The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 35

“Hello, I’m Natalie.”

Natalie is a character who doesn’t have much of a connection with Han Siha. After all, could there have ever been a time when Han Siha, known for his gloomy demeanor, and Natalie, the ideal of many, were together?

If any of their classmates from their first year at the academy had seen them now, they would have rubbed their eyes at the awkward sight.

Natalie greeted me with a bright smile.

Since we’re in the same magic department, I figured we might run into each other eventually.

I didn’t expect it to be here, but I have a sense of why she’s here.

No matter what anyone says, Natalie was born with a good-natured soul.

There was only one reason she would come here of her own accord.

‘Is she Ernest’s spy?’

* * *

Natalie sat down in front of Han Siha, smiling brightly. Her role was to assist Han Siha while also keeping an eye on him.

‘It was surprising that it was Han Siha, of all people, but…’

She had no choice but to acknowledge Han Siha’s skills after last year’s anatomy practical.

The speed and accuracy with which he identified the core points.

In his collaboration with Solia, he actually demonstrated skills that surpassed hers.

Although his mana manipulation was significantly lacking compared to other students, after hearing about the incident with Professor Divert Grunui, her perspective changed.

‘It wasn’t Adela who caught him, but Han Siha?’

Setting a trap and taking down Professor Divert’s Frankenstein, calling the dean to save Adela—all of this was his doing.

‘Han Siha….’

She thought she knew enough about him over the past year, but she was wrong.

And on top of that, it was the plan of no one other than Dean Ernest.

She firmly believed in Dean Ernest’s judgment, so she decided to follow it.

Natalie took a sip of hot tea, mulling over Dean Ernest’s words.

‘Han Siha won’t know about your role, so there’s no need to reveal it. In fact, it’s better not to.’

‘Don’t you trust him, Dean?’

‘Of course, I trust him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have entrusted him with this.’

More than that, to deceive your enemies, you must also deceive your allies.

Dean Ernest ended his instructions with those words.

‘I think Natalie will do a great job.’

Of course, Dean!

Natalie clenched her fist, her eyes sparkling.

Across from her sat Han Siha, deeply focused on reading the forbidden books that Seymour had left behind.

Natalie cautiously spoke.

“Uh, Han Siha?”

“What?”

“Why did you join this club?”

Han Siha closed the cursed magic book and looked up at the ceiling, where water had been dripping.

“It’s leaking.”

“You joined because it’s leaking? That’s a really clumsy reason.”

“Huh?”

Han Siha seemed lost for words, scratching his head as he thought.

“I had a reason to join.”

“A reason?”

“I want to research properly and hit the jackpot. What about you?”

What is he talking about?

Natalie, puzzled by his cryptic words, stood up abruptly and clenched her fists.

“Me! I love dark magic! I’m totally captivated by this eerie atmosphere. And I absolutely adore my research subjects…!”

“That’s a dead rat.”

“I’m also very interested in cursed magic, and ever since I was young, I’ve always been excited whenever I saw blood. It thrills me…!”

“…You might need to see a doctor for that.”

How honest.

Han Siha nodded slowly, suppressing his laughter.

How did she manage to get in here with just that level of acting? It’s a commendable effort, but she’s about 2% short.

“I understand very well how you got in. But I think you missed something, so I’ll let you know.”

“Missed something?”

Han Siha stood up and lightly tapped Natalie on the head.

“What does this mean?”

Natalie, her hair now disheveled, looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

That clumsy act might have fooled their peers, but it didn’t fool him.

He found Natalie’s flushed face and passionate speech rather cute.

Han Siha smiled softly and calmly spoke.

“I’m already ahead of you.”

Natalie froze on the spot, her face turning red.

Could it be that I…

“…Was it really that obvious?”

* * *

The Magic Department, which studies white magic, and the Necromancy Department, which studies black magic.

It goes without saying that their relationship has been strained for a long time.

They’re practically at each other’s throats just by looking at one another.

But since they can’t brawl every day at school, the competition was established as an annual event.

The competition between the Magic Department and the Necromancy Department is one of the major events at Ardel Academy.

“There are a lot of people here today, huh?”

Finally, the long-awaited day of the second-year students’ competition arrived.

The intense atmosphere wasn’t just because of the students from the Magic and Necromancy Departments; even students from other departments gathered in large numbers.

“Do you think we’ll win again this time?”

“Stop bragging. Your wand might as well be glued to your mouth.”

“We always win in the Magic-Necromancy competition.”

“It’s a Necro-Magic competition, actually. Get the name order right.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Watching them bicker like that before even entering the arena says it all.

They were already dragging a group back who had clashed with the Necromancy students.

“Hey… Hey… What’s up!”

“Why are you acting so childish over there?”

“We need to make sure to suppress them from the start. They lose every year, seriously.”

While it’s true that the Magic Department has won the event every year, it seems they’re well-prepared this year.

Underestimating them might lead to trouble.

Mumbling quietly as I pulled Basilus away from biting down on the end of a wand, Won spoke with a pout.

“Make sure to win. You know we have to beat the Necromancy Department, right?”

Like how we have to win the annual rivalry game, or something like that.

Tap, tap.

Nodding at Won’s words, I stood up.

While I had fought monsters before, this was almost my first time fighting against people.

I didn’t expect to get a chance, but here I was, chosen due to the specific positions that needed to be filled.

Is there really such a shortage of skilled Tamers?

Lee Han, Adela, Solia Arkenent, Seymour Parker.

Amidst these stellar lineups, my name stood out prominently.

And then.

As soon as I turned my head, a loud scream echoed.

“Han Siha!”

“No way, he just looked over here.”

“Is it true? Really?”

“Ahhh!”

The first row of the spectator stands.

A crowd of our classmates had already gathered in the prime seats with the best view of the competition.

At the very front, Creek and Fabian were glaring at each other.

Creek, still fuming from being humiliated by Seymour last time, shouted in a loud voice.

“Beat the Necromancy Department!”

These were the same guys who had avoided and looked down on me when I first set foot in this school. Now, those very people were raising their voices to cheer me on.

“If you lose, crawl back here on your hands and knees!”

Wait, did that jerk just say…?

“If you lose, don’t even bother coming back… Oh. No, I mean, Han Siha, fighting!”

Creek quickly changed his tune as soon as our eyes met.

Well, I appreciate the support anyway.

With all that passionate cheering, I can’t afford to lose.

A crackling sound came from the speakers, followed by an announcement.

“We will now begin the competition between the Magic Department and the Necromancy Department.”

The word “Magic Department” embedded in the announcement made my heart start racing.

* * *

The Magic-Necromancy competition is strictly position-based. The main objective of the game is to capture and control territories, similar to a game of land grab.

The game involves securing areas A, B, and C while attacking the opponent to gain points.

Solia Arkenent, with her strength in purification, would likely focus on territory control. Adela, the Earth Mage, and Natalie, the Water Mage, would focus more on defense than offense.

As for Lee Han, he’d undoubtedly go on a rampage, taking down Necromancy students left and right.

And me…

“Basilus!”

I guess I’m playing the role of Basilus’ guardian.

…which sounds a bit underwhelming.

I dashed through the dense bushes, leaving the Magic Department’s area behind.

My role was to draw attention away from Lee Han, who had likely already infiltrated the enemy territory by now.

As I circled around a large stone wall, I heard voices from the Necromancy students in the distance.

“If we can just keep Lee Han tied down, we’ve got a chance.”

“They all headed that way, right?”

Each team had ten members.

Seeing that there were three here, it seemed like the majority of their forces had indeed moved toward that direction.

Given that Seymour Parker wasn’t here either, it seemed like their strongest members had also left.

Despite being in the middle of a competition, they looked pretty relaxed, chatting casually. They didn’t seem like too tough of opponents.

I whispered to Basilus, who was crouching on my knee.

“Basilus, how about we take care of things from here?”

If we do well, we might be able to secure Zone C.

“koo!”

I pulled a potion out of my bag and handed it to Basilus. It was a potion that doubled experience for an hour.

Gulp.

Sensing the mana instinctively, Basilus gulped down the blue liquid without hesitation.

Level: 8

Mana: 70

Strength: 77

Agility: 40

Intelligence: 18

[Flame Breath Lv 3][Mana Shield Lv 1][Poison Resistance Lv 3][Flame Vortex Lv 3][Double Experience Passive]

Temporarily, his strength, agility, and intelligence increased as well. For the price, the effect was excellent.

“Alright.”

As I stood up with Basilus, who was grimacing from the bitter taste, some familiar faces slowly approached.

“Hey. You’re Han Siha, right?”

It was one of the lackeys we encountered in the underground cave two days ago. His wary eyes quickly softened.

“I thought you were another Magic Department student. You were hiding like a rat.”

“Quick on the uptake. I thought you guys weren’t paying attention to this side.”

“Your dragon kind of stands out.”

“Oh, so that was the trap.”

I looked at him with a smirk.

Judging by his friendly demeanor, he didn’t seem to have any intention of fighting.

If it had been Seymour Parker, he would’ve thrown a punch without a second thought. But these guys lacked both a clear goal and the guts.

It was almost disappointing how unserious they were in this supposedly prestigious competition.

“Let’s take it easy, like friends. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you. How about we just pretend to fight a bit?”

Do these guys not realize this is being broadcast outside?

One of the grinning lackeys extended his hand as if to seal the deal with a handshake.

“There’s no need for us to actually fight, right?”

“Exactly, you’re Han Siha, after all.”

“Right?”

“Yeah, totally.”

Hmph.

“Besides, if the three of us fight, you’ll be at a disadvantage. Let’s just let it slide, alright?”

Should I really bother humoring these halfwits?

Hmm.

Should I?

I think your tear-jerking display of friendship has been communicated clearly enough.

Now it’s time to give my response.

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

“…Huh?”

“They say kids become friends by fighting.”

Swish.

I shoved my staff against his shoulder with a grin.

Even if Han Siha couldn’t properly wield mana.

Even if I couldn’t cast advanced spells like a real Tamer.

I’m good at pouring all my mana into a single attack.

“Gyaaah!”

The guy in the middle was sent flying in an arc, disappearing in an instant.