expected him to dismiss me as not being a worthy opponent.

I couldn’t grasp why he was asking this, but it seemed sincere, so I felt bad about brushing it off casually.

Hmm.

Lee Han’s mana quality, magic level, and practical experience were superior in every way.

There are things that can be achieved through sheer effort and things that can’t. In this case, it was the latter.

Probably, no one in the stands believed in my victory.

Regrettably, I felt the same.

But

Sometimes, outward bravado can differ from reality.

I wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear, but since I was here, I planned to give my best.

So I answered honestly.

“There’s no reason I can’t win.”

There’s no fight where the outcome is set in stone,

And I don’t believe in predetermined futures.

It’s the kind of thing that would make a seer like Han Si-hyuk clutch his neck.

Not everything unfolds as predicted.

“I’ll win.”

Lee Han smirked at my words and gripped his staff.

* * *

As the duel continued, Han taesu from the Castica territory received the news a bit late.

“There was an attack at the academy?”

An attack near the investigation room.

Han taesu had eyes all over Ardel Academy. Normally, he would have received such news much earlier, but due to the commotion with the engagement, the information had reached him somewhat late.

If the attack was true, it was a serious issue, and Han taesu’s expression hardened.

“Yes, that’s correct. The academy is conducting an investigation to find the perpetrator, but it seems no conclusions have been reached yet.”

Han taesu’s loyal servant reported everything that had occurred at Ardel Academy.

Included in the report was information crucial to Han taesu.

“There is one clue, though… traces of mana were left behind. Would you like to take a look?”

“I’ll see it myself.”

Han taesu stood up to personally inspect the mana traces his servant had captured on a recording artifact.

Brushing off the long coat that draped from his shoulders, Han taesu played the artifact with a grim expression.

He had fought in countless battlefields and had seen numerous traces of mana.

Han taesu was seasoned enough to discern even high-level deceptions.

Though not as specialized as Professor Grint, who excelled in mana analysis, Han taesu had a keen eye; at the very least, he never forgot any mana trace he had seen once.

“The mage who attacked Han Si-hyuk…”

Han taesu muttered as he observed the traces.

Two distinct mana traces were clearly left at the scene of the attack. One of them was undoubtedly from Han Si-hyuk, used defensively.

The other one….

“…!”

Han taesu replayed the recording artifact.

It was unmistakably the mana trace of a dark mage. The attack patterns and the nature of the mana were completely different from Han Si-hyuk’s.

No, they should have been different.

“Wait a minute.”

Han taesu’s blood ran cold as he stared intently at the mana traces.

“I’ve seen this before.”

The more he scrutinized, the more familiar it seemed.

While the essence of the mana was slightly different from Han Si-hyuk’s…

The forms were remarkably similar.

“I’ve seen this…”

Han taesu’s muttering stopped.

The familiar shape of the mana trace lingered in his mind like an afterimage.

Even if he wanted to deny it, he could no longer ignore whose mana it was.

“Han Si-hyuk.”

It was Han Si-hyuk’s.

The son he had, but wasn’t truly his. It was that boy’s.

To create a perfect alibi, he had inscribed two types of mana traces on the walls and blinded the professors to prevent them from finding the real perpetrator.

It was a flawless setup that would have easily deceived anyone unfamiliar with these mana traces.

But it couldn’t fool Han taesu.

Because he had seen it.

He had seen that mana trace clearly with his own eyes.

Han taesu gritted his teeth unconsciously.

“You… are you really trying to harm my son?”

There was an unpleasant truth that Han taesu had witnessed just as he had started to feel some sympathy for his wayward child.

The very reason he had no choice but to cast Han Si-hyuk out.

Han taesu vividly recalled that time.

Whether due to a lack of affection or the lure of his nature, Han Si-hyuk, who had been growing up as a seer, had dabbled in dark magic and lost control of its power.

Fearing for his son’s safety, Han taesu had expelled Han Si-hyuk on the spot.

Han Si-hyuk, who didn’t even remember the incident, had been completely banished from Castica under some meaningless pretense.

The mana trace he saw back then matched perfectly with the current one.

“Damn it.”

Han taesu was terrified by this revelation.

‘A second rampage?’

Han Si-hyuk wouldn’t have been foolish enough to mark his territory within Ardel Academy, so it wasn’t intentional.

In the end, it was likely another accident caused by his inability to control his own power.

If this subconscious blade were to turn against his son….

Han taesu thought of himself as a selfish man.

He had protected lives, even by killing countless others, and now, he was desperate not to surrender that life to the adopted son he had taken in.

Han taesu repeatedly replayed the artifact, struggling to remain composed, but his hand holding the artifact was already trembling.

His servant, unaware of this, continued speaking beside him.

“And His Majesty the Emperor has sent a letter.”

There was much to handle, but nothing was more urgent than this.

Han taesu didn’t want to hear it.

He didn’t intend to listen.

Just as he was about to wave it away, Han taesu froze at the servant’s next words.

“You are to lead the subjugation squad. You are to capture all the dark mages hiding like rats… It seems to be because of the recent surprise attack at the academy. His Majesty requests that the Count personally participate in the subjugation.”

Any house found harboring a dark mage would be exterminated down to the third generation.

The words Emperor Linia had declared at the last state council echoed in Han taesu’s mind.

And now, the subjugation squad…

“….”

Han taesu took the Emperor’s letter with trembling hands.

It was an imperial command that he had no choice but to follow.

Beyond the command, the discovery of dark magic meant annihilation down to the third generation, leaving him with no choice.

For the safety of his son, it was clearly the best option.

He knew who the attacker at the academy was….

All he had to do was hand over Han Si-hyuk.

‘But what would happen to him?’

Given Emperor Linia’s temperament, Han Si-hyuk would be dragged away the moment he was discovered, and it would be foolish to hope for a merciful death.

Handing over Han Si-hyuk would free Castica from responsibility, and Han taesu would lead the subjugation squad to commence the long-postponed crackdown on the dark mages.

“….”

It was inevitable.

And something he couldn’t refuse.

“What should I do?”

Han taesu couldn’t pinpoint why he was so reluctant.