Chapter 503

Before the frightened basilisk could bite Priestess Siana, Yi-Han quickly said.

"I didn't raise it to extract venom."

"Huh? Then what are you going to use it for?"

Priestess Siana tilted her head.

For Priestess Siana, who had grown up in the Flameng Order, raising an animal was only when there was a use for it.

Raising a cow was to obtain its milk.

Raising a chicken was to obtain its eggs.

Moreover, wasn't there only one reason to diligently raise a dangerous and difficult-to-raise animal like a basilisk?

It was to collect the precious venom of the basilisk.

"I didn't raise it to extract venom, but for the professor to attack me... Hmm."

Yi-Han, who was about to speak, hesitated because it sounded too crazy.

It sounded less crazy to say that he raised it to extract venom.

"Yes?"

"...Anyway, I didn't raise it to extract venom, so could you put the syringe away?"

"I understand."

Priestess Siana didn't understand, but when Yi-Han said that, she put the syringe away for now.

The baby basilisk finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare it too much. It's still a young one, so if you scare it like that, you don't know what it might do."

"It needs to get used to it, right?"

"..."

When one thought of a priest, it was easy to think of a kind and faithful person, but that didn't necessarily mean a weak personality.

Even a kind and faithful person could become full of madness when necessary.

Priestess Siana spoke in a very serious manner.

"The other professors will extract the venom anyway, so will it change if we just leave it alone? We need to get it used to not being scared."

"...Huh?"

"Professor Uregor also mentioned it before. He said that if the basilisk really hatches, he should extract some venom."

The baby basilisk trembled again and tried to burrow into Yi-Han's arms.

Yi-Han stroked it as if comforting it and said.

"Wait. Are there other professors besides him?"

"Professor Garcia was also there at that time, and she asked if she could receive the venom if the basilisk really hatched."

"!"

Yi-Han was greatly shocked.

It didn't matter if Professor Uregor or other professors said that, but even the kind Professor Garcia said that.

'Indeed, when it comes to magic-related matters, mages are merciless!'

When magic was involved, no matter how kind a mage was, their eyes would turn.

Yi-Han learned a great lesson once again.

"Ah. Professor Verduus too..."

"Ah. I'm not curious about that professor. He would have asked for it."

Professor Verduus was not very surprising.

Based on his personality, he was someone who would ask if he could skin the basilisk when it hatched.

'This is a big problem.'

Yi-Han pondered while stroking the basilisk.

The professors were more interested in the basilisk than he had thought.

Of course, later when the basilisk grew up strong and healthy, he might be able to lend the venom.

But inserting a syringe and extracting venom when it was not fully grown like now was a bit...

'It seems like it would create non-existent evil.'

Even a kind monster would become an evil monster trying to make all living beings go extinct if it was treated like that.

Yi-Han had to live with the basilisk anyway. He didn't want to make the basilisk's personality like that.

"The outstanding talent of the Flameng Order who always excels and keeps his faith, Priestess Siana. Could you perhaps keep the basilisk's birth a secret?"

"Oh my. Of course."

At Yi-Han's flattery, Priestess Siana readily nodded.

"But won't the professors find out?"

"If everyone doesn't talk, they won't know since it hatched much earlier than expected. ...Except for one person."

Professor Bagrak was so interested that he regularly asked about the basilisk egg, so it was impossible to easily deceive him like the other professors.

Yi-Han stared intently at the basilisk.

'Will it be okay?'

Professor Bagrak was not interested in extracting the basilisk's venom, but he was very interested in other aspects.

And perhaps that interest might be even more dangerous.

He had raised it as Yi-Han's match to make good use of it for a semester...

"Can you perhaps fight with me?"

-...-

The basilisk that was asked the question showed the most intense reaction among the reactions it had shown today.

Priestess Siana was amazed at the sight of it trembling and burrowing as if it could never do that.

"Are baby basilisks originally docile? I heard that they are evil and violent from a young age."

"Well, if you point a syringe like that... No."

Yi-Han first calmed the basilisk. If left alone like this, it seemed like it would burrow into Yi-Han's neck like a rope of the gallows.

"I'll try to talk to them, so don't worry too much."

Priestess Siana spoke as if she didn't have high expectations.

"Ah. Mr. Wardanaz. If you need to extract venom, please call me. I'll help you."

"..."

At the priest's subtle madness, Yi-Han felt a slight fear of the Flameng Order.

"Professor."

Monday morning.

When others were basking in the sunlight and thawing their stiff bodies with the chilly air, Yi-Han went down to the basement of the main building to face Professor Bagrak.

The professor was sitting at a table, assembling a mechanical trap of a form he had never seen before. Yi-Han tried his best to remember the form of that trap.

Because someday that trap might target Yi-Han.

"You're here."

"I have something to tell you."

Professor Bagrak nodded.

It was a nod as if a merciful teacher was indulging the childishness of a foolish disciple.

"What magic do you want to learn?"

"...Professor. Do I look like someone who is obsessed with new magic?"

Professor Bagrak stared blankly at Yi-Han.

It would have been less annoying if he had answered 'Yes.' Yi-Han gave up and changed the subject.

"First, I would like you to keep this story a secret."

"If it's reasonable."

Professor Bagrak was strict.

For example, if Wardanaz declared that he was going out of school on weekends to secretly hunt anti-magic extremists or magic criminals, he couldn't keep it a secret.

"...Why would I do such a thing... No. No, I won't."

Yi-Han, who heard the professor's explanation, tried to refute but gave up.

Come to think of it, he had attempted to sneak out in front of Professor Bagrak and had secretly clashed with enemies, so it was his own fault.

'But it's really unfair.'

"That basilisk has hatched."

Professor Bagrak put down the trap he was assembling and immediately stood up.

"Congratulations."

'What are you congratulating?'

Yi-Han swallowed the question and quickly continued.

"But Professor. The situation is a bit different from what you expected. The basilisk hatched early, so it hasn't fully grown."

The professor's eyebrows curved. And then he threw a glance at Yi-Han's arm.

The basilisk, hidden in the long sleeve of the outer coat, trembled.

"The evil eye? It shouldn't matter with size."

"Since it hasn't fully grown, wouldn't the power be weaker too?"

Yi-Han threw it out roughly.

In fact, whether the power was weak or not could only be known by having the basilisk petrify something, but that wasn't important now.

"The venom? If only the toxicity of the stone venom is maintained..."

"That too, since it hasn't fully grown, the power seems like it will be weaker."

Professor Bagrak glared at the basilisk in the sleeve.

He didn't say anything and his expression didn't change, but Yi-Han felt as if Professor Bagrak was shouting, 'You ungrateful snake, I had such high expectations for you.'

However, glaring like that didn't suddenly make the basilisk's power stronger or suddenly make it fierce.

And in the first place, seeing the current state, it was questionable whether the basilisk would actively attack Yi-Han even if it grew a bit more.

"I will ask Professor Bungaegor and find a way to make it grow."

"Professor. Actually, the reason I asked you to keep it a secret is because of that."

Yi-Han accused the evil professors of coveting the basilisk's venom.

Especially Professor Verduus was coveting not only the venom but absolutely everything.

"If they collect it like that before the basilisk becomes strong, won't it have a huge negative impact on its growth?"

"Indeed."

Professor Bagrak understood what Yi-Han was saying.

Considering the greed of the disciple in front of him, it was natural that he didn't want to allow even a bit of weakening in raising the basilisk.

"Alright. I will keep it a secret."

Professor Bagrak threw the mechanical trap into the underground cabinet. Perhaps there was space magic on it, as no sound came from inside.

And then he opened the floor door leading to the basement and went down the stairs. Yi-Han and the basilisk trembled together at the sound coming from inside.

'What is he going to bring out?'

Fortunately, instead of bringing a secret weapon that could kill both of them at once, Professor Bagrak brought an old book.

The title of the book was none other than <Secret Techniques for Raising Evil Monsters>.

Professor Bagrak slowly dusted off the book and then put it on the bookshelf next to the table. He was going to slowly read it after the lecture and find a way.

"..."

-...-

Yi-Han and the basilisk prayed that the old book would at least have sensible contents.

"How much of the book have you written?"

"...About 1, 1/3."

Yi-Han made a slight excuse.

1/2 seemed too much, and 1/4 seemed too little.

And there were too many other things to do on the weekend. From finding the hidden secret base to guiding the minstrel.

'Is it too little? Should I have increased it more?'

"The progress is faster than I thought."

'Damn it.'

Yi-Han regretted it.

Judging from Professor Bagrak's reaction, he could have done it more slowly.

He got scared for nothing and dug his own grave!

"You're learning many combat magics, but you're probably not satisfied yet."

"I am satisfied..."

"You must have felt it during the Sea Serpent hunt."

'What?'

Yi-Han was puzzled.

What he felt during the Sea Serpent hunt was resentment towards the professor who forcibly brought him to the front while leaving other friends behind.

"The lack of means of evasion."

"...Uh, to that extent...?"

Honestly, considering the doppelganger magic, enhancement magic, and even the short-term future foresight magic that Professor Bagrak made him (forcibly) learn, the means of evasion were thorough to the point of overflowing for a 1st-year student standard.

If defense was added with elemental magic now, the balance would be very solid at the current level...

"Have you thought about the reason?"

"Huh? Uh..."

"Yes. It's because the balance of magic training is not right."

"..."

If you're going to ask and answer yourself, why are you asking?

Yi-Han thought that but patiently endured.

Professor Bagrak pointed out the imbalance in Yi-Han's current magic state.

While he was gaining experience and improving his skills in some elemental magic, dark magic, enchantment magic, summoning magic, and so on, fields like transformation magic and healing magic were inevitably stagnating in terms of skills.

"But the professors didn't particularly say that..."

He indirectly said, 'The professor in charge says it's okay even now, so why are you doing this?' but Professor Bagrak ignored it and only said what he wanted to say.

"When I asked Professor Yonramo, he said there is an event for students majoring in transformation magic. It will be a good experience if you participate."

"Was there such a thing?"

Yi-Han was puzzled.

He didn't remember hearing it from other friends.