Chapter 68
Maelyn furrowed her brow.
“Ah, shut up. Anyway, what brings you all the way to the girls’ dorm?”
Simon clapped his hands with a gentle smile.
“Maelyn, you look great today. Did you do something new with your hair?”
“Hey!!”
She flushed and shouted.
“Stop giving me compliments that reek of Dick and just say what you came for!”
Simon answered immediately.
“Let’s study together this weekend.”
“Haah, I knew you had an ulterior motive.”
Maelyn sighed, covering her forehead, then crossed her arms with a blank expression.
“Why should I? I prefer studying alone.”
“It’ll be better if we do it together. We’re good at different subjects, so we can help each other out… Ah, of course, you’re probably great at every subject, but still, if you help the others too, it'll help you remember things better, right?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
She pretended to think for a moment, then asked,
“Who else is coming?”
Simon counted on his fingers.
“Kamibarez said she’d come right away, and Dick went down to Rochest, but he said he’ll be back by the afternoon at the latest.”
“Alright. I’ve got some studying to finish first, so I’ll drop by in an hour or two.”
“Then I’ll see you then.”
After parting ways with Maelyn, Simon headed to an empty classroom he had gotten permission to use from the dorm manager. He gathered four desks together and opened his textbooks.
‘Setup complete. Let’s do this!’
As Simon stretched and pumped himself up, a knock sounded.
“Simon! Are you in there?”
“Ah, Kami, come in.”
The door clicked open, and Kamibarez walked into the classroom in her casual clothes.
Wearing a bright pastel dress, she smiled brightly and took the seat across from Simon.
“Studying together even on the weekend! I’m so excited!”
Simon blinked.
“You really do love studying, huh?”
“……”
She glanced around with her eyes, then suddenly turned her gaze to the textbook Simon had laid out.
“Oh! You’re studying Haematology?”
“Yeah. Since you’re here, I figured we could start with Haematology. I’ve got some questions, if that’s okay?”
“Yes! Of course, anytime!”
Kamibarez pulled out her Summonology textbook from her bag and smiled sweetly.
“Then can I ask you some questions too, Simon?”
“Of course! I don’t know how helpful I’ll be, but I can at least think it through with you.”
The two immediately began studying for the exams.
It was peaceful.
The only sounds in the classroom were the soft scratching of quill pens, and outside the window, a cool breeze fluttered the curtains.
For a moment, it felt like a perfect space. Simon paused his writing and took a deep breath.
“Simon~”
Kamibarez called out to him.
“I don’t quite get this one.”
“Which one?”
Simon checked the problem she had marked with a star. His face lit up.
“Ah, it’s a zombie-related question! You solve this using the Decomposition Formula.”
“The Decomposition Formula?”
“Yeah, I only learned it yesterday, but…”
Excited that he knew the answer, Simon began explaining.
Kamibarez tilted her head as she listened to Simon’s explanation.
“You apply the formula like this. But if you read the problem again, it says it takes place in the hot and humid summer, right? Since decomposition progresses faster in summer, you need to factor in the acceleration value…”
‘……’
Kamibarez stared at Simon with a spellbound gaze.
The breeze through the window rustled his hair and the edge of his shirt.
His slightly furrowed brows as he focused, the way his shirt sleeve pulled up to reveal pronounced veins when he gestured during the explanation.
When he paused, thinking of how to explain it better, then smiled brightly like a child and continued talking—
“So, you add it like this to solve the problem. Got it?”
When Simon looked up and asked, Kamibarez jolted and quickly replied.
“Yes! Yes! I followed everything! The Decomposition Formula, and also factoring in the seasonal acceleration value, right?”
“Right! I’m glad you understood.”
Simon smiled warmly and returned to his own problem.
She placed a hand over her chest and let out a small sigh of relief.
‘…Ahhh, somehow it’s even harder to concentrate now.’
The two resumed their studying. They asked each other questions and found ways to improve.
Before entering Keyzen, Simon had never really studied, so Kamibarez’s know-how helped a lot.
“You must mark this section. Professor Sillage repeated it three times.”
“Got it.”
Simon opened his notebook and began jotting down the point Kamibarez mentioned.
Click!
“Hey, everyone!”
The sound of the door opening was followed by Maelyn waving as she entered the classroom.
“You’re here?”
“Welcome, Maelyn!”
The two greeted her warmly.
“Appreciate it. I’m helping out just because we’re in the same group. If one of you ends up expelled, the rest of us would have a hard time continuing the project.”
Maelyn mumbled as she sat down and took out her materials.
Simon was surprised as he saw the textbooks and notebooks she brought. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but her study load was clearly impressive, she had 2 to 3 notebooks for each subject.
She spread them all out and tied her hair back with a band before filling her quill with ink.
“But this place is really nice~”
Maelyn looked around as she spoke.
The space was roomy, quiet, and breezy—perfect for studying.
“It’s better than the dorm study room. Coming here was the right choice, right?”
“…I don’t know.”
She awkwardly avoided eye contact as she pulled out her textbook. Simon and Kamibarez exchanged glances and smiled quietly.
“A-anyway! Ask anything if you’re stuck.”
Maelyn said as she glanced at Kamibarez’s textbook. There was a starred question.
“This one’s a Decomposition Formula problem.”
“Yes! Simon explained it to me!”
Maelyn blinked.
“Kami, you really didn’t know the Decomposition Formula? If you scored in the 80s on the last Summonology test, then surely…”
Suddenly.
Kamibarez’s face flushed bright red like someone whose secret had been exposed.
“I-I didn’t know!!”
“Ah! You scared me.”
“T-the truth is, I kind of knew the Decomposition Formula, but my answer came out wrong! I didn’t know how to factor in the seasonal value! S-so…!”
As she started babbling excuses, Maelyn gave her a “what’s up with her?” kind of look.
Simon didn’t notice, he was too absorbed in solving the next problem.
Knock knock.
Just then, a third knock came at the classroom door. Simon spoke.
“Yes, come in.”
“……”
But there was no answer.
Nor did the door open.
“Simon.”
Maelyn set down her quill and turned her head.
“Was someone else supposed to come?”
“Just Dick. But he went down to Rochest, so he shouldn’t be here yet. Who could it be?”
Simon stood up and walked over to the door.
Then—
—Wubub! Wubububub! Wubub!
A strange sound came from beyond the door.
“W-Who’s there?”
Kamibarez shrank back with a frightened look, and Simon raised a hand to reassure her before flinging the door open.
“Mmeh! Pweash owp!”
“Dick!”
Dick was standing there, holding a large box-like object in both arms. He even had wrapping paper held in his mouth.
“Whew, made it.”
He set the box down on an empty desk.
“What’s all this?”
“Stuff to prepare for the next dueling evaluation. And!”
Dick tossed something. Simon, who had returned to his seat, quickly raised his arm and caught it.
“Snacks for everyone to share!”
“Kyahh! Thank you, Dick!”
“Hmph. At least you’ve got some sense.”
Dick began laying out all sorts of snacks he had bought in Rochest onto the desk.
“Heh, studying’s always better with something to munch on, right?”
“It’s always the ones who say that who suck at studying.”
So said Maelyn, but she was already unwrapping the packaging more eagerly than anyone else.
“Hey! Dick! How do you open this thing?!”
“Just eat something else first.”
“But I want this one!”
Maelyn was struggling to tear open the packaging of her chosen grain cookie with brute force.
Seeing that, Simon reached out and took the wrapper from her, then smoothly tore it along the perforated line on the back.
“……”
Maelyn, now slightly embarrassed, accepted the wrapper back and mumbled a tiny “thanks”.
“All done! Let’s eat!”
“Bon appétit!”
“Thank you for the food, Dick!”
Though Dick had called them just snacks, the spread was enough to qualify as a full meal. It ranged from desserts and sweets to things like fried chicken.
The four of them chatted noisily as they snacked.
“Didn’t you say you were going to Rochest? That was fast.”
Simon nudged Dick’s elbow and said. Dick popped a piece of fried chicken in his mouth and grinned shamelessly.
“I just checked in on how things were going! It’s exam week, so I gotta do some studying too, y’know.”
“When I went to the Necromancer Shop, the owner asked about you. Said, ‘When’s that guy getting kicked out of Keyzen and coming back?’”
“Hahahahaha!”
Dick laughed, shaking his shoulders, then stroked his chin.
“Hmph, well, I am Rochest’s top pick for the Merchant Guild, after all.”
“Then get out already. What’re you still doing here studying for exams?”
Maelyn said while tearing open two snack packs at once. Dick waved a finger.
“Well, there are business plans I can only push forward as a Keyzen student.”
“By the way, Dick! Since we’re talking about it, what kind of business are you working on?”
Kamibarez asked.
“There’s a lot, so it’s a bit complicated, but the simplest one is a delivery service.”
“Delivery?”
“Yeah. Sometimes you need stuff from Rochest even on weekdays, right? But not everyone can sneak past the wardens all the time like me or Simon. So, I take orders, make a list, and then when the dorm supplies deliveries come in the next day, I tack the items on and bring them into Keyzen.”
Simon blinked.
“Did you clear that with the dorm staff?”
“Of course! I worked it all out with the warden. I even whipped up a neat little pamphlet of the orderable items with my signature flair.”
“You’re amazing, Dick!”
Just then, Dick reached for a castella cake, but his hand closed on empty air.
“Huh? Where’d the castella go?”
He lifted the wrapper and peered inside, it was empty. He looked at Maelyn with a sincerely impressed expression.
“Wow, you ate the whole thing by yourself? Pig.”
Maelyn’s face turned red and she snapped.
“What, pig? You wanna die?”
“Coming from the one who just said people who slack off fail at studying, that appetite’s pretty wild.”
“I didn’t eat anything since last night, okay?!”
“Ahaha! Don’t fight, please!”
They weren’t doing much actual studying at this point, but Simon felt genuinely happy at this moment, surrounded by laughter and chatter.
He found himself wishing he’d started this kind of school life just a little earlier.
Knock knock knock.
Just then, another knock came at the classroom door. Everyone’s gaze turned toward it.
“Hey, Simon. There’s really no one else coming, right?”
“Yeah. No one.”
Simon stood up and walked to the door.
“Who is it?”
A reply came from outside the door.
“It’s me!”
“…?”
At the sound of that curt, unmistakably familiar voice, Simon froze in place, like someone had hit a pause button.
‘That girl’s voice, no way…’
But, what was she doing here?
While Simon’s thoughts spun in a frenzy, click!—the door opened.
As it did, a small girl with silver hair fluttering like a painting stepped inside.
She raised her hand high and smiled brightly.
“Heya, Simon! Long time no see!”
His worst-case assumption had come true.
Superb.