Chapter 34

"I can't just hand over a random horse to a disciple of Uregor," the professor declared.

"...I am truly delighted," responded Yi-Han, struggling to manage his expression.

Even when he was not keen on the professor's kindness, he knew he had to maintain his composure. After all, a grumpy professor could be more fearsome than a common demon.

Bungaegor, walking with heavy steps, stopped in front of a horse. It was a truly beautiful white horse, neither exceptionally large nor small, with a solid build and well-defined muscles. The horse looked intently at Yi-Han and blinked, its gaze devoid of any violence.

If Yi-Han had been younger, he might have been fooled into thinking, 'Did the professor really gift me this fine horse for me?' However, Yi-Han was a man who had been through many battles, not easily deceived.

'Could this be a demon disguised as a white horse?'

There was definitely something amiss!

"This horse is truly fine, but it's the most wild and difficult one in the stable. If you can tame this one, taming other monsters will be easy," Bungaegor said with evident joy.

"Of course, it might be too much for a freshman."

"If that's what you think, then perha—"

"But with your skill in handling the Thunderbird, Wardanaz, I believe you can do it! I have faith in you!"

'Damn it.'

Getting praised only to have the difficulty level raised! Such irrationality and injustice...

While Yi-Han and Professor Bungaegor conversed, other students were trying to approach and talk to various horses, unable to give up.

"Nice, aren't you? Nice... Ah! It bit me!"

"Stop drooling! Stop drooling, I said!"

"It's headbutting me!"

The horses were not easily handled.

As the chaos continued, Nillia cautiously suggested to her friends, "Shouldn't we try to get friendly with the horses first?"

"We are trying to be friendly," they retorted.

"We shouldn’t just rush in to pet them. There are other things to do first, like brushing them early in the morning, cleaning their stables, feeding them..."

Nillia didn't think her suggestion was strange. When she worked with <Shadow Patrol>, showing this level of care was necessary to tame unfamiliar beasts. Without consistent effort, they wouldn't open their hearts.

"Do we really need to go that far?"

"Come to the stable every morning?"

To everyone's surprise, the other students showed resistance. Many of them came from wealthy families at Black Tortoise, where horses were cared for by servants or slaves, not by the students themselves.

'Are they all fools?'

Nillia wanted to say, 'Do you still think we're outside the academy?' but held back, not wanting to be singled out as the odd one.

She had no choice but to keep her frustration to herself.

'I'll have to come alone then. Once they see the horses listening to me, maybe they'll listen to me too.'

Nillia, with her ears drooping, was approached by Yi-Han and Yonaire.

"Nillia, have you chosen a horse?"

"We're planning to come and take care of the horses every morning. Want to join us?"

"...Yes!!"

With a tearful expression, Nillia hugged Yi-Han and Yonaire tightly.

True friends didn't care about different towers.

Unable to comprehend her reason for hugging them, Yi-Han and Yonaire looked at Nillia in astonishment.

'Why is she doing this?'

'Who knows...?'

—

After the <Basic Riding Training>, Yi-Han went with Professor Bungaegor to visit Professor Uregor's cabin.

In truth, it would be more accurate to say that Yi-Han was dragged along rather than that he went willingly, as he could not refuse Professor Bungaegor.

"You've arriv... no."

Yi-Han had clearly seen it.

He witnessed the eyes of Professor Uregor, upon spotting a senior family member, shake greatly and his complexion pale!

"...What brings you here?"

"Do I need a reason to visit my nephew! Step aside. Oh dear! You're living in such a secluded place again, making a cabin. It's not even properly organized! Look at this dust!"

"It's... it's somewhat organized," Professor Uregor attempted to defend.

Indeed, since Yi-Han's arrival, the cabin had been considerably tidied up.

"What organization! This is no organization! You should be thinking about finding a decent partner and having children instead of only focusing on alchemy. How long do you plan to live alone! The elders are worried about you..."

"..."

Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han, pleading for rescue with his eyes. Yi-Han found himself unable to refuse that gaze.

"Professor, shall I prepare the meal?"

"Ah, yes. I brought a student along, so we should feed him. You, just stay put, Uregor. Your cooking is tasteless. I'll make something tasty in the Eastern style."

"I don't really like Eastern cuisine, though..."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

Uregor mumbled and then shut up. He then looked at Yi-Han and asked in a desperate voice.

"Has nothing happened to you?"

The voice clearly carried a plea to change the subject.

Yi-Han pondered what to talk about. Should he mention joining the Presinga Order?

"Wait. That staff..."

Only then did Uregor realize Yi-Han's staff was unfamiliar.

"Where did you get that staff?"

"Ah, this one?" Yi-Han hesitated for a moment. Then he asked, "You'll keep a secret, right?"

"..."

Uregor was dumbfounded. He had just casually asked to change the topic, not expecting such a response. And saying it like that, it was obviously suspicious...

"...I'll keep it."

"Child, our family always keeps secrets."

Bungaegor was chopping on the cutting board in the background, briefly stopped to wash her hands, and came over.

"Whatever the secret, we don't take dinner table talk outside. But what's with you only having bread and meat for ingredients?"

"Ah, I can manage my food just fine...!"

"That's why you're weak! Eastern dietary habits are the best for dwarves. You should be eating rice, not wheat. I'll make you a delicious jjigae."

Uregor's expression turned sorrowful.

The dwarf professor, in a bid to change the topic, asked Yi-Han again.

"So, how did you get that staff? It feels like it's brimming with life..."

Yi-Han recounted the night's events, greatly summarizing and editing the story. He had gone for a walk in the mountains at night and encountered a talking oak…

"...You went for a walk deep in those mountains at night???"

"Yes. That's the real joy of a walk, going to such secluded and dark places."

"..."

"..."

Both Uregor and Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han as if he were unbelievable, but Yi-Han remained unfazed.

'He was trying to escape.'

'An attempt to flee.'

For a freshman to climb the mountains on a weekend night, there could be only one reason.

"But wait. You met a talking oak? Did you solve a riddle?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"It's a fairly famous spirit... So that staff was given to you by the talking oak."

Professor Uregor nodded with interest as he examined the staff.

Talking oaks were known for their finicky and bothersome nature, but the visions and knowledge they possessed could not be ignored. The staff in Yi-Han's hands radiated the vibrant life force of a tree spirit. It was an unusual staff, not commonly seen.

"Does this staff have any special effects?"

Yi-Han asked, his voice tinged with slight anticipation.

It was natural for a person to have expectations, especially since the talking oak had spoken of it as something quite extraordinary.

"That staff is good for farming," said Bungaegor as she placed a bubbling pork jjigae on the wooden table.

The jjigae, with well-cooked kimchi (called something like Eastern cabbage pickle, but Yi-Han simply referred to it as kimchi) sautéed and then mixed with various seasonings and chunkily cut pork, emitted a tantalizing aroma that excited Yi-Han. As someone of Korean descent, the typical Eastern-style diet of the Empire always felt familiar to him.

In contrast, Uregor's expression was tinged with sadness.

At a glance, the fiery red jjigae with green onions and chili peppers looked spicy.

'She's cooking such spicy Eastern food for my disciple, what is she thinking...'

"Thank you for the meal."

"?!"

Uregor was taken aback as he watched Yi-Han scoop up a big spoonful of white rice, put it into his bowl of jjigae, and start eating.

He can handle it?

'Isn't it spicy? Did he always enjoy spicy food?'

"Indeed. A disciple of Uregor sure knows how to eat," Bungaegor said with a satisfied expression.

In the vast Empire, there were people who struggled to eat cuisine from regions other than their own. Compared to them, Yi-Han's hearty eating was a delightful sight, a method of eating that older dwarves would certainly appreciate.

"Compared to him, why are you eating so timidly! Eat up!"

"Ah, yes!"

Compared to Yi-Han, Uregor ate much slower. Meanwhile, Bungaegor continued the conversation they had started earlier.

"That staff, being imbued with tree spirits, will be quite beneficial for nurturing and growing things. It's literally a living staff. Such a staff is not easy to come by. It's a very valuable item."

"Uh... Does it have any other effects?"

"Who knows? That's its most notable effect."

Of course, aiding the growth of crops wasn't a bad effect, but it was quite far from what Yi-Han had hoped for.

'For farming...?'

He had hoped that holding the staff might render him invincible, or allow him to learn magic in his dreams, or at least assist with mana control...

"That's great. You were planning to start a vegetable garden, right?"

"That was the plan, yes."

"A vegetable garden?"

Bungaegor showed interest in the conversation between Yi-Han and Uregor.

"Weren't you from the Wardanaz family?"

"This one is a bit special."

"He seems to be. What are you planning to grow in the garden?"

"Anything edible, I want to try growing various things."

"This guy is interested in Eastern cuisine, so he was thinking of planting things like cabbage and green onions."

"Is that so?"

Bungaegor seemed pleased by Uregor's words. She spoke as if excited by the prospect.

"If you want, I can help you out."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've had my fair share of gardening."

With that, Yi-Han and Bungaegor stepped outside the cabin.

Behind them lay an empty plot of land, specifically set aside for Yi-Han's vegetable garden.

Thanks to regular cultivation, the soil was ready for planting seeds or seedlings at any time.

"It would be wise to start with crops that take a while to grow first. Potatoes and sweet potatoes will be very useful," Bungaegor suggested, well aware of the hardships new students at the school often faced.

Crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes, which could fill one's stomach, would be extremely handy.

"It will take at least two months, but planting them now will be something you'll be thankful for later."

"You're right," agreed Yi-Han, finding Bungaegor's advice sensible. He took the potato and sweet potato seeds and began to carefully plant them in a section of the vegetable garden.

'...He’s from the Wardanaz family? Really?'

Bungaegor was slightly taken aback by Yi-Han's adeptness at work. Anyone with experience in labor would have no choice but to admire how Yi-Han worked. His skilled movements were those of a natural worker... Was he really from the Wardanaz family, renowned for producing mages? Really?

—

"...?"

Emerging belatedly from the cabin to watch, Uregor sensed something odd.

"Did you plant these over the weekend?"

"Huh? I just planted them now."

"Is that so?"

Uregor tilted his head in confusion.

'He just planted them?'

But why did it look like sprouts were already growing?