The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 160

Scrape, scrape.

The quiet of the practice room was filled with the sound of wood being cut.

Though it wouldn’t affect their grades, the students of Ardel, the Empire’s most prestigious academy, weren’t the type to slack off.

Especially the third-year students who had survived the academy’s rigorous advancement system.

Professor Han Si-hyuk smiled as he watched the students work diligently, sweat pouring down their faces.

His gaze eventually landed on Han Siha’s group.

Yoon Haul was adding the finishing touches to the design, her head buried in her work.

Adela was focused on the finishing touches, sanding the wood on the sawdust-covered desk.

And then there was Han Siha.

Scrape, scrape.

Sawing without rest.

‘He’s unusually dedicated today.’

Even from a distance, it was clear that he was deeply engrossed in his work.

He looked like he was sawing through the desk instead of just wood.

‘To this extent…?’

Han Siha’s relentless sawing left Han Si-hyuk slightly stunned.

With such commitment, shouldn’t he have chosen this path over becoming a tamer?

Scrape, scrape.

Having just cut a piece of wood in half, Han Siha handed it over to Adela without a word.

Their teamwork was flawless, even without any verbal communication.

Han Siha exhaled and immediately grabbed the saw again.

He could’ve taken a break, but he was determined to cut through the pile of materials in front of him, with no hesitation.

Thud.

Han Siha placed the cut wood on the desk.

“Adela, here.”

“Wow, how are you so fast?”

Adela asked in surprise, and Han Siha casually replied.

“I just want to finish quickly.”

Thud.

Without another word, Han Siha picked up the saw again, as if this work was his true calling.

Having grown up in Castica, one would think he’d hate physical labor, but apparently, that was a misunderstanding.

Han Si-hyuk raised an eyebrow.

Come to think of it, when they went to the Lifewater factory….

He hadn’t even been told to, but he went off with Natalie to help with the bottling process and ended up investigating.

‘So back then too….’

Was the investigation just an excuse? Did he go because he enjoyed the work?

Why would he haul water bottles?

Han Si-hyuk was genuinely surprised by Han Siha’s unexpected aptitude.

Given his impressive ideas, like the antidote artifact and the high-level sketches he’d made, Han Si-hyuk had some expectations, but he didn’t realize Han Siha was so earnest in this field.

‘Maybe he’s considering a double major….’

Former member of the Magic Department and an investigator of Ardel.

But as a current professor, his thoughts naturally veered in this direction.

The desire to nurture talented students, regardless of blood ties.

Hmm.

Maybe I should pull him into the lab instead of the investigation team.

Han Si-hyuk considered this seriously as he placed a hand on Han Siha’s shoulder.

“What is it?”

Han Siha, who was so engrossed in his sawing that he was sweating, frowned as he looked up.

“Is this your first time sawing?”

Since this wasn’t a private conversation, Han Si-hyuk spoke in a formal tone.

He needed to bring up the idea of a double major….

“Of course it is.”

This brat.

Han Siha wasn’t known for having a stellar attitude, but he seemed especially irritable today.

Han Si-hyuk mused that perhaps craftsmanship made people more sensitive.

After all, most artifact makers tended to be on the grumpy side.

Hmm.

It does seem to be his calling.

Still, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

Han Si-hyuk had seen countless artifacts and, with his keen eye as a former evaluator, knew quality when he saw it.

He began to point out areas that needed improvement.

“If you hold it like that, the line will be crooked.”

“Oh.”

“That’s not right either.”

“Like this?”

“No, you need to support it with one hand and hold it tightly so it doesn’t move.”

Han Siha was quick to adjust his posture as instructed.

He resumed sawing, taking Han Si-hyuk’s advice seriously.

But Han Si-hyuk wasn’t satisfied just yet and continued offering tips.

“Go slower.”

“….”

“Be patient. Your pace is good, but you’re rushing.”

Han Siha didn’t respond.

After a while, he stood there with a dazed look, mumbling something Han Si-hyuk couldn’t quite catch.

“Are you listening?”

“I’m hungr….”

“What?”

“I’m hungr….”

Han Siha’s muttering was hard to hear.

Han Si-hyuk continued with his lecture.

“Don’t cut there!”

Scrape.

So much for considering a double major.

He had passion, but he was lacking in the details.

Han Si-hyuk clicked his tongue.

“Not great.”

Han Siha looked up at him.

“What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering, Han Siha quietly picked up the saw.

Hmm.

“Keep at it.”

Han Si-hyuk quickly left.

* * *

Despite Han Si-hyuk’s harsh critique, that was just his high standard of speaking. For a first attempt at woodworking, it was a remarkably solid piece.

In the end, the work was selected as an outstanding practical piece and displayed in the hallway.

It was placed in a high-traffic area where both professors and students could easily see it.

Dean Ernest and most of the other professors had already taken a look.

Of course, some professors showed no interest, like Professor Grint.

He believed there couldn’t possibly be students among the lower grades capable of making functional artifacts, dismissing the crude electromagnetic circuit-based drawers as childish.

But even Professor Grint found his attention caught by one particular piece.

Not the artifact itself, but the name listed beside it caught Professor Grint’s eye.

“Why is his name here?”

Han Siha.

Professor Grint frowned and approached the drawer, as if pulled by an invisible force.

The group members were also named Professor Grint was very familiar with.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the most talented third-year students were gathered in this group.

Adela from the Magic Department, a commoner building her reputation through sheer perseverance, and Yoon Haul, the prodigy of the Theology Department.

Most professors would have shown more interest in those two, but not Professor Grint.

He stared at Han Siha’s name for a long time, muttering under his breath.

“He’s not someone who should be making drawers.”

A student who should be doing valuable work in his lab was wasting time on some unheard-of class like Magic Manufacturing.

Professor Grint felt deeply disappointed. To make matters worse, Han Siha hadn’t even signed up for any of his courses this term.

How did it come to this?

Grint rubbed his chin, mumbling to himself.

“Was my class enrollment really that competitive…?”

“He probably just didn’t want to take it.”

“…Hmm?”

“Oh, maybe he thought, ‘This is something I absolutely shouldn’t take,’ and skipped it.”

Professor Grint frowned and turned his head.

No wonder he felt an unpleasant presence—it was Professor Ernst.

Ernst’s lips curled into a smirk as he continued.

“Aren’t your classes always undersubscribed? Let’s not pretend otherwise.”

Grint stood stiffly, maintaining a composed facade.

Of course, the hands clasped behind his back were trembling slightly.

Professor Ernst added fuel to the fire.

“I can’t help but wonder how much Han Siha must have disliked your class to avoid it entirely this time.”

“D-Does Han Siha take your class, then?”

“Oh, I’m on sabbatical this year, so I’m not teaching any classes. Quite unfortunate, really.”

“Huh?”

The hostile glares of Professors Grint and Ernst clashed in the air.

Though famously at odds, the two professors shared a similar thought as they stared at the drawer.

Grint had his own reasons.

And Ernst had his.

The fact that a student who should be in their respective labs was wasting time making a drawer was deeply unsatisfactory to both.

Ultimately, their conversation found common ground.

The topic shifted to Han Si-hyuk, who was temporarily teaching the [Magic Manufacturing] class.

“No matter how renowned he was as a member of the Magic Department, bringing in a prophet as a temporary professor is too much.”

“Sure, Han Si-hyuk is well-known, but he should’ve gone to the Theology Department.”

“Not to mention all that nonsense about magical investigations, constantly summoning my students for questioning.”

Professor Ernst clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Grint, displeased by Ernst’s claim of Han Siha being ‘his student,’ retorted.

“Please, he’s not your student. You’re on sabbatical and not even teaching this year.”

“Well, that’s still better than those who hold classes but can’t get students to attend.”

“Listen to yourself… really….”

As the two were about to raise their voices in another argument, an unwelcome figure appeared.

The very person they had just been complaining about: Han Si-hyuk.

“What’s he doing with that woman…?”

Both Ernst and Grint frowned simultaneously.

“Kyaa, Professor! What is this? Did the students make this?”

Beside Han Si-hyuk stood Sepia, the academic society president, her arms crossed. Han Si-hyuk, paying no mind to his companions, stiffly continued on his way.

* * *

Sepia was visiting Ardel Academy for some academic society business.

With nothing but drawers made during Magic Manufacturing class displayed in the hallway, her attention naturally turned to them.

Among the various pieces, Sepia pointed at one that caught her eye.

A secret drawer that opens through magic recognition.

Not only was the idea quite clever, but the design also exceeded the typical student level.

“Wow, this is really cute. Who did the design?”

“It’s likely Yoon Haul.”

A dragon was carved on the drawer, reminding Sepia of Basilus, whom she had seen recently. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

“Adorable.”

Han Si-hyuk, the instructor responsible for the class, was staring out the window, seemingly uninterested, while Sepia continued to scrutinize the drawer.

Then she noticed something.

“Oh?”

The drawer, though sloppily put together with electromagnetic circuits, showed a surprising level of sophistication.

“Who taught them this magic circuit?”

“Obviously, I did… but this setup is different from what I taught in class.”

Han Si-hyuk, answering indifferently, paused.

It was indeed different.

While he had demonstrated a similar magic circuit in class, this version seemed fundamentally altered, as if it was an entirely different application.

“Right? You didn’t teach this, did you?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Sepia tilted her head, muttering.

“This looks familiar.”

She had definitely seen this type of circuit before.

It seemed like it was inspired by some existing model.

“Hmm, what is it?”

Let’s think.

There aren’t many places where young students could get such inspiration.

Magic Manufacturing textbooks?

Another professor’s class?

If not, perhaps other books from the library?

As Sepia carefully mulled it over, she found a connection from an unexpected source.

The circuit recognized magic and transferred the user’s magic.

This was—

“…Cube.”

That was it.

“Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing. Shall we go for lunch? I heard the academy’s food is quite good.”

“You might have heard wrong.”

“Oh, I’m excited. Let’s go!”

“Wait… hold on….”

Dragging Han Si-hyuk along, Sepia quickly left the hallway.

Though her lips were still smiling, her eyes had turned cold.