Episode 521
Episode 521
Lee Han's eyes trembled slightly for a moment.
Fortunately, Professor Lightning Steps didn't notice.
"Whoever did it must be truly wicked! Stealing such a rare creature."
"Enough. If we're pointing fingers, it's ultimately Headmaster's fault for tormenting the students so much."
Though Professor Lightning Steps continued grumbling, he didn't seem genuinely angry about the students stealing per se.
After all, Einrogard's rules practically encouraged such thefts.
When you keep pressuring students to steal if they're capable, how could those trained under such harsh discipline possibly stay put?
"Do you have any suspects in mind?"
Lee Han casually probed Professor Lightning Steps.
If the professor had any suspicions, Lee Han planned to handle the situation as quickly as possible.
"Hmm, probably one of the third-years? The fourth-years would be too busy now to bother stealing and raising a Ghost Chicken."
Professor Lightning Steps spoke while repairing the fence with a hammer in hand.
From the professor's perspective, both third and fourth-year students preparing for final exams seemed interested in the Skeleton Principal's garden.
While there were many rare creatures there, the most direct targets of student interest would be those two recently acquired Hydras.
Naturally, fourth-years would be too preoccupied with preparations to care about a Ghost Chicken, making it more likely the culprit was among the third-years.
'What a relief.' Lee Han inwardly sighed in relief. If the third-year seniors took the blame, Lee Han would be safe.
Sure, the seniors might suffer a bit, but isn't it a senior's duty to shoulder hardships on behalf of their juniors?
"Honestly. To think someone managed to take that finicky creature away."
"Is it really that difficult?"
Lee Han tilted his head slightly.
For him, taking the Ghost Chicken had been relatively easy.
Though it had flailed about at first, once he threw a cloth over it and grabbed hold, it became docile and followed without resistance.
"Absolutely. Its temper is notoriously foul."
"??"
Lee Han began doubting whether he'd actually taken the real Ghost Chicken.
Had he perhaps taken a fake by mistake?
'Ah. Maybe it was just scared after being caught?'
"Is the creature particularly timid?"
"No. Its temper is bad enough, but what makes it truly troublesome is its complete lack of fear."
"......"
Lee Han resolved to check the Ghost Chicken again after class.
Perhaps its docility yesterday had been a misunderstanding...
"Moreover, it's a monster that emits curses."
"Ah, I'm aware of that."
Lee Han wasn't particularly concerned about curses.
While other third-years might worry about curses emitted when handling such monsters, Lee Han had no reason to be.
Even when the Ghost Chicken tried pecking him with curses yesterday, it had no effect whatsoever.
-Cluck cluck cluck... cluck cluck cluck!!
In fact, when the initially aggressive Ghost Chicken realized its curses had no effect after being caught, it became extremely docile.
"The curses it emits vary depending on food or surrounding climate. A peculiar creature indeed. I thought it'd be perfect for teaching how to handle curse-type monsters..."
Feeling slightly guilty, Lee Han offered an alternative.
"What if we practice reading mana flows to identify curse types instead?"
"...?"
Professor Lightning Steps looked at Lee Han as if he were insane.
Identifying a spell's nature just by observing its external manifestation required both the talent to sense a spell's structure from a distance—even when not casting it yourself—and the knowledge to deduce what spell it was from that structure.
"If someone could do that... they wouldn't be a first-year, would they?"
'Huh?'
Under the professor's gaze, Lee Han felt slightly flustered.
He had, on several occasions, read mana flows, memorized their patterns, and identified spells in advance.
"Because if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be able to hold my own against powerful enemies without giving up the initiative."
'Am I the weird one here?'
"If they're that violent, wouldn't the Ghost Chickens be attacking students while roaming around?"
Lee Han was preparing to ask a few more questions.
The stolen Ghost Chicken had been released in the old basilisk hut.
Given its remote location and the protective magic that made it difficult for intruders to approach, there was no better place to keep dangerous beasts like that.
"They're not the type to go around attacking like that. They're more like territorial animals. They rarely leave their own territory."
"Then what kind of food do they prefer?"
"They eat regular chicken feed well enough, but if you want to strengthen their curse power, fresh meat dripping with blood or ingredients infused with mana would... Wait."
Professor Lightning Steps paused mid-answer, as if sensing something off.
Lee Han felt his heart sink. 'Was I too obvious?'
"I see."
Professor Lightning Steps raised an eyebrow and gave Lee Han a sidelong glare.
"You. You're thinking of finding a Ghost Chicken to raise, aren't you? Am I wrong?"
"...Professor, you're truly impossible to deceive."
When Lee Han readily admitted it, Professor Lightning Steps clicked his tongue and replied.
"Honestly, you're too greedy. I don't recommend it. They're notoriously temperamental and finicky—even if their eggs or feathers are expensive, the medical bills will cost you more."
Occasionally, there were alchemists who tried raising Ghost Chickens to reliably collect their eggs or feathers.
Most of those attempts ended in miserable failure. Alchemists without the skills to handle dangerous monsters would get pecked, scratched, and cursed by Ghost Chickens, often ending up calling for Professor Lightning Steps.
'...Will it really be okay?' Lee Han suddenly grew worried.
He had left the Ghost Chicken obediently in the hut, but now he was afraid it might have smashed the hut and escaped the barrier while he was gone.
'If that's the case, I won't forgive it.' If it had deceived him like that, Lee Han didn't think he could ever trust monsters again.
The baby basilisk, sensing Lee Han's emotions, trembled in his arms.
"Rather than catching and raising one, you'd have better luck finding its nest and taking the eggs or feathers. Oh, and if you do find any, bring them to the professors. They'll probably pay you well for them."
"Oh... Thank you."
Lee Han looked at Professor Lightning Steps with admiration.
How many people in Einrogard would care this much about their students?
"So, are we done for today?"
Gainando shook straw out of his hair as he asked.
He had just been showered with straw while feeding the stable horses.
"No. We can't end it like that. I originally planned it for next week, but I decided to move it up to this week. It's about time... Ah. They're here."
"!"
All the students gathered around turned their gazes at once.
From the opposite side, figures on mounts were approaching one after another.
Their mounts were all different.
Some rode horses, others wolves, ostriches, mountain goats, or even turtles...
Yet their attire was uniformly identical—all wearing the same outfit, with the emblem of Granden City pinned to their chests.
Ashan and Angrago shouted simultaneously.
"The Granden City Polo Club!"
"...What? That exists?"
Lee Han asked in bewilderment.
His two friends looked even more shocked and fired back.
"You didn't know?!"
"How do you not know that, Wardanaz?! You had time to join a club and catch a basilisk, but you don't know this?!"
-??
The baby basilisk was baffled by the students' words.
When did it get caught?
"Was I supposed to know?"
"Of course! Wardanaz. The Granden City Polo Club is an honorable organization that every noble in this area dreams of joining."
"But it's us knights who are actually performing well."
"Nonsense! The striker who got the award last time was from a noble family!"
"That was just a one-time fluke! Normally, it's the knights who..."
"Hey. You're being too loud."
Lee Han silenced his two friends.
To begin with, Lee Han, who only read the economic section of the imperial newspaper, had little interest in how prestigious or honorable the Polo Club was.
"So anyway... it's a high-profile organization, right? But why did they invite me? What does polo have to do with mount training?"
"Tsk. Wardanaz. Polo is incredibly helpful for mount training."
At Angrago's smug remark, Lee Han considered hitting him.
Even if he had muscle pain, he could always summon a Skeleton Warrior to grab Angrago by both shoulders...
"Alpha is right, Wardanaz. Polo isn't just helpful for mount training—it's practically the pinnacle of it."
"...!"
Lee Han shot Professor Lightning Step a betrayed look.
Given the professor's easygoing nature and indifference to public opinion, Lee Han had assumed he wouldn't care about the Imperial Polo Club's activities.
But who would've thought even someone like him would be interested in polo?
"Can't we just train normally? Why do we have to play polo?"
"Because it's more fun and exciting...? Wait, Wardanaz, do you actually dislike polo? I thought you'd be naturally good at it."
Professor Lightning Step looked even more baffled.
Given Lee Han's noble background and riding skills, it was far more unusual for him not to be interested in polo.
Polo wasn't just a knight's violent sport—it was also a social pastime among nobles.
"I don't dislike it. I just never cared for it."
"That sounds like dislike to me... Well, this is strange. I never expected someone as sociable as you to have no interest in polo."
Lee Han winced.
True, he practiced dancing and singing to improve his social skills—there was no reason he shouldn't practice polo.
If high-ranking imperial officials loved polo, then Lee Han ought to practice it too and proudly declare, "I'm a member of the Granden City Polo Club, haha!"
"...I'll try to take an interest this time."
"Good, Wardanaz!"
"Right! We'll show you the thrill of polo!"
Ashan and Angrago excitedly threw their arms over Lee Han's shoulders and cheered.
Lee Han whispered quietly to his friends:
"Take your arms off if you don't want to get hit."
"...C-come on, no need to get mad..."
* * *
Polo was closer to soccer played on mounts.
A sport where players rode mounts and used long sticks to hit a ball into a goal.
But as always, the simpler the rules, the more complex and profound the strategies became.
The empire's polo fanatics had devised all sorts of convoluted tactics to win.
"Mounts are generally unrestricted, but they must not exceed the size or weight limits set by imperial regulations. Wardanaz, your Ponlig will barely make the cut, so don't worry."
'Can I ride a griffin out there...?'
Lee Han wondered if he could use his transformed monster as a mount, but since Professor Lightning Step didn't object, he decided it was probably fine.
"You cannot strike or slash above an opponent's shoulders with the stick. No stabbing, and no using magic to knock them off."
"......"
"...Who would even do that?"
When the students asked in disbelief, Professor Lightning Step answered dryly:
"Your seniors. The ones who can't play well tend to have the worst tempers. Don't cast spells before entering—if it feels like a bad idea, just don't do it. They're guests from outside, after all. But don't lose, either."
The students laughed.
The players from the <Granden City Polo Club> had trained together for a long time—they weren't opponents who would lose just because they were told not to.
But Professor Lightning Step was serious. He pulled out a large sheet of paper, floated it in the air, and declared:
"Look. You're at a disadvantage, but if you exploit their weak points, you can definitely win..."
His eyes burned with nothing but pure, unshakable determination to win—not a trace of jest.
Seeing the professor's expression, the students belatedly realized—
He genuinely wanted them to win!