Chapter 534
A class where one had to complete the Funerology of the ghoul with only practice, no rehearsals, in order to receive a “Pass”.
At first, the students seemed to be floundering, but as expected of second-years who had survived extreme competition, they showed their resilience. They somehow adapted to the situation given.
On average, they consumed about six ghouls before grasping the funeral rite and succeeding in defeating the modified skeleton.
The named students were outstanding in this as well. Hector managed it with only four, while Aseraz cut it down with just two.
The most shocking was Loraine, who had lost the ability to use her powers. Yet, since she was confident in her undead control, she truly delivered a spectacle by taking down the modified skeleton without a funeral rite at all.
What had seemed an impossible task at first explanation yielded an astonishing result: all 52 passed. Even the weakest student in this class succeeded in performing the funerary rite, leaving only one ghoul behind.
“Good work, my little ones!”
“Well done!”
Professors Lin and Rune, the twin instructors, gathered the students together. Their mental states were tattered, but their eyes shone bright with the thought that they could at least attend tomorrow’s practical test safely.
“Tomorrow afternoon will be the practical, utilizing ghouls!”
“Only ghouls with a stamped seal can be used in the test, but if you want more preparation, you can practice with ordinary ghouls!”
“That’s it for today’s class!”
“See you tomorrow~”
The students bowed deeply.
“Thank you, professors!”
* * *
Rustle—
Yellow and red autumn leaves, each full of individuality, were gently falling.
Simon walked along, stepping on the fallen leaves.
Immersed in the mood, he felt at ease, and before long he reached his destination.
What lay before him was the massive bones of a dragon, buried beneath the leaves.
“......Ha.”
This year’s assignment: the Bone Dragon.
No matter how many times he saw it, it was hard to believe, and each time sent a shiver down his spine.
Whenever he needed strength or wanted to change his mood, he would come into this subspace Neftis had granted him.
Even though no summonological measures had been taken, the dragon’s skeletal remains already flickered with something like black energy.
What kind of result would be born if such a grand material were made into an undead?
“I still can’t attempt it, but no matter what it takes, I’ll see it through to completion.”
That Bone Dragon was this year’s assignment.
For now, however, Simon had to devote himself entirely to tomorrow’s ghoul evaluation.
Firming his resolve, Simon exited the subspace.
Outside, night had already fallen.
He picked up the orb under his foot, tucked it carefully into his chest, and checked the time.
At last, it was time.
“Alright, let’s do this!”
Simon slapped his cheeks with a loud smack.
The operation began.
* * *
The student city, Rochest.
On weekends, students eagerly awaited the chance to go there for entertainment. Rochest was the largest city on Roke Island.
But on weekday evenings, aside from students sneaking over the walls, there weren’t many people. At such times, the residents’ parties would begin.
Boom-chak, boom-chak—
The sound of an old trumpet and battered drum played in unison.
The trumpet came from the butcher next door, the drum from the weaponsmith.
Everyone enjoyed the homely rhythm, raising frothing mugs of dark beer. Wahahaha! Loud and boisterous laughter filled the air.
On the outskirts of Rochest stood the Black Shark Tavern.
Because of its somewhat old-fashioned atmosphere, it wasn’t a student favorite, but the residents of Rochest came and went daily as regulars. The school’s older henchmen often visited too.
“Hahahahaha!”
And in less than a year, one person had become the tavern’s most dominant figure, its unrivaled star.
At a table piled with beer barrels sat a woman, guzzling them down.
Gulp, gulp—
She lifted the heavy drum-barrel with just arm strength, tilted it to her mouth, and poured in the dark beer in torrents. It was a staggering sight.
Those watching chuckled.
“Even though we see it every day, it never gets old.”
“Take it easy, Professor! You’ll choke! Wahaha!”
Thud—!
Slamming the barrel onto the table, her face flushed with drink, she barked,
“Shut it! What do you care if I drink or not, eh?”
This was none other than Belya Tun Sokum Marlat, the second-year professor of Toxicology.
A bearded man nearby raised his glass to her.
“Professor, still working the kids hard these days?”
“Eh~ Compared to the first year, it’s way better! They’ve aged a year, at least have some sense now.”
Belya clinked his glass with the entire barrel.
“But sometimes I think—what riches and glory am I chasing, leaving the grasslands behind to come here and play professor?”
“Hahaha! Same lament every time, girl!”
“If you went back to the grasslands, we’d be the ones missing out! Students rate you highly, don’t they? You should keep at it for a long time!”
“Shut up, you bastards!”
And the laughter roared.
It wasn’t something one would say to Professor Keyzen, the continent’s highest authority, but because Belya was so easygoing, the residents spoke freely with her.
She herself preferred this atmosphere to bowing and scraping like those so-called henchmen.
“Ah, but why does the booze taste so bad today!”
Having already emptied two barrels, she shook the drum irritably.
“Boss! What’s going on here?”
The tavern keeper shrugged.
“Professor, it came in with the same batch as yesterday’s. Yesterday you said it was good?”
“Damn it, I don’t care! It’s bad!”
She pounded the empty barrel on the table, then rolled it aside. Her bleary eyes gazed up at the ceiling.
“Ssshh—Why do I miss the grasslands so much today....”
“Good evening, Professor.”
Someone boldly approached, pulled out a chair, and sat across from her table.
A man in a black robe.
“What’s this? Who are you?”
Her brow furrowed.
“I heard someone complain the booze tasted bad today.”
The man pulled a new bottle from his cloak and slid it toward her.
“!”
It was a jug-shaped bottle, sealed at the mouth with paper and tied with string.
“I hear the Marlat tribe of the grasslands enjoys a special kind of mare’s milk liquor.”
“You—how do you know this....”
The man removed his robe, revealing the face of a young boy with blue hair, smiling gently.
“It’s been a while, Professor.”
It was none other than Simon.
She burst out laughing.
“Ah, what the hell! Why are you suddenly popping up here?”
“First, have a drink and let’s talk. I’ll pour it for you.”
Just as Simon hurried to prepare a glass, she slammed her hand over the mouth of the jug.
Thunk!
“Dick Hayword sent you, didn’t he? What’s his game?”
Ugh.
The “slick bastard” she mentioned was indeed Dick Hayword.
In truth, before coming here, Simon had stopped by the Student Council room.
—You’ve got a request for Professor Belya?
At Dick’s question, Simon had quickly nodded.
—Ha, where else would she be? Surely guzzling herself silly at Rochest’s Black Shark Tavern. And here.
Dick had pulled a small jug from his desk drawer and handed it to Simon.
—I was saving this for later, but since it’s you, I’ll let you have it. Pour her this and she’ll go wild with joy.
—......But is it okay for me to use something this precious?
—Heh, come on! Between us, what’s there to fuss about? Take it. Take it.
That was how this came about.
Simon cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Well, if it’s alright, Professor, I’d like to ask you something regarding Toxicology.”
“Oho—”
Her lips curled upward, revealing her sharklike triangular teeth.
“A boy who never even signed up for my Toxicology class suddenly has something so urgent to ask, ehhh?”
Simon froze, keeping a polite smile but stiff as a board.
Had he overstepped? Was this bad manners?
What should he say?
Seeing his nervous fidgeting, Belya broke into a mischievous grin before bursting into booming laughter.
“Just kidding! Just kidding, brat!”
She then slapped his shoulder hard a couple of times. Each blow sent Simon wobbling side to side.
“The top of your year and Student Council President, eh? If even you’re showing an interest in Toxicology, that’s good news!”
She rested an arm on the back of her chair.
“Besides, I’m not only head of Toxicology, but also in charge of Toxicology for the entire second year! Even those who don’t take my class are still my students. You have every right to ask me!”
With that, she untied the string around the jug and lifted it in one hand, downing it in great gulps.
Gulp, gulp—
“Phaaah!”
She let out a guttural exclamation, smiling as though her chest had been cleared. In her eyes flickered a brief flash of nostalgia.
“This taste—yes. This is it. No rare liquor in the continent can compare.”
She slammed the jug down on the table and looked at Simon.
“What do you want?”
Simon eagerly opened his bag, pulling out a notebook. He flipped it open so she could see.
“I’m working on this!”
“Hm—”
She put a hand to her chin and scanned the notes.
“I think I can manage the summoning aspect myself, but when it comes to dealing with toxins, it’s been... difficult.”
Without warning, she snatched the notebook from his hand and laid it flat on the table. Her eyes sharpened, glaring into it as if she might be sucked right in. One knee even came up onto the table.
“Ho.”
At last, her lips curved into an amused grin. She lifted her head and met Simon’s gaze.
“People must often call you crazy, don’t they?”
“Wh-what? N-no.”
“This isn’t the place for this. Come with me!”
She tossed the notebook back into Simon’s chest, threw on her coat, and stood up.
“If I’m going to help, I’ll do it properly. We’re heading to my lab!”
“Y-yes, Professor!”
* * *
The next morning.
The day of the much-dreaded ghoul practical exam had finally come.
The professors had been pushing the students relentlessly with back-to-back “Pass or Fail” classes, and the exam was scheduled for the very next day.
The key was simple: in a short span of time, how much could one suppress their weaknesses and improve themselves?
The Summonology students knew this well, so they had spent the night in sleepless dedication, practicing and modifying their ghouls. The underground training halls of the dormitories were crammed full of second-years.
Not a word was spoken; only the faint clatter of tools echoed as they worked. The exam would be in the afternoon, and fortunately the morning was free. In the remaining time, they had to maximize the performance of the ghouls that bore the official seal.
“Huaaah—”
And into this tense atmosphere walked Will, a third-year who had returned to Roke Island the night before. Rubbing his eyes, he entered the lab.
“Huh, what the hell?”
The room was sweltering with heat. A few second-years, hollow-eyed, looked at him and croaked,
“......G-good morning, senior.”
They looked like zombies greeting him. Others didn’t even glance his way, still buried in their work.
“......”
A vein bulged on the forehead of Will, the notorious drill sergeant of discipline.
“Ah, you little shits! Acting all cocky, eh? A third-year comes in and you barely look up—what kind of greeting is that? Should I have all of you assemble right now?!”
His tongue lashed out without pause.
“See! I knew it! I should’ve cracked down harder during initiation—!”
“What are you doing?”
A cold voice rang out behind him.
Will flinched and turned. Standing there with arms crossed was a girl, her collar adorned with the golden badge marking her as a third-year.
Benya Vanilla, ranked 7th among all third-years.
“After all that trouble you caused at the welcoming ceremony, you still haven’t shaken that filthy habit?”
Will’s face flushed at her words. Benya continued.
“Leonard and the Student Council President made a promise, remember? No more hazing or abuse of the juniors.”
“Th-that’s not what this is...! Dammit! I was just pointing out they didn’t greet me properly!”
Ever since the initiation fiasco, Benya had taken it upon herself to protect the second-years and keep Will in check.
Recently, Will had been living under her shadow, but in front of the juniors, his pride stung too much to simply back down.
“Regardless, respect between juniors and seniors is basic! Because we let them loose after the first day and never kept them in line, the whole department is falling apart—!”
“Second-years.”
Benya shook her head slowly, cutting him off.
“Your evaluation is this afternoon.”
Evaluation.
At that single word, even the ferocious Will flinched, his expression shrinking.
“A-hem, so that’s what it was? Cough-cough! Then you should’ve said so sooner! I would’ve... eh-hem, taken it easy! Anyway—do your best on the exam!”
And he fled the room.
Benya shook her head again, then turned to the second-years.
“Sorry my classmate was noisy. Continue.”
“Yes, senior!”
The second-years resumed their work. Watching them proudly, Benya turned her head.
“You’re here.”
Coming down the opposite staircase was Simon. He bowed politely.
“Thank you for taking the time, Benya-senior.”
“How could I refuse when our President himself asked? Shall we talk outside?”
“Yes!”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters