Summoning Genius of Kizen - Chapter 114 Simon's pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck, revealing the face beneath the hood. It was a face Simon already knew, no, not just knew, but saw at least once a day. 'Kazhan Edvalt...!' Faded gray hair and a long scar visible over his right eye. Even his characteristic sharp, slit eyes. It was definitely Kazhan. Simon struggled to regain his composure from the shock but managed to maintain his calm and asked, [Answer me. Are you a Priest?] Kazhan wore a languid expression. "I'll ask you back. Do I look like a Priest to you?" Simon bit his lip. [I'm not in the mood for jokes.] "The only answer you'll get from me is 'no'. Ultimately, it's all up to your judgment. Do as you please, kill me or let me live." Simon cooled his head and recalled the battle he just had with Kazhan. At the same time, he also recalled the battle with the Priest he encountered when he was with Kamibarez. Their fighting styles were completely different. Kazhan was a thorough martial combatant, while the Priest he met back then primarily used Jet Black magic. Of course, it was possible they fought in different ways to deceive Simon. But if Kazhan had been proficient in Jet Black magic from the start, he wouldn't have been caught by Simon in the first place. Kazhan fought with genuine intent, making deception unlikely. Moreover, the unique aura emanating from each person, their gait, attitude, and habits. It wasn't difficult to distinguish that they were completely different individuals. But Simon still didn't lower the greatsword pointed at his neck. [Answer me. What were you doing in the Forbidden Forest?] Kazhan slowly closed his eyes. "I was looking for a Priest who infiltrated Kizen." Simon's lips formed a straight line. His objective was exactly the same as Simon's. "I was searching the Forbidden Forest, following the traces of a Priest, when a strange woman who identified herself as a Priest approached me, and I initiated a fight to interrogate her. Is that a sufficient answer?" [Lastly.] Simon swallowed dryly and continued, [Why are you chasing that Priest?] "I received a commission. Normally, revealing the client's name is forbidden, but..." Kazhan looked at the artifact necklace around Simon's neck. "You'll be fine. The client is Lady Neptis Arcbold." *Screech.* Finally, Simon's greatsword lowered. -I've already commissioned my trusted subordinates to investigate. We're slowly finding clues. This aligned with what Neptis had told him when he met her at Lorraine's house. Furthermore, Kazhan directly showed him a commission letter with Neptis's seal from his subspace. There seemed to be no more room for doubt. "But." Kazhan scratched the scar on his right eye. "When did you get such a cool skull helmet? Simon Pollentia." [.......] Simon sighed lightly, took off Pier's skull, and put it behind his neck. "You noticed from the beginning?" "Vaguely." Kazhan gave a slight smile. "When you first shouted 'Erze', I knew it was your voice and tried to help. But I quickly realized that you and that woman, Erze, were working together." "......." Just then, Erzebet crossed her arms and glared fiercely at Kazhan. "I engaged in combat, thinking you might be an Efnel collaborator, but it seems you're not. If you were truly Efnel, you would have cleanly taken my head as a witness. And..." Kazhan's gaze once again turned towards Simon's artifact. "A genuine article imbued with Lady Neptis's power. That's something Priests can't even imitate." "What exactly is this?" Simon fiddled with the necklace and asked. Kazhan plopped down on the grass and pulled out a potion from his subspace. "You'll find out when you truly 'experience death'. Just know that for now." Then he took off his clothes and began pouring the potion all over his body. [Boy. Now is your only chance to kill him.] Pier's booming voice warned Simon in his mind. Simon's gaze was also fixed on Kazhan's back. [He saw the Legion. It would be troublesome if he blabbed about it to Kizen.] 'Leave it to me, Pier. It seems Kazhan is also one of Lady Neptis's people.' Simon squatted beside Kazhan and helped him apply the potion. 'Ouch, that must hurt.' The jet-black potion Kazhan was using immediately bubbled and emitted a tremendous amount of smoke upon contact with the wound. Blood stopped, and the wounds were forcibly sealed. It seemed to hurt a lot, as Kazhan's back kept trembling, though his face wasn't visible. "......I'm sorry, Kazhan." "It's common in a fight. You don't need to apologize." The wounds were hastily sealed, but several scars remained on his body. Perhaps all the scars on his body were caused by similar reasons. As they bandaged their wounds and treated them, the two exchanged more detailed stories. Among them, the most surprising thing was... "The Thieves' Guild I know... that's right, isn't it?" "That's right." Kazhan was the son of the Thieves' Guild General Association President. And one more thing, Kazhan was already a 'complete individual'. At just 18 years old, he was an undefeated monster capable of single-handedly taking down most professional Necromancers. Of course, he recorded his first defeat after meeting Simon, a Legion Commander, but that was simply because his opponent was overwhelmingly strong. However, Kazhan didn't call himself a genius but a 'made monster'. He said he had a secret about his birth, but he didn't reveal what it was. In any case, Kazhan, who had far surpassed the student level to the point where he didn't need to learn anything from anyone, only entered Kizen because of Neptis's commission. -It seems there's an Efnel spy inside Kizen. Neptis's commission was an undercover investigation. Kazhan formally enrolled in Kizen but focused more on the investigation than on classes. That's why he went out of the dormitory every night or weekend, and during the day, when Simon saw him, he was covering himself with a blanket up to his head, catching up on lost sleep. The Priest also seemed to operate as a member of Kizen during the day but mostly moved at night to perform 'worship' and such. Kazhan also went out at night to scour Locke Island to catch the Priest. "Wait a minute! Kazhan was a repeat student, so he was at Kizen last year too, right?" "Yes. The time I received the commission from Lady Neptis was also last year." Simon stroked his chin. That meant Neptis had known about the Priest spy in Kizen since last year. "I've provided this much information, so I've paid the price for my life being spared, haven't I?" Kazhan stood up and turned to Simon. "Simon." "Yes." "I will resolve this incident no matter what. I'll tell Lady Neptis, so you stay out of this. It's too dangerous for you." Simon smiled faintly. "It's okay. I'm stronger than you, aren't I?" "......." At those words, Kazhan's face hardened. For a moment, this expression on Kazhan's face was so amusing that Simon almost burst out laughing. "......I'll admit that. But it's not a matter of who's stronger, it's a matter of safety. You should focus on your Kizen life with your friends. Enjoy the happiest period of your life to the fullest." "No." Simon slowly stood up and met Kazhan's eyes. "That Priest wants my life, and I've almost died several times. Most importantly, the Priest hurt my friend and involved other group members. I also have a reason to chase that person." "......." Kazhan sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He stood rooted to the spot, pondering in silence, then looked at Simon. "......If Lady Neptis wanted to stop you, she would have." "Huh?" "Alright. We have a clear common goal. Let's form a united front." This was the answer Simon wanted to hear. "The undead you control seem quite useful, so I'd like you to continue covering the Forbidden Forest as you are now. And once a week, when that 'noisy guy' isn't around, I propose we share the information we've each gathered and narrow down the Priest suspects." 'Noisy guy' probably referred to Dick. Simon chuckled softly and nodded. The night was deepening. There was no benefit in delaying their return to Kizen, so the two walked towards Kizen, continuing their conversation. "Ahem, ahem." Simon cleared his throat softly and glanced at Kazhan. "But you... you didn't ask about me." It would have been better if he had just straightforwardly asked, 'What was that about you?' Kazhan still looked straight ahead and said, "What do you think is the biggest risk for an agent of the Information Guild?" "......Well, I don't know." Kazhan tapped his head and replied, "Knowing." Simon tilted his head, not understanding what he meant. "There's a saying, 'Ignorance is bliss.' People involved in the Information Guild are inevitably exposed to dangerous information. But secrets become more unsettling the more people know them, and people want to eliminate sources of unease." Kazhan sighed softly. "We, who buy and sell information, face more threats to our lives the more we know. There's no need to know information that you don't need to know. I'm exercising my 'right not to know'." "Kazhan......." Simon looked at him with slightly moved eyes. [Hahahahaahaha!] Suddenly, Pier's booming laughter echoed in Simon's mind. [Well! He's a fellow who knows how to distinguish himself! Do as you please!] Even Pier no longer insisted on killing Kazhan. * * * Dick, left alone in Room 409, was needlessly anxious. 'I told him to avoid days when the Watchmen are patrolling.' Simon had gone down to Rochester. And Kazhan wasn't around today either. "Ah, I don't care. I clearly told him." It was then, as Dick was rolling around on his bed. *Bang!* (Door opening sound) Simon and Kazhan, seemingly having just visited the bathhouse, entered the dorm room side by side, their wet hair wrapped in towels. Dick's eyes widened. "W-what? Why are you two together...?" It was unexpected. A completely mismatched pair. Hadn't they treated each other as if they didn't exist? Why did they come in together? Kazhan, as always, climbed onto the top bunk and prepared to pull up his blanket, while Simon gathered his clothes. "Kazhan. I'll take this to the laundry room too." "......Please do." Kazhan replied, then pulled the blanket over his head. Simon chuckled slightly and left the room. *Click.* The door closed, and Dick, who had been blankly feeling left out, suddenly raised his voice. "W-what? Why did you two suddenly become close?!" Dick sprang up from his seat. "Wait, Simon! What's going on...!?" *Thwack!* (Sound of impact) A pillow flew and roughly hit Dick's face. Dick made a 'Woof!' sound and fell over. "I told you not to be noisy until I fall asleep." At the chilling eyes visible from under the blanket, Dick hastily put the pillow back. Kazhan took the pillow back into his blanket, and within a few minutes, snoring could be heard. 'Ugh! Why am I the only one being treated the same as before!' Dick's unique affability and friendliness couldn't reach this one person. In truth, Dick secretly wanted to become close with Kazhan.
Please login to track progress