Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 448

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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 of the Necromancer School – Episode 448
Margel Randolph had never been caught, not once in his entire life.
It was because of his primary Dark Magic ability: Doppelgänger.
Margel personally managed multiple hideouts scattered across the nation, and at each one sat a version of himself.
Not even his subordinates knew which was the original body.
This feat was possible thanks to a Doppelgänger Magic Circle that Margel had developed independently. To sustain his distant doppelgängers, he had laid maintenance magic circles on the floor of each hideout.
And in the provincial underground hideout named “Dupri,” not far from Parona.
Here too, Margel sat in his chair.
“Boss. The item your young master sent has arrived.”
“Bring it here.”
Rumble-rumble-rumble.
A gang member wheeled out a cart with casters. On top sat a large wooden crate.
“Open it.”
Click.
As the gang member lifted the wooden crate’s lid, the very Skull of Deimos that had been kept in the museum lay inside.
“It’s authentic, sir.”
The gang member bowed his head in report. Margel smiled with satisfaction, running his tongue across his lips.
“Good. Where is Malcolm?”
“Your young master only sent the item. He didn’t come here in person.”
Malcolm had leaked the organization’s information to outsiders—there was clear evidence of it. This was unmistakably defiance, and worse still, a betrayal of the organization.
Of course, he had submitted to a trump card Margel had prepared in advance.
“Boss, are you truly going to make Malcolm your heir?”
Number Two, the slicked-back haired man, spoke seriously.
“Ever since he learned the secret connected to his mother, his every action has been suspicious.”
“I know. That’s why I tested him.”
Margel rested his chin on his hand.
“He succeeded in the mission, but he failed my test. Find Malcolm. If you can’t find him, seize his mother and bring her here. Then he’ll come to this place.”
“Understood.”
“He couldn’t have gone far from Parona. Put the item in the warehouse.”
“Yes, sir!”
Just as the gang members reached for the cart’s handles again.
Hissssssssss.
Smoke billowed from the eye sockets of the skull.
“Wh-what is this!”
The two gang members standing nearby collapsed on the spot.
“Be careful! Poisonous gas!”
The gang members frantically pulled out handkerchiefs and covered their mouths. Margel did the same.
Bang!
At that same moment, the basement door shattered, and a flash of light burst forth from the darkness.
Exanimis.
Boom!
Crack!
Three gang members struck by the spreading light flew dozens of meters and crashed into the wall.
“Been a while, Margel.”
Step—step—
Four men walked into the basement.
They moved freely through the poisonous gas, having already taken the Antidote.
And the tall, slender man in the bowler hat at the center radiated an aura that none dared approach.
“Margel, I’m arresting you on charges of illegal use and distribution of explosives, and terrorism in Parona.”
Margel’s expression turned vicious.
“…Sasaila.”
Sasaila Beldivier.
One of the Baldwin Kingdom’s most prominent Necromancers, bearing the epithet “The Spear of the Kingdom.”
“This is already the sixth time I’ve come up empty because of your doppelgängers.”
Sasaila lowered the modern staff in his hand, laughing.
“I’m hoping this seventh time is the charm.”
“Insolent bastard!”
Just then, the slicked-back haired gang member, seizing his chance from the darkness, charged forward.
His sharp dagger aimed straight for Sasaila’s neck.
Whoosh!
A man with grey hair stood in Sasaila’s path.
Shiver—
He caught the charging short sword between just his index and middle fingers. No matter how hard the gang member pulled, the blade wouldn’t budge.
“Ugh, nngh!”
“Dispose of him. Kassan.”
Crack!
The moment Sasaila’s order left his lips, the grey-haired man drove his fist into the gang member’s abdomen. The man’s body folded, and droplets of blood sprayed from his mouth with a choking sound.
The grey-haired man grabbed the bleeding gang member’s head in both hands and then—
Thud!
drove his own skull down like a hammer. The gang member’s eyes rolled back, foam bubbling from his lips as he crumpled.
“Ha! That’s Kassan for you.”
Sasaila laughed with satisfaction. Kassan, indifferent to the moment, simply pointed ahead with one finger.
Fzzzzzzzzz—
By then, Margel had already created over forty Doppelgängers of himself.
“Jackpot this time!”
Sasaila clapped his hands in delight.
“You have that informant to thank.”
Margel’s gaze turned sharp.
“……Who told them where I was?”
“It would be rude to ask about an informant’s identity, Margel.”
Margel’s eyebrows twitched, but he soon exhaled deeply and regained his composure.
“Fine. It doesn’t matter anyway.”
Forty Doppelgängers dropped into a combat stance, conjuring Dark Elements around them.
“Did you really think finding the original body’s location would let you do anything to me? Beat you all down and slip away—that’s all there is to it.”
Sasaila smiled thinly and raised his index finger.
Life Link
A red thread of curse shot from his fingertip and connected to the foremost Doppelgänger.
Then ten lines extended from that one’s back, linking to other Doppelgängers’ bodies, and the pattern repeated.
All forty Doppelgängers were now caught in a crimson web. Sasaila withdrew his hand and spoke.
“Kassan.”
“Yes.”
Kassan extended his fingernails long and slashed them through the air.
Shriek!
Shriek-shriek-shriek-shriek-shriek!
Shriek-shriek-shriek-shriek!
All forty Doppelgängers received five claw marks across their bodies almost simultaneously and vanished, while only Margel—the original—staggered with blood pouring from his mouth and fresh wounds carved across his chest.
“Nngh!”
Crack!
Kassan charged forward like a bullet and drove his fist into Margel’s jaw. Blood gushed from his mouth, and several teeth glittered as they flew skyward.
“You bastard!!”
Margel, bleeding heavily, planted his heels and straightened, then thrust his fingers forward roughly.
“Exanimis……!”
Crunch!
Margel’s index finger bent sharply upward. His curse struck the ceiling instead.
Refríngo.
Sasaila’s curse activated far faster.
“A curse that breaks fingers.”
As all ten finger joints convulsed wildly, Margel let out a horrible scream.
Then Kassan seized Margel by the back of the skull and slammed him hard onto the basement floor.
Thwack!
Margel fell silent.
“Good work, everyone. Well done.”
Sasaila clapped his hands together.
The two Necromancers who’d come with him ventured deeper to search, while personnel waiting outside came in and bound the unconscious gang members.
“You worked hard too, Kassan.”
Kassan quietly pulled his hood up and pressed it onto his head with a fingertip.
“Skip the pleasantries. Just make sure I’m paid.”
“Of course.”
Kassan left the basement without another word.

* * *
Kassan slipped out of the Randolph Gang’s basement with unhurried ease, then walked through the crowded streets of the city center.
Soon he settled at an outdoor table of a modest restaurant and ordered wine and cheese.
Pop.
He deftly uncorked the bottle and poured wine into his glass as he spoke.
“I’ve caught Margel. Malcolm.”
The robed man seated at the next table turned slowly in his chair.
“Thank you.”
“Just call me Kassan. But tell me—do you have any regrets? He was your father, after all.”
“None.”
Malcolm added this while chewing jerky with deliberate slowness.
“Not a shred.”
Malcolm was the informant, and the one who had contributed most to capturing Margel.
After resolving to betray Margel, Malcolm had gone straight to the Thief Guild.
It was obvious that the Baldwin Kingdom would be desperately hunting for Margel, the suspected ringleader of the Parona incident. So Malcolm knew that if he leaked information to the Thief Guild, it would naturally flow to Baldwin on its own.
As Malcolm had anticipated, the Thief Guild moved immediately. Since the matter was grave enough, Kassan—who happened to be in the vicinity—had come himself.
“But how did you know that the Margel at this city’s hideout was the real one?”
“I investigated the organization’s ledgers.”
Malcolm shrugged.
“My father—or rather, Margel—uses a special Doppelgänger Magic Circle to maintain clones at distant locations. It requires expensive magical materials, naturally. And today being a consumption day, I found one hideout where supplies remained in stock.”
“I see.”
Only someone who used Doppelgänger like Malcolm would have known that. Kassan turned his head.
“What will you do from now on?”
……
Malcolm released a long sigh and shook his head.
“Once Margel is arrested and the organization scatters, they’ll eventually learn that I betrayed him. Then my mother’s life will be in danger. Those who’ve dipped their feet into this underworld are cursed to be caught up in blood vengeance—it’s inescapable.”
“That’s how it goes.”
“To protect my mother, I need to control the underworld. I need greater power.”
He clenched his fist tightly.
—Hold on long enough, and your time to rise will come again.
Malcolm closed his eyes, remembering that damned voice.
“I want to go back to Kizen. Sir.”
“Madman.”
Kassan growled the word while chewing cheese.
“Whether you change your mind or not, you’re still an accomplice to the organization. Your crime doesn’t disappear.”
“I know. I know better than anyone that I’m garbage. But this is the only way I know how to live.”
……
Kassan finished the last piece of cheese, then rose with the half-empty wine bottle in hand.
“The information about your involvement in Parona.”
?
“I’ll suppress it. In exchange, you keep it strictly confidential too.”
Kassan walked away, his back turned.
“The fact that I’m running missions for the Thief Guild.”
Malcolm watched his departing figure and let out a stifled laugh.
‘Missions, my ass.’

* * *
Mercenary Guild.
“Welcome back from Parona! Warrior King!”
“Well done!”
As Arthur arrived at the Mercenary Guild, many of his comrades rushed to congratulate him. Arthur grinned sheepishly and scratched his head.
“Haha! A job like that is a breeze for me!”
“Oh, Arthur.”
A female mercenary who had been issuing orders through a crystal on her bracelet handed him a letter.
“A letter came for you.”
“A letter?”
“Yeah, it arrived at another guild two weeks ago, but they asked us to forward it.”
Arthur tilted his head curiously and examined both sides of the black envelope.
And when he saw the seal imprinted on the letter, his mouth fell open.
“Don’t tell me it’s from Kizen……!”
“Surprising! How did someone so innocent of the world recognize that emblem?”
“I saw Kizen students in Parona, and that symbol on their uniforms is exactly the same!”
Arthur tore open the letter envelope.
At the mention of Kizen, the other mercenaries crowded around him. With a racing heart, Arthur unfolded the letter.
[Kizen Special Admission Notice – Arthur Bleman]
“Good heavens! Arthur’s going to Kizen?”
“Well, Arthur’s seventeen now, after all.”
“A party! We’re having a party!!”
The mercenaries laughed boisterously and raised their mugs of dark ale. Arthur felt his cheeks flush.
“Come on— a mercenary going to school? It’s fine! I’ll keep working with all of you in the guild…”
“Be honest with us.”
A female mercenary poked Arthur’s chest gently.
“Forget about being the Mercenary King. What’s your real heart’s desire?”
“…”
The truth was, he still couldn’t forget.
That silhouette lingered in Arthur’s vision.
—Arthur! Keep going!
That massive back, visible through the violet lightning cascading outward.
He couldn’t let it go.
He wanted to shine the way that person did.
As Arthur pressed his lips into a line, the female mercenary smiled knowingly and patted his shoulder.
“Well, then it’s settled! A toast!”
All the mercenaries in the guild raised their cups high. Mercenaries on the first floor and those upstairs on the second all lifted their glasses and turned toward the terrace.
“To our king, and Kizen’s special admission student! To a brilliant future for Arthur Bleman!”
“Cheers!!!”
The mercenaries raised their cups in unison and drank. Arthur’s eyes glistened with emotion.
“You all… thank you…!”
“We’ll have plenty of time to work together. We won’t complain about you taking three years off.”
The female mercenary grinned.
“But for our honor’s sake! You have to graduate as the strongest in Kizen, understood?”
“Of course!”
Arthur clenched his fists together.
“On my grandfather’s name, on the honor of the Mercenary King! I swear I’ll return the strongest!”

* * *
Dresden Royal Palace.
Haaah—
A girl in a dress stood with her eyes closed, hands clasped before her.
“Ancient ones. Spirits of old.”
With each whispered word, the air around her rippled.
The eyes in a portrait moved, the clock’s hands turned backward. A flower pot trembled, and the curtains rose upward.
Just as her concentration reached its peak.
Knock-knock-knock.
She started at the sound and opened her eyes, and all the phenomena around her settled at once.
“Yes, I’m coming.”
Click.
As she opened the door, a stout middle-aged man with a luxuriant white beard smiled warmly at her.
“Molly!”
Joy flooded the girl’s eyes.
“Father!”
Molly rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
But today the king’s expression was oddly composed—as if he were barely restraining himself from laughing. The attendants who had come with him were also smiling, their lips twitching with suppressed mirth.
“Haha! Molly! Look at what I’ve brought for you!”
Molly’s eyes went wide when she saw the black letter he produced.
“That letter…!”
With trembling hands, she took the envelope from him. Then she drew out the stiff paper inside and unfolded it.
[Kizen Special Admission Notice – Molly Dresden.]
“F-Father!”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Congratulations, Molly! Hehehehe!”
The two embraced fiercely, their joy a thing shared between them.
Her tear-wet eyes traced the letter once more, confirming the name written there. No matter how many times she read it, it remained the same: Molly. Her own name.
‘Done it!’
Her gaze turned toward the window.
‘I’ll see you soon, Simon!’

* * *
Pentamonium.
A short-haired girl in a white patient’s gown sat by the fountain, surrounded by countless wooden vines that crawled across every surface.
“Even my summons can’t match her anymore.”
A man in a white coat chuckled in admiration, making a checkmark on his list.
Around him, dozens upon dozens of skeletons and zombies hung limply from the vines that bound them.
“You’ll be discharged soon. Your Anomaly is under perfect control now. How do you feel?”
“Good.”
She smiled, looking at the black letter in her hands.
“I’ve been accepted to Kizen.”
“That’s right.”
She unfolded the letter she’d read countless times before and looked at it again.
[Kizen Special Admission Notice – Sasha]
The corners of her mouth lifted.
“Wait for me, Simon. And you too, Kamibarez.”
The continent’s new powers were gathering, one by one, toward Kizen.

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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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