Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 352: Episode

"You’re a first-year too, right? Nice to meet you." The male student in the green plaid uniform greeted me with a wide grin. "I’m Benz, from Alland, majoring in Summoning."

The three great necromancer schools. While Kizen, the most prestigious necromancer school in history, stood at the apex, there were three major public schools considered a step below it: Alland, Sierra, and Moiran. After Kizen held its entrance exam, these three schools would study its contents, grasp the latest trends, and then scramble to announce their own. Though often overshadowed by Kizen’s prestige, they were still elite institutions attended by nobles from powerful families.

’This is the first time I’m seeing an Alland student.’ Since he had greeted me first, I stood up.

"I’m Simon. I’m a Summoning prospect, too."

"A prospect?" Benz looked back at his two friends, and they all burst out laughing. "Ah, sorry," he said, chuckling. "The word ’prospect’ just sounded a little funny."

"So you’re not a major like us?" one of them asked.

"If you’re a major, you’re a major. What’s a ’prospect’?" the other chimed in.

Kizen students chose their major in their second year, while Alland students chose upon enrollment. To nitpick over such a minor difference in curriculum felt more novel than irritating.

’Pier,’ I thought.

[Yeah.]

’Is it normal for students from different schools to be this hostile when they meet?’

[Those guys are just idiots.]

Just then, Benz stepped closer.

"You’re here to present a paper too, right? Let’s get along, prospect!" He extended his hand. It would be rude to ignore the gesture, so I took it.

His grip tightened instantly.

’Honestly.’ I let out a bitter smile. It was childish, and I had no desire to retaliate, so I just stood there. Benz’s hand was trembling as he squeezed with all his might.

I casually glanced at his two companions. They were already sizing up my attire from head to toe.

"...Hmm, the Kizen uniform is pretty, I guess."

"I heard the girls’ uniform is even more amazing."

"But it’s too black and suit-like. It’s tacky. It lacks the charm of a proper school look."

A full-blown uniform critique was underway. I looked at their Alland uniforms. The color scheme was green, but the placement of the accents and logo strongly suggested they were copying Kizen. The plaid pants and skirt felt a bit much, but the more I looked, the more they seemed okay.

I smiled faintly.

"Your uniforms are cool too."

The two of them flinched, their faces turning beet red.

"Whoa! Did you see that? He’s dissing our uniforms!"

"This is how they try to frame us as Kizen knockoffs!"

’Huh?’ I had given a genuine compliment, but they had reacted with a massive inferiority complex.

"Grk!" Benz was still grunting, his hand clamped around mine.

This time, I squeezed back, just a little.

A sharp crack echoed from his hand.

"Aaargh!" Benz cried out, dropping to one knee. His friends freaked out, raising their index fingers as if to cast a curse.

"Let him go!"

"Ah." I released my grip. Benz glared at me, tears welling in his eyes. "You! How dare you...!"

"There they go again." A third party’s voice cut in from behind. "Don’t you ever get tired of losing a handshake?"

"Ohohoho!"

The newcomers, who were sharply criticizing the Alland students, were wearing red uniforms. A crimson jacket with six gold buttons, it looked more like a formal military outfit than a school uniform. The high collar slightly covered their mouths, making it seem a bit restrictive.

At their appearance, the Alland students ground their teeth.

"The trash from Sierra...!"

"Yeah, says the grasshopper uniform."

The hostility between the two schools was palpable. As they traded insults, I discreetly backed away.

"Look at them trembling," a Sierra student sneered. "I guess the shock of losing the ’Sial-jeon’ hasn’t worn off yet." His friends cackled.

A vein throbbed on Benz’s forehead. "You’re gloating over a mere five-point difference? If you hadn’t bribed the referee in the ’Alsi-jeon’ in the first place...!"

"There’s nothing uglier than a sore loser bringing up baseless controversies. And get the name right. It’s the ’Sial-jeon’."

"It’s the ’Alsi-jeon’!"

Whether it was ’Sial-jeon’ or ’Alsi-jeon’ was none of my business. I tried to slip away while they were arguing.

"Calm down. Why are we fighting amongst ourselves?" This time, students in blue uniforms were approaching. They were from Moiran. Their design was completely different from the others, with a blue base and many decorations, including belts at their waists and epaulets on their shoulders. "Don’t forget. Our goal is to take down our common enemy: Kizen."

At those words, the other two schools turned their gazes back to me.

"Honestly, it’s the Witch of Death and Kizen headquarters that are amazing," the Moiran student continued. "The school itself is overhyped, right? If we crush them at this conference, their reputation will take a hit."

The others grew heated, nodding in agreement.

"That’s right, Kizen is way overrated!"

"We’re all necromancers, but they always look down on us because of our uniform color."

"They unilaterally canceled the exchange matches this time, saying they were doing some ’BMAT’ thing."

"Ugh, because of that test, the ’Sial-jeon’ issue got completely overshadowed."

"It’s the ’Alsi-jeon’!"

"Honestly, that story about your Saint being attacked was a lie, wasn’t it?"

"Did you even really see the Saint?"

The murmuring grew into a chaotic din. My head was starting to ache.

"...Please, one at a time," I said, looking at the students from the three schools. "Is there really a need to tear each other down? Shouldn’t you all just be happy with your own schools?"

"O-Of course!"

"Our school is great! We just hate it when you Kizen folks look down on us!"

They started boasting about how proud they were to attend Alland, or how Moiran had the best post-graduation employment rate.

"Then," I began, "if you got the chance to transfer to Kizen, you’d all stay at your current schools?"

An instant, heavy silence fell over the group. An awkward breeze swept past them.

"Y-You...!"

"This is why we hate Kizen!" they shouted, their faces flushing with embarrassment from the awkward pause. But not a single one of them declared they would stay at their alma mater if given the chance to transfer.

[Mwahahahaha!] Pier burst into loud laughter inside my head. [That was so satisfying! You really got them with that one, boy!]

’No, I was just...’

"Oh my..."

Just then, a musical voice floated through the air.

"What are you all talking about so interestingly?"

The ’click-clack’ of her shoes announced her arrival as Serne walked over, her radiant ivory hair fluttering. I had never been so happy to see her.

Her presence alone silenced them all. An aura flowed naturally from her very being, an aura of such breathtaking dignity that it made one feel small. It didn’t matter if they knew her or not; they all felt the pressure of her presence.

"Oh my, why the sudden silence? Go on, keep badmouthing Kizen," she said, approaching the Alland students with a bewitching smile. She lifted Benz’s chin with her index finger. "Now, speak."

"Th-Th-Th-Th...!" As her captivating eyes drew closer, tears welled up in his. "I’m sorr—!"

A white feather swished through the air and landed on the nape of his neck.

"Kizen sucks!" Benz shrieked. "Our school begged for an exchange match, but you completely ignored us! It was a promise between schools, but you always cancel unilaterally! Do you think you’re so great?!"

"Yes! Good. That’s it!" Serne moved on to the next student.

"Adults only ask if you’re from Kizen when they see the uniform, and whenever I say I go to a necromancer school, the name Kizen always comes up first. It crushes my self-esteem, and I’m sick of it."

"That’s right! If you have any regrets, you should speak honestly!"

"First of all, the kids have no manners. I admit they’re elite, but why do they always snicker when they see our uniforms?"

"Right, right! Even though I’m from Kizen, I agree!"

Watching Serne use her feathers to force them to badmouth Kizen, I smiled bitterly. ’...Whose side are you on, anyway?’

Of course, Serne had her own agenda. ’Simon! Are you listening? Kizen is this terrible!’ She wasn’t being manipulative; she was genuinely making them insult Kizen for my benefit. Competing with Lorraine for my attention, she wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. She was truly enjoying this.

However, for the other students, it was hell.

’Why are you doing this to us?!’

There was a world of difference between badmouthing someone of your own free will and being forced to do it in front of others.

’What’s going to happen to us now? Are we really not going to be able to transfer?’

They all knew the truth: the best career path for a student from their schools was to transfer to Kizen.

"Now, hurry up," Serne urged. This crazy girl in a Kizen uniform was glaring at them, forcing them to insult their dream school. And they couldn’t refuse her command. "I told you to be more harsh!"

The situation had completely reversed. The students looked around desperately for help, but...

Despite the commotion, none of the passing adults paid them any mind. It was as if they were invisible. A chill ran down their spines. This space was already under Serne’s control.

"Alright, next!" Serne moved past Alland and Sierra to the Moiran students. "I’m looking forward to Moiran, always being compared to Kizen! What do you think of Kizen?" she asked in a gentle voice, standing on her tiptoes to place a feather on the neck of a male Moiran student.

It was the same student who had called for Kizen’s downfall. He let out a small sigh, plucked the feather from his neck, and dropped it to the floor.

For the first time, Serne looked surprised.

"I don’t need something like this. I’ll speak my own mind." He walked past Serne and glared at me. "I love my school, Moiran, in my kingdom. Even if I had the chance to transfer to Kizen, I intend to stay at the alma mater that chose me. And," he continued, his eyes blazing, "I have no intention of retracting my statement that Kizen is overhyped. I plan to show you the difference at this conference."

A few students looked at him, impressed. I felt the same. It was far more admirable to declare a competition openly than to make snide remarks behind someone’s back.

I smiled.

"Alright, I’ll do my best at this conference too—"

"I don’t like it."

A flurry of feathers shot through the air and embedded themselves in him, and he collapsed to his knees before Serne. She pouted.

"Why are you spouting nonsense against my will?" A low voice flowed from her twisted lips. "Except for the very few I acknowledge, all humans must be well-behaved dolls in front of me."

She extended her foot. The boy on the floor stretched his head out as if to lick her shoe, his shoulders trembling as he fought for control.

"Stop it, Serne," I said.

Serne, who had seemed unstoppable, completely changed her expression at my words, her face breaking into a wide smile like melting spring snow.

"Hey, I was just kidding..." She winked playfully and clapped her hands. Only then did the other students return to their senses.

She ran over with skipping steps and clung to my side.

"How was it? Do you hate Kizen a little now?"

"...You just forced them to say that."

"What are you talking about! I just encouraged their emotions to be honest. It’s not like I made it up."

Worried she might cause more trouble, I quickly led her away. Kajan, who had been watching from a nearby pillar, sighed deeply and joined us.

"I knew this would happen. Do not mess with students from other schools. This is a warning."

"Hehe."

As the three of us left, the dazed students let out sighs of relief.

"...So Kizen has monsters like that attending."

"W-Well, they’re on a different level."

"But who was that girl?"

"She had red hair, right?"

"Wasn’t it black?"

"Was she even a girl? Wasn’t she a guy?"

They could no longer even remember Serne’s face.