Episode 674
Episode 674
"Professor?"
At Lee Han's call, Professor Bendozol spoke with tears of blood streaming down his face.
"The unicorn's wounds haven't fully healed yet. Don't make it exert itself."
"Understood."
Following the professor's words, Lee Han obediently went where the unicorn led without resistance.
The fully grown adult unicorn was more docile than expected. Whether it was because of its injuries, Professor Bendozol's presence, or perhaps even a bit of fear toward Lee Han, it guided them without throwing any tantrums.
"!"
The place the unicorn led them to was a small pond. The cloud-gathered pond atop the mountain peak emitted an unusual color and mana.
"This is..."
"Unicorns possess the power to alter their surroundings to suit themselves. You could consider it an Otherworld."
Just as the Frost Giant King had eroded the surrounding reality into his domain merely by descending, the unicorn had a similar ability.
Only then did Lee Han realize who had summoned the mist enveloping this mountain peak.
It hadn't been Professor Bendozol's magic—it was the unicorn's ability.
"Draw water from that pond to tend to the unicorn. Since it's a pond created by the unicorn, it should be effective for healing its wounds."
"Is the unicorn remaining in the Sorrow Mountains because of this place?"
"Yes. Creating a new Otherworld like this consumes tremendous energy. It would be dangerous for an injured unicorn, especially one with a foal, to create a new sanctuary elsewhere."
"I see..."
"Hmph! So you're not completely stupid after all."
Professor Bendozol healed the burst blood vessels in his eyes from crying tears of blood.
Though he was an envious and jealous creature, he certainly had a good head on his shoulders. No wonder Professor Lightning Step kept him around.
Splash, splash...
-Lee Han slowly scooped pond water and poured it over the unicorn, who bowed its head gratefully.
Just then, the dozing basilisk woke up inside his sleeve and noticed the unicorn.-......
The basilisk glared at Lee Han with betrayal-filled eyes from within the sleeve, but unfortunately, being inside the sleeve meant its gaze didn't reach him.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!
"?"
When the basilisk suddenly started madly tapping his wrist with its tail, Lee Han asked in puzzlement:
"What's wrong?"
"Hmph! How dare you seek the unicorn's affection while already receiving the basilisk's love? Do you think the world will forgive you for that?"
The professor further contorted his already spiteful face as he cursed at Lee Han.
Student or not, he seemed genuinely eager to see Lee Han get bitten by the basilisk and kicked by the unicorn.
Regardless, Lee Han ignored him and spoke to the baby basilisk.
"What else could I do? Can't you see it's hurt? I'll make you something tasty later, so bear with it. Good. That's a good basilisk. Ah, you're even better behaved than Ponlig."
"......"
As the satisfied basilisk closed its eyes again, Professor Bendozol was aghast.
That...
That brat actually deceived the pure-hearted basilisk with such cheap wordplay!?
"Y-you... toying with the pure heart of a basilisk...! You...! How dare you...!"
"Professor, this flowerbed behind the pond—do these herbs have medicinal properties?"
"They do! Now that you've washed its body with water, next you should make medicine using those herbs."
Though furious, Professor Bendozol answered when Lee Han asked.
What mattered was tending to the unicorn.
"Do you know any alchemy?"
"I know a little."
"What about Dobruk's Soul Revival Potion?"
"I've assisted in making it before."
Truthfully, Dobruk's Soul Revival Potion was absolutely not something at Lee Han's level.
It was far too advanced a potion for lower-year Einrogard students to handle.
However, Lee Han had assisted in the potion's preparation while helping Yonair's older sister, Yoanen.
Professor Bendozol looked at Lee Han with considerable interest upon hearing that he had assisted in making the Soul Return Elixir.
"Does your family practice alchemy or something?"
"Uh... we don't not practice it..."
"Well that makes things easier. It's a potion with nearly identical principles. Come here!"
Professor Bendozol set down a cauldron, personally lit the fire, and began preparing the potion.
Then the unicorn let out a faint whimper. It meant the nearby fire was making it too hot.
The professor jumped up in alarm and apologized.
"My apologies! How could I make such a mistake! It's just with all these noisy, bothersome people coming by—"
"Couldn't you just tell it to endure?"
"You... you... can't you keep your mouth shut?!"
Professor Bendozol glared at Lee Han with the same look one would give the most barbaric savage in the empire.
There's being wild and uncouth, but this is beyond the pale—how could anyone say something like that?
"Keep a close eye on the fire. After boiling for 30 minutes, you can turn it off and take a short break."
"Is there any particular reason to stop?"
"Because we need to prepare the drapilla."
Draphila was a plant whose liquid components were tightly sealed within its roots, making the preparation and extraction process far more finicky than one might expect.
If one tried to force it through brute strength, the roots would be destroyed and the liquids would mix, which was why Professor Bendozol had to handle it personally.
"I could help with the preparation though..."
"Ha! If you can prepare it cleanly, I swear on the unicorn's name I'll crawl on all fours to teach you myself!"
"What should I do next?"
"Wait a moment. I can't see."
Professor Bendozol, who had been crouched on all fours in front of the cauldron, groaned as he lifted his head.
"Wouldn't it be better to just stand on two feet like normal?"
"Hey! Are you mocking my oath sworn on the unicorn's name?!"
'Isn't it just that he likes crawling on all fours?' Lee Han eyed the professor suspiciously.
Completely unaware he was being subjected to such absurd suspicions, Professor Bendozol continued instructing the remaining steps.
"Now we just wait. Your preparation skills are quite impressive. Ugh."
"Thank you."
"Though I don't recall seeing someone like you before... Did you not take my mount training class?"
"Well, I only enrolled last year, so we wouldn't have met."
"......"
Professor Bendozol dropped the coffee cup he'd been holding in his mouth with a clatter.
"...You're telling me you're advancing to second year???"
"Yes. Professor Lightning Steps mentioned it, didn't he?"
He distinctly remembered the professor explaining they'd come to resolve this matter with the help of some first-year students.
"I suppose he might have... I never pay much attention to what that guy says."
"......"
"Remarkable. To think you were a first-year."
"Thank you."
"And to think a runt like you earned the affection of both a griffin and a basilisk. Damn it. The world is disgustingly unfair..."
"......"
Lee Han nearly retorted, 'It's not like I asked for it,' but held his tongue.
He remembered how the professor had earlier scooped up dirt in his palm, ready to throw it.
"Fine! I'll acknowledge your abilities. Though you'll need to fix that habit of deceiving innocent beasts with cunning lies—"
"I didn't lie."
"...Are you the professor here? Are you?!"
Professor Bendozol growled, his anger boiling over.
Unbeknownst to the student before him, Professor Bendozol rarely acknowledged students—even senior ones.
Caring for animals required unwavering devotion more than exceptional magic, after all.
Normally, he would have made this boy prove himself over several years of consistent work before granting recognition.
'What kind of nonsense is he plotting now?'
"No, I'm still lacking."
"I said you have the basics."
"No, I don't. You're mistaken."
"...Who's the professor here? Who?!"
Professor Bendozol snarled, his fury erupting.
The student clearly didn't understand—Professor Bendozol hardly ever acknowledged anyone. Even upperclassmen rarely earned his approval.
Caring for creatures demanded devotion far more than flashy magic.
Under normal circumstances, he would have made this boy prove himself through years of steady work before even considering recognition.
'What kind of scheme is he cooking up now?'
"No, I'm still inadequate."
"I said you've got the fundamentals."
"No, I don't. You're mistaken."
"...Are you the professor here? Are you?!"
Professor Bendozol's growl escalated into full-blown rage.
"But since he's earned the affection of both the griffin and the basilisk, and even gained the unicorn's recognition, there was no need to test or observe him further... That's why I acknowledged him..."
Yet this arrogant brat dares to flatly deny it!
"It's not that I'm not. I'm still lacking."
Having dealt with all sorts of mad professors, Lee Han didn't back down easily.
Unless it was during class inside the school, he wasn't the type to be intimidated by a professor he met outside during vacation.
"You said you had it!"
"I don't."
"...Fine! You don't, you don't! Do whatever you want!"
Professor Bendozol stamped his foot and turned his head. Since he was crawling on all fours, it wasn't very threatening.
After a long silence, Professor Bendozol spoke again.
"Groom the unicorn."
"Yes."
Annoyance aside, since the unicorn had taken a liking to him, it would be more comfortable with him taking care of it.
"Be careful when grooming!"
"Yes. I'll be careful not to lose a single strand."
Unicorn hair was an extremely rare and expensive magical ingredient, so if any hair happened to fall out, it had to be collected rather than discarded.
At Lee Han's response, Professor Bendozol replied with a face on the verge of losing his temper.
"You dim-witted fool, I meant groom it so the unicorn doesn't feel pain!!"
"Ah. Yes. I'll keep that in mind too."
The unicorn relaxed and entrusted itself to Lee Han's touch.
Contrary to his worries, Professor Bendozol let out a sigh of relief seeing how well Lee Han cared for it. The unicorn seemed to genuinely like him.
Tap
-The unicorn rubbed its head and left something on Lee Han's palm.
A tiny fragment of its horn.
"!!"
Lee Han was very surprised.
But not as surprised as Professor Bendozol.
Seeing the unicorn he had cherished so dearly about to be deceived by some rude, suspicious student, the professor pleaded desperately.
"Don't be fooled by him! That brat only sees you as money!"
'No. How did he know?' Lee Han flinched.
Truth be told, he had been wondering how much the unicorn's hair or horn fragments might be worth.
KRRRRUMBLE!
At that moment, something like thunder rumbled across the sky. Professor Bendozol shot up with a grave expression.
"It's him!"
"What..."
"The Docheol bastard! He's coming this way. What the hell is Professor Lightning Step doing?!"
Professor Bendozol fumed as he swung his staff.
Beyond the mist shrouding the mountain peak, a sinister black shadow could be seen swirling ominously.
"Is that Docheol?"
"Yes. That bastard can transform into shadows and slip through magical gaps."
Below the peak, monsters could be seen herding as if driven by something.
Lee Han realized Docheol was driving the mountain's monsters toward them.
'...My friends should be able to handle them.'
Trusting his friends who had set up camp below, Lee Han turned his gaze.
"Can't we strike first?"
"No! That bastard wears the Curse of Retribution on his hide."
Docheol wasn't just a monster with exceptional physical abilities.
Born with such powerful curses, even seasoned mages hesitated to face this threatening creature.
The Curse of Retribution played a big part in its infamous reputation.
A powerful curse that reflects any attack back onto the attacker!
"You mean the curse?"
"Yes! He'll avoid confronting us directly and just try to kill the unicorn. We can't show any openings!"
"Understood. Strike forth, Perkuntra's lightning!"
"?!"
When Lee Han unleashed a thick bolt of lightning, Professor Bendozol thought he'd lost his mind.
The black shadow struck by the lightning howled cunningly, intending to reflect the curse back onto the mage.
The curse returned to Lee Han with impossible speed and precision—too fast to dodge or block.
Professor Bendozol watched anxiously, fearing the boy would be charred black.
"Strike forth, Perkuntra's lightning!"
"!?"