Chapter 475
"My name is Simon Follentia."
Simon rose from his seat.
Aron’s earlier question had been about the meaning of the Skeleton Knight’s “strength that does not require control”.
"Ordinary skeletons require precise undead control. Since they’re undead created by binding bones with Darkness, they collapse easily even from a simple impact."
Simon turned his head toward the Skeleton Knight that Aron had created.
"But a Skeleton Knight wears armor and has defensive power. As long as its thought-link is established, I believe it can perform its role without the sorcerer needing to pay much attention."
"Indeed, that’s correct."
Applause erupted throughout the room. Especially Toto, sitting beside him, clapped enthusiastically.
"Sit down. Skeleton Knights wear equipment. Because of this, they’re restricted from using the skeleton’s unique ‘restorative skills’, such as Bone Armor, Bone Spear, or Bone Prison."
As Aron waved his hand in the air, the Skeleton Knight’s bones disassembled and floated in midair.
It seemed he tried to make it use “Bone Spear”, but the armor obstructed it, preventing proper movement. The weight of the armor also dragged the bones down toward the floor.
"Though they cannot use restorative skills, Skeleton Knights are far more effective than ordinary skeletons when you need your summon to fight while you prepare other black magic. That should suffice for the explanation. Turn to page two of your textbook."
Sha-rak sha-rak—
The sound of pages being flipped filled the classroom.
"The differences between Skeletons and Skeleton Knights, and the unique traits of the Knight. This is a favorite question for Midterm #1. You’d best memorize it all."
There was a brief period of scribbling as students took notes.
A peaceful atmosphere.
Simon rested his chin on his hand while jotting down the key points Aron wrote on the board.
‘Still, after this lesson, I’ll probably just keep using ordinary skeletons.’
As Aron had demonstrated, they were good for buying time to prepare a main attack spell. For students with poor undead control, Knights were costly but a much better alternative.
But Simon was highly confident in his undead control, and he didn’t think the Skeleton Knight offered enough merit to replace the restorative skills he already used as his mainstay.
‘Once this class ends…’
"There are some of you who may be wondering."
Aron’s words made Simon look up sharply.
"You’ve done well enough with skeletons until now, so why must you suddenly learn Skeleton Knights?"
Chak.
Aron picked up a piece of chalk again.
"I’ll now explain the reason. It’s not written in the textbook, so pay close attention."
The students swallowed nervously as Aron moved to the far left of the blackboard and wrote: Skeleton Knight.
"To create a Skeleton Knight, one must acquire the ‘Rune of Reminiscence’ and the formulas based on it. This is the technique of controlling lingering thoughts to draw out an undead’s skills from its lifetime more strongly."
He wrote Rune of Reminiscence beneath Skeleton Knight, then drew a line forward.
"And once you’ve learned the Rune of Reminiscence, it also becomes an essential material for the higher undead species of Zombie—the Ghoul."
Aron wrote Ghoul on the board.
"To make a Ghoul, you must learn the mutation formulas that induce transformation in a corpse, along with the Decomposition Formula. Afterward, by combining the Ghoul’s decomposition mutation with the Rune of Reminiscence learned from Skeleton Knights…"
Chak. Chak.
He drew connections between the two undead and circled the junction, writing a new name.
"You can create the magical undead known as the 「Devourer」."
Aron’s chalk danced across the board, combining runes and formulas into various undead. The formulas required for each creation interlocked with others to give rise to even higher species.
Aron was now drawing a massive roadmap.
"Night Terror, Colossus, Crypt Guard."
At the mention of these powerful undead, spoken of only in rumors, the Summonology students’ faces grew increasingly excited. Aron even incorporated runes and skills from other departments when necessary.
By adding Haematology’s vampiric formula to the existing Death Bat, he created a Blood Bat. By fusing it with a curse formula, he created a Nosferatu.
Every new undead added to the board left students with gaping mouths. And finally, at the far end of the chalkboard—
Chwaak—
Chwaak—
Chwaak—
All the formulas and runes converged from left to right.
"This is also the goal for this semester. Once you’ve built all these foundations, at last, you will be able to create…"
Tak!
"—the 3rd-tier undead, the headless knight: Dullahan."
The classroom erupted into astonished gasps.
It was the dream of every summoner. A monster that never falls to any attack, never tires, and mows down enemies with overwhelming strength and blade.
It was the very being that had ended the great “Era of Knights” on the continent, a truly abominable summon.
"I won’t tell you to use every undead you learn in battle."
Aron tapped his head with the chalk.
"But every piece of knowledge and experience you gain in creating them will become nourishment, allowing you to craft and command even higher level undead."
Simon studied the formulas necessary for creating a Dullahan and smiled.
Unlike the Lich, which belonged strictly to the domain of innate talent and the mysterious “Life Vessel”, the Dullahan was not one that could be created by talent alone.
Knowledge.
To craft this summon required solid fundamentals and a vast amount of Summonology. And as all of that knowledge accumulated in his mind, Simon was convinced he would grow far stronger than he was now.
‘In truth, if I were asked to make a Lich right now, I couldn’t pull it off like I did back then.’
Not only had he relied too much on Compello, but his Lich creation had involved the help of far too many people.
There had also been the coincidence of fusing the Autonomous Staff with Herseba. He couldn’t rely forever on coincidences and raw instinct.
‘Time to study.’
Simon’s eyes gleamed with determination. He resolved to make every last one of those things his own.
"Any questions?"
One excited male student shot his hand up and stood.
"Matt Comer, sir! Can we really create a Dullahan in just one semester?"
In the standard Keyzen curriculum, the Dullahan was considered an undead taught only in the third year. But Aron simply nodded calmly.
"Of course—if you can keep up with the course."
"T-then!"
Suddenly, Toto leapt to his feet.
He was so excited he even forgot to announce his name before asking.
"If we can make a Dullahan in the first semester, then next time… can we make it?!"
His voice rang out loudly.
"The dream of every summoner! The Death Knight!"
The moment he uttered that name, a heavy silence fell across the lecture hall.
Instead of answering, Aron gave a faint smile.
"Toto Amoriya, that’s something you’ll only find out if you survive to the next semester."
"……Ah."
Only then, realizing his outburst, Toto blushed red and sat down again.
"Now that you’re all sufficiently motivated, we’ll end the theory here."
Aron checked his wristwatch.
"From now on, it’s practicals. Using the materials you’ve brought, you’ll attempt to create a Skeleton Knight. I don’t think I need to explain how important the first step is."
"Yes, sir!!"
While the students hurriedly laid out their remaining materials, Loraine, seated next to him, gave a faint smile.
"Professor Aron teaches well."
Come to think of it, Loraine had originally been from the back class. Simon grinned in response.
"Look forward to it from now on."
Dullahan and Death Knight…
For the first time, Simon truly felt like a Summonology major.
* * *
The students set to work on their Skeleton Knight creations in a free and relaxed atmosphere.
Teaching assistants walked around, helping students who got stuck. Since it was only the first class, the environment was still rather noisy.
"Anyone got bone adhesive to spare?!"
Many hadn’t brought all their supplies. A girl with bright orange hair, peering around anxiously, spotted Toto sitting in front of Simon and waved her hand.
"Hey! You there, Death Knight boy!"
"Pfft!"
Simon, busy assembling bones, couldn’t hold back his laughter.
After what had happened earlier, Toto had quickly gained the nickname “Death Knight boy” among the students of the department.
"Don’t laugh at me, Simon!"
Toto shouted with a flushed face. Just then, the orange-haired girl came closer.
"Can you lend me your bone adhesive?"
"M-me?"
Toto’s chronic condition flared up again. Whenever a girl approached, his face went red and he stammered.
"Come on~ Can you give it to me or not?"
"Uh, y-yeah!"
Toto fidgeted nervously, shaking his head side to side before finally clutching the bone adhesive in his hand. Simon watched him with a sigh.
‘He hasn’t even started his own assembly yet…’
Simon exhaled quietly and held out his own adhesive.
"Just use mine."
Both Toto and the girl turned their heads toward him.
"Ooh, thanks, Prez!"
She accepted the adhesive with both hands, delighted.
"During class, just call me Simon."
At that, she froze for a moment, then gave a little hmph through her nose with a smirk.
What did that mean?
"Anyway, thanks for last time too, at the Inauguration."
"Hm? What for?"
"Hahaha! Don’t play dumb! When we were crossing that skeleton bridge, you saved me with that weird skill of yours!"
‘Ah, that.’
Simon nodded. It had been too dark to see clearly back then, but it seemed it had been her. He smiled brightly.
"I’m glad you weren’t hurt."
"Heh."
She smirked, her eyes narrowing.
Her look said, Oh, so that’s the kind of guy you are.
"Anyway, I’ll use this quickly and give it back!"
Humming cheerfully, she went back to her seat.
Simon was just about to resume assembling when—
"Simooon~?"
A chilling voice called out. Simon pretended not to hear, but when the voice repeated, “Siiimon~”, he had no choice but to turn his head.
Serne, who had arrived late and taken the seat diagonally beside him, was holding two bones together and trying to snap them in place.
"I can’t do this. It’s too hard for me~"
‘…If that’s hard for you, why did you even enroll in Summonology?’
Simon gave a wry smile.
"Of course you can’t fit bone #34 with bone #102. You have to check the textbook and connect them in the right order according to body parts."
"It’s too hard~ Can’t you just come over and help me?"
"Ah, that."
At that moment, a sturdy male student seated behind Serne raised a finger.
"The one in your left hand is #34, and the bone under your elbow right now is #35. Put those two together."
Perhaps he wanted to score points with the Ivory Tower successor, offering kind advice. But Serne’s icy stare shot through him.
"……"
Moments later—
The boy’s eyes glazed over, and he began licking a skeleton bone like a dog’s chew toy.
"Serne! You again!"
Unable to watch, Loraine rushed over, and once again a fight broke out.
"What’s all this commotion?"
In the end, Aron himself came to mediate, directly instructing the troublesome Serne. Her lips pouted as she tried to connect bones, making her look like a duck, it was almost funny.
Chachak!
Chak!
While Simon had been distracted, the elite students were making astonishing progress.
Third in class ranking, Hector.
Fifth place, Aseraz.
And Fitzgerald from the Mutant Club.
The three of them were stacking bones at a frenzied pace, drawing admiration from the other students.
‘Alright, time to focus too.’
He couldn’t afford to fall behind.
Flexing his fingers, Simon began his own full-scale attempt at creating a Skeleton Knight.
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