Chapter 521
Yi-Han's eyes momentarily flickered.
Fortunately, Professor Bungaegor didn't notice.
"I don't know who it is, but they are really bad people! To steal such a rare one."
"Forget it. If you really want to find the cause, it's because of the principal who kept bothering the students."
Although Professor Bungaegor continued to complain, she wasn't seriously angry at the students for stealing it.
In the first place, Einroguard's rules encouraged such theft.
If they kept pressuring them to steal if they had the ability, would the students who had undergone harsh training just stay still and not steal?
"Do you have any guesses as to who the culprits might be?"
Yi-Han subtly probed Professor Bungaegor.
If the other person had any suspicions, he planned to handle it as quickly as possible.
"Well, it's probably one of the 3rd-years? The 4th-years would be too busy to steal and raise a ghost chicken at this point."
Professor Bungaegor said while repairing the fence with a hammer.
From the professor's perspective, it seemed that the 3rd-year and 4th-year students who were facing the final exam this time had taken an interest in the skull principal's garden.
Although there were many rare beasts, the ones that students would be most directly interested in were the two hydras that had been brought in recently.
Among them, the 4th-year students would probably not have the leisure to pay attention to the ghost chicken as they had a lot to prepare, so the culprit was likely to be among the 3rd-years.
'That's a relief.'
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
If the 3rd-year seniors took the suspicion instead, Yi-Han was safe.
The seniors might have a bit of a hard time, but wasn't it the seniors' role to take the initiative and bear the juniors' suffering?
"Yeah. They managed to take that picky one."
"Is it that picky?"
Yi-Han was slightly puzzled.
Yi-Han had taken the ghost chicken relatively easily.
At first, the ghost chicken had been wild, but when he approached it closely and covered it with a cloth, it followed obediently without resisting.
"Yeah. Its temperament is not just ordinarily bad."
"??"
Yi-Han slightly doubted whether he had properly taken the ghost chicken.
Could it be that he had taken a fake one?
'Ah. Could it be that it got scared after being caught?'
"Is it a timid one?"
"No. Not only is its temperament bad, but it's also more annoying because it's fearless."
"..."
Yi-Han vowed to check the ghost chicken again later when the lecture was over.
That docility yesterday might have been a misunderstanding...
"Moreover, it's a monster that emits curses."
"Ah. I know that."
Yi-Han didn't pay much attention to the curse.
Other 3rd-year students might be bothered by the curse emitted when handling such a monster, but Yi-Han didn't need to be concerned about it.
Even when the ghost chicken had tried to peck Yi-Han with its beak while emitting a curse yesterday, it had no effect on him.
-Cluck cluck cluck cluck... cluck cluck cluck cluck!!-
In fact, the ghost chicken, which had initially been ill-tempered and tried to peck with its beak, had become very docile when it realized that the curse didn't work after being caught, hadn't it?
"The curse it emits varies depending on its food and the surrounding climate. It's a peculiar one. That's why I thought it was really good for learning how to deal with curse-type monsters..."
Yi-Han, feeling slightly guilty, made an excuse.
"How about practicing reading the flow of mana and identifying what kind of curse it is instead?"
"...?"
Professor Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han as if he was slightly crazy.
Identifying what kind of magic it was just by looking at the appearance of magic required the talent to sense the structure of magic that one didn't even cast from a distance, and the knowledge to recall what kind of magic it was by looking at that structure.
"If that's possible... you wouldn't be a 1st-year?"
'Huh?'
Yi-Han was slightly flustered by Professor Bungaegor's gaze.
Yi-Han had often read the flow of mana and remembered the patterns to identify them in advance.
If he didn't do that, he wouldn't be able to endure without giving the initiative when facing powerful enemies.
'Was I the strange one?'
"If it's that violent, wouldn't the ghost chicken attack students while roaming around?"
Yi-Han prepared to ask a few more questions.
The stolen ghost chicken was released in the old basilisk cabin.
With its remote location and magic that made it difficult for intruders to enter, there was no better place to raise a dangerous beast like a cabin.
"It's not the type to attack like that. It's closer to a territorial animal. It won't leave its territory easily."
"Then what kind of food does it like?"
"It eats ordinary chicken feed well, but to strengthen the power of the curse, it needs raw meat dripping with blood or ingredients imbued with some mana... Wait a minute."
Professor Bungaegor, who was answering, stopped as if she felt something was off.
Yi-Han felt his heart sink.
'Was I too blatant?'
"I see."
Professor Bungaegor raised her eyebrows and glared at Yi-Han slightly.
"You. You're thinking of finding and raising the ghost chicken. Right?"
"...You really can't deceive the professor."
When Yi-Han honestly admitted it, Professor Bungaegor grumbled and answered.
"You're so greedy. I don't recommend it. It's such an ill-tempered and picky one that even if its eggs or feathers are expensive, the medical expenses will be higher."
Occasionally, there were alchemists who tried to raise ghost chickens to stably collect their eggs or feathers.
Most of those attempts were miserable failures. Alchemists who lacked the ability to handle dangerous monsters would get pecked, scratched, and cursed by the ghost chicken and often called Professor Bungaegor.
'...Will it really be okay?'
Yi-Han suddenly became worried.
He was sure he had left the ghost chicken in the cabin because it was obedient, but he was worried that it might have destroyed the cabin and escaped the barrier while Yi-Han was away.
'If that's the case, I won't forgive it.'
If it had used such a trick, Yi-Han felt like he would never be able to trust monsters again.
The baby basilisk, sensing Yi-Han's emotions, trembled in his bosom.
"Rather than catching and raising it, it would be more likely to find its nest and take the eggs or feathers. Oh, if you find it, take it to the professors. They will probably buy it at a high price."
"Oh... thank you."
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bungaegor with admiration.
How many people at Einroguard would think of their disciples like this?
"Then are we resting today?"
Gainando asked while brushing straw off his head.
He had just been showered with straw while feeding the horses in the stable.
"No. We can't do that. I was originally going to do it next week, but I decided to move it up to this week. They should be arriving soon... Ah. They're here."
"!"
The students gathered around turned their gazes at once.
On the opposite side, people riding mounts were walking in line.
The mounts were all different.
Some were horses, some were wolves, some were ostriches, some were goats, some were turtles...
However, their outfits were uniformly the same. They all wore the same outfit with the emblem of Granden City on their chests.
Asan and Anglago shouted at the same time.
"The Granden City Ballgame Club!"
"...What? Is there such a thing?"
Yi-Han asked in puzzlement.
Then the two friends asked back with even more shock.
"You didn't know?!"
"How can you not know that, Wardanaz! You have time to participate in gatherings and catch basilisks, but you don't know that?"
-??-
The baby basilisk was puzzled by the students' words.
When did he catch what?
"Was I supposed to know?"
"Of course. Wardanaz. The Granden City Ballgame Club is an honorable group that any noble in this area would want to join."
"But it's our knights who are achieving results."
"Nonsense! The striker who received an award last time was from a noble family!"
"That was just a one-time award, wasn't it? Originally, it's the knight-born ones who..."
"Hey. You're being noisy."
Yi-Han made his two friends shut their mouths.
In the first place, for Yi-Han, who only read the business section of the imperial newspaper, how well the ballgame club was doing and how honorable it was were of little interest to him.
"So anyway... it's a successful group, right? But why did they call such a place? What does ballgame have to do with mount training?"
"Oh my. Wardanaz. Ballgame is tremendously helpful for mount training."
Yi-Han pondered whether to hit Anglago for his triumphant words.
Even if he had muscle pain, if he had the skeleton warriors hold Anglago's shoulders...
"What Alpha said is correct. Wardanaz. Ballgame is not only helpful for mount training but can also be called the flower of it."
"...!"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bungaegor with a betrayed gaze.
Given Professor Bungaegor's easygoing personality that didn't care about the eyes of the world, he thought she would have little interest in what the Imperial Ballgame Club did.
But even such a person was interested in ballgame.
"No, why do we have to do ballgame when we can just train?"
"Because it can be done in a more fun and interesting way...? No, Wardanaz. Do you dislike ballgame? I thought you would naturally be good at it."
Professor Bungaegor was even more dumbfounded.
First of all, it was more unusual not to be interested in ballgame for someone from a noble family who was skilled at riding horses.
Ballgame was not only an intense sport for knights but also a social refinement for nobles.
"I don't dislike it, I just had no interest in it."
"That sounds like disliking it... Anyway, it's strange. I never thought a sociable guy like you would have little interest in ballgame."
Yi-Han was poked in a sore spot.
Indeed, there was no reason not to practice ballgame when he was practicing dancing and singing to develop his social skills.
If high-ranking imperial officials liked ballgame, Yi-Han should also practice ballgame and show an active attitude like 'I belong to the Granden City Ballgame Club, haha.'
"...I'm going to take an interest in it this time."
"That's great, Wardanaz!"
"Yeah. We'll show you the charm of ballgame!"
Asan and Anglago excitedly put their arms on Yi-Han's shoulders and shouted.
Yi-Han whispered quietly to his friends.
"If you don't want to get hit, both of you put your arms down."
"...Th-there's no need to get angry..."
***
Ballgame was close to soccer/football played while riding a mount.
Riding a mount and hitting the ball with a long pole in hand to put it into the goal was the sport.
However, as always, the simpler the rules, the more complicated and profound the outcome tended to be.
The imperial people who were crazy about ballgame had used all kinds of complicated means and strategies to win.
"Mounts are basically free, but they must not exceed the size or mass restricted by imperial rules. Wardanaz. Your griffin will be barely acceptable, so don't worry."
'Can I ride a transformed monster...?'
Yi-Han wondered if it was okay to ride a transformed monster, but seeing that Professor Bungaegor didn't say anything, he thought it was fine and let it go.
"Striking or slashing above the opponent's shoulder with the pole is not allowed. Stabbing is also not allowed, and knocking them down by casting magic is also not allowed."
"..."
"...Who would do such a thing?"
When the students asked as if it was absurd, Professor Bungaegor answered indifferently.
"Your seniors. The ones who are not good at it tend to have a bad temper. You shouldn't cast magic before entering... If you think you can't do it, don't do it. They are guests from outside. Of course, that doesn't mean you should lose."
The students laughed at Professor Bungaegor's words.
The players belonging to the had been playing together for a long time and had coordinated their teamwork, hadn't they?
They were not opponents who would lose just because they were told not to.
However, Professor Bungaegor was serious. She took out a huge piece of paper, floated it in the air, and said,
"Now. Look. Even if you are at a disadvantage, if you strike their weakness, you can definitely win..."
In her eyes, there was no hint of joking, only a very serious competitive spirit.
The students, seeing Professor Bungaegor's gaze, belatedly realized the situation.
The professor really wanted the students to win!
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