The next day.
I was attacked by intense drowsiness because of the search that lasted until midnight.
The last lesson for today is Actorius-sensei’s Magizoology.
I can go to sleep when I get over this.
For me who is struggling to keep my heavy eyelids open, that is my only morale support.
On the palm of Actorius-sensei, who was standing on the platform, something like a mushroom was riding.
Even this is a kind of splendid magical beast, it seems the name of the magical creature is fungal walker1.
“Fungal walker is a magical creature that is considered to be a variant of fungi. There are various subspecies of fungal walker, but all of them walk upright with two pseudo-feet. They are very useful creatures—”
While listening to the teacher’s lecture, I looked into the tissue box-sized wooden box in front of me.
A thumb-sized fungal walker is standing inside with a trembling body.
Mine has a form like an eryngii mushroom2.
Marquia’s looks like a white beech mushroom and Tricia’s looks like a fly agaric mushroom4.
Although they look like mushrooms, they have pseudo-feet and incidentally, their faces were drawn.
Yes, instead of having a face, it was drawn.
It’s a cute but surreal atmosphere.
“I have marked the direction of movement on your mushrooms beforehand. Please be careful if it starts moving suddenly.”
So the side where the face is drawn is the front, huh.
Actorius-sensei must have had a good deal of fun doing it.
Actorius-sensei continued to explain the ecology of the fungal walker.
It is said that fungal walker’s direction of movement is fixed.
When it is frightened, it will scream while releasing paralytic spores and run away.
If it is wounded, it will stop on the spot and shriek while releasing hallucinogenic spores.
Those spores also have the effect of inhibiting blood-clotting action and relieving pain.
“Be careful, if you make a mistake in dealing with fungal walker inside a narrow labyrinth, it will likely be the beginning of a tragedy.”
It paralyzes you the moment you bump into it and if you attack it, it will show hallucinations to cause friendly fire, huh.
In addition, its spores make one unable to feel pain, so they will notice their wounds too late, and it is also difficult to stop bleeding, so they may bleed a lot.
It’s a vicious strategy unlike its cute outward appearance.
“It is dangerous if you make a mistake in handling them, but as a magical creature it is relatively docile and suitable for breeding. Furthermore, the ingredients that can be obtained from fungal walker have various usage.”
It seems that the spores of the fungal walker can be used to make drugs such as painkillers and anesthetics.
The body of the fungal walker is supposedly an antidote for paralysis and hallucinations.
In additions, it is the favorite food of many animals.
By the way, it’s delicious if you eat it by roasting it in direct fire. It is recommended to eat it with white mould goat cheese.
If it becomes a one-year old individual, it will be about 110 cm in length and about 16 kg in weight.
An individual who has grown for more than a decade can span over 10 meters in length and its cry is enough to break one’s tympanic membranes.
It is said to be parasitic on things like slime etc.
“On All Souls’ Day, the fungal walkers will be covered with white sheets and be disguised as ghosts.”
During the festival of All Souls’ Day held at the academy, it seems that dozens of two-or-three-year-old fungal walkers would be released into the city.
The fungal walkers that would wander aimlessly just like ghosts would be lined up alongside the pumpkin lanterns like a seasonal feature.
As the ones at the festival would be individuals that are used to people, it seems that they would not release dangerous spores even if they are surprised or hit a little.
Because of the fungal walker’s trait of being stabile when it is in a dark place, it seems that it is almost safe if covered with sheets.
“Now then, you will threaten your fungal walker and collect its paralytic spores.”
With Actorius-sensei’s cue, the students started the practice.
I also looked into my box.
The fungal walker was looking up at me with a cute gesture.
『……』
“……”
I felt like my eyes met the fungal walker’s eyes which were not supposed to exist.
Aah, it’s delicious to eat it when it’s roasted, huh. On top of that, with white mould goat cheese……
『K-kyaaaah~~~』
The fungal walker fled to the corner of the box with a cute voice like a child’s cry.
I haven’t done anything yet, so why……?
Ah, perhaps, my big appetite was seen through?
The fungal walker shuddered and released spores as it became frightened at one corner of the box.
Somehow I feel sorry for scaring it.
This fungal walker is pretty timid.
Making sure not to inhale, I collected the white powder-like spores with a brush and put them in a bag.
Well, since the result is good, it’s fine.
“As expected of you, Erica-sama, what a wonderful performance.”
“Thank you, Marquia-san.”
I received a compliment from Marquia, who is good at handling magical creatures, so I replied to her with a smile.
It seems that she had finished collecting the paralytic spores in no time.
When it comes to magical beasts, her expression is very bright, as expected from the southern people.
Speaking of which, I wonder if Tricia is fine.
When I turned my eyes towards her, she was stiff and trembling minutely with hollow eyes.
This seems dangerous.
Her body is getting cold and her breathing is also shallow.
“What’s the matter, Tricia-san!? Don’t tell me, is it the paralytic spores!?”
“Oh no! Actorius-sensei, we need an antidote here!”
Marquia quickly covered Tricia’s box and stopped the spores from spreading further.
Actorius-sensei, who noticed the situation, immediately sprayed the potion on Tricia.
“She will recover after a while.”
“Sensei! We also need an antidote here!”
“Yes, yes, I’m coming. Both of you, please look after Rails-san, alright?”
Just as I felt relieved, screams from the other students could be heard.
Actorius-sensei entrusted Tricia to us and ran to the other students who were paralyzed.
Somehow, I feel the most Spartan education is this class.
Maybe, he purposefully let the students experience the danger of magical beasts first hand?
“T-thank you very much, Erica-sama, Marquia-san……”
Tricia seems to be able to move at last.
Her cheeks are reddish.
“Are you alright now, Tricia-san?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t know it would run around like that, even though it was small……”
“Certainly, it is true that Erica-sama’s individual seems to be a more manageable child.”
I passed on my fungal walker, which was a relatively calm individual and helped collect Tricia’s spores.
It was a very thrilling, eye-opening class.
I was able to attend the class without feeling sleepy, even with my lack of sleep.
“No, Cloacina-san. Please put the fungal walker back into the wooden box.”
Once again, Chloe, who was trying to bring back the fungal walker, was being warned.
She had a regretful expression on her face.
I also wanted to eat it a little bit, so I understand her feeling.
“Everyone, please return it to the box properly. Now then, next time we will learn about cockatrice’s chick. Even though it is just a chick, it is still a dangerous magical beast, so I suggest you prepare yourselves as much as possible.”
The white worm and the fungal walker, when compared to the dangerous cockatrice, seems very normal.
I’m sure some of the students in the class will be petrified.
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