The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 23

“Where are you going?”

“I have somewhere to check out.”

The gloomy swamp was slowly being purified by the death of the monster tree, but it still wasn’t a pleasant place to be. Every step felt like sinking deeper into the earth.

“Ah, it reminds me of a slime.”

“Slime?”

“Yeah, a gross-looking thing.”

After sending Solia and Adela, who were both suffering from headaches due to the mental attack, back to Ardel Academy, Han Siha and Won ventured to this spot together.

“It should be around here…”

A hidden place within Smart Academy.

He had heard there was a decent spot near the demon tree.

“…Found it.”

“What did you find?”

A massive stone covered in moss came into view. It was an ancient stone structure, weathered as if it had been there for centuries.

Its eerie appearance resembled a statue of Cerberus carved out of stone.

This was likely the place.

Won swallowed nervously and asked cautiously, still shaken from the encounter with the monster tree earlier.

“It’s not dangerous, right?”

“Want to stay here by yourself?”

“…I’ll come along.”

Even though it wouldn’t have mattered if he left him behind, it was better not to hide anything if he wanted to gain Won’s trust. At Han Siha’s words, Won grumbled but followed along quite well. Given his naturally timid personality, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

Han Siha chuckled as they approached the stone structure. Won looked around, puzzled. Besides the eerie atmosphere, there wasn’t anything particularly eye-catching.

“Is this the place? What are you planning to do now?”

Han Siha quickly scanned the statue with his eyes.

There was definitely a gap.

“I’m going to push it.”

“This thing…?”

Despite its appearance, it would move easily if pushed. As Han Siha put his weight against the heavy-looking stone, it surprisingly slid to the side with little resistance.

Slide.

“Wha—what!”

Won gasped as he looked down. Where the stone had been, an old wooden plank was now visible.

Looks like they found the right place.

Without hesitation, Han Siha grabbed the creaky wooden handle and pulled it open.

Creak.

“…”

And then—

A dark, unfamiliar space was revealed. Han Siha took a deep breath as he peered into the pitch-black void, unable to gauge how deep it went.

It felt too eerie to just enter like this.

He needed the help of his little spark.

“Basilus!”

“Koo!”

Handing a branch to Basilus, it ignited into a torch. Using the burning branch as a makeshift torch, Han Siha slowly descended the ladder.

“Ugh…”

The smell of a long-abandoned basement filled the air, stinging their noses. Won, who had awkwardly followed behind, blinked in surprise at the sight. It was a basement of considerable size, though its purpose was unclear.

Nothing particularly dangerous stood out, but—

“What is this?”

As Han Siha raised the torch, something caught his eye on one of the walls. It was a large painting that covered the entire wall, abstract and faded with age, as if it had been painted over several times with Won-out paint.

The sheer size of it was overwhelming, making it impossible to take in all at once. Han Siha paused to admire it.

“What are you doing?”

“Not sure.”

*Shrrrk.*

He drew the sword from his waist and slashed through the painting.

* * *

In the original story, Solia barely escaped with the power of light and was saved by Lee Han, who followed her. After saving the two, the hidden place that Lee Han found was this very spot.

This was all originally meant to be Lee Han’s share.

But he was a step too late, and now all of this…

It’s all mine.

Well, even a pitiful villain like me has to live somehow.

As expected, behind the wallpaper…

A treasure trove of gold and jewels that had been hidden for centuries tumbled out like a vault.

If someone had expected enough to live off for a lifetime, they’d be disappointed, but it was more than enough to make a decent amount of money.

“Wow. Holy crap.”

Won practically jumped out of his skin, leaping up in excitement.

“Is this real? Is there an owner? Is the owner still around?”

“…Even if there was, they’re probably long dead. The statue at the entrance is an artifact from around three hundred years ago.”

“How do you know that?”

“Cerberus. There used to be tribes in this area that worshiped Cerberus and placed statues in each village. We learned about it in history class, didn’t we?”

“Oh, I was asleep during that.”

This guy was oddly proud of it.

Han Siha mimicked Lee Han’s lines, shoving his hands into his pockets.

There were gold coins, jewels that, while not quite diamonds, still looked pretty valuable, and enough to fill your arms if you carried them all.

He picked out the pieces that looked to be in good condition and placed them on the old wooden desk.

Basilus immediately jumped onto the table, sniffing around before picking up a gold necklace with his paw.

“That’s not for eating.”

Hmm?

Just as Han Siha turned his head, wiping away dust absentmindedly—

“Koo!”

A cheerful cry rang out beside him.

What now?

“Basilus…?”

“Koo!”

Basilus blinked at him with a proud look, having draped the pure gold necklace around its neck, its tail flicking against the floor as if asking for approval.

“Koo-koo.”

So, it’s not just cheese you’re into—you’ve got a thing for gold too, huh?

It turns out our little spark is drawn to anything yellow.

Han Siha watched as Basilus picked up a necklace that looked impossibly heavy for such a small creature, a solid gold piece that would surely weigh a ton.

…It seems to take after its owner.

“Hey, do you have a taste for money now?”

“Koo!”

Basilus looked up at him with a contented expression, and Han Siha couldn’t help but smile. Standing next to him, Won spoke in an awed tone.

“Wow. The little dragon wants to keep it…”

What’s with that awkward way of speaking?

Han Siha scratched his head and replied casually.

“Let him have it.”

“…!”

Won hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously. It was a question Han Siha had anticipated from the start.

“…Me too?”

“To a certain extent. Take what you want.”

“Really? Seriously? For real?”

Han Siha gave a half-hearted nod, and Won’s eyes sparkled even brighter than Basilus’s.

After all, no matter how much dragons liked gold, they couldn’t match the greed of humans.

“Woohoo!”

Won let out an incomprehensible shout and jumped up.

“I dreamt of a dog last night, and it was all leading up to this. I was destined to meet a great benefactor and receive gold…”

“If you dreamt of a dog, it was probably just a dog dream.”

“But that dog looked like you. Maybe it was a divine sign.”

“…What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

Won gave him a thumbs up with a wide grin.

“It was a good-looking dog.”

“That’s one of the strangest compliments I’ve received. Can you help me lift this?”

“Of course.”

Han Siha knew from the beginning that Won had an easygoing nature.That was why he had brought him along.

In the original story, Won’s loyalty to Lee Han, which bordered on devotion, had also been cemented after this dorm kidnapping episode.

Won wasn’t someone who would do anything just for money, but he was the type who could do more with it.

…Although Han Siha hadn’t expected him to be this eager.

“Wow, it feels like this box is as light as a feather.”

“Ugh. It’s heavy.”

Won kept exclaiming in amazement as he pulled out a dusty wooden box from the wall.

“But what is this?”

“The real treasure.”

Han Siha hadn’t been desperately searching this place just for those jewels.

While they might make anyone feel like they had struck gold, money wasn’t the most important thing in this harsh and grim world. In a place where survival was more important than living comfortably, power was necessary.

“The real… treasure?”

“Yeah, the real deal is usually hidden in places like this.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

The mysterious wooden box, deep within a recessed wall, was covered in the marks of time. The lock creaked as if it might fall apart at any moment.

Ching.

With a quick strike from his sword, the lock shattered, and Han Siha lifted the lid to reveal an old, tattered book inside.

“A magic book.”

“This is a magic book? It looks like a rag.”

The book was so Won out that it looked more suited for mopping floors than anything else.

Won, who had briefly hoped for some real treasure, stepped back with a disappointed look.

Even though it wasn’t his, he hadn’t expected to find something as unimpressive as a beat-up piece of paper.

Han Siha picked up the limp magic book and examined it. Won squinted in suspicion and read the title of the old book.

Then—

“Basic… Dark Magic Grimoire?”

Oh.

Should I have covered the title?

Now he’s seen it.

“H-Hey, put that down.”

“This?”

“You’re not supposed to touch stuff like that. It’s cursed! Even the Necromancers and the others don’t mess with real dark magic…”

“It should be fine, probably.”

What?

Won’s previously bright eyes started to flicker with uncertainty. No matter how much he liked money, it seemed that he couldn’t compromise his values for it.

No wonder he was Lee Han’s close friend.

Just hearing the word “dark magic” made him react strongly to this.

“You too…”

His gaze was beginning to edge toward something close to contempt, so Han Siha handed him the magic book with a casual shrug.

“Look again.”

“At what? I don’t need something like this…”

The grimoire is synchronizing with the user’s disposition.

Synchronizing as a basic magic grimoire….

Although Won probably couldn’t see the status window, the book’s cover would have been clear enough.

“What the…”

The title that had startled Won moments ago suddenly shifted and rearranged itself.

Han Siha calmly handed the grimoire back to him.

“You saw it. The grimoire changes according to the user’s disposition.”

“This… is that even possible?”

“I don’t know who stashed it away, but it’s probably useful. If it contains basic spells, it should be worth a lot.”

“…”

“Like I said, the real treasure is hidden deep inside places like this.”

Even with zero combat experience, he knew his theory was sound. Han Siha shrugged as he put the grimoire away.

“Koo!”

It wasn’t just a simple grimoire. It was an advanced magic book that recommended the most necessary spells based on the user’s disposition and could even allow them to master spells in an instant like a scroll.

For Ardel Academy students who had spent the past year sweating and struggling to learn basic magic, it was a chance to acquire it all in one go.

Well, sorry, but—

Learning is also about having the right tools.

“So, shall we head out?”

Han Siha casually asked Won, who still looked a bit dazed, and saw his eyes regain their usual brightness.

His eyes said that the grimoire or whatever wasn’t what mattered right now. With urgency, Won’s voice echoed through the basement.

“Wait a sec! Let me grab one more bracelet!”

Wow, he really is obsessed with money.

“While you’re at it, grab everything. Sweep it all up.”

Han Siha chuckled and shoved his hands into his pockets.

He had gathered everything he needed, so it was about time to leave.

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything else special here. Let’s head out. The others will be waiting.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Just as Han Siha was about to lead Basilus out of the basement ahead of Won, a sudden flash burst from the grimoire in his hand.

Won didn’t seem to notice—it was just a fleeting moment.

And then—

“O stranger”.

A chilling voice stopped him in his tracks.

___

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