Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 697

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

Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School: Episode 697
After finishing his conversation with Aezel, Simon entered the Student Council Room.
“Oh.”
“You’re back?”
In the hushed atmosphere, the Student Council members lifted their heads with tense expressions.
Though they were working at their desks, their anxiety was impossible to hide.
“……What did Aezel say?”
Vice President Merin asked on everyone’s behalf.
“We’re not fighting today, are we?”
Kamibarez clasped her hands tightly, speaking with evident worry.
“Should I prepare a sedative?”
Dick asked with a dark gleam in his eye. Simon shook his head.
“Professor Jane pulled some strings for us. The duel with Aezel has been postponed until after the Final Exam.”
“Really!?”
“So we can stay together until the Final Exam is over?”
“We don’t have to separate right now!”
Cheers erupted from the members.
Merin and Kamibarez high-fived and bounced on their heels, while Dick climbed onto the desk, whistling and waving his School Uniform jacket about.
‘Are they really that happy about it?’
Malcolm, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, let out a soft laugh and stood up.
“It’s work hours, so I’m heading out for patrol.”
“Yeah, thanks for your hard work.”
Malcolm placed a hand briefly on Simon’s shoulder before leaving the Student Council Room.
Simon hung his Student Council President Coat on the rack and took his seat.
“Oh, wait.”
At Simon’s words, everyone’s head turned anxiously. Malcolm, already at the door, immediately poked his head back in.
“I’ll do my best to make sure we can hold onto our positions even after the Final Exam.”
Everyone looked at Simon with sympathetic expressions. Merin snorted softly and smiled.
“Come on, we’re not worried about that. What’s more important is you maintaining your rank as top second-year, right?”
“Well, I suppose……”
“Even if we’re not in the same year, we can meet again in third year! I think that would be nice too!”
Whether it was Merin or Kamibarez, they weren’t doubting Simon’s strength—they were simply trying to spare him from anxiety with their words.
Feeling the warmth of their hearts, Simon found himself grateful.
“No, really. Simon could even beat Aezel! I’m serious!”
Dick spoke without a hint of tact. Merin gave him a sharp look, and he flinched reflexively like a mouse caught by a cat.
“You’re the worst, you commoner! Do you know that?”
“Wh-what did I do!?”
Simon and Kamibarez exchanged a laugh as they watched the two of them.
His first day back passed quietly away in the Student Council Room.

* * *
Dick had thrown a tantrum about taking a trip to Rochester to celebrate the Student Council’s continued existence, so Simon’s arrival at the Dormitory was delayed.
Having collected the Golem Core, Simon walked at a leisurely pace toward the Main Gate of the Summoning Department Dormitory.
An aged but magnificent wooden structure, the Forbidden Forest spreading like a painting beyond it, work bones scattered throughout the grounds, and a gargoyle statue standing at the entrance.
Though he’d been away for only a few weeks, everything about the school felt nostalgic.
Simon fastened his jacket and pushed open the door.
Crackle—crackle—
The interior was warm. The sound of a fireplace tickled his ears, and the orange glow eased his eyes. No matter how many times he came, it felt less like a student dormitory and more like an inn nestled somewhere deep within a vast forest.
Simon was heading toward the Dormitory manager to check in when—
“Not dead, and crawling back in just fine, I see.”
Hector, sitting in the Break Room in the distance, was scowling darkly.
That menacing expression hadn’t changed one bit.
Simon smiled broadly.
“Thanks for worrying about me, Hector.”
“Do you want to die?”
Hector let out heat from his mouth like a dragon, irritation flashing across his face.
A genuine dragon’s growl rumbled in the air.
“You delayed your return just for that special class, as if life in Kizen were a walk in the park.”
He folded his arms arrogantly.
“While you catch up on the coursework you missed, I’ll keep climbing. I’m going to change who the Valedictorian is this semester.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Hector murmured as he leaned back toward the break room.
“At least I’ll have some breathing room once I step down from the president’s position.”
“Oh, that. We decided to keep going until after the final exam?”
A sharp click of the tongue echoed loudly from the break room. Simon laughed aloud and moved forward.
When he reached the lobby, the dormitory manager greeted him warmly.
“Thank you for your work. I’m here to report my return.”
“Please sign here. If you left any items at the lobby during your deployment, check the box next to it. And you can book a room cleaning service until tomorrow morning if your roommate agrees. If your School Uniform’s barrier is broken or needs repairs, just let me know.”
Simon handed over the School Uniforms whose barriers had worn out.
The manager also provided various complimentary items—medicinal patches to wear on the body, fatigue-relief packs, and the like.
“Rest easy now.”
“Thank you.”
Simon gathered his luggage and moved on.
‘I hope everyone made it back without injuries.’
“Oh.”
“The president’s back! Welcome home!”
Several classmates from the Summoning Department approached him familiarly in the lobby. Given the late hour, they were all dressed casually.
Simon exchanged warm greetings with his peers before asking.
“By the way, where are you all headed?”
“To the underground workshop to prep for tomorrow’s practical assessment. It’s an Arachnid Assembly project.”
A female student with braided hair pointed downward with the tip of her finger.
“The final exam’s coming up, so they’re dumping high-weight practical assessments on us.”
“I see. Thanks for letting me know.”
Now that he thought about it, the unusual quiet made sense—tomorrow was a practical assessment day.
‘A practical assessment the moment I get back.’
Simon swallowed his tears inwardly.
He’d planned to collapse into bed the instant his head hit the pillow, but it looked like he’d need to at least skim through the textbooks.
“Simon?”
Just then.
A girl with black hair and crimson eyes was walking toward him.
Neftis’s daughter and the next headmaster, Lorain Arkbold.
At her appearance, the surrounding students smiled knowingly and quietly stepped aside.
“Oh, Lorain.”
“I’m relieved you made it back safely.”
She placed a hand on her chest and released a sigh of relief.
Her black hair still held moisture, as if she’d just showered, and a faint soap scent wafted from her.
“You’re not hurt anywhere?”
As always, she fussed over Simon with mature concern, examining his condition. Each time she stepped closer, the soap scent lingered at the bridge of his nose.
Then.
“Your return took quite a while.”
She said this while gazing at Simon intently.
Her eyes held the look of someone who understood more than expected.
Which made sense—she was one of the few people who knew Simon was the Legion Commander of the Legion of Betrayal.
When the entire Federation had been in upheaval over the Legion of Betrayal crisis, Neftis had created an unscheduled “Special Class” curriculum and whisked Simon away to a region beyond public scrutiny.
Fortunately, the Legion of Betrayal issue had since been overshadowed by the Sacred Federation’s border provocations.
‘I wasn’t dragged into another one of mother’s strange schemes, was I?’
That’s what Lorain’s eyes were asking.
But Simon couldn’t answer here. As he hesitated, she lowered her lashes and made a new proposal.
“Want to go to a café with me tomorrow?”
On the surface, it sounded like a date invitation. Classmates watching from a distance had flushed faces and were whispering excitedly.
‘Lorain’s making her move!’
‘Right after he got back—this is the chance!’
‘Where’s Serne? Why is she just standing there watching?’
Simon laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“Would the day after tomorrow work instead? Tomorrow’s packed solid with make-up classes.”
“Sure. Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”
She turned and smiled back at him over her shoulder.
“Sorry for holding you up—you must be exhausted. Sleep well.”
Simon felt his face flush without meaning to as he waved. She headed down to the underground workshop, apparently to prepare for her own practical assessment.
Watching her disappear from sight, Simon shouldered his luggage again and continued on.
The moment Lorain disappeared, the tension drained away, and exhaustion came flooding back in waves.
‘I’m going to die.’
At this rate, he wouldn’t even manage to skim the textbook before the Field Exam—he’d collapse the instant his head hit the pillow.
Simon climbed the wooden stairs leading to the Dormitory Room.
Creak—
Creak—
His exhaustion made his vision swim and blur.
Simon dragged himself up the remaining steps and reached his door.
Knock, knock.
“Toto, it’s me. I’m coming in.”
Toto didn’t answer, only the soft sound of running water came from inside.
‘Must be showering.’
Simon pushed open the door and stepped into the Dormitory Room. He could hear water running from the Bathroom. He dropped his bag on the bed and collapsed beside it.
The moment he entered, the tension evaporated completely and his body grew heavy with fatigue. He was on the verge of sleep. If he closed his eyes now, he’d wake straight into tomorrow morning.
‘No, I can’t fall asleep.’
Simon fought through the drowsiness and pulled a book from his bag.
‘Arachnid, right? Is that one of those spider-type Undead too?’
He was searching the table of contents for the Arachnid section when—
Knock, knock—
A knock came from the direction of the Bathroom.
The door cracked open slightly, and a hand emerged, gesturing as if requesting something.
“What do you need?”
Simon asked.
The hand quickly withdrew, and a wet towel was tossed out.
Must be out of towels. Despite his exhaustion, Simon grabbed a dry one and walked over.
Bang!
Suddenly the Bathroom door swung wide open. Simon jerked back in shock and nearly fell.
Through the haze of steam, someone appeared.
“!”
Taller than Toto.
No, wait.
“??!”
It wasn’t male.
Simon froze in place.
“Hmm~”
The girl wrapped the towel Simon had brought around herself and walked out with an elegant gait. Simon whipped his head away in panic and shouted.
“Wait, hold on! What are you doing in my room—!”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
A girl with platinum blonde hair smiled.
“This is my room.”
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The walls and wallpaper around him began to shift and change. Before he knew it, his and Toto’s Dormitory Room had transformed into an unfamiliar space.
Simon realized too late that white feathers embedded in the walls were dissolving into the air and vanishing—a perfect erasure of evidence.
‘Don’t tell me—!’
The official Heir to the Ivory Tower.
Serne, wrapped in a towel, wore a knowing smile.
“Even if it’s been a while, you didn’t miss me that much, did you? Simon.”
Simon, sleep forgotten, cried out with a flushed face.
“Serne! Why would you do something like this—!”
She laughed carelessly and sat on her own bed.
Then she picked up a glass of juice.
“The Student Council President of Kizen sneaking into a female student’s room to peek? If word got out, the school would become quite the scandal, wouldn’t it?”
Simon pressed his hand to his throbbing forehead.
“…What’s the point of all this?”
“I just wanted to see you?”
Her playful smile only made his headache worse. She murmured quietly.
“That’s why you make me jealous, getting so close to that—”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing at all.”
Serne crossed her legs and raised her fingertips with a slight smile.
“Then in return, will you tell me first? What happened in the Northern Region.”

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