Chapter 589
"......Uh, so, what’s he like?"
What is this story.
Why is it going like this?
Suddenly, listening to them talk about his future self made only Simon feel unnecessarily embarrassed.
"It was magnificent."
Serne clasped both cheeks, a blissful smile on her face.
"That strength, that intellect, that profound weight. And how fondly he doted on me. Ufufu."
Simon’s face twisted grotesquely.
That he had doted on Serne? If it were the other way around, maybe, but this was nonsense.
"And he even gave me all sorts of advice."
That part was true.
— If you want to find your roots, seek out a man named ‘Gafen’ in the Holy Federation!
So her roots lay within the Holy Federation?
Where had the Master of the Ivory Tower brought Serne from?
It had been so early in her childhood that Serne said she didn’t even remember where she had come from.
"Of course—"
Serne glanced at Loraine, lips curling provocatively.
"But he didn’t say a single word about you."
For a fleeting moment, Loraine’s shoulders flinched, but her poker face quickly returned to cover it.
"He would have mentioned you because you were next to him. Is it so urgent that you need to put so much meaning into that?"
"Urgent? What do you mean?"
"I understand your situation—trying to overcome the Ivory Tower’s crisis through new appointments. But cutting away all context and suddenly talking about recruitment only burdens Simon, who’s focused on his studies and evaluations."
Loraine’s usual calm demeanor faded for a moment, replaced by the charismatic face of an empress.
"Everything is for next year’s Simon to decide."
"Ah, well, that’s true."
Both girls’ sharp gazes bore into Simon. Wedged between them, Simon felt as if his breath was being choked.
"All units rise! All units rise!"
Just then, the voice of a teaching assistant shouted from outside.
"Monster attack incoming! All units prepare for deployment!"
* * *
Students who had been resting indoors rushed outside.
A large full moon hung in the night sky. Wrapping their robes tighter against the chilly night breeze, the students prepared for battle.
— This is Hector, student commander.
From the communication crystals each student had been issued, Hector’s voice rang out.
— All units, move to your designated defense points. Free battle or not, at least guard your assigned zone. Anyone whose zone gets breached, I’ll kill you myself.
Hearing the transmission, Simon smirked bitterly.
So very Hector.
— And especially, anyone who abandons their post just because they saw a Guardian— I’ll come there myself and kill you on the spot.
"Sheesh, damn. The commander’s gonna kill more allies than the monsters~"
A male student chuckled.
"You laughing?"
One of Hector’s faction glared at him, and the male student whistled and walked away as if nothing happened. Simon watched silently.
‘Hector may want to command strictly by his own strategy… but he won’t find it easy to control them.’
The students weren’t here to defend the fortress.
They had come to obtain the Guardian— the finest material for a Dullahan. Guardians were rare monsters found only here in the Frigod Autonomous District.
Killing one and smuggling its corpse out of Frigod was a severe treaty violation. Not even scouring all the necromancer shops of the Union would yield a Guardian Dullahan.
An undead that no amount of money could buy.
Grerion had given them a chance to obtain one.
So for the Summonology students, actual combat was secondary. They’d be burning with hunger to find a Guardian.
"Smart of you~ Simon."
Serne walked beside him with a smile.
"Throwing away the troublesome commander’s role and focusing on the Guardian, right?"
"That’s not why I gave it up."
Simon replied.
"In this kind of situation, Hector is far more suitable as commander than me."
"Serne Eindark!!"
As soon as they climbed onto the fortress wall— just like the saying about a devil appearing when mentioned— Hector came stomping toward them with blazing eyes.
"You’re in Team 11. Why are you here? Go back to your sector."
"My, my."
Serne’s smile turned frightening.
"Did you just give me an order?"
"I’m the one holding command authority."
Hector stomped closer, standing before Serne.
Other students from different departments were watching. To establish himself as commander, he had to crush her here.
"Return to your position, Serne Eindark."
His final warning.
The playful sparkle in Serne’s eyes turned cold.
"I refuse."
"Serne."
Simon sighed and gently pushed her back.
"Why are you starting trouble from the beginning? Just go back to your post."
Then, in a low voice, he added, “Just this once, let it go.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, then curved into a sly grin.
"Hmhm, well, if Simon insists that much."
Humming a tune, Serne left.
"......"
Hector scowled fiercely, turning on Simon.
"You little bastard. What the hell are you doing."
"What?"
"I asked, what kind of game are you playing?"
He looked angrier than when Serne had defied his orders. Pierre Buckley, his teammate, quietly stepped behind him, ready to hold him back if a fight broke out.
"You."
Simon spoke calmly.
"You wanted to try commanding, didn’t you?"
"......"
Leaving only those words behind, Simon turned and went back to Team 10.
Loraine, who had been ready to intervene if a fight broke out, smiled faintly. Toto, who had been frozen in fear, let out a sigh of relief.
And Eshu, face flushed, stared at Hector’s twisted expression. As soon as Simon returned, she poked him with her elbow.
"President! President! You and Hector seem kinda close, huh?"
Simon scratched his temple.
"I don’t think Hector sees it that way."
"Eh, but you look like good friends! Can you introduce me?"
Even after getting closer to Toto, she still only had eyes for Hector.
"No, we’re not that close at all......."
As Simon spoke, he flinched.
Behind him, he saw Toto standing with her head drooped sadly.
"You’re all in Class A, that makes you close, right? Oh! And didn’t that Death Knight boy say he was also in Class A back in first year?"
When Eshu said this and approached Toto, Simon’s expression turned pained.
"Y-Yeah. He was in Class A."
"For real? No way! That’s huge! Then maybe you could tell Hector my—"
"Eshu!"
"Eshu!"
Simon and Loraine shouted at the same time.
Eshu blinked in confusion and turned to look at them. Before Simon could say anything, Loraine spoke with a frozen, severe face.
"Choose the time and place. Now isn’t the time for this."
They were on the fortress wall. In front of them, an army of monsters was marching forward.
"S-Sorry, Loraine. I was just trying to lighten the mood…."
Simon exhaled in relief.
Nice timing.
Loraine turned her head sharply.
"Toto, you pull yourself together too."
"Y-Yes!"
Simon rolled his eyes sideways, looking at Eshu who was now sulking.
‘She really is incredible, in so many ways.’
When you talk with her, you forget what’s happening around you and get sucked in. Honestly, even if a mana bomb exploded right before her, she’d probably start cracking jokes first.
Chzzzt!
—This is Aron.
Aron’s voice came from the communication crystal. All the students halted what they were doing and listened intently.
—A minor problem has occurred. The number of monsters is far greater than Shahed predicted.
The students looked beyond the fortress wall.
Under the pale white moonlight, a pitch-black army was advancing.
Step! Step! Step!
They’d only ever seen monster hordes charge while roaring like beasts. But the advance of these Mimickers was so orderly it evoked a human military. Some held torches, some waved banners, others blew hornpipes like human soldiers.
The students, who had been joking as they climbed the walls, now had stiff faces.
"……This doesn’t look like a ‘minor’ problem."
"There are way too many!"
—Still, as Professor Grerion said, since we came here in the name of Keyzen, retreat is not an option.
Aron’s voice continued from the crystal.
—The Keyzen headquarters has judged that students alone cannot handle this battle. They’ve issued further orders. Professor Grerion and I will also be actively joining the fight.
"Uwooooooooahhhhhh!!"
The thunderous roar of the students startled the Gahal tribesmen who had been preparing arrows on the wall; they turned, wondering what had just happened.
"To fight alongside the professors!"
"This is amazing!"
For the students, the existence of a Keyzen professor was nearly mythic.
Above the pale moonlight sky, massive undead warships, Aron’s symbol, began rising one by one.
"Hmph."
And on a rooftop below the fortress wall stood Grerion.
"Headquarters’ bastards. Told us to just train juniors and enjoy our retirement, yet they still work us like this."
Before him, six briefcases lay on the ground. They looked like ‘cases’, but the way their surfaces bulged and writhed, they resembled living creatures.
"So, you’re eager to rampage today, eh?"
One case, sprouting grotesque insect wings, bounced as if to appeal for attention. Grerion chuckled and picked it up.
Click!
He released the seal and opened the case. Inside, pulsating organs beat furiously.
For a brief moment, he admired it with satisfaction, then without hesitation shoved the open case against his own body.
Crunchhh!
Craaaack!
The case latched onto his body. Countless nerves from the case pierced into his skin, burrowing into him.
"Grghhhk!"
The whites of his eyes rolled up, drool dripping down. His veins blackened, and eyes of the creature embedded themselves across his chest.
Flesh spilled from the case, concentrating on his back, sprouting six different types of wings. A new chimera arm grafted itself onto his arm.
As if he had a massive chimera strapped onto his back.
"Kuhahahahahaha!"
<Grerion’s Original – Chimera Skin>
BOOOOM!
Grerion stomped the ground and soared into the air.
[Hear me, Necromancers of Keyzen!]
Spreading his six wings wide, his roar echoed, and the students all looked skyward.
[On this continent, every time we march to battle, it must be with the promise of victory! By any means necessary, win thoroughly!]
His monstrous arm stretched forward, compressing a mysterious energy into a crescent-shaped technique.
Beneath the moonlit sky, a new moon arose.
[HAAAAH!]
Grerion hurled the crescent. It slammed into the ground beyond the fortress and surged forward, obliterating every monster within its range.
"Uwooooooaaaaaaahhh!"
In a single strike, over 500 monsters were annihilated.
Where the crescent had passed, no trace remained.
Thrilled by the battlefield’s rush after so long, Grerion bellowed:
[Begin the battle!]
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters