Episode 729
Episode 729
"Playing pranks when you're not even going to help..."
As she spoke, Perse witnessed a tail sticking out from Lee Han's sleeve, swaying back and forth.
She immediately called the other club members.
"Everyone, come here and take a look at this!"
"What's the matter?"
"D-don't tell me it's some cursed artifact left by the Headmaster...?"
"......"
Lee Han glared at the senior who was making baseless accusations.
Who in their right mind would carry something like that around?
Of course...'Now that I think about it, the Behemoth bone necklace was indeed left by the Headmaster.' But Lee Han refused to acknowledge it.
It wasn't exactly a cursed object, after all.
"It's a basilisk here."
"!!!!!!"
The club members stared at Lee Han with even greater shock than when they'd encountered the Skeleton Principal in their hometowns during vacation.
"Wait. Why did you call us here?"
"I knew you wouldn't believe me otherwise."
"......"
The seniors found Perse's reasoning utterly convincing.
"Even the pets he raises are extraordinary... Just like you'd expect from someone who attends all departments."
"Honestly, the most shocking part is that he's actually close with the Headmaster."
"I still can't believe it."
As the members began another round of 'Just who is this junior and how should we treat him?' discussions, Perse decisively cut them off.
"Save the chatter for later and help me with the funding application. Does anyone know the club regulations well? What's the funding policy for griffins and basilisks respectively?"
"I know the regulations well, but who remembers the basilisk funding... Nobody checks that."
"I didn't even know there was such a thing as basilisk funding."
"That's fascinating? Even griffin funding sounds strange enough, but when you hear it alongside basilisk funding, it suddenly seems normal."
Unable to recall the details, the seniors eventually dug out a thick, dust-covered book from somewhere.
The title, written in green letters, read <Einrogard Polo Club Regulations>.
"Griffin, griffin... Ah. There are two types for griffins."
"Two types, you say?"
Lee Han looked puzzled.
Were there two species of griffins?
"The first type is one that doesn't acknowledge its owner, watches them cunningly, and waits for an opportunity to kill them. Is this that kind of griffin?"
"......"
While Lee Han stood speechless in shock, Hormasi beside him answered breezily.
"If that were the case, this junior would've died long ago and the griffin would've escaped."
"Fair point. Then it must be the second type. One that acknowledges its owner, is loyal, and acts affectionate in return for kindness."'Has Ponlig ever acted affectionate?' He'd clacked his beak and swung his tail around, but...
"What's the difference between the first and second types?"
"Ah. The first type gets three times the funding. Because they're dangerous."
"...!"
Lee Han was horrified.
Just because Ponlig was loyal, he was missing out on gold coins he could've received! 'This is outrageous!'"The griffin's settled then. What about the basilisk?"
"Basilisk... basilisk... I don't see the basilisk entry."
"Let's search from the back. Giant spider, giant that insists on walking on four legs, basilisk... Ah."
"Found it?"
"No. It was 'giant serpent-type monsters that can be mistaken for basilisks.' Basilisk... basilisk... Found it! There are two types here too. The first is one whose actions are dignified and whose gaze carries majesty."
The baby basilisk wagged its tail rapidly from within Lee Han's sleeve as if agreeing.
Every Einrogard student present shook their heads in unison.
"That can't be it."
"They must mean fully grown adults, so obviously not."-?!
The baby basilisk wrapped itself tightly around Lee Han's wrist in protest.
"The second type is... one that's still immature, sticks closely to its parents, and doesn't poke its head out."
"This one."
"Definitely this one."
Though the baby basilisk shook its tail in fury, this only reinforced the students' conviction.
Finally, the basilisk tapped Lee Han's wrist. It was a plea to somehow restore its honor.
Lee Han asked the seniors.
"Which of the two receives more funding?"
"The second one gets much more. Apparently, baby basilisks are harder to raise."
"Indeed. I also think the second one is better."
-......
* * *
Having dug up the club regulations for the first time in a while, the seniors seemed to have gotten into the spirit of things and asked Lee Han if he had anything else to apply for.
"But, seniors. I hesitate to ask this, but... is the club treasury going to be alright?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Even if we've saved up prize money, taking too much funding might..."
"Ah, don't worry about that."
The Polo Club members laughed.
"We don't just rely on prize money."
"Excuse me?"
"It's not just the club members who receive support. The club itself gets funding too."
Just as the Einrogard Polo Club supported its dedicated members, the Imperial Polo Association also supported dedicated clubs.
If a club sent a letter explaining they needed help raising rare creatures, the Imperial Polo Association would generously send financial aid.
"...!"
The sheer absurdity of this system left Lee Han's mind reeling.
It sounded like something from another dimension.
While the Kitchen Club members fought over ingredients from dawn till dusk just to scrape together gold coins, there were actually kind-hearted imperial benefactors who would send gold just for writing a letter.
"I... I can't believe it."
"Well, they are rare creatures. If a student is raising a griffin or a basilisk, it makes sense to help them out."
"I actually have more creatures I'm raising."
Lee Han stared at the seniors with blazing eyes.
The intensity of his gaze momentarily overwhelmed them.
"Sharkan!"
"...That's a summon, junior."
"Gonadaltes!"
"We already said Skeleton Warriors don't count. Junior, wait—what did you just call it?"
"Grr. Then... what about a Ghost Chicken?"
"...Wait, you're raising a Ghost Chicken? That counts."
The senior nodded casually and filled out the application form.
Unlike before, he didn't seem particularly surprised, which made Lee Han curious.
"Are Ghost Chickens not that rare? Are there others raising them...?"
"Ah, no, they're definitely rare."
"Really? You didn't seem very shocked."
"After seeing a griffin and a basilisk, nothing really surprises me anymore."
"......"
"What's next?"
Lee Han desperately focused.
With more concentration than he ever used in magic studies, his trained mind miraculously dredged up the information he'd heard earlier.
"Seniors. Earlier in the regulations, there was something about a 'giant who claims to walk on four legs,' right? If I were friends with a giant, could I get recognition for that?"
"...Every single part of that question just gave me chills, junior."
The senior filling out the forms looked up at Lee Han with an expression of horrified disbelief.
He couldn't even begin to guess what that question was supposed to mean.
Was he seriously implying he had a giant friend he could convince to walk on all fours?
"It was just a hypothetical."
"Right? You don't actually have a friendly giant, do you?"
"So, would it be recognized?"
Lee Han deftly sidestepped the question.
"Like I said, you'd have to be the one raising it. If you were feeding a giant in your own cave and riding it around, maybe. Just being friends isn't enough."
"Grr... Then, seniors. What if I were taking care of a Mountain-Destroying Sheep...?"
"...Why do you keep making these insane hypotheticals??"
'What a shame.'
Having failed to squeeze funding out of the Imperial Polo Association using giants or Mountain-Destroying Sheep, Lee Han reluctantly backed off.
Unaware of his junior's disappointment, Hormasi chuckled and clapped him on the back.
"Congrats on setting a new record!"
"I just regret not getting even more."
"You're terrible at jokes. Anyway, follow me. I'll show you my ride. Professor Bendozol! A little help here!"
"Get lost, you poaching brat!"
"If you don't help, Professor, he'll be in pain all alone! Don't you feel sorry for my poor puppy?"
"You little lightning-rod bastard!"
Despite his cursing, Professor Bendozol followed along anyway.
Hormasi suppressed his laughter as he spoke to Lee Han.
"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't really want to call the professor either. But I needed to get my puppy checked up too. There's no better expert than the professor."
"I'm fine."
"Junior, when the professor is following right behind you, no one at Einrogard says they're 'fine.' You should be more careful."
"......"
Lee Han realized his mistake.
Yet another lesson learned from his senior. 'I'll have to pretend to be suffering from now on.' "Thank you for the advice, Senior."
"This much advice is nothing for the next striker."
"Is 'puppy' the name of your mount, Senior?"
"Yeah." 'Must be a dog or wolf-type monster.' Professor Bendozol, who had been following behind, muttered grumpily.
"If you want to take care of a unicorn, you'd better collect lots of morning dew."
"...Professor. What are you talking about?"
Hormasi stared at Professor Bendozol in bewilderment.
If he'd been angry or grumbling, that would've been understandable, but suddenly spouting such incomprehensible nonsense was downright terrifying. Among all imperial professions, none were as prone to madness as mages.
And Professor Bendozol was already halfway there...
"I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to the kid next to you!" Professor Bendozol flushed red with anger. Hormasi tilted his head in confusion before finally realizing.
"Wait, you're having him take care of the unicorn? Instead of doing it yourself?"
"Senior. Um..."
Lee Han grew nervous watching his senior so innocently poke at Professor Bendozol's wounds.
No matter how patient the professor was, there had to be a limit to how much provocation he could take.
"...The unicorn chose him."
"Ah. Even for caretaking?"
"Yes."
"Wow..."
Hormasi trailed off as he grasped the situation.
No matter that his junior had been chosen by a unicorn, to be barred from even caretaking duties...
This was humiliation beyond the ordinary.
When Hormasi said nothing further, Professor Bendozol growled as if in greater anguish.
"What were you going to say? Huh?!"
"No. It's just... well, isn't this good? Very good. Now you have a student to help you, Professor."
"What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Lee Han, who'd been listening nearby, suddenly shouted without thinking.
Truly a White Tiger Tower senior—the moment Lee Han let his guard down, he'd been stabbed in the back with a verbal knife.
"Sorry. I'm sorry. I must've gone crazy for a second."
Hormasi quickly apologized upon realizing his mistake.
Normally not one to back down easily even when clashing with other members, his earlier slip had been particularly cruel.
"You'll still play striker, right? You can't quit over this."
"Well, I'll play if I get the chance..."
Lee Han didn't have much reason to refuse polo matches anyway.
How often did opportunities come along to earn that kind of prize money in such a short time?
Plus, polo had the advantage that even if you won, you wouldn't get banned from the premises—unlike when recalling that one professor who'd been barred from imperial duel clubs, the difference was stark. 'But isn't he expecting too much?' "...Please don't be too disappointed if I perform poorly."
"Don't worry. Haha. I won't be."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't expect anything from anyone! At the start of every match, I assume everyone's trash. I brace myself to do everything alone."
"......"
Hearing his senior's inner thoughts—things he'd rather not have known—Lee Han made a complicated face. 'If I mess up once, is he going to pretend he never knew me?' "We're here."
Arriving at the Einrogard desert area, Hormasi pointed toward the horizon.
"Head over there and my puppy will appear."
"...Senior. This isn't some kind of trap, is it?"
"What trap?"
"Like the way back getting cut off, or an ambush waiting..."
Hormasi laughed again at his junior's adorable imagination.
"Hey! I may be White Tiger Tower, but would I do something that cheap?!"
"......"
Lee Han, who hadn't been particularly worried until now, gave his senior a genuinely suspicious look.