Summoning Genius of Kizen Academy Chapter 9 The subsequent classes were a continuous series of hardships. Second period was Divine Defense, and third period was Hemomancy. In both, the professors, without exception, called Simon, Special Case #1, to the podium to test him. It was an annual event. In fact, at Kizen, the competition was fierce not only among students but also among professors. Professors with poor performance were dismissed even mid-semester, their salaries fluctuated based on results, and their influence within Kizen changed accordingly. Therefore, professors tried to secure as many major students as possible, especially aiming to bring excellent students under their direct tutelage. As part of this, they tested the skills of the most outstanding students in the first class, and it was only natural for Simon, Special Case #1, to be called to the podium. In both classes, Simon had to face a female student named Mei-rin Billenne. She was the top student in Class A and held one of the highest entrance exam scores among all first-year students. In terms of written evaluations, she was practically the top student in the entire school. It was impossible for Simon, who had just begun learning dark magic, to win against her. While he managed to land at least one counter-attack against Hector, with Mei-rin, a match couldn't even be established. In this unexpected situation, the professors tilted their heads, and even the students in Class A now realized that Simon was a beginner. 'Huuuh…' He had run non-stop through three classes. Fortunately, the next class ended a little early, giving him some time. Simon was resting alone, slumped over a table in the empty cafeteria. 'Classes are fun, but they're incredibly tough.' He hadn't realized school classes would be this hard. The fact that he had exhausted all his strength in the fight with Hector was a major factor. Simon groaned and rested his head on his arm. "Hey." As he was catching his breath, someone spoke to him. He looked up to see a short blonde-haired male student with sunglasses pushed onto his forehead, grinning. "I'm in Class A too. I'm Dick Hayward." "......Simon Pollentia." The two shook hands lightly. "You're already famous, you know. Your name's being talked about in other classes too." Simon shrugged. "They're probably saying the Special Case #1 bubble is bursting." "Hahaha!" Dick laughed out loud and plopped down in the seat opposite him. "Actually, you're perfectly normal. I don't know why everyone's making such a fuss when it's only the first day of school." "Thanks for saying that." Dick's face grew a little serious as he clasped his hands together. "Did you know? Hector's already forming his own faction." "......A faction?" "He made such an impressive showing in the first class, didn't he? It's only natural for kids to flock to him. He's also the eldest son of a prominent family, so he's popular among the noble kids." Simon propped his chin up with a blank expression. "I'm not really interested." "Whoa, whoa, listen. 'Politics' are important at Kizen! What do you think will happen if Class A completely falls under Hector's control? If Hector targets someone, that's it for them. It'll even be hard to find group members for things like group projects right away." That changed things. Simon straightened his posture. "You seem quick to grasp these kinds of situations. Why aren't you with Hector?" Perhaps Simon had hit the nail on the head, as Dick flinched. 'He looks innocent, but he's sharp.' Dick gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched the side of his head. "Actually, I'm a commoner. From a merchant family." Then he stood up and bowed politely. "I apologize if a mere commoner was rude, my lord." "......Don't do that. I heard that at Kizen, all first-years are equal." Dick smiled contentedly and sat back down. "That's true, but there are some kids who just have to show off that they're nobles." "At least I'm not like that." "That's good. Actually, I have a proposal for you." Dick extended his hand. "Join my faction, Simon." "......?" "Whether your skills are lacking or you're called a bubble, the fact remains that you are Special Case #1. Things like advanced learning progress, they might seem big now, but eventually, they all even out. Didn't Lady Neptis bring you in as a special case for a reason? You have value." Simon smiled faintly. "Instead of a faction or anything like that..." "......?" Simon extended his hand towards Dick's outstretched hand. "How about just being equal friends?" Dick let out a hollow laugh. "......Wow, that sounds incredibly awkward." To think there was still someone at Kizen who would suggest just being friends, instead of an 'alliance' or 'faction'. Honestly, it was old-fashioned. And cringey. Nevertheless, amidst people driven by self-interest, Simon's approach felt special. Dick reached out and firmly grasped Simon's hand. "Sometimes, this kind of sentiment isn't so bad." "......Haha." From Simon's perspective, becoming friends with a student who knew Kizen so well and had political sense wasn't a bad idea either. The two, having lightly shaken hands, slowly stood up. It was almost time to move to the classroom for the next lesson. "What's the next class?" "Hold on." Dick pulled out a notebook from his pocket and opened it. "Ah, it's Summoning Studies." Upon hearing that, a unique light appeared in Simon's eyes. * * * Simon and Dick entered the classroom without being late. Unlike the awkwardness of the first class, the atmosphere had loosened up considerably, with everyone chatting with their newfound friends. And just as Dick had said, four male students were loudly laughing and talking around Hector. As Simon passed by, they let out hushed snickers. "Oh, look, Special Case #1 is passing by." "The greatest bubble in Kizen's history." "How can someone like that surpass Serene, Shatel, and Lorraine?" Though they were snickering, Hector, in the center of the group, remained quiet. He merely glanced at Simon for a moment before turning his head away. "Don't mind them, Simon." Dick said. "There's no need to listen to those instigators." Simon sat down with an expressionless face and pulled out his Summoning Studies textbook from his bag. "I'm excited." "......Huh?" "The Summoning Studies class." Simon's eyes sparkled. He didn't seem to be bothered at all, requiring no warning. Dick chuckled. 'He really is different, after all.' A moment later, the bell signaling the start of class rang. Students quickly returned to their seats. *Scrape. Scrape.* The sound of feet dragging was heard from outside the classroom. All the professors they had seen so far, including Bahil Amagar of Curse Studies, were truly impressive individuals. The students waited with great anticipation to see who would enter. *Click.* Finally, the classroom door opened, and a man in his early thirties entered. He had messy hair, as if he had just woken up, a rough stubble indicating he hadn't shaved in a long time, a loose shirt, shorts, and even worn-out slippers. Simon wondered if a neighborhood uncle had mistakenly wandered into the classroom. Other students felt the same way. Having seen the neat and smart attire of the previous professors, this was quite shocking. The professor shuffled his slippers and stood in front of the podium. "I am Aaron Deia, and I will be teaching Summoning Studies for this semester." A languid voice echoed through the classroom. Aaron walked to the blackboard and slowly wrote down the words 'Summoning Studies'. With one hand in his pocket and the other writing, his back exuded an air of utter bother, yet it seemed to be a cool point for some female students, who whispered with flushed faces. "Summoning Studies is the root of Necromancy, and it can be said to be history itself. Scholars may not want to admit it, but it's hard to deny that our origins come from gravekeepers, tomb robbers, and necrophiles." Aaron let out a gloomy smile and put down the chalk. "Anyway, if you have ears, you've probably heard many things about Summoning Studies. That it's outdated, that it's not well-regarded. That it's difficult to study and has too many handicaps." Some students nodded in agreement. "All those numerous prejudices you've picked up..." Simon felt his heart pound little by little. Other students swallowed hard, waiting for Aaron's next words. "Most of them are true." "......?!" Simon doubted his ears. What did this Summoning Studies professor just say? Aaron continued to explain in his languid voice. "In the classes you've had so far, I imagine there's been talk about how great our major is, and why you absolutely must take it. Personally, I disagree. Students should be able to make proper choices, so we should clearly explain both the pros and cons." Aaron walked back to the blackboard and picked up the chalk. Students also picked up their quills, ready to take notes. "First disadvantage of Summoning Studies." Simon gave a wry smile. Starting with the disadvantages? "Summoning Studies is expensive." Aaron wrote the words on the blackboard and then turned to face the students. "I'm not just saying that. No matter how much you imagine, Summoning Studies is a field that costs more in materials than that." Suddenly, silence fell over the classroom. "The material costs for Summoning Studies alone can be more than the material costs for all other subjects combined. Of course. Are you going to kill the person next to you, raid villages, and hunt down animals to slaughter them one by one every time you want to make a skeleton or a zombie? No. Modern Necromancers use skeleton sets, or specially treated corpses that can be immediately turned into zombies. Moreover, most of the undead created this way are single-use." Some students' expressions darkened. Especially the commoner students, whose complexions visibly worsened. "It's common for the cost of materials consumed in a fight to exceed the reward of the mission. If you're going to major in Summoning Studies, give up on making money. And second." Aaron wrote the next words. "There's a severe dependency on summoned creatures. Well, that's also obvious. Summoning Studies is a field where you fight with summoned creatures." Aaron raised the arm holding the chalk and drew several circles around the word 'dependency'. "If a summoned creature is destroyed, the summoner's combat power drops by more than 80%." "......" "Especially nowadays, rather than single-use undead, many use their own semi-permanent undead that have undergone repeated modifications. But what happens if this undead is destroyed during wartime?" Aaron's lips curled upwards. "Imagine yourself in a real battle, while your peers are diligently discussing tactics with maps spread out, you're just twiddling your thumbs because you lost your summoned creature." Simon grew increasingly bewildered. He's saying all this? Is this person really a Summoning Studies professor? "And this dependency is consistent with the first disadvantage." Aaron drew a line from the circled word 'dependency' and connected it to 'expensive'. "If a summoner loses their main summoned creature, they suffer a critical blow both in terms of combat power and financially. They'll have to spend a long time gathering money to restore their strength." A heavy silence settled over the classroom. "And finally, the third." Aaron, having written the words on the blackboard, showed his teeth and smiled. "This is the most important one."
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