Episode 667

The merchants who had thrown tomatoes and eggs dispersed, grumbling.

The relieved hunters cleared away the mess, then asked the Wasteland Star-Catcher patrolman,

“Why didn’t you drive them off? You could have if you’re a Wasteland Star-Catcher…”

“A Wasteland Star-Catcher protects imperial citizens. We can’t threaten them.”

“Ah!”

The hunters, rough men from various regions, were all impressed by the courage and patience the Wasteland Star-Catcher had just shown.

After all, the courage not to shoot an arrow, even when you have one, is greater than having the guts to fire it.

“That’s a Wasteland Star-Catcher for you.”

“You have to respect that, ha ha.”

Lee Han saw Nillia standing nearby, her ears drooping sadly and her face gloomy.

“Nillia, should I rile up the crowd to pelt them with tomatoes and eggs again?”

“…No, I’m good.”

Nillia almost fell for her friend’s suggestion, but snapped back to her senses.

Soon they’d have to work together, so it wouldn’t do to hate the Wasteland Star-Catchers.

“Are you students from Einrogard?”

The group that finished cleaning up now finally noticed Lee Han’s party.

“That’s right.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Mrangsae, a patrolman from the Wasteland Star-Catchers.”

The elf patrolman was tall, impressively good-looking, and his patrol uniform was simple yet neat.

He was a stark contrast to the Shadow Patrol, who were often mistaken for bandits or savages.

Lee Han noticed Nillia’s mood darken further, and whispered to Yoner,

“Shouldn’t have brought Nillia…”

“…It’s fine. She has to learn to overcome it.”

“It’s an honor to be working with renowned students from Einrogard. Please take care of us.”

“That’s our line.”

“This is Frostwalker, an explorer. Distant relative of Professor Lightningstep.”

The young dwarf explorer tipped his hat in greeting.

“And the hunters in the back…”

“Don’t say our names.”

The hunters waved off introductions. Mrangsae nodded understandingly.

“Please understand. It’s a matter of their tradition.”

The so-called name-less hunters, summoned by Professor Lightningstep, lived deep in the mountains in remote huts.

Their skills were excellent, but they followed dozens of traditions and superstitions, not even Lightningstep fully understood.

One was hiding their home and name.

“If you reveal your name, demons and monsters find you.”

Lee Han asked, puzzled,

“As far as I know, regular names don’t have special power, only true names from the soul…”

“See! Mages!”

“So reckless and audacious. Always mocking our traditions.”

“……”

Seeing her friend get scolded, Nillia apologized on his behalf.

“Sorry. Hunters are just kind of stubborn. Whole lot of pride in their traditions.”

“Doesn’t Shadow Patrol ignore all that tradition stuff?”

“…We have traditions!”

“Why are you mad?”

“I-I’m not! We have traditions. For real.”

Nillia snapped out of embarrassment, then regretted it.

If asked to name those traditions, she might come up blank.

“Are we all here?”

Professor Lightningstep came from afar. Seeing the wyverns gathered, he frowned.

“Is it okay to leave these tied up in front of a city? Didn’t people complain?”

“Just some eggs and tomatoes.”

“Wow. People in Flaher are soft. In other places, they’d throw rocks. Alright, everyone mount up.”

Lee Han and his friends got ready to ride the wyverns. Some had ridden before, and with these trained mounts, it wasn’t hard.

“Wardanaz.”

“Yeah, I know. If you make eye contact with a wyvern, you have to blink slowly to show you have no hostile intent, right?”

A few hunters behind Lee Han made spinning-finger gestures at their temples.

But Frostwalker shook his head.

“That boy could actually threaten a wyvern.”

He’d heard from Professor Lightningstep.

“Really?”

“I swear on my honor, it’s true.”

“Then please, don’t let him ride my wyvern. In my mountains, there’s a tradition against letting beasts who can threaten wyverns atop a wyvern.”

“That’s for actual beasts, though…”

The hunters immediately objected; Frostwalker gave up, embarrassed.

It seemed hard to keep spirits up with so many rejections at the outset.

“Don’t worry. Wardanaz will ride something else. Wardanaz, look behind you.”

Lee Han turned.

The griffon, whose transformation curse had been lifted, glared fiercely at him, a mixture of disappointment and betrayal.

Lee Han stepped down from the wyvern stirrups.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Settle it as you go.”

“I even bought you a treat, Fongrif.”

The chunk of meat he’d intended for Eandurde, he now offered to his griffon. Eandurde grumbled.

The griffon softened a bit and bumped Lee Han with his head.

Some hunters all spoke at once.

“Please, keep that boy away from me.”

“What tradition is this?”

“Just fear. We’ll keep our distance until he’s proven safe.”

“……”

Frostwalker was about to ask why such experienced people were so leery of someone who could handle wyverns and griffons, but gave up.

Even he couldn’t find a convincing explanation.

• * *

Professor Lightningstep’s wyvern eyed the flying griffon with deep suspicion.

“Pretty good, huh?”

Lee Han asked quizzically,

“What is?”

“The group I assembled.”

Finding a unicorn was harder than it sounded.

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack—the haystack being a vast, rugged mountain full of hiding places, and the needle itself being able to think and cast magic.

Professor Lightningstep had summoned unnamed hunters, Frostwalker the explorer, Mrangsae the Star-Catcher, and even Skullbreaker the retired adventurer to help.

What must Skullbreaker have done to earn that nickname, Lee Han wondered? But for now there were more pressing questions.

“What do we do?”

“I want you kids to set up camp,” Lightningstep said, adjusting his goggles.

Searching randomly was hopeless, so they had to methodically narrow their area.

First, set up camps—each responsible for a different sector.

Then the hunters and patrols would spread out, searching for unicorn tracks.

If they found any, their job was not to approach, but to drive it toward camp. Unicorns were clever and wary; direct pursuit made them flee.

So…

“We need to prepare magic for the hunters and patrols, and for calming the unicorn.”

“Are you a fifth-year adventurer or what? That’s exactly right.”

Lightningstep didn’t plan to have the Einrogard students directly track the unicorn—far too tough.

As mages from Einrogard, they were multi-talented. Better to put them on magical support.

And Lee Han, who could guess what was needed without being told, impressed him.

No wonder every professor wanted to take him for a disciple.

“And one more thing.”

“Prepping for a fight with poachers?”

“…Start calling yourself a tenth-year.”

“Haha, not quite.”

Lightningstep commented that it would have been better to have the Shadow Patrol, and Lee Han was puzzled.

Why not hire them, instead of the Star-Catchers and making Nillia feel bad?

“Why didn’t you bring them?”

“I was worried they’d lose it and try to bag the unicorn themselves.”

Lee Han decided to keep that point a strict secret.

With the wind roaring past, he changed the subject for fear Nillia would overhear.

“What kind of person is Professor Vendosol?”

“Ah, unicorns. Truly gorgeous animals. I’ve traveled from the Empire’s western coast to its eastern undercities and only seen two and a half.”

“No, not the unicorn—Professor Vendosol. Wait, why two and a half, not three?”

“Well, I was too drunk, not sure if it was a unicorn or a rhinoceros. Anyway, as for Vendosol—why ask?”

Assuming Lee Han wanted to ask about unicorns, the professor looked puzzled.

“Maybe he’ll be back this year, and I’ll have to take his class.”

“Hmm… I don’t like to badmouth other professors, but I’d advise against it.”

“?!”

Lee Han was shocked.

Not that he didn’t like to badmouth—he loved complaining about Thunderstep—but this time he was advising against taking Vendosol’s course.

“More dangerous than Professor Verdus or Baegrek?”

‘This kid asks hard questions!’

Lightningstep thought carefully, then answered slowly,

“They’ve all got their own quirks. Vendosol knows more about Imperial animals and monsters than anyone, but he cares about them too much.”

“Isn’t that good?”

“He cares more about the animals than you students. If he taught the riding course last year, you’d have had to carry the horses on your backs.”

“……”

For a moment, Lee Han thought the professor was joking.

But Lightningstep looked dead serious.

“What? No matter how much he loves animals, you can’t have students carry horses.”

“That’s why he’s a weirdo. Still want his class?”

‘Terrifying,’ Lee Han thought.

If Vendosol had taught last year, he might have lugged that griffon through every assignment.

“Guess I’ll settle for finding him, not taking his class.”

“Aiming a bit high, aren’t you? Even finding a unicorn is tough… I guess a professor would be easier.”

Lightningstep was amazed that Lee Han, even after all that from his professors, remained so loyal.

Of course, for Lee Han, it was about the reward.

If not for the bounty, why search for a total stranger?

“Bitong mountains. Let’s land and start searching!”

“Are those poachers?”

Lee Han pointed down; Lightningstep nodded.

“Good eyes! They made it to the foothills already. Word must have spread. Ready warning shots!”

Lee Han unleashed lightning magic without hesitation. The griffon’s motion barely mattered.

CRACKLE!

At the first flash, the poachers screamed and surrendered.

-Surrender! Surrender, mage! We surrender!

Lightningstep smiled at Lee Han.

“Good spell. By the way, I meant for the hunters to ready their warning shots.”

“……”

Lee Han turned. The hunters were staring at him in shock.

The friends quickly added,

“We can’t do that.”

‘Traitors!’