Episode 957
Episode 957
"Why are you so nervous? It's not like it's any other professor—it's Professor Garcia."
Perse looked puzzled at her junior's reaction.
Of course, being summoned by a professor at Einrogard wasn't exactly a comforting experience for any student.
But that was the case with ordinary professors—Professor Garcia was different.
She wasn't the type to lose her temper, scold students, or demand they craft 173 artifacts by tomorrow for her personal projects.
"...Well, that's true..."
Lee Han nodded while inwardly thinking, 'After the polo match, I should immediately move to another club.' If he used the Kitchen Club or Stonemason Club schedules as an excuse, he might be able to avoid meeting her.
Though Perse couldn't understand why her junior was so afraid of Professor Garcia, exceptions existed even to the most predictable rules.
Lee Han had no intention of risking his neck just to check whether Professor Garcia was angry or not. '...Even if she is angry, she'll probably calm down with time. Maybe...'
While Lee Han was deep in thought about the professor, the seniors around him were discussing today's match.
"Did you hear? The Granden City Polo Club brought a fully grown hippogriff! Apparently, Hadagak is riding it."
"That's ruthless. They really don't need to go that far against us."
The club seniors shuddered.
Of course, not underestimating a weaker opponent was the mark of a true polo player, but deep down, they still hoped their opponents would go easy on them.
"If it's Hadagak, our junior will have to face him directly... That's worrying."
"No. Look at him."
The senior pointed at Lee Han.
The boy from the Wardanaz family showed no change in expression, lost in gloomy contemplation.
Seeing this, the seniors couldn't help but reflect on themselves.
Their junior was doing his best to focus on the match, while they were just pointlessly fussing around.
"...Wardanaz. Don't worry. We've got your back."
"Just do what we practiced in the club. Nothing more than that."
"Huh? Oh... Thank you."
Lee Han, who had been trying to guess whether Professor Garcia was angry or not, was caught off guard by the sudden encouragement.
* * *
"Unbelievable. I didn't know the Granden City Polo Club was this strong."
"Weren't they always strong players?"
"Well, yes, but not to this extent."
Angrago reached for the bowl of snacks Salko was holding, only for Salko to smack his hand away in annoyance.
The Granden City stadium was already packed with people chatting in small groups.
As expected of such a popular event, ticket prices were steep, and Angrago, who usually indulged in overspending, had to save up just to afford snacks.
"...Come on, we came all this way together. Can't you spare some?"
Salko grabbed a handful of snacks, swallowed them, and replied,
"I told you to stop wasting money. And why did you buy another cloak?"
"I—I needed a new one! This one's way better for stealth during polo matches..."
"What about that helmet?"
"I needed a new polo helmet! It absorbs shock better than the old one..."
Salko stared at him with increasing disbelief.
"And why did you buy another polo stick? Don't you already have a few?"
"Th-this one's for Wardanaz."
"???"
"Wardanaz is in the polo club too. If he gets a good polo stick, he might take more interest in the sport."
Angrago felt frustrated that his talented friends—Giselle and Lee Han—were so indifferent to polo. He couldn't understand why neither of them liked it.
Salko tilted his head in suspicion. 'He's probably just going to sell it.'
"And, well, it's also a way to show gratitude..."
"!"
Salko's eyes widened in shock. Angrago huffed and asked,
"What?"
"I didn't know you had a conscience."
"Shut up."
"Just so you know, I think Wardanaz would be happier about you not skipping classes than about some fancy polo stick."
"You're one to talk about skipping classes!"
As Angrago flared up, Salko shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the fried rice. 'Come to think of it, giving Wardanaz a gift as a token of gratitude wouldn't be a bad idea.' Salko was a student who believed in clear reciprocity.
He had received so much—there was no way he'd just let it slide.
Most students probably wouldn't even think of it (Angrago was truly an exception), so it wouldn't hurt for Salko to express his gratitude on their behalf.
What Salko didn't realize was that dozens of other Einrogard students were having the exact same thought.
-It's a hippogriff!
-Whoaaaaa!
A large-scale polo match didn't just start without fanfare.
There were additional events before the match—demonstrations by the participating animals, life-or-death fights between monsters and humans (though that had been abolished), and promotional displays by various guilds and merchant groups.
Right now, the players from the Granden City Polo Club were showcasing their skills.
One of them even rode out on a fully grown hippogriff.
"Wait. Are fully grown hippogriffs common in polo matches?"
"Of course not. Do you know how ferocious hippogriffs are? They might be dumber than griffins, but they're still hard to tame. A fully grown one? Even worse."
Salko grumbled as he explained, feeling it was unfair.
The Granden City Polo Club had the backing of numerous noble families and organizations, allowing them to acquire rare mounts from across the Empire, while the Einrogard Polo Club could barely even leave campus.
"But still, bringing a hippogriff? That's just cowardly."
"Alpha, you seem way too invested in this. I don't think it's necessarily cowardly..."
"That's because you don't understand polo!"
"Tsk tsk. I don't get why he's so emotional."
Salko shook his head in disbelief.
For Salko, who had come to observe the match and assess the polo field, Angrago's dramatic highs and lows were baffling.
"Ugh. Their monsters, their players—how did they get so much stronger?"
"Maybe something happened. Maybe they lost to someone... After all, defeat can be a great motivator."
"Don't talk nonsense. By that logic, our polo club should be a hundred times stronger than we are now."
Bulpad, the noble captain of the Granden City Polo Club, surveyed his players and their mounts with a resolute expression.
"You've all worked hard."
"I had my doubts at first, but now I see you were right, Captain."
The shocking defeat they suffered last year at the hands of an Einrogard student had sent a storm through the Granden City Polo Club.
Even though it wasn't their main lineup, the way the match unfolded was staggering.
Well-trained mounts panicking, scrambling out of the way, or even fleeing in fear!
As time passed after that humiliating loss, Bulpad found himself feeling grateful instead.
Wasn't it better to realize their weaknesses now rather than at a critical moment later?
From then on, Bulpad and his players poured their blood and sweat into training.
They made sure their mounts could withstand any fear.
If there was a monster that exuded terror, they sought it out and trained against it, no matter the time or place. If a region had excessive magical energy causing anomalies, they didn't hesitate to head there and train.
And their grueling efforts bore fruit.
Not only did they overcome fear, but both the players and their mounts grew significantly stronger.
-It's a griffin!!!!
-Oh my god, I never thought I'd see a griffin! Today's match is going to be incredible!
"!"
The players turned their heads in surprise.
They knew Einrogard's mages were the Empire's finest talents—but weren't they also supposed to be incredibly busy?
But to actually tame and bring out a griffin?
However, Bulpad nodded as if he had anticipated this and said,
"Among Einrogard's students, there are those who have tamed griffins."
"......"
'Shouldn't you have told us that first?'
The players were baffled by their captain's unilateral decision, but Bulpad had his reasons.
"If you believe in your own skills, there's no reason to falter even if a dragon were to appear."
"Now, a dragon might be a bit..."
"And didn't we train thoroughly to prepare for griffins?"
"Well, that's true."
The players nodded in agreement.
The Granden City Polo Club had trained for a wide variety of scenarios.
From bringing out a small, scrawny griffin in a restricted match to facing a fully grown griffin.
Hadagak, the club's renowned defender, thumped his chest and declared,
"Just leave it to me. I'll wear that griffin out until it collapses."
"Ooooh!"
"That's reassuring!"
Hadagak wasn't just boasting without basis.
While griffins were undoubtedly more intelligent and powerful than hippogriffs, they also had their weaknesses.
Fundamentally, highly intelligent monsters weren't easy for humans to control arbitrarily.
Especially in a polo match like this.
A clever monster like a griffin would immediately realize that this wasn't a life-or-death battle but merely a game humans had devised.
'Judging by its size, it must be an adult. That means it's even more likely to act on its own.'
Fully grown griffins were far more intelligent and would recognize the game for what it was even faster.
If Hadagak could just hold out, the griffin would soon grow bored and start slacking off.
Griffins were creatures that, despite their loyalty to their masters, wouldn't lower their pride for pointless games.
-The griffin is performing tricks! A spectacle dedicated to the honorable citizens of Granden City!
-Whoooaaaah!
"Tricks too? To be so careless... They really are still just students."
Hadagak felt a twinge of pity for his opponents.
They should be resting before the match, yet here they were, showing off like this.
At this rate, the griffin would grow tired even faster!
"Wardanaz. You can let the griffin rest."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"Griffins are clever. If you push too many annoying tasks on them at once, they'll just pretend not to hear you."
"...Is that so?!"
Lee Han, startled, turned to look at Ponlig.
Ponlig, who had been thrilled to finally have his master ride him after so long, shook his head in disbelief. Then, clacking his beak, he glared at the students.
Who dares slander me?!
"See? He's already angry."
"Uh... But Ponlig has never gotten angry at me or ignored my commands before."
As his master took his side, Ponlig blinked his large eyes and nodded repeatedly, his face filled with joy.
"It's been fine so far, but everyone has their limits, Wardanaz. You're so knowledgeable about other creatures, yet you seem to have made a slight mistake regarding griffins."
"My apologies. I suppose I stopped reading up on them once I started raising one myself."
Lee Han reflected on his mistake.
He had grown complacent, thinking he knew enough after bonding with the griffin.
Listening to the conversation, Ponlig looked as if he wanted to throw a tantrum right then and there.
But his high intelligence wouldn't allow it.
He anticipated that the moment he acted out, those wicked, vile, and petty mages would say, "See! This is what griffins do!"
All Ponlig could do was endure this humiliating insult with patience.
Grrrrrrrr...
As a menacing growl rumbled from his beak, Lee Han cautiously asked,
"Ponlig. If you don't want to go, you can say so now. You shouldn't have to force yourself to perform just because of that crazy senior's greed. We still have Basil."
-What?!
But Ponlig shook his head firmly. Then, as if urging the match to proceed, he stomped the ground hard....
By my noble blood, I swear I'll crush everything in my path!