Episode 729
by Cristae“To play around when you don’t even help…”
While muttering, Perse caught sight of the twitching tail poking out from Lee Han’s sleeve.
Then he called over the other members.
“Everyone come here and check this out!”
“What’s going on?”
“Is that some kind of cursed artifact left by the Headmaster?”
“……”
Lee Han glared at the senior making baseless accusations.
Who would walk around carrying something like that?
Of course…
‘Come to think of it, the behemoth bone necklace is something the Headmaster left behind.’
But Lee Han would never admit it.
It wasn’t cursed, after all.
“There. It’s a basilisk.”
“!!!!!!”
The members stared at Lee Han in more shock than when they’d met the skeletal Headmaster back home over break.
“Wait. Why did you call us over?”
“I figured you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it.”
“……”
Perse’s reasoning was so sound, the seniors just nodded.
“He really is one of those kids who studies every school—his pets are no joke…”
“Really, the most shocking thing is how close he is to the Headmaster.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
As members were about to dive into another debate about “What exactly is this junior and how should we treat him,” Perse cut them off firmly.
“Save it for later and help with the support application. Who knows the club rules well? What’s the grant for a griffon or basilisk?”
“I know the rules, but I can’t remember the basilisk grant… who’s ever had to look that up?”
“I never even knew there was a basilisk grant.”
“It’s curious, isn’t it? Griffon grant already sounds strange, but next to the basilisk grant, it feels normal.”
Unable to recall the details, the seniors fetched a dusty, thick book from somewhere, labeled in green letters: -Einrogard Polo Club Rules-.
“Griffon, griffon… ah, there are two types.”
“Two types?”
Lee Han wondered.
Were there two breeds of griffons?
“The first type never acknowledges its master, stares coldly, and waits for a chance to kill you. Is your griffon like that?”
“……”
Lee Han hesitated, speechless, but Hormashi responded briskly.
“If it were, the junior would already be dead and the griffon long gone.”
“Logical enough. So, the second type: acknowledges its master, loyal, affectionate, grateful for kindness.”
‘Was it ever affectionate?’
It had clicked its beak and swished its tail, but…
“What’s the difference between the first and second?”
“Oh, for the first, the grant is three times higher. Because it’s dangerous.”
“…!”
Lee Han was appalled.
Because Fongrif was loyal, he wouldn’t get his gold?! Absurd!
‘This is unfair!’
“That’s settled for the griffon. What about basilisk?”
“Basilisk, basilisk… I don’t see it.”
“Try looking from the back. Giant spider, four-legged “giant,” basilisk… ah.”
“Found it?”
“No, just ‘giant snake that can be mistaken for a basilisk.’ Basilisk… basilisk… got it! There are two types. First: one with dignified manner and a majestic gaze.”
The baby basilisk in Lee Han’s sleeve whipped its tail as if in agreement.
All the Einrogard students there simultaneously shook their heads.
“That’s not it.”
“That probably refers to a full-grown adult, not this one.”
-?!
The baby basilisk lashed Lee Han’s wrist as if in protest.
“The second… is one still so young it sticks by its parents and won’t even poke its head out.”
“That would be it.”
“Yeah, that fits.”
The baby basilisk’s tail now bristled with indignation, but the consensus only grew stronger.
Finally, the basilisk thumped Lee Han’s wrist, signaling for him to restore its honor somehow.
Lee Han asked the seniors,
“Which one gets a bigger grant?”
“The second, by far. Baby basilisks are much harder to raise.”
“True. I thought so, too.”
-……
Finding the club rulebook for the first time in ages, the seniors became curious and asked if Lee Han had anything else to apply for.
“But seniors, if I may ask, is the club fund all right?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Even with prize money stashed away, what if too much is given out in grants…”
“Oh, don’t worry.”
The polo club members grinned.
“It’s not all from the prize money.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not only members get support. The club gets support, too.”
Just as the Einrogard polo club supported worthy members, the Imperial Polo Association supported worthy clubs.
If the club wrote requesting help with rare animals, the Imperial Polo Association graciously sent them funds.
“…!”
It was such a surreal story, Lee Han was dazed.
It all sounded like something from another world.
Kitchen club members fought with food all day to earn a few coins, but here, the ‘kindly, rich people’ of the Empire would mail you gold just for a letter.
“I… I can’t believe it.”
“It’s a rare beast. If a student raises a griffon or basilisk, that’s worth support.”
“I actually have more I’m raising.”
Lee Han looked at the seniors with burning eyes.
The seniors suddenly felt awed by that gaze.
“Sharkan!”
“…That’s a summoned creature, junior.”
“Gonadaltes!”
“No skeleton warriors, either. Wait, what did you just call?”
“Grr… Then how about a ghost chicken?”
“Oh, you’re raising one? That counts.”
The senior nodded and filled out the form.
When this got no reaction, Lee Han got curious.
“Is ghost chicken not that rare? Are there more people raising them?”
“Oh, it’s rare.”
“Really? You didn’t seem surprised.”
“After griffon and basilisk, nothing’s surprising.”
“……”
“Next?”
Lee Han focused fiercely.
With more intensity than during magic practice, his trained brain recalled something he’d heard earlier.
“Senior. Before, there was a ‘giant who claims to walk on all fours’ in the rulebook. If you’re friends with a giant, does that count?”
“…Every part of that question gives me chills, junior.”
The senior filling out the form stared at Lee Han as if creeped out.
He couldn’t even begin to guess what the question meant.
Was this a hint that Lee Han had a friend so close he could make a giant walk on all fours?
“Just a hypothetical.”
“Right? You don’t actually have a giant friend like that?”
“So… would it count?”
Lee Han sneakily changed the subject.
“Like I said, you have to be the keeper. If you feed a giant in your own cave and ride it around, maybe. Just being friends won’t cut it.”
“Ugh… Senior, if, say, I were taking care of a mountain-destroying sheep…”
“Why do you keep making up these insane hypotheticals??”
‘Too bad.’
Having failed to scam the Imperial Polo Association out of funds for giants or mountain-destroying sheep, Lee Han sadly pulled back.
Unaware of his disappointment, Hormashi slapped his back and laughed.
“Congrats on setting a new record!”
“I could have gotten more. A pity.”
“Not a jokester, are you? Anyway, come on, I’ll show you my mount. Professor Bendozol! Give me a hand!”
“Get lost, you poaching brat!”
“If you don’t help, my puppy will just suffer! Don’t you feel sorry for my poor puppy?”
“You’ll die of a lightning strike, wretch!”
Still cursing, Professor Bendozol followed them.
Suppressing laughter, Hormashi said to Lee Han,
“Sorry, sorry. I don’t actually want to call the professor, but I need his expertise. There’s no one better for my puppy’s checkup.”
“I’m fine, really.”
“Junior, no one at Einrogard says ‘it’s fine’ with the professor trailing behind. Be careful.”
“……”
Lee Han caught himself.
He’d learned something else from his senior.
‘I need to start pretending to be miserable going forward.’
“Thank you for the advice, senior.”
“A bit of advice is nothing for our future striker.”
“Puppy is the name of your mount, senior?”
“Yeah.”
‘A dog or wolf-type monster, maybe.’
Professor Bendozol grumbled from behind,
“If you want to care for a unicorn, collect lots of morning dew.”
“…Professor? What does that mean?”
Hormashi shot Bendozol a strange look.
She might understand if he was mad or pouting, but cryptic suggestions were scarier, especially from a nearly mad professor like Bendozol.
“There’s no way I meant you! I’m talking to the one next to you!”
Face reddening, Bendozol barked. Hormashi cocked her head in confusion, only to realize:
“Wait, you want the junior to take care of the unicorn? Not yourself?”
“Senior, that—”
Watching her prod Bendozol’s wounds with childish innocence made Lee Han nervous.
No matter how patient, Bendozol might snap if prodded too hard.
“…The unicorn picked him.”
“Oh. Even for looking after it?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow…”
Hormashi trailed off, recognizing the situation.
Being chosen by the unicorn and not even allowed to care for it herself—a true humiliation.
When Hormashi fell silent, Bendozol, more tormented, growled.
“What are you trying to say? Huh?!”
“N-no, it’s good, isn’t it? Now you’ve got a student to help with the unicorn.”
“What kind of crap is that?!”
Lee Han blurted out without thinking.
Trust a White Tiger Tower senior to stab you in the back the moment your guard is down.
“Sorry, sorry! I must be going insane.”
Hormashi quickly apologized.
She was usually not one to give in, but even she regretted that too harsh comment.
“That won’t make you give up being a striker, right? Don’t let this stop you.”
“I’ll do it if I get the chance…”
Lee Han really had no reason to refuse a polo match.
Not many chances to earn such a sum so quickly.
Also, even if you won, polo didn’t get you banned from joining, as opposed to a certain professor who was banned from imperial dueling clubs.
‘But aren’t they expecting too much?’
“…Just don’t be too disappointed if I’m not that good.”
“No worries. Haha. I never am.”
“Really?”
“Really. I expect nothing from anyone! At the start of a match, I always think everyone else is trash—I should just do it myself.”
“……”
Hearing a senior’s true heart you never wanted to know, Lee Han made a sour face.
‘If I make one mistake, is she going to pretend she’s never met me?’
“We’re here.”
Outside the Einrogard desert, Hormashi pointed toward the horizon.
“If you go over there, you’ll see my puppy.”
“…Senior, this isn’t some kind of trap, is it?”
“What trap?”
“Like once we get there, I can’t get back, or there’s an ambush or something…”
At her junior’s adorable paranoia, Hormashi laughed again.
“Hey! I’m White Tiger Tower! You think I’d stoop to such petty tricks?!”
“……”
For the first time, Lee Han looked at his senior with honest suspicion.