Episode 111
Episode 111
The white horse was bewildered.
Wasn't this supposed to be a touching moment?
The griffin and humans who had distrusted each other.
The griffin's long-standing distrust being washed away by human devotion, and the griffin finally about to acknowledge Lee Han as its master in this moving atmosphere...?
-Neigh. Heeheehee.
The white horse lowered its head again and nuzzled against Lee Han. Lee Han remained cold.
"I told you I'm not taking off either the bracelet or the belt."
-......
The white horse was furious.
That's not it!
-Pfft! Pfft!!
"So you're finally showing your true colors! Did you think I'd fall for it?"
As the white horse snorted angrily, Lee Han retorted as if he'd expected this all along.
Enraged, the white horse began butting its head against Lee Han repeatedly.
That's not it!!!
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. I think it's just angry because I touched its body without permission."
"That's not what the horse is saying!"
Yoner and the other students came rushing over in a panic.
They were worried Lee Han might have been seriously injured.
Rowena looked at Lee Han with disbelief. Carrying the white horse out while the raging currents were sweeping through...
...At this point, wouldn't he be better off becoming a knight rather than a mage?
"I'm really fine, so don't worry."
Lee Han said while shaking off the water.
Students from other towers were apologizing for the sudden accident during Lee Han's turn, but from Lee Han's perspective, it wasn't the students' fault.
The problem was Professor Lightning Step's wicked and twisted scheme.
"Wh-what happened here?"
Tutanta and the Black Turtle Tower friends who arrived late were startled.
Suppressing his anger, Lee Han calmly explained.
"Everyone be careful. Professor Lightning Step has set up traps."
"...!"
Tutanta and his friends were horrified upon hearing the explanation.
"He did that?! Even risking the horse's life?"
"No matter if it's an exam, that's going too far!"
Unlike other professors, Professor Lightning Step was a famous adventurer of the empire.
Students who had grown up reading his adventure journals and held him in high esteem felt deeply betrayed.
"Let's protest when we get back. No matter if it's an exam, we can't accept this kind of test."
"Right. This horse is practically my friend now. How could I send my friend into a life-threatening situation? Absolutely not."
Lee Han was moved by the reaction of his Black Turtle Tower friends.
'Perhaps the future of this school might be bright after all.'
And then, Professor Lightning Step came flying down from the sky on his thunderbird.
The thunderbird, landing smoothly, made hissing sounds at Lee Han, apparently still resentful about being tricked by him last time.
Professor Lightning Step dismounted the thunderbird along with Nilia.
The Black Turtle Tower students approached with determined expressions and said:
"Professor. We can't take this exam!"
"We'd rather get an F than risk our friend's life—"
Instead of getting angry at the students' defiance, Professor Lightning Step nodded.
"I know. I heard the River Spirit is acting up? I came to stop it. Just wait a moment."
"......"
"......"
Huh?
The Black Turtle Tower students exchanged confused glances.
So it wasn't Professor Lightning Step's trap after all?
"Professor, you didn't prepare this?"
"Prepare what?"
"The... the river swelling up..."
"Trying to sweep students away..."
"Why would I prepare that?! Are you insane?!"
Professor Lightning Step shouted, looking utterly baffled.
"Why would I set up such a dangerous trap where even the horse could die?"
"Ah... right."
"Now that I think about it, that makes sense."
'Shouldn't you have considered that students might die first?'
Professor Lightning Step cherished animals deeply. Perhaps even more than his students.
There was no way such a professor would send animals into a potentially dangerous situation.
"More importantly, why did you suspect me when the River Spirit was acting up?"
The students looked sheepish.
Come to think of it, they'd grown overly distrustful of professors because of the Skeleton Principal.
Professor Lightning Step clicked his tongue in dismay and shook his head.
'This education system might be improving the students' magical skills, but it's ruining their personalities.'
It was Nilia who had informed Professor Lightning Step about the river's abnormality.
Nilia, who had arrived first.
The water spirit contracted with Nilia had sensed the disturbance and sent a signal.
Realizing something was wrong with the river, Nilia left behind a marker used by the Shadow Patrol so that Lee Han and Yoner, who were following behind, would see it.
-Danger. Do not approach.
Then she rushed back to Professor Lightning Step. Since it was urgent, she didn't take the path but ran straight through.
-Professor! The River Spirit is acting up!
-The horses will be in danger! Lead the way!
...And that was how they came flying in like the wind.
After hearing the explanation, Lee Han felt slightly guilty toward Professor Lightning Step.
'We suspected an innocent person because of the Skeleton Principal.'
"Wait. More importantly, did you just charge in recklessly without waiting in the meantime?"
Professor Lightning Step looked at the students' soaked clothes in disbelief.
Normally, if a river was raging uncontrollably, one should think, 'This looks dangerous,' and avoid it—not go, 'Ah, it must be a test.'
But the students were too indignant.
The Skeleton Principal's recent atrocities were still fresh in their minds.
"We really thought it was a test!"
"The Headmaster prepared an underground dungeon under the sand pit last time, so we thought this was a trap too!"
"Honestly, Professor, shouldn't you have checked the river properly beforehand?!"
"Alright, alright. My bad."
Professor Lightning Step waved his pipe-wielding hand around to calm the students down.
It wasn't the students' fault.
The magic school was the problem.
"But if the River Spirit was acting up, how did you manage to tame the water? Did you succeed in persuading it?"
"We tied it up with a rope and went in."
"......"
Professor Lightning Step was dumbfounded.
Of course, persuasion wasn't the only solution when a spirit was angry.
Forcing it into submission with a rope, like now, was also a valid method.
...It's just that most students don't bring ropes to class!
"You brought it, didn't you?"
"Why do you assume it was me?"
Lee Han, singled out, protested confidently. His expression was so bold that Professor Lightning Step reflexively apologized.
"Ah. Wardanaz, it wasn't you who brought it? Sorry."
"I did bring it, though."
"......"
Professor Lightning Step nearly threw his pipe but restrained himself.
Nilia, who had been listening nearby, tilted her head and asked,
"But I left a 'Do Not Approach' warning. Why did you go in?"
"......"
"......"
Yoner's face paled slightly. Lee Han's did too, but his complexion hid it well.
'Damn it. From now on, I'll check for markers while walking.'
Nilia had taught him, and Lee Han had studied hard, but he hadn't been checking them while walking.
He resolved to always check for markers no matter where he went.
"You... you didn't miss it, did you?"
"No, we saw it. But these guys kept insisting we go in."
Lee Han immediately shifted the blame. Conveniently, Rowena and the Princess were standing far away.
"Typical White Tiger Tower stubbornness. They wouldn't back down."
"That's exactly what happened."
Nilia bristled at their words.
As expected, nobles and knights were always the problem.
Even back in the mountains, tourists would do things they were explicitly told not to, causing endless frustration.
Ignoring the safety rules of the hunters who worked there—unbelievable!
"They're so arrogant! Even the Princess must be disappointed!"
"That's just how knights are. Don't be too hard on them, Nilia. We already gave them a stern talking-to."
Lee Han had perfectly cut off any further complications. Nilia nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the waiting white horse approached again, tugging at Lee Han's sleeve with its teeth.
"You've gotten close, huh?"
"We're not close. It's just his trick."
Snort! Huff! Snort!
"See? He's throwing a tantrum. Don't fall for it."
"...?"
Nilia stared at the white horse with a puzzled expression.
Having befriended various animals back in the mountains, Nilia could tell.
The white horse genuinely seemed to like Lee Han.
That behavior was closer to "Please pay attention to me," wasn't it?
Nilia cautiously spoke up.
"From what I see, you two seem close..."
"What are you talking about?"
Professor Lightning Step, who had just finished calming the River Spirit, interrupted their conversation.
Then he froze in shock upon seeing the white horse.
'It acknowledged him as its master?!'
Astonishingly, the griffin—no, the white horse—had recognized Lee Han as its master.
Griffins were proud creatures.
With the wings of an eagle and the claws of a lion, their pride was as fierce as both combined.
Normally, they would rather die than submit to someone unworthy or wicked.
Even after years of bonding, it was rare for one to willingly serve a master. And yet, this one had chosen a Wardanaz as its master.
Professor Lightning Step rubbed his eyes in disbelief and checked again.
"What... what happened here?"
"Huh?"
Lee Han immediately grew wary at the professor's question.
"Professor, I didn't steal any ropes."
(Though the Black Turtle Tower students might have!)
"...I'm not interrogating you! I'm just curious, so answer properly! Do you think I'm some kind of Gonadaltes?!"
Professor Lightning Step bristled slightly.
As if he'd mistake someone for the headmaster!
"I'm asking because you've gotten close to that white horse. Normally, it's a wild and difficult creature to tame."
"Ah."
Lee Han nodded as if he understood.
Then he replied:
"That thing is just playing tricks. It's a very cunning creature."
"......"
'Are you the professor here?!'
Suppressing his frustration, the professor tried again.
"What exactly happened?"
"Really, nothing much. If something had happened, I would've said so."
Hearing Lee Han's firm response, Professor Lightning Step took a step back.
The boy from the Wardanaz family was diligent and honest by nature. He wouldn't lie pointlessly.
Yoner, who had been listening nearby, whispered:
"You saved it from the water."
"Ah, that... The River Spirit threw a tantrum, and the horse fell in. I just helped it out."
Lee Han spoke as if it were nothing. The professor was about to accept that when he suddenly paused.
"Wait. If the horse fell because of the River Spirit, how did you have time to help it out? There wouldn't have been any time to spare. Unless... you've already learned intermediate-level telekinesis magic?"
"No. So I carried it out on my back. I cast a water shield beside us to buy a little time."
"......"
Professor Lightning Step had to grip his pipe tightly between his index and middle fingers.
Just to stop himself from throwing it at his oblivious, brilliant student.
'If that's nothing, then what counts as something?!'
Now he understood.
The griffin—no, the white horse—had recognized Lee Han as its master because he had risked his life to save it in a life-or-death situation.
That courage and honor had won its loyalty.
As the absurdity faded, Professor Lightning Step felt an odd swell of pride.
Many arrogant wizards mistakenly believed that vast knowledge or powerful magic was the key to taming beasts.
But in the professor's view, true talent lay much deeper.
A heart that valued others more than oneself.
That was the real key.
How could he not be pleased to see his student embody such a simple yet vital principle?
Snort!
"I told you, I'm not letting go. Go away."
Snort! Snort!
"Stop throwing a fit. It won't make me release you."
"......"
In the end, Professor Lightning Step couldn't hold back and dropped his pipe.