Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 200

Belya Tun Sokum Marerat.

A woman with a similar name, height, and appearance to Hong Feng.

But everything else was different.

Hong Feng may've clearly been a foreigner, but she carried the majesty and grace of a Kizen professor.

Simon's first impression of the woman in front of him was that she was more beast than man.

'But to think that she's the new Professor of Poisonous Alchemy!'

The replacement of the Hemomancy professor was abrupt, but the arrival of the new Poisonous Alchemy professor was bound to happen.

Even then, giving her of all people the Professor of Poisonous Alchemy position felt like the significantly more unexpected change.

"Speaking of which, I have an offer!"

She leaned forward and licked her lips.

The saliva pooled on her tongue wasn't transparent, but a light shade of green, similar to that of grass. A few droplets fell on the table, and they all sizzled as they carved small holes into the wood.

"Special Admission No.1! Kiddo! Become my direct disciple!"

"…What?"

Simon's face was full of questions.

'What's with this sudden development?'

"May I ask why I—?"

"There is no why!"

She giggled before opening her arms to the sky.

"I'm going to be the best, now that I'm in Kizen! I'll be so high that Hong Feng won't even be able to crane her neck to look up to me! That's why I'm choosing you first!"

She raised a finger.

"You're Special Admission No.1, and I will bring the rest of them under me, numbers 2 and 3!"

As she said that, she raised two more fingers. A look of unadulterated confidence filled her face.

"To call yourself a top professor, shouldn't one at least have those under you?"

'Does she mean to make Serene and Chatelle major in Poisonous Alchemy as well?'

Simon didn't understand what form of madness she was afflicted by, but he remained respectful by bowing his head and responding,

"If that's the reason, I'll have to decline."

"Huhhhhhhhhhh?"

Enraged, she kicked up one of her legs until it went completely vertical before slamming it back down on the table.

Simon continued,

"I don't know who you are, I've never taken your classes, and I don't know what I'm supposed to learn from you. If I'm simply being used as a tool to fulfill your ambitions, that's not a good enough reason for me to join."

'I said it as clearly as I could. I hope she understands…'

"Then let's have a fight right here, right now! If I win, you'll join me!"

'She didn't get it at all!'

"Y-You aren't serious, right?"

"Is it a little unfair? Then I won't use my bad arm."

"…I refuse."

"I won't use both arms, nor my legs."

"It's not a matter of difficulty. I don't want to duel you in the first place."

It's as they say, you can't argue with stupid.

This was Simon's first time dealing with someone like this, so he was a little dumbfounded.

But he had higher priorities. Simon broke away from Belya's pushing and said,

"On a different note, there's something else I'd like to ask you, Professor."

He pulled a newspaper from his pocket and layed down on the table Belya was sitting at.

"You know this dead person in this newspaper, don't you?"

"Uh huh. I killed him."

The answer was so blunt that it left Simon speechless for a moment. Belya chuckled and popped the cork on a new bottle.

"What, are you trying to interrogate a professor like me, brat? Oh, right, you can. I'm not a Kizen professor yet. I get my official title tomorrow."

She seemed to be in the same position as Walter. But that wasn't important to him.

"Earlier today, my friends, who are also Kizen students, were kidnapped. I don't know why it happened, but this group is the prime suspect, so I'm after them."

"Those are Hoopa Clan idiots."

'Hoopa Clan?'

Simon reacted quickly, processing the new information.

"What are they like? And how do you know them?"

"They're a tribe who fought against mine in the grasslands. We often quarreled back then."

She smirked.

"They want my head."

"Ah…"

"They even followed me to this city. They've tried to kill me so ruthlessly that I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine."

An uneasy thought flashed through Simon's mind.

"Do you know where the Hoopa Clan is, Professor?"

"I don't give a shit about them! And they don't know where I am eith—"

Flapflapflap!

Their heads snapped up at a sudden flapping of wings. They saw a flock of birds flying low over the open roof, indiscriminately dropping flyers attached to their feet. Some of them landed in the bar the two were in.

Simon looked at the fliers.

"!"

His eyes flashed with anger.

The picture taken by the magic camera showed Meilyn tied to a chair, both blindfolded and gagged. Rick could be seen behind her.

"What's this?"

Belya also picked up one.

"It says… 'We're holding Kizen students hostage. Belya Tun Sokum Marerat must give up her position as Kizen professor and return to the Lion Rock in the grasslands alone by tomorrow night, or else their lives are forfeit.' Bwahahaha!"

She was howling with laughter.

"These guys are playing dirty now, huh?"

However, Simon was deathly serious.

'Could it be that they kidnapped the two just to drag out Belya, the soon-to-be Professor of Poisonous Alchemy? Just what kind of grudge do they have against her for them to resort to such extreme measures?'

"So that's how you wanna play."

She trudged over to the chair and crossed her legs. Her eyes flashed.

[Find them.]

Skitter skitter skitter.

The rats and bugs hiding in the bar scattered in all directions, and crows gathered on the roof took to the skies.

'The power to control animals.'

It was an ability of the Druid Clan, which was said to be completely extinct. Hong Feng had also demonstrated her power over hippos in class.

In any case, the only thing Simon could trust in here was Belya's searching abilities.

"Professor, what kind of grudge does the Hoopa Clan have with you that made them involve innocents like my friends?"

"What, are you blaming me?"

"No, I'm just curious."

She brought out a new drink and held it in her hand.

"You see…"

* * *

* * *

The chief of the Hoopa Clan, Wichasha, unblindfolded Meilyn. Her blue eyes blazed with anger and humiliation.

"I'm sorry for making you take pictures like this."

"So,"

Began Meilyn, barely containing her irritation.

"you're going to use our lives to lure that soon-to-be Professor of Poisonous Alchemy?"

"Yeah."

Belya was a wandering vagabond, and Wichasha and his Hoopa Clan had been after her for years, seeking bloody vengeance.

Then something happened that would turn their world upside down. Kizen contacted Belya and offered her the position of the new Professor of Poisonous Alchemy.

Being a professor in Kizen was one of the most untouchable jobs within the Dark Alliance. If she left for Roke Island with that power and authority behind her, the Hoopa Clan's bloody vengeance would be finished.

"No, it wouldn't be finished. Her retribution would begin."

Wichasha gnashed his teeth.

"I've heard Kizen professors have control over headquarters necromancer. If she sent even a few of them, the grasslands' ecosystem would collapse and our clan would be wiped out. Hoopa's survival is at stake."

"So that's why you're going to stop her from becoming Professor in Kizen and kill her?"

Meilyn laughed, her eyes full of venom.

"That's ridiculous. If you're so afraid of someone who has a bad history with you gaining power, just round up your entire clan, go to her, and beg for forgiveness. Give up on revenge once and for all."

"…We can't give up on revenge. Just as we can't kneel before her."

"Oh, by the way."josei

Interrupted Rick, sitting across from them.

His eyes were back to their normal glare, so he seemed to have mostly recovered from the poison.

"Why are you so obsessed with revenge? What kind of grudge do you hold against that 'Belya'?"

Wichasha's face stiffened.

A subordinate behind him stammered out an excuse, saying the reason was unimportant, but Wichasha shook his head and stated,

"On the grasslands, us Hoopa Clan and Belya's Marerat Clan were enemies. Our nomadic lifestyles and overlapping territories led to many conflict, and I suppose it was inevitable that warriors would die. But!"

His eyes reddened.

"Belya broke taboo!"

"What?"

"Not only did she kill warriors in battle, but she entered villages and slaughtered the women and children."

"…Ah."

Wichasha, trembling with rage, bowed his head.

"Among those victims was my wife. I can never forgive her. I swear to destroy Belya Tun Sokum Marerat by my own hand, alone if needed."

Rick was speechless, but he still managed to roll his eyes. Meilyn just got even angrier.

"Then take your revenge and settle it among yourselves! Why are you doing this to us, who have nothing to do with this?!"

"We're sorry about that."

Meilyn suddenly flinched and stopped.

She was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking, and then her expression went cold.

"Mister, answer me properly."

"Alright."

"If Belya doesn't comply with your demands and goes to Roke Island, what will you do?"

"…"

Belya didn't know Meilyn or Rick, especially not by face. It was entirely possible that she'd ignore them and go straight to Roke Island.

But Wichasha shook his head in denial.

"That willn't happen. Belya has high pride. She'll be furious that we threaten her students so she'll accept our challen—"

"I'm asking hypothetically. What if she doesn't comply with your demands?"

As Wichasha remained silent, Meilyn plunged the proverbial knife deeper.

"You seem to hold a pretty deep grudge. Will you just shrug it off and return to the grasslands? You can't bring yourself to say that, can you?!"

"…"

After a moment of silence, he replied,

"If that is to happen, I think our approach should change."

After that dismissive response, Wichasha turned and walked away.

Meilyn became certain. The Hoopa Clan could never be trusted. She should've known that from the moment they kidnapped Rick and herself for their own purposes, whether it was revenge or even something more savory.

'I have to get out of here on my own somehow.'

But in the back, Rick was already laughing uproariously, cracking jokes with the other Hoopa Clan members.

'How nice to be carefree. You don't even know what kind of fate awaits us tomorrow.'

Angry, Meilyn leaned forward slightly on the chair she was sitting in then pushed back with all her might, slamming her head into the back of Rick's.

"Ack! Why did you hit me?!"

"No reason!!"

'Get a grip!'

She could feel her frustration bubbling up, but she couldn't let it surface. For now, she had to pretend to do what they said and find a way out.

And above all…

'I'm sure Simon will find us.'

The Hoopa Clan's biggest mistake was kidnapping Meilyn and Rick, not Simon and Camibarez.

Her hands, tied to the chair, twitched.

The moment to strike back would surely come. She had to be ready for it.

Sigh.

Looking toward the ceiling, feeling the binds on her body, Meilyn somehow felt a sense of deja vu again.

'…He won't come, right?'

Pion.

An absolute being who had even fought a Saintess one-on-one.

He always showed up whenever she was in danger.

His identity was unknown, but Meilyn was certain that Pion was a Kizen official.

'If he's strong enough to fight a Saintess, he couldn't be a student. Could he be one of the assistant teachers or a professor? Or a member of the inspectorate? Maybe a Crow sent from headquarters?'

Realizing that she was starting to spiral in her speculations, she moved on to think,

'I don't know if he'll really come, but it's okay to be a little delusional sometimes.'

She raised her head and reconstructed an image of Pion in her mind. She could still recall the tyrant who had brutally crushed the pervert in Death Land and saved her life.

It felt like she would give anything to see him again.

She imagined Pion coming to her rescue for a moment, crushing those filthy, nipple-baring perverts.

'But why…'

She bit her lip.

'Why do I keep picturing Simon's face instead of Pion's?'

——