Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 612

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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 612
The lights had been switched off.
Black curtains hung decisively over the windows.
Within the artificially constructed darkness, silhouettes of people stirred restlessly.
“All preparations are complete.”
“At last, I set foot on Kizen soil.”
“I have awaited this day for so long.”
Voices echoed furtively through the room.
“The fate of the clan rests upon this.”
Then a figure in the center rose.
“Our opponent is Kizen. Prepare with absolute precision.”

* * *
During his time at Kizen, Simon had never before witnessed so many outsiders walking freely through the school grounds.
On occasions when external visitors had come in large numbers, it had amounted to nothing more than spectators for events or parents attending graduation ceremonies. But now, even setting aside the spectators entirely, the sheer number of technicians, merchants, and dignitaries arriving to prepare for the Dark Festival far exceeded any previous record.
He wondered what it would be like once the Dark Festival truly began. He found himself already looking forward to it.
Tap, tap!
The sound of hammering rang out busily across Rocksum. Vendors assembled stalls and small structures on-site, carrying materials themselves, while larger constructions like the arena were relocated wholesale using Teleport Magic Circles.
Of course, given that external structures were being transplanted directly into Rocksum, meticulous inspection and verification were necessary.
Simon himself had been notified to attend the survey as a representative of the Student Council.
He’d left the Student Council Room in the capable hands of Dick and Kamibarez, deciding instead to accompany Vice President Merin to inspect the sites.
“Do you see anything out of place?”
Merin had asked this suddenly, turning to look at Simon. She let her long sky-blue hair, which cascaded to her waist, fall loosely as she struck a pose with her hand lightly grasping her Student Council Armband.
Her rippling azure locks seemed to shimmer with an unusual radiance today, and her sapphire eyes were wide open, waiting for his answer.
Simon, who had been gazing absently for a moment, quickly nodded.
“Not that I can see. Seems just like always…….”
In an instant, Merin’s eyes narrowed, her expression turning newly sharp.
Clearly, that wasn’t the right answer.
Simon felt a warning light flare in his mind and hastily added,
“……but it’s different somehow! What’s the word? It’s like you’re trying hard not to try hard.”
“Really?”
Fortunately, Merin seemed satisfied by that addition.
She appeared to be in high spirits today. Merin walked with a spring in her step as she picked up the clipboard.
“As you know, Kizen is leasing arenas for use during the Dark Festival via Teleportation Magic. There are three locations total.”
Kizen’s scale was truly beyond imagination.
“We’ll be meeting with the arena owners alongside committee members, and we’ll need to verify that there are no safety issues within each facility.”
“Understood.”
Simon brushed off his Student Council coat lightly and fell into step with Merin.
It was a rare moment of ease.
Setting aside his duties for the moment and walking through the park like this, breathing in the scent of grass, he felt his mind clearing.
“Hey, Simon.”
“Hmm?”
She twisted a strand of her flowing sky-blue hair between her fingertips, then turned her gaze bashfully down toward her feet.
“Am I being helpful to the Student Council?”
Here was the very person who had been the driving force behind the Student Council, practically dragging it forward by the collar—and she was asking something like that.
It struck Simon as somewhat ironic, but given how volatile Merin’s emotional state had been of late, he could understand. He smiled gently and spoke.
“You’re the best, Merin.”
Merin flinched, her face flushing red.
“W-who asks to hear something like that! I was being serious when I……!”
“Even if any third-year student had become vice president instead,”
Simon continued in a serious tone.
“None of them would have accomplished what you have.”
He meant it sincerely.
Upon hearing this, Merin’s eyes began to glisten. The tips of her ears had taken on a faint redness.
“I—I don’t know!”
She strode forward briskly, leaving him behind, and Simon followed with a smile.
Soon the two emerged onto the carriage road. Mojo, Simon’s direct subordinate, was waiting for them at the carriage.
“Student Council President, Vice President. I am at your service.”
The Dark Festival spread across the entirety of Rocksum, and since the arenas were located quite some distance from the campus grounds, they had decided to travel by carriage.
Mojo drove the carriage himself. Simon and Merin took their time enjoying the ride, chatting pleasantly at last with minds at ease.
Time slipped away in an instant.
“We’ve arrived.”
The moment Simon stepped out of the carriage, he spotted a familiar face among the adults standing before the arena.
A perfectly tailored suit, a restrained bob cut, and an expression of cold severity.
It was Jane—Vice Chancellor of Kizen and chair of the Dark Festival Committee for this year.
“Professor Jane!”
Merin bounded forward with a bright smile. Simon followed, offering a respectful nod.
“You’ve arrived. Student Council President. Vice President.”
As expected, Jane addressed her students by their titles. Simon found himself grinning inwardly at how sharply she kept work and personal life separate.
Around her stood several mustachioed men—committee members, it seemed—engaged in conversation.
And before them stood a group of men in rather shabby work clothes.
“Allow me to introduce them.”
Jane introduced Simon and Merin to the gathered crowd.
These men owned the arena itself—they were called the Balkeje Clan, an apparently well-established family of some renown.
‘Hmm.’
Simon found them rather untrustworthy. The way they glanced about nervously, eyes darting here and there, made them look like people with something to hide.
After exchanging greetings with them, Simon finally turned his attention to the arena itself.
Was it an ancient ruin? It was unmistakably a colosseum of considerable age.
It was built of stone, and when he ran his palm across the surface, it felt rough and uneven. The arena’s walls were riddled with openings like windows, and grass and trees sprouted here and there from the cracks.
He suspected not all arenas looked like this. There were surely cleaner, more modern facilities available, so the choice of this particular arena must have been related to the exam itself.
Of course, he couldn’t have asked Jane about it.
“Now then, shall we head inside?”
As they walked, Jane fired sharp questions at the Balkeje Clan members who owned the arena, and each time they responded with beads of sweat rolling down their faces.
If anyone had thought that Kizen, being so large an organization, would overlook minor issues, they would have been sorely mistaken. Jane’s pointed criticism of the building’s condition and repair costs was so meticulous that the Balkeje Clan ultimately agreed to cover the maintenance expenses themselves.
Apparently impressed by Jane’s thoroughness, Merin’s eyes shone as she meticulously recorded every one of Jane’s questions in her notebook.
Soon they entered the arena proper.
“What?”
Merin’s mouth fell open.
“This was a swimming pool?”
Splash-splash-splash—!
Water cascaded down like a waterfall from a statue in the center of the arena. The arena floor was filled with crystal-blue water, and the entire spectator seating looked out over the scene below.
‘Wow.’
Simon was impressed too. A genuinely ancient classical swimming facility combined with an arena.
It was a magnificent place. The nobility would clamor for even a brief chance to sit in these stands.
“Then, we shall begin our inspection.”
Jane looked around at the committee members, Simon, and Merin as she spoke.
“We need to walk through the entire arena and confirm whether there are any elements that might pose a hindrance or threat to the students’ matches. Please examine even the submerged portions thoroughly.”
At that moment, Simon blinked.
“What about us?”
Simon and Merin were still in their school uniforms. Jane and the committee members could likely move about without getting wet by using dark magic, but the two of them hadn’t yet learned magic of that caliber.
Jane placed her hands on her hips, her expression unreadable.
“The Student Council is not exempt. Change into swimming suits and begin the inspection.”
“I’m sorry—what?”
Merin looked aghast.
“We didn’t bring swimming suits!”
“Mojo.”
Jane turned her head, calling Mojo’s name, and both their gazes shifted.
There stood Mojo, calm as anything, already holding up swimming suits for both of them.
“No! Why do you have my swimming suit?!”
Merin’s face flushed crimson as she bolted forward, waving her arms frantically.

* * *
Simon emerged from a nearby changing area dressed in swimming shorts.
Jane and the committee members had apparently already set off on their inspection.
And.
……
Merin sat crouched, her face bright red, hugging herself.
Ever since changing into her swimming suit, she hadn’t uttered a single word—she’d remained in that position the whole time. Simon gave a wry smile.
“Want to wait here?”
“I’m… I’m going!”
Merin let out a sharp squeak and immediately hung her head, her face flushed crimson.
“I’m the Vice President of Kizen too, you know.”
“…Why bring that up now? We went to the beach together in our swimming suits before.”
Back in first year, they’d all practiced Dark Magic on the beach in preparation for the BMAT held out at sea.
But now there were barely any spectators, and the suit she wore today showed far less skin than what she’d worn back then.
“That was the beach!”
Merin’s flushed face erupted in protest.
“And it wasn’t fair — only the two of us were wearing swimming suits!”
“…Ha ha.”
Simon couldn’t quite grasp the distinction, but there was no arguing with genuine embarrassment.
Simon shot a cold glare across the distance at the Balkeje Clan members who kept stealing glances, then took a step forward.
Getting in quickly seemed like the better option.
“I’ll go first then.”
“Wh—what?”
Simon pinched his nose and dove powerfully into the water-filled arena.
Splash!
A massive spray of water erupted as Simon’s body plunged inside with a gurgling sound.
‘Oh.’
He’d worried because the water was so vivid blue, but the quality looked better than expected. Simon forgot his duties for a moment and splashed around gleefully.
The fatigue and stress that had accumulated seemed to wash away.
“Merin! Come in! It’s refreshing—feels amazing!”
Simon surfaced with a wide grin. Merin, who’d been peeking hesitantly, squeezed her eyes shut and stood up.
“Ugh, fine, I don’t care anymore!”
Then she dove in with a graceful diving pose.
Splash!
Merin made it in safely. Her eyes widened in surprise at how refreshing it was. Soon she forgot her earlier embarrassment entirely and paddled about playfully, gliding through the water.
The two of them hadn’t been splashing around long when Merin, remembering the task, pointed ahead.
They cast Breathing Magic and swam through the entire arena, inspecting its condition.
The ancient arena looked impressive and steeped in history, but as old as it was, there were quite a few jagged protrusions jutting out in places.
If the competing students touched any of them, their skin could be torn or they could suffer serious injury—so Simon checked everything carefully.
Swish—
Then Merin, deeper below, gently tugged at Simon’s foot.
‘!’
Merin’s azure hair rippled beautifully around her, making her look like a mermaid straight out of a fairy tale.
When Simon went blank for a moment, she flailed her arms in annoyance and pointed downward.
The floor was peeling away, and something reddish was visible as if it had oxidized. The water was too deep to see much change, but they decided to report this to the committee as well.
After finishing their investigation, the two climbed out of the arena.
“Phew!”
“Huff!”
Simon climbed out first and offered Merin his hand. The moment she emerged, water dripped from her as she launched into a barrage of complaints.
“Seriously, isn’t this a disaster? The arena’s maintenance condition is completely terrible! Especially underwater—there’s way too much that needs fixing.”
“Right. Let’s organize it and tell Professor Jane.”
Merin pulled out her checklist from her subspace storage. After rewriting the sections they’d confirmed out of the water, she dove right back in.
Given the remaining time, this would be their final dive.
Gurgle-gurgle!
Because the place was so deep and vast, there was so much she wanted to explore. Merin had gotten swept up in the swim and moved forward steadily.
‘This is work, but it’s actually kind of fun.’
While everyone else was studying, here they were swimming alone in an empty arena. It felt slightly rebellious, which somehow made it an oddly pleasant experience.
[Boy.]
Then Pier’s fragment form, which he’d placed in his swimming suit pocket, called out to him.
‘What is it, Pier?’
[I sense a strange aura nearby!]
A strange aura? Pier was no undead given to nonsense, so Simon immediately stopped moving.
‘Where? I’ll go check right away.’
[A bit further down from here.]
Simon cut through the water in one swift motion and descended to the bottom. The surroundings grew steadily darker.
[This way to the right!]
[You need to pass that pillar-like thing!]
Following Pier’s guidance, Simon continued onward until he suddenly reached the water channel of the arena.
When this arena originally stood in the region, it had used the nearby river, which meant this place was submerged in water all 365 days of the year.
At first glance, it was the sort of passage one could easily overlook, but Simon followed Pier’s guidance and scraped away the moss coating the Arena wall.
‘!’
There, embedded in the Arena’s surface, was an opening—something that evoked the image of an underwater cavern. If he’d simply glanced and moved on, he would have missed it entirely.
Simon narrowed his eyes and peered into the opening.
‘The passage goes upward. Where does it lead?’
Merin, it seemed, had grown concerned about him and was swimming over. Simon quickly told her about the hole he’d found, and the two of them entered together.
They swam along the passage, ascending steadily.
“Gasp!”
“Hah!”
Soon both of them broke the surface.
They had emerged into a cave.
“What is this place!”
Merin spoke in alarm, her voice sharp with surprise. Simon’s eyes widened as he took in his surroundings.
“It’s like a basement…… Is such a structure even possible beneath the Arena?”
A hidden natural cavern concealed within the Arena itself. The two exchanged glances and nodded at each other.
As members of Kizen’s Student Council, they couldn’t simply walk past this. Prepared for any contingency, they summoned the Dark Element and advanced slowly.
“!!”
Then, without warning, Merin stopped in her tracks, her face draining of color as she covered her mouth.
“What is it?”
“Si—Simon! Over there……!”
Scattered across the cavern floor were bones—strewn in chaotic disarray.
Human bones.

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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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