Chapter 55

Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 55

No matter how scary Simon was, she had to do her job. The assistant teacher stretched her palms.

“There’s a reason why I insisted on a mock duel. People like you who don’t know their talents can eventually find the answer by pushing themselves to the limit. You know what you depend on in the most dangerous and critical moments.”

“Ah……”

“In your case, you started with the Summoning with your own will, right? However, when you started to get cornered, you started using Combat Magic without any hesitation. You do seem to have a talent for it too. Is there even a need for you to think more?”

“……”

Simon felt like he was stripped naked.

To answer her with, ‘I simply used combat magic because you got close to me’… Simon was preparing for close combat after finishing his jet-black body enhancement while sending out three skeletons. It was almost like an instinctive movement.

“I’m not telling you to give an answer right away. Think about it slowly~”

“Thank you, assistant teacher.”

After Simon left, the assistant teacher let out an internal sigh of relief.

Just then, from afar, she saw her senior assistant teacher guiding a student.

The senior was wearing a protective vest, and a student in the same protective vest was lying on the floor with a blank expression on their face. It looked like they had also done a mock duel.

The student who listened to her advice also thanked her and left. Now was her chance.

“Uwaaaah! Big sis!”

The assistant teacher ran to the senior and jumped into her arms.

“I was so scared!”

The senior pushed away from the junior, talking with a lisp and making a fuss while frowning.

“Because you started off the duel guidance, all the students are asking for a mock duel! How burdensome.”

“……Sniffle.”

“Other than that, what’s so scary?”

The assistant teacher reached out and pointed at Simon as though complaining to her mother. Simon was in the corner by himself, lost in his thoughts.

“Ah, Simon, the Special Admission No.1”

“I thought he’s just a cutesy one, but he’s so scary. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt my heart sink when up against a kid.”

She folded her arms as she pushed away from her whining, immature junior.

“So, what kind of guidance did you give to him?

“I asked in a roundabout way why the hell are he was obsessed with Summoning when he’s fucking good at Combat Magic, and why doesn’t he focus on that? Something like that.”

“Hmm.”

Certainly, with some of the Summoning magic learned in the early part of the first-year, they’d inevitably be falling behind in the Duel Evaluation.

There were several subjects that were advantageous in the early Duel Evaluation, and typically, they were Curses or Combat Magic. Summoning and Necromancy were subjects that needed a little more time.

‘Is he thinking because he’s a Summoning aspirant? But then again, now’s the only time when you can have those kinds of posh-person problems.’

There was no use telling him about it yet. She thought that, if he fell into a lower squad and became more desperate, his mind would change.

‘Or if not… then like a genius……’

She thought of Simon fighting the Cyclops for a moment in her head.

‘He might come up with a new method.’

* * *

After the Mock duel with the assistant teacher, Simon felt that his mind had become more complicated. It feels like two different thoughts were clashing with each other.

But if there was one thing that became clear…

‘Skeletons aren’t enough in this Duel Evaluation.’

He slowly recalled the duel with the assistant teacher.

To be honest, the skeletons weren’t any help. Rather, they were used against him by the opponent as a means to set  a curse on Simon.

He needed to change. In order to survive here, he had to constantly change and grow.

It was a moment when Simon was assigned with a new task.

“Simon!”

Simon, who’d been agonizing deeply, raised his head.

Camibarez was approaching while waving with a bright smile. Rick and Meilyn followed from behind, side by side, quarreling as if something had happened again.

“Heh heh. How come you couldn’t even land a single blow?”

Meilyn teased him by sticking out her tongue, and Rick ground his teeth with a frustrated face.

“Ah, I just went easy on you because you’re a girl!”

“Yeah right~ You’re nothing but a guy who couldn’t land a blow~”

Before Rick could rebut anything, Meilyn chuckled and ran to Simon’s back.

“By the way, Simon, you said you had something to think about by yourself, but you were suddenly fighting with the assistant teacher.”

“Yeah. Somehow it just happened.”

“Did you win?”

Simon awkwardly smiled and scratched his head.

“How can I beat an assistant teacher?”

While saying that, Simon’s eyes turned to the assistant teacher.

At the same time, she was also looking at Simon, but when their eyes met, she could be seen running away to someplace else.

‘What’s wrong with her?’

Simon tilted his head.

“Ah~ By the way, isn’t this Duel Evaluation too stressful?”

Said Rick while scratching his head.

“Not all Necromancers are fighters. There are scholars and researchers. Even if it’s a long-standing tradition, this is too dumb.”

Camibarez nodded timidly, as though agreeing with him. On the other hand, Meilyn smiled with half-lidded eyes.

“It must be stressful because you’re weak.”

“I said I went easy on you a while ago!”

Meilyn snorted.

“This is my opinion, but even if you’re a scholar or whatever, if you’re ranked in the bottom 10% of combat ability, you simply don’t have the skills, disqualifying you as a Necromancer of Kizen.”

At those words, you could see Camibarez’ head falling sullenly. The wings fluttering behind her also drooped.

“Ah!”

Belatedly being conscious of Camibarez, Meilyn approached while sweating profusely.

“N-No! I’m not saying you are! You’re a vampire, and you’re from that great Ursula family!”

“But I’m…… not that confident in fighting.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll take responsibility and train you!”

While the two girls chatted, Rick sighed deeply and came to Simon’s side.

“But it must be good for you, since you’re not burdened by the Duel Evaluation.”

“Nah. I’m also worried.”

“Hehe. Really? As I roamed around a bit, everyone seemed like they definitely wanted to avoid dueling with y—”

At that moment, Simon’s eyes lit up. As his right hand went up next to his head, something flew in and slammed into his hand.

Poooow!

“Huff!”

Rick gasped in surprise. Dust was scattered all around because of how strong it flew in.

Simon glanced to the side to see it. It was a protective vest.

Step. Step.

“Simon Polentia.”

Hector came. Behind him were his faction members, giggling while following him like bodyguards.

“Wear it. Let’s fight.”

* * *

* * *

“……”

After letting out a small sigh, Simon adjusted his grip on the vest. 

And…

Pooooooooooow!

The vest flew at a tremendous speed and hit Hector’s hand this time.

He barely reached out and caught it, but beads of sweat fell from Hector’s forehead.

“Get lost. I don’t feel like giving you attention right now.”

“……This bastard!”

Hector’s face turned red. Veins spurted from his neck, and his fists were stained with jet-black.

Enraged, he strode closer, and Simon also raised his head without avoiding him.

“Don’t do it, Hector.”

At that moment, Meilyn jumped in and stood between Simon and Hector.

“……Know when to interfere, Ivory Tower.’

Coldly said Hector.

“You’re not even a kid anymore. Why are you doing this? If you keep doing these kinds of asshole moves, I’m going to call the professor.”

Hector’s lips trembled in anger for being interrupted before mumbling,

“You’re nothing but an underling of Serene.”

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. Rick opened his eyes wide, Camibarez’ face turned pale, and the faction members flinched, turning to Hector.

And above all, Meilyn flipped out. The Dark Flare magic circle was spreading out across her palm.

‘That’s dangerous!’

Hector wasn’t wearing any vest, and the student protection period had already ended. Besides, if she cast an attack spell against a defenseless Hector during class, it wouldn’t end with just disciplinary action.

Simon quickly ran toward her. Hector stood still, smirking as if telling her to do it if she could.

“Stop.”

Simon, Meilyn, and Hector paused at the same time.

Before anyone knew it, the assistant teacher came in-between them and smiled.

“Is there a problem?”

They approached so fast that no one could notice them. In the midst of this, Simon quickly covered Meilyn’s palm, and Hector bowed politely.

“Nothing, assistant teacher. We’re sorry to bother you.”

Hector was a tyrant among students, but from the point of view of professors and assistant teachers, he had a strong image as a respectful and polite student.

Hector turned his back and muttered, “Let’s go.” His followers glanced at the assistant teacher and Hector before quickly following after Hector.

“……Hmm.”

The assistant teacher turned to Meilyn. Meilyn briefly paused, then quickly lowered her head.

“Hector, Meilyn. I’m warning both of you, be careful. You just almost did what Professor Jane hates the most.”

Fortunately, the assistant left without making a fuss. Rick let out a deep sigh as the suffocating atmosphere loosened up.

“Ah~ I want to fucking smash in Hector’s head. Like, just once, for real. That crazy bastard.”

“Meilyn! Are you alright?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine, Cami.”

She said while taking a deep breath,

“I just… uhm…… Lost my composure there a little.”

‘It didn’t seem like just a little…’

Meilyn raised her head and said,

“And you.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s embarrassing, so could you please let me go already?”

Simon was still holding her hand. Simon nodded his head and let go of her hand as if nothing had happened.

“Sigh… For goodness sake.”

She approached and grabbed Simon’s hand with both hands, turning it so that the palm of his hand could be seen.

“You’re really nuts, aren’t you? It was a Dark Flare magic circle, and you just grabbed it with your bare hands?”

Simon just smiled bashfully. Meilyn’s face stiffened and she grabbed Simon’s wrist. 

“I’m gonna take him to the infirmary for a while.”

“Ah, yes! Take care!”

* * *

They went to the infirmary and received treatment. Thankfully, it was just a minor burn.

After some ointment and a bandage was applied, the two came down to the training room again.

“……Simon.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you cover my palm?”

Simon shrugged.

“You’re asking something obvious. If the assistant teacher found out that you were trying to use magic, you’d be in trouble.”

She cleared her throat.

“Than—”

“Thank you, Meilyn.”

The two of them spoke at the same time. She turned her head away.

“For stepping in, stopping me and Hector from fighting.”

“……”

“And then you almost had a fight with Hector, but this time I stopped you, so I guess that makes us even now.”

Simon giggled, but Meilyn had a very complicated expression on her face.

“That’s the problem with you, Simon.”

“……?”

“You’re too kind. Do you know that? It feels creepy that you’re being careful. However…”

She marched over and grabbed Simon’s shoulder.

“It won’t work this time.”

“……?”

Then she took a deep breath, closing her eyes as though determined, and shouted,

“T-H-A-N-K  Y-O-U!”

After shouting that, she ran to the training room, as if running away.

“……”

Recovering from being stunned momentarily, Simon giggled.

[Like father, like son.]

Pier’s clone clicked his tongue.

Simon pressed his finger against the clone’s lips to signal him to be quiet.

——