Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 325

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

The Necromancer School’s Summoning Genius — Chapter 325
The Dungeon.
A realm of mystery that no amount of modern scholarship could explain.
It was said to manifest naturally, without any particular cause, and to connect to a third space that exists nowhere else on the continent.
Countless scholars have devoted themselves to unraveling the Dungeon’s secrets, and the result of their efforts was the invention of a technique called Subspace.
Of course, they had only unlocked the tiniest fraction of the Dungeon’s mysteries. The reason Endolas Bodvil’s ability was selected as one of the Top 10 Continental Mysteries was precisely because of his extraordinary capacity to manifest something akin to a miniature Dungeon.
These Dungeons are scattered across the continent, and according to Lorain, there are people who actually live within them.
They control access to the Dungeon’s entrance through an inexplicable phenomenon called the Ring of Blood, and those who approach without permission are said to have their blood boil until they perish.
Because of its absolute isolation—impenetrable even to armies or law enforcement—the place had become a haven for criminals and a pit of darkness.
The Alliance had long turned a blind eye to this, but recently word came that an exceptionally dangerous criminal had managed to pass through the Ring of Blood.
In response, the Alliance requested that Kizen dispatch a Necromancer to dismantle the Ring, and it was Silaji—the most capable Blood-Series mage—who went to handle the task.
The Ring of Blood had already been reduced to roughly half its original size, and they expected complete removal by year’s end.
Simon, who had been listening to Lorain’s account with keen interest, posed a question.
“So who is this exceptionally dangerous criminal?”
Lorain narrowed her eyes and flicked him sharply on the forehead. Simon cried out and clutched his brow.
“Enough. Professor Silaji’s mission itself is classified at the highest level. How much more are you going to pry out of me? Are you a detective from headquarters?”
…….
She had a point. Simon lowered his hand from his forehead.
“So we’ll be able to see Professor Silaji again next year?”
“Likely so. Of course, the final say rests with Walter, the current professor, but since Silaji is his mentor, I imagine he’ll defer to her. She should return to the Campus Grounds next year.”
Walter was stepping down from his position as Blood-Series professor.
Would this nagging sense of unease finally end once he became a second-year student? The mere thought of it lifted Simon’s spirits, if only for a moment.
“In that case, I also…….”
“Hmm?”
Lorain tilted her head slightly.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Me? About me? Ask away.”
She hesitated for a moment, her gaze drifting here and there, before finally speaking in a very soft voice.
“What do you think about Kizen Headquarters?”
……?
Kizen Headquarters, out of nowhere.
It was a question Simon had never anticipated.
Her crimson eyes fixed upon him, waiting for an answer.
“C-can I be completely honest?”
“Yes. Be honest.”
He had no idea what she was getting at.
As Neftis’s daughter, perhaps she wanted to know what ordinary students thought of the place?
“They’re probably working hard in their own way, but……from a student’s perspective, they’re the source of all trouble.”
Simon decided to speak candidly about what he’d always felt.
“Whenever the Headquarters gets involved in any exam, something goes wrong. Tests become far too difficult, or something strange happens. I’d say the practical assessments run directly by the professors are far more stable.”
In truth, this was what most Kizen students believed.
Satisfied that he’d spoken for all of them, Simon felt quite pleased with himself.
…….
Then, catching Lorain’s expression a moment later, he realized he’d given the wrong answer.
It wasn’t anger or disappointment.
It was more like: “That’s not quite it.”
“S-so what do you think about the Ivory Tower?”
Lorain asked again. A hint of unease crept into her voice.
“……I don’t really have any thoughts on it.”
Not a lie—he genuinely didn’t think much about it.
There was a time when he’d aspired to his Legion Commander’s position, but that was all in the past now.
It was simply Merin and Serne’s homeland, their headquarters. That was all it meant to him.
But seeing Lorain’s expression grow displeased, Simon quickly added more.
“W-well, the Ivory Tower is such an ancient and rigid organization that it seems suffocating to live in. From what Merin sometimes tells me, it looks quite stifling.”
!
At last.
Lorain’s eyes sparkled with light.
“You really think so?”
“Yes.”
Relieved that she finally seemed satisfied, Simon exhaled quietly.
“Ah, let’s drop this topic and focus on the game.”
Lorain nodded and glanced around the Banquet Hall.
“The Pig Princess hasn’t appeared yet, has she?”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
The rules of this game were extremely simple.
The Knight protected the Pig Princess.
The Assassin killed the Pig Princess.
While listening to Lorain, Simon was carefully observing the animals. This time was essentially for the Knights.
By conversing with the animals and spotting any unnatural behavior, he could identify the Assassins.
All the animals present were actual characters from the fairy tale “Animal Kingdom.” By knowing the characters’ personalities and backgrounds, Simon could gradually narrow down the suspects through questioning.
‘But these Assassins are really good.’
No matter how hard he looked, there was no animal that obviously stood out.
They could have stayed still to avoid mistakes, yet every animal was moving about and conversing appropriately. The “Sluggish Duck” character was just sitting alone in a corner, spacing out, but that was her original concept anyway.
The two students who came as Assassins had probably memorized the entire fairy tale.
‘This game is a psychological warfare theme using fairy-tale knowledge.’
It could evaluate the participants’ judgment, deduction skills, and assassination abilities as Necromancers.
But this was only the prelude—the real stage would begin once the Pig Princess appeared.
“Distinguished guests! The Pig Princess is making her entrance!”
The protagonist arrived at just the right moment.
All the animals stood up. Simon and Lorain moved forward as well.
From the center of the Banquet Hall, descending a luxurious staircase that connected to the third floor, a bloated pig with a protruding belly trudged down step by laborious step on two legs.
“Ohohoho! Thank you all for coming!”
The Pig Princess waved elegantly to the other animals. Two armed dogs flanked her sides.
‘They can’t attack right here.’
Simon was already turning around, surveying the other animals. Killing the thick-necked Pig Princess in one blow from a distance would be difficult.
And the Assassins were deeply familiar with this fairy tale.
The most effective method of assassination would be poison. It was likely they would retrieve poison learned from Poison Magic in their Subspace and attempt a poisoning. Since the anorexic Pig Princess eating food was something no one could stop according to the setting.
“Pig Princess! The Horse Baron offers his respects!”
“Ohoho! Busy, I see!”
Several animals came to greet her. The Pig Princess, complaining that she was overweight and her legs trembled, went directly to her seat.
A spacious circular sofa was her place. Once she sat, the animals crowded around and began to flatter her.
“Ohoho! How charming—humans with animal ears!”
The Pig Princess took notice of Simon and Lorain as well.
“You’ve come as bipedal beings, so I suppose it’s acceptable. But next time, we must change the Kingdom’s laws! Bipedal animals are superior. However, humans are not!”
“A truly excellent idea, Your Highness!”
“Ohohoho!”
Unaware that they were trying to protect her from the Assassin seeking her death.
Simon sighed, but it was unavoidable given the story.
‘To maintain close protection, the first step is to win the Pig Princess’s favor.’
Having read the fairy tale, Simon knew what to say to gain her affection.
Tap-tap.
He also knew what words she liked and what foods she preferred.
Tap-tap.
But the Assassins would interfere with their attempts to win her favor.
When they interfered, he could remember their words and suspect them as Assassins if they said something that didn’t match the character’s personality or if their expression became overly malicious.
Fairy-tale knowledge.
Psychological warfare based on it.
All good.
But did they really need to follow the rules? There was an easier way.
Which was.
Whoosh!
“If you value the Princess’s life, stand down.”
Using Lorain’s strength.
Lorain suddenly stepped in and pressed a gleaming short dagger against the Pig Princess’s throat.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Your, Your Highness!”
The sudden hostage situation sent a ripple of panic through the Banquet Hall.
“You’re not backing off?”
Lorain pressed the dagger against the Pig Princess’s neck and lightly cut her skin. As blood began to trickle, the Pig Princess let out a shrill wail and burst into tears.
“Blood! Blood! Bloooood!”
Even Simon had to admit that Lorain’s thin smile looked villainous. He drew a Short Sword from his Subspace and pressed it to the Pig Princess’s throat.
“Everyone step back.”
“How dare these humans! Do they forget the kindness of being admitted to the Banquet Hall? What are they doing to Her Highness!”
The animals shrieked. The Pig Princess wailed, tears streaming down her face as blood trickled from her neck.
“I said step back! Hurry, hurry! I’m dying, I’m dying! Noooo!”
At the Pig Princess’s command, the animals retreated rapidly. Simon found himself suddenly curious about what expression the assassins must be wearing right now.
‘Since there are assassins among them and, more importantly, the danger of poisoning exists, the paradoxical truth is that holding the Pig Princess hostage is the most perfect way to protect her.’
The positions had reversed.
Simon’s eyes lifted upward.
‘Thirty minutes to hold out.’
The timer had started the moment the Pig Princess appeared. Two minutes had passed so far.
‘Come.’
Simon opened his Subspace and sent out Skeletons. Lorain, picking up on the cue, summoned her own Skeletons to encircle the Pig Princess.
“M-monsters!”
The animals froze in shock, their feet shuffling nervously.
Simon spoke.
“Any reckless action will harm the Princess. Our demand is simple: everyone here must leave the Mansion. If you comply with our terms, the Princess’s life will be spared.”
“You, you contemptible humans!”
“We should never have invited humans to the Banquet!”
Hearing this, Lorain drew her Short Dagger across the Pig Princess’s skin, drawing blood. As droplets fell, the Pig Princess’s eyes rolled back and she shrieked.
“Don’t touch me! Leave the Mansion! Now! Now! Now!”
With the Pig Princess’s command, the animals began reluctantly backing toward the exit.
But one animal lingered noticeably—a sheep whose fluffy fur protruded from the gaps in its formal suit.
“W-wait, everyone, just a moment!”
The sheep’s voice trembled.
“If we all leave the Mansion, won’t the Pig Princess be in even greater danger? Who knows what these humans will do to Her Highness!”
Simon’s lips curled slightly.
‘Trying hard, aren’t you, assassin.’
Once all the animals left, the assassin would lose any opportunity to strike.
Snap!
Lorain flicked her dagger, cutting the Pig Princess’s chin lightly.
“Still stalling? Want to see what happens?”
Simon gave her a sign to stay calm.
‘Why does she look like she’s having so much fun?’
“Noooo! Get out! Stop provoking them and just go!”
As the Pig Princess shrieked and convulsed, a well-dressed fox linked arms with the sheep.
“Relax, will you? Look at that woman’s eyes. They’re truly dead inside.”
“…… Yeah, really.”
The sheep wrenched free of the fox’s grip and stomped hard on the ground.
Thud-thud-thud!
Dark Element erupted from its body as it charged forward.
“!”
The sheep crashed through the surrounding Skeletons with its massive frame and hurled a punch at Lorain.
Boom!
Simon’s body flashed between them, delivering a kick.
“Finally showing your true face, assassin.”
“Ugh!”
The sheep barely blocked the attack and stumbled backward, dropping to one knee.
“Lorain, I’m leaving the rear to you.”
“Got it.”
Whack.
A cat that had been scaling the ceiling came diving down toward the Pig Princess. Lorain moved to intercept.
Crash!
Clang!
Simon commanded the Skeletons to keep their blades at the Pig Princess’s throat to prevent her escape, then engaged the assassin sheep.
“Damn it!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The well-dressed sheep swung its fists savagely.
“Wait, you lunatics! Since when do Knights kidnap Princesses! Isn’t this against the rules?”
“We simply chose the most rational approach.”
Simon ducked beneath the punch, wrapping his right hand in Darkness as he slipped past.

But the beast’s right hand was already wreathed in the same dark power.

Crash!!
The two manifestations collided in midair, unleashing a sound like rending metal. The shockwave sent plates and cups clattering from the table.
“Roarrr!”
The beast swung its left fist forward, that hand too wreathed in the dark blade.
Despite the transformed body, it wielded the technique with surprising skill. This creature had combat training—real training.
‘Use that bulk against it.’
Simon pressed in close, slipping past the beast’s ribs as the swinging fist whistled toward him. His palm came up light and gentle against its side, barely making contact.
‘Even unfinished—’
A candle flame flickered through Simon’s mind.
The moment you snuff a flame. The moment you release Darkness. That instant, that technique.
As Simon glided past, his palm shimmered with black energy.

He straightened his arm and drove forward with his full palm. The dark lightning crackled outward in a violent spiral.
Boom!!
“Ugh!”
Spittle flew from the beast’s mouth as its massive frame was hurled backward through the air.
‘I did it. It works in actual combat.’
A smile of pure satisfaction spread across Simon’s face.

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