Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Chapter 579

"How does Niffirg know that?"

Yi-Han protested and looked at Professor Bungaegor suspiciously.

He suspected that Professor Bungaegor was lying to tease him.

How would Niffirg know if he just rode a Pegasus a little?

"Of course he knows. Don't underestimate a griffin's sense of smell. It's not a simple sense of smell. Especially if it's a species like Pegasus, it'll definitely catch it."

Of course, Professor Bungaegor dismissed her disciple's protest as if it was absurd.

Just as Pegasus sensed the owner's diligence and honor, a griffin could keenly detect whether the owner had ridden another beast or not.

If it was a beast that griffins considered inferior, like horses or wyverns, it might be overlooked, but if it was a beast that griffins disliked, like Pegasus…

"What will happen?"

"Either the Pegasus will die or the griffin will die. You... you probably won't die."

"..."

Yi-Han silently looked at the Pegasus.

The Pegasus with dazzlingly white fur and soft wings, with kind eyes, slowly blinked as if it knew Yi-Han's worth.

It seemed to be telling him to come quickly and ride it.

"...No. Is there really no way?"

"If there was, I would have told you. Why are you acting like that? How lucky are you that the griffin chose you!"

"Didn't you forcibly match us, Professor!"

"The kid can't even be grateful. Quickly bring the griffin."

Yi-Han moved his steps to bring Niffirg, grumbling.

The Pegasus let out a mournful cry as if asking where he was going without it.

"..."

As Yi-Han's footsteps stopped at that cry, the baby Basilisk threatened with a hissing sound.

"Hey. Don't threaten."

The Basilisk wagged its tail and made an expression as if it knew nothing.

***

When Yi-Han briefly lifted Niffirg's curse and brought it, some of his friends who were making fast progress were already getting friendly with the Pegasus.

Niffirg showed a very blatant disgust at the sight.

"...Is there a need to hate Pegasus that much?"

When he slyly asked a question, Niffirg kicked the mud with its front paw. The mud hit the back of Gainando's head.

"Who was that!? It's you, Anglago. You bastard?!"

"You guessed well. Yeah. It was me who took your cake. You shouldn't have bragged about the cake all week!"

"What nonsense are you talking about! I'm talking about the mud!"

While his friends were chattering, Yi-Han looked at Niffirg with a bitter expression.

Seeing him growling as if threatening the Pegasus, it seemed impossible to reconcile.

'Tsk.'

Compared to the Pegasus's reaction, which was precious beyond words, as it usually only showed three reactions of fear, terror, and submission to every creature it met.

A creature that recognized what Yi-Han had done and respected his honor.

Would there be another chance to meet such a creature?

Niffirg stared intently at Yi-Han. It was a look as if suspecting he had an interest in the Pegasus.

"...Look at those Pegasi! They're so skinny, they can't even carry anyone!"

Niffirg nodded its head excitedly at Yi-Han's words.

"Compared to that, your appearance is truly the king of the sky itself. It's not even comparable to Pegasus."

The speed at which Niffirg nodded its head was so fast that the wind blew around it.

"Yeah, yeah. You're the best."

"Ah. Wardanaz. Since the Pegasus might get scared when Niffirg comes, you go around separately over there."

"..."

At Professor Bungaegor's honest words, Yi-Han was hurt.

'Isn't that too much?'

"Look at that! It's flying!"

Nillia screamed and flew into the sky.

As she was the fastest to become friendly with the Pegasus, she was also the fastest to take off. Professor Bungaegor shouted.

"Sit up straight calmly! Don't show that you're scared! Although Pegasus isn't a violent fellow, it might despise you if you keep getting scared! Convince it that you are qualified to ride it!"

"Y-yes!"

"Then follow the flags around the path! If you come back without falling off, you pass!"

Nillia looked at the flags stuck in the ground and the paths in the sky drawn with light above them.

The path stretched out far into the sky, and at some point, it went down close to the ground and was even above a muddy swamp.

Nillia looked at the Pegasus in a moment of tension.

Would this noble creature trust Nillia and pass over the swamp?

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Calm down. Hey! That's not the way!"

"..."

Nillia, who was tense, instantly relaxed when she saw a familiar friend in the distance riding a beast with the lower body of a lion and the upper body of an eagle.

Yi-Han was getting angry, hitting the griffin's head with his staff.

"I said stop looking at the Pegasus. Follow the path. Stop growling! That's my friend! Just follow the path!"

'...Stay strong.'

Seeing the struggling Wardanaz, Nillia realized that she was very lucky.

"Thank you. Really."

-?-

The Pegasus snorted happily when its dark elf owner suddenly expressed gratitude.

It was a truly kind owner.

***

Professor Bungaegor's exam remained a topic of conversation for a while even after it ended.

1st-year students, regardless of which tower they were from, chattered excitedly about the Pegasus.

"So, I'm telling you, that Pegasus definitely liked me more? Did you see it turn its head when Dulak came?"

"It just turned its head because it was tired! Where are you slandering from!"

"Isn't there a way to raise a Pegasus? It was really cool."

"I know a senior knight, and he said he went up the mountain range himself and brought back a baby Pegasus."

"Oh...! There's such a method?"

"Wait. Is it okay to bring it like that?"

"It's not. I heard that when he went out for a while and came back, the accommodation was shattered and the Pegasus was gone."

"Whoa..."

The White Tiger Tower friends, who were actively exchanging opinions, saw Yi-Han next to them and asked.

After all, as the top student of the year, he was well-informed even in this aspect.

"Wardanaz. What do you think? Isn't there a way for us to raise a Pegasus?"

"Do you want to go catch one together during the winter break?"

Yi-Han answered with an expressionless face.

 

"I have a griffin."

 

"It would be nice to have a Pegasus too, right?"

 

"I heard that if a griffin smells a Pegasus, it bites the owner."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

The White Tiger Tower students were disgusted.

 

They knew that griffins were notoriously violent among the beasts considered as mounts, but they didn't expect it to be that extreme.

 

It was incomparable to the gentleness of Pegasus.

 

"Griffins are quite ferocious, I heard."

 

"But aren't griffins cool too? Isn't there a way to get a griffin?"

 

"It would be harder than a Pegasus. As I said earlier, if you brought a baby griffin, it wouldn't be just the accommodation shattered, but the surroundings would have become a sea of blood."

 

"No. Even considering that, griffins are worth it. I know a senior knight, and he praised griffins so much."

 

"What? Does he have a griffin??"

 

"No. He said he lost an arm to a griffin on the battlefield."

 

As the clueless friends kept trying to turn Yi-Han's mood upside down, Dolgyu spoke up, reading the situation.

 

"Yi-Han. Don't mind it too much. They're saying such things because they don't know how picky griffins are."

 

"You don't have to worry. Dolgyu. I was thinking about another exam."

 

"Ah. Really?"

 

At Yi-Han's words, Dolgyu's face brightened.

 

Since Professor Ingurdel's final exam was starting soon from the evening, it was a good sign that Yi-Han was focusing.

 

"Yeah. Of course, the griffin tried to charge at the Pegasus earlier and I barely stopped it, but I don't really care."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

'He cares a lot...'

 

Dolgyu and Jijel thought to themselves.

 

Of course, Yi-Han had a particularly hard time in this exam by Professor Bungaegor.

 

The griffin, who usually listened well, kept growling and picking fights with the Pegasus as if it had a grudge.

 

It wasn't just stubbornness that it ignored Yi-Han hitting it with a staff and pulling the leash and kept glaring at the Pegasus.

 

"Hey. Wardanaz. Forget the exam you got a perfect score on and focus on the next exam."

 

"You're right. Moradi. I'm ashamed."

 

Yi-Han admitted it readily, which was rare.

 

Anyway, there was no reason to be obsessed with a finished exam.

 

Although the image of the Pegasus was still lingering in his eyes…

 

"You made the temporary cabins, right?"

 

"Three places. I also hid food separately."

 

"I made and hid two places too."

 

Yi-Han and the two White Tiger Tower students exchanged meaningful glances.

 

Professor Ingurdel's final exam was originally about camping bare-bodied in the cold winter mountain range and enduring for a night, but experienced Einroguard students interpreted the exam a bit differently.

 

-It's an exam to hide as many supplies as possible in the mountain range without getting caught!-

 

Of course, Professor Ingurdel had never said a word like that, but Yi-Han and his friends understood it on their own.

 

"Is there still no information on where to start?"

 

"No. The professor didn't give a single clue."

 

"Wherever we start, let's set the direction and move quickly. This is a recently made map of the mountain range. There are many missing parts, but even looking at the parts that came out will be helpful."

 

"Than...?"

 

Jijel, who received the map and looked at it, tilted her head.

 

No matter how she looked at it, the handwriting on the map was strange.

 

[Goat Cave]

 

[Majesty! Forbidden Area!]

 

It was large and crooked as if a giant had drawn it.

 

'Where did you get this?'

 

Tap tap tap-

 

"...?"

 

"No, why are those guys again?"

 

When the young squires of the White Wood Knight Order walked over, the Einroguard students were disgusted.

 

Like the last exam, there had never been a time when outsiders came and it was good.

 

Moreover, the students had already prepared for the exam in their own way, so even if they suddenly changed it…

 

"Professor. Why are those knights here?"

 

"Does the White Wood Knight Order have time to spare? Why do they keep coming to Einroguard? Do they want to learn magic?"

 

At the words of the White Tiger Tower students, the squires' faces turned red.

 

"These guys came to help!"

 

"Is that something you should say to people who came to help with the exam you'll face! Did you forget that we shook hands and greeted each other last time!"

 

"???"

 

The students were startled by the squires' words.

 

"You came to help?"

 

"I will explain."

 

Professor Ingurdel tapped the ground with his sword as if telling everyone to calm down and spoke.

 

"Since the students have to spend a day scattered in the mountain range, I thought it would be better to add a few more people."

 

"Then we'll just combine our groups!"

 

"Wardanaz! Let's do it together! What? You'll do it together! Yeah! Great!"

 

Ignoring the protests of the White Tiger Tower students, Professor Ingurdel continued.

 

"When you go out, there will be many occasions to work with other people. Especially as a mage, you don't often go alone, right?"

 

'Hmm. I want to let Professor Bagrak hear this.'

 

Yi-Han thought to himself while listening.

 

How nice would it be if Professor Bagrak thought like that too?

 

"Learn how to coordinate with other people as a mage. Dismissed!"

 

Professor Ingurdel wasn't a violent person, but he wasn't soft enough to change the rules he had set once with protests.

 

The students grumbled and looked at the squires.

 

The squires were glaring at the students with very spiteful faces.

 

"...Actually, I didn't want to make you suffer."

 

"Get lost!"

 

"Ah. Why are you like this. Engge! We trained hard together in the dormitory during the break!"

 

"You don't know anything!"

 

Fortunately, Yi-Han, Jijel, and Dolgyu kept their mouths shut.

 

Perhaps because of that, the squires didn't get angry at the three and waved their hands in a friendly manner.

 

"Choi. We meet again after last time."

 

"Nice to see you. Moradi. I heard you exterminated the anti-magic extremists together with Wardanaz last time? Are you going to recommend Wardanaz to the knight order in the name of your family?"

 

'Haha. I think there's a misunderstanding, how can I recommend someone from the Wardanaz family to the knight order?'

 

"Are you out of your mind, you crazy bastard?"

 

Hearing Jijel's words that accidentally popped out instead of her inner thoughts, Yi-Han whispered softly.

 

"Hey. You should think that to yourself."