The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 220

Han Si-hyuk stared at Sepia with an unreadable expression.

After a moment of hesitation, Sepia’s lips twitched as if she was about to say something, then she smiled lightly.

“What kind of person is your younger brother?”

Under different circumstances, this might have seemed like a casual question born out of mere curiosity.

However, considering who was asking, it was not a question to be taken lightly.

The woman before him was not just his savior; she was a dark sorceress.

A dark sorceress asking about his brother’s whereabouts.

For a split second, Han Si-hyuk’s face turned cold.

“…”

Sepia, unsure how to continue, awkwardly added.

“I saw him at the symposium that time, and he really resembles you. Ah, do siblings not like hearing things like that?”

“We’re not blood-related, so it’s fine.”

“Oh, I see.”

Sepia lowered her gaze, nodding slightly.

The seasoned seer had probably already grasped her true intentions perfectly.

She had tried to probe for information about Han Siha but had failed.

With silence settling over them, Sepia shut her mouth tightly.

It was Han Si-hyuk who spoke first.

In a low voice, he asked her.

“…Do you need him right now?”

“Pardon?”

“If not, do you wish he would just die?”

Sepia froze at Han Si-hyuk’s direct question.

Han Si-hyuk’s calm eyes stared straight at her.

“You asked what kind of person he is.”

It was as if Han Si-hyuk was willing to answer that question, and he spoke in a composed voice.

“He’s rude, arrogant, and lives basking in his own greatness…”

“But he’s actually quite capable, smart, kind, and knows how to take care of his own.”

A certain fraud of a prophet once said that he would kill Han Siha.

Without knowing whether that prophecy was true or false, Han Si-hyuk had been bound for years.

He had been hated without reason, blamed himself, and was constantly on the run.

He didn’t want to live like that anymore, so Han Si-hyuk added with a sad smile.

“I’m tired of a life shackled by these awful prophecies.”

So, please.

“Don’t use me for that boy’s death.”

A wave of guilt and sorrow surged within him.

Knowing they were walking different paths and couldn’t be together, their relationship was doomed to parallel lines that would never meet.

And because of that, he felt sorry.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Han Si-hyuk… I’m really sorry…”

Sepia crumbled at Han Si-hyuk’s response.

* * *

My head feels like it’s going to split open.

I’ve been so exhausted that it seems like the clock hands are spinning backward, and my accumulated fatigue has long since shut down any normal thinking processes.

This is the third day since I locked myself in the library on the first floor of Ardel.

“…I’m seriously going to die.”

Thankfully, my physical age is sixteen; otherwise, I would have collapsed long ago.

I’ve pulled all-nighters for three days straight, staring at an idea draft that’s still far from complete.

With Abaddon starting to act in earnest and the war that marks the end of Part 1 in the original storyline just around the corner, there were a few things I had planned in preparation for the upcoming battle.

First off, the cube detector.

It works by detecting the unique mana field of the cube and tracking its location.

If smartphones can be tracked, why not a cube?

That was my ambitious thought, but then I hit a very realistic problem: How do you make GPS in a world where even launching satellites is impossible?

Yeah, if I could do that, I would’ve quit being a veterinarian ages ago.

This wasn’t something I could just cover with the vague logic of “because it’s magic” or “because it’s another world,” so I gave up on that.

The second idea was altering the mana circuit.

After racking my brain in prison, I managed to reduce the existing mana level to about one-eighth.

But first, it’s crucial to seize and neutralize his cube.

And finally.

“Ah, this might be a bit tough…”

I admired the flashy design I held in my hand.

Mana rounds. They are loaded and fired, penetrating the target and then exploding.

Since they contain highly concentrated mana, the resulting blast is comparable to a Blast spell in terms of explosive power.

They resemble RPG rounds in their portability, but for a world that has trains and telephones but no modern firearms, it’s a tailored weapon.

Sure, mages can wipe out most things with a wave of their hands, but naturally, there are more regular people who can’t use magic than mages.

I figured that equipping those people with this would increase the odds of winning the war rather than giving them a rusty sword.

“Creating… mana rounds…”

Of course, whether I can actually make this is a problem for later…

I’m tired.

I need sleep.

I rubbed my eyes, covered the design draft, and stood up, planning to head to the dormitory and get some rest.

Then, suddenly.

Thud.

Startled by the sight of blood staining the paper, I raised my head.

Wiping my nose, I noticed blood smearing onto my sleeve.

“Oh.”

A nosebleed.

I had definitely overdone it. After pulling consecutive all-nighters, this was bound to happen.

As I clutched my throbbing head and reached out for a tissue to stop the bleeding, someone suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder.

“…You scared me.”

Solia was looking at me with worried eyes.

She lightly patted my shoulder and said,

“You’ll feel better soon.”

It really worked. My foggy mind cleared up a little.

Even my nosebleed stopped instantly.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to use such expensive healing like that.”

“This is exactly what it’s for.”

I chuckled at Solia’s words. She pretended to pout and added,

“And you’re not supposed to use your brain like that, either.”

It seemed she had been quite worried.

Solia scolded me as she picked up the design draft lying next to us.

Every one of those drafts was a masterpiece.

I was going to show them off anyway, but she started looking at them on her own.

“How is it? Impressive, right?”

“Hmm… It looks kind of complicated.”

Yoon Haul would’ve been all excited and starry-eyed over these drafts.

But Solia’s gaze, devoid of any enthusiasm…

“I don’t understand a single thing.”

I figured as much.

Solia tilted her head but seemed hesitant to put the papers down right away, so she slowly read through the rest of the drafts.

One page, two pages, three pages…

Solia was flipping through the rather thick stack of papers one by one when she suddenly paused as if she had found something.

Hmm? Did something catch her interest?

Just as I looked at Solia with a puzzled expression, an ominous memory flashed through my mind.

“What’s this…? A magic wand?”

“Wait a second!”

I had drawn up a very detailed, pink and sparkly magic wand design for Kloshti’s birthday present, complete with coloring, hadn’t I?

This was bad.

“Can I see it?”

“I’ve already seen it.”

“N-no. Just give it back!”

It seemed it was too late to recover.

Solia looked at me with a doubtful expression and asked.

“…Is this your taste?”

“No!”

“But your face says otherwise…?”

What does my face look like?!

Hey, hey, put that down already.

“I made it for Kloshti. She really wanted one.”

“How’s Ptera supposed to carry a wand?”

“You… That’s discrimination against Pteras.”

It might sound like an excuse, but it’s true.

Kloshti really wanted a wand after seeing mine, so I was planning to make one for her.

She knows how to handle a wand, too. She keeps grabbing mine and swinging it around, breaking windows and everything.

Anyway, I designed it to suit Kloshti’s taste, all pink and sparkly with gemstones since she loves anything that glitters.

But now, it was being mistaken for my taste.

Solia tried to smooth over the situation with an awkward smile.

“I get it. I heard somewhere… real men wear pink.”

“If I carried that around, I’d be labeled a nutcase.”

“If I carried it, they’d think I was nuts too…”

Ahem.

Solia cleared her throat and politely corrected herself.

“Yeah, people might think it’s a little weird.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not mine!”

“Then what’s this design for?!”

Flap, flap—

Solia waved the design in the air with a cheeky grin.

The smile on her lips seemed suspicious. It didn’t feel like she was genuinely shocked by the magic wand design, but more like…

“Who would’ve thought Han Siha liked things like this…”

H-hey, hey!

At first, I thought she genuinely believed it, but now it’s obvious she’s teasing me on purpose.

When did that innocent girl turn so mischievous?

No matter how I look at it, I think my over-the-top reactions have made me an easy target for everyone’s jokes.

It feels unfair… but for now, I need to get that paper back.

Solia was clearly teasing me with a feigned wistful expression.

“If you’d like, I could have it prepared as an engagement gift.”

“Hand it over.”

“Should I tell my father about it…?”

“If you do, I’m breaking off the engagement!”

Whack—

I reached out to snatch the design, but Solia’s quick reflexes beat me.

One more try!

Whack—

This time, I stood up and reached further, intending to grab it.

“Got it…”

I succeeded in snatching the design.

“No way!”

Solia, who had intended to tease me a bit longer, reflexively pulled the paper, and since my weight was already tilted forward, I lost my footing.

“Wait, wait…!”

Stumble—

I was about to topple over when Solia’s fast reflexes saved me.

“Whoa!”

“Han Siha!”

Thanks to Solia’s quick reflexes, I didn’t completely fall over.

“Gah!”

I almost fell flat on my face.

Hanging precariously, I let out a sigh of relief and looked up.

Solia was gripping the back of my neck, and I blinked up at her.

It ended up looking like I was being held by the collar, but…

That didn’t seem to be the main issue here.

“Uh… uh…”

The distance between us was… no, it was way too close.

Solia’s startled face, with her eyelids fluttering, filled my view.

“H-Han Siha?”

I could feel Solia’s breath on the tip of my nose.

Her big, bright eyes rolled nervously as her lips quivered. She looked genuinely surprised.

Feeling a mischievous impulse, I grinned slyly.

“This is fine and all, but aren’t you holding on a little too tight?”

The color drained from Solia’s face, which had been so eager to tease me just moments ago.

“S-sorry! I’m sorry!”

Startled, Solia reflexively let go.

Wait, hold on.

Letting go at this moment is—

I-I still haven’t regained my balance!

The grin disappeared from my face.

As my limbs flailed in a belated realization of impending doom, it was already too late.

Thud!

“Oof!”

Why did you really let go when I told you to?!