The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 230

Castica Territory was truly beautiful.

It boasted vast lands, the largest in the Empire, filled with stunning landscapes, places to explore, and endless activities.

Even though it was the land of her enemies—where her nemesis and his people resided—Adela had never hated Castica.

That was probably because of one person.

Adela smiled bitterly.

She had finally seen the person she had been longing to meet for half a year.

And yet, strangely enough, she didn’t feel satisfied.

It felt good, but…

Something still felt off.

She had looked into Han Siha’s eyes as he hastily tried to explain himself, and she had listened to his words.

It didn’t take long for Adela to catch on to something.

There were lies mixed into what Han Siha was saying.

Adela folded her arms, mumbling under her breath.

“What is he hiding?”

It was obvious he was trying to send her away as quickly as possible.

He couldn’t even hide it well.

In truth, he was never good at hiding things.

“It’s written all over his face, and he doesn’t even realize it.”

Tsk.

Adela clicked her tongue and muttered.

“Next time I come, I’m going to find out exactly what it is.”

She had let it slide this time because he had skillfully changed the subject, but there wouldn’t be a second chance.

Determined, Adela climbed back into her carriage.

* * *

The day after Adela’s unexpected visit to the central barracks, I arrived in a cloud of dust as I stepped out of the carriage.

I carried nothing but my staff and was accompanied by Basilus, revisiting a familiar place after a long while.

I had traveled to Arkenent Territory, which was a bit of a distance from Castica.

From afar, Solia waved as if she had been waiting for me.

“Han Siha!”

Arkenent was more remote than Castica, and raids by rebel forces were frequent.

Some parts of the region were beyond the Empire’s control, making it a place full of chaos and unrest.

Solia had requested my support, which was why I had come all the way here.

First, I needed to assess the situation.

Since the war began, Solia has officially requested my help only twice.

Once when Arkenent was overwhelmed by an impossible number of enemy forces,

And now, for the second time…

But something seemed off.

This is quiet. This is calm.

I looked around, frowning.

From the looks of it, nothing was happening.

There were signs of leisurely tea breaks, and soldiers were dozing off in the barracks.

As far as I could remember, this place had never been this peaceful since the war began.

Scratching my head, I asked Solia.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on…!”

Then… Why did you call me here?

I was at a loss for words at Solia’s straightforward answer.

It was so blunt that I couldn’t help but ask again.

“Really, nothing’s happening?”

“Yep.”

It sure looks that way!

So why did you call me here?

“You said it was an emergency request for support.”

“That’s right.”

“Does this look like an emergency to you?”

I’m a busy guy, too.

And yet, you dragged me all the way out here only to tell me that nothing’s happening?

Is this for real?

I couldn’t help but think back to what happened with Adela yesterday. The situation naturally made me think along those lines.

Could it be?

I looked at Solia with a knowing expression and confidently spoke.

“The emergency was just an excuse; you called me because you missed me, right?”

“…?”

“Am I right?”

For a split second, Solia shot me a look of utter contempt.

Wait.

That’s not it?

Solia, at a loss for words, mumbled in disbelief.

“W-Why on earth… are you so full of yourself?”

“I have my reasons?”

“…You’re insufferable!”

Solia sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

Judging by her expression, it was clear I had guessed wrong.

Ahem.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and tried to steer the conversation back on track.

“Seriously though, why did you call me here? It’s not like you summoned me just to chat.”

In response to my impatient questioning, Solia gestured towards the soldiers.

Aside from a few standing guards, the rest were leaning back, struggling to stay awake in the barracks.

“See those people? Nothing’s happened here for the past week.”

Solia spoke calmly.

“Not just here, but the whole of Arkenent. Even the neighboring towns have been quiet as a mouse. There’s truly been nothing. The same goes for Schwarz Territory.”

Schwarz Territory.

Now, that was a place that hadn’t known peace since the war began.

Dark mages had been eyeing Arkenent, and Solia, like Adela, had fought fiercely over long periods of time.

It was thanks to Solia that Arkenent Territory had held out.

And now, this land is experiencing its first period of calm.

A week of peace was undoubtedly good news, but I had a feeling Solia was trying to make a point.

“It’s strange for nothing to happen on the battlefield.”

Up until just a week ago, those who were constantly eyeing this place had vanished without a trace.

It wasn’t just Arkenent.

All the surrounding territories were the same.

“I don’t know the specifics about other places. How about Castica?”

“…It’s been peaceful too.”

“It’s really weird.”

Peaceful in a way that feels off.

It was as if we were caught in the eye of a storm, walking right into some kind of trap, and that’s what made it unsettling.

There was no way Abaddon would suddenly decide to end the war now.

Things were too calm, which clearly meant he was plotting something.

I didn’t know what new scheme he was cooking up or why he had abruptly pulled back for regrouping, but…

The most likely reason was the Cube.

“Could he be fixated on the Cube?”

“That’s what I think too.”

There were five Cubes in total.

Among them, Abaddon had already taken the Cube of Sun and Moon and the Cube of Emotion.

I’ve already tamed the Roundy and the Squarey, so the last one remaining is that one.

“The Soul Cube?”

A cube with the astonishing power to resurrect the dead.

We still don’t know its whereabouts, but it’s highly likely that Abaddon has already taken it.

After all, in the original story, the Soul Cube belonged to Abaddon.

So, let’s go back to the starting point.

The remaining cubes are only the ones bound to me.

Abaddon will definitely try to get all five cubes in his hands….

“…”

Solia looked at me with a serious expression.

There’s a human right here who’s hiding two cubes that Abaddon covets so much.

Moreover, they’re bound, so he can’t take them away easily!

“Well, well.”

I scratched my head awkwardly, chuckling.

“He must be dying to catch and beat me up.”

It’s not like there haven’t been attacks from Abaddon until now.

Castica territory was well-defended, but I’ve had countless near-death experiences.

Of course, it’s a chilling thought to consider whether those were really Abaddon’s full forces.

Solia murmured with a cold, stiff face.

“If something were to happen, not that I want to assume that…”

Solia continued, her voice trembling as if the words wouldn’t come out.

“I think you’ll be in danger.”

It’s not a certainty yet.

Abaddon’s retreat could simply have been to give himself time to reorganize.

But if Abaddon gathers his scattered forces and attacks Castica—

I wasn’t sure if we could hold out.

Though if he were to take such a risky step, attacking the imperial city rather than Castica would make more sense.

If we’re careless, we might get stabbed in the back.

“We need to be prepared.”

Let’s remember.

You only have one neck, not two.

A head that’s been cut off never comes back.

Therefore, this level of over-preparation is not a problem at all.

I’ll request support from the imperial palace, borrow Han Taesu’s strength a bit more.

And also…

I turned to Solia and smirked.

“It seems like… the support request should be coming from this side?”

This wasn’t why we came, but somehow the roles seemed reversed.

Solia chuckled, half exasperated by my cheeky remark.

“Of course.”

* * *

At the same time.

In the dark corridors of the NGC sector, only the voices of two people echoed.

Was it because of the arched, cave-like structure?

The voices exchanged here reverberated with an eerie sound.

Sepia was walking with Abaddon, listening to his words.

“…Is that why you gave up on entering the Arkenent territory?”

“That’s right.”

Just as Han Siha had suspected, Abaddon’s target was Arkenent territory.

It was land he had tried to seize multiple times.

A region with highly developed commerce.

Though it was a desirable area, that wasn’t the reason.

To get his hands on the Earl of Arkenent, who had deep ties with the Castica family, Abaddon persistently targeted Arkenent and the surrounding regions.

Han Taesu was like an Achilles’ heel to Abaddon, stirring a profound sense of inferiority.

Without the cubes, he could never have caught up to him.

The reason for abandoning such a significant region and suddenly going into reorganization.

It was to attack Castica.

He had gathered three cubes and had grown incomparably stronger than before.

By now, it was time to prepare for one last war to overturn everything.

Abaddon laid out his plan with a light smile.

He looked too frail to be the mastermind behind such a grand scheme.

Sepia always thought he was quite different from his true image whenever she saw him.

Then, Abaddon called out to her.

“Sepia.”

“Yes.”

“What about Han Si-hyuk’s whereabouts?”

At the sudden mention of the name, Sepia’s eyebrows twitched.

It was the first time in two years Abaddon had mentioned that name, and she was a bit taken aback but managed to respond calmly.

“It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

Officially, Han Si-hyuk was missing.

Sepia was hiding Han Si-hyuk, but Abaddon didn’t know that.

She felt like cold sweat would start dripping any moment but forced herself to keep composed.

“I haven’t seen him since.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Abaddon nodded and then called Sepia again.

“Sepia.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not good with prophecies… but I know some excellent prophets.”

Abaddon smirked as he spoke.

“Do you know what they all said in unison?”

“What? Did they prophesy that we would achieve our cause?”

Abaddon chuckled at Sepia’s naive response.

It seemed he liked her answer, as his smile stretched from ear to ear.

“That wouldn’t be bad, but it wasn’t that kind of prophecy. It was about that pesky brat who keeps getting on my nerves. It was a prophecy about him….”

Abaddon hummed as he glanced up at the light hanging on the wall.

He couldn’t help but feel elated whenever he recalled that brutal prophecy.

Abaddon turned to Sepia, his lips curling as he spoke cheerfully.

“They said that the survivor of the Cursed Land would kill the heir of Castica.”

“…”

It was a prophecy Sepia had heard before.

Why bring this up all of a sudden?

Her face hardened into a cold expression.

Abaddon continued, seemingly enjoying her reaction.

“And I want that prophecy to come true. Not only do I despise Han Taesu, but I also loathe that kid even more.”

The survivors of Katablam were Han Si-hyuk and Adela.

Abaddon muttered, mentioning the names of the two.

“That brat Adela likes him to an absurd degree… Well, I’m not one to tear apart that kind of intense love. It’s probably the other one that has more potential.”

Sepia could sense what Abaddon was insinuating.

Although he was smiling, his eyes were not.

“That’s why I need Han Si-hyuk.”

The one suited to the prophecy.

The person who could take down Abaddon’s biggest thorn, Han Siha.

So Abaddon spoke.

“Sepia, there are two kinds of people I detest in this world.”

One, those without ability.

The second.

“Those who deceive me.”

Abaddon glared at Sepia with a chilling gaze.

“Where have you hidden Han Si-hyuk?”