Necromancer Academy's Summoning Genius - Chapter 49 Simon and Ellen walked along the forest path, chatting about various things. During this time, Simon learned several pieces of information about Ellen. She had been the type who, during her time at Efnel, focused solely on the 'firepower' of divine magic. However, her ability to cope with anything other than firepower was severely lacking, and most importantly, she was expelled because she couldn't even use common healing magic. It was a rather serious disqualification for a Priest. When Simon asked why she was so desperate to earn money, it turned out she had lost her parents and was raising her younger siblings alone. Simon also learned a new side of Ellen. "M-mister Simon." Simon smiled gently. "Just call me Simon." "Ah, yes! Simon." Ellen felt an inexplicable fondness for this boy. During her time at Efnel, she had been taught that Necromancers were all terrible, hideous monsters. But this boy was different. In truth, Necromancers were also human, and they possessed warm hearts. "But why?" "Hehe. We've gotten a bit closer now, and we've formed an alliance, and I'm certainly not strong enough to do anything to you two." She glanced nervously and subtly extended her bound arms. "So… could you please untie these now?" Instead of answering, Simon maintained his gentle smile. She broke out in a cold sweat. 'Ah, it's not happening.' [Kuhuhuhu! He's finally gone mad!] Pier glared from inside his helmet. [Look at this, boy! If you're too kind to a prisoner, they'll quickly forget their place and try to climb all over you! If you just cut off a few fingers, they'll become docile….] "Aaah! S-s-sorry! My head must be messed up!" She quickly prostrated herself on the ground, and Simon interjected. "It's fine if you understand, Ellen. Pier, that's enough." Pier lowered his greatsword, and Ellen's face flushed. She felt that he was truly endlessly kind, yet also sharp and decisive. Soon, they arrived at the territory's castle. As planned, Ellen hid inside Pier's robe, and Simon and Pier approached the castle gate. "Halt! Who goes there?" The guards at the gate raised their spears and their voices. Simon made a gesture of raising his arms and spoke. "We've come at the Lord's request. We wish to see the Lord directly right now." "…What?" "Is he arrow-struck in the head? The Lord, at this hour?" Simon nodded. "Yes. It's an urgent matter, so we must see him immediately." The guards let out exasperated snorts. "Seriously, we see all kinds of crazy bastards." "You think the Lord is someone you can just meet whenever you want? Get lost while we're being nice." "No, this guy's suspicious. Just tie him to a pillar until morning." The guard nodded and pulled out the rope from his waist. Simon, still smiling, said, "You'll regret it." "You insolent young brat… Who are you? State your identity." "I'm from Kizen." *Thud.* The two guards' movements froze. "Puhahahahaha! Damn it! This guy is seriously insane!" "If you're from Kizen, I'm Neptis, you lunatic!" The two guards approached to apprehend Simon. Simon extended his arms obediently, as if inviting them to tie him up. "What's all this commotion?" Just then, the Guard Captain appeared from a side door. The guards gasped and saluted. "S-sir, a suspicious fellow claimed he wanted to see the Lord, so we were about to arrest him." "Suspicious fellow?" "Yes, he suddenly claimed to be from Kizen…." Upon hearing those words, the Guard Captain's face turned pale. 'Ki…zen?' The mysterious disappearances occurring in the territory. With an important event approaching, the Lord, who wanted to conceal the unsettling incidents, had secretly requested a mission from Kizen. Only the Lord's closest confidants knew this fact. However, after three months with no response, the Lord had given up hope on Kizen. '…But they actually came?' The Guard Captain carefully observed Simon. Intelligent eyes, a relaxed demeanor, and the tall, armored man accompanying him as a bodyguard. 'It's definitely him.' Goosebumps ran all over his body. This boy, he was truly from Kizen. "…Bow." "Y-yes?" "Bow your heads, you brats!" The Guard Captain roared. The guards immediately dropped their weapons, put their heads to the ground, and clasped their hands behind their backs. Simon scratched the side of his head, bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere, when the Guard Captain approached, sword drawn. [What is it?] Pier gripped the hilt of his greatsword, but Simon raised an arm to stop him. The Guard Captain stood before Simon, plunged his sword into the floor, and knelt on one knee. "My subordinates' training is entirely my fault. I offer my life as an apology." He then assumed a posture as if offering his neck. Seeing this, the guards cried out in protest. '…Ugh, this is too much pressure.' Simon inwardly gave a bitter laugh. Even for Kizen, was this really necessary? And while it might be different for a second-year, Simon was a first-year student whose life was as precarious as a fly's, unsure when he might be sent home. If he were expelled from Kizen, he would return to being an ordinary person, so he didn't believe he was in a position to arbitrarily control someone's life. "That's enough, please rise." The Guard Captain rose with a stiff face. "It was my fault for causing a disturbance at this late hour. The guards were only doing their duty, so please don't scold them too much. Ah, you two, please rise as well." The guards, who had been sweating profusely, sprang to their feet and stood at attention, their discipline taut. Simon looked at the Guard Captain again and said, "May I see the Lord? I have an urgent matter to discuss regarding the request." "Yes, of course. I will escort you this way." [Kikikikikiki!] Simon followed behind the Guard Captain, and Pier mocked the guards with a sneer, as if teasing them. The guards couldn't even lift their heads. '…Is this even real?' 'Why is Kizen in this backwater village?' It was almost dawn. The sudden visit from a Kizen representative threw the castle into a frenzy. As Simon waited in the spacious reception room, he was soon treated with extreme hospitality. Warm bread, food, tea, and wine were served. Even maids brought buckets of water to wash his feet, but Simon, feeling overwhelmed, quickly declined. And a moment later. "Oh my, what an honor to meet such a distinguished guest!" A short, pot-bellied middle-aged man appeared with a wide smile. His face was swollen, as if he had just woken up. "I am Count Raymond, the Lord of Arneish!" "Simon Pollentia, first-year student of Kizen." The two shook hands lightly and took their seats. "You must have endured great hardship on your long journey! You came all this way for my request?" "Yes." "Hahaha! How can I ever repay this kindness… You must be very tired from your travels! Forget about work for a moment and rest comfortably. We will do our best to serve you during your stay!" "There was no hardship to speak of." Simon leaned deeply back into the chair, saying, "We came via a teleportation magic circle." "Ah…! I-I see! As expected, Kizen is different! Haha! Come, come, have a drink! This is a top-grade product made from the grapes of this land!" Raymond uncorked a bottle of wine. A strong smell of alcohol wafted out at a glance. He poured wine into a glass and extended his palm. "Come, come." "Yes." Raymond cleanly emptied his glass first. It would be impolite to refuse, so Simon merely touched the glass to his lips. After a moment, maids brought in luxurious dishes, including a large roasted pig barbecue. Simon declined, saying he had already eaten dinner, and then spoke. "More importantly, I'd like to discuss the request." "Ah, the request! That's important too, but it's night now, and isn't it more important to relieve your fatigue? Kizen life isn't school life, is it? It's a battlefield! Hahahaha!" Raymond clapped his hands, and the side door of the reception room opened. Simon gasped. Women in revealing outfits, barely covering their important parts, swarmed around Simon. About five more stood behind Raymond. "Now, take your time and choose the one you like. Hahahaha!" Simon had nowhere to look. As Simon blushed and stared at his knees, Raymond smiled triumphantly. 'Even if he's from Kizen, he's still a young beast whose teeth haven't grown in yet.' Perhaps he could be easily swayed. When Raymond gave a signal, the women standing behind him embraced Simon's shoulders and arms. Two others knelt on either side of Simon and began pouring wine into golden goblets. "…Lord." "Hahahaha! Yes, which girl do you fancy?" "I am still a minor, and this situation is a bit uncomfortable for me." There was a hint of embarrassment, but the strength and will in his voice were clear. "I have an important matter I wish to discuss with you, Lord, one-on-one. Could you please dismiss everyone?" Raymond swallowed hard, meeting Simon's gaze directly. Didn't this small boy have an unexpected forcefulness? There was something about him that made one flinch. "…I-if that's what you wish, then I suppose there's no helping it." Raymond reluctantly dismissed the women. They left with regretful expressions, winking or flirting with Simon as they went. Simon was thinking that he could never adapt to this kind of adult culture. "Now, it's getting very late. If your discussion is about the request, perhaps we can resume tomorrow…." "No, we must do it right now." "…." Raymond forced a smile. Since the other side was coming on strong, it was no longer easy for him to just let things go smoothly. This was his last move. "Enter." Raymond gave a signal, and another door opened. A butler in uniform bowed deeply and placed a box before Simon. The box contained 50 gold coins for the request fee, plus various jewels. "This is the request payment. I apologize for the late notice, but the incident has already been resolved. Please rest comfortably in the castle for the remaining time, collect the payment, and return to the academy." "What I've learned differs slightly from that, doesn't it?" Simon said softly. "I bought information from the Thieves Guild. I understand another incident occurred just this morning." Raymond ground his teeth. '…Those damn bastards! They're useless, as always!' "I cannot accept payment without completing the request. I don't want to deal with audits from Kizen later." "Hahahaha! I can certainly handle that so there's no problem…!" "Please tell me about the request." "Just." Raymond's expression turned cold. "Just stay put if I tell you to." "…." "No matter if you're from Kizen, you're just a first-year. Do you dare to challenge me, a Count and Lord? I'm telling you nicely, stay out of this. I'm even paying the request fee, why are you being so difficult?" So, he finally showed his true colors. Simon smirked. "From persuasion to threats. You're coming on strong, Lord." "…." "You seem a bit too agitated. I'll come back early tomorrow morning, and we can talk then." Simon slowly rose from his seat, the corners of his mouth turning up. 'Come on, take the bait.' And exactly as Simon expected, Raymond slammed his armrest. "I! Said! Stay! Here!" *Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!* Doors opened everywhere, and more than ten armed soldiers rushed into the room. Simon was instantly surrounded by soldiers, but there was no hint of alarm on his face. "So, it comes down to force." Simon made a leisurely gesture, as if pulling an imaginary lever. "Then I can't just stand by either." *Whoosh!* A subspace opened on the territory's floor, and then skeletons with blue flames swirling in their eye sockets burst out of the snow pit. "U-undead!" "It's undead!" In an instant, over ten Legionized skeletons clattered as they faced the guards. The guards' expressions hardened drastically. Everyone on the continent had a deep-seated fear of undead and Necromancers. This fear, passed down through education, history, and indoctrination, was not easily shaken off. 'H-how many are there?' And Raymond's pupils also trembled. He had heard that the measure of a Necromancer's power was the number of their summoned creatures. But a first-year who could control a squad's worth of troops!? He was definitely no ordinary person. No, his claim of being a first-year must have been a lie. [Kwahahahahahahaha!] Pier threw off the helmet on his head. A skull with blue flames swirling in its eye sockets emerged. "Ugh!" "H-he wasn't human?" [Good! Very good! Looks like our family will grow quite a bit today!] *Booming!* Pier's mouth opened wide like a monster's. Fear spread like a plague, and the soldiers' legs trembled. "Now." Simon walked slowly. A terrified Raymond unconsciously stepped back, and Simon took his place in the Lord's seat, smiling. "Will you continue?" The dead cried out, thirsting for blood.
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