Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 586
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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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The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School — Episode 586
“We didn’t come here to play around.”
Crack!
Aaron raised his hand lightly and blocked the snowball. As his fist clenched, the projectile crumbled to powder, and the watching teaching assistants exhaled in relief.
“Prepare breakfast and ready yourselves for class. And Simon Polentia.”
Simon, who had just returned from a secret meeting with Erzsebet, startled at the sudden summons.
“Yes, sir! Professor.”
“Come see me for a moment.”
Aaron turned and walked away without another word.
Lorain, Toto, and Esu approached as if to ask what was happening, but Simon merely shrugged and followed Aaron.
* * *
The two arrived at a secluded corner even within the Base Camp.
A small storage building appeared, barely large enough for one person to squeeze through, with stacks of firewood piled behind it.
Simon and Aaron seated themselves on tree stumps. The Head Teaching Assistant approached and distributed a cup of steaming cocoa to each of them.
‘W-what’s this about?’
Simon was breaking into a cold sweat.
Had he somehow detected his meeting with Erzsebet? She was certainly a specialist in barrier magic, capable of moving freely through the Kizen Campus, but against Aaron, who knew?
Once the Head Teaching Assistant had withdrawn, Aaron began to speak.
“Starting today, I intend to begin direct discipleship counseling and instruction.”
“……Oh!”
Simon felt relief wash over him, and his eyes brightened.
Aaron had agreed to take Simon on as a direct disciple starting from second year, but until now had given no special education or counsel.
Filled with profound happiness, Simon replied eagerly.
“I’ll work hard!”
“Good.”
Aaron leaned back slightly.
“Is there anything you’d like to ask about or any concerns? Or if there’s something you wish to learn during direct discipleship instruction, we can orient the lessons toward that as well.”
“There is!”
Simon answered immediately.
“I want to create a Bone Dragon!”
Pfft!
Aaron spilled the cocoa he was drinking. As he coughed, apparently choking, his eyes rolled toward Simon.
“What kind of insane talk is that?”
Simon quietly withdrew a pearl-like orb from his pocket.
“Neftis gave it to me. Inside this is the corpse of a dragon.”
Simon explained how he had received the Bone Dragon from Neftis.
And then.
“I made a promise in front of Neftis. Before second year ends, I will absolutely complete the Bone Dragon!”
A twitch began forming at the corner of Aaron’s mouth as he listened to the explanation.
‘……What sort of grand delusion has this one been given now.’
It was fine to take care of the student he’d selected as Special Case #1, to provide motivation.
But something with at least a shred of realism would have been better.
She could simply toss out a remark and be done with it, but actualizing that genius’s passion into concrete goals fell entirely to Aaron alone.
‘In any case, that person.’
Aaron took a sip of cocoa and gnashed his teeth inwardly.
“I need to make one thing absolutely clear.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“It is realistically impossible.”
Aaron set down his cocoa cup and continued.
“I acknowledge your accomplishment and talent in creating a Lich at the end of first year. But a Bone Dragon is an entirely different magnitude. Bringing a legendary creature back as undead and commanding it is the dream of every summoner, but dreams are most beautiful when they remain dreams. Even high-level necromancers scarcely dare to attempt a Bone Dragon.”
“Is it truly that difficult?”
“It isn’t merely difficult.”
Aaron’s eyes hardened.
“The rarity of materials means research and specimens are scarce, and the method of creation hasn’t been properly established. The necromancers who possess one are extremely few.”
Simon tilted his head in confusion.
“Not even you can create one, Professor?”
‘……This one.’
Aaron’s smiling face twitched once. Necromancers were very honest creatures.
“Of course, I have created one and am currently operating it in actual combat.”
“Then you could teach me, couldn’t you?”
Simon’s eyes sparkled with interest.
‘Damn it.’
Every time Aaron saw that bright, eager gaze, it dredged up painful memories of his own childhood.
Deliberately avoiding his student’s stare, he spoke in a measured tone.
“It’s not as simple as you make it sound. You’ll need to master your field of study first, then sharpen your knowledge exclusively for Bone Dragons. Even if you could somehow complete it, you might not be capable of controlling it.”
Simon answered with confidence.
“I still want to take on the challenge!”
‘……Yes. I knew you’d say that.’
Not a trace of hesitation, no wavering, no doubt.
That passion, that surging youthful energy.
He wasn’t the type to measure things by practicality or limited samples. If he wanted to do something, he’d do it—and he’d see it through to the end.
Aaron already knew he wouldn’t be able to stop Simon.
Just as he’d have no power to convince his younger self, if he could somehow travel back to meet the boy he used to be.
“Your workload is going to triple what everyone else does.”
Simon nodded earnestly.
“I’m prepared for that.”
“……I understand your resolve.”
Aaron closed his eyes tightly and let his arms drop.
“But there’s one condition.”
“Say whatever you need to, sir!”
“If you’re going to make a Bone Dragon but you’re still stumbling around with Durahans, that makes no sense. By the midterm examination at least, I want you to bring me a Durahan that’s out of standard specification—something that surprises me. If you do that, we’ll start preparing Bone Dragon lessons after midterms.”
“Understood!”
Before Aaron could change his mind, Simon quickly nodded. The message was clear: focus on Durahans for the midterm season.
“I’ll create the finest Durahan among all my classmates!”
“I’m counting on it.”
The two of them continued talking about various things when heavy footsteps sounded from behind.
Simon turned to look back.
‘The second direct disciple, then?’
The figure that appeared was none other than Hector.
Simon smiled quietly, as if he’d expected as much.
Hector, seeing the back of Simon’s head, furrowed his brow as if he’d anticipated this encounter too.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Hector sat down, and Simon, having finished his consultation, stepped back. Aaron spoke.
“Simon Polentia. Go back and call the next student.”
By regulation, there were three direct disciples.
Simon and Hector accounted for two; Simon thought the third would likely be Aseraz. Serne wasn’t the type for such things, and as far as he knew, Lorain received instruction directly from Neftis.
“Should I bring Aseraz?”
“Unfortunately, Aseraz became a direct disciple of another professor back in first year.”
“Ah. Then who is……”
Aaron opened his mouth with a calm expression.
“Bring White.”
“?!”
* * *
Aaron’s decision to make White a direct disciple was completely unexpected for Simon.
Why White, of all people?
Whenever Simon saw White, he recalled how Aaron’s expression would stiffen noticeably.
‘Hmm.’
But he couldn’t question the Kizen professor’s decision.
Simon returned and went looking for White.
“…….”
He found him without difficulty.
While other students bustled about preparing for morning or played in snowball fights, White sat motionless in his usual spot, staring blankly at the sky.
“White.”
Simon called to him, but White didn’t turn around. His hair, bleached white as his name suggested, swayed gently in the wind.
“Professor Aaron is calling for you.”
Still, he seemed to understand the words well enough.
White rose slowly from his seat.
Crunch, crunch—
The sound of footsteps on snow echoed.
Simon confirmed that White was walking away and turned to leave, but then—
‘!’
Suddenly White appeared behind Simon. So startled he nearly reflexively subdued him.
“You.”
White’s mouth opened.
“Are there two of you?”
“…What, what?”
What on earth was he talking about?
As Simon stood there bewildered, White turned his head.
“No, I guess not.”
Then he resumed walking with the same measured pace.
“???”
Still an incomprehensible fellow, Simon thought.
* * *
True to the nature of an intensive training camp, the schedule remained grueling.
“The Rune Language must function completely. Only students who successfully activate it will proceed to the next station. Those who fail will keep attempting until they succeed.”
“The Dark Element must flow from the Bio-Organic Component like a faucet. If the volume is insufficient, your mana conversion efficiency drops.”
“If the circle doesn’t bind properly, problems arise when the Durahan uses its Aura. Practice until it binds correctly.”
The students gasped for breath and struggled to keep pace with instruction. Completing not just Durahan crafting but mastering its control within a week was far more demanding than any course they’d taken before.
When lunch finally arrived, they all collapsed into their seats with hollow eyes.
“Ugh, I need to eat but I have no strength left,” Esu groaned.
There was no rest, though. Before the students could completely fall apart, the teaching assistants called out the remaining time and pushed them back into motion.
“Strange that it’s only been Professor Aaron teaching,” Simon said.
He was grilling reindeer meat he’d brought as Lorain joined him.
“Are the other professors not coming to this camp?”
“Theory comes first, so I suppose that’s why.”
Summoning Material Studies involved handling Undead materials and creating Chimeras, but it was still too early for hands-on Durahan crafting.
Funeral Studies was equally necessary—a course for handling already-completed Undead more effectively.
Toto, who’d been washing vegetables nearby, looked up.
“I heard the teaching assistants talking! It sounds like one more professor is coming soon?”
“Really?”
Toto was right.
After lunch ended and students lined up waiting, a familiar face appeared.
“Attention!”
A burly, muscular man in sunglasses—Grerion, the Summoning Material Studies professor—stepped forward.
“All fifty-two of us in the Summoning Department—we’re heading to the battlefield this evening!”
The sudden mention of “battlefield” sent murmurs rippling through the students. Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses.
“I knew something was up.”
“There’s no way this passes without something major. This has to be a large-scale Practical Assessment.”
Among the students, it had already become accepted fact that there would be a major Practical Assessment centered on Durahan crafting.
As they murmured among themselves, Grerion spoke again.
“I hear you’ve all been honing your Durahan crafting skills! But if you’re going to make a Durahan, you might as well make it from the finest materials. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, sir!”
“We’re heading to the Gahal Tribe Fortress!”
Grerion explained that the Gahal Tribe’s fortress in Frogod Chachigoo was under attack by monsters, and they were going to rescue them.
Just as they’d gone to the desert before to catch Ratchers for Ghoul materials, Grerion always prioritized Necromancers’ positive contributions to society.
“We will support the Gahal Tribe Fortress and fight alongside them. Of course, we’re not going merely for humanitarian reasons.”
A smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“Now that knights are extinct, the finest Durahan material a Necromancer can obtain—the Guardian—will appear on that battlefield.”
“!!”
Light flickered back into the students’ wavering eyes.
Among the three premier Durahan materials—Ogrelord, Abaddon, and Guardian—Grerion was saying they could obtain the Guardian, the absolute finest.
This was a monster material money couldn’t buy.
“I don’t know if even one of these fifty-two will manage to obtain a Guardian, but don’t miss the chance to craft a Guardian Durahan. We’re departing late this evening, so prepare thoroughly!”
“Yes, sir!”
The incentive dangled before them was extraordinary.
The students snapped to attention and began making preparations.
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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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