Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 251: Episode

"Aaaaah!" the little white-haired boy wailed.

Three neighborhood kids circled him, sticking out their tongues.

"Raheim’s skin is all black! So black!"

"It’s ’cause his mom is black!"

"He’s weird! Raheim is weird!"

The boy called Raheim shouted back, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. " No! I’m not weird!"

"Raheim’s skin is black!"

"But his hair is white! It’s the opposite! It’s wei—!"

Someone was sprinting toward the scene.

"You’re the weird ones for making fun of something like that!" a girl’s voice rang out.

"You moron idiot poop-heads!"

The one who had suddenly appeared and kicked the bullies’ knees was a small girl their age. She had skin as white as the falling snow and beautiful, sky-blue hair.

"You hit Loha!"

"Who are you!"

The three boys ganged up on her, but they were no match for the tenacious girl. She swung her arms wildly and kicked relentlessly at their knees until the boys fled in terror.

"Don’t mess with me, you brats!" she yelled after them, then turned her head. Raheim was still sitting on the ground, a dazed look on his face. " Stop crying! Stop it! Now!"

Frightened, Raheim immediately stopped crying. Pleased with his obedience, the girl’s expression softened.

"You’re him, right? Raheim, son of the Lord of the Snowy Plain Castle." She held out her hand. Raheim just stared at it blankly, still scared.

"My name is Meirin Villenne," she announced. " I’m the official heir of the Ivory Tower, and when I grow up, I’m going to be its Lord!"

Raheim recalled hearing that people from the Ivory Tower were visiting the castle today. His father had ordered him to stay hidden somewhere quiet.

"U-Uh, yeah," he stammered. " But I’m not really his son..."

"If your dad’s the Lord, then you’re his son! What are you talking about!"

"I can’t become the Lord."

"So what if you can’t! You can just play and be strong!"

"My skin is black."

"Ugh, you’re so annoying!" She kicked Raheim’s knee, too. He yelped and hopped around on one foot, clutching the spot.

"Stop whining and just come on! Our parents are all waiting." Meirin grabbed his hand and started dragging him.

"I-I can’t go!" Raheim panicked.

"Why not? You’re the Lord’s son, too."

"I’m..." Raheim hung his head. " The son my dad wants to hide."

"My brother is the one who will become Lord, not me."

Meirin let go of his hand and spun around to face him. Even when she bent over, hands on her knees, she was still taller. Raheim fidgeted, his fear palpable.

"My dad told me not to let my guard down," she said seriously.

"W-What?"

"He said that even though I’m the official heir, I only got the position because the Lord of the Ivory Tower has no children. That anyone could be my rival, and I can’t let anyone take my place. So I must never let my guard down, and I have to be better than everyone else." She clenched her small fists. " I’m going to be the Lord of the Ivory Tower, so I will ab-solutely not let my guard down!"

Raheim’s eyes trembled.

"It’s the same for you," she continued. " It doesn’t matter if your dad dislikes you or if your skin is black. You can become the Lord of the Snowy Plain Castle, too."

"...M-Meirin."

"So let’s go." Meirin smiled brightly and took his hand, pulling him to his feet. " You keep challenging. I’ll keep protecting. Then, when we grow up, you’ll be the Lord, and I’ll be the Lord of the Tower."

She raised her free hand. " It’s a promise, okay?"

If I go to the palace now, it’ll be the first time I’ve ever defied my father. Dad called me a disgrace. He’s hard on Mom, too. I want to protect Mom. What should I do? If I become the Lord... if I become the most powerful person in this castle... then no one would dare treat my mom that way, right?

"Okay," Raheim said, lifting his head and linking his pinky with hers.

It was an afternoon of heavy, falling snow.

---

Waking from his reminiscence, Raheim lay on the sunbed and lifted a luxurious golden medal. It was the ultimate symbol. He was no longer an illegitimate son, nor the official heir. He had become the ‘Lord’ of the Snowy Plain Castle.

’I challenged relentlessly and seized the title of Lord.’

He lowered the medal and closed his eyes. His mother was currently ruling as regent, but upon his graduation from Kizen, he would rule the castle himself.

’But you couldn’t protect your promise.’

He had heard some time ago that the official heir of the Ivory Tower had been replaced by ‘Serne Aindark.’ And every year, the Ivory Tower was required to enroll one of their children who was seventeen or close to it into Kizen. This year, the heir Serne Aindark had arrived as a special admission student. At that point, Raheim had abandoned all thought, simply going with the flow of school life and focusing on his own affairs.

’But Meirin enrolled this year. Did she get in by taking the test on her own, not through the Ivory Tower’s special system? Why?’

If she had enrolled next year as a special admission, she would have received immense benefits and might have even given the student pledge as the top female first-year. Why she had enrolled this year was a mystery.

’No, none of that matters.’

He could see her. He could spend three years with her. The reason he hadn’t sought her out until now was to become someone worthy of standing before her. Now that he was a Lord and had achieved his goal, nothing held him back.

"Stop, stop! Ugh! Are you really hitting me?!"

"Get back here! You damn commoner! You’re so dead!"

Raheim’s head snapped toward the commotion.

’...Meirin!’

A sky-blue-haired girl in a swimsuit was chasing a male student, brandishing a flipper in each hand.

"Because of you, the diagrams I stayed up all night making got soaked, ahhh!"

"Ugh!"

"Get over here! Aren’t you coming?!"

It was definitely her. The same sky-blue hair, the same blue eyes, and that same violent temper. Just as she was back then...

Dick slipped past Raheim’s sunbed, and Meirin, who was in hot pursuit, collided with the dazed Raheim and tumbled to the ground.

"Ugh!" Meirin groaned, wincing as she rubbed the spot where she’d hit him. She glared in Dick’s direction, but he had already made his escape. She ground her teeth and got to her feet, then turned to Raheim with an apologetic expression and offered him a hand. "Hey, I’m really, really sorry! Are you okay?"

A smile crept onto Raheim’s lips as he saw her kneeling and offering him her hand. This pose, this angle... it had been a long time. ’Did she bump into me on purpose just now?’

"I’m fine."

Raheim took her hand and stood up. As children, he had been much smaller, but now he was a head taller than her. Blood rushed to his face. While she still had traces of her younger self, Meirin had blossomed into a dazzlingly beautiful woman. Wanting to formally shake her hand again, he extended his own and flashed a charming smile.

"This brings back memories. Have you been well? Mei—"

But his outstretched hand was left hanging as Meirin walked right past him.

Raheim looked behind him. Meirin was once again chasing after the fleeing boy.

"I’m not letting you off this time! Just you wait till I catch you! I’ll wring your neck...!"

Raheim turned his back, stepped on the Jet-Black beneath his feet, and instantly shot forward, catching up to Meirin.

"I didn’t expect to see you here."

"Whoa! You scared me!"

"Don’t you have anything to say to me?"

She stopped chasing Dick. Raheim also stopped behind her.

"What now? I already apologized for bumping into you."

Receiving her full, undivided attention, Raheim felt a surge of pleasure. "Why didn’t you come tell me?" he asked, his voice excited.

"Tell you what?"

"That you enrolled in Kizen. I might not have known, but you must have, since I’m a special admission student."

She blinked a few times, then let out a cold, dismissive laugh. "Oh, is that so? It must be nice being a special admission student." She tossed her hair and whipped around to leave. But Raheim appeared in front of her again, blocking her path.

"Don’t you remember what happened between us ten years ago?"

’Ugh, what’s up with this guy, for real!’

She had finally gotten into the spirit of things and even bought a swimsuit, but now she was starting to regret it. This was the fourth time someone had hit on her today. She was completely unaware, but Meirin had become the most beautiful flower on the beach, drawing glances from everyone who passed by. But all she felt was mounting irritation at being constantly interrupted.

"Hey," Meirin spat. "How old is that pick-up line? You know it’s fucking lame, right?"

"...A pick-up line?"

"Stop hitting on me and get lost."

Having lost her chance to catch Dick, Meirin strode toward the parasol where Kamibarez was waiting. Raheim stroked his chin.

’Is she pretending not to remember? Well, I became a Lord, but she couldn’t protect her position as heir. It must be embarrassing.’

He let out a chuckle. ’She has a cute side. I’m starting to like her more and more.’

"Raheim!"

Just then, his teammate came running over, out of breath. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to help the others with training this afternoon!"

"The schedule’s changed. Tell them to do it themselves," Raheim replied dismissively, waving his hand. "Oh, and tell Beldina I said we’re breaking up."

His teammate’s jaw dropped. "Wh-What? Out of the blue?"

"Yeah, I don’t need her. She was probably just hitting on me because I’m the Lord of the Snowy Plain Castle anyway." Raheim took off his white cap, ran a hand through his hair, then put it back on at a jaunty angle. "I’m off to find my true love."

"R-Raheim!"

Watching Raheim walk away, the teammate lowered his outstretched hand and scratched his head. ’That... that piece of shit. Good-looking, talented guys are always such assholes.’ Beldina would probably cry all day when he told her. Resigning himself to the fact that today’s training was a lost cause, the teammate turned away.

---

Raheim persistently followed Meirin.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Do you really not remember? You’re just pretending, right?"

"What class are you in? I’ll come pick you up starting tomorrow."

Meirin’s head was throbbing. Even though she’d made her disinterest clear, this Raheim guy was sticking to her relentlessly. She especially wanted to pluck out his eyes every time he winked greasily, thinking he was being smooth, just to show him how ridiculous he looked before shoving them back in. Still, experience had taught her that the best response was to ignore him completely. Any attention, whether annoyance or anger, would only encourage him.

"Are you acting like this because you couldn’t become the heir?" he asked.

However.

"Ah, don’t worry. I’ll put in a good word with the Ivory Tower and speak up for you."

Everyone has a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

Ice awls shot out from all around Meirin. Raheim instantly threw himself to the side to dodge.

"I," she seethed, rage blazing in her eyes, "told you to shut up, didn’t I?"

"Hmm." Raheim brought a finger to his cheek. Blood was trickling down. He caught a drop on his fingertip, licked it, and grinned. "Yeah, this is more fun."

This time, pitch-black Jet-Black began to flow from Raheim’s body. "You attacked first, right?"

His body vanished in a flash of light. Meirin immediately threw up a wall of ice in front of her, but Raheim appeared leisurely behind her.

"Haha! Got—!"

Something suddenly wedged itself between them. Startled, Raheim threw his hands up in front of his chin. The sole of a shoe, rising in a sharp arc, was blocked by a hair’s breadth, sending sand erupting like a fountain.

"Hmm." Raheim’s hands trembled slightly as he blocked the kick. "And who are you?"

A boy stood before him in a kicking stance, balancing a basket on his head, a parasol pole in one arm, and a pair of tongs and a frying pan in the other.

"Simon!!" Meirin’s face lit up.

Just then, Simon bounced on his knees, sending everything he was holding flying into the air. He spun, retracting his kicking leg and striking the elbow of Raheim’s guarding arm with his other foot.

Raheim slid backward. Simon leisurely settled into his stance and spread his arms. The objects that had gone airborne landed neatly back on his arms and head.

"Are you okay, Meirin?"