The white horse was caught off guard. Wasn't the mood supposed to be different at that moment?
There was a history of distrust between griffins and humans. Wasn't it a touching moment when human dedication was about to erase the griffin's long-standing distrust, with the griffin finally acknowledging Yi-Han as its master?
Heehee, heehee.
The white horse once again bowed its head and nuzzled against Yi-Han. Yi-Han remained unemotional.
"I told you, I won't undo either the bracelet or the belt."
......
The white horse felt a surge of anger.
No way!
Neigh! heehee!!
"Just as I thought, showing your true colors! Did you think you could fool me?" As the white horse snorted in defiance, Yi-Han retorted as if he had anticipated this reaction.
The white horse, enraged, nudged Yi-Han with its head.
No!!!
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. Seems like it's angry because I touched it without permission."
"It's not about the horse talking!"
Yonaire and the students rushed over in a panic. They were worried that Yi-Han might have been seriously injured.
Rowena looked at Yi-Han incredulously. It was unbelievable that he had emerged from the raging rapids carrying the white horse.
...In such a situation, wouldn't it be better to be a knight rather than a mage?
"It's really okay, don't worry," Yi-Han said, shaking off the water.
The other students of the tower felt sorry about the sudden accident during Yi-Han's turn, but Yi-Han didn't blame them. It was Professor Bungaegor's evil and twisted scheme that was the problem.
"What... what happened?" Tutanta and friends from the Black Tortoise arrived belatedly, shocked.
Yi-Han, suppressing his anger, explained calmly, "Be careful everyone. There's a trap set by Professor Bungaegor."
"!"
Tutanta and his friends were appalled upon hearing the explanation.
"She did that?! Even the horses life is at risk?"
"How excessive, even for a test!"
Unlike other professors, Professor Bungaegor was a famous adventurer in the empire. The students, who had admired her since childhood after reading her exploration stories, felt betrayed.
"Let's protest when we get back. We can't participate in such a test."
"Right. This horse is like a friend to me now. How can I put a friend's life in danger?"
Moved by the response of his friends from the Black Tortoise, Yi-Han thought, 'Perhaps the future of this academy isn't so bleak.'
Then, suddenly, Professor Bungaegor arrived, riding a thunderbird from the sky. The thunderbird, landing smoothly, hissed at Yi-Han, apparently still holding a grudge from being tricked by him before.
Professor Bungaegor, along with Nillia, dismounted from the thunderbird.
The Black Tortoise students, determined, approached and said,
"Professor, we can't participate in this test!"
"Rather than risking a friend's life, we'd accept an F..."
Instead of getting angry at the students' defiance, Professor Bungaegor nodded.
"I know. The river spirit is being capricious, right? I came to stop it. Just wait a bit."
"..."
"..."
Huh?
The students from the Black Tortoise looked at each other in confusion.
Was it not Professor Bungaegor's trap after all?
"Wasn't it prepared by you, Professor?"
"What?"
"The... rising river waters..."
"Typical of those from the White Tiger, stubborn to the core. There was no way to change their minds."
"That's really how it was," another student confirmed.
Nillia was incensed by their words. It was always the nobility and knights causing problems. Even when she was in the mountains, tourists who came for fun did things they were told not to do, much to her annoyance.
Ignoring the safety rules set by the hunters working on the field!
"Such arrogance, right? Even the princess must be disappointed!"
"Knights are always like that. Don't be too hard on them, Nillia. We've already given them a stern talking to." Yi-Han had effectively prevented any further probing. Nillia nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the waiting white horse approached again, nibbling and pulling at Yi-Han's sleeve.
"Getting along, aren't you?"
"Not getting along. It's all a trick."
Pffft! Haahee! Pffft!
"See? It's getting angry. You shouldn't be fooled."
"...?"
Nillia looked at the white horse, not understanding. As someone who had become friendly with animals in the mountains, she could tell. The white horse seemed to genuinely like Yi-Han. Wasn't that behavior akin to 'Please notice me'?
Nillia cautiously spoke up, "It seems to me like you've gotten closer..."
"What are you talking about?" Professor Bungaegor, having calmed the lecture's water spirit, joined the conversation and was startled upon seeing the white horse.
It recognizes him as its master?
Surprisingly, the griffin, or rather, the white horse, was acknowledging Yi-Han as its master. Considering what a griffin was a creature with the wings of an eagle and the claws of a lion, prideful as the sum of those two it was remarkable. Normally, it wouldn't submit to anyone unworthy or evil, even at the cost of its life. For such a creature to acknowledge Wardanaz as its master was unheard of.
Professor Bungaegor rubbed her eyes in disbelief and looked again. She asked, "What... what happened here?"
"Huh?" Yi-Han was on guard at the professor's question. He quickly denied it, "Professor, I didn't steal the rope."
Of course, the students from the Black Tortoise might have!
"...I'm not interrogating you; I'm just curious! Answer me! Do you think I'm Gonadaltes or something?" Professor Bungaegor was slightly irate. She's not some principal to be feared! "I'm asking because you seem to have gotten close to this white horse. Normally, it's difficult to befriend such a ferocious creature."
"Ah."
Yi-Han nodded in understanding and then said, "It's using tricks on me. A very cunning creature."
"..."
Are you the professor? Professor Bungaegor held back her thought and asked again, "What exactly happened?"
"Really, nothing special happened. I would have mentioned it if there had been."
With Yi-Han insisting to this extent, Professor Bungaegor had to step back. The boy from the Wardanaz family was known for his diligence and sincerity. He was not one to lie needlessly.
Yonaire, listening on the side, whispered, "You saved it from the water."
"Oh. That... The river spirit was acting up, and the horse fell over. I just helped it up and brought it out."
Yi-Han spoke as if it was nothing significant. Professor Bungaegor thought about it and then hesitated.
"Wait a minute. The horse fell over because of the river spirit, but how did you help it out? There wasn't enough time. Surely you haven't already learned magic...?"
"Yes, so I carried it out. I cast a water shield to buy some time," Yi-Han explained.
"..."
Professor Bungaegor had to grip her pipe tightly between her index and middle finger. It was to prevent herself from throwing it at the exceptional student in front of her, who seemed unaware of the magnitude of his own actions.
'That's a big deal! What else would be, if not that?'
Now it all made sense to her. The act of risking one's own life in a potentially fatal situation to save another. It was this courage and honor that had led the griffin, or rather, the white horse, to recognize him as its master.
As her astonishment subsided, Professor Bungaegor felt an unexpected surge of pride. Many arrogant mages often mistook their vast knowledge and formidable magic as the key to taming animals. But in Professor Bungaegor's view, true talent lay somewhere deeper.
It was the heart that cared more for others than for oneself.
That heart was the real key. How could she not be delighted to see her student demonstrating such a simple yet vital principle?
Neigh.
"I said I won't let you go. Go away."
Heehee! Haahaa!
"Don't get angry. I won't let you go just because you're upset."
"..."
Eventually, Professor Bungaegor couldn't hold on any longer and dropped her pipe.
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