Chapter 131
Location: Academic Conference Office
Han Si-hyuk stood stiffly, and in front of him, a woman with straight hair leaned in, staring directly at his face.
“What’s this? It’s been a while.”
This woman was Sephia, the former committee member of the Magic Department and current administrator of the academic conference.
Han Si-hyuk nodded calmly, doing his best to remain composed in the face of her cheerful smile.
They had both been part of the Magic Department, and at the time, they had been rather close. Thanks to Han Si-hyuk’s prediction of her future, she had been able to secure a decent position within the department. She had been a great help to him during his early career.
Han Si-hyuk spoke in a dry tone.
“I don’t have any business with the conference, but there is something I need to discuss with you.”
“Oh my, you came to see me? I didn’t expect that. Please, have a seat.”
Sephia excitedly sat down, her voice lively.
“There’s an issue with my affiliation in the Magic Department that I’d like the Chairman to address.”
“Oh… that problem?”
Currently, Han Si-hyuk has been assigned to Ardel as a magic investigator.
However, he was still officially affiliated with the Magic Department, which restricted his ability to investigate freely—this was the point Han Si-hyuk was making.
Sephia’s expression turned slightly disappointed as she muttered.
“I thought you came to see me… You could’ve handled that through communication devices. You know how good the Sound Teleport is these days.”
“Is that so? I find it inconvenient; it lacks practical use.”
“Well, let’s just say you wanted to see me in person after all this time.”
Han Si-hyuk raised his eyebrows at Sephia’s conclusion.
Sephia burst out laughing as if she found his reaction amusing.
Although Han Si-hyuk addressed her as Chairman, Sephia was not the official head of the Magic Department.
Technically, she was a former chair, but her influence within the department remained significant.
She was a genius magician from the Cardbel Empire.
Despite her reputation, Sephia had a rather flighty and curious personality, taking interest in everything around her.
With curious eyes, Sephia asked Han Si-hyuk, “Why did you leave the Magic Department?”
“…”
“Did you find it boring? Well, there are a lot of old-fashioned folks there… I quit without a second thought myself.”
“But there are plenty of places that would take you in.”
“Aren’t you buttering me up in an uncharacteristic way?”
“I’m just stating the truth.”
“Geez, nothing you say is fun.”
Everything she said seemed to bounce off him like he was a robot, which made the conversation rather dull for her.
Sephia promised to take care of the affiliation issue and stood up from her seat.
“But really, there must be a reason you came to see me on such a busy day, right?”
Sephia’s direct question caught Han Si-hyuk off guard for a moment. He blinked, trying to come up with an excuse.
“My apologies. I didn’t realize you would be particularly busy today…”
“There are some interesting participants in this academic conference, you know?”
Sephia’s eyes sparkled as she glanced back at Han Si-hyuk.
Understanding what her gaze implied, Han Si-hyuk’s expression darkened.
“Your half-brother, Han Siha.”
So it was about him after all.
“How did that kid end up at a conference like this? Didn’t you always criticize his poor skills? It’s not exactly easy to get in here.”
“I don’t know.”
“Has he become a genius all of a sudden?”
A complicated family matter, indeed.
Sephia pondered deeply for a moment before turning her head, seemingly giving up on understanding.
“Oh!”
Sephia’s eyes widened as she pointed outside.
The academic conference had just begun, and the scene inside the dungeon was reflected beyond the glass window.
“There, look, you can see it.”
Han Si-hyuk turned his gaze with a rigid expression.
Just as Sephia said, Han Siha was standing at the entrance of the “Maze’s Lair” with a determined look.
“He seems nervous. I heard he’s got quite a personality, but seeing him like this, he’s kind of cute.”
When Han Si-hyuk remained silent, Sephia continued with a laugh.
“Wave to him. He’s your brother, after all.”
“He can’t see this side from outside, anyway.”
This was not a discussion he wanted to continue.
Han Si-hyuk gathered his documents and stood up.
“I trust you’ll take care of the affiliation matter promptly.”
“Wait until the dungeon ends, and see your brother before you go.”
Even as he spoke, Han Si-hyuk’s gaze remained fixed outside the window.
Facing Sephia’s constant grin, Han Si-hyuk spoke calmly.
“No. It’s better if you go check the conference hall first.”
“Sorry?”
“I have a feeling something might happen.”
Sephia nodded slowly at Han Si-hyuk’s calm words.
“Oh… right… Not me, but… huh? What did you say? Something might happen?”
“…”
“What do you mean something might happen? Oh no, that’s not good!”
Bang!
“Tell me before you go! Ahh!”
But by then, Han Si-hyuk had already closed the door and left.
“Crazy… He says scary things so casually…!”
Although startled, Sephia didn’t have the luxury of sitting idly.
If it was something Han Si-hyuk had seen in the future, then even Sephia could sense it with her abilities.
It was only then that she detected a faint magical disturbance.
Something one wouldn’t notice in everyday life.
A slight disturbance that required careful attention to perceive.
“Ah! I need to call the chief! Where’s the head of security!”
Sephia shouted as she rushed out of the room.
—
Meanwhile, at the conference site.
Han Siha sighed as he looked up at a wall much taller than himself.
“Concrete, huh.”
Was it about five years ago?
Some lunatics had smashed the maze in a fit of frustration, leading to its reconstruction with concrete and a reinforced magical barrier… breaking it down was no longer an option.
“That’s too bad…”
Han Siha scratched his head as he examined the maze.
He had received the instructions for the entrance exam just the day before.
The dungeon was divided into zones, and after a certain amount of time, each zone would be destroyed.
The goal was to navigate through the maze and reach the safe zone to escape successfully.
Of course, any form of physical force to subdue opponents during the escape was permitted.
If something truly dangerous occurred, they would be automatically teleported outside, so there was no need to worry about that.
The problem was…
“Basilus, do you think you can find a way out?”
The maze was more complicated than he had anticipated.
“All these paths look the same… that path looks the same as this one.”
This wasn’t just because he had a poor sense of direction.
The paths were genuinely identical.
If only Basilus were an earth dragon.
Being a red dragon, Basilus had no particular talent for terrain detection.
Their only hope.
Han Siha turned to Kloshti and gave a command.
“You can fly well.”
“Peep…”
“You know what I’m about to ask you to do, right?”
“Peep!”
Ptera could indeed fly.
If it could view the maze’s layout from above and relay it to them, finding the way would be much easier.
“Go ahead.”
“Piiit!”
At Han Siha’s command, Kloshti soared into the air.
Han Siha had to move forward, even though he didn’t know where he was headed. There wasn’t much time left.
Crackle.
Right on cue, a mechanical sound echoed from the speaker.
[This area is scheduled for destruction.]
“Let’s go.”
If he wasted any more time, he might fail to escape before encountering anyone else.
Han Siha quickly and quietly turned a corner, trying to make as much progress as possible before Kloshti returned.
But then…
“Uh… uh…”
Why did he have to run into another school’s student right from the start?
A boy with short-cropped hair and a blue uniform—one he recognized.
“Cardbel Academy?”
He hadn’t expected to see one of them here.
The boy frowned, spitting out a remark.
“You’re from Ardel.”
It was unlikely they could simply walk away from each other quietly. In this situation, eliminating the opponent was just as important as escaping, as it counted toward the score.
The boy raised his staff, eyeing Han Siha warily.
Han Siha was just as cautious.
Grrr.
Preparing to unleash his magic, Han Siha was distracted by a growling sound. He turned his head.
The first opponent in the Maze’s Lair.
This boy was also a Tamer.
—
The Tamer from Cardbel Academy clenched his teeth as he looked down at Basilus.
“A dragon, huh…”
There weren’t many students who could tame and manage a dragon at this age.
Dragons were notoriously difficult to control, and their cost alone was beyond what most noble families could afford.
He had to be cautious.
But the boy with short hair didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t like the idiots from Cardbel Han Siha had encountered before.
The short-haired boy was skilled at handling his monster.
Unlike Han Siha, who tamed Basilus through innate affinity, this boy had successfully tamed his monster after long and arduous training.
He had experience and knowledge far beyond Han Siha’s.
His monster, an Owlbear—a grotesque creature that looked like a fusion of an owl and a bear—loomed over Han Siha.
The Owlbear extended its massive paw.
Grrr-
“Basilus!”
Han Siha quickly dodged the sudden attack, narrowly escaping the Owlbear’s reach.
“Air Shield.”
He conjured a sturdy shield and directed his magic toward the short-haired boy.
At the same time, Basilus lunged at the Owlbear.
“Kuuuu!”
As soon as they exchanged their first blows, Han Siha realized something.
‘He’s good.’
A well-trained Tamer.
Given how unpopular the Tamer profession was, anyone who made it to this academic conference was of high caliber.
The short-haired boy had confidence. While Han Siha wasn’t an easy opponent, the boy was more experienced in handling monsters.
As Han Siha attempted to throw off his concentration with basic attacks, the Owlbear rammed into Basilus with its massive bulk.
Although Basilus was starting to outgrow his hatchling phase, he still couldn’t match the Owlbear in size.
Basilus was sent flying a short distance away.
“Kuuuuuu!”
But the impact was too weak to faze a dragon.
Without hesitation, Basilus unleashed a breath attack.
A whirlwind of flames.
It was a skill that had reached Level 5, a step up from before.
Basilus summoned a vortex in the air, its flames intense enough to scorch the ground.
The short-haired boy tried to dodge, but the attack’s range was too wide.
“What the…!”
The boy, flustered, quickly cast a defensive spell.
It was the most efficient way to handle the situation, but the battle was already turning against him.
With Kloshti still scouting from the skies, even a well-trained Owlbear wouldn’t stand a chance.
Sensing this, the short-haired boy changed his strategy.
“Damn it.”
His priority now was to escape.
He prepared to go all out.
“Belly!”
The short-haired boy used the Owlbear as a shield, preparing for a final strike.
Even if he couldn’t defeat Han Siha, he could at least tie him down.
While Han Siha was preoccupied with controlling Basilus, the boy called out to his Owlbear.
The Owlbear’s skills, <Earthquake> and <Destruction>.
It could destroy the ground beneath Han Siha, trapping him in a pit.
The boy planned to distract Basilus and then land a blow on Han Siha before making his escape.
The Owlbear began to prepare its skill.
At that moment, Han Siha spoke calmly.
“You’re good.”
“What?”
“You’re really… good.”
Han Siha turned to him with a smirk.
Had he read all of his moves?
Has the plan to hit and run been discovered?
As the short-haired boy’s eyes darted around in confusion, Han Siha continued with a smile.
“You’ve raised your Owlbear well.”
“W-what?”
“It was tough taking it from you. Ha, despite how it looks, it’s got a lot of loyalty.”
[Forced Affinity Increase!]
[Forced Affinity Increase!]
[Forced Affinity Increase!]
<Belly>
A pet Owlbear belonging to a student from Cardbel Academy.
It has an owner, but it can be taken.
[Would you like to temporarily tame the ‘Owlbear’?]
“W-what are you talking about?”
The short-haired boy, who had no idea what window had appeared before Han Siha, could only tremble in fear.
He needed to attack, but he had missed his chance.
Even now… even now…
[Tamer’s Touch: Temporarily tame a monster in battle. Rapidly increases affinity.]
[Only one monster can be tamed, it lasts for three hours.]
[Applies only to monsters with a level difference of ten or less.]
It was a skill Han Siha had acquired during the Drake Subjugation.
Unaware of this, the short-haired boy shouted at his Owlbear.
“Now!”
“….”
“Now, I said! Huh?”
Something was wrong.
The Owlbear, which had been preparing to unleash <Earthquake>, did nothing.
Even though it had finished casting.
Why…?
At that moment.
Ding-
[You have temporarily tamed the ‘Owlbear’.]
Han Siha grinned and gestured to the Owlbear.
“Hey, big guy. Come here. That’s not your owner.”
W-what?
Han Siha cheerfully smiled and introduced the short-haired boy to the Owlbear.
“Say hello. That’s your former owner.”
“…?”
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