Chapter 17
"......."
Simon hesitated.
He could tell that Hongpeng’s offer to take him in as a direct disciple was genuine. Then what about how he felt?
Magical Combat major.
There was no doubt, Hongpeng’s classes had been fun.
Outdoor curriculums, constant crises erupting, meals outside, and intense competition.
There were tough moments, but if he thought of it all as training to become stronger, he could endure it.
However—
"Thank you for your generous offer, but… to be honest, I’d like to decline."
Simon rose from his seat and bowed. She didn’t seem too surprised and nodded calmly.
"May I ask why?"
"There’s another subject I want to study more deeply right now."
"Hmm—"
Her eyes curved into crescents.
"Alright. Thanks for being honest so I don’t hang onto any regrets."
"......Ah."
"But, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you, Simon."
"What?"
Her brown hair swayed slowly in the wind.
"There’s still a year left before you choose your major, right? I’ll just work harder and try to win your heart."
Simon was speechless. Why is she going this far… for someone like me…?
"And personally, I’m curious to see how far you’ll go, Simon."
She stood up and waved her hand. A magic circle of Darkness spread out across the floor.
"It’s fine if you’re not my disciple. If you ever need help, come find me anytime."
"......Thank you, Professor."
"I’d like to keep this matter secret. You may leave now."
Simon bowed once more, then stepped onto the magic circle.
Whoooong!
Simon vanished, and the gust of wind stirred the ornaments in the room.
She sat back in her creaking wooden chair, smiling peacefully as she looked out the window.
"Professor Hongpeng!"
The door burst open and a teaching assistant came running in.
"What happened? What about Simon?"
She smiled softly and shook her head. The assistant bit his lip with a frustrated look.
"To reject the professor’s offer…!"
"It’s alright, Bred."
She lightly tapped the assistant’s shoulder and looked back out the window. Bred huffed and said,
"I just don’t get why you’re suddenly so taken with that student! Wouldn’t it be better to offer it to Hector, who’s more talented in Magical Combat? There are four other hopefuls in that field with potential…!"
"A genius."
She spoke quietly.
"I’ve seen many geniuses here in Keyzen, but I’ve never seen that kind of genius before."
"......Pardon?"
She simply smiled in response.
* * *
Simon was the last of Class A to arrive at Keyzen.
He was exhausted from the grueling class, but thankfully there were still more than two hours left before the afternoon classes started.
He returned to the dorm, had his servants take care of his sweaty uniform, and headed to the bathhouse to wash off.
"Simon!"
He ran into Dick at the bathhouse. Dick had arrived just a bit later than Simon and looked oddly excited.
"Hehehe! You won’t believe what just happened to me!"
"What is it?"
Dick looked around cautiously, then whispered in a secretive tone,
"I stepped on a teleport magic circle, and suddenly—bam! It felt like I slammed into something! When I came to, I was somehow inside Professor Bahil’s lab!"
Simon blinked.
"Professor Bahil, from Katarology?"
"Yeah!"
"Did something happen in there?"
"He just had me clean up."
"......."
Simon gave a dry chuckle.
"I’ve heard stories from upperclassmen! They call it a teleport scout! Bahil picked me, right? I’m gonna become a direct disciple too?"
Simon turned his head, sweat trickling down.
"Mmm… maybe?"
"Holy crap, I’m making connections with Keyzen’s real power players! You know what it means to be a direct disciple, right? School life opens wide! Even disciplinary actions or expulsion get waved off if the supervising professor looks the other way!"
"That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all year."
At that moment, a new voice cut in, and both Simon and Dick turned to look. Hector and two of his faction members were standing nearby.
"A penniless commoner like you, Bahil’s direct disciple? Even a passing dog would laugh at that."
His friends snickered.
Dick grinned and stood up slowly.
"Aw, what’s wrong, little noble? Feeling salty? Thought everything should revolve around you, but Professor Bahil happened to notice me more?"
"......."
Hector stepped forward. Now that Simon looked, he was not only tall and broad, but his whole body was solid muscle.
"Watch your mouth, merchant trash."
"And because I’m merchant trash, I know your type all too well."
Dick waved his wrist mockingly.
"I heard you dissed Maelyn during Magical Combat class too? You think you’re the only one with pain and a sob story? You’re a goddamn crybaby punk too, bastard. Acting like surviving the Moore family’s training makes you some kind of noble."
Infuriated, Hector violently swung his right arm. A circle of Darkness appeared in his palm, and Dick’s body was hurled backward, slamming into a pillar.
"Urk, guh-huk!"
"Trash like you should know your place."
Eyes bloodshot, Hector slashed his arm to the side.
"Just die right here, bastard."
Crunch!
It was a curse. Dick clutched his throat in agony, and the nearby students stirred and rose from their seats.
"Grgh… kuhuhuh!"
Even in this state, Dick managed a grin and flipped his middle finger. Hector’s expression turned icy.
"H-Hector, calm down!"
"Hey! Isn’t this crossing the line? Using curses outside class…!"
Two of his friends rushed to stop him, but were swatted away with a single annoyed swing of Hector’s arm.
Just as he began to form another magic circle in his other palm—
"......!"
Suddenly, a foot came flying straight toward Hector’s face.
Whack!
Hector just barely managed to block it with crossed arms. But he slipped on the slick floor of the bathhouse and dropped to one knee.
The shock canceled the curse he was casting, and Dick gasped in relief as the pain disappeared.
Tap.
Simon landed on the floor, his eyes sharp and menacing.
"There it is. I was wondering when you'd finally jump in."
Hector grinned and stood up. Darkness surged from both his hands, while Simon sent Darkness flowing into his ring, gripping an imaginary lever.
It was a standoff on the verge of exploding.
Bang!
A bucket came flying and smashed at Hector’s feet, shattering and sending splinters flying.
Hector and Simon flinched, and the other students let out startled screams.
"......You’re noisy."
Swaaaaaaaa—
A man sitting in the bath stood up. Water streamed down his back, revealing countless scars so gruesome it was hard not to flinch.
"You really got a death wish or what."
And it was someone Simon knew. His eyes widened rapidly.
‘Kajan!’
It was none other than the very man who lived in his room like a dead rat.
"......Kajan Edvalt."
Hector lowered his arms and looked at him.
"I’ve heard the rumors. Still clinging to this school?"
Without a word, Kajan cracked his neck. Each twist of his neck echoed with a loud, sickening pop, a sound hard to believe could come from a human body.
"Hector!"
"W-Watch out. That bastard’s eyes are messed up."
His friends rushed in and stood in front of Hector, as if to guard him.
But—
"Forget it."
What came out of Hector’s mouth was unexpected. His two friends turned to him, confused.
"You better watch yourself too. There won’t be a second warning."
With long strides, Hector left the bathhouse. His friends, dazed for a moment, quickly followed after him like fleeing rats.
"Dick!"
Simon hurried over to Dick, who was still collapsed on the floor.
"You okay?"
"I’m fine."
Dick chuckled.
"The curse he used on me was just for show. Like hell he had the balls to do more."
Swaaa...
Now that things had calmed down, Kajan reentered the bath and closed his eyes. The students sharing the bath with him discreetly edged away.
Simon stood and spoke.
"Kajan. Thank you for—"
"You guys are noisy too."
He spoke, back still turned.
"Get lost."
"......."
Simon let out a faint smile.
He really didn’t seem like a bad person after all.
* * *
Though there was a minor incident, it ended without much issue.
In fact, Dick confessed that he had provoked Hector intentionally, hoping to get him disciplined. Of course, Simon stepping in to kick Hector complicated that plan—if there was any punishment, both of them might get hit, so Dick decided to drop it cleanly.
When Simon apologized, feeling awkward after hearing the story, Dick beamed.
"You stepping in was way better! Man, the look on my face when you kicked Hector, I felt totally refreshed."
Half the reason Dick provoked Hector was out of sheer impulse, and it was still the student protection period, so any disciplinary action wouldn’t have had lasting damage. Hector probably knew that too.
After showering, they came out to find their freshly cleaned uniforms delivered in front of their dorm room by laundry magic.
The two quickly changed into their uniforms and made it through the one remaining afternoon class without issue.
By the time they’d finished everything, dusk had already settled. Simon and Dick were on their way back to the dorm after dinner.
"Aaahhh! It’s finally the weekend!"
Dick stretched and yelled.
"Simon, what are you doing this weekend?"
"The weekend? I don’t really have anything planned."
"Aaah~ that’s no good! At Keyzen, how you spend your weekend is super important."
"And what about you? You got something planned?"
Dick nodded.
"Honestly, my weekend schedule is more important than weekday classes. I’m heading down to Rochest."
Rochest, the satellite city of Keyzen.
A small-to-mid-sized city bustling with visits from Keyzen’s staff, students, and servants.
Known as a necromancers’ haven and student city, it was filled with countless restaurants, inns, and necromancer-related shops. It wasn’t uncommon to see Keyzen students working part-time jobs to cover material expenses.
Especially on weekends, the place was packed with people, and for most Keyzen students, ‘let’s hang out on the weekend’ meant ‘let’s go to Rochest’.
"But what are you going to do in Rochest?"
"Start a business."
Dick replied with surprising seriousness.
"The monthly allowance we get from Keyzen isn’t enough to live on. And it’s not like I’m some genius who can get a scholarship. I gotta make use of my strengths fast."
Simon nodded. Classic Dick—always a step ahead.
"Simon, you should set up a source of income too. The professors only supply materials during the student protection period. After that, the monthly allowance won’t even come close to covering the cost of Keyzen’s classes. Most upperclassmen have their own steady income streams."
"Hmm, is that so?"
So even outside of class, you had to be self-reliant. Life here really wasn’t easy. Especially for Simon, who was interested in Summonology, one of the most expensive fields in terms of material cost. He definitely needed a plan.
"Hehe, or you could just wait for me to set up in Rochest. I might even save a job for you."
"Nah. If I need money, I should earn it myself."
"......Oh, you’re pretty clear on financial matters, huh."
Before heading into the dorm, Dick slipped away, saying he needed to prepare tomorrow’s schedule and quietly departed for Rochest.
Technically, students weren’t allowed to leave Keyzen during weekdays, but due to the academy’s lenient and free-spirited culture, it wasn’t a big deal as long as you didn’t get caught.
Simon entered the dorm alone. To enjoy the holiday mood a bit, he bought some snacks at the store and returned to his room.
He had hoped to properly thank Kajan if he was around, but it seemed he was out today too.
Left alone, Simon sat on the wide dorm room floor and opened his snacks. A soft pack of mini chiffon cakes—six pieces inside.
He popped one into his mouth.
It was delicious. Rich with the flavor of buttery goodness, he chewed slowly, savoring it.
"......."
He felt someone watching him.
Simon cautiously rolled his eyes toward the window. And there, clinging to the window, was a girl blinking at him.
‘L-Lady Neftis……?’
For reference, this was the fourth floor.
Superb.