Chapter 126 : Chapter 126
Chapter 126. Rock Eagle
The method Pasion taught was as follows.
“To contract with great existences, a little trickery is needed.”
A Great Spirit was an existence that couldn't be easily handled.
First, spirit affinity had to be high enough for the Great Spirit to take interest, and to summon them with their mighty power, that much magic power was needed.
The spirits contracted with first-year Academy students were all spirits appropriate for their level.
Going to the spirit world didn't mean anyone could meet a Great Spirit.
The spirit of the library was a unique case.
Academy students could meet the Great Spirit just by pulling a book.
Furthermore, the spirit taught students directly.
This kind of contract didn't exist even if you searched the continent.
“Did you see the magic circle on the library floor?”
“Yes, I was surprised when I first went to the library. It was very huge.”
“It is rare to see a magic circle of that size. If you can properly understand the formula used there, you could probably take a professorship at the Academy.”
Even Pasion, a Summoning Magic major, found that magic circle to be in an incomprehensible realm.
Magic that binds a Great Spirit to the library instead of a contractor.
“Anyway, it means it is not easy to contract with a Great Spirit unless you have the skills to complete a magic circle of that level. Still, in my opinion, it is not like there is absolutely no way.”
Pasion brought up an old story.
It was an old story Radel had also heard before, about a child who visited a Great Spirit long ago and made a bet to save a village destined to be submerged in water.
“I have also heard of it. The ending was different in every story.”
“Right. The ending where he finally won the bet and succeeded in the contract, but the village was already submerged. The ending where he couldn't save the village but saved the people. The ending where he was able to save everyone just in time. But there is one thing we should pay attention to here.”
Pasion raised his index finger.
“Something more important than the village's fate, the secret method by which a powerless kid could contract with a Great Spirit!”
His expression was serious.
Radel swallowed unconsciously and asked.
“What is it?”
Pasion slowly opened his mouth.
“That he won the bet. Life is all about one shot.”
Radel’s expression also became serious.
“It is just a story passed down, will it be effective?”
“Every story has a lesson, Junior. Trust me.”
Pasion patted the hesitant junior’s shoulder and encouraged him.
Making a bet with a Great Spirit?
Someone hearing it might snort, but the Radel Pasion had seen was not like that.
He was a junior who realized more than ten things if taught one.
‘Something interesting will happen soon!’
Pasion smiled with an expectant face.
* * *
“Brats, do you know a bit about magical beasts now? Of course, there is no way! So I plan to give you a different experience today!”
Professor Donton Murr of Cryptozoology shouted to the students with a booming voice.
The place gathered this time wasn't just a mountain.
It was a rocky mountain, no less.
“Do we have to climb a rocky mountain today?”
“A mountain would be better. Save me…….”
Students became gloomy looking at the rocky mountain where not a single tree or blade of grass grew.
Today was specifically the day to announce the practical final exam.
Seeing that Professor Donton brought them to the rocky mountain, there must be some connection.
“You can look forward to it, brats! Hahaha! Because I specially brought seniors to help you!”
Whiiik!
When Professor Donton whistled, something popped out from between the rocks.
It was the Cryptozoology seniors riding giant eagles.
“Wh-What is that? Is it not a monster?”
“Someone is riding on top!”
First-year students, startled thinking monsters appeared, soon saw the seniors and regained composure.
“Hahahaha! Nothing to be surprised about! These guys are rock eagles. Since you tried taming prairie wolves last time, this much will be easy! Let’s have taming these guys as this final exam. Brats, it won't be easy. Use all your strength and try hard!”
Students gaped at Professor Donton’s words to suddenly tame flying monsters.
It was obvious, but the difficulty of taming monsters capable of flight and those not was a world of difference.
“Uaaack!”
As expected, one first-year student was already caught by a rock eagle’s claws and swaying here and there in the air.
“How are we supposed to do this.”
Students fell into worry.
And Radel was also in worry.
Only his worry was different from other friends.
‘What is the method to make the spirit of the library want to make a bet.’
A method to whet the appetite of a Great Spirit.
Since it is a spirit, it must be a bit different from humans.
Just then, a rock eagle passed over Radel’s head.
Venus, a Cryptozoology major, was riding there.
Venus was carrying an egg preciously on his back.
It seemed the hippogriff egg obtained last time hadn't hatched yet.
“Perhaps……?”
If it is Venus who likes magical beasts that much, wouldn't he know how to communicate with beings other than humans?
To the extent of carrying a monster egg around to hatch it.
“I have to try talking.”
First, bringing the flying rock eagle down to the ground was the priority.
Only then could he do taming and get a chance to ask Venus.
Radel took out beef jerky from his bosom without hesitation.
He carried it as emergency rations and snacks.
“Fire!”
Flame spewed from Radel’s staff.
Shooook!
Also known as Torch magic.
It was fire element magic Radel used when lighting firewood or such.
Radel shot flames and grilled the beef jerky until golden brown.
He didn't forget to blow the smoke towards the rock eagle with wind element magic.
- Screech?
The rock eagle carrying Venus smelled the delicious scent and flapped its wings in the air.
The stimulating scent captured the rock eagle’s sense of smell.
- Screeech!
The rock eagle looked around the ground and discovered Radel grilling beef jerky.
Venus, who was riding on its back, also felt something unusual in the rock eagle’s strange behavior and looked down.
“……It’s Radel.”
Venus didn't stop the rock eagle from descending to the ground possessed by the beef jerky smell.
Anyway, the reason seniors were riding rock eagles was for the safety of juniors, not to interfere with the class.
The method of attempting taming using food was also something Venus taught Radel before.
‘He asked how to tame a Griffin.’
Venus was the one who advised back then that most monsters flying in the sky should be lured to the ground.
Seeing Radel using it without forgetting made him feel good too.
“Senior!”
Radel, who succeeded in luring the rock eagle with a few pieces of beef jerky and skillful push-and-pull, approached Venus.
“……Hi. Your taming skills improved.”
“It is all thanks to Senior.”
Radel recalled the time he tried to tame a Griffin at the 8th Prince’s Palace.
He tried to do as Venus advised but eventually failed.
Still, trying several times made him familiar with the Griffin’s pattern.
Compared to the Griffin attacking even while eating food, the rock eagle was at a cute level.
“More than that, I have something I am curious about. Communicating with beings other than humans is not easy at all. How would it be good to do it?”
It’s a question about magical beasts.
In Venus’s thought, beings other than humans could only be magical beasts.
Venus quite liked Radel, who went beyond the method of taming a Griffin and now wanted to communicate with magical beasts.
So he decided to answer wholeheartedly, unlike his usual self.
“……There is nothing difficult. First, get close. And then find out what they like.”
It was advice not helpful to ordinary students.
Getting close to a magical beast was difficult from the start.
However, Radel was a junior who practiced advice extremely well.
* * *
“Why do you keep bothering me!”
The spirit of the library screamed.
Because the strange first-year guy asking for a contract was visiting the library every day.
Radel looked at the spirit of the library and answered with a serious expression.
“I am coming to study. I hope there is no misunderstanding.”
“Th-This nasty guy!”
It was a complete lie.
That guy had long memorized the entire final exam range while frequenting the library until the threshold wore out.
Now he was at the point of answering the spirit of the library’s questions with his eyes closed.
“What is the essence of Transmutation Magic!”
“It is time.”
“Can you change a feather into a stone with Transmutation Magic?”
“It is possible. Because somewhere in the flow of time, there exists a moment when a feather turns into a stone.”
All were correct answers.
Even if it modified the questions little by little, Radel was unfazed.
At his unhindered answers, the spirit of the library became extremely angry.
It was to the point where words telling him to stop studying and leave were about to pop out.
“If you are done, leave now! Get lost!”
“But I want to study more?”
At Radel’s calm words, the spirit of the library felt like tearing out its hair that didn't even exist.
“You must be tired from looking after students during the exam period. Appearing in front of students simultaneously must be difficult too.”
“Such things are not hard at all! What makes me hard is you!”
“Me?”
Radel pointed at himself with a face saying he didn't understand and shrugged his shoulders.
“It could be because you have to give the same problems every day. I will show you something different.”
Even though the spirit of the library didn't ask him to, Radel drew his sword on his own and unfolded swordsmanship.
‘That crazy guy…….’
Since being bound to the Academy library, this was the first nutjob like this.
Radel, who was slashing in the air, now started dancing with an expressionless face.
“Is this not good either?”
When the spirit of the library showed no particular reaction, Radel stopped dancing and took out a notebook from his bosom.
Various contents were written there.
Singing, swordsmanship, debate, reading, ventriloquism, dancing…….
Radel scanned the list and drew a line through dancing.
The items Radel marked were all things he showed in front of the spirit of the library.
Seeing that sight, the spirit of the library was dumbfounded.
“Are you investigating me?”
“Yes, because I want to know you.”
Even at the brusque question, Radel didn't mind.
It was a step he had to go through to make a bet.
First get close, then find out what they like.
Then he could propose a bet that would whet the appetite of the spirit of the library.
He was acting steadily according to the seniors' advice.
“Can I not get to know about you? I want to know what you are interested in.”
“Wh-What?”
Th-This impudent…….
He was a guy making a heart that shouldn't exist in a spirit beat.
Probably because there was no guy impudent to this extent among humans, so it was getting heated up.
The spirit of the library opened its mouth grumbling without realizing it.
“Interest my foot. I know almost everything. Because I can see all the knowledge of the world.”
“All the knowledge of the world?”
While at it, it would be good for him to know how absurd a thing he was trying to do.
The spirit of the library began to bring up a story from the past for the first time.