Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 143

Lang Strauss.

Professor of Poisonous Alchemy.

He died at the age of 87 after a long illness.

This shocking news flipped all of Kizen.

News of his condition getting worse was widespread. Many times he vomited blood in class, leaving Francesca—the chief assistant teacher—to teach instead.

"Lang, isn't it enough already? You can give up the on-site work."

It wasn’t just other professors, but even his close acquaintances who urged Lang to retire.

"You're great enough to join the council of elders, so why are you overdoing it?!"

Yet he showed up every day, saying that he couldn't abandon his mission. The overwork only made his condition worsen.

In the end, this may have been inevitable.

It seemed that Lang was also aware of this inevitability. He had written a will.

[It is not appropriate to bother students with bright futures ahead because of an old dead man. If I die and the Nights of Erebus come, I wish you to continue teaching the students.

I want Francesca, the chief assistant teacher, to carry on my job. I know this is unprecedented, but she is a talented person who shall grow to be far greater a necromancer than I, who is but an old man. It would be a shame for that child's talent and passion to be left unutilized.

Even if the funeral is held in a mausoleum, hold it modestly. Please omit the cumbersome customs.

Nefthis, my great comrade, teacher, and close friend. I hope you may forgive me for leaving you alone like this once more. I lament the curse of time, but do not waste yourself with the same lamentations.]

* * *

After Lang's death were the 'Nights of Erebus'.

It was an old Kizen tradition for mourning the death of a renowned Kizen necromancer.

If there were any traditions that necromancers—who always pursued change, development, and practicalities—insisted on without exception, they were ones related to death.

During this time, professors and assistant teachers wore black. The students were dressed in school uniforms as usual, but all buttons were done up, and they wore black ties. Male students had to wear black socks, and girls had to wear black stockings.

Also, during the three Nights of Erebus, no lights or fires could be lit so the deceased could rest their eyes in comfort, left within the cozy darkness.

Still, they performed normal classes on the first and second days to follow Lang's will. Instead of using mana projectors, the professors drew directly onto the blackboards or used photographic materials and refrained from dark magic that caused fire or produced bright light.

Students who returned to the dormitory after class had to go to bed and sleep when night fell.

Because the power generator was completely shut off, and all lights were turned off in the dormitory, all of Kizen was in darkness.

Even the lighting of candles was forbidden unless it was a serious matter. Light during this period was an insult to the deceased and their death.

Two days passed like that before the sun rose on the third day of the Nights of Erebus.

The funeral was scheduled for the last day.

Renowned necromancers of Kizen went to an inviolable place called the 'mausoleum' after they died. After performing various ceremonies within it and sending Lang away, the Nights of Erebus would finally come to an end.

Every professor in Kizen attended Lang's funeral.

Among the students, some who had a connection with Lang were selected to go up to the mausoleum.

From the people Simon knew, Lorain, the daughter of Nefthis, and Claudia Menzies, a Poisonous Alchemy aspirant in Class A, went to the mausoleum.

The third-years in particular went into a huge uproar. Lang was so popular amongst them that most Poisonous Alchemy majors quit their missions and returned to Roke Island.

However, Lang's will to continue classes couldn't be ignored, so classes on the third day of the Nights of Erebus were conducted in the form of self-study without a professor but supervised by assistant teachers.

"Of all subjects, it's Poisonous Alchemy right in the first period."

Muttered Rick as he sat down and straightened his black tie.

"…Ugh, sleeping too much made me even more tired. Were we asleep from… 8?"

Simon laughed softly as he pulled out a chair in the seat next to him.

"Think positively. We finally got a chance to catch up on all our lost sleep."

Even the Poisonous Alchemy class wasn't in its usual practice hall but an ordinary lecture room with only desks and chairs. During the Nights of Erebus, using fire to boil the cauldrons was also forbidden.

"Hello everyone~"

"What's gotten into you two lazybones? You guys are so early."

Camibarez and Meilyn also arrived at the lecture room.

Both also wore black ties. Then Camibarez, who usually went barefoot, wore black stockings, and Meilyn kept her long hair neatly held up with a black hair pin.

"You guys, did you know…"

As usual, Rick blabbered on.

"…that this Poisonous Alchemy class won't be a self-study, but a normal class!"

"What do you mean? Is it even possible to have normal classes without the professors?"

In response to Meilyn's question, Rick said in a faint voice,

"The thing is, I heard that former-assistant-teacher Francesca, now promoted to professor, actually didn't go to the mausoleum."

Simon, Meilyn, and Cami all stared at Rick with wide eyes.

"You’re serious? Why?'

Chief assistant teacher Francesca Velmond obeyed Lang’s will more than anyone else.

According to Kizen’s rules, Lang's assistant teachers would be disbanded, and another professor for Poisonous Alchemy and their assistant teachers would come in from outside. But Nefthis couldn't refuse her longtime comrade’s final request.

Although unprecedented, Francesca was promoted straight from assistant teacher to Kizen Professor.

In fact, although people questioned going against procedure, no one questioned her in terms of skills. Even on the field, everyone was satisfied with her skills.

"And…"

Rick lowered his voice.

"Nefthis was going to entrust the last funeral ceremony to the deceased's most cherished disciple, assistant teacher Francesca."

"Professor Francesca."

Corrected Meilyn in a stern voice.

"Ah, yes. Anyway, Professor Francesca rejected Nefthis' proposal."

The three of them glanced between each other, shocked. Simon asked,

"Why did she refuse?"

"Y-Yeah. I don't quite understand! I heard that sprinkling the deceased's ashes at the end is a great honor."

"From what I heard, it was because of the cla—"

Tap. Tap.

All four of them shut their mouths at the same time.

Speaking of the devil, Francesca, now a professor, had appeared. She walked into the lecture room, her red hair fluttering behind her. The Class A students who came to take the morning class wore stiff expressions.

'Sh-She really didn't go to the funeral?'

* * *

* * *

Maybe it was because she now held the title of Kizen Professor for Poisonous Alchemy. She looked completely different from when she was supporting Lang.

All black from head to toe, she wore a black suit, shoes, and a scarf around her neck. Every time she walked, her hair and scarf waved through the wind in harmony.

She stood before Class A as a professor for the first time. The routine of building up her resolve by tying back her long hair remained unchanged.

"Class President."

Those were Professor Francesca's first words.

While everyone was dazed, Jamie Victoria jumped to her feet. She moved with quick wit.

"Attention! Bow!"

"Good morning, Professor!"

After all the students bowed their heads in unison, she replied with a gentle smile,

"Welcome, everyone."

Jamie and the other students felt their hearts tingle.

Lang was a bit old-fashioned, and he was the only Kizen professor who made his students bow. But his young disciple decided to inherit that routine.

She took a deep breath.

"Professor Lang…"

The students' mouths went agape.

"…considered everyday life to be more important than anything else."

She told Lang's story first, which no one else had even mentioned.

It felt more pitiful because it felt like she was peeling open her own wounds.

"That was the reason why he tried to stand up front despite his sick body. Professor Lang said it so much it became a habit: Don't look back at the past, don't work for the future, just be faithful to the moment."

Her voice spread out softly.

"He said that the past restrains the present, and the future exhausts it. But that when the faithful present gathers up, it becomes a rich past and a bright future. Professor Lang was faithful to the present until the moment he passed."

Her voice was more engaging than in any of the other classes she had done.

"Professor Lang has passed away, but I'll live in the present. I promise to devote all my energy and passion to teaching you every day. Then, I believe Professor Lang will smile at me as well."

It was a short speech, but Francesca greatly touched the students' hearts.

Tears soon entered the eyes of Meilyn, who always admired her, and Camibarez had to cover her mouth. Sniffles were heard from all across the lecture room.

"Well then, let us begin with class."

Francesca's class was already dynamic, but it felt far more upgraded today.

She walked around the lecture room dripping with sweat, drawing on the blackboard in detail to help the students understand the components of toxic ingredients.

No student or assistant teacher looked down on her for once being an assistant teacher.

Maybe it was because her speech was so impressive that everyone followed her as a Kizen professor from the bottom of their hearts.

And three hours flew by just like that.

"Attention. Bow!!"

"Thank you for the class!"

"Thank you, too. I'll see you all again next week."

Perhaps the emotions were still great, as the students left the lecture room slowly. Most notably, Poisonous Alchemy aspirants close to Francesca went up to her and left words of encouragement. Francesca smiled kindly and accepted them.

Slide.

Just then, Simon quietly took Kajann's glasses from his inner pocket.

Since receiving the item, he has been checking professors and assistant teachers to see if they were wearing biological faces or had a scar on their cheeks.

Simon put on his glasses and looked at Francesca.

"…"

Again, there was no difference. There were no scars on the cheeks, either. When Simon was about to grab the frame to take his glasses off…

"…Cami?"

Camibarez, who was looking at Simon—transfixed—blushed in surprise. She then waved her arms in front of her.

"Aahhhh! It's nothing!"

"Hm?"

Meilyn, who packed her bag into her subspace, approached.

"Hey, what are those glasses? They’re so old-fashioned, and you look like a nerd."

"They’re old-fashioned, but they give off a pretty good vibe."

Rick approached from the side, took off Simon's glasses with a smooth motion, and put them on himself. Then, he looked back at the three of them and took a pose.

"What do you think?"

"Makes me want to puke."

Meilyn pretended to vomit, and Camibarez clapped with a blank face.

"Uh…"

Rick paused. Then, he began to scan Meilyn's body from top to bottom.

Meilyn, who had been standing still, suddenly turned red.

"Hey, shit! What's with the way you're looking at me?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Give me those glasses!"

Meilyn approached. After quickly spinning out of the way, Rick patted Simon on the shoulder, placing the glasses back in Simon's hand.

"Whew, Simon, you're a man after all!"

"…?"

"Ugh, what are those glasses!"

Simon tried on his glasses again.

There was a slight see-through effect because it was a pair of glasses that allowed the user to see beyond a biological face. Of course, it didn't have the dramatic effect that Rick was imagining, just that something grayish could be seen through the uniform.

"Hey!!"

Meilyn rushed in and snatched the glasses off of Simon.

She tried them on as if she was about to commit a murder should something strange come up, but… it wasn't really that bad.

She returned the glasses to Simon while clicking her tongue.

"By the way, where did you get these?"

Simon shrugged at Rick's question.

"Kajann gave them to me."

"Woah! So mean! Are the two of you that close? I feel like I'm being isolated in the dorm these days. Help me get closer to him!"

Simon chuckled.

"First of all, he wants you to be quiet while he's trying to sleep."

"Kugh."

"Hmph, I don't know who that person is, but Rick's definitely at fault."

"Ch-Cheer up, Rick! You'll soon get to know each other well!"

The four of them walked out of the lecture room while having a friendly conversation. Class A had about two hours to spare before the next class, Hemomancy.

Rick went to the dormitory storage room. Apparently, there was a shortage of workers with a lot of business-related supplies coming in today.

Meilyn said she and her clubmates would stop by the Magic Technology Academy. It was the building right next to the Poisonous Alchemy Academy where Simon took the class.

And…

"It's been a while. Just the two of us~"

Said Camibarez, with her cheeks flushed and brought up into a slight smile.

Simon also smiled and nodded.josei

"Let's go eat, Cami."

"Yes!"

——