Episode 45
Episode 45
The mindset of a true professional thief was on a completely different level from ordinary people.
Even while the headmaster and professors were conducting an on-site inspection, he managed to pick the locks and retrieve items in the meantime.
The glass flasks contained potions of all colors. Lee Han could sense the complex and diverse mana emanating from within them.
"But these... what kind of potions are they?"
"You don't know?"
"...Ah, I see."
Come to think of it, Ratford was a professional thief, not a professional alchemist.
He had just grabbed whatever was available, not carefully selecting items he recognized.
'I don't have a clue either.'
Though Lee Han had done his fair share of reading and self-study while with the Wardanaz family, identifying unmarked potions by sight alone was impossible.
"Yoner. Any ideas?"
"This one..."
Yoner picked up one of the flasks and examined it with a cautious expression.
"Looks like alcohol?"
"...That can't be."
"Seems like wine."
Yoner carefully uncorked the flask, sniffed it, and nodded.
"Yeah, it's wine."
"......"
"Well, the others do seem like magic potions. But we'd have to go to the library to figure out what they are..."
"That's a relief, at least."
Ratford wasn't surprised to see a Wardanaz and a Maykin family member casually discussing stolen potions.
It wasn't his place to question the actions of his superiors.
'His capacity is vast enough to make use of even stolen potions.'
"Thanks, Ratford. I'll put them to good use."
"Not at all. It's an honor to serve. Just call upon me whenever you need me."
"Don't be so stiff... Hey, want to help groom the horses?"
Since they'd come to the stables early in the morning, it'd be good for Ratford to get acquainted with the horses too.
At Lee Han's suggestion, Ratford bowed his head.
"Yes. It would be an honor."
"Enough with the 'honor.'"
"Glory—"
"Stop it."
"Y-yes."
Thud.
"?"
Someone had dropped something behind them. Lee Han turned his head.
Nilia stood there with a shocked expression.
"...Y-you made... a new friend..."
As Nilia took a betrayed step backward, Lee Han and Yoner quickly rushed over.
"Oh, that's what it was? You should've told me. I'm not the kind of person to misunderstand something like that."
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Yoner exchanged meaningful glances.
'Wasn't she about to misunderstand just now?'
'She definitely was about to misunderstand.'
Fortunately, the absurd misunderstanding—that they were replacing Nilia with Ratford as their new "Black Turtle Tower friend"—was cleared up.
Ratford spoke with a serious expression.
"I'm not a friend but a subordi—mmph!"
"Whoops. My hand slipped."
Lee Han covered Ratford's mouth with the horse brush he'd been grooming with.
"Alright. Let's all take care of the horses together."
A few more students had come to the stables to befriend the horses.
Though Professor Lightning Step had said, "Befriend the horses," not many students were diligent enough to wake up this early in the morning.
And the horses showed no mercy even to those diligent students.
"Ah! Stop spitting!"
"Listen to me! What's your problem? What are you so upset about?"
The horses headbutted, spat, snorted, and tried to bite the students' hands.
But Lee Han wasn't surprised.
'There's no such thing as a well-behaved test subject.'
Sure, the horses were rough, but it wasn't the worst-case scenario.
At least they weren't secretly running away or throwing their own dung.
"Here, let me brush your coat."
Snort!
The white horse entrusted by Professor Lightning Step glared at Lee Han.
Its intention to strike the moment he got close was blatantly obvious.
But Lee Han approached undeterred.
Whoosh!
The white horse attempted a headbutt. Lee Han, as if expecting it, leaned back to dodge.
The white horse's pupils dilated in surprise. It seemed it hadn't expected Lee Han to dodge.
Ptui!
This time, the horse spat. Again, Lee Han dodged as if he'd anticipated it.
"There, there. Good boy."
Chomp!
The horse tried to bite, but Lee Han sidestepped and moved closer.
Still, the white horse refused to give up. Though its legs were tied preventing kicks, it tried every possible trick in the book.
Lee Han dodged, blocked, and endured each attack.
Nilia, watching from behind, could only marvel.
'How can he endure like that?'
If it were Nilia, she'd have already started cursing or reached for a whip.
But instead of getting angry, Lee Han kept soothing the horse with "There, there."
Was this the dignity of a high noble?
Huff...
After thrashing about for a long while, the white horse finally exhausted itself and hung its head low.
Only then could Lee Han pick up the brush and start grooming its coat.
Even while being brushed, the white horse glared at Lee Han. Its eyes clearly showed the intent to start thrashing again once it regained energy.
'Does this horse really have some other monster's blood mixed in?'
Lee Han found the horse's unusual tenacity puzzling.
The other horses didn't seem this vicious...
Thud!
"I-I'm done."
Yoner emerged nearby after his long struggle, covered in mud but with a bright smile.
Nilia and Ratford were also in rough shape.
"But it's starting to listen to me now."
"I think we've gotten pretty close too."
Hearing this, Lee Han turned to look at his white horse.
The horse jerked its head away as if to say "Not a chance."
Normally, a young student would have gotten angry or given up at such persistent defiance, but...
'Well, it'll give up eventually.'
Lee Han's heart was as calm as a lake.
No matter how much this horse acted up, could it possibly be worse than the professors?
Lee Han simply discarded his emotions and focused on what needed to be done.
After finishing the grooming, Lee Han mixed some feed and placed it before the horse. The white horse chewed while staring intently at him.
It seemed to be saying, "Don't think this means I'm giving in."
"Now I'm thinking of taking it out for a walk," said Nilia, brushing off mud.
Walking the horses was essential for their care. Regular walks were necessary for their health.
It also helped in bonding.
No matter how stubborn the creature, spending time together would eventually open its heart.
'Hmm.'
But Lee Han doubted whether this white horse would follow quietly.
It was still attacking now—wouldn't it try even more varied attacks in an open space during a walk?
"Hmm..."
Lee Han glanced down at the iron bracelet and belt he was wearing, then looked back at the white horse.
For some reason, the horse felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding from that gaze.
"I'm here!"
"......"
Thunderstep controlled his expression as he opened the door.
Lightning Step stood outside holding a tin cup and entered the cabin.
"Brew some tea!"
"You don't even like the tea I make—"
"I'll endure it, so it's fine!"
"......"
Thunderstep boiled the kettle with a sorrowful expression. He hadn't realized how much he'd miss Lee Han's absence.
"The freshmen are working hard in the stables," Lightning Step said, gulping down the hot tea heartily.
If there was one talent applicable to both Alchemy and Beast Taming, it was diligence.
There was only one reason why <Basic Mount Training> deliberately gathered ill-tempered horses and told students to befriend them.
To teach the freshmen diligence.
While there were many conditions for befriending unfamiliar animals, the most important was diligence.
Without diligence, no bond could be formed with any creature.
"They deliberately made the horses ill-tempered, but if you show them sincere care and affection, they'll soon calm down and open their hearts. However, those who try to tame them with whips and force instead of sincerity will get a taste of their own medicine."
When assigning such tasks, the students' reactions always split into two types.
Students who diligently came from dawn to befriend the horses.
And arrogant students who tried to subdue the horses with spurs and whips as was their habit.
The horses prepared by Lightning Step were absolutely impossible to subdue through such methods.
The insincere students would get a painful lesson.
"Kahahahaha!"
"......"
As Lightning Step boisterously laughed and set down his cup, Thunder Step shook his head in dismay.
'He enjoys tormenting students way too much.'
Thunder Step never imagined that Lee Han might view him as similar to Lightning Step.
I'm different!
"Is the Wardanaz kid doing alright?"
"Ah. Wardanaz. He's a diligent one, so he should be fine. Though the griffin is a bit tricky. With diligence, cleverness, and a bit of luck, he should be able to befriend it."
"?"
Thunder Step paused while pouring tea and looked up.
What did he just say?
"What did you just say?"
"What?"
"You just... said that thing."
"You must have misheard. I said horse."
"......"
Thunder Step stared at Lightning Step with a face mixing shock and horror.
Don't tell me he transformed a griffin into a horse...?
"No way?"
"What?"
"......"
'No. Calm down. Maybe the horse's name is just Griffin.'
Thunder Step regained his composure.
Griffin.
A flying monster with an eagle's head and wings, and a lion's claws and legs.
Arrogant and temperamental by nature, they were violent creatures extremely picky about their masters.
While their personalities and habits varied somewhat by region, one thing was certain.
They were absolutely not something a freshman could tame!!
"What's the horse's name?"
"Gr... Ponlig."
"...Have you completely lost your mind!??!"
Finally unable to hold back, Thunder Step exploded.
To think he'd make his injured alchemy student, who was already taking a day off, do something this insane.
"What's wrong with you, nephew! Why are you causing a scene when we were drinking peacefully!"
"Even so, transforming a griffin into a horse!?!"
"When did I ever do that! Got any proof? And even if I did, wouldn't it be safe if it was transformed into a horse?!"
"Do you think a griffin's intelligence is on par with a slime's!?"
The sounds of shattering cups, flying chairs, and breaking tables echoed noisily from inside the cabin.
A typical dwarven family quarrel.
-Phuhuhuhuhuhuhung...
"You."
Lee Han looked at the white horse with a satisfied expression.
As if its earlier tantrum had been a lie, the white horse had become docile and well-behaved.
To be precise, Lee Han had made it that way.
He'd fitted the horse with every single Mana-Absorbing Iron Bracelet and Mana-Absorbing Belt he possessed.
"As expected. Absorbing its mana made it more obedient."
Since all living creatures are born with some degree of mana, having it drained inevitably saps their energy.
The white horse, now laden with all the items Lee Han had been wearing, was completely drained of energy, unable to muster any resistance.
"Good. Let's get along from now on."
-Phuhung...
The white horse obediently followed as Lee Han tugged the reins.
Seeing this, Lee Han suddenly realized something.
'But if it can still walk even after wearing all these bracelets and belts, doesn't that mean the horse has more mana than I thought?'
Either the absorption rate of the bracelets and belts is low, or the horse's mana capacity is high.
'Even if it has some monster blood mixed in, its mana shouldn't be that high. Maybe the equipment absorbs less mana than I expected?'
Lost in thought, Lee Han continued walking with the horse.
Ahead, several students who had recklessly mounted their horses were now weeping and begging to be let down.
-Let me down, please!! I'm sorry! I was wrong!
'Is there a way to increase the mana absorption rate?'
This was just another ordinary day at the Magic School, one he'd grown completely accustomed to.