Summoning Genius of Necromancer School Chapter 26 Simon offered his opinion. "The problem is Mei-rin can't dodge the Cyclops's attacks, right? Then I can help Mei-rin with summoning magic." "......How?" "Skeletons. I'll summon undead to distract the Cyclops. In the meantime, Mei-rin can prepare her Dark Flare and attack." There was no denying that Mei-rin's 'Dark Flare' was the most effective offensive tool for Team Seven. And if protecting Mei-rin was the issue, Simon could act from the perspective of Summoning Studies. Not only could he draw attention, but he could also have the undead take attacks directed at her. "Ooh!" Mei-rin smiled with satisfaction. "You're actually reasonable. But you're still a special case, aren't you?" "Ugh." The most crucial issue, Mei-rin's survival, seemed to have a solution. Since there was no other sharp idea, Dick had no choice but to accept his role. Mei-rin turned her head, her face brightening considerably. "How about you, Kami? Don't you know any binding techniques in Hemomancy?" Kamibarez scratched her temple and smiled. "Hemomancy is a discipline focused solely on versatile attacks...... I think it would be better for me to just use curses." Mei-rin nodded contentedly and then looked at Dick. Dick, who had been racking his brain for ideas, finally sighed deeply and said resignedly. "Exhaust. I'll practice it for a week." "Good, good. That's the way to help the team!" Mei-rin said triumphantly. Simon soothed Dick with a smile. "We haven't finalized the strategy yet. We have time until the next strategy evaluation class, so let's keep thinking." "Y-yeah." Dick, who replied, looked at Simon anew. Mei-rin was the leader, but it was Simon who truly coordinated the members' disagreements and led the atmosphere like a real leader. At the same time, he secured his own practical gains. If he could protect Mei-rin, the core of their offense, with undead, a high evaluation in teamwork points was a given. They continued discussing the specifics, but then the bell signaling the end of class rang. Jane stood up and spoke. "Prepare a 10-minute presentation for the next class on how you will tackle the Cyclops. The roles of each team member and the dark magic used must be clearly stated in the material. That is all." "Thank you for your hard work!" Simon's face, which had been serious during the discussion, finally relaxed. The moment class ended always felt good, no matter how many times he experienced it. "Run, Simon!" Dick said, packing his bag. "Today, the cafeteria in Building 3 has a limited hamburg steak!" Simon also smiled and stood up. "Can't miss a limited offer." * * * After finishing their meal, Simon and Dick arrived at the Toxicology classroom for their last class of the day. It wasn't exactly a classroom, but rather the 'Toxicology Second Practical Lab,' where a large magic cauldron was placed beneath each desk, which also allowed for note-taking. As Simon and Dick settled into a middle seat and unpacked their belongings. "Hey! Merchant!" Mei-rin entered the classroom, her eyelids raised. Kamibarez followed beside her with a smiling face. "Your information was wrong! You said there was a limited hamburg steak at Building 3? It wasn't even on the menu!" Dick chuckled. "It sold out in 5 minutes, so they took it off the menu." "......Ugh, annoying." "You should've run like crazy through the shortcut like Simon and I did." "I don't know those paths! Would it kill you to go together sometimes?" Dick waved his wrist dismissively. "Nah, you want to eat with us too? That's too much. Let's pretend we don't know each other outside of Beginner Dark Magic class." "I don't want to either." Mei-rin said that and unpacked her bag next to Simon. "But I have no choice until the Cyclops practical evaluation. I'm warning you, if you're uncooperative and drag down my grades, I won't let you off easy." "Wow, scary. What are you going to do if you don't let us off easy?" As she remained silent, seemingly at a loss for words, Dick leaned in, pretending to listen closely. "I'll listen closely! What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Tell me c-calmly." She growled. "I'll, I'll curse you! I'll throw 100 curse dolls into your room!" Dick burst out laughing. "Before that, you'd probably get caught by my information network for trespassing in the male dorms, or be found as a mangled corpse by an enraged Kazhan Edvalt." "Who's Kazhan Edvalt?" "He's just someone." Dick grinned and propped his head up with his arm. "Who is he?!" As Mei-rin shouted for him to tell her and Dick teased her by saying he wouldn't, childishly bickering, Kamibarez and Simon's eyes met. Smile. Her eyes curved. "Hello~" "Hi." Soon after, other students entered, filling the classroom. Then, the Toxicology professor also entered the classroom. "Ahem— In this class, who is the class representative?" The professor's name was Lang Strauss. He was an elderly Necromancer with a gaunt body, hunched back, and deep wrinkles, making him appear quite old. "We don't have one!" "Then you will lead the greetings from now on." "Yes, sir!" Jamie Victoria sprang to her feet. "Everyone, attention! Bow to the professor!" "Good morning!" "Yes, yes. Welcome, everyone." Lang was the only professor at Kizen who made students stand at attention and bow. He leaned on his staff and slowly ascended the podium. "Ahem— What class are you......?" "Class A!" "Oh, yes. Is this Class A's first lesson?" "Yes, it is!" Lang opened his textbook and said. "Ahem— Then everyone, please open your textbooks to page 1." And then Lang began to read through the textbook in a slow, droning tone. The impact was immense. Within 10 minutes of class starting, students' eyes began to blink slowly. The destructive power of his dragging tone and sluggish class tempo was truly remarkable; it was almost as if he was spraying sleeping gas from his mouth. "Ahem— So, Toxicology is not simply the study of poisons. It means combining and arranging various drugs—" Nodding off. Dick's head dropped sharply. Simon gave a wry smile and nudged Dick with his elbow to wake him up. He startled awake, but to no avail, his head dropped again within 5 minutes. A tedious theoretical explanation, disguised as textbook reading, continued for 40 minutes. By then, half the students had their heads buried on their desks. Lang raised his head and said. "Ahem— Then, we will now try to make the low-grade poison potion described in the textbook......" Finally, practical work! The dozing students slowly raised their heads one by one. The teaching assistants, who were finally getting to work, moved quickly, placing potion ingredients in front of the students' desks. "Ahem— Then, let's begin...... Let's see. Potion preparation— requires— thorough— measurement through....... Precise measurement and the order of ingredient input were paramount. Students accurately weighed the ingredients using the measuring device provided on one side. The teaching assistants filled the cauldrons with water, and following Lang's instructions, they first chopped and added 'Gurodan Poison Mushroom' and 'Frog's Tongue'. "And next is...... Cough! Cough!" Suddenly, Lang bent over and began to cough violently. "Cough! Cough! Keh-eh-ehk! Geh-heuk! Kkeuk!" The symptoms seemed quite severe. The students' eyes widened in surprise, and the teaching assistants rushed over to check on Lang's condition. In his hand, as he coughed, was a pool of purplish blood-like fluid. "Professor, you've overexerted yourself. It would be best if you rested." The teaching assistant said. Lang shook his head, still coughing. "N-no, that won't do. If I'm not here, the class will......" "It's practical work now, isn't it? We can manage and proceed with the practical. You must think of your health." After the teaching assistant earnestly persuaded him several times, Lang finally allowed himself to be supported by other teaching assistants and left the classroom. Students blinked, wondering what was happening now. And on the podium, a red-haired teaching assistant stood in Lang's place. She sighed softly, then spotted a male student still nodding off among the students. She lightly lifted a heavy textbook with one hand and threw it directly at the student. Thud! The textbook hit the male student's desk and knocked it over, startling him awake. "Everyone, wake up." "......?" "Wake up!" Students who belatedly came to their senses sprang to their feet. The red-haired teaching assistant crossed her arms and stared intently at the students. "How dare you show such disrespectful behavior to the professor, Class A." "....... "Sleeping with your heads buried on your desks because the class is boring? What kind of Kizen students are you, rotten from the bottom up?!" Immense force. Everyone stood rigidly, their faces tense. She remained silent for a moment, placing a hand on her forehead as if to cool her anger. "Let's maintain at least a minimum of courtesy with each other. Understood?" "Yes, understood!" "Please be seated." The students, now disciplined, sat down. She sighed deeply and tied her hair tightly with a string. "I am Professor Lang's teaching assistant, 'Francesca Belmond'. From now on, I will conduct the class in Professor Lang's stead. The practical product is a low-grade poison potion. Close your textbooks." Students closed their textbooks with bewildered expressions. She picked up a piece of chalk and approached the blackboard. "The most crucial core in low-grade potion preparation is not variable control achieved through precise measurement and consistent order of ingredients, but the practitioner's flexible response. By now, the water in your cauldrons should be boiling. Add salamander powder and barley powder from the ingredient pouch on the left." A student raised their hand. "How much should I add?" "The amount doesn't matter. Try adding it as you feel is right." Following Francesca's instructions, Simon and the students freely added the ingredients. Soon, Simon's magic cauldron also turned green and began to emit a bitter smell. "Now, students whose cauldrons are emitting blue smoke, please raise your hands." About half the students raised their hands. "These students will attempt to create a poison potion that includes a nerve paralysis effect. Next, students whose cauldrons are emitting green smoke?" Simon and the rest raised their hands. "Students whose cauldrons are emitting green smoke will attempt to create a poison potion that includes acute headache and hallucination effects. This is advantageous when dealing with mages or necromancers." Students blinked and looked at each other. This was certainly a know-how not found in textbooks or prior learning. She descended from the podium and moved among the students, pouring out information like a rapid-fire gun. "Students whose cauldrons are emitting green smoke, please take off your school jackets and hang them on your chairs. The teaching assistants will prepare additional ingredients for you." "From now on, it's a common step. Please skim off the thin layer of oil spreading on the surface of the water with a ladle. Vegetable fatty acids reduce the potency of the poison." "Keep stirring. You must stir steadily until the potion develops a sticky viscosity. Be careful with heat control, as too much heat can solidify the medicine." Perhaps because it followed Lang's boring class, Francesca's class felt incredibly vibrant and even dynamic. She, too, passionately guided the students, sweat dripping down her face. Perhaps inspired by her skill and effort, the students' eyes began to sparkle, and they started to follow her. "My potion is turning yellowish, is that okay?" "Very well done, student. A slightly yellowish tint indicates a special-grade poison potion. You could probably sell that in Rochester." A potion that could be sold! The student's face, having received unexpected praise, brightened. Friends next to them nudged their arms, congratulating them. "C-Catherine Maier! It was blue smoke at first, but it changed back to green smoke!" "The ingredients settled at the bottom came up when you stirred with the ladle, changing the effect. You'll need to shift towards the hallucination effect. Teacher Hesse. Please prepare the green smoke ingredients here." Francesca began to move among the students, checking their cauldrons. At that moment, a female student raised her hand. "Claudia Menzies! Professor, my medicine is a little strange......" Francesca's expression hardened. Claudia belatedly realized her mistake and quickly covered her mouth. "I am not a professor, student Claudia." "M-my apologies, Teaching Assistant!" "Yes, what's the problem?" Her anger stopped right there. Francesca guided Claudia's medicine with a gentle smile. After hearing the explanation, Claudia added more salamander powder, and Francesca even stroked her head, praising her. "Hey, hey. Simon." Dick leaned his head towards Simon and whispered quietly. "I think I know why that old man, Professor Lang, survived at Kizen. His teaching assistant is completely insane and competent!" "......Indeed." Claudia, deeply engrossed in Toxicology, even started asking for career advice. Simon watched Francesca, who was kindly answering, with complex eyes. "What's wrong?" "No, nothing." The class was nearing its end. Francesca granted free time to students who successfully completed their potions. And for those who failed, she gave them another chance and taught them. Simon, who successfully made the poison potion, was flipping through his textbook. "Simon! Should we prepare this for the Cyclops battle? Don't you think a poison potion would be effective?" Simon smiled, as he had been thinking the same thing. -To face the Cyclops, you will need to push your abilities to the limit over the next week. Don't just gloss over each class; make sure to master it and use it in your practical evaluation. He was realizing that all class content could be applied in real combat. Jane's teaching prowess was certainly remarkable. "Idiot. This won't work." Just then, Mei-rin approached with her arms crossed. Kamibarez also stood next to Simon with a bright smile. "Low-grade poison potions don't work on medium-sized monsters and above. They definitely won't work on a Cyclops." "Is that so?" Simon silently flipped through his textbook. Then his hand paused on a certain page. 'Ingredients are Rehak Mushrooms?' It was the mushroom Anna Pollentia sometimes detoxified and cooked for him. Simon lowered his head and read through the content. "Mei-rin. How about this?" "What is it?" Mei-rin came closer and looked at the part Simon was pointing to. "....... Mei-rin, who had been silent for a while, suddenly lifted her head and ran to her seat. "Simon! What page is this?" "254." Mei-rin hastily opened her textbook to the corresponding page and began to read the content seriously. "Guys! If we can make this, I think it'll work!"
Please login to track progress