Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 163

Anna had become the Saintess of Purification.josei

Simon felt his blood run cold.

He was still haunted by memories of Flema, and now he's been told his mother is the same as her. Simon’s jaw refused to close out of shock.

"…Teacher Anna looked very distressed using the power of a saintess."

Mumbled Rete, seated next to Simon. Richard nodded calmly and said,

"It's impossible for a human to accept two types of 'Essence of the Saintess' at once. Anna was originally a Saintess of Miracles, and although the essence was removed, remnants of it still remain. The new essence entering her is causing a backlash."

Anna had natural talent and a high essence compatibility, enough to become the youngest saintess at age 11. It was no wonder the Essence of Purification, seeking its next owner, chose her.

In the end, the two essences were fighting in Anna's body, and Anna would die from that without fully awakening as either saintess.

Simon, listening to the explanation, asked nervously,

"Then what's going to happen to Mom?"

"…"

Richard was doing his best to keep his composure in front of the kids, and he stiffly replied,

"She won't be able to bear it. At this rate, even after suppressing her strength, she won't last more than three months."

Simon lowered his head at the cruel reality. He couldn't lose her like this…

"But… it's not like all hope is lost."

Simon and Rete both raised their heads at those words.

"The 'essence removal surgery' Anna took when she returned to being an ordinary person. She just has to take it again. If the Essence of Purification is somehow removed from her, the remnants alone won't clash."

Simon jumped up.

"Who can do it?"

"The great person who performed the surgery on Anna has already passed away, but I watched the surgery from beginning to end. It’s all up here."

Richard tapped the side of his head before continuing,

"The surgery is possible. However, it requires materials that can't be obtained from the Dark Territory."

"They’re in the Holy Federation?"

"Yeah. The 'Tree of Life'. A holy relic of the Federation. I need its unique white leaves."

Jump!

As soon as Richard finished his sentence, Rete leaped from her seat and ran out. Richard sighed quietly as he stared at her leaving.

After waiting for a while. Rete barged back inside.

"Two weeks!"

Gasping for breath, she continued,

"The broker said he'll revise the schedule so I can get back to the Holy Federation in two weeks. I'll go and get the ingredients."

Richard shook his head.

"No, this is our family's business. I can't owe you more than th—"

"What are you talking about? All you said there was meant for me."

Rete strode into the bedroom. She looked upon Anna, whose unstable breathing could be heard from where she was wrapped in jet-black cloth.

"…"

A deep determination dwelled within her eyes.

"I don't care what you all say. I'm only going for my teacher."

"I'll go too, Rete."

Said Simon, standing up.

Rete said, "Huh?" in her dumbfoundment before adding,

"Are you insane? A necromancer wants to go to the Holy Federation?"

"Hey, you're in the Dark Territory! What would stop me from doing the opposite?"

Simon clenched his fists.

"My mother's life is at stake! I can't just sit here and do nothing about it…"

Rete crossed her arms.

"That familial love is commendable, but don't you know the current situation in the Federation? Due to the Witch of Death, not only is security at its maximum, but also heretics are burning villages and killing people within the Federation. Because of these heretics, everywhere in the Federation is guarded by vengeful inquisitors. Necromancers would be executed immediately if found by them. And I, who brought you in, would also be hanged regardless of being Efnel."

She pointed at Simon with the tip of her finger.

"If an inquisitor comes, how will you prove you aren't a necromancer?"

Richard nodded as well.

"Yeah. I admire that will of yours, but the situation in the Holy Federation isn't good right now. I heard that they're even more vigilant than over here."

"I'm confident that I won't get caught."

Simon spread open his left hand.

"I know this is a little bit late, but…"

"Hm?"

At the power Simon raised from his palm, both Rete and Richard groaned in astonishment and stepped back.

The white light that bloomed in Simon's left hand was undoubtedly…

"Divinity. I can use divinity."

The house turned upside down.

* * *

* * *

Rete contacted the broker again using a communication crystal ball and asked if they could get an undercover identity for a man in his teens or early twenties.

She was planning to go alone if she heard they couldn’t, but the broker said that there was one teenage-boy apprentice-priest identity left. A novice priest who had just awakened his divinity.

What locked the plan in stone was Anna's words.

In one of her brief moments of consciousness, Simon confessed to her that he could use divinity and told her he'd be going to the Holy Federation.

Anna was worried about Simon going to the Holy Federation, but she was delighted to hear Simon could use divinity.

"Half of you is me, my son. So I hope you'll take some interest in where I was born and raised."

After much thought, Rete had no choice but to allow Simon to accompany her.

'I'm sorry, dear Goddess.'

Even if it was to save a benefactor, to think she was letting an impure existence into the sacred land…

She decided to fast for three months once she returned to Efnel.

Also, it was agreed that Simon would take lessons from Rete in the two weeks before they left so he could act as an apprentice priest: his undercover identity.

The two climbed the small hill behind the burnt-down house Simon used to visit. There weren't many people, and the place was large, so it was suitable for conducting classes.

'Mmm.'

Rete stopped and admired the natural scenery around her.

Colorful and beautiful wildflowers bloomed in the lush green fields, and a cool breeze carried the flowers’ scents.

She had been taught that the lands of the Dark Territory were so cursed that not a blade of grass could grow, and everywhere had a terrible stench. But the sight before her was a little different from what she had been told in Efnel.

Even in the Holy Federation, no place preserved such beautiful natural scenery.

"Please treat me well."

Smiled Simon. Rete glared at him disapprovingly and then sighed deeply.

How did things turn out like this? Having to teach a necromancer light magic?

"Yeah, let's get started."

Rete respectfully knelt in front of Simon.

'?'

Puzzled, Simon stood still. She frowned and pointed down at the ground.

"What are you staring at? Kneel!"

At those words, Simon awkwardly also knelt down. She flicked her hair behind her ears in frustration.

"It's annoying to teach you everything from the ground up. Tsk. We'll do this in all future lessons with me. A holy heart comes from a holy demeanor."

"Does the holy heart have anything to do with generating divinity?"

"Oh, of course! Because Divinity comes from belief in the Goddess. Enough chatting, let's get started. First, we shall greet each other."

She folded her hands above her stomach and bowed respectfully from her kneeling position.

She was usually a wild and ragtag woman, but her demeanor showed high dignity and grace.

Simon was a little surprised, although he imitated her movements nonetheless.

Rete then recited a prayer. Simon put his hands together as she did and listened closely.

Thus, the ceremonies that preceded education were over. She opened her eyes and gave a satisfied look at Simon’s stillness.

"Have you become pious before the great Goddess now?"

"No, not at all."

His legs just felt numb and crampy. When Simon wiggled around to get the blood flowing, she screamed,

"Don't move or I’ll rip your head off! In Efnel, a stone would be placed on top of your lap if you moved even a toe while praying. You aren't allowed to move at all, got it?"

"O-Okay."

This was really hard.

For Simon, who was born and raised in the Dark Territory, it felt like nothing but empty formalities. But he decided to respect the other side’s culture.

"Alright."

She crossed her arms.

"Show me that divinity you summoned before."

Simon nodded and opened his left hand. Then, he strained his eyes and concentrated.

'Come out, come out, come out.'

Maybe he was nervous at Rete watching him. He suddenly couldn't bring forth any divinity.

"Well, of course you can't."

She sneered.

"I can't control Divinity at will! What's the problem?"

"Belief."

She answered immediately.

"The only source of divinity is a belief in the great Goddess."

"But despite not believing in the Goddess, I brought forth divinity, don't you remember?"

"Ah! You must've been lucky earlier or something! It's not working right now!"

She squealed as she lifted her finger.

"From now on, rely on something other than luck and do it the way of Efnel. This is the formula, the foundation, the truth."

Rete took out a holy scripture from her backpack. Having said that belief in the Goddess was first and foremost, she started reciting what was on the pages.

In the beginning, there was only one being within the chaos. A great Goddess. She forged the light and the dark, carved out the continents, and created the animals that lived on them. Then finally, she made the humans.

Humanity prospered. But those who doubted the Goddess were greatly punished, and only those who restored their faith in her were redeemed.

She told many stories like that.

Rete, kneeling for over two hours as she recited the first section of the scripture, then grinned at Simon.

"Have you now felt the Goddess's greatness in your heart?"

"…"

No. Not at all.

Even after saying such magnificent passages of scripture, it didn't really touch his heart. It just sounded like an epic or a myth.

When Simon thought of the Goddess, only one thought came to his mind.

"Because the great Goddess told me to."

Flema’s reason for conducting her terrorist attack against Kizen.

It only created a sense of hostility within him.

"Sorry, I don't feel that way at all."

Sigh.

Rete rubbed her forehead.

'What am I doing? It's like singing psalms to a dead horse.'

She felt pathetic reading the scriptures to a necromancer who was sitting in front of her.

"Remember,"

She said in a voice laden with coldness.

"if you don't achieve the level I ask for within two weeks, I'm going to the Holy Federation by myself. I don't want to get in any trouble because of you."

"I know."

Simon looked at his palm and pondered deeply.

"…Divinity comes from belief toward the Goddess."

"That's right."

"Belief…"

Come to think of it, 'determination' was important to the operation of jet-black.

In a way, maybe belief and determination were somewhat similar.

Belief, huh?

'I…'

Not belief toward the Goddess.

'I'll save my mom. I'll create divinity. I'm going to the Holy Federation. And I…'

Absolute belief toward himself.

'…can do anything!'

Swoooooosh!

Rete yelped. Despite being sensitive about the stance, she undid her legs and fell backward.

Radiant divinity shone from Simon’s left hand.

"This will do, right?"

Said Simon with a grin.

The first in the continent.

A necromancer who uses divinity had appeared.

——