Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 166

The next morning.

Huff! Huff!

Simon climbed the sloped mountain range while wearing the cursed bracelets and anklets.

Every step required him to push Jet-Black Operation to its limit, but Simon firmly moved his legs.

'There's no time to rest till I get to the Holy Federation!'

While running with Jet-Black Operation, he practiced activating and deactivating divinity in his left hand and read a book about the Holy Federation's culture from Anna using his right hand.

He looked like he was doing a stunt. Despite his vision being blocked by the book, he safely crossed the mountain range, avoiding the dense trees.

"By the way…"

Simon turned his head.

"Why are you following me?"

Next to Simon was Rete, empowered by divinity. She made a sour face.

"I was bored, so I followed you. Consider it a walk. You got a problem with that?"

"I don't. But I'm just working, so it won't be fun."

"It's fine. Don't mind me, and just continue what you were doing."

Simon nodded, returned his gaze back on the book, and started running. Rete could only watch this barbaric training.

'First up, Betante Village.'

The village was located in the middle of the mountain range and it was the base of operations for a large-scale slash-and-burn farming project. The lined up houses on the highlands looked dangerous, yet breathtaking.

"Young Master!"

"It's big brother Simon!"

The villagers flocked like cattle at the first appearance of the lord's successor in a while.

"Cough cough! Oh my, Young Master."

An elderly man approached and gripped Simon's hand with his wrinkled hands.

"I've been watching you since you were little, Young Master. To think that you're already a Kizen student. It warms my heart."

"Thank you, Nelton."

"He is their son! You're the pride of Les Hill, Young Master!"

"You're flattering me, ma'am. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations."

"Dude, Simon! Did you like getting into Kizen all by yourself? Huh? And are there a lot of pretty girls in Kizen?"

"Uhh, mm. I think so, Tom. Also…"

Simon pointed somewhere behind Tom.

"Catherine’s coming up from behind."

"Oh, shit!"

It was a small mountain village, but it had a very nice atmosphere. Simon spoke to each of the villagers by name.

"Peter, is there anything troubling you these days?"

"It's breeding season, so there’s too many goblins on the mountain. They keep destroying the fields."

"I'll hunt some down on my way back."

It was also Simon's duty to listen to the residents' issues. He would report what needs to be done to his father, Richard, and he resolves them himself when possible.

'Hmm.'

Rete, who followed from a distance, found this a bit unexpected.

A terrible necromancer had appeared, yet the villagers were very kind to him.

Isn't everyone afraid of becoming a skeleton? She heard necromancers act all nice and happy but secretly kidnap good people to turn them into undead.

'I'll figure it out if I observe him a bit more.'

She wasn't sure if they were being deceived, but at least the people in this village sincerely believed in Simon and followed him.

"Whew, Simon!"

At that moment, Tom approached Simon while avoiding Catherine and hooked his arm around Simon's neck. He was four years older than Simon, but he's been like a brother to him.

"…You’re hurting me, Tom!"

"Stop making a fuss, you bastard! No, other than that…"

Tom crouched down and pulled Simon close before asking in a furtive whisper,

"Who's she?"

A beautiful girl was walking through the village with snow-white hair, pearly skin, pale-gold eyes, and brown robes that fluttered in the wind.

"Bastard, you already brought home a girlfriend you made in Kizen? What an asshole."

"…It's nothing like that."

"Then who is she?"

After pondering for a moment, Simon answered,

"My mother's friend's daughter."

"I see. Just to make it clear, dude…"

Tom poked Simon in the chest and grinned.

"Is it your girl or not? No matter how fucked I am, I can't touch my bro's woman."

"I'm telling you, it's nothing like that."

"Okay, okay."

Tom loosened his arm around Simon's neck and cleared his throat. Then, he slowly approached Rete.

"Hello, miss."

"…?"

Rete tilted her head, her hair fluttering at the slight movement. At that sight, country-boy Tom felt his face grow hot.

'Whoa, she's a damn sight. The only girl I seen who’s even half the beauty as her is Simon's ma!'

Tom opened his mouth, feeling his heart race,

"Do you believe there is a goddess?"

"…!!"

Rete turned pale at those words.

'Is this man testing me?'

She glared at Simon, but he shook his head to say Tom didn’t know anything.

Tom strode toward Rete. Still startled, she unknowingly backed away from him, but her back had pressed against a wall before she knew it.

"I believe there is a goddess."

He kneeled down with a serious expression. Rete prepared her divinity just in case.

However, Tom only held a wildflower he had just picked.

"I'm looking at her."

"…"

Whish

A cold wind passed between the two.

'Ah, this is driving me insane.'

Simon turned away, face red from second-hand embarrassment. Rete, just as flustered, looked back and forth between the wildflower and Tom's face.

"…Did you just hit on me?"

"Hahaha! It doesn’t have to be like that, but if you feel that way, I guess I can't help it. Haha!"

Rete let out a sigh of relief before holding up two of her thin fingers.

'?'

What was that meant to mean? Just when Tom was about to ask, Rete waved her fingers and asked,

"Is something wrong with your eyes? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"T-Two."

"What about now?"

"Three."

"And now?"

"There's none."

"Hm, so you can see properly. How strange."

Rete approached him with elegant steps. As she drew closer, her faint scent rushed in, making Tom giddy.

Rete pried open Tom's right eye.

"I don't think you're blind, though."

"…Wh-What?"

She let go, clasping that hand behind her back, and smiled.

"A nice, good-looking guy like you doesn’t match someone like me."

"Wh-What do you—?!"

"Why don't you focus more on that 'Catherine'? She's much more beautiful than me~ Well then, bye!"

* * *

* * *

Rete quickly dumped Tom and came to Simon's side. Her expression hardened when she saw Simon staring at her.

"Stop staring! You got a death wish or something? Continue what you were doing."

Her once-amiable voice had instantly returned to its usual coldness. Simon giggled,

"I think you have a very unique personality."

"Not as unique as yours. Now hurry up and do your job. I don't know my way around here, so I have to follow you around."

"Alright."

Simon visited the village chieftain’s house last. After listening to the chieftain’s issues, checking the ledger, and collecting taxes, he bowed his head and left.

"I'm going to run again. Is that alright with you?"

"Don't worry about me. Just run."

Simon moved to the next village.

And the next village, and the next village.josei

He didn't take even a moment’s break. Despite wearing a total of four cursed bracelets and anklets, he didn’t let his struggle become visible.

Simon and Rete, having patrolled all seven villages Richard had tasked Simon with, returned to the annex where Richard waited.

"Welcome back, Simon."

Said, Richard. Rete strode in first, stretching her arms behind her head.

"Thank you for your work, too, Rete."

"…I didn't do anything in particular."

Rete then went into the bedroom where Anna lay, as always. Simon walked up to Richard while gasping for breath.

"I… went around… all the villages… Pant, pant. This is what I found."

Simon reported to Richard all he had heard from the residents. Richard nodded.

"I also found that goblin colony. Don't worry, I'll deal with them by sunset."

Richard created a jet-black magic circle in the sir. Simon didn't notice, but a large army of skeletons rose from the ground in the yard outside the house before clambering up the mountain range.

"Father, then…"

"Yeah, a promise is a promise."

Richard gave a toothy grin.

"I'll teach you how to use Corpse Explosion for two hours every day starting tomorrow."

"Ah! Thank you!"

Simon bowed his head. Then, Rete stuck her head out of the bedroom.

"Hey, you do remember that you have a divinity class later, right? I'll chuck a boulder on you if you whine during my class because of how tough juggling this all is, whether it's your mission or what."

"No need. I'll be prepared for class, Rete."

Simon took the light magic books with a smile on his face and left to take a shower. Richard watched him proudly.

'Would any other child be this happy about learning something new?'

It may be too early to think about it, but he couldn't help but imagine what Simon would be like as an adult.

He thought that perhaps Simon would be the key to solving this continent's rigid, age-old problems.

* * *

"Spread it out properly!"

As always, Simon and Rete resumed their lecture on the hill. The next subject to learn was Guarding, the study of using divinity to create shields and barriers.

Efnel had a subject specialized in defense, and it was effective. Flema’s barrier during the Kizen terror attack was so strong that even Nefthis had to pay a price to pass through it.

'In Kizen, all 7 subjects are focused on attack. Our education is lacking.'

Simon then flicked out his left hand. Divinity stretched out from the center of the palm and spread like a thin film. Rete then conjured a reinforced divine arrow and fired.

Pooow! Pow!

'Kugh!'

With every attack, his concentration wavered. Soon, one side of the barrier collapsed, and Simon was grazed by arrows. But he quickly redoubled his efforts and repaired the broken part of the barrier.

"Now that looks better. Let's move on to the next subject."

It was Healing because he got injured during Guarding. Simon put his hand to the bleeding wound.

'Heal.'

Whirr!

A white light shone from his hand, and the wound slowly healed. Simon curiously prodded the area where the wound had disappeared.

"Today's lecture ends here."

The beginning and end of class always had the same ritual. They faced each other, recited the prayer while kneeling, and prayed to the Goddess to thank her for the day. Then, they bowed to each other.

Simon raised his head and smiled bitterly.

"By the way, do I really have to keep doing this? I don't even believe in the Goddess."

She immediately shouted,

"This is basic courtesy! If you refuse even this, then forget taking classes from me!"

"Fine, fine."

It was better to just stay quiet about it.

While packing his things, Simon looked at the notes he had made on light magic.

Blessings: Buffs to strengthen oneself or others.

Mechanics of Divinity: The most offensive of the subjects. Many offensive techniques, e.g. conjuring weapons and causing explosions.

Healing: Recovery. Can heal wounds, cure poison and disease, lift curses.

Study of Holy Spirit: Efnel's Necromancy. Light magic interacts with the Holy Spirit by consuming 'luminosity' instead of divinity. Priests who aren't connected to the Holy Spirit can't use it.

Guarding: Specialized in defense. Creating protective shields and barriers.

Study of Divine Beasts: Dealing with and using special creatures called Divine Beasts.

Combat Light Magic: Fighting skills taught by combat priests called 'monks'.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question unrelated to the lectures?"

"…What is it."

"Among the seven subjects of Efnel, what's your major? I believe Efnel students also eventually decide on a major, right?"

"Ah, that's right."

She leaned back, propping herself up on the grass with her hands.

"Actually, I had decided before I enrolled. Study of Divine Beasts."

"Study of Divine Beats? Come to think of it, I didn't learn anything in that subject."

"Because it's a subject that you can't learn on a whim."

She boastfully wagged her finger.

"First, you need to have a divine beast."

"A divine beast?"

Divine beasts were sacred creatures that could conjure divinity. Undead could be found across the continent and their numbers were still steadily increasing, but the number of divine beasts was extremely limited.

It was a rare species said to be born only in unpolluted, pure, beautiful nature.

"…Sounds very expensive. I'm guessing it isn't that popular a subject in Efnel?"

"Yeah, you're right."

She let out a deep sigh that hid a hundred stories and struggles, but she decided to only voice one.

"It's difficult to find a divine beast, and there are so many things to worry about like food and maintenance costs. Above all else, if they die from an enemy attack or old age, there's nothing a caster can do anymore."

"Uh, that somehow…"

…sounds kind of like Summoning.

For a moment, Simon felt a twinge of empathy toward her.

"Oh, wait! That means you have a divine beast!"

"Yeah."

Simon, driven by curiosity, tilted his head.

"Can you please show me?"

Rete was none other than the top of the first-years in Efnel.

What kind of divine beast did she own to decide to major in Study of Divine Beasts so early?

——