Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 45

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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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Necromancer Academy’s Summoning Prodigy — Chapter 45
Simon and Pear arrived in Arnish.
The city was formed like a spider’s web of winding neighborhoods, centered on the imposing Lord’s Castle.
Being close to Holy Federation territory and treacherous terrain meant the domain was small and the buildings weathered, yet Simon found himself strangely drawn to the place.
‘I suppose I do prefer neighborhoods like this to sprawling metropolises.’
Of all the cities he’d seen so far, this one came closest to Reshill.
[You! This! Is suffocating! Damn it!]
At that moment, Pear, tucked inside the Armor, vented his complaints. Metal clanged dully every time he shifted.
“Just bear with it a little longer, Pear.”
[Next time, buy one that’s bigger! This size just isn’t going to cut it!]
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Simon chuckled to himself — Pear had no flesh, yet was fussing about the fit — but he let it pass without comment.
The two wandered the streets, making small talk as they went.
The city lacked vitality, no doubt due to the recent unsettling events. Doors were barred tight at every house, and curtains drawn across windows. Everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves, huddled behind closed walls.
“Hmm, this is troublesome. How are we supposed to find the Undead here?”
[Keheheh! I did this kind of work with Richard countless times. There are three main approaches.]
Pear raised his fingers with the Gauntlet, which didn’t bend easily. The metal creaked dully.
[First, meet with the client. Since you said the client is a lord, reveal yourself as Kizen and demand all the information he’s gathered so far. You might even secure funding or personnel support.]
“Oh, that does sound promising.”
[But the fact that the client hasn’t solved this yet means there’s always a good reason why!]
Simon understood the implication in Pear’s words — approaching the client would introduce variables that could complicate matters.
[Second, investigation through inquiry. To borrow Richard’s words, it’s like heading a ball with nothing but dirt beneath you!]
“Hmm, that one seems a bit…….”
[But from my experience, this method sometimes turns out to be the fastest route to the truth. And finally.]
Pear raised his third finger.
[Buy information from the Thieves Guild.]
“The Thieves Guild?”
[Do they call it something else these days? Think of it as the Information Guild. Any city of decent size has informants who deal in secrets. No one’s more attuned to the pulse of current events than they are!]
“Hmm.”
After hearing Pear’s advice, Simon closed his eyes for a moment, considering his options.
“All right. Let’s find a place to stay first, then seek out the Thieves Guild.”
[That’s music to my ears! I can’t wait to shed this miserable Armor!]
Simon and Pear made their way through the bustling quarter surrounding the plaza. Given the harsh terrain, there were surprisingly few inns for a city this size.
Still, after asking around, they managed to locate one.
“Welcome!”
As they stepped through the door, the Innkeeper greeted them — a weathered, local-born man in his mid-forties who clearly knew this place inside and out.
“A large, clean room, please.”
“Of course! That’ll be 300 Silver per night. Will you need meals? Bread and soup comes to 50 Silver extra, or if you’d prefer a meat dish, that’s 150 Silver more.”
‘Lodging’s expensive — makes sense if there aren’t many inns around.’
Simon rummaged through his pocket and flicked out a Gold coin with his finger.
“Breakfast tomorrow morning. Bread will do fine.”
The Innkeeper’s eyes widened as he caught the coin. One Gold coin was worth a thousand Silver.
“Shall I get you change?”
“No need. Instead, I’m curious about the location of the Thieves Guild.”
The Innkeeper’s expression shifted subtly.
“Ah, I see! So you’re looking to buy information. You’re clearly not from around here, but if I may ask how you…….”
Simon slowly opened his palm.
“……?”
“You ask a guest for his identity quite readily. I’d say that information costs another Gold.”
Hehehehe!
Pear, standing beside him, doubled over with laughter, his whole frame trembling.
[The little brat barely has his horns yet, and he’s playing mind games with adults!]
The Innkeeper’s face froze.
He could sense it — the problem wasn’t the Gold. The moment he returned it and asked who they were, he had a distinctly unsettling premonition that his neck might be forfeit.
What on earth were these outsiders?
The Innkeeper pocketed the coin quietly.
“S-so you’re looking for the Thieves Guild, then?”
Ting!
Simon flicked another Gold coin through the air, and it landed in the Innkeeper’s palm.
“And all the information you have about the Disappearance Incident.”
Simon’s eyes flashed with keen intelligence.
“You seem to know something about this, don’t you?”
…….
The innkeeper swallowed hard, his face visibly tense. Simon could almost hear the frantic churning of his thoughts.
“The… the Gold. I’ll return it to you.”
Just as the innkeeper stepped toward Simon.
Whoosh!
A pure white Greatsword had materialized at his throat.
The color drained from the innkeeper’s face as an unsettling cackle—kee-kee-kee-kee!—spilled from the Armor-clad figure’s helmet.
It was the kind of ghastly laughter that haunted nightmares.
“Is something the matter?”
Simon still held out his palm, his smile remaining gentle and patient.
“I thought you were coming to repay me?”
‘…No, no…!’
The innkeeper’s body trembled once, then collapsed flat against the floor.
“I don’t know who you are, but I’ll do as you ask. Only… please keep the fact that I’m an informant strictly confidential.”
Simon nodded toward Pear. Pear retrieved the Greatsword and hoisted it back onto her shoulder.
“Stand up. We’ll keep your secret.”
They had only five days to resolve the case—not nearly enough time to waste on deliberation.
Simon and Pear had decided to pursue this assignment with ruthless efficiency.
Simon had extracted every detail from the innkeeper, including comprehensive information about all the disappearances that had occurred thus far.
“After the residents vanish, they’re discovered months later as shriveled mummies.”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“Most of the missing are young men, yet the mummified bodies that turn up are predominantly women.”
“Th-that’s correct.”
Simon frowned in contemplation. There was no concrete evidence—nothing that crystallized into a clear conviction.
“Is there any sign that the female victims suffered… any foul treatment?”
“The Lord also suspected the gangs within the territory of sexual crimes, but he said there were no such traces.”
The more Simon thought, the more his head ached—but beside him, Pear stood with her arms crossed, chuckling to herself as if thoroughly amused.
‘…Pear?’
[Hehehehe! I’m certain! Absolutely certain!]
Pear’s lips curled into a grin.
[Erzsebet—that witch is definitely somewhere in this city! One hundred percent! To find her this easily! Kahahaha!]
Pear had clearly seized upon the truth. There was no reason to linger. Simon rose to his feet.
“We’ll return this evening.”
“Yes, yes! The territory’s been unsettled of late, so please take care.”
Simon and Pear stepped outside. Their next destination was the Thieves Guild the innkeeper had mentioned.
“Pear, how did you become certain this is the work of an Ancient Undead?”
[It’s obvious!]
Pear laughed curtly.
[Young men are playthings to toy with, women hold no interest so she just drains them dry! That’s exactly the sort of thing that old demon would do!]
“…You mean an actual Undead would do such things? Not a human?”
[Didn’t I tell you? Undead are beings beyond human comprehension! Ancient Undead especially—they’re far more twisted!]
“Hmm.”
Simon rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
[What are you thinking so hard about?]
“Well, I’m a young man myself. What if we used me as bait to draw out that witch?”
From behind the helmet, Pear burst into laughter—pfft!
[What’s a wet-behind-the-ears kid like you spouting! Hahahaha!]
Pear ruffled Simon’s hair roughly with her palm. Simon pouted.
“…What’s wrong with me?”
[You’re nowhere near her type! Not even if you glued on a beard.]
“Tch.”
As the two continued their banter, they finally arrived at the Thieves Guild. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary tavern.
They pushed open the door and stepped inside.
A bar-style establishment. A handsome middle-aged Bartender polished glasses, while bearded men occupying the tables held tankards of ale. Unlike the empty streets outside, this place was crowded.
‘But there’s no atmosphere that screams information trading here. It’s just a neighborhood bar.’
Simon and Pear took seats at the bar.
“What can I get you?”
At the Bartender’s question, Simon extended his finger, traced a T in the air, and slid a Silver coin across the counter.
“This way, if you please.”
‘Ah, it’s actually working!’
Following the Innkeeper’s instructions made it simple.
Simon and Pear moved at the Bartender’s guidance. As they slipped out through the back door of the shop, a door to the basement and a staircase came into view. The Bartender bowed respectfully, then returned at once.
“Huh.”
Simon took a light, steadying breath and descended the stairs. The echo of footsteps on stone was unexpectedly loud, and the musty basement air pricked at his nostrils.
At the bottom of the stairs, two masked men stood guard at the door, crossbows in hand. They stepped aside without a word and opened the way.
Creak.
The ancient hinges groaned as the door swung open.
The atmosphere here was entirely different from above. People in robes drawn up to their heads or wearing masks sat quietly at their tables.
Three middle-aged men played poker across from one another, two youths locked in heated conversation. An elderly man of considerable years, and a young woman nursing a beer alone.
Behind the bar, several doors lined the wall—apparently where information could be purchased. Simon and Pear settled into a quiet corner table against the wall.
“Welcome.”
A young Madam approached them.
She wore a wine-colored dress that clung to her frame, and her abundant blonde hair was twisted into foam-like curls.
Tap. Tap.
Below the hem of her dress, pale legs bore a black band, and beside it gleamed the subtle glint of a blade.
Simon swallowed dryly.
“Well then.”
She seated herself across from him, her smile professional and practiced.
“What brings you to our guild? Travelers from afar.”
“…The reason we came here is plain enough.”
Simon spoke carefully. He couldn’t afford to be swept up in the moment.
“We came to purchase information.”
“What sort of information do you seek?”
“About the people disappearing from the territory, and the corpses desiccated like mummies. Everything your organization knows of this matter.”
The Madam smiled.
“Everything? That won’t come cheap. Can a first-year Kizen student really afford all of it?”
‘…!!’
Simon was inwardly startled but kept his composure as he asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Simple deduction.”
She continued in an unhurried voice.
“Everyone knows the Lord is desperate to resolve this incident. He’s actually reached out to many organizations, and Kizen is certainly among them. But a small territory like this wouldn’t have the resources to summon a necromancer from Kizen’s main headquarters, so he must have opted to assign the task to students instead.”
Her body tilted toward Simon. One knee rose onto the chair, and a rich rose fragrance filled the air. Behind her smiling face, the subtle curve of her form became apparent.
“And at this particular moment, Kizen has only first-year newcomers. The students assigned to the task are those whose Student Protection Period has ended. And how conveniently, a fresh-faced outsider has appeared in our territory…”
Her fingers gently pulled back his hood.
“Just a naive face.”
“…”
She tilted his chin upward with her fingertip and smirked.
“Am I wrong?”
…Rude.
But he couldn’t show it. All he’d be doing was offering up the fact that he came from Kizen directly to the Information Guild.
“Of course, if you lack the funds, there’s another way. You could reveal your true identity here and now, force us to our knees, and extract the information by strength. The name Kizen carries that much weight, doesn’t it?”
“…”
Simon remained unmoved.
Instead, he reached out and grasped the delicate hand that held his chin, turning it against her.
“An amusing deduction. Shall I try my hand at one?”
“…Excuse me?”
Simon slowly drew her hand toward him and leaned closer.
“A serious incident has thrown the entire territory into chaos. The Lord faces crisis and, as you said, has pleaded with countless organizations for aid.”
His grip on her hand tightened incrementally. Her smile faltered slightly.
“And the sole Information Guild that exists in this territory—whether the Lord’s faction or those who took on the commission, all of them would have come here seeking intelligence. In conclusion, none of them have solved it.”
Simon drew gradually closer, and this time she subtly pulled her head back.
“The same incident has been occurring for years, yet no one’s solved it—we don’t even know who the culprit is. Don’t you find it suspicious that information is so sparse? At this point, it’s not that information is being suppressed. Rather, woven subtly into the threads of truth are clever lies that keep everyone stumbling in darkness.”
He wasn’t sure what role and influence this Thieves Guild held in this territory, but from an outsider’s perspective like Simon’s, it made no sense.
Gazing at her stiffened expression, Simon spoke coldly.
“Am I wrong? A Thieves Guild positioned in the very heart of the incident site couldn’t possibly have failed to learn the critical details. Incompetence? No—looking at you, I doubt that’s the issue.”
Simon’s palm pressed against the back of her head as he revealed his true intent.
Then, slowly drawing her face closer to his own, he whispered.
“Before you turn everything upside down, give me the truth.”

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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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