The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 28

When a person is hungry, they become irritable.

I had never really understood that phrase since I had never experienced true hunger before. But now, I felt it firsthand.

That’s right. Hunger makes you irritable.

I’m not a fan of violence, but right now, I felt like I could punch not just a scarecrow, but a person too.

My patience had already reached its limit.

Honestly, I had already half-lost my mind back in the dormitory, and this training had completely severed the last thread of sanity I was holding onto.

I ran around the track as instructed.

I held the wooden sword as instructed.

I rolled around the ground as instructed.

“But why won’t they just let us finish already! This damn school, seriously!”

Maybe it was because my expression had started to rot from the inside out, but the professors kept calling on me every time I tried to slack off at the back.

‘You seem to be doing well. Why don’t you come up and show us?’

‘Han Siha! Can you demonstrate for the class?’

‘Hey, handsome kid! Come to the front for a bit, will you?’

Why do they keep picking on me? I’m trying to take it easy, but they won’t let me!

I ended up being called to the front to demonstrate nearly half the time.

And the students watching? They clapped, saying I was doing surprisingly well. I was on the verge of tears.

After that, I got called up a few more times, supposedly because I was doing well.

My arms and legs were trembling.

Three hours had passed, and now I stood before the final hurdle.

I gripped the wooden sword and glared at the practice scarecrow. They said we could leave once we finished this, so I clung to that hope… But was this really the final mission?

Knocking down the scarecrow with a wooden sword.

It didn’t matter if I split it in half or took off its head, as long as I knocked it down.

And they said we could leave in the order we finished.

“Damn it.”

Easier said than done. It wasn’t like the scarecrow would just topple over if I hit it.

When I turned to look, the professors in charge of the physical training had retreated under a tent, hiding from the scorching afternoon sun.

Here I was, dying under the blazing sun, and seeing them so relaxed suddenly made me furious.

My anger flared up. This was because I was starving.

No, the real problem was that they were making us do something ridiculous in the first place.

Unable to contain my anger, I shouted,

“Why are professors the same in this world or the other!”

“Why the hell do they always expect us to create something from nothing!”

Aaaaaaah!

Smack.

Smack.

Smack.

I struck the scarecrow with the wooden sword with all my might.

I couldn’t control my strength at all. They had sealed the ability to channel magic into the wooden sword, so I couldn’t even cheat by using magic to destroy the scarecrow.

If I couldn’t use magic and nothing else worked, I had to rely on brute force.

Wham!

Wham!

Each strike was filled with raw emotion.

But this wasn’t an ordinary sword—it was just a wooden one. It wasn’t a task that could be completed so easily.

I knew that.

Rationally, I understood that.

But—

“I’m starving, dammit!”

That’s right. I had lost all reason.

***

Professor Grint surveyed the training field with his hands behind his back. Standing beside him was Professor Divert Grunui, who taught hydraulics.

Professor Divert smiled contentedly as he watched the students strike the scarecrows with their wooden swords.

“Since their magic is sealed, this might take a while.”

“I plan to stop once about ten students succeed. If we wait too long, we’ll be here until sunset.”

The students indeed looked exhausted.

While it’s true that a mage’s basic discipline includes maintaining a strong body, theoretically, mages are physically weaker compared to knights. Their fields of training are completely different.

While they could use magic to enhance their physical resilience, their basic physical strength was far below that of knights, or even adventurers who roamed the mountains and fields.

Is it really okay for mages to be this physically weak?

This topic was a constant debate at the Magic Society.

They always talked about how physical training was mandatory in their day, and how today’s youth weren’t as physically strong as before.

At Ardel Academy, even though it wasn’t a required course anymore, they still enforced rigorous physical training twice a month, just like in the old days.

Sweating without distractions is also beneficial for magic training.

“Tut-tut. The level is quite pathetic.”

“Kids these days, what can you expect?”

Several students had already collapsed, and Professor Grint frowned unconsciously.

With this level of weakness, he worried they might collapse in a dungeon before even encountering any real danger.

“Still, some of them aren’t too bad.”

Professor Divert Grunui asked with a hint of curiosity,

“Aren’t you in charge of the second-year magic students? Are there any students who stand out?”

“There are a few, but none who meet my standards yet. I’ll have to keep watching…”

Step, step.

Professor Divert, walking in step with Professor Grint, suddenly halted his steps and his kind smile froze.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

It was because of a student who was fiercely beating a scarecrow.

Professor Grint also stopped speaking and frowned.

“Han Siha?”

Since most of the magic students were physically weak, only a few with real combat experience could withstand the training.

Yet, there was a student who was still standing, with determined eyes.

“Quite a passion he’s got.”

Even at a glance, the aura of his enthusiasm was different.

A student gritting his teeth, sincerely engaged in physical training.

Professor Divert Grunui spoke as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Was he always like that?”

That kid had solved question 27 in hydraulics. He also topped the Taming exam that Professor Grint had set.

Even though he was smashing the scarecrow with brute force, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Professor Grint pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

“I don’t think so.”

If asked to pick the most enigmatic student this year, it would undoubtedly be Han Siha.

Not just in physical training, but in every class, Han Siha has shown surprising behavior.

In his own class, in other professors’ classes—he stood out.

There were even rumors that Professor Ernst had taken an interest in Han Siha. Despite being an annoying person, Ernest had a sharp eye for talent, so there must be a good reason for it.

Noticing the look on Professor Grint’s face, Professor Divert spoke up with his mouth slightly agape.

“Could he have a talent for this as well?”

“…”

Professor Grint didn’t respond to Divert’s excited voice, lost in thought. Instead, he turned his attention back to Han Siha, who was focused on his task.

With an unwavering focus, Han Siha struck the scarecrow repeatedly, without distraction.

Unyielding stamina.

Boundless magic power.

And the quick judgment he had shown before.

If theory held, this boy had the potential to become the best mage.

—

It wasn’t just the professors who were keeping an eye on Han Siha.

The other students training alongside him kept sneaking glances at him.

Honestly… he stood out too much.

That guy was hitting the scarecrow with an almost absurd intensity.

“Ugh!”

Whack!

Solia glanced at Han Siha and clicked her tongue. Nearly an hour had passed, and he hadn’t taken a single break.

Even though Solia herself was progressing faster than most, thanks to her practical experience, she was dumbfounded by his sheer perseverance.

Han Siha had worn out the scarecrow even more than Lee Han.

His determined eyes looked as if he might split the scarecrow in half at any moment.

In fact, he was nearly done.

At this rate, Han Siha would be the first in the second year to finish.

It was astonishing. When he had saved her from the cursed tree, Han Siha’s physical abilities hadn’t seemed particularly impressive.

Hadn’t he been unable to dodge the tree’s attacks that were so easy to predict, getting flung away?

If he was attacking this relentlessly, he should have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

Just how many sides of yourself are there that I don’t know?

Why does he feel so unfamiliar every time I see him?

Solia murmured to herself as she stared intently at Han Siha.

The questions in her mind swirled.

Was Han Siha always this serious about training?

His relentless demonstrations all day and his extreme focus were a bit surprising.

Even his expression had changed.

His eyes held a solemnity as if he were heading into battle.

Clearly, something must have triggered this change.

There was no other explanation for such a drastic transformation.

What could it have been?

And then—

Crack!

Finally, a loud cracking sound echoed across the training ground.

It came from where Han Siha was.

The scarecrow in front of him had toppled over.

“Ah….”

Han Siha should have been pleased, but instead, he walked toward Professor Grint with a grim expression.

“Han Siha, you’re the first to finish.”

The students who had collapsed on the ground began to murmur in disbelief.

Reactions of shock spread through the group.

“Already?”

“Did he really just keep hitting it without a break?”

“Did he do that without using magic?”

“No way, that’s impossible.”

Han Siha was already briskly walking away from the training ground.

He had already made it that far.

Solia threw down her wooden sword and followed after Han Siha.

“Han Siha!”

She didn’t know what it was, but she wanted to understand the reason behind his intense demeanor.

If the most recent major event in his life was the kidnapping incident, then maybe… Han Siha, who lacked combat experience, could have been left with bad memories from it.

Perhaps his desperation when he held a sword came from the trauma of that incident.

If so, she wanted to help.

She couldn’t explain why, but something compelled her to follow him.

“Why?”

Han Siha frowned when he saw Solia standing in front of him.

His intense gaze turned toward her.

He was always smiling and carefree, but she had never seen this look in his eyes before, and it caught her off guard.

Was he on the verge of snapping from being disturbed at the peak of his concentration?

Had she interrupted his training?

Solia spoke with an apologetic tone.

“Um…”

Just as she was about to apologize, Han Siha cut her off with a cold voice.

“Move. I’m hungry.”

She was sure she had disturbed him, and that’s why he was upset.

She had broken his concentration, no doubt because of her.

Wait, what did he just say?

“You’re hungry?”

Solia watched in a daze as Han Siha walked away.

He was moving faster than anyone.

With all the strength he could muster…

He was sprinting toward the cafeteria.