Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 498

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

The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School – Chapter 498
“Could Eprun be an accomplice as well?”
At Kassan’s blunt word, the Lord waved his hands frantically, his face draining of color.
“T-that can’t possibly be! Your words are far too harsh!”
“An unknown organization gripping Tarados, and Kizen on the other side. It looks like you’re caught in a tug of war between them.”
Kassan rose smoothly to his feet.
“Now that we’ve arrived, the pieces have begun to move. You’ll need to hold tight to your end of the rope. The first priority is how you treat the prisoners and the kidnapped people. Judge wisely.”
Kassan left those words hanging and departed. Simon followed close behind.
“You were impressive back there, pressing the Lord like that, Kassan!”
Simon spoke as they walked down the corridor beyond the door. Kassan’s face remained blank as he idly scratched at his scar.
“The prisoners had to be transported properly, and for the sake of the kidnapped people’s safety, some pressure was unavoidable. These are men who’ve shown a talent for cutting off information before—they’ll do their best to conceal that we from Kizen have arrived.”
[Wait! Wait! Wait!]
At that moment, a voice erupted from the necklace hanging around Simon’s neck.
[Aren’t you two forgetting your priorities? You need to find my original body right away!]
“Don’t rush. We’ll gather information and leave immediately, Kaleb.”
Kassan nodded in agreement.
“I’ll interrogate the thieves in the prison myself and extract what information I can.”
“Yes, thank you.”

* * *
Between the destination of Tarados and the Eprun Territory stretched a massive mountain range.
Monsters swarmed across the peaks, and moving personnel and supplies proved almost impossible. Tarados’s isolation owed much to its geography.
And within the gorge of that mountain range lay a cave.
During Tarados’s prosperous days, a secret tunnel had been carved through to transport minerals beyond the territory. Of course, few people knew of it now, and it had since become a den for thieves.
Thieves bearing the name of the Ganes Guild, who ruled Tarados. And in the dead of night, two of their members arrived at the cave’s entrance.
“Granite gate!”
“Pine cone!”
The two thieves, having safely given the password, entered the cave.
It was a cavern of impressive scale. Thieves sprawled about in various corners, either drinking or sleeping against the walls.
The two men walked for about ten minutes more before reaching the man who stood as the cave’s leader. He was chewing on dried meat strips.
“What is this? Why are only you two here?”
The Bandit Leader demanded.
“Where are the others? What about the test subjects and weapons we procured from outside?”
“Ah, well, that’s……!”
One of the thieves looked nervously toward his companion, sweat beading on his brow. The bearded thief opened his mouth.
“Sorry. We lost everything.”
Bang!
The Bandit Leader brought his fist down hard on a wooden crate, rising to his feet.
“Lost it?”
“Yeah.”
“To who?”
“Another bandit gang. We were disguised as a merchant caravan, and they came after us.”
The Bandit Leader thrust his chin forward, staring directly into the bearded man’s eyes.
“We’re the Ganes Guild. We’ve got a stranglehold on Tarados and these lands. And there are fools stupid enough to attack us knowing that?”
“They must be newcomers to the area. Even when we revealed our name, they didn’t back down.”
…….
The Bandit Leader turned his back abruptly and walked away. Then he picked up a beer mug and gulped it down in long, greedy swallows.
“Ahhhh.”
He wiped his mouth roughly and spoke.
“Tie them up.”
!
“The way they’re talking—they’re hiding something. Hang them upside down and pour some water down their throats. That’ll get them talking.”
“Yes, sir!”
The thieves closed in from all sides.
“W-what do we do now!”
The other thief beside him shrieked, his face turning ghastly pale. The bearded thief broke into a grin, stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them, folded his arms, and raised one finger to his lips as he spoke.
“I’ve always preferred doing the tying, not being tied~”
At that, the Bandit Leader’s face twisted into a scowl.
“What the——”
Swoosh-crash!
Snap!
The bandits rushing forward were suddenly ensnared by spider webs descending from the ceiling, their bodies wrenched violently upward into the air.
“Ahhhhh!”
“What—what is this?”
In an instant they hung like cocoons, suspended and writhing, while spiders perched above dripped venom from their jaws.
“When did—!”
The bearded man who had been posing seductively convulsed, his form unwinding like threads, until a gaunt woman stood revealed in his place.
She licked her lips and spoke.
“No need for lengthy explanations, is there? This cave belongs to us now.”
A deep, resonant boom shook the air.
One wall of the cave crumbled inward, and a boy tumbled out—pale gray skin, faded blonde hair, dressed in nobleman’s attire, a crown dangling from one hand.
“This is tedious! Can’t we just turn them all into zombies?”
One bandit charged at him recklessly, but the boy’s casual punch released such force that the man flew dozens of meters backward.
Everyone watching went rigid.
“Hehehehe! Skeletons would be far superior, wouldn’t they?”
Heads turned. A tall skeleton strode forward, swirling a cloak around itself.
“They grow so well!”
The skeleton’s white greatsword moved.

* * *
Several hours later.
The sound of carriage wheels rolling echoed through the quiet forest at dawn.
In front, a coachman white-knuckled the reins, eyes darting nervously at his surroundings, while Simon and Kassan sat comfortably in the back seat.
“K-Kizen students, are you truly taking this route?”
“Yes.”
Simon smiled brightly.
“Thank you for your help.”
“G-gah!”
Tears welled in the terrified coachman’s eyes.
He never imagined it would come to this. Yesterday, he’d thought the boys’ insistence on being driven to Tarados was merely a passing incident, but Simon and Kassan had tracked him down at his own home.
And before a coachman who’d insisted no amount of gold was worth his life, they’d produced nothing less than a Kizen second-year Student ID.
-If we cannot make this a request, we shall have to make it a command.
And so the coachman found himself ferrying two fearless Kizen boys toward a cave tunnel swarming with bandits.
“I—I don’t mean to doubt you two, but there could be hundreds, thousands of them in there! They’ve flattened entire territories! If you’re truly set on reaching Tarados, wouldn’t the mountain pass be safer?”
But Simon and Kassan weren’t listening. Simon was tackling overdue Summoning Studies coursework despite their perilous situation, while Kassan was organizing intelligence reports from the Thief Guild.
‘Good heavens, homework while our lives hang in the balance? This is what noble students are like!’
Only the coachman’s heart was being devoured by anxiety.
And so they arrived at the entrance to the cave tunnel guarded by bandits. Fortunately, no sentries were visible at the opening.
“A-are we really going in?”
“Yes.”
Simon scribbled with his quill pen as he spoke.
“I heard some information that the bandits all left together today for somewhere, so the place should be empty.”
‘That makes no sense whatsoever!!’
The coachman protested meekly, at least in his own mind.
“Don’t worry too much. Whatever happens, we’ll protect you. Oh, Kassan—for problem eleven here, is it true that Crypt Guards have an instinct to protect their own tombs?”
“According to the Guild’s files, Crypt Guards got their name only because tomb robbers were interrupted during their work. They have no protective instinct toward graves. The answer should be four.”
“We’re looking for the correct answer, not the incorrect option.”
Perfectly peaceful.
The coachman, eyes brimming with tears, urged the carriage toward the gaping maw of hell that the bandits guarded.
‘So this is how a life heavy with sorrow comes to an end. Mother, I shall see you soon.’
And so they entered the cave.
‘???’
They passed through to the opposite side without encountering a single enemy.
“W-what is this?”
An involuntary, hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Before them lay the far side of the cave, and the landscape of Tarados Territory appeared. Dawn was breaking.
‘Am I dreaming right now?’
“Thank you for your trouble,” Simon said.
Simon and Kassan stepped down from the carriage.
“Thank you for the ride. Here is the payment we promised.”
Clink—
The Coachman accepted the coin purse with an awkward laugh.
Had the real bandits all gone on a picnic together?
No, that couldn’t be it. Tarados wouldn’t leave a strategic point like this unmanned—not when they were focused on blocking all external movement.
He could guess the reason well enough.
‘These two arranged it beforehand.’
The Coachman clutched the money in his hand tightly.
‘If it’s Kizen…’
He lifted his head, emerging from his thoughts.
“H-how far into Tarados were you planning to go, sir?”
Kassan answered.
“If we keep heading east from here, we’ll reach the Harlem District. That’s where we’re thinking of starting.”
“Tarados has treacherous, complicated roads—first-timers usually get lost. Fortunately, this is my hometown. I’ve lived here since I was a child.”
The Coachman turned and smiled.
“I did charge quite a bit, and I’d rather not be accused of overcharging. My conscience demands I see you at least that far.”
Simon’s face brightened.
“Thank you so much! We’d be grateful!”
The two decided to continue their journey by carriage.
And in the cave tunnel—
Mmmph—
Hundreds of bandits thrashed about, bound by spider webs. Standing before them were Pier, Erzsebet, and Prince.
—Skreeee!
The Corpse Spiders raised their legs in a threatening gesture to demand silence, and the bandits instantly fell obedient.
[Hehehehe! The boy intends to keep moving by carriage!]
Erzsebet’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
[Let’s follow right behind him!]
[Understood!]
Pier turned away.
[Prince! You stay here and guard this place!]
[No way! Why me?!]
Prince protested, swinging both fists indignantly.
[You’re the only one in the Legion with the mobility to do this! When the fighting starts, tell the boy so he can prepare to possess that zombie over there!]
At that, Prince puffed up proudly.
[Hmph! If the Legion’s greatest mobility is needed, I have no choice! Go on, get out of here!]

* * *
Once a place of prosperity, teeming with countless adventurers.
The great territory of Tarados—once called the “Jewel of Freedom.”
Ironically, it had become the most oppressed place in the Kingdom, its movement both outward and inward now strictly controlled.
‘What on earth is happening in this place?’
Simon stretched his legs out in the carriage and unfolded the Request Letter from his satchel.
A plea barely communicated, conveyed only in cipher.
「Please save me」
It was loaded with meaning, no matter how he thought about it.
[Wait! Wait! Why does that even matter?]
The necklace around his neck rattled frantically. The Sword’s manifestation was thrashing about.
[Humans die anyway! What’s so serious about dying a little early? My main body! Hurry and help me find my main body!]
Simon’s expression turned sullen, and he flicked the necklace with a ping. Only then did the Sword quiet down somewhat.
“Come on! Is that really what’s important right now?”
A pink-haired girl with a sweet fragrance suddenly latched onto Simon.
“Here I am, having a carriage ride with this beautiful lady.”
No matter how hard he tried to focus, these two made it difficult to concentrate. Simon pried Erzsebet off his arm.
“I’ll deal with you later, Erzsebet.”
He understood the desire to ride together in the carriage, but her method of joining them was ridiculous.
The pink-haired girl in expensive clothes had suddenly popped up in front of the carriage, struck a pose, and shouted “Hitchhiking!”
It was careless—dangerously careless, even accounting for the presence of ordinary people around.
“Wasn’t that natural?”
“Natural?!”
Simon pressed his forehead.
“This is Tarados. The most dangerous place on the continent right now, with monsters everywhere. Do you really think it makes sense for a woman alone to be wandering the Wasteland and hitchhiking from a carriage?”
He’d poured everything into spinning a convincing tale for the Coachman, leaving himself completely drained.
But Erzsebet simply nodded with a smile on her face.
“Yes, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Entirely plausible, I’d say.”
“Not at all!”

* * *
At that same moment, in Tarados.
A band of thieves from the Ganes Guild on horseback churned up clouds of dust as they circled menacingly around their quarry.
“Oh, miss! What brings you alone to such a dangerous place?”
“At this rate, the monsters will devour you.”
“She’s a noble, isn’t she? A noble! What sort of ransom do you think we could demand?”
In the windswept wasteland, utterly out of place stood a girl in a short skirt and stockings, her copper-colored hair streaming in the gale.
“Haaa—”
She wore neither robe nor turban to shield her from the sand. Her appearance clashed entirely with the harsh terrain.
She yawned, opening her palm toward the wind.
“Though, isn’t something rather odd here?”
Even among the band of thieves, a few possessed working brains.
“A noblewoman so refined, so perfectly poised, just standing here in Tarados as if dropped from the sky! Look! There’s not even a speck of sand on her clothes!”
“So what of it!”
The Bandit Leader laughed harshly.
“Just think of it as the heavens dropping this woman here for me! From this moment on, she’s mine!”
At the Leader’s declaration, the other thieves stirred restlessly.
“B-but shouldn’t we present her to the boss?”
“We should capture her as a slave and sell her! Think of what we could get!”
“H-hey, boss! Can’t I enjoy some of this too? Right?”
While various opinions clashed over the girl’s fate—
“Hmm—”
The girl herself was weighing their worth.
“Should I rescue Simon when he gets captured? That seems too passive. Or maybe I hand them their heads as a gift and demand a Coupon? But that seems unnecessarily cruel.”
Hmm, hmm—
Even surrounded by dozens of mounted bandits, the girl tilted her head thoughtfully, absorbed entirely in her own deliberation.
“Listen here.”
A man who appeared to be the leader of the thief band approached, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Stop your mindless muttering and be my bride from now on. Get in the back seat. If you get even a scratch on you, your value drops, so it’s best you behave yourself.”
“My.”
The girl laughed, clasping her hands together.
“I’m afraid my position as a spouse comes at quite a premium~”
Slash!
The leader drew his sword and pointed it toward her.
“A premium? No matter how premium, isn’t your life’s value more than enough?”
“Hehe.”
A wind rose up.
White Feathers glowing with inner light whirled around her and the band of thieves.
The thieves’ eyes began to glaze over, one by one.
“There really are so many ways to commit suicide in this world.”

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