Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Summoning Genius at Necromancer Academy — Chapter 108
“……Sorry.”
Beside Simon, who sat groaning softly, Merin bowed her head deeply, her hands resting on her knees.
Simon forced a smile and spoke.
“It’s fine. You didn’t do it on purpose…… Ugh!”
“Wait! Are you really okay? Just go to the infirmary already!”
Simon managed an unconvincing smile. If he actually went there, the doctor might order him to stop attending classes—and that would be truly unfair. Better to just bear it.
“Ah.”
His gaze crossed with Kamibarez’s from across the room.
She greeted him with a smile, her expression half-worried, half-pleased.
“Hello, Simon~”
“Hey, Kamibarez. You’ve been doing okay?”
“Yes!”
Just then, Dio shrugged off his school uniform jacket.
“Anyway, getting back to what we were talking about…….”
He then began pulling out club flyers tucked into pockets throughout his clothes.
“This club season is the only time of the entire year when the second-years treat us first-years decently.”
So they had been discussing clubs. Curiosity piqued, Simon asked.
“They seem to do more than just treat us well. Why are you all so desperate to recruit first-years?”
Dio chuckled and made the shape of a coin with his fingers.
“It all comes down to money. Club funding varies wildly depending on how many new members they bring in.”
“……Ah, I see.”
Simon understood immediately. Finances were crucial to life at Kizen.
“As the semester goes on, some first-years drop out or get expelled from Kizen, sure, but the funding cut from dropouts isn’t that steep. So the strategy is to recruit as many as possible upfront—something like that. Ah, how did I even stuff flyers in my back pants pocket?”
Dio grumbled as he yanked a flyer from his back pocket. Every pocket really was stuffed with them.
“And.”
Merin tapped her own shoulder and continued.
“Right after recruitment season ends, they often start treating you like yesterday’s news. So don’t even look at weird places. It’s safest to join a decent-sized club.”
“Which ones did you all join?”
At Simon’s question, Kamibarez raised her hand eagerly.
“I joined the Blood Research Club—Saddam!”
“Ah, there it is.”
Simon smiled wryly.
“I’m in the Pure Magic Research Club.”
Merin said.
Pure Magic meant the old-fashioned style of magic—drawing spell circles using only mana, not the Dark Element.
“The Pure Magic Research Club? Why there?”
Dio perked up at Simon’s question too.
“I wanted to ask that too. Why suddenly take up Pure Magic?”
“I’m interested because I’m in the Ivory Tower anyway, and besides, Pure Magic is the origin of the Dark Element System, right? I heard you gain a lot of inspiration studying it.”
Both of them had chosen clubs that suited their respective aspirations and strengths.
Simon turned his head.
“What about you, Dio?”
Dio shrugged proudly.
“Heh heh! I actually started a brand new club!”
“Really? What kind of club?”
“The Rochester Startup Support Club!”
“……Ugh.”
Merin made a face of utter disapproval.
“There are actually people joining that? Don’t they need at least three members to even allow a club to be chartered?”
“They signed right up. I just went around to kids who didn’t care about clubs and told them they’d get funding for just putting their names on the roster—and boom, they were in!”
“……So life is all shortcuts, I see.”
“Call it a shortcut.”
Kamibarez leaned forward and spoke.
“Simon, have you decided where you’re going yet?”
“Still thinking about it.”
Simon popped a potato chip into his mouth as he spoke. It was one of Dio’s spicy favorites, coated generously with red chili powder.
“But Simon, did you not get an offer from Noble?”
At Dio’s question, Simon’s expression flinched.
“Well, I… I did get one.”
“Ugh, that’s right! I heard Special Case Number One was a recruitment target too!”
“Noble—isn’t that the club where the prince is?”
“Yeah. An organization for the powerful.”
Dio crossed his arms.
“It’s pretty arrogant, sure, but there’s no harm in joining. The perks go without saying, and you can form a powerful faction with the second-years. If anyone so much as touches your juniors, the second-years will come down on them like a hammer.”
“Ugh, pathetic. Just pathetic.”
Merin shook her head slowly. At that, Dio fixed her with a serious stare.
“You don’t get it because you have the Ivory Tower as this massive backing, but at Kizen, whether you have connections or not—that’s huge. Keep Noble at your back and people’s attitudes toward you change completely.”
“Connections, backing—it all comes down to weakness, doesn’t it? Wanting to lean on something. In the end, there’s only yourself to trust.”
“That’s exactly why you’re with the Ivory Tower—”
While the three of them were talking, Simon was seriously deliberating which club to join.
His eyes drifted to the pamphlet for the Special Undead Research Club that he’d just received from a second-year.

* * *
‘Might as well hear what they have to say.’
In the end, Simon was heading toward the clubroom of the Special Undead Research Club—Mutant.
The building where the club met was set apart from the 1st Year Main Campus, positioned near the Central District where restaurants and cafés clustered together.
“Hey, wait up!”
Simon turned. A female student with long cream-colored hair cascading down to her waist was approaching, her tresses swaying.
‘A second-year.’
Though she’d draped her school uniform jacket around her waist, he could tell from context alone, without even looking for the red insignia.
Unlike first-year girls, who wore relatively modest makeup, she had bold, heavy makeup with intricate eye-shadow work. And a short skirt.
Second-years brazenly tailored their school uniforms to suit their personal style.
Male students tightened their trousers; female students shortened their skirts. But the barrier embedded in the uniform provided full-body protection, so there was no real issue.
“You called for me, senior?”
Simon bowed respectfully. She strode toward him with confident steps and smiled, crossing her arms.
“Since you came this far, you’ve already picked a club?”
“Oh, no, not yet. I just wanted to hear some information.”
At that, her eyes landed on the pamphlet in Simon’s hand.
“Oh! Oh! Oh! You—that one! That one!”
She surged forward eagerly. As she suddenly closed the distance, Simon tilted his neck back slightly.
“You’re thinking of joining Mutant?!”
“I was just hoping to hear about it—”
“Ha ha ha ha! Excellent! Very excellent!”
She laughed cheerfully and slapped Simon on the back—whap! whap!
The force was incomparable to when Merin had hit him; Simon nearly yelped.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are your eyes getting all teary?”
“…Nothing at all.”
“Are you so moved at the thought of joining my club? Kyahahaha! That’s the spirit!”
“If I could just listen to the explanation—”
She grabbed his wrist with surprising force and yanked him forward.
“Let’s go!”
She was the type who rarely listened to what others had to say.
Compound that with an incredibly moody temperament, a high-pitched voice, and an expression radiating the kind of confidence that could pierce the heavens.
She walked with long, unreserved strides, her shortened school skirt fluttering carelessly.
Dragged by her grip, Simon arrived at a shabby clubroom.
A piece of paper with the words “Mutant” scrawled in crooked handwriting was taped to the door, its ink bleeding in places, the tape applied haphazardly.
“Come on in!”
“Thank you.”
The clubroom was somewhat older and more worn than he’d expected. He’d heard that clubs at Kizen were grand and magnificent, but this looked nothing like those rumors.
Still, it wasn’t bad. It had the feel of a hideout, and the casual comfort of the space appealed to him.
Simon had always preferred the subdued charm of worn things to anything flashy.
“…You made it?”
A second-year boy lying on the sofa rubbed his tousled hair and sat up.
Simon recognized him immediately. It was the boy with the heavy dark circles who’d handed out the pamphlets.
“What are you doing? Dio! Today’s the last day!”
“…I’m tired. Besides, handing out flyers won’t get us many people anyway.”
“Not many?! Look who showed up!”
She pointed at Simon and shouted. Dio, hearing his name called, finally noticed Simon.
“Oh… you’re…”
“Good to see you again, senior.”
Simon showed him the flyer he’d received and bowed politely.
“You lot stay here for a moment! I’m going to make another trip down to the 1st Year Main Campus!”
“……Just wait here, will you.”
“I’ll be right back!”
She shut the club room door with a bang and hurried off. Dio let out a quiet sigh and looked at Simon.
“……Make yourself comfortable.”
“Pardon?”
He sprawled back onto the sofa as he spoke.
“……We’ll be starting interviews soon, so until then…… mumble mumble.”
And then he fell asleep. Simon shook his head, thinking these were certainly unusual people.
‘Might as well look around a bit.’
Simon began examining every corner of the club room.
The farther back he went, the more professional the atmosphere became. It felt less like a place for relaxation and more like a workshop.
They must have been developing Undead directly here — the shelves displayed a variety of Undead Materials rivaling any Necromancer shop. The desk was scattered with blueprints, blades, scissors, and carved bone fragments.
‘So that’s why the club room felt cramped.’
The back of the room even had machinery.
There was an automatic binding device powered by Mana Stones, and even a machine for cold treatment processing.
Simon looked around with curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Just being able to use these machines seemed merit enough to join this club.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded from outside the door. Dio was still asleep and didn’t respond, so Simon answered instead.
“Yes, come in.”
Click.
The door opened and a man wearing cold-rimmed Glasses entered.
He wore a hooded garment beneath his school uniform jacket, and the hood pulled low over his head emphasized his bangs while giving him a stiff, closed-off appearance.
‘A 1st year, then.’
Observing how he looked around curiously the moment he entered, Simon spoke up.
“The seniors said they’ll be starting soon. They told me to sit and relax in the meantime?”
He nodded lightly and settled comfortably onto the sofa as if he owned the place. Then he pulled a book from his Pocket Dimension and began turning pages methodically, his eyes scanning the text.
Simon caught a glimpse of the book’s title.
<Why Chimpanzees Can Never Be Philosophers>
‘……What kind of book is that supposed to be?’
While he was thinking this was a strange fellow indeed, a second knock came at the door.
“Yes, come in.”
The door opened slightly, and a short boy poked his face through. Then, spotting Simon, his eyes widened.
“Oh, Simon!”
“Toto!”
Toto Amori, a Summoning major from the same Class A, had been tensely nervous, but now his face lit up with delight as he spoke.
“Simon! Are you joining this club too?”
“Huh? Oh. I haven’t decided yet.”
Meeting someone he knew in an unfamiliar place eased the atmosphere considerably.
The two of them chatted away cheerfully. Glasses Man showed little interest, still absorbed in his book.
“I came all the way here because I heard about a certain senior.”
Toto spoke excitedly.
“Which senior?”
“I heard a rumor.”
Toto lowered his voice.
“That this club’s president is that famous…….”
“A 2nd year, Special Case No. 5, currently part of the Student Council — Benya Vanilla.”
Both their heads lifted. Glasses Man, who had looked up from his book at some point and was watching Simon and Toto, was the one speaking.
Simon’s eyes widened at hearing a familiar name.
“Wait a second! You mean Vanilla, as in……?”
“Yeah.”
Glasses Man’s eyes gleamed.
“The granddaughter of the Vanilla Group’s chairman is this club’s president.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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