Episode 957

“Why are you so tense? It’s Professor Garcia, not just any professor.”

Perse looked at her Junior, puzzled.

Of course, being summoned by an Einrogard professor wasn’t exactly relaxing for students.

But that was for ordinary professors—Garcia was a different matter.

He wasn’t the type to get angry, scold you, or demand you craft 173 artifacts for his work by tomorrow.

“…That’s true…”

Lee Han nodded, but thought to himself.

‘After the baguk match, I have to rush to another club.’

If he used his kitchen club or stonework club schedule as an excuse, maybe he could avoid meeting Garcia.

Senior Perse didn’t understand why her Junior was afraid of Garcia, but there are always exceptions to a rule.

Lee Han wasn’t about to risk his neck just to check whether Professor Garcia was angry or not.

‘…Even if the professor IS angry, time will cool him down. Maybe…’

While Lee Han ruminated about the professor, the Seniors discussed today’s match.

“Did you hear? The Granden City Baguk Club brought a fully grown hippogriff! Haddagak is riding it.”

“That’s harsh. They really didn’t have to go that far against us.”

The club Seniors shuddered.

Yes, a true baguk player never lets their guard down against any team… but deep down you want the strong ones to slack off a little for your sake.

“Haddagak’s in the position you’ll have to face directly, Junior… must be a lot to worry about.”

“No, look.”

The Senior pointed at Lee Han.

The boy from House Wardanaz sat still, deep in thought, his face showing not a hint of emotion.

Seeing that, the Seniors reflexively felt a little ashamed.

Their Junior was focusing intently on the match, while they themselves were just panicking.

“…Wardanaz. Don’t worry. We’re here behind you.”

“Just do what you learned in practice. Nothing more.”

“Uh—uhm, thank you.”

Lee Han, trying to guess whether Garcia was mad, was caught off guard by these sudden words of encouragement.

• * *

“A-a-amazing. Didn’t know Granden City’s Baguk Club was this strong.”

“Weren’t they always tough?”

“Yeah, but not like this.”

Angrago reached for Salko’s popcorn bowl as he spoke. Salko smacked his hand away irritably.

The Granden City stadium was already packed with people chatting in clusters.

Judging by its popularity, the tickets were expensive, and Angrago—usually fond of splurging—had to save money by skipping snacks.

“…Come on, can’t you share since we came together?”

Salko grabbed a handful of popcorn and ate it before replying.

“I told you to stop buying useless stuff. Why did you buy another cloak?”

“I—I needed a new cloak. This one is way better for hiding during baguk…”

“And that helmet?”

“For baguk! The new one’s got better shock absorption…”

Salko looked increasingly exasperated.

“So what about that mallet? Don’t you already have several?”

“T-this one’s for Wardanaz.”

“???”

“Wardanaz is also in the Baguk Club. If he gets a good mallet, maybe he’ll get more interested in baguk.”

Angrago was frustrated that such a talented friend, like Giselle and Lee Han both, had so little interest in baguk.

Salko inwardly tilted his head.

‘Bet he’ll just sell it.’

“And it’s also a way to say thanks…”

“!”

Salko looked surprised. Angrago grumbled.

“What?”

“Didn’t know you actually had some conscience.”

“…Shut up.”

“Honestly, I think Wardanaz would be happier if you skipped breaking the rules than getting a new mallet.”

“Says the guy who also skipped out!”

When Angrago snapped, Salko shrugged and reached for more popcorn.

‘Now that I think about it, bringing a gift to repay Wardanaz isn’t a bad idea.’

Salko was good about settling debts.

After receiving so much, he couldn’t just let it slide.

Most students probably wouldn’t even think about it (Angrago was a total anomaly), so Salko didn’t mind being the one to express thanks.

He never imagined dozens of other Einrogard students had similar thoughts.

-It’s a hippogriff!

-Wooooooow!

Big baguk games never started right away.

Before the main event, there were always some festivities.

Monster trick-riding shows, beast vs. human deathmatches (discontinued now), promotions from guilds and traders, and more.

Right now Granden City players were showing off tricks.

You could even see a rider on a fully grown hippogriff.

“Do you always see fully grown hippogriffs at baguk matches?”

“No way. Hippogriffs are tough and wild. Dumber than griffons, but hard to tame—especially big ones like that.”

Salko grumbled at the unfairness.

Granden City’s Baguk Club, with the support of many houses and groups, could get rare mounts from all over the Empire, but for Einrogard, even going out was tough.

“Still, bringing a hippogriff like that? That’s just dirty.”

“Alpha, you’re getting too into this. It’s not really unfair…”

“That’s just because you don’t know baguk!”

“Tsk tsk. Don’t know why he gets so emotional.”

Salko shook his head.

He’d come to see the arena and analyze real matches, so Angrago’s dramatics were baffling.

“Ugh. Their monsters and skills, everything’s gotten stronger.”

“It must’ve been something—maybe they lost to someone… Losing is a powerful teacher.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. If that logic held, our club would be a hundred times stronger by now.”

• * *

The Granden City Baguk Club’s Captain, Burpad, looked around at his players and mounts with a determined expression.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

“At first I doubted you, but now I see you were right.”

Last year’s shocking loss to an Einrogard student had rocked Granden City’s team.

Even if it wasn’t their starters who played, the way they lost was shocking.

Well-trained mounts had panicked, scattered, and fled!

After the shock wore off, Burpad came to feel grateful.

Better to learn your weakness now than in a decisive moment.

From then on, Burpad and the players trained relentlessly.

They taught the mounts to withstand any fear.

If a monster exuded intimidation or dread, they’d bring in mounts to train against it, even when strange phenomena occurred from excess local magic.

That grueling training had finally borne fruit.

They had conquered their fears, and both players and mounts had grown much stronger.

-It’s a griffon!!!!

-My goodness, a real griffon! This match is going to be amazing!

“!”

The players turned in surprise.

They knew Einrogard magicians were among the Empire’s elite, but they were also busy.

To bring out a tamed griffon?

But Burpad nodded, as if expecting it.

“A student at Einrogard has tamed a griffon.”

“……”

‘Shouldn’t you have told us that first?’

The other players were baffled by the captain’s omission, but Burpad had his reasons.

“If you trust your own strength, there’s no reason to be shaken even if they bring out a dragon.”

“I mean, a dragon’s a bit much…”

“And we trained for griffons, didn’t we?”

“That’s true.”

The team nodded.

The Granden City Club really had prepared for all sorts of scenarios.

From a skinny, undergrown griffon to a full-grown adult.

The famous defender, Haddagak, pounded his chest.

“Leave it to me. I’ll tire the griffon out and see it off the field.”

“Whoa!”

“Reliable!”

Haddagak’s bravado wasn’t all bluster.

Griffons were smarter and fiercer than hippogriffs but had drawbacks, too.

Clever monsters weren’t easily controlled.

All the more so in baguk.

Smart monsters like griffons soon realized these matches were just human games and not a fight for life.

‘Looks like a full-grown—so more likely to go rogue.’

The bigger and brighter the griffon, the faster it caught on.

If Haddagak just endured, it’d get bored and start slacking.

Griffons, proud as they were loyal, wouldn’t want to disgrace themselves in a silly spectacle.

-The griffon is performing tricks! A special show for the honorable citizens of Granden City!

-WOWWWWWW!

“Tricks? What a careless thing to do… Still just students, it seems.”

Haddagak pitied the opponents.

They should be resting their beast, not parading tricks.

Now the griffon would only tire and lose interest faster!

• * *

“Wardanaz. You should let the griffon rest.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Griffons are smart. Give them too many annoying things to do, and they’ll pretend not to hear.”

“…Really!?”

Lee Han, surprised, stared at Fongrif.

Fongrif, worked up at seeing his owner for the first time in ages, looked indignant and snapped his beak at the students.

Who’s talking behind my back?!

“See? He’s already mad.”

“Uh… But he’s never ignored or been mad at me before.”

With his master taking his side, Fongrif blinked his big eyes and nodded eagerly, face full of joy.

“You’ve been okay so far, but everyone has their limits. Wardanaz, you know so much about animals, but for griffons, maybe you slipped.”

“Sorry, I guess I got careless after raising him and stopped reading.”

Lee Han reflected.

He’d gotten so close to the griffon he’d stopped checking new info and got overconfident.

Fongrif, overhearing, looked like he was about to go ballistic.

But the griffon’s keen intelligence held him back.

He knew if he raised a scene, those nasty, petty, sneaky magicians would leap on it: “See? That’s what griffons do!”

All he could do was grit his beak and endure the vile insults.

Grrrrrrrrr…

A menacing rumble escaped his beak, and Lee Han carefully asked,

“Fongrif, you don’t have to play if you don’t want to. No need to force yourself for a greedy Senior—Basil’s here too.”

-What?!?!

But Fongrif shook his head firmly. Then he stomped the ground, clearly eager to get on with the match.

…I swear by my noble blood that I’ll crush all who stand in my way!