Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 68: Episode

Meirin’s brow furrowed. "Ugh, shut up. Anyway, what’s so important that you came all the way to the girls’ dormitory?"

Simon clapped his hands together, a bright smile on his face. "You look great today, Meirin. Did you do something new to your hair?"

"Hey!" she snapped, her face flushing. "Stop with the compliments that reek of Dick and just tell me what you want!"

"Let’s study together this weekend," he said without missing a beat.

"Hah, so you did have an ulterior motive." Meirin sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead before crossing her arms with a neutral expression. "And why should I? I’m more comfortable studying alone."

"It’ll be better if we do it together," Simon insisted. "We’re good at different subjects, so we can help each other out. I mean, you’re good at everything, of course, but teaching other people helps you remember things better, doesn’t it?"

"Well, that’s true, but..." She pretended to consider it for a moment. "Who else is coming?"

Simon ticked them off on his fingers. "Kamibarez agreed right away. Dick went to Rochest, but he said he’ll be back by this afternoon at the latest."

"Fine," she conceded. "I have some things to finish up, so I can’t come right now. I’ll drop by in an hour or two."

"See you then."

After parting with Meirin, Simon headed to an empty classroom he’d gotten permission to use. He pushed four desks together and opened his textbook.

’All set. Time to get started.’

Just as he was stretching, ready to dive in, a soft knock came from the door.

"Simon! Are you in here?"

"Oh, Kami. Come in."

The door clicked open, and Kamibarez entered, dressed in a lovely pastel-colored sundress. She beamed as she sat down across from him.

"I’m so excited to study together, even on the weekend!"

Simon blinked. "You really like studying, huh?"

Her eyes darted around before landing on the textbook spread before him.

"Oh! Are you studying Hemomancy?"

"Yeah. Since you’re here, I figured I’d start with that. I have a few questions, if that’s okay."

"Yes! Of course!" Kamibarez pulled her Summoning textbook from her bag with a sweet smile. "Then, can I ask you some questions, too?"

"Definitely. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I can at least think it through with you."

They immediately began their preparations for the exam.

The classroom was peaceful. The only sound was the gentle scratching of their quills on parchment, punctuated by a cool breeze that rustled the curtains. It felt like a perfect, tranquil space. Simon paused his writing and took a deep breath.

"Simon..." Kamibarez called softly. "I don’t really get this one."

"Which one?" Simon leaned over to look at the problem she had marked with a star. His face lit up. "Ah, a zombie problem! You solve this using the decomposition formula."

"The decomposition formula?"

"Yeah, I just learned it yesterday myself..." Excited to have found a problem he understood, Simon launched into an explanation while Kamibarez listened, her head tilted. "You apply the formula like this. But if you read the problem again, it says the season is a hot, humid summer. Decomposition happens faster in the summer, so you have to factor in the acceleration value..."

Kamibarez stared at him, completely mesmerized. The wind drifted in through the window, playfully lifting strands of his hair and the hem of his shirt. The slight frown of concentration on his brow. The way the veins on his forearm stood out when he rolled up his sleeves. The way he would pause, searching for the right words, before his face would break into a bright, almost childlike smile.

"And there, you just add it all up. Got it?"

Simon looked up, and Kamibarez jumped, startled. "Yes! Yes, I got it! The decomposition formula, and you have to consider the acceleration value for the season, right?"

"That’s right!" He gave her a kind smile. "I’m glad you understand."

He turned back to his own work, and she placed a hand over her racing heart, letting out a tiny, shaky breath. ’...Ugh, for some reason, it’s even harder to concentrate now.’

They resumed their studies, quizzing each other and shoring up their weaknesses. For Simon, who had never experienced formal schooling before Kizen, Kamibarez’s study habits were a revelation.

"You should definitely review this part," she advised. "Professor Silage repeated it three times in class."

"Got it." As Simon was jotting down her tip in his notebook, the door clicked open.

"Hey, everyone!" Meirin announced, waving as she entered.

"You’re here!" Simon said.

"Welcome, Meirin!" Kamibarez added warmly.

"Consider yourselves lucky. I’m only helping because we’re in the same group. If one of you gets expelled, it’ll be a pain for the rest of us to manage," Meirin grumbled, setting down her things.

Simon’s eyes widened at the mountain of textbooks and notes she unloaded. He’d never paid much attention before, but it was clear she was a diligent student; she had two or three thick notebooks for every single subject. After spreading them out, she tied her hair back and filled her quill with fresh ink.

"It’s actually really nice in here," she commented, looking around. The room was spacious, quiet, and the cool breeze made for a perfect study environment.

"Better than the dorm study hall, right? Aren’t you glad you came?" Simon teased.

"...Whatever." She ducked her head, embarrassed, and pulled out a textbook. Simon and Kamibarez exchanged a quiet, knowing smile. "A-Anyway! Ask me anything if you get stuck."

Her eyes fell on Kamibarez’s textbook and the problem marked with a star. "Oh, that one uses the decomposition formula."

"Yes! Simon just explained it to me!"

Meirin blinked. "Kami, you really didn’t know the decomposition formula? You scored in the eighties on the last Summoning test, so you should obviously..."

In an instant, Kamibarez’s face turned beet red, as if she’d been caught.

"I-I didn’t know!"

"Ah, you scared me."

"W-Well, I knew a little about it, but my answer was wrong! I didn’t know you had to substitute the seasonal value! S-So...!" she stammered, launching into a rambling excuse. Meirin just stared at her, a look of utter confusion on her face. Simon, engrossed in his own work, didn’t hear a thing.

’Knock, knock.’

A third knock sounded at the door.

"Yes, come in," Simon called out.

There was no reply. The door remained closed.

"Simon," Meirin said, setting down her quill. "Is someone else coming?"

"No, it should just be Dick, but he’s in Rochest. He couldn’t be back yet. Who could it be?" Simon stood and walked to the door. As he approached, he heard a strange, muffled noise from the other side.

"Wh-Who is it?" Kamibarez asked, shrinking in her seat. Simon held up a hand to reassure her and swung the door open.

"Whaddaya doin’?! Hurry up and open the door!"

"Dick!"

He was struggling with a massive box, a crumpled wrapper clenched between his teeth.

"Oof," he grunted, setting the box down on an empty desk.

"What is all this?" Simon asked.

"Supplies for the next dueling evaluation. And!" Dick tossed something to Simon, who caught it deftly. "Snacks to share!"

"Yay! Thank you, Dick!" Kamibarez cheered.

"Hmph. Well, you’ve got some sense," Meirin conceded.

Dick unloaded a trove of treats from Rochest onto the desk. "Hehe, you gotta have something to munch on while you study, right?"

"It’s always the ones who say that who are the worst students," Meirin quipped, though she was already tearing into a bag of chips more eagerly than anyone. "Hey! Dick! How do you open this!"

"Just pick a different one."

"But I want to eat this one!" she whined, wrestling with the wrapper of her favorite grain cookies. Simon reached over, took the package from her, and smoothly tore it open along the perforated line.

Mortified, Meirin snatched the bag back, muttering a tiny, "Thanks."

"All set! Let’s eat!" Dick declared.

"Thanks for the food!" Simon said.

"Yes, thank you very much, Dick!" Kamibarez added.

Dick had called them snacks, but it was a spread large enough for a full meal, with everything from desserts and cookies to fried chicken. The four of them chattered away as they ate.

"Didn’t you say you were going to Rochest? You’re back early," Simon said, nudging Dick’s elbow.

Dick grinned, a piece of chicken in his mouth. "I just checked on our progress and came right back! It’s exam season, after all. I need to study, too."

"When I went to the necromancer shop, the owner asked about you," Simon deadpanned. "He wanted to know when you were finally getting kicked out of Kizen."

"Hahahahaha!" Dick roared with laughter, then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I am the number one recruitment target for the Rochest Merchant Guild."

"Then hurry up and leave. Why are you still here studying?" Meirin shot back, tearing open two snack bags at once.

Dick wagged a finger at her. "Because certain business ventures can only proceed while I’m a Kizen student."

"Speaking of which, Dick, what kind of business are you preparing?" Kamibarez asked.

"It’s too complicated to explain everything, but the simplest one is a delivery service."

"A delivery service?"

"Yep. Sometimes you need something from Rochest on a weekday, right? And you can’t just sneak past the guards every time like Simon and I do. So, I take orders, make a list, and have the items brought in with the next day’s dormitory supply shipment."

Simon blinked. "Did you get that cleared with the dorm staff?"

"Of course! I talked to the dorm supervisor and everything. I even used my business acumen to create order pamphlets."

"That’s amazing, Dick!"

Just then, Dick’s hand, reaching for a castella cake, found only empty air. "Huh? Where’d the castella go?" He picked up the wrapper, but it was empty. He looked at Meirin with genuine awe. "Wow, you ate that whole thing by yourself? Are you a pig?"

Meirin’s face turned crimson. "What did you call me? You wanna die?"

"You talk a big game about bad students, but your appetite is ferocious."

"That’s because I haven’t eaten anything since last night!"

"Ahaha! Don’t fight!" Kamibarez intervened.

Studying had been all but forgotten, but Simon felt a profound sense of happiness in that moment, laughing with his friends. He felt a pang of regret, wondering what his life might have been like if he’d started school sooner.

’Knock, knock, knock.’

A sharp rap on the door silenced them. All eyes turned toward the entrance.

"Hey, Simon," Meirin said. "There’s no one else coming, right?"

"No, definitely not." Simon stood and walked to the door. "Who is it?"

A voice replied from the other side.

"It’s me!"

The unceremonious, blunt answer made Simon freeze, his hand hovering over the doorknob. That voice... it sounded like a little girl’s. No, it couldn’t be. Why would ’she’ be here?

As his mind raced, the door clicked and swung open. A tiny girl with a cascade of picturesque silver hair stood in the doorway. She raised a hand and beamed.

"Hi, Simon! Long time no see!"

His worst fear had just come true.