Chapter 715
Department of Spiritology,
Dormitory.
Department Representative’s Office.
“Uuugh.”
A boy, sitting on a chair with his legs stretched out, let out a groaning sound.
With a frown twisting his face, he spun his head around, or noisily rustled the snacks on the desk and tossed them into his mouth.
Watching him quietly, a fellow third-year classmate spoke.
“You look like something isn’t going your way, Sota.”
He was Sota Psyche, the representative of the Spiritology Department, ranked 6th overall.
“That’s about right.”
“What’s got you so dissatisfied? You got the department rep position you wanted, and before long you’ll even get the vice president seat of Keyzen.”
Sota let out a long sigh.
“Lately Aizel isn’t listening to me.”
“Hm?”
“Back in second year, that guy obeyed my words without question! I’m the biggest contributor who raised him up to the pinnacle of Keyzen, the Student Council President’s seat.”
“You’re talking like the president’s already been replaced.”
“Aizel won’t lose to some second year, obviously.”
Sota leaned his chair back as far as possible, reclining his body. Then, a soul-like presence floated up from him and drifted freely into the air.
[But ever since he came back from the long-term mission, Aizel’s been strange. He’s trying to break free from my control.]
His classmate chuckled while stealing one of Sota’s snacks.
“Well, maybe something changed in his mind during the mission?”
[That could be it. Or maybe he secretly resents me for pushing him to take that mission. Or maybe he found out that I spread the rumor about his death. Ah, there’s too many things that could have gotten me caught.]
“Sota, don’t float all the way to the ceiling.”
Just as he was about to drift through the building in his spirit form, Sota descended and returned to his body.
“And that damn Summonology rep, Leonard.”
Back in his body, Sota growled.
“That bastard’s been acting up too much lately. Sticking close to Aizel like he’s some strategist. It’s obvious his goal is the vice president seat, and it makes me so pissed I could go crazy!”
Sota ruffled his bangs in frustration.
“If Aizel bypasses me and makes Leonard the vice president, I really might lose my mind! What about all the years I’ve dedicated myself to him? All the trouble I went through covering for that loser? Damn it, damn it! This can’t be happening!”
His classmate shrugged his shoulders.
“I think you’re just too wound up because of exams. Aizel would never abandon his best friend. Just go lie down and rest.”
“I wish it were just me being overly sensitive.”
Sota’s smile faded, his expression hardening.
“But that’s not it. Some interesting intel reached my ears recently. Aizel came into contact with Simon Follentia.”
“Uh, what? Why those two?”
“No idea, but when I checked, they flew up into the sky midway and then split the sea open to go inside.”
Because Aizel was always hypersensitive to being seen and kept surveillance barriers around himself, even Sota couldn’t follow further inside.
What happened there, he didn’t know.
But one thing was certain.
“Aizel wouldn’t use such a large-scale spell unless the two of them were talking about something important.”
“Mm.”
“And when they came out of the sea, the two of them looked close. Can you make sense of that? How can they possibly get along? They’re rivals for the presidency. From Simon Follentia’s perspective, Aizel is the one coming to take his seat.”
He tapped his forehead with his fingers.
“If by chance—”
Then Sota’s expression chilled, devoid of laughter.
“If it’s the situation I’m imagining….”
At that moment, his classmate stepped forward and shoved him with a rune-carved right hand.
Woong!
His body was fine, but Sota was pushed back in spirit form. Sota, now incorporeal, snapped.
[What the hell are you doing?]
“You need some sleep.”
His classmate said that as he slung Sota’s body over his shoulder.
“Your body is heading straight to bed, so keep that in mind.”
[Hey, wait a second!]
And just like that, Sota was dragged outside.
Thud!
Finally laid down on his bed, Sota let out a long sigh. His classmate waved a hand, turned off the lights, and left the room.
In the silence, Sota spent a long time lost in thought.
“…Aizel, you must become the Student Council President.”
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Sota’s face twisted strangely.
“Even if you don’t want to.”
* * *
At last, the exam period had truly begun, the season of final exams.
It was the last schedule of the first semester, and after finals came vacation. All students were making their final sprint.
The library was overflowing with people, needless to say the campus cafes and empty lecture halls were also packed.
The line between uniforms and pajamas blurred, students’ hair was greasy and shadows under their eyes deepened, their gait shambling like zombies across campus.
Especially for the second-years, including Simon, this final exam was critical.
If the theme of the first year was survival, and the third year’s theme was real combat, then the second year’s theme was acquisition. Since Keyzen offered the most learning during this year, written exams carried heavier weight than for other grades.
“All right, moving to the next question!”
Simon’s Team 10 had also borrowed an empty classroom to prepare, combining final exam prep with their group project evaluation.
Energetic Eshu stood at the blackboard, while Simon, Loraine, and Toto sat at desks solving problems together.
“Question 20! Three points! Look at the following diagram and provide the correct answer.”
On the exam paper was a magic circle, though certain runes and formulas were blacked out. All three simultaneously leaned forward and stared hard at the diagram.
“Look here! If that’s the Rune of Reminiscence, could it be Skeleton Knight?”
Toto opened.
“But the structure doesn’t make it the main rune.”
“Right. The Rune of Reminiscence is a trap, with a variable formula it’s a ghoul.”
Loraine tossed, and Simon caught it, continuing.
“The variable formula is the core of ghoul’s decomposition formula. If this is ghoul, then it’s a Lino’s Golden Line problem.”
Scanning the options, he flicked his fingers through the air and said,
“The Golden Line should slant diagonally to the right. Number 3.”
“Goal! Right on! As expected of Simon. No objections, right?”
Loraine and Toto both laughed and nodded.
“Hurry, hurry. Moving right to the next one!”
Seeing the remaining time on the timer, Eshu rushed to the next question.
“Question 21! Choose all undead that can be combined with ‘Bleach Treatment’!”
“…What was Bleach Treatment again?”
Loraine muttered with a troubled look. Though a mighty supernatural necromancer, she was weak when it came to theory.
Eshu quickly reminded her.
“Don’t you remember, Loraine? Bleach Treatment! That special crafting method that lets you fuse the bones of two different undead!”
Simon chimed in too.
“We even did the group assignment together. We fused Scorpion with Bleto and got an A+, though it broke apart midway and we had to switch to making an ambush-type undead, but that result was even better.”
“Oh, right. I remember now.”
Loraine nodded.
“I knew Bleach Treatment, but the term ‘Bleach Combination’ threw me off.”
“So the answer?”
The group groaned, lost in thought. Among them, the best at written exams, Eshu, urged.
“Let’s eliminate the options one by one.”
Looking at the choices, Simon said,
“First, rule out Rain Drake. Rain Drake carries the essence of a dragon, so it can’t be fused with Bleach Treatment solution.”
“Impressive! President!”
As he said that, Simon’s face stiffened, hand on his chin.
‘Wait, even Rain Drake could work. Should I have gone with an ancient Rain Drake instead? Rain Drake’s Lightning Breath is enough to pierce aerial defense magic….’
“President! Where are you flying off to? Come back!”
Team 10’s written ability was a collective disaster. Eshu sighed.
“Especially you, President! You need to focus more! Isn’t keeping your second-year top rank more urgent than dueling Aizel-sunior?”
“All right, I get it.”
He knew better than anyone that he needed to focus on finals.
But still, Simon couldn’t help that his heart pounded and his mind drifted toward something else.
‘I wish supplementary class time would come sooner.’
* * *
And so the regular classes ended, and at last, the awaited time for supplementary class arrived.
Simon was practicing controlling the ‘Dragon’s Factor’.
“Hrrgh!”
It was training where Simon had to unfold a magic circle based on the Rune of the Dragon, lift a large artifact orb placed on the ground, and maintain it.
Sweat was already dripping down. Aron, sitting calmly on a rock with a pipe in his mouth, said,
“The orb is falling, Simon. Raise it up to chest level.”
“Y, yes!”
Simon clenched his teeth and poured power into the magic circle.
It felt strange. It was a completely different sensation from controlling a normal magic circle.
It was like preparing a kind of magic that had never before existed in the world. But he had to do it.
And while watching, Aron puffed his pipe and closed his eyes.
‘This kid, his concentration is strangely good.’
He knew his student, Simon, well enough, having observed and analyzed him for nearly a year and a half.
Simon showed a stark difference in focus and ability depending on whether the class was something he wanted and was passionate about, or not.
At present, what Simon was obsessed with, anyone could see, was not the final exam but the duel with Aizel. In that case, Simon’s concentration should naturally be more on Katarology, Darkness Dynamics, and Magical Combat—subjects useful for that duel—rather than the long-term project of the Bone Dragon.
That was why Aron had at first suggested putting aside the Bone Dragon class, and instead learning Summonology techniques that would help in the battle against Aizel.
But now—
‘Why is he working so hard at this?’
At this point it was getting unsettling. He was like a ball that could bounce off in any direction, impossible to take lightly.
‘What are you scheming this time, Simon Follentia?’
“Ugh!”
Simon soon dropped the orb. Breathing heavily, he grabbed the water canteen and gulped it down.
Aron put out his pipe and stood.
“Your control of the Dragon’s Factor is still lacking.”
“I’ll push myself harder!”
“That’s why, for today’s lesson, I’ve invited an expert in Dragon’s Factor.”
“Huh?”
Simon’s eyes sparkled with emotion. To even bring in a specialist for supplementary class!
“Come out.”
Step.
And when the man stepped in, Simon’s lips curled into an awkward smile.
Step, step.
It was someone Simon knew well.
A body as massive as a mountain, a vicious expression, and eyes that burned like ghosts.
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue the moment he arrived, the man was none other than Hector Moore.
Simon quickly glanced at Aron, who only shrugged.
‘W, well, he’s not wrong…’
The Moore family could transform into the undead dragon ‘Bone Dragon’, the Sirong. They were the only humans on the continent with Dragon’s Factor embedded in their bodies.
Then Hector spoke.
“Simon Follentia. Why do you want to study Dragon’s Factor?”
“Well, that’s….”
“As I thought.”
Hector gave a gloomy smile.
“You plan to master dragon magic to prepare for our duel, is that it? Clever. Did you hear the news that I’ve been focusing on mastering Dragon Speech lately?”
Simon gave a bitter smile.
‘W, well, I am preparing for a duel, but it’s not with you.’
“Professor Aron.”
Hector turned to Aron.
“Must you really hand over my know-how to a rival who seeks to defeat me?”
Aron puffed out smoke and lowered his pipe.
“There’s no absolute need.”
“Then….”
Aron opened subspace. Huge bones infused with Dragon's Factor clattered onto the ground.
“It’ll be joint training. Get ready.”
* * *
While working through his own training, Simon also observed Hector’s.
As expected of the Moore family, the volume of moving Dragon's Factor was on another level. He freely lifted bones and orbs far heavier than Simon’s.
And the live-combat practice that followed was jaw-dropping. Aron summoned a giant skeleton from subspace, and Hector stood against it.
Shrrrk!
Clatter!
At Hector’s gestures, dragon scales moved in airtight formation. Bunched together, they became a shield to block an axe, scattered, they became throwing knives, latched onto the skeleton’s body, they became restraints to immobilize it.
‘So that’s it, each individual scale contained Dragon's Factor.’
The saying, the more you know, the more you see, was true.
Hector’s techniques, which had previously seemed ordinary, now appeared completely different.
Shrrrrrrrk!
The true highlight was when the dragon scales covered Hector’s right arm without a gap. With a roar, he swung it, and the arm lengthened and expanded like part of a dragon’s body, sweeping everything before it in one strike.
“That too is a technique using Dragon's Factor.”
Aron, controlling the skeleton, explained to Simon.
“The Moore family also has Dragon's Factor within their bodies. By simultaneously activating the Factor in their body and in their scales, they can perform such skills.”
“I see.”
Even the perforated wings of the Bone Dragon, when attached to Hector’s back, changed completely in power. They could create gales, and even lift him into the air.
Boom!
Crack!
Aron had set Hector’s goal as defeating 20 summons using only scales and wings.
But he even wiped out the 40 prepared spares.
“Training complete. Excellent.”
Shrrrrrrk!
Hector’s scales and wings spread like a suit peeling off, and from within, drenched in sweat, Hector emerged, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
Swish—
Then, those reptilian pupils shifted toward Simon.
“What’s with those eyes, like you’re at the zoo staring at an animal?”
With a growl, heat rose at his lips. Simon calmly replied.
“No, I was just thinking you’re incredible.”
It was clear his ability had reached a new level compared to when they fought once at the end of first year.
“You, you’re trying to trespass into dragon magic now, are you?”
Hector’s gaze narrowed.
“With that sly, arrogant talent of yours, you think you can scrape away even my foundation, but it won’t work. This is a field completely apart from talent.”
‘…Well, it’s not like this is about you anyway.’
Simon gave a bitter smile, but Hector’s lecture, unusually verbose today, continued.
“Even if a monkey has talent for swimming, at the end of the day it’s still a monkey. It can’t beat a fish. This is not about talent, but the realm of species and specialization, Simon Follentia.”
“Enough chatter.”
Aron glanced at his watch as he approached.
“About thirty minutes left. Prepare for final training.”
Snorting, Hector walked forward with a triumphant grin.
Simon scratched his temple with a bitter smile.
‘Well, looks like he’s gotten some weird misunderstanding.’
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