Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 348
—————
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 348
Aon Castle had been built around the Obsidian Mine and the Mountain Range at its heart. Yet after countless years, it had deteriorated into a state of extreme disrepair.
The City Wall, certainly, maintained its structural integrity through being damaged and repaired in war, but the rest of the fortress was not so fortunate.
When Simon first arrived and toured Aon Castle, he was startled to discover that the major support pillars, which should have been bearing tremendous weight, had fallen into severe decay.
At first he’d worried, ‘What if the enemy brings this place down?’ But that thought quickly shifted to, ‘What if I brought it down first?’
— Don’t worry, my lord. The Obsidian Mine is extraordinarily resistant to external impact — the safest place in this kingdom. Even if the entire castle were to collapse, the interior of the mine would remain secure.
The king himself evacuated civilians into the mine for precisely that reason.
So Simon had embedded an enormous mega-class monster, a Behemoth, at the lowest foundation level — the very root of the fortress — and then, with the aid of Skeleton Mages, detonated it with Corpse Explosion.
The result was—
Crrrrrrrrrrrash!
Catastrophic. When the earth below crumbles, everything above falls with it.
Like a mountainside stripped bare in a landslide, every building, every staircase, every structure was torn loose and began cascading downward in unison.
The screams of Kan Kingdom soldiers were swallowed by the roar of collapsing buildings, and countless troops became a dark rain, plummeting alongside the rubble.
Craaaaaaash-crash-crash-crash!
The entire landscape filled with billowing dust, and soon the Mountain Range and the Obsidian Mine’s true form — as the king had promised — were laid bare.
Only the Royal Palace, built at the peak of the mine, remained intact. All who watched stood speechless.
“……Wow, seriously?”
Dick let out a hollow laugh from the Royal Palace, gazing down at the devastation.
“The notion of the Defense Team bringing down their own fortress — that’s not something just anyone would think to do.”
[Ruri Florens — Eliminated.]
[Rosaria Riodel — Eliminated.]
[Mark Chandler — Eliminated.]
…….
…….
[Defense Team (9/15)]
[Assault Team (3/15)]
With that single attack, seven Assault Team players had been eliminated.
The war was all but over.
“That’s practically annihilation.”
“Did Hector survive?”
“Looks like it. Still, the damage is beyond what three or four of us could hope to manage.”
It was while Simon and his students were peering cautiously over the parapet of the Royal Palace, taking in the scene.
“I thank you for saving our kingdom. Hrrm.”
A deep, dignified voice came from behind them.
“Your Majesty!”
The king of Aon Kingdom was approaching. Simon bowed his head.
“I apologize. To stop the Kan Kingdom, there was no other way——”
“Ahem. No. Do not apologize, Guardian.”
The king gave Simon’s shoulder a light pat.
“A city can be rebuilt, always. What matters——”
The king’s gaze, and that of the students, turned rearward.
“——is the people.”
When word came that soldiers had returned, the beastkin who had been hiding in the mine rushed out and embraced the soldiers, sharing in their joy. Some beastkin were engaged in passionate kisses, while soldiers who saw their children unharmed wore broad, beaming smiles.
“What is a city? If we join our strength once more, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”
The king continued, his expression warm and paternal.
“Thank you for saving our people, Guardian.”
* * *
After several hours, the billowing dust settled, and a sheer Mountain Range appeared where Aon Castle had stood.
The fortress and its settlements had been washed away as if erased, leaving only the Mountain Range and the Obsidian Mine, its dark surface now exposed in scattered patches.
From this attack, the Kan Kingdom had suffered damage bordering on total annihilation.
Only three Necromancers remained, and the army had become incapable of further combat. The wounded were so numerous that recovery was impossible.
Elisa, determined to do whatever she could, regrouped the intact soldiers who had been outside the Inner Fortress and ordered an assault, but as they climbed that towering Mountain Range, they were exposed to the archery fire of Aon’s defenders, and they experienced utter defeat once more.
With fury burning through her veins, Elisa loaded troops onto Ghost Ships and attempted an amphibious landing, but the Necromancers of the Defense Team were hardly about to sit idle.
Led by Merin, Black Flame Magic poured down like a sea of fire, and she was forced to retreat, having lost only a single Ghost Ship.
“Damn it!”
Bang!
Hector seized Elisa by the collar and slammed her against the wall.
She let out a grunt and her eyes squeezed shut in pain.
“……It hurts. Are you allowed to lay hands on a lady, young master from a distinguished house?”
“Cut the nonsense, Elisa!”
Hector glared at her with eyes like axes, ready to tear her apart on the spot.
“You moved everyone exactly as you wanted! You defied my wishes, attached Jules to Simon just to waste resources, and for what? This?”
“…I’ve got nothing to say.”
Elisa sighed.
She’d moved too hastily, convinced the battle was already won. Instead of rushing reinforcements straight to the Royal Palace, she should have patiently scouted the surroundings, assessed the enemy’s numbers, and only then acted.
Her “one step too early” tactic—which had kept the North Gate of both the Outer and Inner Fortresses sealed and destroyed the guardian stone—had served her well throughout the war, but in the end it had become a deadly poison.
Elisa lowered her head in resignation.
“…I’ll admit my command error. If you need to work off your anger with violence, do as you like.”
Hector ground his teeth, then slammed her against the wall with a bang before turning away. Elisa crumpled to the floor.
“Heh…”
A weak laugh spilled from her lips.
“I’ll repay this debt someday. Simon Polentia.”
With those words, Elisa withdrew all her Ghost Ships, then touched a card herself and forfeited the game.
If victory was impossible, the smart play was to exit quickly and search for other cards elsewhere.
“Damn it all…!”
Hector raised his eyes toward the Royal Palace at the mountain’s peak.
* * *
The siege battle’s ending was brilliant.
Beyond the horizon where dawn’s light blazed, cavalry from an allied kingdom supporting Aon Kingdom struck the Kan Kingdom army from behind.
Normally this rescue force’s arrival would have been far more dramatic, but since all Aon Kingdom’s forces had already entered the Royal Palace and Kan Kingdom had only stragglers left, it ended rather anticlimactically.
Still, it was magnificent enough. Watching the cavalry raise dust clouds and sweep across the enemy lines from above filled one’s chest with a grand feeling.
[Aon Kingdom has achieved victory!]
[Through your heroic efforts, Aon Kingdom shall know prosperity once more!]
[The Defense Team has won the game!]
Along with the victory message, the air shimmered and cards appeared before the surviving students’ faces.
Purple Cards from the siege battle.
“We won!”
Only then did everyone, realizing victory was real, cry out in joy and seize their cards.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong, Simon?”
Dick, who had been performing the ceremony of kissing his purple card, asked.
“There seems to be another card tucked behind mine…”
Whoooosh!
A brilliant light erupted from behind Simon’s purple card. Only Simon had an extra card.
Merin cried out in astonishment.
“That’s a Gold Card!”
Indeed it was. The Gold Card, which no one had ever obtained before, now shone in Simon’s hand.
“So they do appear even in siege battles!”
“You need to make contributions like Simon’s to get one, apparently.”
The best card combination was eight cards total: the seven colors of the rainbow plus a Gold Card.
Now Simon only needed two more cards of different colors to reach the highest score.
“Congratulations, Simon.”
Fitzgerald, from the same Mutation Club, approached and spoke.
“Thanks. You did amazing work too—I feel bad getting this alone.”
“You’re different.”
In truth, Fitzgerald’s efforts in this siege battle had shone brilliantly.
Though there was no overlap with Simon’s performance and so it didn’t catch as many eyes, he had almost single-handedly held the East Gate of the Outer Fortress and, when the North Gate fell, defended fleeing allies while holding off thousands of Kan Kingdom soldiers.
Beyond that, he had made solid contributions by defeating several Kizen students on the Assault Team, but it paled compared to Simon’s record of eliminating over ten thousand soldiers and seven Necromancer students.
“Hehehehe. Well, I’m taking this card~”
Dick carefully pocketed his purple card and looked up.
“I don’t think it’s over yet! There’s something else, isn’t there? Endolas!”
As if responding to Dick’s words, light bloomed in the air once more.
Pop-pop! Cheap firework sound effects accompanied winged gift boxes fluttering down above everyone’s heads.
“Just as I thought!”
“Endolas’s merchandise!”
The students eagerly opened the gift boxes that landed at their feet. Inside were dark, lustrous stones.
“That’s Obsidian ore.”
“Real Obsidian? That’s incredibly expensive!”
“So that’s why I put the Obsidian Mine into the game!”
The students grinned wide enough to split their faces, comparing the sizes of their obsidian chunks to one another—mine’s bigger, no yours is, back and forth.
“Wow!”
Dick shouted.
“This is insane! Mine’s huge! Seriously massive!”
“…Don’t say that so loud, you idiot!”
For reasons Simon couldn’t fathom, Merin’s face flushed crimson as she cried out.
Everyone was enjoying the spirited exchange when—
“…….”
Simon alone stood awkwardly with empty hands. Dick approached him.
“Hey, Simon, how big is yours? Don’t tell me it’s bigger than mine! Let’s compare!”
“I… I didn’t get a gift?”
“What?”
Merin and Fitzgerald came over as well.
“Why didn’t you give one to Simon?”
“Was the Gold Card supposed to be his gift instead?”
“That can’t be—!”
Whoooosh!
In that instant, a brilliant dawn light swept down from the sky, illuminating the students in a single straight line.
They shielded their eyes against the blinding flash and stumbled backward.
“Look there!”
From within that glow, a gift box far larger than any of the others appeared and drifted toward Simon.
“That’s it!”
Dick bounced with excitement.
“It’s the grand prize Endolas showed us in the Grand Hall!”
“Right! It really was tied to the Siege Battle reward!”
The enormous box settled gently into Simon’s arms. He set it down on the ground, his heart racing, and reached for the lid.
The other students rushed over, crowding around Simon in a circle.
“Should we open it?”
Simon smiled mischievously. The students let out a cheer that seemed to shake the walls.
“Open it! Open it!”
“Don’t drag it out—hurry up already!”
Simon, feigning reluctance, grinned and lifted the lid.
—Cackle-cackle-cackle-cackle!!
An irritating laugh rang out, and a staff shot up into the air with a whoosh. It then began darting wildly around the Royal Palace.
“The Autonomous Staff, Areldelú!”
Simon nodded.
Though he’d secretly hoped for a Death Phoenix given his interest in Summoning Studies, this wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it might be even better for his current situation—he was working on creating a Lich.
—Cackle-cackle!
Areldelú raced through the Royal Palace, playing tricks on the students. It fired Curses that changed their hair colors, smacked Dick on the back of the head and fled, and more.
“Why you!”
Dick leaped up to grab Areldelú, but it nimbly slipped past him, then tripped him from behind, sending him tumbling to the ground.
“Ow, damn it!”
Dick rolled across the floor ungracefully, clutching his head.
“What is with this staff?!”
“You idiots. What are you doing?”
Merin laughed, hands on her hips. Then Areldelú darted directly in front of her and flipped up her skirt.
“@#$!#^#$!!!”
Her face blazing red with indignation, Merin lunged at the staff.
“I’m going to kill you!!”
She hurled ice projectiles wildly into the air, but Areldelú dodged them with infuriating agility.
“Hmm—”
Dick stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“That might not be a staff at all.”
Crack-crackle-crackle!
Merin’s ice struck the back of Dick’s head, and he crumpled to the ground.
Simon watched quietly and smiled, extending his hand.
“Come back.”
Fortunately, the staff recognized its master; Areldelú snapped straight into Simon’s palm. Before it could be split in two by Merin, he quickly sent it back into his Subspace.
“A Portal!”
Just then, a portal opened to exit the game. Everyone exchanged warm farewells, laughing together in gratitude.
“Squawk! Attention!”
The king, his soldiers, and all the townspeople stepped forward to block the students’ path to the portal.
“Salute the great Guardians!”
“Aion Aon!”
Every soldier bowed respectfully to the students.
“Squawk! Thank you for saving the kingdom!”
“Farewell, chirp-chirp!”
The soldiers and townspeople who had fought alongside them waved their hands in farewell.
The students felt their hearts swell with emotion as they waved back one last time. Simon waved to them as well, then picked up the empty box that had held Areldelú and stepped toward the portal.
Just then, he’d thought of another use for this staff.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————