episode_0023

* * *

“Well, my ability is…. beast taming.”

“….Huh?”

The examiners looked at me with bewildered expressions at my words.

I explained my abilities again, point by point, to the examiners who didn’t quite understand what I meant.

“Ever since I was little, animals have followed me well. I am confident that I can handle any beast, including lions, tigers, leopards, and snakes!”

“…Are you calling that ability now?”

“Yes. You asked me to say what I am most confident in. I take good care of wild animals. That’s all.”

So please hurry up and give me a failure.

I pushed ahead shamelessly.

There was no way to check, and even if it was checked, it wasn’t a skill that would be useful to the academy, so it was natural that I would fail.

The examiners began to mumble with serious faces.

He seemed a little flustered as if it was his first time. I waited silently for the notification of failure.

“Mr. Jodel….”

Elsie, who had been waiting for me instead of going first, looked at me with worried eyes.

It seemed as if he was certain that I would fall.

I waved my hand to Elsie, as if to say that it was okay. Falling was what I had hoped for.

At that moment, the examiner, who looked strict, spoke on behalf of the group as if the story was over.

“Okay, then. Show me.”

“….Yes. Disagree…. Yes? Show me?”

I nodded and was about to leave, thinking that I would obviously fail, but I stopped when the examiner asked me to show him the results.

Did I mishear you just now? You asked me to show you, right?

“I have a creature called Yeppi that I’m currently taming, but I can’t tame it no matter how much I try to beat it with magic or starve it. If you tame Yeppi, I’ll make sure you get into the academy.”

…..What, there are such savages?

He looked at the examiner with a serious expression as he spoke so nonchalantly about the atrocities he had committed, such as animal abuse.

What, is this the Jack family too? Do you disregard animal life?

I looked at Elsie, wondering if I was weird for thinking like that, and she was also looking at the test tube with eyes filled with shock and surprise.

“…..Okay, I’ll summon Yeppi now. Try taming her.”

The examiner shouted the word “summon” along with those words.

….Wait a minute, but why are you summoning the animal instead of bringing it?

I felt uneasy for some reason, so I was about to ask what kind of beast it was, but as soon as the examiner finished speaking, my mana started to shake.

The air current of mana seemed to slowly gather in the center, and then an animal named Yeppi, as the test tube had said, popped out.

I couldn’t stop my mouth from slowly opening and just stared blankly at Yeppi.

‘….Yeppi… is really big.’

“Kueu …

Fortunately, the yeppi, who was much taller than me, was tied up tightly with chains.

The monster called Yeppi, or rather Yeppi, screamed so loud it was almost ear-piercing that it struggled to break free from the chains that bound it.

The clanking, clanking sound became louder and louder, as if to prove the ferocity of the yappy.

‘…..You crazy test tube. Is that a beast? A beast? Are your eyes swollen? Why haven’t you killed it until now!’

No matter how you look at it, that wasn’t a beast. If that was a beast of prey, it was an insult to beasts.

‘Yeah. Chimera….’

If you’re talking about a chimera, is that exactly what it looks like?

A monster created by mixing together several animals.

A body covered in hair with a head three times the size of my own.

A strangely shaped monster with a name that doesn’t suit Yeppi at all has been summoned.

I looked at the test tubes as Yeppi made such a fuss that I was worried that if I got close enough, he would bite me and kill me.

The examiners were familiar with Yeppi’s appearance and did not seem particularly surprised.

It was just urging me to hurry up and tame it.

‘…..Ha, I don’t know anymore.’

I gradually closed the distance and approached Yeppi.

Will my skills actually work?

I should just roughly get close to it and then say I can’t do it and go back.

Yeppi noticed the approaching day and stopped crying, opened her eyes wide and glared at me.

I stopped in a place I thought was safe.

My instincts whispered that it would be dangerous to get any closer. At that moment, Yeppi’s eyes and mine met.

You can see his eyes are red and excited, as if he is very angry.

….Your eyes are indeed like those of a beast.

As my pupils narrowed, I naturally thought of a tiger.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before I took a step back.

We’ve tried hard enough. Now let’s say it’s not working and go back.

You need to quickly go back and dilute the poison with the items you bought from the store, then sneak into the academy and poison the food that Chow will eat.

I got swept up in it without realizing it, but it took longer than I thought.

“I guess it won’t work…..”

“Oh!”

“This can’t be happening!”

“Ha, yep!”

I was about to say that I couldn’t do it because I wondered why everyone was so surprised all of a sudden, but I stopped talking and turned my gaze back to Yeppi.

‘…..What’s wrong, kid, why are you acting like that all of a sudden?’

Yeppi lowered her eyes gently as if to say, “When did you glare at me?” and lowered her head as much as possible.

To anyone who looked at it, it was obvious that he was being submissive.

I didn’t do anything, so why are you doing this?

I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t say anything and just stared blankly at Yeppi.

“Bam, squeak… squeak…”

Then, Yeppi, who thought that she had done something wrong when she saw me surprised, turned over so that her belly was exposed and started whining and acting cute just like Aru the baby tiger used to do.

Aru was cute though. This is…..

“…Yes, Piya?”

“Grow! Grow! Grow~”

When I called her name, Yepi got up from her seat.

It pretends to know what I’m saying by wagging its long, sharp-looking tail.

Wow, I didn’t know the skill’s effect would be this big.

I didn’t know that this skill was effective not only on animals but also on monsters like this.

‘I don’t think it was like this before…’

I thought maybe the skill’s effectiveness was increased because my ability was maxed out.

In the past, they would only follow dogs and cats on the street.

If even monsters obeyed me, I wouldn’t have to risk my life fighting monsters in the dungeon.

“Oh, pass!”

At that moment, the examiner with a strict look on his face shouted loudly.

“Yeppi is so tamed…! I never thought I’d see that before I die! Pass! You definitely pass! Pass and become my disciple, and the others will come with me…!”

“Whoa, whoa… Calm down, Professor Luken.”

“But, Principal! Didn’t you see that! That amazing and wonderful ability…! I’ve never seen a talent with such an ability!”

I think the person with white hair sitting in the middle was the principal.

The principal smiled kindly and tapped Professor Luken on the shoulder to calm him down as he shouted excitedly.

“You saw that amazing ability… But shouldn’t you check the crystal ball too? Aren’t you curious about the potential of that ability?”

Professor Luken clapped his hands as if he realized what the principal had said.

“…I see! Potential! My thoughts were short-sighted. Of course, it wouldn’t matter if it were just as good as it is now…but if there is potential for further development…!”

Professor Luken’s eyes sparkled.

The dazzling gaze was turned directly towards me.

I swallowed hard.

Something was going wrong for me.

“Come on, come on, Jodel.”

“….yes.”

Professor Luken, whose initially bored expression had disappeared and whose face was flushed with excitement, motioned for me to come quickly, and I barely managed to move my steps without falling.

I looked at the crystal ball in front of me. The transparent crystal ball was sparkling.

Can this crystal ball really read my abilities? My abilities that I don’t even know yet?

I cautiously reached out to the crystal ball, half curious and half anxious about what color it would be.

* * *

“I tamed a monster….”

A girl with black hair and red eyes who hides in the wall of a building and watches those coming to take the exam.

Solar, the second of the Jack family, watched the situation unfold with a blank expression that showed no emotion.

Many people have taken the test so far, but no one has shown that they have the right skills.

Was it all there?

At that time, when I couldn’t hide my disappointment, this examinee was different.

I just made eye contact with him quietly, and he tamed Professor Luken’s pet, Yeppi, who was rumored to be a ferocious person.

It was the first time I saw Yeppi sitting so obediently.

‘If I had the ability to tame monsters…’

If I had the talent to tame tens, hundreds, thousands of monsters stronger than me…!

This could be the key point that can bring down the Jack family.

The Jack family, who have been pursuing only strength since childhood, have destroyed everything precious to Solar.

Solar hated her family terribly. She hated it. She thought it would be better for a family like this to disappear.

So Solar made a pledge.

He decided to destroy this damn family.

If that’s the case, I can’t do it on my own. I need to gather together people with strong power. That’s why I came here on my own. To this academy where all the talented people from all over the country gather…!

The color of the crystal ball began to change slowly.

Solar made up her mind.

‘If that crystal ball turns red… that boy has the greatest potential for growth!’

I’m determined to get hold of that boy by any means necessary.

The boy’s color was soon determined.

Solar covered her mouth.

‘That… color!’