The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 209

A rebellion led by the Necromancy Department.

Though it was an anticipated episode, the situation spiraled out of control.

Students causing chaos was often brushed off as childish mischief.

Initially, the professors thought the same, but they were caught off guard.

The students, empowered by dark magic, had gone on a rampage.

The power they unleashed, at the cost of their own lives, was not something that could be ignored.

In the blink of an eye, the Necromancy Department, backed by the strength of dark mages, had seized control of Building C.

This building housed the dorms of the Theology Department.

The Theology Department, along with the Faculty of Magic, was in complete disarray.

“What kind of nonsense are they up to now?”

“Professor! Professor! We need to set up barriers!”

“It seems like they’ve taken over all of Building C.”

“What are you all waiting for? Get moving already!”

Thanks to the intervention of Dean Ernset, the professors began to tackle the situation according to his orders.

First, barriers were set up to cover the entirety of Buildings A and B.

These barriers were designed to completely block dark magic and any potential explosions, forming a sturdy shield that even high-level dark mages would struggle to penetrate.

An announcement was made to the students, ordering them to remain in their dorms, and the academy’s board convened daily meetings to resolve the crisis.

Two days passed in this manner.

“Does it make any sense that we still don’t have a solution?”

A conference room had been set up to devise countermeasures against the Necromancy Department’s rebellion.

Professor Ernst slammed his fist on the table and stood up, a rare show of emotion for someone normally composed. Professor Grint raised his eyebrows, surprised, and turned his head.

Professor Ernst sighed deeply, clutching his chest.

“This isn’t even a difficult matter. We just need to round them all up.”

“If it were that simple, it would have been done long ago, Professor.”

“If you’re all just going to talk, then at least come up with a solution!”

“Um, is there any strategy against the Necromancy Department?”

The focus shifted to the professors of the Necromancy Department, who were sitting there cautiously.

“….”

Tension filled the air, as if an explosion could occur at any moment in Building C.

The Necromancy Department professors were aware of the nature of the dark magic their students were using. One professor, his expression darkened, finally spoke up.

“The reason… The current situation is so challenging because of something specific.”

If it were just a matter of overpowering them with force, that would be one thing—but that would put the students in extreme danger.

The academy still hadn’t reached a definitive conclusion.

What the professor said next was even more shocking.

“It’s an explosion-type of dark magic. Among them, it’s one of the most powerful… that is, it’s a self-sustaining, unbreakable spell that uses the caster’s life force.”

“An unbreakable spell?”

“Yes, it cannot be dispelled with a typical magic circle.”

The conference room buzzed with unease again.

“Even if we were to somehow calm them down and make them stop, once the dark magic has been activated, there’s no telling when it might go out of control.”

Once the dark magic had been cast, the rebellion itself was like holding a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment, even if peace was restored.

They had already witnessed part of the third floor of Building C being blown away by a rampage.

Recalling the destructive power of the dark magic, the professors’ faces turned pale.

“Then, what should we do?”

“The only…”

The delay in suppressing the rebellion stemmed from a singular reason.

“The only option is to kill the hosts of the dark magic.”

The only way was to eliminate all the Necromancy Department students before the rampage could occur.

* * *

Even though students were ordered not to leave the safety of the barriers, there were always those who didn’t comply.

“Argh!”

Creek from the Faculty of Magic was one of them.

His reason was simple: he had run out of food in his room.

Thinking he’d be fine, he ventured to the first-floor convenience store but ended up getting caught by the Necromancy Department students and dragged away.

‘Damn it, why me?!’

He had thought they’d target the scions of prominent families instead.

Creek, who had been relatively relaxed, found himself caught like a rat in a trap due to one poor decision.

He was brought to the second-floor conference room, surrounded by Necromancy Department students.

“Let go… Let go of me! Ugh!”

Creek was practically dragged along.

“Ugh!”

One of the students grabbed him by the collar and released him, causing Creek to lose his balance and collapse onto the floor.

“Is this the one you captured?”

Before Creek stood Berger, a fifth-year student sitting nonchalantly.

Though they were from different departments, Creek had heard plenty about Berger.

Unlike the smirking students from the Necromancy Department, Berger’s indifferent expression seemed to indicate he was someone Creek might be able to reason with.

“W-wait a second!”

Creek swallowed hard and tried to plead with Berger.

“I-I don’t know what’s going on, but I was just… I only came down to the first floor for a bit. I didn’t come here to do anything… Uh… I mean….”

Creek waved his arms frantically, trying to convey his innocence.

“I have nothing to do with any of this! I swear, I’m not here to spy or anything!”

“You couldn’t have been spying.”

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

“No spy would be stupid enough to roam around the first floor so openly.”

Tsk.

Berger glanced at Creek with disdain.

Creek was a relatively insignificant figure, even within the Faculty of Magic.

If they had captured someone like Natalie, the idol of everyone’s dreams, they could have truly dealt a blow to the Faculty of Magic, but this guy…

“No one would notice if you disappeared, huh?”

“…!”

“No one would even care if you vanished.”

“N-no?”

Creek’s face turned ghostly white at Berger’s calm statement.

“Please! Just hold on a second!”

There was no merit or justification to keep this guy around.

However,

There were others beside him who might change the situation.

“Hey. You’re Creek, right?”

“Yes! Y-yes!”

Creek quickly sat up straight and nodded vigorously.

Normally a tough character in other settings, Creek knew better than to cling to his pride when his life was on the line. His only goal was to survive and escape unharmed.

Thus, Creek did everything he could to appear submissive, ready to do whatever was asked of him.

Berger smirked, looking at Creek with a sly grin.

“You know a lot of people, right?”

“Pardon…?”

In terms of connections within the Faculty of Magic…

Creek hesitated momentarily but then nodded.

“I-I know most of them, yes….”

“Do you know the prince?”

“Sorry?”

Creek’s face turned pale again at the mention of the prince.

If they were bringing up the prince’s name, it could only mean one thing—they were considering using him as bait to capture the prince.

Realizing the implications, Creek frantically shook his head, vehemently denying it.

“N-no, I don’t know him!”

“Don’t know?”

“W-well… we’re in different years… and he’s someone I wouldn’t dare to approach….”

“Are you going to claim you don’t know him even if your head gets cut off?”

Berger gestured towards a nearby student from the Necromancy Department, and Creek flinched, scrambling to explain himself.

It wasn’t a lie; he genuinely didn’t know the prince, so bringing him in was impossible.

“I-I really don’t know! I’ve never even met him!”

Berger quickly calculated his next move.

Creek, a third-year student from the Faculty of Magic…

This could be useful.

Nodding slightly, Berger spoke again.

“Then, is there anyone else who might be useful?”

“Well… um….”

Berger chuckled, making it clear that Creek should think carefully.

He never really expected a third-year commoner to be close to the prince.

The prince wouldn’t bother showing up in a place like this anyway…

“Someone… useful?”

“Yes. Someone I would find interesting.”

There were plenty of names that could come to mind.

However, the name Berger wanted to hear was specific.

Seeing Creek’s clueless expression, Berger gave him a hint.

“I have someone in mind.”

Creek trembled as he slowly raised his head.

Even though he tried to hide it, Creek seemed to have already guessed the name that was about to come out of Berger’s mouth.

Berger confirmed Creek’s suspicions with a single, straightforward answer.

“Han Siha from the Castica family.”

Only someone of that level would make negotiations worthwhile.

“Bring him to me.”

Berger smiled, patting Creek on the shoulder.

* * *

[Main Episode 8: The Rebellion of the Necromancy Department]

[??]

That question mark is really bothering me.

It’s been a while since there was an unfriendly episode.

I sighed anxiously, staring out the window.

A protective barrier encircled the entire A and B buildings. It was called a protective spell, but in reality, it was more like being trapped.

Proper food supplies were not being distributed, and the limited stock left in the first-floor cafeteria was nearly depleted.

Some students, willing to take the risk, snuck out to scavenge for whatever they could find.

Most made it back, but there were cases where nothing was heard from them after.

“They say Creek disappeared?”

“Creek? Why?”

“They think he was caught while trying to go to the store. The last place he was seen was on the first floor.”

Won, the academy’s go-to source for information, frowned as he sat next to me. He had been constantly checking in on the latest updates about the rebellion.

“I hear the Necromancy Department is negotiating with the professors, but it doesn’t seem like things are going well. They’re threatening to take over Building B too.”

Ultimately, the rebellion by the Necromancy Department was set to be suppressed by the Emperor’s orders, so the negotiations were merely a facade.

The students in the Necromancy Department weren’t foolish; they likely sensed what was coming.

The situation would likely grow even more dangerous in the coming days.

Naturally, there was someone I was worried about.

“Do you think the students in the Theology Department will be okay?”

The third floor of Building C, which the Necromancy students had taken over, housed the girls’ dormitory of the Theology Department.

In the original timeline, none of the main characters got caught up in the rebellion, and Yoon Haul had never been harmed by the Necromancy students either.

But now that it was happening in reality, it was hard to just sit back and hope for the best.

Yoon Haul wasn’t the type to provoke the Necromancy students recklessly, but that didn’t stop me from worrying.

She could get caught in an explosion…

She could be cursed…

The Necromancy students could blow up the dorm…

I bit my lower lip, muttering under my breath.

“I’m worried about the Theology Department… I’m really worried….”

“Huh?”

“I’m just really worried. They aren’t exactly nice people, and even if someone barged in, they wouldn’t just welcome them with open arms. No one’s coming to help them right now, so imagine how anxious they must be.”

“….”

“Damn, it’s driving me crazy. We have no idea what’s going on inside. And it just had to be the Theology Department…”

“Just admit you’re worried about Yoon Haul.”

“What?”

“Just say you’re really damn worried about Yoon Haul. It’s obvious.”

Was it that obvious?

I hesitated as Won hit the nail on the head.

I couldn’t deny it.

Since the beginning of this mess, I’d been worried sick about Yoon Haul.

Stuck all alone in the Theology Department…

“She’s sweet… and she doesn’t know how to fight.”

“She’s not sweet, right? It’s not like she’d just sit around getting bullied. If anything, she’d be the one doing the bullying.”

“Yoon Haul?”

No way.

She’s pure and innocent.

Scratching my head, I questioned Won, who grimaced and raised both hands.

“You don’t know she hits me all the time?”

“She’s not that kind of person.”

What nonsense is this?

“Ugh? That’s creepy. You insult her, and she’ll come running down the hallway with that book she’s always carrying from the library, ready to hit you.”

“She uses that book as a pillow, not a weapon.”

“What?”

“She’s never done that to me. Not even once.”

“Wow… you’ve got to be kidding me. This is giving me a headache.”

Won clutched the back of his neck, seemingly wronged.

I just shrugged.

Yoon Haul can be moody sometimes.

She’s not the type to sit back and let someone push her around.

But still.

She’s genuinely kind-hearted…

“Turning friends against each other is mean.”

“Discrimination is worse, you jerk. So, all this time, she’s just been picking on me?”

Well…

“You probably did something to deserve it.”

“…You’re nuts.”

Won cursed, protesting the unjust treatment.

“How am I supposed to live with this?”

“….”

“What an eyesore.”

Grumbling, Won pulled his blanket over his head.

“Oh well.”

Regardless of Won’s complaints, I returned to worrying about Yoon Haul in Building C.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad might happen.

Should I just go find her?

Is there a way to sneak in and get her out without being noticed?

I think I remember something from the original…

Hmm.

Just as I was seriously pondering my options, it happened.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Huh?”

Someone was banging on the dormitory door.