Episode 250
by CristaeEpisode 250
-Why are you doing this, sir?
-What did we do so wrong…
The Death Knights complained, but when the Spire Keeper chased them away, telling them to go, they couldn’t hold out and retreated.
“Thank you.”
Thanks to that, Lee Han was able to enter the Spire Stable with peace of mind.
Be careful. The beasts are generally fierce.
Just as the Spire Keeper warned, the mounts sleeping inside the Spire Stable were astonishing.
‘Wait. Why do the professors ride things like these?’
Hippogriffs, centaurs, bicorns, simurghs, baks, and other rare and powerful monsters that Lee Han thought he’d only see in fairy tales were sleeping soundly.
Of course, wizards challenged the impossible, defined the mysterious, and tamed the bizarre…
…But did they really have to tame such dangerous creatures?
‘I see why students are forbidden entry.’
Still, one relief was that bringing a griffin here wouldn’t feel out of place at all.
A griffin would probably be considered one of the cute and dainty mounts here.
‘The inside is where the beasts rest…’
The Spire Stable, perhaps due to magic amplifying the space, was so long that you couldn’t see the exit from the entrance.
On both sides of the long corridor, resting beasts were sleeping, and if you followed that path, you’d reach an exit connected to the main building’s outer wall, allowing one to fly directly outside.
It was essentially an airfield designed for direct flight into the open sky.
‘They said there’s a check at the entrance, right?’
Lee Han recalled what he had heard.
There didn’t seem to be any particular checks or inspections, but they said anyone coming in or out would be checked once at that airfield.
If so, the person in charge of this facility must be waiting there…
“?”
While Lee Han was picturing the structure in his head, the Spire Keeper walked ahead.
Then, a horse came out from inside.
“?????”
While Lee Han blinked in surprise, the Spire Keeper communicated with the horse using paper and a quill.
-Is it not dangerous? Since you guarantee it, I’ll allow it.
‘Hmm. I was too narrow-minded.’
There were centaurs who could talk and minotaurs who could talk, so it wasn’t surprising to see a talking horse.
Well, actually, it was a bit surprising…
Permission has been granted.
“Excuse me?”
Lee Han hesitated.
Permission for what?
You said you wanted to practice. Try riding this bicorn. It will be helpful.
“……”
Lee Han resolved never to deceive a kind person for his own gain again.
- * *
The Spire Keeper hadn’t recommended the bicorn because he’d noticed Lee Han’s wicked inner thoughts and wanted to teach him a stern lesson.
Of course, that’s how it ended up, but the reason was truly pure goodwill.
Since a bicorn’s body was similar to a horse, if you could skillfully ride a bicorn, you could ride any fierce horse.
“…Not wrong, but isn’t it too dangerous?”
If you learned how to tame a dragon, you could tame a wolf, but no one ever told you to tame a dragon just to tame a wolf.
It’s fine. That bicorn is the gentlest among the animals here.
“……”
Lee Han made a reluctant expression.
By that logic, Lee Han would also be the kindest person in the principal’s office when the skeletal principal and Professor Voladi were together…
‘Let’s just not fall off.’
Since he’d have to use this stable on weekends, he couldn’t disappoint the Spire Keeper.
Lee Han resolved to do his best to ride the bicorn.
No complicated movements or acrobatics were needed. He planned to just walk a little and come back with the most basic and safest moves.
“I am Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family. I respect your honor, your pride, and the pride flowing in your bloodline.”
Reciting words learned from Professor Lightningstep, Lee Han carefully took a step.
The stronger the monster, the higher its intelligence and pride.
Especially if it was a fierce and wild monster like a bicorn.
A unicorn, a magical beast with one horn, had a gentle and docile temperament, but a bicorn with two horns was the opposite.
If you approached it the wrong way, you could end up getting stabbed by its horn and collapsing.
Snort!
“?”
The bicorn, upon seeing Lee Han, suddenly approached. Then, it rubbed its cheek against his face.
“???”
Lee Han was very flustered by the affectionate display from a beast he’d never seen before, not even from Fongrif.
What is this?
A trap?
Snort-
Regardless of Lee Han’s confusion, the bicorn calmly knelt and lay down.
It meant for him to get on.
“…I respect you. I really do. Got it?”
Fearing the bicorn would show its true colors as soon as he mounted, Lee Han repeated his words.
The bicorn snorted softly and turned its head, as if to say, “What a fuss.”
Tap-
Even after Lee Han got on, the bicorn didn’t reveal any hostility. It calmly tapped the ground with its hooves, ran to the airfield, and leapt into the air.
“!”
In that moment, the vast grounds of Einrogard came into view. The bicorn, as if reading Lee Han’s feelings, carefully walked through the air.
“Thank you.”
When Lee Han whispered as he stroked its mane, the bicorn snorted as if it was no big deal.
A comfortable and pleasant ride.
The bicorn was much kinder and gentler than he’d feared.
‘Ah. Is this why it was recommended?’
Sure enough, the Spire Keeper hadn’t made the recommendation thoughtlessly. Lee Han apologized inwardly for doubting him.
Did you get some practice?
“Thank you. It really helped a lot.”
When he returned, the Spire Keeper was waiting. Lee Han replied with satisfaction.
“To be honest, I’d like to take it with me.”
-How strange. That one’s famous for being a pain.
The horse in charge of the Spire Stable looked at him curiously as it passed by.
The look in its eyes was, “You managed to survive and come back alive, huh.”
“…Uh… Didn’t you say it was the gentlest among the animals here?”
Lee Han asked the Spire Keeper.
He was sure that’s what was said?
It’s only a little like that usually. When it meets its master, it couldn’t be gentler.
“No…”
Lee Han was speechless at the obviously biased expression, like someone wearing rose-colored glasses.
Even a foul-tempered creature would, of course, have good moods. Who’s cranky all day long?
What matters is the average…
‘I’d better not ride it again.’
He thought the bicorn was kind, but it was just luck.
Lee Han resolved inwardly.
“By the way, who owns this bicorn?”
It’s the principal.
“……”
Lee Han unconsciously stared at the bicorn. The bicorn clung to his sleeve as if not wanting him to go.
…Could it be that it was kind because it resembled the skeletal principal!?
‘It’s a relief, but somehow I feel bad!’
- * *
Lee Han thanked the Spire Keeper and said goodbye.
-Please don’t tell anyone else about today’s practice. I’m very shy…
Of course, he didn’t forget to keep quiet.
There was no good in letting it reach the skeletal principal’s ears.
“Fongrif. Being ordinary is good. I mean, it’s comforting that you and the other horses look so normal.”
Lee Han said, brushing Fongrif’s mane as he came to give him lunch.
Fongrif, who was munching on his meal, tilted his head.
It sounded a bit like an insult.
Besides, Fongrif’s original form was different from other horses…?
“You eat well. Eat more. I even brought candy just for you.”
When Lee Han gave him a snack that Gainando would be jealous of, Fongrif excitedly shook his head.
Thud-
“What’s wrong?”
Fongrif frowned and looked at Lee Han.
He could smell a strange beast on his owner.
Snort! Neigh! Whinny! Neighhh! Snort snort!
“…?!”
Fongrif let out the most sorrowful cry Lee Han had ever heard, and Lee Han panicked.
“What’s wrong? Is it not tasty?”
Fongrif tapped the floor with his hoof and mimicked another animal.
He put the fallen party hat on his head and made a twisted face…
“…Ah. The bicorn? I didn’t ride it because I wanted to. Fongrif. Trust me.”
Snort!
Fongrif turned his head as if he didn’t want to listen. Lee Han didn’t give up and kept trying to soothe Fongrif’s sulky mood.
How much time had passed?
Professor Lightningstep, who came to the stable, looked puzzled at the sight of Lee Han.
“Griff…I mean, are you soothing Fongrif? You’re doing well.”
“Could you help me, please?”
“You’re doing well. He’s already halfway cheered up. But what did you do to make him so upset?”
A griffin wouldn’t sulk over a trivial mistake.
A powerful magical beast has its own pride.
But the answer from his returned student was even more absurd than expected.
“I rode a bicorn…”
“…Where the hell did you do that to end up riding a bicorn!?”
- * *
Thunk-
“!!!!”
“Shie… Shield! The shield!!”
“??”
When the shield dropped to the classroom floor, the Blue Dragon Tower students screamed.
Other tower students, who hadn’t grasped the situation, asked,
“Is there some problem if that shield falls?”
Is it perhaps an item related to divination magic?
Like if the shield falls, danger is coming…
“We had a bet on that shield.”
“I thought it would last three days… Ugh…”
“……”
“Pathetic fools…”
‘It lasted a little over two days.’
Regardless of whether the Blue Dragon Tower students shed tears over lost groceries, Lee Han coldly recorded the time.
At this rate, he really thought he could just submit it.
Of course, some diligent students might say, ‘Assignments exist to provide students with learning opportunities, so isn’t it meaningless to use shortcuts?’ but…
‘Who cares. I just want to survive first.’
Even the fourth-year students used shortcuts, so it wasn’t really wrong.
Survival first!
“Is everyone doing well with their assignments?”
“Yes! Professor Garcia!”
The students’ voices as they called the troll-blooded professor contained a bit more affection than usual.
That affection included, ‘Please, at least don’t give us more assignments, professor.’
“There’s a lot of homework, right?”
“Yes!!!”
“So, my final assignment will be simple…”
The students’ eyes sparkled.
‘Omitted?’
‘Pass?’
‘Delete?’
“I’ll probably give it next week.”
“……”
“……”
“It’s really not hard. Everyone. It’ll be simple.”
‘Not comforting at all.’
Lee Han knew all too well that professors’ standards for ‘simple’ were never actually simple.
“I know you’re all having a hard time before finals, but sorry, today I’ll introduce another school of magic.”
With that, the professor opened the door and entered.
Lee Han was startled.
The professor looked like the most tired and exhausted person in the world.
‘My god. Is that even possible?’
Lee Han prided himself on his experience with fatigue and exhaustion, but this professor had surpassed all that.
How many hours of nonstop work would it take to accumulate that much fatigue?
Tap!
A small flowerpot appeared in front of each student. It was a pot with a severed sprout planted in it.
“Grab the pot.”
“Excuse me?”
As Gainando questioned, a stick appeared above his head and smacked him.
“Ouch!”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. Grab the pot.”
The students grabbed their pots.
“Close your eyes and imagine the severed sprout reconnecting.”
Silence.
The students closed their eyes and focused.
“Raise your hand if the sprout connected.”
A fair number of students raised their hands. Lee Han was among them.
“You will learn healing magic.”
“…???”
“???!??!”