The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 196

Wham.

The merchant cursed and kicked Han Siha hard in the ribs.

Naturally, he couldn’t use magic while pretending to be an ordinary person. Han Siha rolled on the ground, writhing and wailing in exaggerated agony.

“Aaaah!”

And then, with no real conviction, he added, “Oh no, I’m dying… I’m dying…”

Wham, wham.

“Aaaah!”

Oddly enough, it sounded like he was screaming louder than the force of the hits.

Watching from a distance, Yoon Haul’s expression turned sour.

“Wow… he’s really good at acting.”

Getting beaten up and smiling through it all—Siha really did look like he’d lost his mind.

The thug’s anger blinded him to the situation, but to Adela, observing from a distance, it was a bizarre sight.

“…Has he always been like this?”

“I don’t know. He looks kind of happy about it.”

“Aaaah! I’m sorry!”

Both of them knew Han Siha too well to be fooled by his screams—his eyes were sparkling with mischief.

The plan to provoke a fight had succeeded, and getting thoroughly beaten was going just as intended.

“The problem is he’s enjoying it too much.”

“He looks older, but mentally, he’s just like us.”

“Well, he is in a polymorphed state.”

“Yeah…”

To Yoon Haul, the twenty-eight-year-old Han Siha was still just a facade that didn’t quite match his true nature.

She sighed and added, “How long is he going to keep this up…”

Despite Han Siha getting beaten to the ground, there was no real worry.

Even while being hit, Han Siha was a man with a plan.

Though the merchant didn’t realize it, Yoon Haul could clearly see it.

“Aaaah! I’m sorry!”

Around Han Siha’s body was a thin, almost invisible barrier.

Using a minute amount of magic, he had created a shield to protect himself. No matter how hard they hit, it would only end up hurting the thu
gs’ fists.

“Damn, this guy… Why’s he so tough? Did he get beaten up everywhere he went?”

“…Of course not. I’m just an innocent citizen, you know? Ow!”

Smack!

Eventually, Han Siha took a blow to the back of his head and quieted down.

“Big mouth, but you can’t fight worth a damn.”

The merchant, who had been prepared to call in reinforcements if necessary, grimaced and lit a cigarette.

“What the hell gave you the guts to mess around in our territory?”

“….”

“Do I have to break an arm or a leg for you to start talking?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“You see the mess you’ve made?”

“I-I do!”

The merchant, sensing an opportunity, began to press harder.

After ten years in the guild, extorting those who picked fights was his specialty.

He knew exactly how to handle this situation. Pointing at the scattered crates that had been knocked over during the scuffle, he started shouting at Han Siha.

“Only fools come looking for trouble. You don’t look like you’ve been here long. Just some idiot from out of town.”

Even as one of the more prominent guilds in Odris, they didn’t mess with just anyone.

Their usual targets were outsiders or orphaned kids with nowhere to go.

Siha’s group fit the first category.

“You got money to pay for this?”

Sniff.

Han Siha’s shoulders slumped dramatically as he shook his head.

“No…”

“Idiot. Do you have any idea how much this stuff is worth? If it’s damaged, we can’t even sell it. Damn it… This is a real headache.”

“I’ll… I’ll try to pay you back with money…”

“And how exactly are you going to pay?”

“Well…”

Hesitant, Han Siha finally spoke with a troubled expression.

“I’ll work here… to pay it off.”

The merchant blinked, surprised.

That easy?

What kind of idiot was this?

‘This is going way smoother than I thought.’

Judging by his earlier bravado, he had expected Siha to be a tougher nut to crack.

But the kid couldn’t fight, couldn’t think on his feet, and was now cowering, looking up at him with pitiful, teary eyes.

This guy was perfect for exploiting.

The merchant couldn’t help but grin.

“Yeah, if you’ve got any sense, you’ll work it off with your body, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

Han Siha sniffled, looking utterly pitiful.

The merchant strutted arrogantly as he added, “Sympathy is a luxury only the capable can afford, you moron.”

“Y-Yes…”

As he looked Han Siha up and down, the merchant pondered how best to put him to work.

His fighting skills were subpar, but for a scrawny kid, his build was decent.

And above all, his compliant attitude—like he’d do anything to avoid another beating—made him perfect.

“I like you.”

“…Pardon?”

“Nothing, nothing. Keep your eyes down, idiot.”

“Ow!”

When it came to exploiting someone, you had to commit.

You couldn’t give them time to think or a chance to escape.

The merchant, busy shouting orders at Han Siha, suddenly turned his attention to the other kids who had been watching without much reaction.

“Hey. What the hell are you staring at?”

“Huh?”

“Are you with him?”

“Well… uh…”

“You think you’re off the hook? You’re paying, too.”

“Gasp!”

“No way!”

Their reactions were a little over-the-top.

Adela’s subtle smirk went unnoticed by the merchant, who was too far away to catch it.

“Sniff.”

Whatever the case…

…all of them had successfully landed jobs.

* * *

“Hngh…”

Yoon Haul groaned, dropping a heavy crate onto the ground.

Just as they expected, they were being worked to the bone.

“Why… am I even doing this…?”

Unlike the two from the Magic Department, Yoon Haul, a Theology major, was less accustomed to manual labor.

She’d much rather be doing work that required her brain.

Exhausted, she leaned against a wall, feeling as if she might collapse at any moment.

“Hey! What are you apprentices doing?”

“…Just catching my breath!”

“You’ve got a smart mouth, don’t you? Get over here!”

She’d been caught instantly.

Yoon Haul dashed away as the merchant lunged at her, and Adela, watching from behind, clicked her tongue.

—

The situation took an unexpected turn as the merchant kicked Han Siha hard, sending him tumbling to the ground. Han Siha groaned loudly, putting on a show that was slightly over the top.

“Aaaah!”

His screams were much louder than the actual impact, making it seem as if he was enjoying the whole situation.

Observing from a distance, Yoon Haul watched Han Siha’s exaggerated display with a slightly bemused expression.

“Wow… He’s really putting on a performance.”

Despite the pummeling, Han Siha’s face showed more amusement than pain, something that the thugs seemed too furious to notice. Watching the scene unfold, Adela couldn’t help but comment.

“…Has he always been like this?”

“I don’t know. He looks kind of happy.”

“Aaaah! I’m sorry!”

Yoon Haul and Adela watched as Han Siha continued to get kicked and punched, his screams loud enough to attract attention, yet there was something unmistakably gleeful in his eyes.

The plan to provoke a fight and gain entry into the cement guild was succeeding, even if Han Siha was perhaps enjoying it a bit too much.

“The way he’s acting, he’s almost having fun.”

“He looks like an adult, but he’s still just as childish as the rest of us.”

“Well, it’s just a polymorph.”

“Yeah…”

Yoon Haul sighed, shaking her head. No matter how much Han Siha looked the part of a twenty-eight-year-old, his behavior told a different story. She turned her attention back to the thugs and continued to watch.

“How long is he going to keep this up?”

Even though Han Siha was getting beaten, they weren’t really worried. He always had a plan, and even now, Yoon Haul could see the thin barrier of magic subtly protecting him.

No matter how hard the thugs hit, it was clear that they were doing more harm to themselves than to him.

“Damn, this guy… Why is he so tough? Did he get into fights everywhere he went?”

“…No way. I’m just a law-abiding citizen, you know? Ow!”

Smack!

Eventually, Han Siha took a hit to the back of his head and stopped talking.

“You’ve got a big mouth, but you can’t fight for shit.”

The thug, ready to call in reinforcements if necessary, scowled as he lit a cigarette.

“What the hell gave you the guts to mess around in our territory?”

“….”

“Do I have to break an arm or a leg to get some answers?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Look at the mess you made.”

“I-I see it!”

With a sneer, the thug sized Han Siha up. He was just another fool who had no idea where he was and had gotten in over his head. This was his specialty—preying on the weak and naive.

“If you’ve got any sense, you’ll work to pay this off.”

Han Siha feigned a defeated expression and nodded.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Perfect.

The thug smiled to himself. Han Siha was just another kid with no fight, no plan, and no idea of what he was getting into. His compliance was exactly what they looked for.

“Good boy.”

“Yes.”

The thug couldn’t hide his satisfaction as he barked orders, already thinking of how best to exploit his new workers. They were perfect for grunt work, easy to manipulate, and even easier to threaten.

But as the thug’s attention shifted to the rest of Han Siha’s group, he realized something.

“Hey, what the hell are you staring at?”

“Huh?”

“Are you with him?”

“Well… uh…”

“You think you’re off the hook? You’re paying, too.”

“Gasp!”

“No way!”

Their exaggerated reactions almost gave them away, but the merchant was too far away to catch the smirk on Adela’s face.

—

Later, at the guild…

“Hngh…”

Yoon Haul groaned, dropping a heavy sack onto the ground. As expected, they were being worked to exhaustion.

“Why… am I doing this…?”

Unlike the others, who had more experience with physical labor, Yoon Haul, being from the Theology Department, found this especially grueling. She leaned against a wall, feeling like she might collapse at any moment.

“Hey! What are you apprentices doing?”

“…Just catching my breath!”

“You’ve got a smart mouth, don’t you? Get over here!”

She was instantly caught.

Yoon Haul dodged as the merchant lunged at her, running away and leaving Adela to click her tongue in annoyance.

Though Yoon Haul could have easily dealt with the thug, she knew that fighting back would blow their cover.

“Ugh!”

Pulled roughly to the side by her collar, Yoon Haul glanced toward Han Siha and mouthed a silent question.

‘Can I take this guy out?’

‘No!’

‘Can I just rough him up a little?’

‘Absolutely not!’

Smack!

“What the hell are you squirming for?”

“Ow!”

Fortunately, Yoon Haul was dealing with Gwelle, who was one of the less sadistic members of the guild. If she had been caught by someone else, she might not have gotten off so easily.

He clicked his tongue and smacked her lightly on the back, shaking his head in exasperation.

Gwelle had heard big promises about these recruits, but so far, all he saw were a bunch of troublemakers.

He glanced over at Adela, who was working diligently without complaint, yet her calm demeanor had an intimidating edge.

“Jeez, that’s heavy.”

Adela was handling the work effortlessly, which made Gwelle feel uneasy.

There was something unnervingly strong about her, and even though she was just a kid, the sight of her casually lifting a heavy sack in one hand was intimidating.

“Hey, take it easy.”

“Hm?”

“That’s heavy, you know.”

“Oh.”

Adela set down the sack she was effortlessly lifting with one hand and picked it up with both.

She turned and tossed it toward Han Siha.

“Ugh! I said “take it easy!”

“That was me taking it easy…”

Han Siha gave her a sheepish grin.

“She’s the strongest back home. You’ve got to understand.”

Gwelle’s expression twisted with discomfort.

These recruits were clearly not normal.

—

Han Siha wiped the sweat from his brow, his clothes sticking to him uncomfortably.

Gwelle had been hovering around, making everything twice as hard. And he constantly had to keep an eye on Adela, who kept tossing heavy sacks around with one hand.

Yoon Haul was the least of his worries.

“…I’m just gonna take a quick nap.”

Not that she was much help anyway.

Sometimes, Han Siha couldn’t believe Yoon Haul was considered a genius.

But even in moments like these, he knew he could count on her.

She was the type who would appear out of nowhere when she was needed and clean up a mess as if she’d been there all along.

With Gwelle’s attention finally diverted, Han Siha could move around more freely. This wasn’t about settling in with the guild; they needed information before Solia rejoined them.

‘Who should I talk to?’

Like at the Life Water Factory, he carefully observed his surroundings, looking for the right moment and the right person to approach.

It was then that his eyes landed on a young boy, dressed in ragged clothes and standing off to the side.

“Ah!”

It was the kid Han Siha had “rescued” earlier. Though technically, he’d just gotten dragged in himself and taken the beating in the boy’s place. But it still counted for something.

If anyone could tell him about the guild, it would be this kid.

Carrying a heavy sack over his shoulder, Han Siha approached the boy carefully.

“Hey there.”

It felt odd to speak casually when looking like a grown man, so Han Siha tread lightly.

“…Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Can you hear me?”

Han Siha tapped the boy’s shoulder, trying to catch his attention.

Then, waving his hand in front of the boy’s face, he continued.

“Can you hear me? Just let me know—”

“…I hear you fine. Can you move?”

“I’m the guy from earlier in the market. You know, the one who…”

How should he introduce himself?

Saying he’d saved the boy sounded boastful, and saying he took a beating for him seemed pitiful.

As he fumbled for the right words, the boy glanced up and spoke with a blank expression.

“Oh, you mean the guy who got beat up?”

You little brat!