Episode 727

“Ugh. He’s really losing it more than usual today.”

“Let’s cut him some slack. It is a unicorn, after all.”

The students in the polo club stepped away from Professor Bendozol’s tantrum.

The wild spells he cast turned rocks they struck into gargoyles and hit trees into wood spirits.

Professor Bendozol, wielding potent magic from various schools, was a tricky and dangerous opponent.

-Grrrr…

Of course, Einrogard students didn’t run away scared of a few gargoyles or wood spirits.

“Professor! Unicorn’s not going to love you for this. Just let us handle it!”

“You just summoned all these monsters. Why not play with them instead?”

“Silence!”

Professor Bendozol, his face red with blood, yelled harshly.

These rude, greedy students always made Professor Bendozol furious.

Using such beautiful creatures for their own purposes was utter arrogance to begin with.

Carts could be pulled by people and fields plowed by people, so why use a magical creature for polo?

If anything, people could just shapeshift and play, so why try to ride a unicorn?

“Even if the unicorn hates me, it doesn’t matter. I won’t let you brats get anywhere near it!”

“Professor, you’re being tyrannical! What if the unicorn wants us?”

The unicorn shook its head firmly at the student’s words.

Polo club members were embarrassed, but, being experienced Einrogard wizards, they didn’t back down.

“It’s just because it hasn’t known us long.”

“Yeah! Maybe once it gets to know us, it’ll change its mind!”

“I’ll turn any persistent pests into grubs and throw you in the Einrogard desert!”

While the professor and club members remained at an impasse, a group of new students appeared in the back.

These were the second-year students considering joining the club this year.

“……”

“…This isn’t exactly what I pictured?”

The second-year students whispered in shock at the scene before them.

The polo club they’d imagined was a little different.

Rare imperial beasts secured in the club’s own stables.

Club members united in sportsmanship and skilled in riding.

Well-mannered rivals, fierce matches, and the refreshing sweat of competition.

And prize money.

“???”

“Prize money?”

“…We don’t get a prize?”

Lee Han felt a bit awkward at his friends’ reactions.

He’d heard that the Einrogard polo club received prize money from matches with other clubs.

“Oh, that? Wardanaz, that’s not what matters. What’s important is honor.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Are you all crazy?”

But his friends wouldn’t be swayed by Lee Han’s words.

Sure, club activities helped students secure research funds, but their pure passion for polo blinded them.

“Really, in a polo club, shouldn’t you secure animals like that? Otherwise, where do you get a mount?”

You’d think that riding skills and martial prowess are the most important things in polo, but what really mattered more was having the right mount.

If you rode up on a skinny pony and the opponent came out on a behemoth, no amount of talent would let you win.

“A-auction house or… raise them at a ranch…”

“If you had that much gold at Einrogard, you’d spend it on research.”

While chatting, a familiar senior ran over. It was Perse, a fourth-year from Blue Dragon Tower.

“Sorry for the club tour, everyone! Today’s not a good day. Professor’s more stubborn than we thought.”

“What happened?”

“A unicorn showed up in Einrogard, and Professor Bendozol is dead set on hoarding it all to himself.”

Perse sighed and shook his head.

Then, remembering something, he spoke up.

“Oh. You all don’t know Professor Bendozol, do you? He wasn’t here last year?”

“No. What’s Professor Bendozol like?”

“Professor Bendozol… hmm… really loves animals.”

“……”

Unlike his friends, Lee Han, who’d already met Professor Bendozol during winter break, wore a complicated expression.

Sure, he cared for animals, but he questioned whether that phrase fully captured the truth.

If so, the skeletal headmaster counted as someone who “really worries about the Empire,” too.

“Aren’t those the students he’s attacking over there?”

“Quiet! That’s just a misunderstanding.”

Perse lost his words as the juniors hit the mark.

Professor Bendozol was one of the club’s biggest obstacles, but he couldn’t openly complain about him to juniors already.

“Let’s not go too far, Perse. The juniors deserve the truth.”

Hormashi, a third-year from White Tiger Tower, stopped Perse.

Hormashi, a dark elf, was tall and nimble.

Even with her body wrapped in a coat, cloak, and long skirt, she radiated a sharp, dynamic energy.

Grasping the riding crop at her waist, Hormashi tapped her palm and looked at the juniors.

“Welcome, juniors. Welcome to the polo club. I’m Hormashi.”

“Hello, senior!”

A White Tiger Tower student greeted her, and Hormashi nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Lots of people from our tower. The two towers with the most club members are White Tiger and Blue Dragon. What’s your goal for joining?”

“An honorable victory…”

“…Friendship and rivalry…”

“A trophy…”

As each gave their reason, Hormashi nodded, pleased.

“Prize…”

“Right. Everyone’s got similar but different goals. Wait, who said prize?”

When she paused at such an answer, Hormashi carried on, unconcerned.

“To reach your goals, do you know what you must do?”

“Win matches!”

“That’s right, but before that, you have to be recognized within the club. How do you earn that recognition?”

“Win in a practice match?”

“That’s good, but even better is showing ability. See Professor Bendozol and that unicorn? If any junior sneaks the unicorn out from under him, I’ll give up my starting spot so they can play in the next match.”

“!!!”

“Hormashi!”

Perse glared at Hormashi angrily.

“They’ve just joined—how can you have them do something like that?!”

“Then let me ask you, Perse. How much should we baby new juniors? They aren’t first-years, they’re second-years.”

Hormashi replied coolly.

A great striker, Hormashi had little interest in nurturing or coddling juniors.

What she wanted were juniors who would surge alongside her, crush rival players, and rope in imperial rarities for the club—not bunglers.

She pointed at Bendozol with her crop.

“You heard me. No one’s forcing you. Whether you snatch the glory yourself or just stand here, it’s up to you.”

“Professor Bendozol is dangerous in that state!”

“Everything’s dangerous at Einrogard, Perse. If you fret over every risk, you’ll never do anything. Juniors, think hard. Miss this chance, and you may never see a unicorn before graduation.”

“…!”

The second-years steeled themselves at her words.

After all, life at Einrogard was always high risk, high reward.

“Let’s go!”

“I’ll be the chosen one!”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit! Go!”

Hormashi burst into laughter and applauded.

But in their excitement, the students suddenly froze after a few steps.

“?”

Hormashi looked puzzled, and the students shouted.

“T-the unicorn’s coming this way!”

“…?!!”

---

“No one is allowed near!”

Professor Bendozol roared, grabbing a polo club student swimming through the ground and tossing him aside.

The professor turned and shouted,

“Don’t worry. These filthy, greedy beasts won’t get anywhere near you!”

-■!

The unicorn, who had been watching the wizards’ battle with a bored expression, abruptly lifted its head.

Professor Bendozol was elated at the unicorn’s response.

“Are you worried about me? No need. Seeing off a handful of brats is nothing for me—”

Before he could finish, the unicorn moved. Hooves pounding, it blinked through short-range teleport hops, slipping away from the conflict.

Then it charged toward the second-years.

“The unicorn’s coming! It’s coming this way!!”

“T-the unicorn chose me! The unicorn chose me!”

“Why would it choose you?”

“I’ve suffered at Einrogard! The unicorn recognizes my sacrifice and devotion!”

‘…In that case, the whole student body should be chosen.’

Tempted to agree for a second, a student quickly snapped back to his senses.

Sure, it was a lot of suffering, but it didn’t seem to be the unicorn’s criteria for choosing.

Hormashi’s expression hardened as she shouted from behind.

“Everyone, get back!”

A unicorn moving like that was extremely dangerous.

There was no way it would rush indiscriminately at students for no reason—this was a hostile act.

Perse must have felt it, too, and called out for juniors to retreat.

“Something’s not right. Everyone, get back!”

“Are you trying to steal our unicorn?!”

“……”

“……”

Hormashi and Perse regarded the juniors with exasperation.

Of course, not listening to good advice from a senior was every junior’s right.

“Ah, fine. Do as you like! Just try and catch it!”

“Hormashi! At least try to stop them!”

“Like that would work?”

Sarcastic, Hormashi drew her staff.

Just giving juniors a warning was already more than enough grace. Normally, she’d never do it.

Now, Hormashi herself would seize the unicorn and earn recognition.

Pop!

The unicorn dodged the wizards using space leaps and landed in front of a second-year, knocking the student down and pointing its horn.

“Unicorn, back awa—!”

“Calm down. Calm.”

“?”

Perse, about to ward off the unicorn, was surprised at the junior’s voice.

The tone showed not a hint of fear or panic.

Lee Han removed the unicorn, which was tugging at his sleeve, with his hand and said,

“I’m glad to see you, but don’t knock me over. That hurts.”

The unicorn licked his hand in apology.

The polo club seniors who arrived late saw this and stared wide-eyed.

“Is… is that the unicorn you raised?”

They knew it was a stupid question, but the scene before them brought it out.

“No. Last time—”

“Attack him!!”

Professor Bendozol, eyes bloodshot and last to arrive, pointed at Lee Han.

The polo club students asked, dumbfounded,

“Why should we attack?”

“Shouldn’t we praise him for taming the unicorn Professor couldn’t handle?”

“He stole the unicorn from me!”

“Ah…!”

The seniors nodded in understanding.

Then, ignoring Professor Bendozol, they spoke to Lee Han.

“Junior, how did you—”

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”