Chapter 551
-Whether White gets dropped or not, Simon, I’ll follow your decision.
-Alright, then let’s do it this way.
The plan of the Mutant members was simple.
Since student White had officially applied to join, unless there was a very clear reason, each club could not reject him.
So, they would accept the application, but structure the entrance exam in a way that would disadvantage White.
The first attempt—Fitzgerald’s written test—had been perfect for eliminating White, but the problem was that it had eliminated all the other first-years as well.
The second—Toto’s interview—had been conducted on the assumption that White, who relied on special abilities, would not have a “special summoned creature”. But White did have a summon created with his ability.
Now, finally, it was Simon’s turn with the practical test.
“Is everyone ready?”
Simon asked while holding the club’s banner.
“Yes, Senior!”
The first-years at the starting line shouted energetically. At the side, White was staring blankly into the sky.
“The last test is Summon Sprint! No black magic or abilities allowed—only techniques related to your summons! Anyone here able to use Darkness Step?”
Darkness Step was the first technique taught in the first-year Magical Combat class.
Most of the first-years raised their hands, though some admitted they couldn’t use it well yet.
“Since it’s inconsistent, Darkness Step is also banned. You can only run on your own legs or use your summons.”
“Yes!”
“Good! Everyone, get ready—”
All the first-years lowered their bodies with serious faces, ready to sprint. Arthur sprawled out on the ground as if preparing to launch like a catapult.
Flap—!
Simon swung the flag with force.
“Start!”
Ta-at!
Tat!
The first-years bolted forward with fierce momentum.
And yet—
“……”
White remained at the start line, staring dazedly into the sky.
‘Just as expected.’
Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses. They had deliberately chosen a park within Keyzen Campus filled with birds. White was too distracted watching them fly around.
And besides, White’s ability-based summon was a stationary, fixed-magic-circle type—not suitable for running.
It would be nice if he just failed like this.
“Rrraaaaaaahhhh!”
Meanwhile, the other first-years were fiercely competing. Sasha opened her subspace.
“Come out, Vinepus!”
A vine-covered summon leapt out. Sasha jumped onto it, and Vinepus used its vines like legs to increase its speed.
She quickly outpaced the other first-years running on their own feet.
“I’m going to be first…!”
“As if!”
Dududududu!
The sudden sound of hooves made Sasha turn her head.
There was Molly, riding atop an expensive skeletal horse. Even more, like her other undead, it was coated in blue plating.
“Tch, just filthy rich.”
“You! What did you just say…!”
But Molly swept her hair back coolly, no longer provoked.
“Say what you want. Wealth is also an undeniable strength for a necromancer. I’ll pour everything I have into winning.”
Shraaak!
At that moment, Vinepus’ vines whipped toward Molly, trying to entangle her. She flinched and swayed away.
“Kyah! What the hell?!”
“Didn’t Simon oppa say it? Using summon-related skills for running is allowed. But…”
Sasha smirked and extended her hand.
“No one said you couldn’t interfere with others.”
Vinepus’ vines lashed out again and again. Molly had to twist and dodge desperately atop her skeletal horse.
“You’re seriously cheap!”
“And a first-year owning a skeletal horse isn’t?”
“If you’re going to be childish like that, fine.”
Molly opened her subspace.
“I’ll use my summons to attack, too—!”
“Ahahahahahahahaha!”
Both girls turned their heads.
Kwooosh!
Dust exploded as a red-haired boy sprinted past them on two legs, overtaking them.
“?!”
Their jaws dropped.
Without even using Darkness Step, he had outrun the skeletal horse purely with his physical strength.
‘…My eyes aren’t broken, right?’
Was he even human like them? A superhuman beyond reason.
“Number 2!”
As she was overtaken, Sasha shouted angrily.
“What are you doing in a Summoning Club exam?! This isn't a Magical Combat class!”
“Hm?”
Arthur glanced back.
“Isn’t plain running allowed?”
Sasha gave a quick signal to Molly. Molly stammered a little before blurting out:
“E-Even if it’s not against the rules, it’s… poor sportsmanship!”
“Right. At least use a summon to run!”
Arthur scratched his head, then smiled and raised his arm.
“Fine then!”
Vwooom!
He opened subspace, summoning the same four-jointed sword he had shown in the interview. Gripping it tightly, he swung.
“Stretch out—!”
The sword’s joints extended at once, shooting forward until it pierced into a distant tree. Arthur lifted his feet off the ground—
Shraaaaak!
And his body shot forward at terrifying speed.
Molly gasped in shock.
“What kind of necromancer does that… huh?”
But she quickly noticed Sasha flying alongside him. Vinepus’ vine had secretly wrapped around Arthur’s waist.
“Bye! Last-train princess!”
“You!!”
Molly yanked her reins, her face red.
“If I catch you, you’re dead!”
* * *
Meanwhile, while the three first-years stormed ahead, White still stood at the start line, gazing at the birds.
“Ah.”
Only when the flock flew away, disappearing behind a building, did White finally look forward and prepare to run. Fitzgerald, watching from a distance, adjusted his glasses again.
‘So he plans to run now? Too late.’
White opened his subspace.
—Krrrulk!
A summon he hadn’t shown in the interview appeared.
It resembled a living well of flesh. In its center, a pool of Darkness rippled, while strange tentacles writhed.
White placed his hand on its body.
He’s absorbing Darkness from his summon. He’s preparing to use his ability.
Slrrrk.
The Darkness was absorbed, the pool shrinking.
‘So he has a summon that stores Darkness, yet during the interview he still asked Simon for help? Suspicious…’
Fitzgerald crossed his arms, his expression grim.
‘This boy must fail here.’
At last, White finished absorbing. He drew a magic circle on the ground with the white Darkness created by his ability, then summoned an empty suit of armor from subspace.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The armor filled with white Darkness, solidifying. Just like in the interview, the ability-created summon rose to its feet.
‘A summon that can only exist within a magic circle. It’s fixed—I already confirmed that. What can he possibly do with it?’
White leapt onto its shoulder. The ability soldier spread its arms wide, preparing to throw.
‘No way…!’
Fitzgerald’s face twisted in disbelief, his glasses slipping down his nose.
BOOOOOM—!
The ability soldier hurled White’s body like a cannonball.
The wind roared, trees thrashed, and Fitzgerald fell over from the shockwave.
White’s figure vanished instantly from sight.
“Haaah! Hhhah!”
Meanwhile, the first-year trio were nearing the finish line. Sasha and Arthur panted furiously.
“Damn it! Let go!”
Arthur tried ripping at the vines wrapped around his waist, but it was hopeless.
‘Like a gorilla…!’
Sasha clicked her tongue.
She had even tied the vine to several trees to anchor him, but Arthur simply dragged the trees along while running. His strength was absurd.
“Al… almost caught up!”
While Arthur and Sasha bickered, Princess Molly urged her skeletal horse closer. All three of them now locked eyes on Simon, standing at the finish line.
‘I’ll be first!’
Arthur stabbed his four-jointed sword into the ground ahead of the line, while Sasha lashed Vinepus’ vine around a tree behind the line.
The two launched themselves into the air at the same time.
Bwoooooong!
“!!”
With a sudden gale, a white-haired boy came plummeting down from the sky.
Kwaaaaang!
The ground at the finish line shattered, dirt blasting upward. Through the rising dust, Sasha and Arthur dashed across, and finally, with the sound of hooves, Molly arrived.
Click.
‘So it ended up like this after all.’
Simon checked the time on his stopwatch, then looked up.
“Second place, Sasha. Third, Arthur. Fourth, Molly. And in first place… White.”
Kugugugugu—!
A massive crater had formed at the finish line. Inside it, the white-haired boy stood upright, brushing dust from his head.
“Good work, everyone! Congratulations!”
Benya clapped her hands and cheered at the finish line. The first-year trio collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
Benya handed them water bottles and towels from her arms.
‘A little later, the rest of the first-years began arriving.’
After White and the three special admissions, the fifth, sixth, and seventh finishers crossed, finalizing the regular members of the Mutant Club.
Although the members had already been decided, the latecomers still gave their best until the very end.
“Simon.”
Fitzgerald approached from the starting line.
“Ah, thanks for your effort, Fitzgerald.”
“……”
Fitzgerald studied Simon’s expression silently, then pressed his glasses up.
“You already knew it would end this way.”
Simon flinched, then gave a faint smile.
“You caught me?”
“The Summon Sprint. I thought you’d choose a more certain way to drop White. But the fact that you went with such a lenient exam was suspicious.”
Simon hesitated, then finally spoke.
“White is someone even the Keyzen upper levels are keeping an eye on. I also know he approached me with an intention.”
He met Fitzgerald’s gaze.
“This isn’t a problem that will be solved by avoiding it. Since White has gotten closer to me, I’ll keep him close and watch him myself.”
“That’s too dangerous.”
Simon chuckled as if to say, Isn’t it obvious?
“Since coming to Keyzen, when has it ever not been dangerous?”
“……”
Fitzgerald thought for a moment, then let out a helpless smile.
“That’s true.”
* * *
The seven regular members were now decided. The successful candidates gathered noisily in the club room, chattering about their future plans.
Those who failed swallowed their disappointment, bowed to their seniors, and left.
Fortunately, since the Mutant Club had held their entrance test early, the rejected first-years still had chances to apply to other clubs.
“……”
Meanwhile, White, though confirmed as a member, did not mingle. He slipped out of the clubroom alone.
He wandered leisurely down the street.
Sniff sniff.
Suddenly, the sound of crying made him stop.
Behind the Mutant Club building, a first-year girl sat weeping, tears falling like chicken droppings. Two other girls tried to comfort her.
“…Sorry. Sniff! I really wanted to join activities with you guys. Sniff!”
“Calm down. Don’t cry!”
“We should be the ones sorry. We passed, leaving you behind.”
Pat pat.
The two friends rubbed the sobbing girl’s back.
“Lurie. If you really feel that way, then we’ll quit too—”
“Sniff! If you do, I’ll really get mad!”
The girl called Lurie cried out angrily through her tears. Her sobbing grew worse until the others promised again and again they would never do that. Only then did she stop crying.
“I really wanted to join.”
Her voice was muffled with tears.
“At first it was because the Student Council President senior seemed so cool. But then, the other seniors were nice, and the club’s atmosphere looked fun… Still, my ability wasn’t enough. Can’t be helped.”
As she muttered self-mockingly, fresh tears welled again. Her friend hugged her tightly.
“You’re still such a crybaby.”
* * *
‘I-I want to die…’
After crying her heart out and parting from her friends, Lurie crept back toward the Mutant Club’s room.
She had left her school jacket behind.
She needed it for tomorrow, and since she had placed it in a hidden corner, her friends hadn’t found it. She had to retrieve it herself.
Better grab it quickly before things get awkward.
As she stood before the clubroom door, she heard the lively laughter inside.
Everyone sounded happy.
Swallowing down her rising gloom, she knocked and stepped in.
“Excuse me! Sorry, I left my jacket and just need to grab it—”
“Ah, perfect timing.”
Simon rose from his seat. Every gaze in the room turned to her.
“You’re the eighth applicant, Lurie Vidorgie, right?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Just now, a spot suddenly opened up.”
Simon smiled a little awkwardly.
“If you’re okay with it, want to join the club again?”
“Eh—?!”
“That’s great, Lurie!”
“Welcome!”
Before she could answer, her friends dashed out, pulling her inside. Sasha and the other first-years clapped and cheered.
As the atmosphere grew warm and cheerful on that side, the two second-years sitting on the sofa wore complicated expressions.
“…I give up on trying to understand White.”
Fitzgerald shook his head firmly. Toto beside him looked equally baffled.
“Same. Why go through the test just to quit?”
“Maybe because he already achieved his real goal.”
“You mean when he absorbed Simon’s Darkness during the interview? But that Darkness returned to Simon anyway.”
As Fitzgerald and Toto debated White intensely, Simon looked down at the paper on the table with a heavy expression.
<Resignation Letter – White>
Simon sighed and lifted his head.
“Thinking won’t solve this now. I’ll deal with it later.”
Turning to the group, he spoke.
“First-years, how about a little welcome party? Should we head out to Rochest—”
“Yeeeeeees!!”
A deafening cheer erupted. The first-years giggled, already putting on their school jackets.
‘I still don’t know why he’s doing this…’
Simon straightened his tie and slipped White’s resignation letter into his jacket.
‘But I’ll find out your purpose, no matter what.’
Simon contacted Erzebet.
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