Chapter 349
When they came out after finishing the siege theme, exactly three hours had passed.
Though it felt like they had been rolling around the battlefield all day.
Now, there was only an hour left until the BMAT ended. Simon’s party hurriedly searched for the next card.
Fortunately, Simon had glasses specialized for finding cards, and the three of them easily found a red card and went inside.
The final game of the day was the “Curse Subject Written Theme”.
Inside a room where the walls narrowed or the ceiling came down as time passed, they had to solve problems with curse formulas listed, then escape to the next room.
Of course, in this theme, Maelyn shone brightly. She didn’t even read the problems fully but grasped the answers immediately, showing the skill of someone who had ranked second in the entire school for written exams.
—Identify the five curses used on this patient based on the following symptoms.
“Since he said his leg is numb, could it be a paralysis curse?”
Simon spoke.
“Hey, you think the problem’s that simple?”
Dick retorted.
“There’s definitely a trick to this one. The correct answer is fear-type curses! The fear makes the leg tremble, and that’s mistaken for numbness! Am I right, Maelyn?”
“Both of you, shut up.”
Maelyn replied coldly from in front of the door where she was solving the problem.
She needed to focus completely on the question, but these clueless boys kept giving backseat commentary behind her. In the end, she couldn’t take it anymore and let out a frustrated yell.
“Go away! You’re just getting in the way!”
In the end, Simon and Dick were demoted from problem-solving to the role of holding back the narrowing walls and descending ceiling to buy time.
Either way, it was decent teamwork, and Maelyn was able to solve the problems free from time pressure. Simon even offered a few tips on the summoning-related curses.
And so—
[All problems have been solved!]
[You have won the game!]
The three safely came out with the red card in hand.
“It’s overrrr!”
When they came outside, the BMAT had ended. Students were laughing and chatting noisily as they headed back to the dorms.
Dick stretched his arms wide.
“Ughhh! We really got over a huge mountain today. The sense of accomplishment is insane!”
“Yeah, good work.”
Simon smiled faintly and looked at Maelyn.
“Good job, Maelyn.”
“Hmph.”
With a prim expression, she brushed her hair back behind her ear.
“You both owe me big time, got it? Hurry up and buy me a nice dinner.”
Dick cut in abruptly.
“Hey now! If we’re talking about that, you also have to settle up for profiting off my intel during the siege theme! You were getting totally crushed by the Hartz family.”
“Hey! When did I—!!”
While the two bickered again, Simon checked the cards they had obtained.
Red, orange, yellow, blue, navy, purple, and even gold.
Now, in the last after-school BMAT, if he just collected one more card, he’d secure the winning combination.
‘Though the fact the remaining card is green is a bit worrying.’
The green card likely meant a Spiritology theme, the subject Simon was weakest at. He needed to come up with a countermeasure.
“What are you doing, Simon! Hurry up!”
“Yeah, coming!”
Simon quickly followed after Maelyn and Dick.
At least for today, he intended to enjoy the victory fully.
* * *
In front of Bahil’s laboratory.
Chehekle, the top teaching assistant in Katarology, lightly straightened her clothes and knocked on the door.
“Professor Bahil, it’s Chehekle.”
There was no reply to come in, but she opened the door and went in as if used to it.
Tak, tak, tak.
It was the scene she always saw.
In a dark room with the lights off, Bahil sat in the chair before the blackboard, moving only his arm to write formulas without even looking at it.
As if copying the knowledge from his head directly onto the board, his arm moved mechanically.
The arm without the chalk propped up his chin, his expression slightly vacant as he stared into space.
The strange thing was, though the chalk was clearly moving, nothing was being written on the blackboard.
Since he was always eccentric, she thought nothing of it and reported,
“Professor, the first-year students’ after-school BMAT has just ended.”
Bahil gave a small nod.
“From the noise outside, it seems so.”
“You must be busy too, preparing the paper for the academic conference.”
“This much is nothing.”
Tak.
Bahil finished the final formula and placed the last mark, then finally stood and smoothed the wrinkles on his collar.
“It’s simple work. The necromancers at academic conferences are all fools. Just showing common sense in an unfamiliar way is enough to make them cheer.”
“……It may be common sense to you, Professor, but to the general public, it’s not.”
“That doesn’t matter. Would you like some coffee?”
Bahil said this as he walked over.
“Since Chehekle always makes it for me, at least today I’d like to brew it for you.”
“That’s an honor.”
Chehekle let out a light sigh and glanced at Bahil.
“You’re taking it less seriously than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
Bahil busied himself with the kettle.
“About Simon.”
“Yes.”
“There’s a rumor spreading among the assistants. That Professor Aron offered to take Simon as his direct disciple.”
“I see.”
“You’re really not bothered at all?”
Bahil, expressionless, poured the water.
“Senior Aron also has the right to offer to take Simon as a direct disciple, Chehekle.”
Chehekle’s face twitched in surprise.
This man was acting strange today.
He was absolutely not the type to let something like this slide. The type to throw things, smash windows, and unleash curses in all directions without restraint.
She decided she needed to prod further.
“These days, you’re not even approaching Simon much.”
“Mhm.”
“You don’t seem to feel much sense of crisis?”
“Mhm.”
Bahil was broken.
Was it because he was too shocked? Or had he gone mad?
Seeing the man who seemed like he wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed acting like this, Chehekle, for the first time, felt pity for him.
“……This isn’t like you, Professor.”
She put a little force in her eyes as she spoke.
“What do you mean?”
Bahil replied in the same languid voice.
“Being so dispirited, so slouched, pretending it’s nothing at all!”
But no matter what she said, Bahil didn’t react.
A little riled now, she took a deep breath and said sharply,
“You’re giving up on Simon way too easily for it to be like you! Was your interest in him not genuine?”
At that moment—
Kwarurururururung!
Lightning struck.
In a flash, the world around her turned white. The lab turned white. In that moment of black-and-white contrast, Chehekle could see clearly.
The letters drawn all over the laboratory.
—Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia Simon Follentia
Chehekle’s face turned as white as a sheet of paper.
This entire laboratory.
No matter where she turned her head.
Simon’s name, the solutions Simon had written, the problems Simon had solved, the food Simon had eaten, the techniques Simon had learned, the future Simon should pursue, everything was plastered with things about Simon.
“You’re saying I wasn’t serious about Simon?”
In the world of light and shadow, the madman let his hair fall over his face, blue eyes gleaming.
“That’s impossible.”
Krrrraaaaaaack!
Lightning struck again, and the world returned to its original state.
Chehekle, hit by the massive shock, lost all strength in her legs and collapsed with a thud.
“Ah, dear me.”
Bahil gave an awkward smile.
“I got carried away without realizing it. My apologies for startling—”
“You psycho bastard!!”
Chehekle shrieked. Her heart was still pounding as if broken, and her eyes even welled slightly with tears.
“I can’t believe I actually felt worried for a psychopath like you, even for a moment!!”
“Haha.”
Bahil smiled softly and approached Chehekle.
“There’s no need to worry about Simon. Senior Aron hasn’t made him his direct disciple yet, has he? That’s the limit of that senior, and—”
His voice sank coldly.
“That’s the ‘pain’ he carries.”
Bahil extended a hand, but she brusquely slapped it away and stood up.
“So, what, you’re just taking it easy for now?”
“Of course, when I first heard the news, I felt as if my blood were boiling in reverse. I calmly observed my brain as it furiously came up with thousands of ways to kill Senior Aron.”
Pathetic, Chehekle muttered quietly to herself.
“But it’s fine! I don’t care about that! In the end, my Simon will be in my hands! Now, have some coffee.”
“Professor Bahil.”
Still fuming, Chehekle took the coffee he offered and turned it upside down, pouring it straight into the sink.
“Let’s just look at the objective situation, shall we?”
Tak.
She set the empty cup down and continued.
“Simon has learned Bone Armor and Blood Golem from Professor Aron, and now he’s studying the Lich. On the other hand, all you’ve done is teach him the Four Great Curses. Do you really think you can compete?”
“Teaching the Four Great Curses isn’t the end.”
Bahil sneered.
“After learning all Four Great Curses, there’s still ‘Compellonia’. Simon is a diligent student. Even if he’s pouring effort into Lich creation and Summonology, he’ll at least keep his promise to me. Before the first year ends, he’ll complete all four curses.”
“……And what exactly is this Compellonia?”
“Wait and see. Before and after Simon uses Compellonia, he’ll be a different person. Everything will change.”
Bahil spread his arms.
“He’s my kind, no matter what anyone says. He has talent, and he has madness, so—”
Bahil’s lips curled upward.
“He won’t be able to make any choice but the same one I made.”
* * *
The next day.
Simon was in Aron’s laboratory, learning “Life Vessel”.
“I did it, Professor!”
Simon spoke as he took his hands away. In the air, two bands made of Darkness crossed each other.
“Good.”
Aron only gave a slight nod with an expressionless face, but—
‘……What kind of monster am I teaching?’
In truth, he felt like he could fall over in shock. Simon had mastered the basics of Life Vessel in just one week, succeeding in forming the “bands”.
But he concealed his surprise and spoke calmly.
“Don’t get conceited. The ‘bands’ are the most basic stage of Life Vessel. Think of it as just your first step.”
“Yes, Professor! Please teach me the next stage!”
Aron shook his head and rose from his seat.
“Rest for a while. Rest is important, too.”
“Huh? I’m fine—”
Tap.
Aron lightly touched Simon’s forehead, and his body collapsed onto the sofa.
“There’s no way you’d be fine after forming the bands three times. Rest for a moment.”
As if cursed, Simon couldn’t move at all. The moment he gave up resisting and felt the comfort of the sofa, he was out cold, snoring within five seconds.
“……Pushing himself too hard.”
While Simon slept, Aron summarized the materials he would teach him.
Only after two hours did Simon open his eyes.
“Ah!”
Simon stretched his arms wide.
“My body feels so light! I feel like I can do anything!”
“Calm down.”
When Simon got up, Aron handed him freshly brewed tea.
“It’s tea to restore vitality.”
“Thank you, Profe—ugh!”
The moment Simon took a sip, his face twisted, and he stuck out his tongue. It was more bitter than anything he could have imagined.
Aron chuckled lightly, a rare sight.
“Bitter medicine is good for you. Drink it all.”
“……All of this?”
When Simon looked up with a rebellious glint in his eyes, Aron replied in a flat tone,
“If you can’t drink it, today’s lesson ends here.”
At those words, Simon downed the tea in one go, face contorting, tongue numb. Aron handed him cold water.
‘Still.’
As Simon drank the cold water, he smiled.
‘I’m glad I’ve gotten closer to the Professor. Now it feels more like a proper direct professor–student relationship.’
Since the last Summonology lesson, Simon felt the distance between himself and Aron had closed considerably, and he was happy.
Aron sat heavily in the seat across from Simon.
“Then before we move on to the next lesson, one question.”
“Yes!”
“Have you found the heart that will become the Lich’s Life Vessel?”
Simon scratched the side of his head.
“……Ah. Well, you see—”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters
Very good story and translation but half the chapter aren't for free and it is wayyyy too expensive will it stat like tjis foreve or will it get free after some time