Chapter 26: Let’s Start with Two Hundred

“Wait, what? Junior, you didn’t come here to buy a magical beast, but to buy… feed?”
The senior who heard Merlin’s words couldn’t help but turn his head, staring back in shock.

“Feed?”

“Yeah, the chickens and ducks raised here at the Beast-Taming Academy. They’re basically used as fodder for magical beasts.”

The senior found it rather amusing. Merlin wasn’t here to buy magical beasts at all—he wanted chickens. In all his years at the academy, this was a first.

“If I’m not buying magical beasts, then there’s no need to collect the procurement permit, right?”

“Of course not. But, Junior, why are you buying chickens? Surely you don’t mean to eat them? By the way, I still don’t know your name. I’ll go first—I’m Ro Jean, third-year at the Beast-Taming Academy.”

“Leo Merlin, first-year at the Alchemy Academy.”

Jean froze at the name, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Wait… you’re from the Leo family? The War God family of the Dawn Empire?”

Huh? Is my family that famous? Merlin blinked. War God family? Really?

“But wait, aren’t all members of the Leo family silver-haired?”

“My blond hair comes from my mother.”

Jean’s face lit up with sudden understanding. “Ah, no wonder, no wonder.”

“What, Senior Jean, you know my family well?” Merlin asked, surprised.

“Of course. I took elective courses in Archaeology of Historical Relics. In modern war history, the Leo family left a powerful mark. They were the War God family who helped the Dawn Empire expand its borders, defeating countless noble houses.”

Jean even waved the whip in his hand with a touch of yearning. “My dream is to become someone like Leo Roland.”

Merlin vaguely remembered that name—probably some ancestor of his. As for his family’s history, he actually knew very little.

“To think I’ve met a descendant of my idol’s family! Then leave the chicken matter to me. I may not be much elsewhere, but here in the Beast-Taming Academy, I’ve got some pull.” Jean’s attitude instantly flipped, and he grew exceedingly warm toward Merlin.

Merlin chuckled to himself. Who would have thought that even here at the Arcane Academy, he could ride on the reputation of his ancestors? Truly amusing.

The donkey cart slowly rolled into the Beast-Taming Academy. What first met the eye were wide, green fields and carefully tended botanical gardens. The air was rich with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation, brimming with life and vitality.

The academy didn’t only study magical beasts—it also researched plants, herbs, magical flora, and even plant-type beasts. After all, plenty of magical beasts were herbivores.

Passing through the gardens, rows of neat livestock pens came into view. Cows and sheep grazed leisurely by the roadside, while sprawling lawns held a few ancient-style academic buildings, silent witnesses to the academy’s long history and scholarly depth.

Along the way, Merlin even saw students chasing after sheep and cows. Others had flung themselves on top of a struggling sow, pinning her down with great effort.

Nearby, students milking cows waved at Jean as he drove by in his donkey cart.

“Junior, this is the Beast-Taming Academy. Not bad, right?”

Merlin nodded. “Outside, they say the academy is filthy, messy, and reeks to high heaven. Turns out, that’s false.”

Jean scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed. “Well… not entirely false. When I first arrived, it was like that. But two years ago, the elves came to study at the Arcane Academy, and only then did this place become so clean.”

The elves were famously fastidious—lovers of cleanliness and nature. It made sense they’d leave their mark here.

“Senior Jean, I’ve been looking around for a while now, but where are all the chickens?” Merlin asked curiously.

Jean pointed to a distant mountain. “They’re all free-ranging up there. Chicken droppings smell too strong, and even the elves couldn’t do much about it. Using water magic to clean up is too much hassle, so it’s easier to let them roam.”

“By the way, Junior, what do you even want chickens for? And how many do you plan to buy?” Jean asked again, still curious.

“To eat, of course. As for how many… let’s start with two hundred.” Merlin thought for a moment, holding up two fingers.

“Ah, so you really are going to eat them—wait, did you say two hundred?” Jean was dumbfounded, wondering if he’d heard wrong.

“Yeah, two hundred for now. Later, I may need more—hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands.” Merlin nodded seriously.

Jean was floored. “You can eat that many chickens?”

“Of course not. I’ve just developed a new alchemy recipe. The chickens are ingredients.” Merlin rolled his eyes at him.

“Junior, I may raise pigs, but I’m not stupid. What kind of alchemy recipe uses chickens as ingredients? Never heard of it.”

“Well, now you have. In truth, I use them to prepare food, then sell it.”

“Oh, I see… I think I’ve heard of chefs using special spices in their cooking. You must be doing something similar, right?” Jean asked.

“Exactly. It’s popular, so I plan to sell it here at the academy.”

“Alright then, leave it to me. Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. I want to see just how tasty your chicken really is.”

Jean waved to a few first-years. “Go catch two hundred chickens.”

One of the students nodded, about to leave, but then caught sight of Merlin. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over.

“Brother Merlin, it’s really you!”

Brother Merlin? Merlin’s expression turned strange. Who was this? He had no memory of the boy, yet the fellow was calling him brother.

“And you are…?”

“Brother Merlin, you probably don’t remember me. I was the one who delivered chickens to you last night!”

Ah. So he was one of the poor souls dragged in by Merlin’s classmates.

“What is it?” Merlin asked.

“N-Nothing! I was just so excited to see you! You came here to buy chickens? Are you going to make beggar’s chicken again? That’s amazing! Last night, I tasted just a bit of the tail end of one—the chicken rump wrapped in lotus leaves—and let me tell you, it was heavenly! The flavor was divine!”

…He ate the rump? Merlin knew chicken rumps could be prepared well, but he hadn’t even done anything with them last night…

He shuddered as he looked at the boy. What a wild one.

“Huh? Junior, are you saying you’ve actually eaten Merlin’s cooking?” Jean asked, astonished.

“Of course, of course! Senior, you have no idea! Brother Merlin’s lotus-leaf beggar’s chicken was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. That taste… unforgettable!”

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