Chapter 31
The best way to bring my talent into full bloom.
The right direction to utilize the special Darkness.
Simon thought about the question Bahil had posed, while staring at the blue flower field surrounding him.
"Professor."
"Yes?"
"Is there anything in that curse I just cast that you think I should improve?"
"Oh?"
Bahil smiled.
"It's a good mindset, not to be intoxicated by your success and instead reflect on yourself with a cool head. Very good. If I had to say, your curse could use a bit more emotion."
"Ah, like when giving orders to the undead?"
For a moment—
Did Bahil’s expression go cold?
Thinking he may have misread it, Simon blinked and saw Bahil smiling warmly again.
"Yes, something like that. Emotion is a crucial element throughout all of black magic."
Bahil lowered the hand resting on Simon’s shoulder.
"Please don’t forget what I told you earlier."
A snapping sound was heard, and the chatter of the other students filled Simon’s ears again.
After giving Simon’s hair a gentle tousle, Bahil walked off.
"Professor Bahil!"
Dick raised his hand high. Bahil paused and asked, “What is it?”
"Um, could you help me too? It’s hard to make it bloom..."
"Hoping for a lucky break and waiting to be spoon-fed is the mindset of low-tier novices. Keep trying again and again."
"Ah... yes."
As Dick awkwardly lowered his hand, Maelyn next to him let out a snorting laugh.
"..."
Caught in the lingering moment, Simon gathered his focus and held his hands out in front of him.
‘Alright. This time, on my own…!’
Before the class bell rang,
Simon had perfectly mastered the Transfer Curse.
* * *
Next was Hongpeng’s Magical Combat class.
As always, they rode the hippo to their destination. Today’s class location, chosen by Hongpeng, was a clearing in a bamboo grove with a cool breeze.
After warming up with a hard run as usual, Hongpeng began teaching students basic martial techniques such as straight punches and kicks.
Everyone spread out generously, punching with fists imbued with Darkness or extending their legs in kicks. Teaching assistants moved among the students, correcting stances or teaching techniques for channeling Darkness.
Then—
"Here!"
Smack! Smack!
"Put more strength here!"
Simon, maintaining a stance, had a face flushed red. Hongpeng was smacking his thigh with her palm.
"Your arm should be here! When you kick, your opposite arm becomes the pivot! Engage your core! Tighten your core!"
"Y-Yes, ma’am!"
To Simon, this was pure torment.
While it was natural for a professor to physically guide a student, for a hormone-charged teenage boy, having a beauty like Hongpeng in such close contact made it very hard to stay composed.
"Zimon! Are you still not putting strength into your toes?"
"Sorry!"
Fearing another smack, Simon quickly corrected his stance. Seeing that he finally looked decent, Hongpeng folded her arms and nodded.
"Good. Get ready to rotate."
Simon moved his legs. His left foot stepped forward.
"Channel Darkness."
The Darkness moved toward his center as he twisted his body.
His heel lifted naturally, and his waist and torso twisted into the ideal form. Then, his bent right leg extended.
Vwoooosh!
His leg swept through the air. Darkness streaming from his foot drew a long, black trail like paint.
It was, in every sense, a picture-perfect kick.
"Nice!"
Hongpeng clapped and beamed. Simon, dripping with sweat, bowed politely.
"You managed the rotation, but you messed up four fundamentals. Poor eye direction, weak waist force, the heel didn’t turn far enough, and the release of Darkness came too early during impact."
"...I’m sorry. I’ll pay more attention."
"Mmh! Still, Zimon, you're doing quite well. Keep it up!"
After patting Simon’s shoulder, Hongpeng walked off to instruct the other students.
A brief break was given.
"Uuugh."
Dick, sprawled on the grass, half-opened his eyes.
"Kami."
"Yes? Dick?"
"Not just Katarology class, but don’t you think professors these days are showing Simon some favoritism?"
The girl sitting beside him, neatly composed, covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"Mmm— still, something feels off."
"Ugh, you little weasel."
With a click of her tongue, Maelyn approached in her gym clothes.
Her sky-blue hair, usually flowing neatly, was tied tightly back with a ribbon today.
"You're a Keyzen, aren't you? Instead of whining with envy, why don’t you try making yourself stand out to the professors?"
Dick snorted.
"It’s not envy, I’m just questioning things. And you’re one to talk, aren’t you? Weren’t you the one who undid a curse and ran up the hill during Magical Combat class, Maelyn?"
Maelyn’s face turned beet red.
"Ah! Could you please stop bringing that up already?!"
"Not a chance~ I’ll stew that story till it’s bone broth~ And did you even say a single word to Professor Hongpeng in this class? Pretty sure she’s totally written you off."
"You better watch your head before you get written off."
When Maelyn raised her foot threateningly, Dick laughed and rolled away through the grass to escape.
"Seriously..."
With a deep sigh, she suddenly turned her head sharply toward Simon.
"Hey."
"What?"
"Teach me."
Simon made a face like, What are you on about now? Maelyn, blushing, cleared her throat.
"You’re good at Magical Combat. Since Professor Hongpeng isn’t here, I figured you could at least check my form."
So that’s what she meant.
When Simon smiled silently, Maelyn quickly added in fluster,
"Y-You know I have to fight a Cyclops during the performance evaluation, right? If you help, I’ll move better, and we’ll both get better scores, so..."
"You didn’t need to explain all that. I’ll help, don’t worry."
With a kind smile, Simon stood in front of her.
"Get into position."
"..."
Embarrassed, Maelyn cleared her throat again and murmured so softly that no one could hear, "Thanks."
Then she hesitantly got into a kicking stance. Simon crouched down and scanned her form from top to bottom.
"It’s a mess."
"I-I know that!"
Maelyn let out a shrill scream.
Simon pointed his finger.
"First of all, you're way too stiff. Just from your posture, I can tell you're not confident. Relax a little, try to take the stance again, as naturally as you can."
She nodded and stood more comfortably. The stiffness in her form faded slightly.
"Place your left foot a bit further back, lightly clench your fists and hold them forward… No, that’s your right foot. Your left foot is the opposite of your eating hand."
"I-I know, you idiot! I just got confused because I’m nervous!"
Despite protesting with each word, she quickly adjusted her stance.
"Gather Darkness in your waist and hold it there. Yep, just like that. Now press into the ball of your foot and spin."
"Like this?"
"No, no. You're not supposed to spin like a top. Use the strength in your waist to twist. And when you twist, the Darkness should flow to the back of your thigh…"
"Here?"
As she touched her leg with her hand, Simon shook his head.
"A bit higher."
"Here?"
"No, now you've gone too far. Just a little lower."
"This spot, right?"
"That’s just your knee."
"Ugh, come on! It’s not like I’m bare-legged, I’m wearing gym clothes! Just touch it!"
She snapped.
But her voice had come out far too loud in her irritation.
“Touch it—touch it—touch it—” echoed Maelyn’s voice over the hillside like a haunting chant.
"..."
"..."
Ears perked up all around.
The girls obsessed with romance started whispering among themselves. Even Kamibarez was seen politely covering her mouth in surprise.
Blushing furiously, Maelyn flailed her arms.
"N-no! That’s not what I meant! I meant fix my form, my form!"
But by now, the truth didn’t matter.
Watching the rumors spread rapidly among the girls, Maelyn wore a dazed expression.
Then she suddenly turned to Simon in a panic.
"Wh-what are you going to do? Say something!"
"I don’t know. Anyway, you did tell me to touch it."
Simon walked over briskly and placed his hand squarely on top of Maelyn’s gym clothes.
"Gather Darkness here."
Then he grabbed her ankle.
"And as you rotate, shift it this way."
You crazy bastard!
Is this really the time for that?!
Her face flushed to its limit, Maelyn trembled as Simon said in a small voice,
"Just do what I say."
"W-what?"
"If you get all worked up and start flailing, it’ll backfire. The only way to dispel a misunderstanding is to show what’s actually happening."
With a perfectly composed face, Simon stood and adjusted her arms and shoulders.
Maelyn, caught off guard, simply nodded and corrected her posture. Students who had come over after hearing the rumor were watching.
"He really was fixing her form."
"Maelyn’s just a bit over-the-top."
"Simon’s so kind~"
At last, after adjusting her posture, Maelyn turned her body and kicked toward the sky. Her leg, filled with power, shot up—only to lose balance and land her square on her butt in the grass.
Hahaha! Laughter burst out all around them. Simon chuckled too, resting his hands on his hips.
"You’ve got a long way to go, but not bad."
"...Ah, yeah."
Then, some female students who had been watching nearby approached Simon, asking him to teach them how to kick too.
Simon smiled kindly and helped correct their stances as well.
‘...What even is this guy?’
Maelyn bit her lip lightly.
Time passed, and Magical Combat class came to an end. For the students, exhausted and sprawled all over, the Keyzen side had again prepared a teleportation magic circle.
"Maelyn! I heard the rumor!"
Dick appeared, giggling with his hands behind his head. She, who had been talking with Kamibarez, shot him a deadly glare.
"Don’t. Just don’t."
"Hey, I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about my friend. I mean, if the words ‘touch it’ and ‘form’ came up in a boy-girl conversation, well, what exactly—"
"I said shut it!!"
Maelyn pulled a bag out from subspace and started beating Dick with it.
Dick tried to run but fell into the grass screaming, and Simon and Kamibarez burst into laughter.
"Aaah! Stop laughing and help me, seriously!"
"Let’s go, Kami."
"Yes!"
The two ignored Dick and went to get in line at the teleportation circle.
"By the way, Kami, do you remember what the next class is?"
"Oh! I remember. It’s Summonology."
Hearing that, a grin crept across Simon’s face.
‘Finally!’
Superb.