SRS 75

“Can you even call that a horse? It looks strange.”

In response to his friend’s comment, Yohan looked again at the creature that had burst into the cafeteria. With wings and a horn, it hardly resembled a horse anymore, just like how a griffin couldn’t simply be called an eagle.

Since it was a beast they’d never studied in class, Yohan stopped eating and stood up. He couldn’t sit there having lunch when it might attack him from behind.

“Why did that thing come here?”

“How should I know?”

Suhyeok stood up too, hand on his sword hilt. Before he could charge in, Yohan quickly looked around at the breathless students who had chased the creature in. They were all first-years.

How did his classmates end up chasing this thing all the way here?

Since they were the only ones who could explain, he stepped closer, but the horned-winged horse reared up and neighed at him, raising its forelegs in warning.

“Whoa, whoa!”

“Yohan, careful!”

…Was it just a frightened creature?

Yohan froze at his friends’ warning.

“What happened?”

He stayed back and asked instead. The students’ faces clouded.

“Professor Homern….”

“Professor Homern?”

Why was the Taming professor’s name coming up here?

Yohan frowned, then stiffened as he suddenly realized something.

That can’t be.

He slowly turned his head toward the strange horse again. Whatever it was, it was a living creature, and definitely closer to an animal.

He looked back at the faces of the students. Among them were several who had taken the first taming class with him.

“Professor Homern brought that thing, said it’s a divine beast, and told us to tame it. He said that’s our Taming test for the end of the month. The test lasts until the end of evaluation week. It’s a group assignment, but whoever contributes more will get extra credit….”

“……”

Hearing that, Yohan furrowed his eyebrows, feeling sorry for them. The others who had come with the group looked on the verge of tears and sat down heavily.

“I give up! How are we supposed to tame that thing?”

“It won’t respond at all!”

“Every time we try to catch it, it just runs away!”

“We’ve never even seen anything like it before! They should at least teach us first!”

Their complaints turned into tears, and their tears turned into fury toward Professor Homern.

Were the professors in this school secretly trying to turn their students into assassins?

Listening to their growing plans for professor assassination, Yohan couldn’t help reassessing Professor Will. Compared to Homern—who brought in an unknown divine beast and told students to tame it—Will, who had only turned part of the forest into a nest of mutated plants, seemed normal.

“…That’s unfortunate.”

Yohan comforted the crying students and told them to cheer up, then picked up his half-finished plate.

“…Uh, Yohan?”

The taming students called out awkwardly when he looked like he was about to return his plate and leave.

“Yes?”

“Well… um… so… you’re not going to help us?”

“……?”

Yohan looked at them blankly, he didn’t understand. Seeing his innocent face, they fell silent, embarrassed.

“Hmm…”

He cleared his throat, looked between the ‘horse’ and his friends, then spoke.

“It’s a strange exam, but this is a taming test. If I help, wouldn’t that be against the rules?”

“……”

“And since they said extra points go to those who contribute more, if I interfere, I’d only take away your chance to earn them. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“But…”

“I don’t want to take your credit. Good luck on the test.”

Yohan gave a gentle smile, returned his plate, and walked away. The taming students just watched him, dazed, as if bewitched, leave without a trace of hesitation.

“…What do we do now? He’s the only one we trusted since it’s a divine beast. We thought Yohan would at least know something….”

“I don’t know.”

“Is that really Yohan? Should we go stop him and ask? He sounded so calm it’s scary….like, who even is he?”

“…Hmm.”

Hearing their voices behind him, Yohan stopped. His conscience tugged at him; maybe he should go back.

“Come on, come on, we’ve got a long way to go. Let’s move.”

Suhyeok suddenly threw an arm around Yohan’s shoulders and hurried him out as if there was something urgent. With no choice but to follow, Yohan left the cafeteria, looking at his friend, who’d been snickering the whole time.

When Yohan gave him a puzzled look, Suhyeok grinned.

“Yohan. You really are a priest.”

“…Well, I am a priest.”

“And a student of Fantasiademia.”

“……”

He had no trouble agreeing to being a priest, yet somehow, being called a student of Fantasiademia sounded like an insult. He didn’t feel like agreeing to that. Seeing him hesitate, Suhyeok chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“You can finally drop the pushover title now, my friend.”

“Pushover?”

“…You don’t need to know.”

Suhyeok sometimes said things only he seemed to understand. Yohan was curious, but when Suhyeok started whistling and walking away, he knew he wouldn’t get an answer.

Yohan shrugged and went back to the dormitory with him, opening his Spirit Studies textbook.

“Ah!”

“What’s that? Why does that horse have wings?”

“Look! The horn is glowing…hey, it’s attacking us!”

“No, Maximus! That horse belongs to the professor! Don’t fight it!”

Outside the window, the winged horse was rampaging again, the griffins reacting to it, and students shouting in panic as they tried to stop the fight. Someone was yelling that they should try feeding it first to calm it down. Yohan turned a page in his book peacefully, ignoring the commotion.

Life at Fantasiademia was noisy as ever, but with two more tests left, Yohan had no time for anything but studying.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“It’s time for the end-of-month evaluation, young lambs.”

“……”

As soon as the professor entered the Divine Studies classroom, he announced it. His cold tone made the students straighten up instantly.

The angel professor’s gaze lingered on Yohan for a moment. It felt like a reminder of the wager they’d made before. Yohan clenched his fists.

…I can’t end up as an assistant.

“It’ll be fine.”

Next to him, his classmate tried to reassure him. Mikael smiled, eyes curved gently.

Seeing his relaxed smile, his heart seemed to calm down, and Yohan took a deep breath as he nodded.

Yes, don’t be nervous. You’ve been taking lessons from Mikael diligently.

He hadn’t been able to heal Mikael’s wounds, but even so, Mikael had kept his promise and taught him how to use his divine power. Whenever Mikael had time or felt well enough, Yohan would go to the Sky Garden to study, learning everything from basic output to advanced application in condensed lessons.

Having just taken a special lecture yesterday, Yohan was confident and waiting for the test.

Snap!

The angel professor snapped his fingers, and with a loud thud, fifty rings dropped onto every student’s desk.

“……”

The faces of the students turned pale upon seeing the towers made of rings. Yohan, too, glanced at the angel professor with astonishment.

Surely the test couldn’t be to fill every single one? Even for him, that was too much.

It had to be something more reasonable.

Yohan, who almost blurted out something rude, looked at the angel professor, holding onto a glimmer of hope. The professor pulled his pocket watch from his bosom and checked the time

“For the next hour and a half, you’ll fill these rings with divine power. Filling all fifty earns full marks. Every five fewer rings lowers your score. Fewer than five means the lowest grade.”

The angel professor explained plainly. His ominous premonition was not misplaced.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Then he didn’t even need to take special lectures from Mikael?

Yohan expected a more challenging test, but he never expected such a simple and ignorant assignment. Yohan felt disheartened, but he had no time to wallow in frustration. The angel professor immediately announced the start of the test.

…Perhaps he’s starting this hastily to cover up the students’ complaints.

At this point, Yohan even found himself suspicious of every little thing. He gave the professor a doubtful look, then picked up one of the rings and began channeling divine power into it.

It started glowing within ten seconds.

“…Hm?”

That was faster than he’d expected. Were these all tiered rings like before? Maybe the first one was just the easiest.

Thinking that, he picked up a second ring and filled it. It took about the same time.

“…Huh?”

Perplexed, Yohan tried again.

Flash.

“……”

Next, next, next.

After filling six rings in quick succession, Yohan felt uneasy. Even discounting the few moments he’d paused in disbelief, it had taken under two minutes.

It was so unnaturally fast that he looked around. Unlike him, the others were struggling, faces contorted as they tried to push divine power into their rings.

In the end, Yohan hesitantly raised his hand.

“Speak, Yohan Herse.”

The angel professor nodded toward him.

“Professor… I think my rings might be defective.”

“Hm?”

The professor frowned. Afraid he’d be mistaken for making excuses, Yohan quickly grabbed a ring and infused it with divine power again.

Flash!

In ten seconds, it filled and shone brightly once more. Yohan lifted it as proof.

“The divine power fills too quickly in my rings. Much faster than the ones we use in class. Not just one, all the ones I’ve tried so far.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

The professor scrutinized Yohan’s serious face. Yohan swallowed and waited for judgment.

After a moment, the professor nodded once.

“The rings aren’t defective, young lamb. You’re simply too fast. These rings are designed to hold slightly less divine power than usual, but that difference is minimal. The change you see is the result of your own growth. Nothing is wrong. Continue your test quietly.”

“……”

The professor said it as if it were nothing. In that instant, Yohan could feel dozens of heads turning toward him.

His skin prickled under the weight of their stares. Feeling nervous, he glanced at the professor again, then accepted the situation and began channeling divine power once more.

Flash!

The ring lit up again.

“…Hm.”

For some reason, from that moment on, the back of his head began to tingle, and from the next ring onwards, he deliberately slowed down the speed at which he unleashed his divine power.