Episode 503

Before the terrified basilisk could bite Priest Siana, Lee Han spoke quickly.

“I didn’t raise it to extract venom.”

“Huh? Then what are you going to use it for?”

Priest Siana tilted her head.

To Siana, raised in the Fleming Order, animals were always kept for a purpose.

Cows were kept for their milk.

Chickens for their eggs.

And especially for a dangerous, difficult creature like a basilisk, there could only be one reason to put in the effort to raise one.

To extract the precious basilisk venom.

“I didn’t raise it to extract venom, the professor wanted to attack me… hm.”

Lee Han cut himself off, thinking what he was about to say would sound too crazy.

Honestly, just saying he raised it for venom extraction sounded less insane.

“Huh?”

“…Anyway, I didn’t raise it for venom, so could you please put the syringe away?”

“All right.”

Siana, though she didn’t understand, put the syringe away since Lee Han said so.

The baby basilisk finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t scare it too much. It’s still a baby—who knows what it’ll do if you scare it like that.”

“It needs to be desensitized, though.”

“……”

When you think “priest,” you imagine gentle and faithful, but that didn’t necessarily mean weak-willed.

Even good, faithful people could become utterly unhinged when needed.

Priest Siana spoke seriously.

“Other professors will extract venom anyway—even if you leave it alone, that won’t change. You need to get it used to it so it isn’t afraid.”

“…Huh?”

“Professor Thunderstep mentioned the same thing the other day. He said if the basilisk really hatched, he’d have to extract some venom.”

The baby basilisk again trembled and tried to burrow into Lee Han’s arms.

Lee Han soothed it as he spoke.

“Wait. If it’s professors, is it only Thunderstep?”

“Professor Garcia was there, too. She asked if they could get some venom if the basilisk really hatched.”

“!”

Lee Han was shocked.

He didn’t mind if Professor Thunderstep or some others acted that way, but for even the benevolent Professor Garcia to talk like that—

‘Wizards really have no mercy when it comes to magic!’

The moment magic was involved, even the gentlest wizard lost all sense.

Lee Han learned a valuable lesson once again.

“Oh, and Professor Verdus…”

“Ah, I’m not curious about him. I bet he already asked for something.”

Professor Verdus wasn’t surprising.

Given his personality, he’d be the type to ask if he could skin it once it hatched.

‘This is a problem.’

Lee Han muttered as he petted the basilisk.

Far more professors were interested in the basilisk than he’d expected.

Maybe when it grew up strong and healthy, he could “borrow” some venom, but right now—when it hadn’t even fully matured—sticking needles in it to extract venom was a bit…

‘It’d probably create malice where there wasn’t any before.’

A kind monster subjected to that would probably become an evil monster bent on exterminating all life.

Especially since Lee Han had to live with the basilisk. He didn’t want to ruin its character.

“Always distinguished and trustworthy, the Fleming Order’s outstanding prodigy, Priest Siana. Can you keep the fact that the basilisk hatched a secret?”

“Oh, of course.”

At Lee Han’s flattery, Priest Siana nodded cheerfully.

“But won’t the professors find out?”

“If we don’t say anything, nobody will know—it hatched way sooner than anyone expected. …Except for one person.”

Professor Voladi was so interested in the basilisk egg that he regularly asked about it, so unlike the others there was no easy way to fool him.

Lee Han stared at the basilisk.

‘Will this be all right?’

Professor Voladi wasn’t interested in extracting venom, but he had other interests.

And those interests could be even more dangerous.

He’d been planning to use the basilisk all semester as Lee Han’s rival…

“Could you fight with me?”

-……

When Lee Han asked, the basilisk reacted more intensely than ever before, trembling and burrowing as if to say never.

Priest Siana watched in wonder.

“Are baby basilisks usually docile? I’d heard they’re evil and violent from infancy.”

“Well, if someone’s waving a syringe around… Never mind.”

Lee Han soothed the basilisk, worried it might slip around his neck like a hangman’s rope.

“I’ll talk to them, so don’t worry.”

Priest Siana replied as if not expecting much.

“Oh, Wardanaz. If you do need to extract venom, just call me. I’ll help you.”

“……”

At this quietly crazed remark, Lee Han felt a little burst of fear toward the Fleming Order.

• * *

“Professor.”

Monday morning.

While everyone else was basking in the sun, shaking off the cold, Lee Han made his way down to the main building’s basement to face Professor Voladi.

The professor was sitting at a table, assembling some kind of mechanical trap that Lee Han had never seen before. He tried to memorize its shape as best as possible.

Who knew when this trap would be used against him?

“You’re here.”

“I have something to tell you.”

Professor Voladi nodded.

It was a nod like a compassionate mentor indulging a foolish apprentice’s whims.

“What spell do you want to learn?”

“…Professor, do I really seem like someone who’s obsessed with learning new spells?”

Professor Voladi stared silently at Lee Han.

It would have been less annoying if he’d just said, “Yes.” Lee Han stopped protesting and changed the subject.

“First, I need you to keep what I say confidential.”

“If it’s reasonable.”

Professor Voladi was strict.

If Wardanaz declared he’d snuck out over the weekend to hunt anti-mages or magic criminals, that couldn’t remain confidential.

“…Why would I do that…? Never mind.”

After hearing the professor’s explanation, Lee Han gave up protesting.

Come to think of it, he had indeed once tried sneaking out and fighting foes behind Professor Voladi’s back. So he’d brought it on himself.

‘But it still feels unfair.’

“T-the basilisk has hatched.”

Professor Voladi put down the trap he’d been assembling and immediately stood up.

“Congratulations.”

‘What’s there to congratulate?’

Lee Han swallowed his question and spoke quickly.

“But professor, it’s a bit different than you expected. The basilisk hatched early, so it’s not as well developed.”

The professor’s brow furrowed. His gaze moved to Lee Han’s arm.

The basilisk, hiding in the long sleeve of Lee Han’s coat, was shivering.

“The Evil Eye? Its power shouldn’t depend on size.”

“Still, since it hasn’t fully grown, shouldn’t the effect be weaker?”

Lee Han was just guessing.

Whether or not it was actually weaker—he’d have to petrify something to know, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“The venom? As long as it maintains the toxicity of stone venom…”

“It’s probably a bit weaker, too, since it’s still a baby.”

Professor Voladi stared at the basilisk in the sleeve.

He said nothing and showed no expression, but Lee Han felt as if he were shouting, ‘You ungrateful reptile, do you know how much I was looking forward to you?’

But no matter how much he glared, the basilisk wasn’t going to suddenly become stronger or ferocious.

And, judging by its current behavior, even if it grew bigger, Lee Han doubted it would actively attack him.

“I’ll ask Professor Lightningstep and look for ways to boost its growth.”

“Actually, Professor, that’s why I asked you to keep it a secret.”

Lee Han reported that the other professors were after the basilisk’s venom.

Especially Professor Ver—er, all the professors wanted every part of it.

“If they start extracting before it gets stronger, won’t that seriously affect its growth?”

“Indeed.”

Professor Voladi understood what Lee Han was saying.

Given his apprentice’s greed, he wouldn’t want to allow any weakening of the basilisk he was raising.

“Understood. I’ll keep it secret.”

Professor Voladi tossed the mechanical trap into the dungeon’s pantry. There was a spatial spell on it—no noise came from inside.

Then he opened the floor door that connected to the lower basement and headed down. Hearing the noises from inside, both Lee Han and the basilisk trembled.

‘What’s he bringing out?’

Fortunately, instead of some secret weapon to kill them both, Professor Voladi returned with an old book.

The title was -The Black Art of Raising Evil Beasts-.

Professor Voladi carefully brushed the dust from the book and put it in the bookshelf by his desk. He would review it after his lectures and look for answers.

“……”

-……

Lee Han and the basilisk could only pray that the old book held at least some reasonable advice.

• * *

“How much have you written in the book?”

“…A, about a third.”

Lee Han hedged.

Half sounded like too much, a quarter too little.

Besides, he’d had a lot to do over the weekend: discovering a hidden secret base, guiding the bard, and so on.

‘Was it too little? Maybe I should’ve padded it more?’

“You’re progressing faster than I expected.”

‘Crap.’

Lee Han regretted it.

From Professor Voladi’s reaction, he could have taken more time.

He’d dug his own grave by panicking!

“You’re learning various combat spells, but still not satisfied, are you?”

“I’m sa—”

“You must have felt it during the sea serpent hunt.”

‘Felt what?’

Lee Han was confused.

All he’d really felt during the sea serpent hunt was resentment that he was the only one dragged to the front while the professor left the other students behind.

“A lack of evasion means.”

“…Uh, not… really?”

Truthfully, with clone magic, enhancement magic, and Professor Voladi’s (beaten-into-him) short-term foresight spell, he had enough escape methods for any first-year.

And now, with elemental magic for defense, his overall balance was great.

“Have you considered why?”

“Yes? Uh…”

“Right. The imbalance is due to your magical studies.”

“……”

If you’re going to ask and answer yourself, what’s the point?

Lee Han held back and listened.

Professor Voladi pointed out the imbalance in Lee Han’s current magical development.

Some areas like elemental magic, dark magic, imbued magic, and summoning magic were steadily being developed through experience, but others like transmutation magic or healing magic were stagnating.

“But none of the other professors mentioned that specifically…”

‘My own supervisors say things are fine, but why you?’

But Professor Voladi ignored that and went on.

“I asked Professor Reji, and there’s an event for students specializing in transmutation magic. Participating would be a good experience.”

“There is?”

Lee Han was surprised.

He hadn’t heard any of his friends mention it.