The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 155

At the same time, in the library of Ardel Academy.

Adela was sitting across from Natalie and Yoon Haul.

Having taken several classes together, they had grown quite close in no time.

“Professor Grint’s face was as sour as ever today. Is that just his passive expression?”

“Seems like that’s his default face.”

“He always looks like that. Good thing I skipped his class!”

They were bonding over some light-hearted complaints about their professor.

“How’s Professor Han Si-hyuk’s class?”

“The Investigator? He’s surprisingly strict.”

“But we passed the idea sketch, didn’t we?”

“Was it… the Smartphone or something?”

“Yeah, it was Han Siha’s idea.”

Except for Natalie, their common topic was the invention of the [Smartphone] for their [Magic Manufacturing] class evaluation. With the idea sketch completed, it was time to move on to the detailed phase.

Of course, it didn’t feel like things were progressing well at all.

Adela propped her chin on her hand, watching Yoon Haul munch on a red bean bun, having set the sketch aside.

“You’re trying to develop a Smartphone… Do you need to eat to get your brain working?”

“Yup!”

Yoon Haul answered brightly.

Given how well she performed, Adela couldn’t really criticize her….

“Ah, so carefree.”

Watching her eat like that was slightly exasperating.

“…What’s on her mind?”

Adela muttered to herself with a skeptical look, to which Yoon Haul frowned and shot back.

“At least I work better with food. You don’t even work when you eat.”

“Hey, do you want me to bury you?”

“So violent, blockhead!”

“What… what?”

Neither of them was the type to take a hit lying down.

Unable to take it any longer, Natalie intervened between them.

“Adela’s smart!”

“I’m even smarter.”

Yoon Haul smirked, nodding confidently.

Her expression clearly said, ‘I’ve won.’

The annoyingly bright genius.

“…Fine, you’re the best.”

Adela sighed, conceding.

But then.

That phrase felt strangely familiar.

Wasn’t that something someone else said all the time?

Adela frowned, whispering to Natalie.

“Doesn’t it seem like she’s starting to act more like Han Siha?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right!”

Yoon Haul, who used to just sleep all the time, now knew how to get under people’s skin.

Thinking about it, there’s really only one person who grins like that while irritating others: Han Siha.

Natalie nodded with her eyes wide open.

“Always bragging about herself… That’s so Han Siha!”

“Natalie. Let’s be clear? It’s not bragging if it’s just the truth!”

“Is that what it is?”

“Yeah, it’s true that he’s handsome and smart!”

Yoon Haul defended Han Siha, almost as if she were his spokesperson.

Adela clicked her tongue, watching the display.

“Geez… she’s completely gone.”

“Why do you keep picking fights?”

It didn’t really matter if Han Siha went around saying all the right things with that sunny smile. Still, Adela couldn’t help but worry.

She muttered softly, ignoring Yoon Haul’s remarks.

“I just hope he doesn’t get dragged off somewhere one of these days.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“He might end up dragged off for running his mouth in front of the Emperor.”

“…!”

Yoon Haul’s casual comment made both Natalie and Adela’s eyes widen.

In front of His Majesty, the Emperor?

Natalie furrowed her brow.

“Oh, no way.”

“No, that’s unlikely. He does think before he speaks.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Definitely.”

Yoon Haul scratched her head, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.

“Is it? Why does it feel like I’ve seen this scene in a dream?”

Just then.

Natalie, with an excited voice, changed the subject.

“Oh, have you heard? The cherry blossom festival starts today in the park!”

“Cherry blossom festival?”

Natalie’s voice was full of excitement.

Adela tilted her head in confusion at her exclamation.

Cherry blossom festival?

She’d heard that such a thing was held annually, but she had never once gone.

Adela rolled her eyes, mulling over Natalie’s words.

There was someone else here who didn’t care about these kinds of things.

Yoon Haul looked puzzled as she asked Natalie.

“What’s that?”

“It’s at Ardel Lake Park. The cherry blossom path there is really beautiful. They’re doing it all week… Wait, have you both never been?”

“Why would I have gone? Have you?”

“…No, I haven’t.”

“Wha… What?”

Natalie looked completely shocked, unable to string her words together.

“You’ve never been to the cherry blossom festival at Ardel Academy… what have you two been doing all this time?”

“Training.”

“I was sleeping.”

Yoon Haul took a big bite of her red bean bun and grumbled.

“What’s so pretty about leaves falling?”

“That’s… that’s the aesthetic!”

“What aesthetic? You’re just looking at flower corpses.”

“Oh my….”

Like Yoon Haul, Adela wasn’t the type to indulge in pointless sentimentality either.

With every spare moment, she would train or open a book. Those were the things that helped one survive in the harsh empire.

Adela had been driven by revenge alone.

That hadn’t changed in nearly ten years.

But

What first broke that routine… was the fireworks display.

The fireworks she saw at the festival with Han Siha.

Adela slowly opened her eyes.

‘…It was beautiful.’

If Natalie was this excited, the cherry blossom festival might be just as lovely.

In the past, Adela would’ve brushed off Natalie’s words, but this time was different.

She wanted to see it.

Adela vividly remembered standing beside Han Siha, taking in the night air.

‘I train all the time, but I thought it might be fun to see something like this.’

‘It takes a bit of courage to come alone.’

She wanted to see it together.

She didn’t have the courage to go alone.

She wanted to see it with him.

“…”

Feeling such emotions was unfamiliar to her, and Adela unknowingly let out a soft chuckle.

* * *

Han Siha had gone to the Castica territory.

He had left without a word… so whether he had returned or when he would return was still unknown.

Adela hadn’t heard anything.

After pondering for a long time, Adela picked up the receiver.

“He’ll be back within a week anyway.”

The cherry blossom festival at Ardel lasts a week.

Adela took a deep breath in front of the Sound Teleport System No. 3 located in the plaza.

“If he comes back within that time, I’ll go see it. But what was the number again?”

The Sound Teleport System was too expensive for Adela to use regularly, so while she was used to receiving calls, this was her first time making one.

Determined, Adela inserted the silver coin and dialed the number.

Pick up… pick up… Han Siha.

Dududu…

The choppy, intermittent dialing tone echoed.

In that brief but seemingly long period, Adela wondered what she should say.

The first thing that came to mind was:

Want to go see the flowers?

Hmm.

That sounded fine, but—

“If I suddenly ask to go see flowers… he’ll probably ask if I have flowers in my head.”

Han Siha wouldn’t get that kind of sentimentality; perhaps something else would be better.

Scrapping that, maybe…

“Should I say I’ll buy him food?”

Knowing Han Siha, he would never refuse something that’s free.

Having traveled from afar, if he heard that right when he arrived, he’d probably come running with excitement.

She made up her mind.

“I’ll say I’m treating him to a meal.”

Adela’s eyes sparkled as she waited for the dial tone to end.

That’s when it happened.

The dial tone ended.

It was Han Siha.

-…

Given the nature of the Sound Teleport System’s one-way communication, Adela wouldn’t hear Han Siha’s response.

Adela held onto the receiver, ready to deliver her prepared words.

“Huh? Han Siha!”

Her voice came out excited without her realizing it.

Adela called out Han Siha’s name into the receiver, but then suddenly froze.

“Huh…?”

It was because she sensed an unsettling presence behind her.

Not an ordinary person.

She knew instinctively.

Thud.

The receiver slipped from Adela’s hand.

“…”

She tried to turn her head quickly, but a thick hand clamped over her mouth faster.

“Mmm… mmph!”

However, Adela managed to break free from the grip.

“Ack!”

Clang—

She instinctively drew her sword from her waist.

* * *

“Ha… I have to meet her somehow.”

I visited Han Si-hyuk’s office. Surprisingly, he seemed more okay than I expected, but there’s still a bigger mountain to climb.

Adela. I don’t know how to face her, someone who knows nothing.

Han Siha was still holding his head, agonizing over it.

“This kind of talk should be over drinks.”

Muttering to himself, Han Siha quickly shook his head.

“Damn it. What am I even saying? I have to hide it, at least for now.”

But it’s not something that can be hidden forever.

I avoided her diligently until today, but I can’t keep avoiding her like this forever.

“What! What the hell am I supposed to do!”

Beep-beep-beep.

Han Siha, who was clutching his head in frustration, turned sharply at the loud alarm sound.

Right then, his portable communicator was vibrating.

Seeing the name displayed on the pager, Han Siha froze.

It was Adela.

“Ha….”

Han Siha swallowed dryly, feeling anxious.

The girl who never used the expensive Sound Teleport System, saying it was too costly, had suddenly decided to make this costly call first—why now, of all times?

“Should I answer or not? Answer or not….”

Answer it.

Resolving to do so, Han Siha pressed the button on the communicator.

-Huh? Han Siha!

The familiar voice he had wanted to hear while in the Castica territory.

Unconsciously, Han Siha held the communicator tightly in his hand.

Though he knew Adela wouldn’t hear him, Han Siha cautiously spoke.

“Where are you?”

-Han… Han Siha! Han Siha!

“Hm?”

The next moment, Han Siha noticed the urgency in her voice coming through the receiver.

-Mmm… mmph!

Clang—

The sound of swords clashing.

Among the rupturing noises of wind colliding, Adela’s voice faintly echoed.

-Number 3 Westrail Street! In front of Sound Teleport System No. 3!

“Hey, what’s going on with you?”

Knowing she couldn’t hear him, Han Siha tried to call out.

Adela shouted, her voice strained.

-Don’t you dare come alone!

-It’s dangerous! Don’t come alone!

“Hey! Adela!”

Hearing those words, Han Siha’s expression went cold.

“I have to… I have to go.”

Thud.

Han Siha dropped the pager and sprang up, immediately breaking into a run.