Summoning Genius of Kizen - Chapter 17 "......." Simon pondered. He knew Professor Hongpeng's offer to make him her direct disciple was sincere. So, what was his own heart telling him? Martial Arts major. Undoubtedly, Hongpeng's classes were fun. The outdoor curriculum, the continuous emergence of crises, and even the meals eaten outside and the high-intensity competition. There were difficult moments, but he could endure them, thinking of it all as part of his training to become stronger. However. "I appreciate the generous offer, but to be honest, I'd like to decline." Simon stood up and bowed. She didn't seem surprised, nodding calmly. "May I ask why?" "There's another field of study I wish to delve deeper into right now." "Hmm—" Her eyes curved into crescent moons. "Alright. Thank you for speaking frankly so I don't hold onto unnecessary regrets." "......Ah." "But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on Simon just yet." "Huh?" Her brown hair slowly swayed in the wind. "There's still a year left before you have to choose your major, isn't there? I'll work harder to try and change Simon's mind." Simon was simply dumbfounded. Why would she go so far for him...? "And, personally, I'm curious to see how far Simon will go." She stood up and waved her hand. A Jet Black teleportation magic circle unfolded on the floor. "It's fine even if you're not my disciple. If you ever need my help, come find me anytime." "......Thank you, Professor." "I'd appreciate it if you kept this matter a secret. You may go now." Simon bowed once more, then stepped onto the magic circle. Whoosh! Simon vanished, and the wind blew, rattling the decorations in the cabin. She sat on the creaking wooden chair, looking out the window with a relieved smile. "Professor Hongpeng!" The door burst open, and a teaching assistant rushed in. "What happened? What about Simon?" She smiled gently and shook her head. The teaching assistant bit his lip, looking frustrated. "How dare he refuse the Professor's offer...!" "It's alright, Bread." She lightly patted the assistant's shoulder and looked out the window. Bread grumbled. "I don't understand why the Professor suddenly took such an interest in that student! Why not offer it to Hector, who has more talent in Martial Arts? Besides him, there are four other aspiring Martial Arts students with plenty of potential...!" "Genius." She said quietly. "I've seen many geniuses at Kizen, but 'that kind of genius' is new to me." "......Pardon?" She smiled without answering. * * * Simon was the last in Class A to arrive at Kizen. He was exhausted from the grueling class, but fortunately, there were still more than two hours until the afternoon class. He returned to the dorm, left his uniform for laundry with the servants, and headed to the bathhouse to wash his sweat-soaked body. "Simon!" He met Dick in the bathhouse. Dick had arrived a little later than Simon, and he seemed excited for some reason. "Hehehe! You won't believe what happened to me earlier, even if I tell you!" "What is it?" Dick glanced around once, then whispered in a secretive voice. "I stepped onto the teleportation magic circle to move, and suddenly, it felt like something slammed shut! When I came to my senses, I was unexpectedly inside Professor Bahil's research lab!" Simon blinked. "Professor Bahil of Curse Studies?" "That's right!" "Did anything happen there?" "He just made me clean." "......." Simon gave a wry smile. "I've heard about it from seniors who attended Kizen! Teleport Scout! Professor Bahil picked me, didn't he? Am I going to be a direct disciple too?" Simon broke out in a cold sweat and turned his head. "W-well... maybe." "Wow, to be connected with Kizen's powerhouses like this! You know what a direct disciple is, right? It's like your school life just blossoms! Disciplinary actions or expulsions often get overlooked if your supervising professor turns a blind eye!" "That's the most absurd thing I've heard all year." Simon and Dick turned their heads at the sudden interruption. Hector and two members of his faction stood there. "A lowly commoner with nothing is Professor Bahil's direct disciple? Even a passing dog would laugh." His friends chuckled. Dick slowly stood up, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh dear. Is the young master a little annoyed? Because you always have to be the best, and it seems Professor Bahil took more notice of me than you?" "......." Hector took a step closer. Looking at him again, he was not only huge in height and build, but his entire body was solidly muscular. "Watch your mouth, merchant scum." "And because I'm merchant scum, I know your type well." Dick waved his wrist, sneering. "You even criticized Mei-rin in Martial Arts class, didn't you? You think you're the only one with a tough story and hardships in this damn world? You're a damn pushover, you bastard. You act like passing the Moore family's education is some kind of noble title." Hector, provoked, roughly extended his right arm. A Jet Black magic circle formed in his palm, and Dick's body twisted, violently slamming into a pillar. "C-cough!" "There are words a lowly bastard like you shouldn't utter." Hector, his eyes bloodshot, swept his arm sideways. "Just die here, you bastard." Crrrack! It was a curse. Dick clutched his throat in pain, and the surrounding students murmured, rising from their seats. "Ugh, Khuhuh!" Even amidst this, Dick grinned and stuck out his middle finger. Hector's expression hardened coldly. "H-Hector, calm down!" "Hey! Isn't this going too far? Using a curse outside of class...!" His two friends rushed to stop him, but Hector impatiently swung his arm, sending them sprawling. Just as Hector was about to draw a magic circle in his other palm. "......!" Suddenly, a foot flashed right in front of his eyes! Thwack! Hector barely managed to block it by crossing his arms. He then slipped on the slick bathhouse floor, dropping to one knee. The shock canceled the curse he was casting, and Dick, freed from the pain, coughed and retreated. Thud. Simon landed on the floor, his eyes gleaming with a murderous light. "Alright, I wondered when you'd step up." Hector grinned and stood up. He unleashed Jet Black from both hands, and Simon channeled Jet Black into the ring on his hand, gripping an imaginary lever. At that tense moment. Bang! A bucket flew and shattered at Hector's feet, sending fragments flying. Hector and Simon flinched, and the other students screamed in surprise. "......Noisy." Whoosh. The man sitting in the bath stood up. Water streamed down his back, revealing countless scars that were horrifying to behold. "Do you all really want to die?" And he was someone Simon knew. Simon's eyes widened sharply. 'Kazhan!' It was none other than the very person who lived as quiet as a mouse in Simon's room. "......Kazhan Edvalt." Hector lowered his arms and looked at him. "I heard rumors, but are you still stuck in this school?" Kazhan silently cracked his neck. Each time he did, a loud grinding sound, almost unbelievable for a human body, echoed. "Hector!" "B-be careful. That bastard's eyes are messed up." His friends rushed forward, shielding Hector. However. "Let's stop." Hector's words were unexpected. His two friends looked at him in surprise. "You'd do well to mind your own business too. There won't be a second time." Hector strode out of the bathhouse. His friends, momentarily stunned, followed him as if fleeing. "Dick!" Simon quickly checked on Dick, who was sprawled on the floor. "Are you okay?" "It's nothing." Dick chuckled. "The curse he used on me was just to scare me. What nerve does that bastard have anyway?" Whoosh. With the situation over, Kazhan re-entered the bath and closed his eyes. Students in the same bath subtly watched him, then cautiously moved away. Simon stood up and said, "Kazhan. Thank you for your help......." "You're noisy too." He said, his back still turned. "Get lost." "......." Simon gave a faint smile. He still felt that Kazhan wasn't a bad person after all. * * * There was a minor incident, but it ended without major problems. Dick actually revealed that he had intended to provoke Hector to get him disciplined. Of course, since Simon attacked Hector, if disciplinary action were taken, both would be affected, so they cleanly abandoned the plan. When Simon heard the story and felt awkward, apologizing, Dick smiled brightly. "It's much better that you stepped in! My heart felt so refreshed when you kicked Hector." Provoking Hector was half out of frustration, and anyway, it was during the student protection period, so even if disciplinary action was taken, it wouldn't cause significant damage. Of course, Hector must have known that fact too. After showering, a clean uniform, laundered by magic, was delivered to his dorm room door. The two quickly changed into their uniforms and successfully completed their single remaining afternoon class. By the time all their schedules were finished, it was already getting dark. Simon and Dick were on their way back to the dorm after dinner. "Ugh! Finally, the weekend!" Dick stretched and exclaimed. "Simon, what are you doing this weekend?" "Weekend? I don't have any specific plans." "Aw, you can't do that! How you spend your weekend is really important at Kizen." "You sound like you have a plan?" Dick nodded. "Actually, my weekend schedule is more important than my weekday classes. I'm going down to Rochester." Rochester, Kizen's subsidiary city. It was a medium-sized city, bustling with visits from Kizen staff, students, and servants. It was famous as a Necromancer's resting place and student city, consisting of countless restaurants, inns, and Necromancer-related shops. Kizen students working part-time jobs to earn money for class materials could often be found there. Especially on weekends, students flocked there, boasting an enormous floating population. Usually, when Kizen students said they were going out to play on the weekend, it was synonymous with going to Rochester. "But what are you going to do in Rochester?" "Business planning." Dick answered quite seriously. "The money Kizen provides monthly for living expenses isn't enough. And it's not like I'm overwhelmingly good at studying to get a scholarship. I need to quickly make use of my talents." Simon nodded. It was indeed a quick move, typical of Dick. "Simon, you should also create some kind of income stream. The professors only provide materials during the student protection period. The monthly living expenses aren't enough to cover the enormous cost of materials for Kizen's classes. That's why upperclassmen have their own unique income streams." "Hmm, really?" Having to be self-sufficient even outside of classes, it truly wasn't an easy life. Moreover, Simon was interested in Summoning Studies, which required immense material costs, so he had to come up with a plan. "Hehe, or you could wait for me to establish myself in Rochester. I might even be able to set up a job for you." "No. It's right for me to earn the money I need myself." "......Oh, you're surprisingly firm when it comes to money." Before entering the dorm, Dick secretly left for Rochester, saying he was preparing for tomorrow's schedule. Of course, leaving Kizen during weekdays was prohibited, but given Kizen's free academic atmosphere, it wasn't a big problem as long as you weren't caught. Simon entered the dorm alone. To get into the holiday spirit, he bought some snacks from the convenience store and entered his dorm room. He had hoped to properly thank Kazhan if he was there, but today, he too had left the room. Left alone, Simon sat on the wide floor and unwrapped his snack. It was a soft mini chiffon cake with six pieces. Simon put one cake into his mouth. It was delicious. He savored the rich buttery flavor, chewing slowly. "......." He felt a gaze. Simon carefully rolled his eyes to look towards the window. He saw a girl hanging from the window, blinking her eyes. 'N-Neptis-nim......?' For reference, this was the fourth floor.
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