Chapter 10

The Genius Tamer of the Academy - Chapter 10 (10/252)

The Genius Tamer of the Academy Chapter 10

Do I really need to know everyone in the school?

However, this guy was persistently asking as if he genuinely couldn't understand.

"How can you not know me? Really? Why?"

"Do I need to know?"

A reflexive retort slipped out.

...Was that too much?

"Ah, sorry."

Seeing him talk like that, it seemed he might have been a classmate with Han Siha.

The short-haired guy let out a hollow laugh, looking bewildered.

"I know you, though?"

"I'm famous, aren't I?"

"Probably not in a good way, though?"

"That much I know."

"For someone who's that famous, you're pretty confident."

"Everyone becomes famous that way. Companies don't just get bad press for no reason."

Don't you know about noise marketing?

Of course, since I didn't do the marketing, I'm also at a loss, but there's no helping it. What's done is done.

The short-haired guy rolled his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

"...You have a point."

Huh?

Why are you agreeing with that?

I just threw it out there, and now I'm at a loss for words because you accepted it.

"Um. Hmm."

I also think it might be better to ask who you are. I sized him up and spoke.

"I guess I forgot. So, what's your name?"

"...Sorry for not being famous."

"Hey."

No matter how I think about it, it's 100%.

We were in the same class, and I was definitely somewhat close to Han Siha, who had a troubled personality.

It's questionable whether this guy had friends in the first place, but the "Do I need to know?" comment was definitely a dick move.

Silence fell again.

Persistently asking for his name would be a bit tactless, so I changed the subject.

"Um, I'll ask you your name later, but can I ask you one more thing?"

"..."

"Do you know where the market is?"

My bag was filled with slime beads.

I also had some luminescent stones left from killing a venomous slime.

While slime beads are currently not very valuable, luminescent stones would sell quite well if put on the market.

I can't rely on my family's help. To be honest, I don't even have enough money to buy a triangle rice roll. I need to sell something to make some money.

So, the market near Ardel Academy came to mind.

"I know."

The short-haired guy nodded with a dubious expression.

His brusque tone was gone, and he gave a rather detailed explanation.

"It's a bit far. From the back of Ardel Academy, turn and go up the alley a bit. There's a bridge across the square, and if you cross it... "

Wait, that's not it.

"Hold on."

I waved my hands at the flood of information. It's too abstract, turning and crossing and all that.

Being accustomed to 21st-century conveniences, I can't even leave the house without a map. This is hardcore mode for me.

I sized him up and spoke.

"You don't have anything to sell, do you? Or to buy?"

"What?"

As a former classmate whose name I didn't know. Even I can see how shameless this is.

"Can you... come with me?"

I, actually, have a bad sense of direction.

* * *

"Oh, come on. Don't try to haggle. This is fresh luminescent stone from the dungeon."

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Bang.

"Auntie?"

The path of a small-time businessman is long and arduous. Having once dreamed of being a self-employed person, I know it's not easy.

"Phew... Maybe it's better I didn't go into business."

If I had opened a shop, I would have gone bankrupt for sure.

I'm certain. With this level of sales skills, I wouldn't have lasted a month.

I visited a few places that trade luminescent stones, but there were many people who tried to take advantage of my young and inexperienced appearance.

Still, this place.

It's not much different from the markets I know.

Seeing people haggling over prices and raising their voices, it doesn't seem like a world where people can't live.

Then, a cheerful voice woke me up.

"Three luminescent stones."

Unlike me, who was struggling, the short-haired guy was selling quite well.

I gaped as he came out with a wad of cash.

"How did you... do that?"

"I showed them my student ID first."

Ah.

I'm like this. I guess I should have started with a business card.

Indeed, this place is often visited by Academy students.

Given the enormous tuition fees, they all spend quite a bit. He must have judged that building good relationships would bring them back.

The name Ardel Academy alone makes life so much easier.

The short-haired guy spoke calmly.

"I told them I'll come back later."

"To buy something?"

"Yeah, but I don't have money."

"You're confident."

"Who can't beat that?"

He spat out the words, and I chuckled, acknowledging it.

Still, not having money. It's not a common case at Ardel Academy.

I had guessed from his clothes and mannerisms that he might be from a commoner background.

Since I'm also broke, I shook out my empty pockets and entered a shop.

"Ugh, everyone's so materialistic."

And, not long after, I managed to get a wad of cash, just like the short-haired guy.

Indeed, the student ID was a free pass.

"Does this cover a week's worth of expenses?"

"...Let's go."

Having achieved his goal, the short-haired guy spoke as soon as I came out.

"Right away?"

I asked without thinking.

Who goes to the market just to sell and leave? I'm not a merchant.

It looks like there's no department store or convenience store here. This is practically the main commercial area.

So, while selling, why not buy something? Like a doughnut or a hot cake to eat on the way back. I was stunned.

"You're done, right?"

"I didn't know you lived such a boring life."

"Me?"

My comment seemed to upset her, as she frowned.

Well, it's true, isn't it?

"Follow me. I'll buy you something as a thank you for coming with me."

"Um."

I don't know if there are hot cakes here, but I need to find something similar.

He didn't seem to mind and followed me silently.

Passing by shops selling clothes, magic stones, and potions, we headed towards the sweet smell.

Hmm.

I instinctively stopped in front of a mirror.

"Why?"

I hadn't had a proper look in a mirror since the possession.

After escaping, I immediately went to the Academy and entered the dormitory before even exploring the dungeon.

"Who... is this?"

To be honest, I had a rough idea that it wasn't a good look.

Han Siha's image had solidified as creepy, partly due to his creepy fashion sense.

But.

"Is this really how I looked?"

This is a bit much, isn't it?

Looking closely, it's not that bad, but with half my face covered and tattered clothes, it's a look that's hard to approach.

At this point, it's not that people were scared and avoided me.

They were probably repulsed and avoided me.

"Is this... really a beggar?"

No one said anything to the youngest son of a noble family for looking like this?

Aren't the servants neglecting their duties? How could they let this happen?

Really.

Anyone would look creepy!

"Let's start with the hair."

This isn't the time to leisurely eat a hot cake.

* * *

The next day, the lecture room fell silent with the entrance of one person.

"...Huh?"

Thud, thud.

Han Siha entered through the back door as usual.

It wasn't a new sight for everyone to subtly move away when Han Siha walked in.

But today was different.

Students parted like a stream, and the girls in the front row rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

"Who is this?"

The lecture room buzzed with excitement.

With a face that good, there's no way no one knew him.

"Wow."

Low murmurs of admiration erupted, but the strange sense of unfamiliarity made it hard for anyone to speak freely.

"Feels like I've seen him somewhere."

"No way."

One person's gaze fell on Han Siha's chest.

"No way."

The family crest. The badge was pinned to his uniform.

Noticing this, the back row started to murmur again.

His light brown hair and unique, mysterious eyes were the same, but his neatly cut hair and well-dressed appearance made it hard to believe it was the same person.

Everyone was speechless for a while.

That face, objectively speaking, was quite handsome, and it couldn't be Han Siha.

If he had transferred from another school, it would be understandable.

"Who is he?"

Someone mustered the courage to ask cautiously.

The person behind him whispered in response.

"The creepy Han Siha."

"That face... can't be creepy!"

Thud.

Two girls argued.

He was far from creepy.

Clothes make the man. He really looked like a different person.

If this is really Han Siha, why did he hide such a face?

"Wow, he's so handsome..."

"That's why it doesn't make sense. It can't be Han Siha, absolutely not."

A male student, who had been listening to the conversation, jumped up from his seat.

Crick, with his red hair standing up.

"Hey, that's Han Siha's seat. Who are you to sit there?"

Han Siha frowned, confused by the collective scrutiny.

He didn't understand why everyone was staring at him like this.

"Han Siha, right?"

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"You're Han Siha?"

Adella sighed from the corner.

It seemed only she didn't expect this reaction.

Crick, speechless, pointed at Han Siha.

"Your... hair... what...?"

"Why? I thought it was too long, so I cut it."

Scratch.

Han Siha put down his heavy bag and sat down. He didn't think it was that surprising to tidy up a bit.

"Besides the clothes, I'm the same, right?"

Just a step up from a beggar to a person.

Han Siha shrugged and looked at Crick.

"Uh... uh!"

But Adella, who had witnessed the before and after, muttered to herself.

No matter how you look at it, this is real.

"To the point of changing a person."

* * *

Crick, gritting his teeth, stared straight at Han Siha, who sat right behind him.

"Did you get a polymorph spell or something?"

As if asking if he had some kind of plastic surgery.

Han Siha frowned, as if asking what kind of nonsense this was.

"In one day?"

That's true.

Crick, realizing how absurd his own words were, closed his mouth.

He was a commoner.

While he was talented enough to enter the Academy, he wasn't particularly outstanding among all the students.

This made him feel often ignored and discriminated against.

Especially in the first year.

Like any student with inferiority complex, Crick found a target to vent his frustrations.

A noble-born kid who was researching dark magic and was abandoned by his family. A kid who was creepy in appearance and behavior.

Han Siha.

So, he systematically bullied Han Siha to vent his inferiority and gain a sense of superiority.

Han Siha knew this.

With his red hair and rude attitude, there weren't many who treated Han Siha like that, so he immediately recognized Crick.

'I think I was the first to get beaten up. Oh, did I kill him?'

Han Siha's nature was not particularly kind.

In the original story, after Han Siha mastered dark magic, he killed those who had ignored him one by one.

They were used as materials for dark magic.

The first victim was likely Crick, sitting right in front of him.

He didn't feel any sympathy. If Han Siha was a third-rate villain, this guy was a minor villain not even worth mentioning.

"What did you do? At least say something. Good things should be shared."

"..."

"Why? Feeling embarrassed?"

The kid, despite being speechless earlier, continued to provoke.

No matter how creepy he looked, before the rumors about his family spread, he never dared to speak up. Now, seeing him rise so quickly, Han Siha found it amusing.

It was like the story he had read was unfolding before his eyes.

"Trying to avoid failing by any means these past few days. Was this all you could do?"

"Hey, answer me. Are you ignoring me?"

Han Siha chuckled at the ridiculous provocation.

"Can't I ignore you?"

"W-What?"

"What's there to not ignore? Is there any reason to treat you differently?"

"Did cutting your hair also cut your brain? What a lunatic...!"

Han Siha sighed and lifted his bag.

The atmosphere in the lecture room.

Even if they pretended not to, everyone was focused on their conversation. Before, they either ignored Han Siha or mocked him.

Why is it different now?

Han Siha stretched, feeling the change in the atmosphere.

Not just in appearance, but in his actions and tone.

Everyone had a sense of it.

'Is this really Han Siha?'

He's too confident. His eyes completely dominated Crick.

The Han Siha who always stuttered and mumbled to himself.

The creepy Han Siha.

Squeak.

Han Siha opened his bag and spoke calmly.

"If you need to believe something, it would be this."

As soon as Han Siha finished speaking, the bag shook violently.