"Hello? Senior. I apologize for disturbing your sleep.""......."No answer was heard. Simon spoke again."We'd like to share this room with you, if that's alright?""......."Again, there was no answer. Lena, who had followed them, trembled and clutched Simon's sleeve."L-let's just go back, Simon. That person is still......."It was then.Through the parted blanket, bloodshot red eyes glared at them. Dick swallowed hard, and Lena stepped back with a frightened expression."......Freshmen."Finally, the blanket was thrown back, and a man rustled as he sat up.He had a lean build but an ideally muscled body, sharp eyes, and a distinct scar that seemed to split his bloodshot right eye in half. Furthermore, his bare upper body was covered in numerous small scars.A dangerous person.That was everyone's first impression. As he glared, Dick and Lena grabbed Simon's arms from either side."......Forget the 'Senior' title. I'm a first-year too.""Then, Mr. Kazhan.......""Just call me Kazhan."He brushed his bangs back, revealing a menacing gaze.It was a look that could not possibly belong to a teenager, as if he could pull out a knife and stab someone to death at any moment."I don't know how long you'll last in this school, but remember two things. First, mind your own business. Second, don't be noisy before I fall asleep. Once I'm asleep, you can dance or sing or do whatever you want.""......Ah! So you're allowing it?""Allowing it or not, there are no empty rooms, so someone was bound to come in anyway."Kazhan lay back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over himself."......."A moment later, steady breathing could be heard, and Kazhan fell asleep.Simon and Dick exchanged glances and stepped outside. Lena, who was the last to leave, carefully closed the door."We'll take this room."In the end, the two decided on room 409. Lena asked with a worried expression."Are you really sure?""Yes, I'm fine. He doesn't seem like a bad person."Lena nodded and put a checkmark on the list. Then she inserted the nameplate with their names into the case outside the door."Then, room 409 it is! If, by any chance, later on....... if he does anything bad to you, please let me know. I'll immediately report it to the dorm supervisor and take action.""Yes. Thank you for your concern."After parting with Lena, Simon and Dick each took a spot and unpacked their belongings. Dick chose the spot closer to the door, while Simon took the inner spot, relatively closer to Kazhan.There was noise intermittently as the two unpacked, but Kazhan didn't stir, like a dead person. Only faint breathing could occasionally be heard."Is that guy really not waking up?"Suddenly, emboldened, Dick dropped a textbook on the floor.A thud echoed on the floor, but Kazhan remained sound asleep, oblivious to the world."......He said we could dance or sing once he was asleep, and he really meant it.""He doesn't seem like a bad person."The two finished organizing their belongings with much lighter hearts."Simon! Let's go shower. I saw a bathhouse on the second floor on the way up.""Bathhouse?"***Simon had never been to a public bathhouse before.This facility, capable of accommodating over a hundred people at once, had floors and walls that gleamed like gold, and hot spring water flowed into the tubs.Simon stood under the jets of water that came from the ceiling when he pressed a button, and he soaked his body in the bubbling hot water, relieving his fatigue."Ah, this feels so good."After the bath, on their way out.Simon was climbing the stairs with a languid expression, a towel draped around his neck. Dick chuckled."You're the first person I've seen so surprised by a shower booth. Did you live in the mountains or something?""Something like that."Simon replied, rubbing his wet hair with the towel."Hehe, even so, maybe try to hold back on exclaiming 'Wow- wow-' when you press the shower button? Rumors spread so fast among the kids.""Did I really do that much?""You were unbelievable."The two returned to their dorm room.Kazhan was still asleep in the exact same position, as if time had stood still. Looking out the window, pitch-black darkness had enveloped everything.Feeling tired after the shower, Simon lay down on the soft bed.An exclamation of admiration naturally escaped him. It felt as if all the happiness in the world was right there."Ahhh, I really made the right choice coming to Kizen."Hearing that, Dick chuckled."Everyone wants to come to Kizen. Of course, whether we can stay here depends on our grades.""I heard there are only 300 second-year students right now.""That's right. Right now, it's the student protection period, so the professors are going easy, but soon there will be expulsions for poor grades, expulsions for showing no potential, expulsions for violating rules. Life at Kizen is a survival game."Dick propped his head with his arm and looked up at the ceiling."If you can just make it through the first year, you can get into most decent places. If you can break through the insane competition and become an official graduate...... then you'll be part of the mainstream that moves the continent. Practically anything is possible, except for royalty. Hmm, no, if you're a Kizen graduate, maybe even a minor kingdom would offer their princess?"Simon let out a small laugh."Do you want to be a noble?""Not really. Of course, being a noble would be convenient and prevent being looked down upon, but that's not my ultimate goal.""Then what's your goal?"Dick made a coin shape with his fingers."This.""......."For simply saying 'I want to make money,' Dick's expression seemed far too complex.However, since they had only just met today, Simon decided not to ask further.While Dick was lost in thought for a moment, Simon channeled magic into the ring on his finger.The ring turned black, and Simon pulled the handle. A subspace opened on the floor, and the Island Ratman Skeleton Set popped out. These were the class materials he had bought on Campbell Road."Oh! What, what? What was that just now?""Subspace."Simon answered simply and plopped down in front of the skeleton set.He opened the case and took out the packaged bones. He ran his fingers over the surface and sniffed them; they seemed very clean, properly sterilized. A bone diagram was also enclosed at the bottom.Dick made a disgusted expression."......It's been ages since class ended, and you're studying again?""Just because. I don't want to forget that feeling."The duel with Hector in Summoning Studies.So many things had happened at once that Simon wanted to recreate that wondrous sensation once more.First, he poured Jet Black into the magic circle drawn on the skull to awaken the undead.Clack. Clack.The skull clicked its jaw and palate, coming to life.Undead born from summoning magic consider the Jet Black user their master.Simon slowly closed his eyes and increased his synchronization with the undead. Countless thoughts began to settle in Simon's mind.'This time, purely by my intuition.'Simon picked up bones number 5, 7, and 10 and attached them to the skull. With just a little force, the bones clicked into place, feeling satisfying.He built the spine, formed the torso, and extended it into legs. Dick watched with his mouth agape as Simon seamlessly attached the bones. "......Done!"It took 30 minutes to recreate the irregular quadrupedal skeleton he had made in class.However, unlike in class, it took much longer, and the legs seemed to have a problem, making its gait jerky and unnatural.This was a matter of concentration and immersion.Assembling the skeleton in a comfortable, stress-free environment didn't yield the same results as in class.Still, Simon was satisfied with having restored the creation.Simon caressed the undead's skull and said,"Sorry."Then he put force into his fingers, collapsing the skeleton's body.Crash!The assembled bones scattered in all directions, landing on the bed, desk, windowsill, and inside the closet. Dick exclaimed in surprise."What, what are you doing? You just made it, what a waste......!"Simon closed his eyes and heightened his concentration. Sweat dripped again from his freshly washed hair.Skeletons formed by summoning magic have a property of restoring their previous body. The official name is 'Restoration,' and in the field, it's sometimes called 'Attraction.'Simon felt the Jet Black contained within the 53 bones scattered throughout the room.'Restore!'As Simon's eyes snapped open, the bones scattered around the room flew in unison and began to click into place on the skeleton's body.It took 30 minutes to create it the first time, but it took only 15 seconds to reassemble it back to its original form.Simon exhaled the breath he had been holding and opened his eyes."......It's still amazing to see."Dick let out a hollow laugh and muttered.The restored skeleton approached and rubbed its head against Simon's leg, acting cute. Simon smiled and gently stroked the undead.While he was at it, he proceeded to assemble the standard Island Ratman skeleton shown in the diagram.Instead of simply following the diagram and numbers, he pondered and thought about why bone 11 should come after bone 10, why the assembly order had become fixed this way, and he wrote down his insights in a notebook.This sequence was the standard that Necromancers had used and solidified over a long time. But to reach this standard, there must have been countless trials and errors.Every step had a reason and meaning. Each time he realized such a point, a thrill ran through him, and he felt grateful for the knowledge and efforts of his predecessors.Simon swapped bones 25 and 31."How is it?"Simon conducted various experiments. The skeleton, which had been moving its arms, made clicking sounds and shook its head.He also learned that even if there were more anatomically rational choices, there were more effective arrangements for the undead to move. "......Hmmmm."Dick, who had been dozing, rubbed his eyes and sat up."Still at it? You've really gotten into Summoning Studies.""Yeah, it's fun."A smile appeared on Simon's lips."I hope the next class comes quickly."Dick yawned and got into bed, but Simon's night was far from over. He even opened 'Summoning Studies: An Introduction' and began a proper research session.'The fundamentals of the undead.'Simon was still thirsty for knowledge.The skeleton his father used to help the villagers.The skeleton Lorraine used to subdue the gang members.What am I lacking compared to those two?Clack!Click!Clack.He continued to ponder and repeatedly assemble. The skeleton that used to restore in 15 seconds could now do it in 10 seconds.But this time, something was different. As Simon continued to reassemble the skeleton over 70 times, dark blue Jet Black began to rise from its eye sockets.This was a phenomenon that hadn't occurred even in class.Hiss.The skeleton with burning eyes moved its head and looked at Simon."......."Simon met the skeleton's gaze.Simon's first day at Kizen continued late into the night, just like that.
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