Chapter 469
In the end, the candidate from the Ampergi family who had gone on a rampage was completely subdued by Simon.
His servants tied him up tightly with ropes so he couldn't cause any more trouble.
And then—
“Did you see that?”
The freshmen, who had been watching the entire scene unfold from the ship, were now totally enamored with the Student Council President.
“He looked kind of gentle on the ship, but when he fights, he's so intense...!”
“Did you see the veins popping in his arms?”
“They say the president is a second-year student now!”
“He’s only a year older than us? Is he taken?!”
The girls huddled together in groups, buzzing with chatter.
“Insane. That guy fights like a total badass.”
“He’s from the Summonology Department, right?”
“I think it was the Magical Combat Department. He’s fast and fights back with his fists.”
“You clueless idiots. Didn’t you see him use black flames? It’s definitely Darkness Dynamics.”
The boys were busy analyzing Simon’s fighting style, each offering their own theories.
“Please quiet down!”
The servants moved around trying to get the students back to their seats, but it was hard to calm them after what they had just witnessed.
That’s when Simon poked his head out the window.
“Guys, it’s dangerous on the ship. Please sit down and be quiet, okay?”
“Yes, sir!!”
In a blink, the freshmen snapped to attention and returned to their seats like clockwork.
‘These kids wouldn't listen earlier. What’s gotten into them?’
Simon smiled faintly and turned his head back to continue speaking with the staff. Sighs of admiration from the girls echoed throughout the ship.
“Arthur Bleman, confirmed.”
Meanwhile, Arthur, who was the last one in line, showed his letter of admission, completing the group. No more students were arriving at the dock.
Arthur gave Simon a thumbs-up.
“You were amazing earlier, Simon-senior!”
“Sorry for butting in, Arthur.”
In truth, Arthur could have easily won if he had gone all out.
“Haha! Not at all! I got reckless and threw punches carelessly. I learned a lot today!”
Just then, one of the servants, who had been checking the list, froze. Simon noticed and asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“S-Student Council President…”
She spoke with an awkward expression.
“We’re missing one student.”
“What?”
A staff member quickly rushed onto the ship.
“Alright, freshmen! Line up and count off from the front, to the right!”
“One!”
“Two!”
Every freshman raised their hand and called out their number. A girl on the first floor shouted “200! End of line!” while a boy on the second floor called out “99! End of line!”
“Total is 299. We’re definitely one short! Missing one on the second floor!”
With departure imminent, the atmosphere turned tense. Simon asked the servant,
“Who’s the freshman that hasn’t arrived?”
“Just a moment…!”
The servant flipped through the documents and answered,
“Heidi Ferris.”
‘Ah!’
Heidi—she was the freshman Simon had met at the bookstore. The playful girl who didn’t believe he was a second-year student.
Hehehehehe—
A creepy laugh rang out.
The Ampergi candidate, tied up on the floor, was shaking with laughter.
“What a shame.”
He twisted his lips.
“Looks like she’s not coming. One seat left empty, just like that.”
“President!”
A staff member holding a communication crystal rushed over to Simon.
“May I have a word?”
“Sure.”
Curious, the freshmen craned their necks toward the window. Simon followed the staff member down the pier as they spoke.
“I just spoke with headquarters. Aside from our Langerstine group, all the other teams have already departed for Roke Island.”
“So we’re the only ones left.”
“Yes, and since we reported that one student is missing, HQ issued a new directive.”
The staff member, face pale, continued.
“If the missing student doesn’t arrive within 5 minutes, we are to board the next candidate in line.”
“!”
Simon instantly turned to the candidate tied in ropes—Number 1001—who now wore a smug smile.
“This is unacceptable.”
Simon argued.
“That candidate committed indiscriminate violence and even tried to attack our students. You saw it with your own eyes!”
“I agree it’s unacceptable, but those are HQ’s orders. There’s nothing I can do.”
Keyzen had upheld the tradition of admitting exactly 1,000 students for hundreds of years. The ‘candidate’ system existed solely to ensure that number was met in case of emergencies.
If a student was missing, Keyzen would prioritize filling the number above all else.
Simon stood on his toes and scanned the pier.
‘No sign of candidate 1002 or 1003 nearby either.’
You’d expect a few more to be lurking, but only the Ampergi candidate had shown up. Something smelled fishy.
Step. Step.
Simon walked briskly toward the Ampergi candidate, who grinned like he knew exactly what was going on.
“You.”
Simon’s expression turned deadly serious.
“You had someone abduct the missing student, didn’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The candidate avoided his gaze, speaking in a mocking tone.
“No need to get so riled up. Just untie me, will ya? I’d like to get on the ship too.”
“……”
Simon was sure of it.
This bastard kidnapped Heidi just to get into Keyzen.
‘Don’t take the bait. Stay calm.’
Simon first pulled a dagger from his subspace and cut the ropes.
“Ah, finally. Thought my arms were gonna fall off.”
The candidate stood up and brushed his neck.
“Alright, let’s get going to Roke Is—”
“Kneel.”
Simon kicked his legs out, forcing him to kneel. The servants quickly grabbed his arms to keep him from retaliating.
“Oh, come on!”
The candidate chuckled.
“What kind of Student Council President beats up freshmen? Just follow the rules! One person didn’t show up, so put in a candidate. What’s so complicated?!”
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
As Student Council President, Simon’s duty was to lead the freshmen.
Taking this guy to Roke Island would make the headcount 1,000, and the entrance ceremony would proceed smoothly.
And this guy had already sold himself to dangerous black magic. With time, the side effects would eliminate him from the competition anyway.
‘But.’
Simon clenched his jaw.
—Anyway, it was fun meeting you! Say hi when you see me at school!
He couldn't abandon Heidi.
She had done nothing wrong.
She passed the entrance exam fair and square. If she missed enrollment because of this, she’d live with pain and regret for the rest of her life.
As long as Simon was here as Student Council President, he wouldn’t let that happen.
‘I need to find a clue.’
Simon grabbed the candidate’s shirt and yanked it upward. Dozens of permanent magic circles were etched onto his body.
‘…I knew it.’
Simon’s eyes narrowed as he examined a black magic circle drawn on the candidate’s abdomen.
Even among necromancers, each black magic circle is unique. Just like fingerprints, the composition reflects their habits and affinity with Darkness.
Simon had seen this composition before. That texture of Darkness was the same too.
‘When Arthur was ambushed yesterday.’
The group that attacked Arthur.
He had assumed they were just some third-rate gang after money, but after Simon defeated them, they vanished with strange black magic. They weren’t necromancers, but they had permanent magic circles drawn on their bodies.
‘Same kind of high-risk black magic. They must be connected.’
The puzzle in Simon’s mind quickly came together.
The candidate was clearly linked to Arthur’s attackers and they most likely kidnapped Heidi.
The attack on Arthur had been to keep him from boarding the ship for a day.
But when that failed, they switched targets—to someone easier: Heidi.
‘This is it.’
He may have gone crazy from black magic and caused a scene, but he still asked them to check the count. He was relying on something.
Simon stood up.
“Did you find anything?”
The staff member approached, visibly anxious.
"How much time do we have left?"
“Departure is in five minutes.”
“Is there any way we can extend that a little?”
The staff furrowed their brow in hesitation. Then, they offered a faint smile.
“…I’ll just write up a disciplinary report or something. I think I can buy us 10 more minutes.”
‘Fifteen minutes!’
“That’ll be enough.”
Simon turned away.
“If fifteen minutes pass and I haven’t returned, depart as scheduled without me.”
“Y-Yes, understood.”
Tap!
Darkness burst from Simon’s legs like boosters as he launched into a sprint.
The freshmen murmured among themselves as they watched him go, while the candidate chuckled mockingly.
“Nice try, kid. Not gonna work though~”
* * *
Tap! Tatatat!
Simon ran along the deserted coastal road and opened an enormous subspace.
“Come out, Akemius.”
Fwoooosh!
From within emerged a man with pitch-black wings resembling a crow.
[You called, Young Master?]
It was Akemius, General of the Skullwing Division.
Simon had brought him just in case they were attacked by Magnus while outside Roke Island before boarding the teleportation circle.
He had sworn not to summon Ancient Undeads in the city unless necessary, but the situation was too urgent to care.
“Suppress your Darkness as much as possible, and take me into the sky.”
[I obey.]
Akemius grabbed Simon firmly and with a single beat of his wings, soared into the sky. The towering buildings of Langerstine flew past, rooftops vanished beneath them, and soon the sky unfolded above.
“Ugh!”
Simon winced against the sudden pressure.
And moments later—
Flap!
Flap!
Two vast black wings stretched out wide in the air.
Simon was now above the clouds. Buildings and people were distant specks below.
‘Good. At this height, other necromancers won’t detect us.’
Simon turned to Akemius.
“Akemius! Do you remember the feather you gave me at the Ruins of Feer?”
[Of course I do, Young Master!]
Simon’s eyes lit up.
“You said you could track that feather no matter where it was, right?”
Akemius nodded.
[Naturally.]
* * *
“……”
Heidi opened her eyes.
An unfamiliar place. She had no idea where she was. When she looked around, she could see a sofa, a bed, and a kitchen—looked like a cheap rental room the thugs were using as a hideout.
Clink!
Her arms were shackled to chains bolted into the wall.
Her eyes stung from crying so much. Her body felt drained. Her knees were scraped from struggling, and a bowl sat on the floor before her.
“What, you didn’t take a single bite? That’s just rude, don’t you think?”
One of the scruffy, ill-tempered men chuckled.
She ignored him and turned her head. A window came into view.
“…!”
Daylight was breaking outside the window.
“No, no, no!”
She tried to stand, but the chains clanged loudly, pulling her back down.
“Please, let me go… please!”
Tears welled up again as she begged.
“I have to go to Keyzen today! The ship’s about to depart!”
The men who had abducted her just laughed.
“Give it up already.”
“It's probably already sailed.”
As the morning light grew brighter, a crushing despair clouded Heidi’s vision. All the effort she’d put into getting into Keyzen flickered past like smoke.
The first time she opened her Core.
The first time she formed a Darkness Arrow.
Trembling as she solved the first question of the entrance exam.
The day she finally received the acceptance letter to Keyzen and cried her eyes out, hugging her mom and dad.
Now it was all going to waste.
The day before entrance…
She had let her guard down. Gotten kidnapped of all things.
‘…I want to go.’
She gazed at the brightening window and closed her eyes.
‘I want to go to Keyzen. Even if I have to sell my soul to a demon…!’
One of the men watching her laughed.
“You’re better off letting it go. Even if you leave now, you’re—”
CRAAASH!
The window shattered violently.
And in that moment, the girl witnessed a miracle. A buzzing noise like static rang in her ears.
Feathers.
Countless black crow-like feathers—no, tens of thousands—flooded in through the shattered window, swirling around the room and casting it into pitch darkness.
And from within that storm of exploding black feathers emerged a boy clad in black school uniform.
Slide—
With a fluid glide across the floor, he shot forward with impeccable style, charging toward the three men.
Rustle.
The black feathers veiled Heidi’s vision for a split second.
When they fell, he had already passed through.
And the three men were now flying through the air, blood spraying in arcs.
Thud!
Crack!
Smash!
Their bodies slammed into the ceiling and walls.
“What the hell?!”
More men burst in from the living room, but were instantly flung back by another massive black feather launched through the window.
“You’re not too late.”
A gentle voice, calm and soothing.
Amid the slowly settling black feathers, a boy with blue hair glowed with determination in his eyes.
He made a small gesture, and from somewhere, metallic snakes emerged and crushed the chains binding Heidi.
“You…!”
As her arms were freed, Heidi’s eyes widened in shock. The boy gave a warm smile and extended his hand.
“I’ll take you to Keyzen.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters