The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 97

It was around this time that a massive paper review was conducted by the Magic Department.

This came after a major scandal in the Ardel Empire, where it was discovered that someone in a high-ranking position had obtained their professorship through a fraudulent thesis.

The empire was turned upside down, and as a result, the Magic Department began scrutinizing papers with unprecedented strictness.

Papers were rejected for being unnecessary, for lacking nutritional value—basically, they were getting axed left and right.

With such a stringent review process, the professors at Ardel Academy were all on edge, and Han Si-hyuk was no exception.

Han Si-hyuk possessed the innate talent of a seer, but having dropped out of Ardel Academy, his theoretical foundation was weak.

This could have been due to the fact that he was a bastard child or because he simply wasn’t interested.

I didn’t know the details, but one thing was clear: Han Si-hyuk’s research wasn’t up to the standards of the Magic Department.

He was stronger in intuition than in theory.

“…How do you know that?”

“I just guessed.”

Han Si-hyuk’s face twisted in displeasure.

I smiled and added fuel to the fire. It was like fanning the flames in a burning house.

“Is it true? Did they cut off your funding too?”

“Y-you’re spouting nonsense.”

“Nonsense that seems pretty credible. You do seem a bit light in the pockets today.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Your research topic is pathetic, and your assumptions are wildly off base. You’re jumping to conclusions.”

Han Si-hyuk gritted his teeth and turned his head.

He still wanted to maintain his dignity, but it was clear from his expression that he had already fallen into the trap. I decided to throw in another jab.

“Why are you even here?”

“Do I need your permission to visit Ardel Academy?”

No, not at all.

“Don’t tell me you’re here to find a professor willing to co-author a paper with you?”

“…!”

“Come on, as if.”

It was just a shot in the dark, but it hit the mark.

Han Si-hyuk, who excelled in practical matters, likely came to Ardel to persuade a professor in a similar situation to collaborate on a paper.

I had wondered why he showed up here out of the blue at this time.

“Ugh.”

Yoon Haul seemed to sense that my guess was correct, as she stifled a laugh.

Han Si-hyuk clenched his fists, his face reddening to the point of almost glowing.

He was really angry. If he were a mage instead of a seer, he probably would’ve blasted me on the spot.

Well, too bad.

All the magical talent went to me.

“You little….”

“Good luck with your co-authoring. As long as you can pass with such a shady tactic.”

“Hey!”

Just as Han Si-hyuk was about to grab me by the collar—

Oh?

Right on time, Professor Ernst appeared, walking down the hallway toward us.

I stood up and naturally moved toward him.

“Hey… hey!”

“Ah, Professor.”

“…?”

“The research is coming along well, thanks to your guidance.”

“Is that the presentation you mentioned? The one for the contest?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure to win the grand prize, thanks to your support.”

I turned back to see Han Si-hyuk, who had gone from being fuming mad to completely invisible.

He was standing there, trembling, as he watched me sweetly talking to the professor.

It must have been a shock to him, seeing me switch so quickly from tormenting him to smiling at the professor.

He might find it surprising, but this is a passive skill all grad students have.

“This… this is….”

The usually stern gaze that he had was now trembling with disbelief.

As a final touch, I waved at Han Si-hyuk to rile him up even more.

“….”

I could almost hear his teeth grinding.

The effect was perfect.

I kept my eyes on Han Si-hyuk as I slammed the door shut behind me.

* * *

As soon as the door closed, Professor Ernst looked at me with interest.

I thought he might ask about the research topic for the presentation or the current state of the lab, but his question was entirely unexpected.

“Is he your older brother?”

He must be referring to Han Si-hyuk, even without specifying.

The rumor must have already spread through Ardel Academy. It wasn’t something I could hide anyway.

Han Si-hyuk was constantly in and out of the academy as an employee of the Magic Department, and in such a tight-knit community, word was bound to get around.

I figured the fact that he was a bastard was probably common knowledge by now too.

While no one would outright confront someone from the Magic Department, I suspected that some of the aristocratic professors would still look down on him.

It’s going to be a tough path for him. Not that it’s any of my concern.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

There was no point in hiding it.

Professor Ernst nodded and clicked his tongue.

“I had a hunch.”

It seemed he had witnessed our rather childish spat from beginning to end.

Professor Ernst’s expression turned serious.

“Do you know what it means to be brothers?”

“Huh?”

That came out of nowhere.

A truly unexpected question.

Especially since Han Si-hyuk isn’t even my real brother. I don’t have any siblings at all.

Maybe the professor felt too sorry for the sad sight of us bickering like children.

We didn’t even fight that badly today. I wonder what he would’ve said if he had seen me beat Han Si-hyuk to a pulp last time.

I decided to preempt whatever lecture he was about to give.

“Yes, I’ll be more mindful in the future since people are watching…”

But why does the professor’s gaze seem so intense?

“Brothers,” Professor Ernst said, cutting me off and clasping his hands together.

Then, he said something completely unexpected.

“…Are meant to be defeated.”

Ah, right. This guy.

He really doesn’t get along with Professor Grint.

* * *

“I think that’s enough about that.”

“Ah.”

Fortunately, he didn’t give me any special strategies on how to beat Han Si-hyuk.

He just said that one line and left it at that.

Honestly, it’s not something an educator should say.

Telling a middle schooler to defeat their older brother—what kind of lesson is that?

If you think about it, this family feud is probably due to Professor Ernst’s temperament rather than Professor Grint’s.

Professor Grint doesn’t seem like the type to provoke first.

That’s just a reasonable suspicion.

Professor Ernst cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“How are the preparations for the camping trip going? I heard it’s next week.”

I nodded reflexively at his gentle tone.

Come to think of it, there was a camping trip coming up.

Being worn out from working in Professor Ernst’s lab almost made me forget about one of the most important events at Ardel Academy.

The academy’s traditional second-semester event.

It’s a camping trip to the outskirts of the Ardel Empire, conducted with the class right above ours.

In simple terms, it’s something like an MT (Membership Training) or a school trip, but with a bit of an evaluation system mixed in.

During the camping trip, we’re given various missions to complete, and the third-year students evaluate our performance.

The results contribute to a grade bonus, and the weight of this bonus is significant, so it’s not something to be ignored.

The theme is usually survival.

In the harsh outskirts of Ardel, teams are formed, and students are essentially thrown into the wild to survive.

It’s a group evaluation, but the unique aspect is that we have to offer a portion of our food to the third-year students as tribute.

Despite the seniors bringing their own supplies, they still insist on taking food from the starving second-years.

I don’t know whose bright idea that was, but it’s definitely a unique one.

So the seniors get to sit back, relax, and enjoy a few comfortable days while we second-years struggle through the ordeal.

This year, as a second-year, it’s my turn to face the hardships of the camping trip.

Professor Ernst, oblivious to all this, chuckled heartily and commented,

“There probably haven’t been many opportunities for the two grades to interact. This camping trip should be a good chance to collaborate.”

“Of course, Professor. I’m really looking forward to it.”

It’s more likely to be exploitation than collaboration.

“I think it will be a great opportunity, and since you’re participating, I expect you to achieve excellent results.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Just as I was mentally preparing myself for the added pressure, Professor Ernst’s next words took me by surprise with their unexpected practicality.

“The terrain in the outskirts of Ardel is quite dry. The right side is a desert. So it would be wise to set up camp on the left side as soon as the trip starts.”

I vaguely remembered this detail from the original story, but I couldn’t recall it specifically. This was useful advice.

I listened intently as Professor Ernst continued to offer tips.

Aside from a few students who were close with the seniors, most students likely wouldn’t know much about the terrain where the camping trip would take place.

But Professor Ernst, being as enthusiastic as ever, provided advice that went beyond what was necessary.

“Fire is essential for survival. It would be good to have someone with fire or water magic in your group…”

“I have Basilus.”

“Oh.”

“And Closty.”

“So you’re planning to handle everything on your own, I see.”

“That’s right, Professor.”

He continued to give advice on forming teams.

Most of it was information I already knew from the original story, but it was still valuable to be reminded.

“Thank you, Professor.”

It was all very helpful.

* * *

On the day of the camping trip, we arrived at Keisha Plains, a regular spot for these outings in the outskirts of the Ardel Empire.

To the left was the dense forest Professor Ernst had mentioned, and to the right was an open plain, which led to the desert if you ventured a bit further.

Of course, we weren’t thrown into the wild immediately.

Today was the first day, meant for orientation and group bonding before the real evaluation began.

The third-year students, maintaining a strict atmosphere, shouted orders.

“Hey, everyone, gather in the middle!”

This was a student-led camping trip, with no professors around.

For safety reasons, the professors had some oversight, but at least on the surface, it was entirely under student control.

And, as is always the case in such situations, there was a senior ready to take charge.

“Hey! Everyone, stand in line properly!”

The voice was so loud it practically shook the ground.

The second-years froze in fear.

Even the clueless ones who had been chattering in the back quickly shut their mouths.

I didn’t know his face, but his behavior made it easy to guess.

The one standing in the center, already losing his temper, was Kassan.

He was the head of the third-year Magic Department and a mage specializing in sound wave magic. He must have used his magic to amplify his voice.

What is he, a walking loudspeaker?

Even Basilus was startled.

“Coo! Too loud!”

Basilus puffed up, clearly upset. I barely managed to hold him back before he caused a scene.

Please, don’t cause trouble here.

“If you don’t want to lose points, you better listen up, you brats.”

“…Yes.”

The reason I remembered Kassan’s name, even though he was a third-year in the original story, was simple.

He was notorious for harassing the younger students during the camping trip, only to get utterly humiliated by Lee Han later.

He was like me—or rather, like the original Han Siha.

A one-off villain who throws tantrums for no reason.

The problem is that there are actually a lot of people like him in real life.

While he wasn’t a difficult opponent, his personality was certainly irritating.

He was someone who acted on impulse, letting his authority dictate his actions, and he was in a particularly bad mood today.

Or rather, he was feeling insecure.

The third-years at Ardel Academy didn’t particularly like the second-years.

You might wonder why they’d dislike us when we hardly interacted, but insecurity is a far more powerful emotion than most people realize.

The second-year class at Ardel Academy, home to most of the story’s protagonists, had an unusually high concentration of talented individuals.

The third-years couldn’t help but compare themselves to us.

Today was likely the day they had been waiting to vent their frustrations.

Kassan continued with a frown.

“I can’t believe how sloppy you all are. Where’s your focus? Tomorrow is the first day of survival training, and you look like you’re not even prepared. At this rate, there won’t even be an evaluation.”

A tense silence fell over the camp.

Kassan sighed in disbelief, pressing his temples.

“Back in my day… we’d send slackers like you packing.”

Is that really something a sixteen-year-old should be saying?

“Hey, you in the back! You think you can get away with slacking off? Back in my day, we wouldn’t even find your bones.”

Dude, if you’re going to talk about “back in the day,” shouldn’t you be referring to your time as a sperm?

You haven’t even lived long enough to see the world change twice, so what’s with the ‘back in my day’ nonsense?

Man, this is ridiculous.

How did my life come to this, where I have to listen to a sixteen-year-old lecture about the good old days?

It’s so absurd it’s not even making me angry; it’s just laughable.

“Hey, are you even listening?!”

“Yes, sir!”

Kassan’s sharp gaze turned towards me as he noticed my expression souring.

“What are you staring at, punk? You got a problem?”

“Yes.”

Ah, I accidentally let my true feelings slip.

I quickly added more to smooth over the now-icy atmosphere.

Uh-oh.

“Just a little?”

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