The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 212

Han Taesu saw many things on his way to Building C.

He saw first-year students from the Theology Department being tortured as hostages.

He saw students laughing gleefully as they watched their dying classmates gasp for breath.

In Building C, where the professors’ reach did not extend, unspeakable atrocities were taking place.

How could humans be so wicked?

And why was he, too, wallowing in this pit of evil, willingly casting himself as one of the villains?

He had killed countless people in the name of justice.

Today’s choice would not be much different.

Though he stood here under the Emperor’s command, a sickening feeling welled up from his throat.

‘How many will die in Building C?’

The ones who laughed while watching others die were just young students who would soon crumble in his grasp, and the innocent Theology students would also be buried in this land if things went wrong.

Han Taesu knew his place.

He was not here to save anyone.

In that sense, the student before him would not escape his grasp either.

Step, step.

Han Taesu slowly took steps, crushing the dirt beneath his feet. The air, chilled by the lingering magic, seeped into his lungs.

He fixed his gaze on Berger and spoke in a low voice.

“You’ve been up to some amusing things.”

The icy tone in Han Taesu’s voice was enough to make Berger shudder.

The chill in his voice instinctively made Berger shrink his shoulders.

Han Taesu had dealt with numerous black magicians.

To his eyes, the reckless rebellion of the Kangryung students was no more than a childish prank, nasty at best.

Han Taesu coldly brought reality crashing down.

“Do you think the Empire left you unchecked because they couldn’t handle a few little pests?”

The Empire allowed Kangryung’s rampage for three days merely for procedural reasons. It wasn’t that they couldn’t subdue a handful of Kangryung students.

They were weighing the safety of the Theology students, the punishment of the Kangryung students, and the preservation of the academy.

They delayed because they were concluding, reviewing, and contemplating those considerations.

If he had been sent to wipe them out from the start, it would have been resolved in half a day.

The only reason he hadn’t done so was because they had been given a grace period.

“You should have stopped back then.”

Before the order to eliminate you was given.

Before the magic consumed you beyond recovery.

No.

Before he set foot on this land.

They should have stopped, but they didn’t.

Han Taesu murmured as if speaking to himself.

“But now, it’s too late.”

Han Taesu reached out toward Berger, who had not yet been completely consumed by black magic, and unleashed his magic without hesitation.

A blow that would have knocked out any ordinary student in an instant.

Han Siha, who tried to step in front of it reflexively, turned pale.

“W-wait…!”

The magic circle reacted to external magic power, and such a surge was enough to trigger the incomplete spell.

“…”

But Berger didn’t fall.

He should have died from that attack.

Yet he calmly dusted himself off and stood up.

Something was wrong.

Han Taesu felt unease creeping in and muttered under his breath.

“What are you? What’s your identity?”

Berger slowly raised his head in response to Han Taesu’s question. His eyes glimmered with an unprecedented dark hue.

His gaze, calm to the point of being eerie, sent chills down one’s spine.

Simultaneously, the transparent magic circle that had been encircling all of Building C revealed itself.

Black mist spread faster than anticipated, enveloping everything.

The corners of Berger’s mouth curled into a cold smile.

“Han Siha!”

At Han Taesu’s urgent shout, Han Siha quickly deployed a barrier and threw himself to the side.

* * *

Berger’s Rampage.

Berger lost his sanity as soon as the magic circle activated, becoming far stronger than before.

“I don’t have time to deal with you all. Take that kid and get out of here!”

Han Taesu, clenching his teeth, urgently shouted to Han Siha.

Berger continued to unleash attacks at Han Taesu. Each strike was concentrated with curses, dangerous even if it only grazed you.

Han Siha hesitated.

He couldn’t decide.

Was it right to leave him behind?

Could Han Taesu really handle these students, now empowered by their rampage, all by himself?

As Han Siha wavered, Han Taesu shouted once more.

“Get out of here, now!”

It was only then that he snapped back to reality.

“Haul, let’s go.”

I gritted my teeth and grabbed Yoon Haul by the arm.

If dismantling the magic circle wasn’t an option, there was nothing I could do to help here.

Better to step aside than become a hindrance.

Rationalizing in this absurd way, I pulled Yoon Haul along and began to sprint.

“Run!”

Berger, who had lost his mind, had no time to pay attention to us.

As expected, his eyes turned wild, and he only targeted Han Taesu.

Bang!

With a deafening roar, Han Taesu overwhelmed Berger with sheer force.

His movements were impeccable, showing not even the slightest hint of being pushed back.

His confidence was evident in his attacks, suggesting that a rampaging opponent, though strong, could still be subdued with relative ease.

However, dozens, even hundreds of such beings could be converging here.

Building C…

I found myself thinking that maybe it was better not to know what was going to happen inside.

“Let’s get out of here.”

I sprinted without looking back at Building C, my mind in a frenzy.

I kept my focus straight ahead, refusing to let any lingering regrets slow me down.

The priority was getting back to Building A.

The priority was getting this child beside me to safety.

“This way.”

I pushed Yoon Haul into the barrier inside Building A and spoke.

“Let’s go to Adela. It’ll be comfortable for you to stay there for the time being. I’ll be on the second floor, so come find me if anything happens. And also…”

My hands, still holding Yoon Haul, were trembling uncontrollably.

Even as I spoke, I couldn’t honestly say I was in my right mind.

We weren’t family.

Yet the person I’d left behind weighed heavily on my mind.

“I’m thinking of heading back to Building C.”

“Han Siha.”

Yoon Haul grabbed my arm and spoke.

“Don’t go.”

She called out to me in an uncharacteristically firm voice.

“It’ll be fine.”

It’s hard to regain composure in a situation like this.

To be honest, I’m exhausted.

I don’t even know what to do anymore.

I was deeply anxious.

Sensing my unease, Yoon Haul gripped my hand and spoke as if comforting me.

“The Count will be okay.”

“…”

“Really.”

I thought her words were just empty reassurances, considering my mind was entirely fixated on Building C, but then I hesitated.

Those eyes were not filled with comfort.

Nor were they filled with concern for the Count.

“Could it be…?”

It was a certainty.

The gut instinct of a seer, a conviction.

Yoon Haul hesitated, then spoke softly.

“The Count will be fine… but I don’t think anything good will come if you go.”

“I’d rather you not see it.”

Yoon Haul bit her lower lip and said to me,

* * *

It had only been three hours.

Three hours since he arrived on the Emperor’s orders, dismantled the magic circle, and cleared Building C.

Han Taesu walked slowly through the now silent corridors.

Except for the Theology students who had escaped to the fourth floor, no students remained in the building.

He had done his best not to kill the innocent Theology students.

If that was his last remaining guilt, he couldn’t say much about it. But there were indeed Theology students who had been caught up in the magic and lost their lives.

So, it was just another meaningless guilt.

‘Not much different from Katablam.’

Han Taesu carried the limp body of Berger in his hands.

He thought he had killed him, but Berger had woken up halfway and annoyingly made his way back to Building C, forcing Han Taesu to subdue him twice.

Laying Berger, whose eyes hadn’t even closed, on the floor, Han Taesu removed his blood-soaked gloves.

Covered from head to toe in the blood of Kangryung students, Han Taesu didn’t remotely look like a savior.

Thus, when he reached the fourth floor, the remaining Theology students were pale with terror.

“…”

None of them dared to make a sound, all holding their breath.

He had come to save them, but such looks were not unfamiliar to Han Taesu, who calmly identified himself.

“I am Han Taesu of Castica.”

“Gasp…!”

A few students recognized his name and covered their mouths.

Relief and wariness crossed their eyes at the same time. Some of them thought of Han Siha.

Yoon Haul’s friend, Philic, was among them.

‘They’re nothing alike.’

He remembered Han Siha as a bit quirky but nowhere near this level of savagery.

Were they really father and son?

Though they had little to no direct connection, Philic found himself missing Han Siha.

Han Taesu addressed the terrified Theology students in a dry tone.

“I’ve come to quell this riot under the Emperor’s command.”

He briefly explained his purpose for being there and summarized the situation.

“I’ve dealt with all the hostile forces, so Building C is now safe.”

The students of the Theology Department, who had heard the screams, had a rough idea of what “dealt with” meant.

The cold atmosphere in the auditorium settled again. Han Taesu, unfazed, asked.

“Is there a representative here?”

“M-me.”

The student council president of the Theology Department raised his hand cautiously, looking close to tears.

Han Taesu pointed to the exit opposite the way he had come and ordered.

“The exit is that way. Take the students and leave. There’s no space for you here, so take shelter in Building A for now.”

“Y-yes… got it!”

Han Taesu’s impassive gaze betrayed no thoughts.

Philic watched the student council president nervously fumble and thought about Han Taesu.

‘He looks like someone without a drop of blood or a tear to shed.’

Nearly dying at the hands of the rampaging Kangryung students, and then almost dying again at the hands of Han Taesu who came to handle them.

The Theology students, who had felt their lives threatened twice in one day, finally exhaled.

“I have unfinished business, so leave quickly.”

He told them to go, so they hurried out before he changed his mind.

Though it could have been noisy with so many people leaving, they moved in an orderly manner, shoving each other silently without uttering a word.

Maybe it was the chill that permeated Building C.

Quick evacuation took place amid the heavy silence.

Philic followed the others as they moved.

“…”

A friend’s friend’s father.

A rather distant connection, but a connection nonetheless.

While everyone else was too intimidated to lift their gaze from the floor, Philic couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at Han Taesu.

Until then, Han Taesu stood quietly, watching them.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Philic quickly averted his gaze, pretending not to notice.

‘How strange….’

He couldn’t be sure if it was just his imagination, but,

It seemed like he had glimpsed an inexplicable regret in Han Taesu’s eyes.