The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 211

Hop.

Yoon Haul lightly jumped down from the second-floor railing.

It was close to dawn, and no matter how much Kangryung’s group had taken over Building C, she thought she could quietly sneak out without getting caught.

Yes.

…That’s what she thought.

“Huh?”

A shadow cast over her head.

An unpleasant sensation, like her hair standing on end, wrapped around her entire body.

No way.

Yoon Haul slowly lifted her head, feeling a sense of foreboding.

And then,

She came face-to-face with the owner of the shadow.

“…”

A tall figure with an incredibly gentle-looking face, eyes that appeared calm and composed.

If it weren’t for this situation, she would have greeted him warmly—the senior from the fifth year.

Berger from Kangryung’s group was looking down at her.

“Uh, uhh…”

Yoon Haul stuttered involuntarily, caught off guard.

What should she do?

What should she do?

Squeeze.

Yoon Haul, holding Joey tightly in her arms, looked at Berger with wary eyes.

If it were any other member of Kangryung’s group, she would have just dodged and run away.

But why did it have to be Berger…

Why is he here at this time…

This was a situation where nothing good could happen, so Yoon Haul’s expression hardened even further.

Of course, Berger was just as surprised.

Should he call this a coincidence? Or fate?

A person suddenly falling from the sky turned out to be Yoon Haul.

Berger frowned and spoke.

“I was thinking of coming to find you myself, but I didn’t expect you to come to me like this.”

What on earth is he talking about?

Strictly speaking, there was no reason for Berger from Kangryung’s group to have any business with her.

They didn’t have any personal grudges like those from the Magic Department, and the Theology Department wouldn’t have much use for her in this situation.

“Do you… have some business with me?”

Yoon Haul asked with a puzzled expression, and Berger shook his head as if that were correct.

“No.”

“Then…”

Rustle.

Yoon Haul awkwardly picked up her wallet that had fallen to the ground and forced a smile.

“Can I… go back inside now?”

“…”

“I just got lost, you know. Geez. The paths here are so confusing… Ugh, I guess I’m just bad with directions…”

Let’s just get out of here.

Yoon Haul stumbled, pressing her hand to her forehead.

Anyone could tell she was trying to sneak away, and Berger frowned as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Ah… was the path this way…”

Stumble.

Yoon Haul took another step to the side, calculating her options.

If things went south, she was prepared to smack him and run.

‘Can I win if we fight?’

‘Is it worth trying?’

‘No, it’s better to just bolt!’

All these thoughts were interrupted by Berger’s calm voice.

“Stop right there.”

Berger nodded his head, calling Yoon Haul to a halt.

Damn it.

Yoon Haul scrunched up her face and muttered under her breath.

Should she just smack him and run?

As her hand moved toward her staff, Berger was the one who acted first.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to drag you anywhere. I don’t have any business with you, anyway.”

“…”

“But right now, you could make a pretty decent bait.”

Berger calmly turned his gaze elsewhere as he spoke.

Bait?

“What are you trying to catch?”

“There he comes.”

The moment Berger closed his mouth, Yoon Haul turned her head to follow his gaze.

She saw a familiar silhouette approaching from a distance.

“…!”

It was true that she had come running out because she wanted to see him…

But meeting him in this situation felt a bit…

Han Siha was standing there.

‘What the hell?’

“Ah, I’m screwed…”

As soon as Han Siha’s eyes met hers, questioning why she was out here, Yoon Haul awkwardly stepped back, fidgeting as if her feet were prickling.

* * *

Han Siha blinked and stopped in his tracks.

He had indeed come looking for Berger,

And it was true he came to retrieve Yoon Haul.

But…

Why were the two of them together?

This was a strange combination, wasn’t it?

Anyone could see that Yoon Haul looked like she’d been caught trying to escape, while Berger was nonchalantly gazing at him.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Han Siha quickly tried to piece together the situation.

It didn’t seem like the two of them were having a pleasant chat standing side by side, so the chances were high that Yoon Haul had been sneaking out and got caught.

And since things hadn’t escalated yet, it seemed they had only just encountered each other.

‘At least she hasn’t gone crazy yet.’

Having heard from Creek, Han Siha had roughly gauged Berger’s condition, but he looked far better than expected.

At least, for now, he seemed capable of having a rational conversation, so they hadn’t come too late.

And judging by Berger’s gaze, he didn’t seem to hold any ill will toward Han Siha.

Berger had never been the type to have a vicious nature to begin with.

Communication seemed possible.

Han Siha looked at Berger and spoke.

“You said you’re looking for something on this side. Let’s hear what you have to say.”

Berger nodded as if he had been waiting for Han Siha’s words. The staff he had once extended, ready to seize Yoon Haul, had long been lowered.

Both sides needed a conversation.

Han Siha waited for Berger to speak.

“I want to meet the Emperor.”

“That’s quite a demanding request.”

“The Emperor himself can come if he wants.”

“That sounds like you have a death wish.”

“If that’s not possible, then I can use you as bait to get Castica to move.”

Han Siha stared at Berger’s calm eyes.

This wasn’t a threat made out of anger. Berger was a calculating person, and this was likely just one of his many plans.

However, Han Siha shrugged and responded.

“If you capture me, Castica will indeed move… but I doubt it will be in a good way.”

Castica, the Count, would tear down Building C if it meant rescuing him.

Berger didn’t seem to dispute Han Siha’s words, probably finding them reasonable.

Instead, he continued to reiterate his position.

“Frankly, it doesn’t matter who comes. What matters is the outcome. Our demands have been the same from the start.”

Han Siha was already aware.

“To uncover the truth of this incident, to prove Kangryung was not behind it, to be treated equally with other departments, and to lift the restrictions on black magic.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“They were natural demands from the beginning.”

If it were Emperor Linia, not a single one of those demands would be met.

Especially lifting the restrictions on black magic, which would only serve to empower Kangryung further.

But there was no need to provoke Berger by pointing out such a harsh reality.

It was better to highlight the seriousness of the current situation.

Han Siha naturally shifted the topic.

“So, you’re planning to demand all that by casting a magic circle over the entire academy?”

“What?”

“From here to over there. You’ve made it quite large, encircling the whole area.”

“How do you know…?”

“With the stench of blood so strong, it’s impossible not to notice.”

The magic circle was constructed with the blood and lives of every student in Kangryung.

It seemed like they intended to gather all the magic energy in the vicinity for a massive counterattack. It would detonate in response to any attack that didn’t use magic.

They had effectively turned Building C into a barricade, making the entire building a kind of trap.

“At first, you probably started with chickens, then slaughtered pigs, and finally, humans?”

The magic circle, built by sacrificing even their own lives.

It had given them considerable trouble during the initial attacks when it activated.

The good news was that it wasn’t fully completed yet.

Although it would still function to some extent.

This was the reason Han Siha refrained from provoking Berger outright.

If it were someone like Han taesu, they might withstand the backlash, but Han Siha knew he wouldn’t survive an attack that rebounded like a boomerang after converting his magic.

“It’s a sturdy and clever setup, so I doubt it came from your group. Am I right?”

“What are you trying to say? You’ve figured out our plan, so… are you suggesting we just surrender or something?”

“Of course not. As I said, I’m here to talk, not threaten.”

Han Siha rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper.

The edges were slightly tattered, as if torn from a book.

“I won’t beat around the bush. I’m here to tell you to dismantle that magic circle immediately.”

“What?”

They knew it was a dangerous magic circle that required sacrificing lives.

The missing magic energy was likely being compensated by offering up a few lives as sacrifices.

However, there was one fact they likely didn’t know.

“It’s a magic circle that consumes all of its casters.”

They planned to use the magic for their demands but never anticipated that the magic itself would end up controlling them.

“The longer it’s left unchecked, the more it will devour humans. Everyone will go insane, unable to distinguish friend from foe, attacking each other. And by the time you try to stop it, it will be too late. You’ll end up destroying yourselves.”

Han Siha had scoured countless books to find this.

He had found the method to dismantle a magic circle that was most similar to the one currently set up in Building C.

Berger frowned as he scanned the paper Han Siha handed over.

“What kind of trick is this?”

“You seem to have already noticed that it’s not just a trick. It’s all written there. You’re free to believe it or not.”

Berger bit his lower lip and glared at Han Siha.

Han Siha continued speaking without pause.

“Whoever taught you that magic circle never had your interests at heart. Whether Kangryung dies, the Magic Department dies, or the entire school is ruined, they will have achieved their goal.”

In simple terms, Kangryung was being used.

No matter how much chaos ensued, it wouldn’t directly affect the black magicians.

Using Kangryung as a shield, they would deal a blow to the Ardel Empire and then slip away.

That much was the truth.

Now, everything Han Siha was about to say was a complete lie.

“I have some information I’ve heard.”

Han Siha addressed Berger.

“There’s going to be a proposal from the Emperor.”

There was no direct link to Emperor Linia.

Even if a proposal came, it wouldn’t be in the direction Berger wanted…

But dismantling that magic circle was the priority.

“You’d be much better off accepting that proposal. Unless, of course, you want to be used by the black magicians and end up self-destructing.”

Berger was a rational man. Han Siha believed he wouldn’t choose a path of self-destruction, blinded by anger.

“The Emperor himself… made a proposal?”

Instead of responding verbally, Han Siha nodded.

A decent proposal from the Emperor that even Kangryung might consider accepting.

“But only on the condition that you dismantle the magic circle.”

Han Siha believed Berger would take his words seriously.

Or at least, he hoped he would consider them.

However,

The timing was unfortunate.

“So, what kind of proposal was it?”

Just moments ago, Berger’s expression, which had been focused on the paper, turned cold.

His chilling gaze shifted behind him.

Sensing something was wrong, Han Siha followed his line of sight.

“If that proposal is what I think it is, then unfortunately…”

Walking toward them was Han taesu.