Chapter 522

 

"Put me in the vanguard! I will bring victory!"

 

Anglago shouted with good spirits.

 

Yi-Han, who was suffering from muscle pain, looked at Anglago as if he was crazy.

 

'With what confidence is he saying such nonsense?'

 

Listening to what he said, the opponents were ballgame maniacs who only ate and played ballgame, while the students here were mages who prioritized magic.

 

It was incomprehensible where such confidence came from.

 

"Anglago. How are you going to win in this situation?"

 

"Wardanaz. I have played ballgame every day without rest. Sometimes I played more than ten games."

 

"..."

 

Yi-Han looked at Anglago with a contemptuous gaze.

 

'No wonder this bastard was dozing off during study...'

 

No matter how he thought about it, sports like ballgame should have been banned by school rules.

 

If they did that, the average score of the White Tiger Tower students would easily rise by 20 points.

 

"Professor! Put me in the vanguard..."

 

"Wait. Alpha. Didn't you fall off your mount during the last race?"

 

"Huh? Yes. That's true, but that was a mistake..."

 

"Then you're a substitute."

 

"...Ah, no! Professor! This is not right! This is not right!!"

 

Anglago protested fiercely, unlike his usual attitude of not being interested in academics, but Professor Bungaegor was cold.

 

She couldn't trust a guy who only talked big when they were already at a disadvantage.

 

What was needed was only skill.

 

"Wardanaz. Richmond. The other guys are important too, but you two are especially more important. Got it?"

 

"Professor. I haven't fully recovered yet because of the stone-throwing festival this week."

 

"Stone-throwing festival? Ah. The Festival of St. Eaktus? Wait. Why were you there in the first place... Forget it. Professor Beavle must have taken you."

 

'No, he didn't.'

 

Yi-Han was about to say it was Professor Lagrinde but stopped.

 

He didn't feel the need to point it out.

 

"Is your muscle pain severe?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Hmm."

 

Professor Bungaegor rummaged through her luggage and took out a potion.

 

"This should be fine. It's a potion that doesn't fall under the regulations. Drink it."

 

"Thank you... Hmm. Is it a recovery potion?"

 

Yi-Han, who opened the lid and drank the potion, was puzzled.

 

The pain all over his body quickly disappeared.

 

If it was to this extent, it was much more effective than the recovery potion he had received in the healing room.

 

"No. It's a potion that makes you unable to feel pain."

 

"..."

 

While Yi-Han was shocked, Professor Bungaegor called the students with good grades and instructed them.

 

"You guys lack both team tactics and individual skills. Even your mounts are a bit inferior."

 

Nillia raised her hand and asked as if it was absurd.

 

"Can't you at least change our mounts?"

 

The opponents had brought ostriches, goats, wolves, and turtles, while they only had horses.

 

However, Professor Bungaegor slowly shook her head.

 

"On the contrary, that's more advantageous for you guys. Unique mounts have their advantages, but they are more difficult to handle and fierce. In comparison, your horses are loyal and straightforward. Even more so if you have taken good care of them throughout the year."

 

The students unconsciously showed expressions full of pride.

 

They recalled the time and effort they had poured into the horses, going back and forth to the stable throughout the year.

 

The sweat and time they had shed never betrayed them.

 

Gainando grumbled and removed the remaining straw from his head.

 

"Horses being loyal and straightforward... They always try to bite my head whenever they see it."

 

Professor Bungaegor ignored him and continued.

 

"The only tactic you guys can use is a war of attrition. If it goes on for a long time, the opponents' stamina will run out first."

 

Shyles, a Black Tortoise Tower student, asked in puzzlement.

 

As a family that had made carriage transportation their business, he knew well about the characteristics of various mounts.

 

"The opponents' mounts are not particularly lacking in stamina compared to horses, are they?"

 

"Ah. The horses you guys ride have been specially raised by me, so their endurance is much better. Don't let the opponents find out."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

"Now. Lower the defensive line, try not to lose the reins as much as possible, don't cry after getting hit once... Wardanaz. Come here."

 

"?"

 

Yi-Han was puzzled when Professor Bungaegor called him separately.

 

"Are you going to give me a different potion? If there's a way not to get caught, even if it's against the rules..."

 

"What? No. That's against the rules, isn't it? I have no intention of making you do that."

 

'It wouldn't be strange even if you made me do it though.'

 

"Actually, one of the reasons I expect victory in this friendly match is you."

 

"Pardon?"

 

Yi-Han hesitated.

 

There was a limit to what Yi-Han could do in a situation where he couldn't use magic or mana-based attacks.

 

No matter how skilled he was at riding horses and swordsmanship, could he defeat seasoned ballgame players?

 

"What are you going to ride?"

 

"The griffin?"

 

"Yes. And the griffin is..."

 

"Ah."

 

Yi-Han realized what the professor was aiming for.

 

'Aha!'

 

"Should I release the griffin's transformation and sweep away all the other players' mounts?"

 

"...Do you have any complaints about me forcing you to go out? If you do, please tell me now."

 

***

 

Professor Bungaegor, who had finished preparing, crossed her arms and frowned as she looked at the field.

 

Bulpard, the captain from a city noble family, smiled and said next to her.

 

"Thank you for giving us this opportunity."

 

"You're welcome."

 

"What greater honor is there than competing with the renowned students of Einroguard? Oh, I heard that the students belonging to the Einroguard Ballgame Club achieved good results this time?"

 

"If they didn't win, it's meaningless..."

 

"What are you saying? Isn't the process important?"

 

"Hmm."

 

Professor Bungaegor frowned even more at the rising anger.

 

In fact, the other person was really not at fault.

 

They were a pure opponent who had come thinking it was a good proposal after receiving the suggestion, but...

 

Originally, when you're in a bad mood, if someone acts clueless, they become more annoying.

 

Moreover, the fact that several key players, including the captain, were missing from the ballgame club players also made Professor Bungaegor angry.

 

Of course, the opponents had arranged it that way to be considerate of the freshmen who had no ballgame experience yet, but people usually become very narrow-minded when it comes to sports they like.

 

With the insufficient results recently achieved by Einroguard students, Professor Bungaegor was very thirsty for victory.

 

"I hope many of you will feel the charm of ballgame in today's friendly match and join the ballgame club next year."

 

"I will join!"

 

Anglago shouted loudly from the spectator seats. At those words, Bulpard nodded his head with a bright face.

 

"Maybe we can meet and play ballgame together someday! But Professor. Why is that student sitting? He seems to like ballgame?"

 

"His leg is broken."

 

"Oh dear..."

 

He looked fine, but his leg was broken. Bulpard looked at Anglago with pity.

 

Meanwhile, the students and players greeted each other.

 

"Please take good care of us."

 

"It's an honor to have a friendly match with the students of Einroguard."

 

The Granden City players spoke with sincerity.

 

Yi-Han, who suddenly became curious, threw a question.

 

"But there must be some seniors who belong to the school's ballgame club, so there haven't been any friendly matches until now?"

 

"Ah. Einroguard students usually do it with students from other magic schools, right?"

 

"That's... no."

 

Yi-Han was dumbfounded.

 

'Then why are we...'

 

If the students from other magic schools were busy, they could have waited and done it, so why did they have to bring such a high-difficulty opponent?

 

"I see..."

 

When Yi-Han seemed to show interest, the excited opposing player chattered enthusiastically about the charm of ballgame.

 

"The Einroguard Ballgame Club is a club with a really long history. The imperial prize money record they set in the past still hasn't been broken."

 

"Prize money?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Is there prize money in ballgame too?"

 

"There is?"

 

Yi-Han was surprised.

 

Shyles, who was next to him, was also surprised.

 

'Why don't you know that...?'

 

Starting from the money given by the spectators to the prize money put up by various celebrities using their names.

 

As long as they could win, they could earn as much as they wanted in ballgame.

 

And above all, he couldn't understand why Wardanaz didn't know this.

 

"Don't magic school students use the prize money they receive for magic research?"

 

"Ah. Yes. Well, I guess so."

 

Yi-Han imagined joining the ballgame club, embezzling the allocated prize money, and siphoning it off as business funds, but he came to his senses.

 

In any case, there wouldn't be any money coming out of this friendly match, would there?

 

'Let's focus.'

 

"Huh. Are you perhaps from the Richmond family?"

 

"Ah. Yes."

 

The players also spoke to Shyles, who was next to him.

 

The players' eyes, which had been kind, changed sharply, and they whispered to each other.

 

"First, keep an eye on that student..."

 

"Never let your guard down, just in case."

 

"..."

 

***

 

Beep!

 

As soon as it started, dust rose in the vast field.

 

Two players riding an ostrich and a wolf charged fiercely, dribbling the ball with their poles.

 

Shyles, who was in charge of the right side, shouted urgently.

 

"Everyone maintain formation and don't fall back... Kuk kuk kuk kuk!?"

 

The wolf made Shyles' horse unable to move, and the ostrich quickly kicked.

 

Shyles was thrown off and rolled over and over.

 

Seeing that, the White Tiger Tower students unconsciously shouted.

 

"Such an advanced technique!"

 

"It's a perfect <Knocking the Player Off>!"

 

'What kind of technique name is that...'

 

"Everyone hold on! I'm going!"

 

Yi-Han realized that the difference in skill between his friends and the players was more severe than he thought.

 

At this rate, forget holding on, they would be broken through and concede a goal.

 

The only one who could buy time right now was Yi-Han, who was riding a griffin.

 

"Griffin. I'm counting on you."

 

The griffin's eyes, who had heard affectionate words from his master for the first time in a really long time, blazed red, and rough breaths flowed from his mouth.

 

Kwang!

 

"Be careful! On the right!"

 

"Block him!"

 

When Yi-Han, who was on the left side, rapidly maneuvered to the right, the other players stood in the way to protect the player who was carrying the ball.

 

Yi-Han gritted his teeth and prepared for the collision.

 

Even if it was a direct attack above the shoulder, as he had seen earlier, there were various situations ranging from attacks using mounts to attacks below the shoulder.

 

He couldn't cut down the seasoned players in one stroke, so he had no choice but to break through, trusting the griffin's mass.

 

-Kkak kkak kkak!!!!-

 

"?"

 

The goat that was blocking the way suddenly screamed and changed direction, and the player on top was also startled.

 

How could a teammate who had been coordinating with him show such a reaction?

 

The wolf next to him was the same.

 

As the griffin approached, it became frightened and distanced itself.

 

As a gap was created in an instant, Yi-Han ran for now. Seeing that, Professor Bungaegor punched the air.

 

"That's right!"

 

"Wh-what?!"

 

Bulpard shouted, unable to understand.

 

What on earth had just happened?

 

'The effect is much better than I thought!'

 

Professor Bungaegor tried to hold back her smile and rejoiced inwardly.

 

It was an outstanding performance that made her want to shout perfect score right now.

 

"That horse was originally a griffin."

 

"Pardon? But..."

 

As the opponent was flustered and at a loss for words, Professor Bungaegor struck first.

 

"Of course, it may seem dangerous for a 1st-year student to handle a griffin. But if there is definite prior preparation, handling a griffin is not that dangerous."

 

Professor Bungaegor told lies without even wetting her lips.

 

In fact, objectively speaking, no matter what preparation was made, handling a griffin was indeed a very, very dangerous thing.

 

"No... that's not it."

 

"?"

 

"We have also trained in case we encounter a griffin as an opponent in a match. But why are they so scared..."

 

"...?!"