Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 260

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

Necromancer School’s Summoning Genius Episode 260
Fortunately, the students who had burst into the Class A Classroom did not resort to any violent demonstrations or protests.
While Claudia stood at the podium appealing for signatures and boycott participation, the students from other classes merely scattered near the exits and walls, watching in silence.
Yet even this silence seemed to exert pressure—two students visibly shifted, as if pushed, and signed the petition.
“Hey, you all!”
Jamie, the class representative, could no longer stand by and stepped forward.
“Would you mind leaving? You’re making our classmates uncomfortable.”
Jamie protested, but the other students either pretended not to hear her or looked away.
“That’s enough, Representative.”
Merin rose to her feet.
“These people aren’t worth our attention. What can they possibly do anyway?”
She strode purposefully toward the classroom exit. Taking her lead, the other students who had been watching nervously followed suit, flowing out behind her.
“Please, you all!”
Claudia, standing at the podium, appealed with even greater earnestness.
“Everyone knows that Professor Byeol-Ya’s lectures are abnormal, don’t they? So why won’t anyone try to change it? I hope you’ll join us and take action!”
It was then that Simon signaled Dick with a glance. Dick nodded and turned to Kamibarez with casual cheer.
“Let’s go too, Kamibarez. Don’t you feel like having something crispy for lunch today?”
“Ah, yes! Something crispy…”
Dick helped her along with conversation so she wouldn’t feel burdened, and together they left the classroom.
Just as Simon gathered his things and was about to leave, the last to go—
“Simon!”
Claudia rushed down from the podium and grabbed Simon’s sleeve.
“You haven’t reconsidered, have you?”
Currently, the proportion of Class A students supporting the boycott hovered in the high thirties.
In Claudia’s calculation, pushing this percentage past fifty required three key people she absolutely had to win over.
Hector, Jamie, and Simon.
Of course, Hector was stubborn and not the sort to be persuaded by anyone.
Jamie was friendly with all the students and was recognized by everyone as the representative—she thought at least his signature could be obtained, one way or another.
And Simon.
He was one of the school’s most prominent students, extending far beyond his class, and was closely connected with everyone in Team 7.
Though Merin was the squad leader, Claudia understood that Simon was Team 7’s true center. If she could persuade Simon, the other three would follow.
“We have to stop this vicious cycle.”
Claudia pleaded.
“This isn’t about me or my grievance—it’s about protecting the human rights of Kizen’s students. If we collapse here, Kizen will never change, not ever. You’re smart. I know you’ll understand!”
Simon felt a flicker of confusion.
Though he hadn’t been particularly close with her before, the Claudia he knew was not like this.
Except for the fact that she was the best in their class at Poison Studies, she had been just another ordinary schoolgirl anywhere in the classroom.
Yet in a single week, she had transformed into someone else entirely.
She clung firmly to the belief that the fate of Kizen’s entire student body rested on her shoulders, and she was deploying methods bordering on reckless to drive home the values she held dear.
It occurred to him that she might not have fallen under Serne’s Mind Control—that was how drastically she had changed.
‘So this is how frightening belonging can be.’
When individuals speak their separate thoughts, it carries little weight. They voice opinions lightly because they bear no responsibility, and changing one’s mind costs nothing.
But the moment people with the same convictions gather and speak as one majority, the moment they exert their breath upon the masses, that power becomes boundless—powerful enough, perhaps, to topple even Professor Byeol-Ya.
Of course, with growing power comes growing responsibility.
“I’m sorry, Claudia.”
Knowing that nothing he could say would reach her in this state, Simon turned his back and said nothing more.
“Why won’t you help us?!”
Yet she refused to release the fabric of his sleeve.
“Everyone knows it’s wrong to feed poison to students! Everyone knows the demand to correct it is just and right! That’s why we came forward for your sake. So why won’t you lend your strength?!”
When Simon did not answer, she spoke in a voice that trembled.
“You of all people care that much about grades—”
“Claudia.”
“…Yes, okay.”
“If you could turn back time.”
Simon continued, his voice measured and steady.
“You wouldn’t want to do this, would you?”
Thump.
Claudia’s pupils quivered as if struck by an earthquake.
That question. That single sentence.
Shook the foundations of her conviction.
Because she hadn’t been able to deny it.
While she stood flustered, the boys and girls participating in the boycott fixed their gazes on Claudia.
“No, I—”
She answered quickly. It seemed her true feelings had been exposed, but she pressed on even more forcefully.
“If I could turn back time, I’d fight the same way a hundred times over! I wasn’t wrong! You’re all cowards who just watch for the professors’ reactions before you act! Understand?”
……
Simon sent her a pitying look, then turned away.
By then, all the strength had drained from Claudia’s hands, which had been clutching at her sleeve.

* * *
After finishing the Poison Studies class that afternoon without incident, the day came to a smooth close.
Looking for a change of mood, Simon headed to the communal bath in the Boys’ Dormitory with Dick.
‘Ahhhh, this is wonderful. So this is the blessing of civilization.’
The day had left him unsettled in various ways, but simply soaking in the hot water was enough to lift his spirits considerably.
After loosening his body in the steaming warmth, he emerged into the changing room and dried himself with a crisp, fluffy towel.
As he was changing into comfortable clothes he’d brought, Dick, who had been waiting in the changing room, grinned and spoke.
“Wow! That’s absolutely wild.”
“What is?”
“I just went to the bathroom and saw purple… well, you know.”
The two exchanged this absurdity and chuckled.
“Let’s head up. Is Kassan back yet?”
“He was already asleep.”
The moment Simon opened the door to the communal bath and stepped out.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Boom! Bang! Bang!
Chaos had erupted.
A throng of students came thundering down the corridor like a stampede of angry buffalo.
“What’s going on—is it lunchtime?”
Dick made a show of checking his watch.
Even as they watched, doors were flinging open and students, shoes barely on their feet, were scrambling down to the lower floors. Shouts and excited cries echoed from every direction.
“Wow, it’s like a zombie horde or something.”
Dick let out a hollow laugh.
“Why do we even bother going all the way to Rochester and paying for zombies? We could just grab one right here!”
Simon, who had been watching the students hurrying downstairs, turned his head back.
“Dick, do you have any idea what this is about?”
“No clue. Maybe they’re handing out snacks in the dorm for once— Oh!”
Dick snapped his fingers.
“That’s right! Jane said today was when the Duel Evaluation opponents would be announced!”
“Right!”
The two of them joined the zombie horde and bolted for the first floor. But they had to stop after only a few steps.
Looking down from the stairwell, Simon could see students lined up from the third-floor landing onward, and peering further down, the entire first-floor lounge was packed shoulder to shoulder with bodies.
Dick shook his head in dismay.
“These people really can’t help themselves. As if finding out who their opponent is today is going to make their own squad rank up any faster.”
“Says the people currently in this line.”
Dick held up his index finger with a confident expression and waggled it side to side.
“Nope! We’re taking another approach.”
“?”
Dick led Simon over to a window. With practiced skill, he tied a rope he’d pulled from his Subspace storage to a pillar, then carefully climbed down the rope to the outside.
“If the dorm supervisors catch us, we’ll get in trouble, so handle the cleanup, yeah Simon?”
With that, Dick shimmied down the rope to the first floor in moments.
‘Cleanup always ends up being my job.’
Simon let out a small sigh and summoned his Skeleton. Then he climbed down the rope himself and sent a mental command to the Skeleton to cut the rope.
Snip.
Having recovered the severed rope, Simon raised his arm overhead. The Skeleton, reduced to bone, descended from outside the window and re-entered Simon’s Subspace.
“Great minds think alike, huh!”
Dick grinned with satisfaction.
The two of them made their way quickly across the garden.
“So where are we headed?”
“Around the side and into the dorm duty office!”
They passed through the crowded front desk of the first floor and slipped into a quiet, empty corridor. Dick lowered his voice as he spoke.
“It’s a secret, but there’s a Duel Evaluation list on the duty room’s bulletin board too. Seems they get the official notice first.”
“But can students just walk into the duty room?”
“As long as you’ve got business, it’s fine! From here on, it’s all about acting!”
Dick announced he’d demonstrate first, then yanked open the duty room door. He grabbed his stomach and let out an exaggerated wail.
“Oh, my stomach! I think my intestines are tearing apart!”
He staggered in, his voice pitched high with theatrical anguish.
“Professor Byeol-Ya! What in the world did you feed us during class! Oh no!”
Still wailing, Dick flashed a subtle wink and gestured for Simon to follow.
‘Why do I always have to be the embarrassed one?’
Simon felt heat creep into his face as he trailed after him.
“My, what brings you here?”
The dormitory manager’s voice came from behind the curtain. She was turned away, busy searching for something.
“Agh! My stomach! The pain—! Though I have a feeling an antacid might help—!”
While Dick continued his brilliant performance, Simon quickly scanned the bulletin board, eyes darting around.
‘Found it—wait?’
He’d found the board, but not the faces he’d wanted to see first.
“Ridiculous. Trash.”
Hector, broad-shouldered and imposing, fixed Dick with a cold stare. The two faction boys beside him snickered with contempt.
Then Hector’s gaze shifted to Simon.
“…….”
“…….”
The two stood silent, eyes locked, when one of the faction students spoke up quietly.
“Hector! Found your name here!”
A dark smile twisted Hector’s mouth.
“This time, I’ll settle things for certain. Simon Polentia.”
“Let’s see who you’re actually paired with.”
Hector’s face twisted with frustration as he turned to look at what the faction boy had pointed out.
Simon glanced over as well, eyes sliding across the list.
[Third Arena – Round 2, Match 6]
Class A’s Hector Moor vs. L-Class’s Malcolm Randolph.
“Damn!”
His face flushed crimson, and Dick seized his stomach again, howling.
“Ahhh! My stomach! There are hundreds in the Top Squad, and he expected to match perfectly with just one person! It’s killing me!”
Pfft!
Hehehehe!
Even the faction boys couldn’t stifle their laughter, covering their mouths. Hector strode forward, straight toward Simon.
He approached with such a murderous expression that Simon tensed, ready to react—but Hector spat out his words flatly.
“I’ll defer the match to the Third BMAT.”
With only that, he brushed past Simon and walked away. Simon scratched the side of his head.
‘Seems a lot of people have their eyes on me this exam.’
“Come on, Hector!”
The faction boys quickly scurried after him. Then the manager’s voice rang out.
“Oh, Hector! I found the disinfectant!”
But Hector had already slammed the door behind him with a bang and left.
A moment later, one of the faction boys cracked the door open slightly, poking just his head in.
“W-well, we don’t need it anymore! Ha ha!”
Then he quickly shut the door and bolted.
“That temper of his, honestly.”
Dick clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“That guy would probably carve ‘We duel! Simon Polentia!’ on his own tombstone.”
“What brings you students in?”
The dormitory manager suddenly poked her head out and asked.
Dick snapped back to attention and clutched his stomach again, resuming his act.
“Oh no! My stomach! Professor Byeol-Ya, I resent you so!”
While Dick commanded her attention, Simon quickly checked his own Duel Evaluation opponent.
He found Dick’s match first and committed it to memory, then spotted his own name right beside it.
‘As long as I avoid Serne, Chatel, and Lorain, I’m fine. I’d rather not face Merin either, if possible…’
Simon scanned the opponent’s name with that thought in mind.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake.’
An awkward smile tugged at his lips.

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