Summoning Genius of Kizen's Necromancer School - Chapter 39 Amidst the sudden surge of interest in Simon's 'tutor,' Simon wore an awkward smile, while Pier's sub-body, dangling as a uniform ornament, grinned as if enjoying the situation. “Kwahahahaha! This body is popular with the little ones!” '…Please be quiet, Pier. You're ringing my ears.' “Tell them I'm willing to give lessons! If they become members of the Legion after death, that is!” 'Kizen prohibits turning living people into undead.' Simon forced a smile and spoke. “Sorry. He's someone who prefers to keep his identity hidden. And he's incredibly busy; honestly, teaching just me is a huge disruption to his work.” Mei-rin pouted. “So you're not going to tell us? How petty.” Dick chuckled, leaning back on his hands. “It's not petty, it's natural. If your Summoning Studies grades go up, Simon might have to leave school, you know? If you were Simon, would you tell her?” “...W-well, that's true.” “It's not about that; he's genuinely a very busy person, so it's not possible.” “Alright, alright!” The one who always mediated was Kamibarez. She sprang up, clenching her fists. “We've rested for 10 minutes! Let's resume practice!” “Oh, has it been that long already?” “Let's go for one more round quickly!” Their practice for the performance evaluation continued late into the night. *** The weekend passed, and a new week dawned, with the Cyclops performance evaluation scheduled. At the same time, a significant change was coming to Kizen life starting this week, and that was… “Scott Snyder. 10 points deducted.” The student protection period had completely ended. Professors could now officially evaluate and grade students, and it was also possible to punish or discipline them. “Did you bring this trash as an assignment?” “Slow! Slow! All of you are too slow! Teaching assistants! Deduct 20 points from all students who can't keep up with the current pace!” “Get out of my class immediately.” Kizen's faculty revealed their true colors as if they had been waiting. They had changed 180 degrees, making it hard to believe they were the same professors who had been so kind to the students. Classes became harder, and students who couldn't keep up had their scores mercilessly cut. Students deemed inadequate were even expelled from class. Students wore long faces at the changed attitude of the professors, but now they truly realized they had come to Kizen. Weakness is not needed at Kizen. As if to prove that point, twenty students packed their bags and left school within two days of the student protection period ending. This rate of attrition occurred even before midterms, performance evaluations, or duel evaluations. Simon also struggled to adapt to the changed atmosphere during the two days after the student protection period ended. If there was one professor who treated students the same as before, it was… “Alright, run!” “Yes!” Hongpeng of the Martial Arts class. To be precise, she had never cared about the student protection period from the beginning, making students cling to running hippos, cursing them and making them crawl up hills, or recklessly making them collide with a herd of hippos. So, unlike other professors whose class difficulty suddenly skyrocketed, Hongpeng's class remained the same as before. Students even found Martial Arts class relatively comfortable. Of course, Hongpeng was also not the type to nitpick students for deductions or mentally pressure them. “Haaah! Haaah! Still, it's better to just run without thinking like this!” Dick, running beside Simon, panted heavily. “I can still remember the look in Professor Bahil's eyes when he gave me 10 consecutive point deductions! Haaah! Haaah! Long live Martial Arts class, damn it! I'm taking it again next semester!” Simon chuckled. “Haa! Haa! You guys are so relaxed!” Simon and Dick turned their heads. “Oh, Mei-rin?” Mei-rin, who always lagged behind during runs, was catching up to the two of them today. She was running desperately, panting and not knowing what to do with herself. “Haaah! Phew! What are you doing? Can you really push your pace like that?” Mei-rin bit her lip instead of answering, and eventually ran past the two of them. Dick's pupils trembled. “...She's really got a grudge. Phew! But why is she like that?” “Tomorrow is the Cyclops performance evaluation.” As the leader and combatant of Group 7, she felt a stronger sense of responsibility for this Cyclops evaluation than anyone else. Mei-rin's biggest weaknesses were her lack of stamina and slow movements, which prevented her from properly dodging the Cyclops's attacks. So, she focused more on physical training than Dark Flare during the remaining time. 'She really is amazing.' First place in the entrance exam written scores. First place in Class A. Her only average score in the 90s in Jane's test. Simon had only thought Mei-rin was a genius, but in fact, she was an incredibly diligent worker. According to what Kamibarez told him, Mei-rin barely slept because she was studying. After studying together late into the night in the girls' dormitory lounge, if you went to sleep and came back the next morning, you would see Mei-rin still in the same spot, studying with tissues stuffed up her nose. She reportedly overcame fatigue and drowsiness with medication to avoid affecting her classes. From morning until the moment she fell asleep, it was study, study, study. Simon couldn't understand what made her so tenacious. “Alright, break time!” As soon as Hongpeng's command fell, students immediately sprawled out on the grass as if they had been waiting. Teaching assistants walked around, distributing stamina recovery drinks. “Ugh.” Dick, who had chugged the drink in one go, lay spread-eagled. “Whatever else, if you take Martial Arts class for three years straight, you'll be ripped by graduation. That much is certain.” “……” Kamibarez, hearing Dick's joke, subtly touched her own leg. Simon saw her do it and chuckled softly. “You won't get huge muscles just from running a bit in Martial Arts class, Kami.” “Y-yes? No! It's not like that!” “Kami is so delicate, it'd be fine if your legs got a little thicker.” “I-I said it's not like that!” As cheerful laughter lingered between the three, Mei-rin approached with quick steps. “Simon! Look at me.” “Huh?” “That 'Sensation of Treading on Jet Black' thing.” She bent her knees and leaped up from a standstill. To a surprising height, Jet Black properly formed beneath her two legs. *Whoosh!* She landed, scraping the grass, and turned to Simon, her eyes shining. “How is it? How is it?” “Oh, um.” Simon scratched his head. “You're doing well? Really.” “Really, really? Hehe! I kept practicing for tomorrow!” “You're truly amazing, Mei-rin!” To overcome a weakness in such a short time. It was a great achievement, as Kamibarez said. Of course, behind the scenes, she must have put in unimaginable, bloody effort. Looking at the shape of her feet when she landed, it seemed they weren't in good condition, showing how much she had overused them. “Don't push yourself too hard, Mei-rin.” Simon said worriedly. “We even caught the Cyclops during the simulation, right? Success in the performance evaluation is pretty much within sight.” “...Yes. But I'm not satisfied with just success.” Flames ignited in Mei-rin's eyes. “First place. I'm aiming for first place, no matter what.” Just as Simon was about to say something, the teaching assistants clapped their hands. “Alright, everyone up! We'll run to the next destination in one go!” “Yes!” Students, now accustomed to Hongpeng's class, quickly got up and lined up. “Go!” Following Hongpeng's shout, everyone enjoyed the refreshing wind as they ran down a magnificent downhill slope. This place, where yellow rapeseed flowers bloomed profusely, looked as if gold covered the entire mountain. Simon couldn't help but admire Hongpeng's eye for choosing such beautiful natural scenic spots for her class locations. “Zimon!” Just then, Hongpeng suddenly appeared. Simon was startled and replied. “Ah, yes! Professor!” “Are you practicing the Jet Black operation I taught you well?” “Of course!” Hongpeng had taught Simon a technique to temporarily enhance physical abilities by activating Jet Black within the body. “Oh, you learn quickly, as expected! No matter how I think about it, Zimon is perfect for a Martial Arts major.” “...Ahahaha.” “Professor!” It was then. Bread, the Martial Arts teaching assistant, came running breathlessly. Bread glanced at Simon once, then quickly turned his head to report to Hongpeng. “There's an injured student in the rear. The student seems to have sprained their leg slightly.” “Ah, I'll go.” Hongpeng patted Simon's shoulder and ran off, following Bread. Another teaching assistant then led the students down the hill and declared a break. Everyone sat on the grass and drank their drinks. “Kami, where did Mei-rin go?” Kamibarez shrugged at Dick's question. “I don't know. I was always lagging behind, so I thought she was with Simon.” Just then, murmuring sounds were heard from behind. Simon turned around and sprang to his feet, and Kamibarez covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh, no way…” Dick's face turned ashen. Among the murmuring students, a female student was seen being carried on a teaching assistant's back. A bandage was wrapped around her ankle. “Mei-rin!” *** Kizen Central Infirmary. Mei-rin lay blankly on the bed, like someone who had lost her mind. Simon, Dick, and Kamibarez stood around her with grim faces. “Student Mei-rin Billenne.” The doctor in a white gown said, flipping through a file. “You've severely sprained your leg. You'll need crutches for a while, and attending classes is fine, but you must skip all practical classes that involve physical movement for a week.” It was a bolt from the blue. Mei-rin sat up, her eyes bloodshot. “N-no! This injury is minor enough that I can walk perfectly fine!” “Student.” The doctor smiled faintly and tapped her profile. “This is not a recommendation, it's an order.” “...!” Mei-rin bit her lip tightly. “I understand your enthusiasm for class, but what's not possible is not possible. All classes requiring walking will be excluded.” This was why Kizen students, even when groaning in pain from injuries, tried not to go to the infirmary. Doctors prioritized patient recovery, while students prioritized survival at Kizen. These two values always clashed. Doctors naturally gave students a few weeks of rest if they were seriously injured in class, but that gap in time choked the students. Getting injured was their own loss. “……” The doctor, who had made a unilateral announcement, left, and a deep silence fell upon the sickroom where only the four remained. They had all worked so hard to prepare for the performance evaluation, but the combatant was injured the day before the actual evaluation. But no one blamed Mei-rin. It was an unforeseen accident, and they knew that Mei-rin had worked harder and put more effort into this group project than anyone else. “...Mei-rin.” “I'm really sorry. Please leave.” Mei-rin said, bowing her head deeply. “I want to be alone.” “……” Her face was completely distraught. It seemed no comfort would work right now. Dick and Kamibarez exchanged glances and nodded. “S-Simon.” Kamibarez called Simon in a small voice, clutching his sleeve. But Simon didn't move. “Even if you cry your eyes out here, nothing will change.” Kamibarez and Dick were startled. It was a cold remark, so unlike the usual Simon. Mei-rin bit her lip hard and lifted her head. “...Then what do you want me to do?” “We have to find another way.” “Another way?” She let out a 'ha' and laughed. It was a very self-deprecating, hysterical laugh. “You know, don't you? This is a strategy and positioning we've worked on for a week! We've practiced to death according to this positioning, and tomorrow is the actual battle with a living Cyclops! What kind of 'way'? Ah—I see! You're mocking me, aren't you? Yes, yes, it's all my fault! Even if you guys get the lowest score on the performance evaluation! Even if this score holds you back later and you get expelled from Kizen! It's all my fault! I foolishly pushed myself and injured my leg…!” “Stop.” Simon's eyes gleamed. The three felt a sudden chill run down their spines. Was that really Simon? He felt like a completely different person. As the surroundings quieted, Simon sighed lightly and said. “If you two are okay with it, I'll step in as a combatant tomorrow.”
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