Just as the discussion was in full swing, a winged creature sneaked toward the juicy venison at the corner of the table.
"Smack!"
Athena's violet eyes flicked over, and she casually swatted away the claw reaching for food, smiling as she asked,
"Harpy, how many notes have you written?"
Clutching her wing with a cry, the harpy's eyes darted nervously. She stammered with a dry laugh.
"Athena, can we eat already? I'm starving..."
"We can eat and talk at the same time. That way, I'll definitely remember faster!"
The silver-haired goddess chuckled softly, the corners of her lips lifting.
"So you haven't written a thing, then? Looks like your memory must be good."
"Since you're so confident, you don't need to put our names on the assignment. Hand in your own copy to Teacher Horse."
The harpy's face collapsed instantly. She clutched her captain's arm and wailed.
"No! That'll kill me!"
"Last time after the exam, Teacher Samael called me into his office. My butt still hurts..."
"If it happens again, I won't survive. I might not even be able to get out of bed tomorrow!"
Huh? Huh!
As the harpy sobbed, the atmosphere froze. Athena and Ana both turned to look at someone, and several pairs of eyes—some contemptuous, some horrified—converged on Samael.
Behind them, the aura of vast stars spread out. A solemn pressure bore down, making Samael's scalp prickle.
"What are you thinking?! She slept through the exam and handed in a blank paper! I called her in to give her a punishment!"
The ancient serpent's face changed dramatically as he scrambled to defend himself.
"And what kind of punishment would make a girl's butt hurt, I wonder?"
Athena glanced at him playfully, her smile growing brighter.
"I'm curious too, Teacher Samael..."
Ana, her tone growing colder, exposed the serpent's other side.
"So you finally couldn't hold back your beastly nature and decided to lay hands on us? Oh my, how shameless! Where's the juicy part? Hurry up, hurry up!"
Stheno and Euryale, ever eager for chaos, flushed with excitement, their faces glowing with hooligan-like glee as if they longed to be violated.
"I—!"
Veins bulged on Samael's forehead, his breath caught. He had the sudden urge to tie up those two troublemakers, gag them, hang them up, and whip them with a little leather whip. A hundred lashes! At least a hundred!
Just then, a pale, slender hand rested gently on his shoulder. The soft yet firm reminder cut off any chance of excuse.
"Court reminder: physical contact disguised as educational punishment also counts as indecent assault."
Athena raised her hand, rubbing her chin. She exchanged a glance with Themis, then let out a faint smile.
"After all, this so-called 'spanking-style discipline' might just be a certain someone's excuse to cover up a peculiar fetish."
Under the condemnation of all, Samael raised a hand to his face, looking utterly aggrieved.
"Nonsense! Her butt hurts because she lost feathers!"
"The idiot heard I was going to spank her—and add homework—so she spread her wings and bolted! I just grabbed at her, but only caught her tail feathers. Before I knew it, I'd plucked her bald!"
The lively atmosphere froze again. Strange looks shifted toward the dazed victim.
"Slurp..."
"Hm? Why's everyone staring at me? Is it dinner time?"
With a sound suspiciously like swallowing, the absentminded harpy wiped the shine from her mouth, rubbing her stomach with eager eyes.
"All you think about is food! You brat! That butt pain you mentioned—was it because I plucked your feathers?!"
Samael's blood pressure spiked as he demanded with a dark face.
"Ah? Oh... yeah, that's right..."
"Samael's super mean! He even said if I fail the next test, he'll really roast me!"
"So Athena, big sis, don't abandon me!"
The scatterbrained bird spirit snapped back to reality, clinging to Athena's arm again, pouting miserably.
"No need. This time I'll slaughter you as a sacrifice to the heavens!"
Samael's knuckles cracked, his face twisting ferociously. The harpy's face went pale as she flapped her wings and shot behind Chiron, clutching his ponytail and refusing to let go.
"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! Teacher Horse, save me!"
Even the great Sage, usually so composed, felt the urge to kick this foolish disciple flying as he was dragged about by that stupid bird, repeatedly used as a shield.
The ancient serpent finally gave up the chase, spreading his hands in exasperation toward the others.
"See? She's an idiot. And you actually believe her! Someone this normal? I wouldn't even consider it. Only a fool would think otherwise!"
The group fell silent, watching the frantic Harpy dart around. For some reason, Samael's outburst struck a chord, filling them with reluctant agreement.
Ana, Athena, and Themis—the first to voice suspicion—averted their eyes, suddenly overcome with awkward guilt.
"Tch, boring..."
Stheno and Euryale, who had been stirring the trouble, rolled their eyes in disappointment now that the commotion was over.
After all that drama, no one had the mood to quietly finish the assignment. Hunger began to rise instead.
Chiron, the Sage, sighed and waved his hand helplessly, signaling the students to set up camp where they were, light the fires, and prepare dinner.
Of course, a single piece of game wouldn't be enough.
The trained divine beasts fanned out in every direction. Following scents and tracks, they quickly discovered a sizable deer herd.
Athena, leading the hunt, twisted her body and hurled her spear. It shot through the air like a falling star, piercing the brain stem of a doe and pinning it to the ground.
Startled by the sight of blood, the herd scattered in a panicked stampede, their cries echoing through the forest.
But no matter where they fled, terrifying hunters revealed their suppressed, ferocious presence.
Close-combat specialists—the Hydra, the Hellhounds, the Nemean Lion, the Chimera, and others—rushed in with ghost-like speed. With precise strikes, they cleanly finished off their chosen targets.
Long-range suppression came from the magic-wielding hundred-headed dragon Ladon, the weapon-wielding Gorgon sisters, and Athena herself, who blocked escape routes with precision.
The students worked in seamless coordination, using howls and Ether vibrations to relay signals. They closed in from all sides, driving the herd while quietly dividing and selecting targets.
If a Divine Spirit had been watching, they would have found it strange: these divine beasts were hunting selectively.
The fallen were mostly adults and older deer, while pregnant does and young fawns were deliberately spared.
Once they had secured enough food, the students promptly released their hold on the herd, letting the rest scatter freely into the wild.
The captured prey was loaded onto the backs of large beasts like the Hydra and Ladon, who carried them back to camp.
The hunt flowed smoothly from start to finish—nothing like the devastation and terror of wild divine beasts whose rampages once spread calamity across a hundred miles.
They were elegant, disciplined, sharp, and clever. Whether in the swamps and forests or within the civilized systems of the Greek World, they had grown into perfect hunters.