Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 70: Episode

"Hello. Just pretend I’m not here and carry on as you were."

With that simple introduction, Lorraine sat down and opened a textbook. Dick, Meirin, and Kamibarez kept sneaking glances at her, pretending to focus on their notes.

’How are we supposed to pretend she’s not here?!’ Meirin thought, panicked.

This was Nephthys’s daughter. The atmosphere was anything but comfortable; the air in the classroom felt thick enough to choke on.

’Still,’ Meirin mused, her eyes shifting, ’how does Simon even know her?’

The question puzzled her for a moment, but then it clicked. Simon was Special Admission No. 1, personally recommended by Nephthys herself. It wasn’t so strange that he would be acquainted with her daughter.

’She’s so pretty...’ Kamibarez thought in pure admiration. Her hair was as black as the night sky, her eyes like rubies, and she possessed a unique, unapproachable aura. Even among the elite students of Kizen, Lorraine stood out.

Dick, who valued connections above all else, desperately wanted to strike up a conversation. But he held back, calculating that the risk of a clumsy mistake landing him on her bad side far outweighed the potential reward of befriending her.

’Better just study.’

The only sound in the quiet classroom was the whisper of their quills. The once-boisterous atmosphere had turned silent, but it was undeniably better for concentrating. Everyone focused intently on their work, if only to have an excuse not to look at Lorraine.

Just then, Lorraine frowned, lightly biting her lip as if she were stuck. Simon noticed and quietly asked, "Having trouble?"

"Yeah."

"Which one?"

"Number seven."

Simon raised his voice, making sure everyone could hear. "Oh, really? Meirin is great with Cursology problems."

Meirin, who had been hunched over her notes, shot up, her face flushing. She mouthed, ’Hey! Be quiet!’ but snapped her mouth shut the moment Lorraine looked up.

Simon chuckled. "Meirin, could you explain this?"

"Uh, yeah."

Meirin awkwardly approached and stood beside Lorraine, beginning to explain the problem. It was no wonder Lorraine was stuck; she simply didn’t know the formula. After listening, Lorraine nodded.

"Then, if I substitute that formula, it becomes this."

Having only heard the formula, Lorraine was already scribbling the solution in her notebook.

"Yeah, that’s right! You’re really good," Meirin said, genuinely impressed. Her comprehension was astounding. "But why did you solve this by reducing all the values?"

"It’s the only way I know how. Is it wrong?"

"No! Not at all. In fact, this approach is quite impressive. Wait a second..."

Soon, it was Meirin, the one doing the teaching, who grew more excited. Watching them, Simon pondered, ’Is she like a nonchalant genius?’

There was no denying Lorraine’s skill. People said she was weak in written exams, but it seemed more a matter of lacking motivation than ability. Of course, that was just his guess.

After Meirin broke the ice, Dick and Kamibarez also exchanged a few words with her. They had all assumed she was an intimidating, serious person, but Lorraine was surprisingly warm.

Apparently hungry, she tried one of the snacks Dick had brought. She nodded, seeming to enjoy it. "What’s this?"

"Grain cookies from Rochest," Dick replied quickly.

Lorraine let out a small hum of admiration. "I didn’t know they had something like this."

"I can tell you where to find them."

The atmosphere began to thaw. Simon watched them, a proud, relieved smile on his face. Lorraine had said she would only stay for an hour, but she ended up staying much longer, perhaps because she was making good progress. The others also relaxed, their initial apprehension melting away.

Time passed, and the sky grew dark. An administrator came to inform them that the classroom was closing.

"Bye, everyone!"

"Today’s study session was great!"

They all said their goodbyes. As much as they wanted to hang out afterward, it was exam season, so they decided to part ways and study individually. Simon offered to walk Lorraine to the Kizen exit.

"A month has already passed," Lorraine murmured before turning to Simon. "Are you enjoying school?"

"It’s the best," Simon said with a grin.

"Is this life so precious that you’d take such risks for it?"

"Yeah," he answered without hesitation.

She nodded slowly, pulling on a robe and raising the hood. As she spread her arms, a shimmering portal opened, and a magnificent skeleton horse stepped out.

"Thanks for walking me. I’ll be going now." She placed a hand on the tall steed’s flank and vaulted onto its back in one fluid motion. When Simon gently stroked the horse’s head, it snorted and nuzzled his palm.

"Simon."

"Yeah?"

From the depths of her hood, her red eyes seemed to glow with an inner light. "Doubt everything, and trust no one."

Simon stared, confused by her sudden warning.

With that cryptic warning, she pulled on the reins and rode away.

---

The exam period passed in a blur. He would wake up, go to school, and before he knew it, find himself collapsed in bed, utterly drained. With midterms looming next week, the duel evaluations were all but forgotten as the entire student body dove into frantic preparation. The professors seemed pleased that the students were finally focused after the dueling distractions.

Simon adopted Meirin’s study method: take copious notes, review for twenty minutes immediately after class, memorize key problems in every spare moment, and drill past exam questions during breaks.

’At this point, it’s a battle of pure stamina.’ He had learned a lot from preparing for the last duel. He cut back on sleep but avoided the madness of all-nighters, focusing every waking second with fierce intensity. His new routine was class, then the cafe, the library, or the dorm study hall.

"Ugh, hurry up and end!" Dick groaned at the school cafe, clutching his throat dramatically. "I wish this week would just be over! This is no way to live!"

Simon, studying beside him, chuckled.

"Hey, you."

A female student flipping through a magazine at a nearby window seat glared at Dick. "Do you have a death wish? Shut up."

"Ah, my apologies," Dick stammered, bowing his head quickly. The student turned away with an annoyed huff.

"What’s with her? She didn’t have to be so rude," Simon muttered.

Dick quickly pressed a finger to his lips.

"She’s a second-year." One thing had changed this week: the second- and third-year students had finally arrived at Kizen.

The campus and dorms were segregated by year, so you rarely saw them during class, but they sometimes appeared in the cafe or library afterward. It was subtle, but second-years had a small red mark on their uniform collars, while third-years had a gray one. The third-years were so busy with missions and practical training that they were almost never seen. The student council and various clans were run primarily by second-years.

"It’s best to be careful around the upperclassmen," Dick whispered. "The power and authority a second-year has compared to a first-year are worlds apart. You don’t want to get on their bad side."

Even Simon, new as he was, understood that much. The two returned to their studies.

The next day, and the day after, were the same. Whether he was sleeping or slumped over his desk, Simon’s mind whirred with formulas and facts. Students started getting nosebleeds in class, and some, deprived of sleep, slammed their heads onto their desks. But no one gave up. As members of Kizen, they couldn’t escape the suffocating tension. If you couldn’t handle this pressure, you were better off leaving.

A few days later, in Jane’s Beginner Black Magic class.

"The time limit for thiz performance azzezzment iz zixty minutez," she announced.

The group assessment was held the week before midterms. No one complained; the test was clearly designed to prepare them for the main event. Groups gathered around massive test sheets, over two meters long, that contained problems from all eight subjects except Beginner Black Magic.

’It’s a huge advantage to have four different majors in one group,’ Simon thought, glancing around. Groups with overlapping majors were still bickering over who would solve which section.

"Focus!" Meirin commanded, pointing decisively. "I’ll take Cursology. Kamibarez, you have Hemomancy. Dick, Jet-Black Dynamics. Simon, you’re on Summoning. If you get stuck, bookmark the problem and move on. If it’s confusing or needs checking, mark it with a triangle. I’ll start from number one and review everything. Once you finish your major, Kamibarez, you cover Venomology. Simon, Combat Magic. Dick, Defense Against Divinity. Got it?"

When it came to written exams, Meirin was their ace. Everyone nodded quickly.

"There seemed to be a lot of Summoning problems. I can trust you with them, right, Simon?"

At her question, Simon grinned. "Of course."

Jane checked her watch. "Alright. You may begin."

The sound of sixteen groups ripping the covers off their test sheets filled the room. Simon immediately scanned for the Summoning section. It started at question 41.

41. Choose the undead that reproduces sexually. (2 points)

a. Zombie 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

b. Skeleton

c. Specter

d. Ghoul

e. Lich

’Number 4, Ghoul,’ Simon thought. ’A unique case. The offspring reach maturity in one month, and the parent shows no maternal instinct.’ He quickly marked his answer and moved on.

42. When modifying a normal zombie into a berserker zombie, which of the following formulas is incorrect to add to the magic circle?

a. Construction

b. Rage

c. Scream

d. Madness

e. Seizure

’Definitely number 5. The ’Seizure’ formula is already part of the base zombie, so there’s no reason to add it again.’ A smile touched Simon’s lips. He knew all of this. He felt like screaming with joy. ’Was studying always this fun?’

He vividly remembered the crushing helplessness of Jane’s first test. But not anymore. Simon breezed through the questions.

Meirin, working her way down the Cursology problems, noticed and allowed herself a small smile. ’Hmph. Looks like he actually studied.’

During group selection, Simon had declared he would quit Kizen if he couldn’t beat her Summoning score. While others had heard him, it wasn’t a binding oath. If Meirin forgave him, the matter would be dropped.

’Of course, I’m not just going to forgive him.’

She no longer wanted Simon to leave. Besides, she owed him for his help with the Cyclops. Her plan was to beat him in Summoning this time and clear that debt. She hadn’t told him, of course. She wanted him to study with a sense of urgency.

"Hey, Meirin! Help with Jet-Black Dynamics number 25!" Dick suddenly yelled.

Her serious expression vanished, replaced by a scowl as she whipped her head toward Dick. "If you don’t know it, just star it and move on, you idiot!"

"But I can’t! If I don’t solve this, it’ll bother me and mess up the other problems...!"

"Then give up!"