The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 32

“…A genius, perhaps?”

Adela sat alone in the quiet research lab, deep in thought. The decision to send her here after noticing the lights in the lab was a sharp one.

Even though the distance made the sound faint, she had clearly seen it earlier—the explosion beyond the building where the experiment was located.

If waking Frankenstein today was the culprit’s plan, it would be strange that nothing had exploded in the lab by now.

There was no way the culprit wouldn’t come after sensing something was off.

The fact that Han Siha had thought of this in such a short time was impressive.

He’s no ordinary person.

She wondered if his entire act of pretending to be interested in necromancy throughout the first year was part of his plan.

“No way.”

But now wasn’t the time to be musing over that. Adela straightened her posture and glanced at the clock.

“It’s about time.”

It was clear that this wasn’t the work of a student; it had to be one of the professors. But who could it be?

Could it be Professor Ernst?

That was Adela’s guess.

Even showing up at the back of the mountain could have been a form of reconnaissance. The lights in the lab being on might also be a trap.

While Han Siha seemed to trust him, Adela didn’t.

That sly old fox, pretending to be oblivious while hiding something so dangerous in his lab, casually strolling around the school…

He probably believed he was untouchable by students, but today was the day to deliver a sharp blow to the back of his head.

As Adela mumbled to herself, she suddenly heard footsteps echoing down the quiet hallway.

“Huh.”

Adela quickly ducked as the door to the lab creaked open, and a man in a suit stepped in.

“…Oh.”

Standing there was an unexpected figure, not the Professor Ernst she had anticipated.

“Professor Divert Grunui?”

***

Whoosh—

Adela’s body was lifted into the air and then slammed down hard.

Without even a chance to scream, Adela instinctively scrambled backward.

“I didn’t expect to find a rat hiding here.”

If Professor Ernst was known for his gentle strictness, Professor Divert Grunui had the image of an angel.

He was the professor in charge of hydrology, a grandfatherly figure who taught the younger students and was a steadfast pillar of Ardel Academy for decades.

So why was someone like him here?

Adela’s mind was racing with questions.

“This makes no sense…”

The professor’s angelic face twisted into something sinister as he looked down at Adela, his voice low and menacing.

“How did you know?”

“Gah…”

Adela struggled against the force choking her. Even when she had been ensnared by the demon tree, it hadn’t been this terrifying.

Her throat burned with searing pain as she desperately pulled herself free.

Professor Divert Grunui watched her with gleaming eyes.

She had managed to break free of his curse.

An impressive talent indeed.

Though it seemed she wouldn’t live long enough to see that talent fully realized.

He smirked as he raised his staff.

“Agh!”

A spell tripped Adela as she tried to flee.

Like being dragged by ropes, Adela was pulled across the floor with a wave of Professor Divert’s hand.

“Whatever you were thinking, it was a short-sighted plan.”

“Ugh, the only one short-sighted here is you, Professor. Did you really think you’d never get caught?”

At Adela’s defiant words, Professor Divert shrugged casually.

“Who knows? I was hoping at least one clever student would catch on.”

“…What are you saying?”

“It doesn’t matter; I can just kill you anyway.”

A curse-infused spell struck Adela’s right arm.

“Ahhh…!”

There was no way he could let her live.

So, there was no harm in telling her the bleak truth.

Professor Divert chuckled and leisurely clasped his hands behind his back.

“I planned to blow up this lab tonight anyway. Even if my research is discovered, won’t Professor Ernst take the fall?”

“Hah…”

“Your genius talent is a pity, but… it wouldn’t be so bad if you blew up along with this lab.”

When he discovered Frankenstein missing during his visit to the lab, he had grabbed his staff and returned. It seemed he had anticipated someone hiding and had come back to check.

Professor Divert glanced around at the hastily repaired wooden boards, then pointed the tip of his staff at Adela’s throat.

“Where did you hide my experiment?”

“You think I’d tell you that?”

She was stubborn, as expected, but even more so than he had anticipated.

Professor Divert muttered under his breath and threw Adela against the wall.

“Ugh!”

Adela, now slumped against the wall, gritted her teeth and glared at Professor Divert with a murderous gaze.

Noticing something off in her expression, Professor Divert frowned and issued a low warning.

Glance.

Glance.

Adela’s eyes kept darting to the space behind him.

“What have you been looking at since earlier—”

Wait, what?

Crash.

“Ugh!”

The door burst open with a loud bang, revealing a familiar face.

Startled by the sudden attack, Professor Divert scrambled to his feet.

It was Han Siha, the only student who had solved the advanced hydrology problems and had always been a thorn in his side.

And behind him were faces that should never have been there.

Professor Ernst, whom he had planned to frame, and Ardel Academy’s Dean Ernest.

“Hey, I kept my promise, didn’t I?”

Han Siha grinned and called out to Adela, who was lying on the floor.

He extended a hand and helped her up.

“You’re late, you idiot!”

“Hey, I made it while you’re still alive, didn’t I?”

Though their reunion was touching, the scene on the other side was even more so.

Han Siha clicked his tongue as he turned to look at Professor Divert.

Professor Divert, his lips trembling with shock, collapsed on the spot.

“D-Dean?”

***

“For conducting forbidden research within the sacred grounds of this academy…”

“For the crime of intending to harm students…”

“And for the crime of plotting all this while still being an educator.”

Dean Ernest spoke in a low, measured voice, listing Professor Divert Grunui’s crimes one by one.

The students, their faces etched with shock, looked up at the professor, who now knelt before them, bound and humiliated.

His vacant eyes, stripped of even the anger and desire for revenge, finally met mine.

The magical power that once overwhelmed me—now it would never be used to harm another, as his mana heart had been destroyed.

He should be grateful that he was spared execution, though the destruction of a mage’s mana heart was effectively a death sentence.

Moreover, he was exiled not just from Ardel Academy, but from the entire Ardel Empire.

There was no return for him.

His gaze seemed to hold regret, but I felt no pity.

The sins Dean Ernest listed were all crimes Divert committed with his own hands.

Was gaining such power worth harming the students he once taught?

Even if he attained that wretched power, what would it change?

“You’ve heard the charges. Now, let the exile proceed.”

“Take him away!”

The unusually cold voice of Dean Ernest echoed through the hall, and two large enforcers began dragging Professor Divert Grunui out.

“Of all people… Professor Divert…”

“I can’t believe it.”

“This can’t be happening.”

“There must be some mistake.”

The students, in a state of panic, shook their heads and muttered in disbelief.

It was hard for them to accept. I had only known the man for a few weeks, but for them, he was a respected teacher for one, two years, maybe even longer.

Adela, standing beside me, was still in shock.

“I thought it was Professor Ernst.”

Given the circumstances, it was understandable for Adela to suspect him.

All signs pointed to Professor Ernst being the culprit. Even I, who had read the original story, never considered Divert as a suspect.

“I never imagined it would be Professor Divert…”

Adela’s voice trembled slightly.

She harbored a deep hatred for dark wizards.

I didn’t know the exact reason, but something must have happened to justify it.

Her fists were trembling.

“Do you feel betrayed?”

I asked Adela, expecting her to nod. But her response surprised me.

“No, I feel ashamed.”

Ashamed that she hadn’t realized.

Ashamed that she hadn’t figured it out despite being close to him.

Adela was burdened with guilt.

Even though none of this was her fault, her motivation for helping me likely stemmed from the same source.

Adela harbored an inexplicable sense of responsibility when it came to dark magic.

A vengeful desire to punish them herself.

The source of this remained a mystery, hidden among the unresolved threads of the story.

Moments like this made me lament that the original story was unfinished.

Had I known, perhaps I could have eased her unease.

I gave a small smile and said to Adela:

“It’s only natural that you didn’t know.”

After all, I don’t think even the author knew.

If I remember correctly, Professor Divert was barely mentioned in the original work. It seems like the author just forgot about the clues they had planted.

…It’s frustrating.

Now I’m the one picking up the pieces the author left behind.

Of course, I couldn’t tell her that the author likely had no idea either, so I replaced it with something more plausible.

“Even devils can look ordinary on the surface.”

“Not even a god could have known that Professor Divert was one of those devils.”

Adela turned to me with a faint, unreadable smile.

“It’s only natural not to know. That’s what it means to be human.”

I offered her a calm reassurance.

* * *

Professor Divert Grunui was never seen again. Though his final, pathetic exit was vivid in our memories, no one spoke of it.

Rumors spread that he had become a simpleton after his mana heart was destroyed.

Given the half-crazed look in his eyes, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

As someone who had been so well-liked among the students, the academy remained unusually somber.

Originally, this was a light episode where the protagonist defeated a monster on campus and moved on. I never expected such a dark backstory to be hidden behind it.

If my memory serves correctly, Professor Divert’s true nature was never revealed in the original story. He was such an insignificant character that he was likely forgotten.

The main storyline didn’t focus on the hydrology professor, and his name wasn’t mentioned after the second year.

It was only a minor character that I had stumbled upon. But why does this feel so unsettling?

‘A kid who brazenly walked into a dark wizard’s den, pretending to be some kind of righteous savior?’

‘Pathetic fools. Do they really think they’ll survive?’

The bitter words he spat out didn’t match his normally kind face.

“A dark mage’s den…”

Those weren’t words spoken without reason.

He knew everything. I don’t know when he found out, but by now, that organization must have heard the news too.

A second-year student who not only escaped from their lair but also humiliated one of their pawns.

Wow, I should consider myself lucky to still have my head on my shoulders.

* * *

“Recently, there have been several unfortunate incidents.”

Professor Grint, who had begun the morning assembly while cautiously watching the students, spoke in a heavy tone.

None of the students knew the full story, but it seemed they couldn’t let it pass without some explanation.

“I hope the students of Ardel Academy’s magic department will not be swayed by evil and will grow into fine wizards.”

“Yes, Professor!”

“That will be all for today.”

Clap, clap, clap.

An awkward applause broke the silence.

As soon as Professor Grint stepped down from the podium, sharp gazes turned in my direction.

“The first person they should kick out… isn’t it him?”

Seymour Parker.

Having become the superstar of the necromancy department, he confidently strutted into the magic department’s classroom, followed by a group of cronies.

“Is he insane?”

We’ve never gotten along, and he knows it.

Coming here on his own is audacious, to say the least.

He was the rival who clashed with Lee Han, and a major villain.

Seymour Parker, the top student in necromancy, was the only one among the top first-year students who advanced to that department.

Adela was visibly annoyed that Seymour Parker showed up at this particular moment.

Of course, I had no desire to get involved with him either, so I shared her sentiment.

But then…

Knock, knock, knock.

He knocked on the door and then, with his arms crossed, called out in a loud voice.

“Is Han Siha here?”

Why is he looking for me?

That lunatic.

—

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