Chapter 781
Waaaaaaah—!
At that one word written on the blackboard, the lecture hall turned into a cauldron of excitement. Students leapt from their seats, raising their arms, shouting, and whistling.
Simon was no different, his excitement brimming. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen, so he briefly turned his gaze out the window, then checked the letters on the blackboard again.
<Death Knight>
It was real.
At last, this semester, they would learn about the Death Knight.
“Woooow! The dream’s finally coming true! Death Knight boy!”
Eshu slapped Toto hard on the back, laughing loudly. As the gazes of the other students naturally turned toward him, Toto, his face flushed, shouted.
“H-hey, how long are you going to tease me about that, Eshu!”
“Never forget. That’s your first impression.”
Eshu pressed her palm to his mouth and muttered.
“Professor! Are we going to make it next? The dream of every summoner! The Death Knight!”
Hahahaha!
The students around burst into laughter. Even Loraine couldn’t hold back, covering her mouth and turning her head away.
One way or another, it was pure chaos, and the teaching assistants had to run around frantically to calm everyone down.
“Attention.”
Thud!
Aron smacked his palm against the blackboard. Only then did the students shut their mouths and turn their eyes back to the board.
“I will continue the explanation. There are what is commonly called the ‘Three High-Rank Summons’ on the continent.”
His voice rang out slowly.
“Lich, Death Knight, Bone Dragon.”
Just the sound of those words sent chills down the Summoning Department students’ spines, like electricity running through their bodies.
It was the very romance of a summoner.
“Among those, this semester, the goal will be the creation and handling of the Death Knight.”
If his intent had been to ignite their spirits from the very first day, then it was no doubt a great success. Everyone’s eyes were shining, ears perked, as if they didn’t want to miss a single word Aron spoke.
Then, among the students, a hand went up.
“A question? Aseraz Mikel.”
Fifth overall, Aseraz rose from her seat.
“I am Aseraz Mikel. The creation of a Death Knight is such a complicated and difficult high-rank undead that it only appears as a core project in the second semester of third year. We’ve only just entered the second semester of second year, is it really possible to create one?”
Annoyed looks gathered here and there. Some whispered that she was spoiling the mood.
On the other hand, there were also students nodding in agreement with Aseraz’s opinion. After all, in such an important second-year semester, wasting time on an undead they couldn’t even complete would be a problem.
Aron lowered the chalkboard he held in hand.
“If you ask whether it’s possible, the answer is yes, it is possible.”
Tak, tak.
His hand, holding the chalk, moved. Under the word “Death Knight”, he wrote in smaller letters, “Dullahan”.
“You all completed a Dullahan before the midterms of second year.”
Ttak—
With the last stroke of the chalk, Aron drew a line straight down.
“After completing the Dullahan, in subsequent classes I had you deal with as many different types of summons and runes as possible, without any specific purpose. In truth, all of that was to prepare for the creation of the Death Knight.”
He circled the names of the summons and runes written on the blackboard, linking them to the Death Knight.
“You already have the basic requirements. What remains is to learn summons and formulas of a slightly higher level, and then all that’s left is to tackle the Death Knight.”
Cheers erupted here and there.
“However.”
He lowered the hand holding the chalk.
“You only have the basic requirements. Not everyone will be able to obtain a Death Knight.”
The students stayed silent, but they all agreed.
If making a Death Knight was so easy that everyone here could do it, it would never have been called one of the Three High-Rank Undead in the first place.
“If all materials, techniques, and supporting knowledge are prepared, I will grant each of you the right to attempt the creation of a Death Knight. But beyond effort, there is also the realm of talent, and luck.”
Aron picked up the eraser, wiped the lines connecting “Death Knight” to the summons and runes beneath it, then drew one large square in the middle.
Inside the square, he wrote a large question mark.
“If you pass through this domain, you will obtain the Death Knight with unbelievable ease. Perhaps only four or five in this lecture hall will make it through.”
For a moment, the students’ gazes gathered on a few people.
Simon Follentia.
Hector Moore.
Aseraz Mikel.
The three most outstanding students in the Summoning Department.
“Even if you fail, do not lose heart. If you have followed along this far, to the point of challenging the Death Knight, then already your summoning ability has risen beyond comparison.”
Aron wrote a few other summon names to the side.
—Demon Knight.
—Skull Commander.
—High Kapel.
“With that ability, I will help you create knight-class summons that can replace the Death Knight. Even with just these, you will not fall behind other departments in duel evaluations, mission assessments, or real combat. Later, in the third-year curriculum, I will guide you to a stable academic method of creating a Death Knight, without having to pass through the realm of luck and talent.”
It was a promise not only to share his own method, but to ensure they would complete the Death Knight through the official curriculum.
Aron’s lips curved upward.
“Of course, you are Keyzen. If you are Keyzen, then every one of you must devote yourselves to completing the Death Knight in your second year. That is all.”
Oooooh—!
The students clapped, fired up with determination. Eshu thrust her hand out toward Simon.
“As expected of Professor Aron! Did you see? I got goosebumps when he said Death Knight!”
“Haha, me too.”
Simon answered, rubbing his sweat-soaked palm against his uniform trousers.
Beside him, Loraine smiled.
“It seems worth giving it my all. I’ve always wanted to have a Death Knight, too.”
“M-me too!”
Toto raised his voice.
“My dream is right in front of me! I’ll definitely become a Death Knight summoner!”
While everyone was laughing and chatting, Simon’s thoughts were a little more complicated.
‘Can I really succeed with both the Death Knight and the Bone Dragon?’
Simon had already created a Lich in his first year. A masterpiece called Herseba, something he would likely never be able to make again.
Now, this semester’s task was the Death Knight, and on top of that, the Bone Dragon he had promised Neftis.
If he succeeded in all of them, Simon would have, by his second year, all three of the “Three High-Rank Undead” Aron had spoken of. An achievement nearly impossible even for a necromancer who devoted his entire life to summoning.
Originally, he had intended to focus on the Bone Dragon this semester.
‘I have to do it.’
Having stepped down from the student council presidency, he now wanted to push himself harder.
More than anything, he was certain that the many elements he would learn while studying the Death Knight would also help in the creation of the Bone Dragon. Everything in summoning was connected.
‘Let’s do this.’
* * *
After the grand declaration of Death Knight creation, Aron returned to his usual languid tone and went over a few departmental announcements.
The first was about the reorganization of teams due to the students who had dropped out in the first semester.
Each existing team would be maintained as much as possible, but teams with insufficient numbers were merged according to their grades. Of course, Simon’s Team 10 had survived in full, so it didn’t apply to them.
And the second announcement.
“Professor Lin and Professor Rune, who taught Funerology, will be absent due to unavoidable circumstances.”
The twin professors who taught Funerology, Lin and Rune, were originally Ancient Undead contracted with Neftis. However, due to the urgency of certain fronts, their special abilities were required, and at Neftis’ request, they had temporarily left the school to be dispatched to the battlefield.
“Therefore, the Funerology classes of this semester will be taught by a visiting professor from outside. Since it was difficult for the Keyzen headquarters to invite this person, make sure to learn well.”
A visiting professor, all of a sudden? The students buzzed with murmurs.
“Hey, did you hear anything?”
“Not at all.”
One student quickly raised his hand.
“This is Coiter Fizen! What kind of person is the visiting professor?”
“That is something you will find out when class begins.”
Aron answered curtly, then unfolded the documents in his hand and began to read.
“That concludes the departmental announcements, next are the school-wide notices. Recently the school has been noisy with various demonstrations.”
Several students’ eyes slid toward Simon, then quickly turned away.
It seemed he was referring to the picket protests led by Claudia. Aron, with a nonchalant expression, laid the papers on the lectern and said.
“The notice is to guide students to focus on their main duty of studying, but that is not something for me to meddle in, I will leave it to your own judgment. And next.”
Mmm— letting out a hum, he half-closed his eyes.
“It says that indiscriminate, unofficial duels between students are becoming a problem. If you are going to decide a match, follow proper procedures and do so in front of a school staff member. If caught, it will be difficult to avoid heavy punishment, so be careful.”
This was another notice, following the incident of Ballack’s intrusion, after the school and parents raised uproar.
Aron’s voice remained dry as he read down the long list of announcements.
“And before long, early in this semester, there will be a major exam held for the ‘entire second year’.”
A group exam.
Tension flickered in the students’ eyes. Such a large-scale exam involving an entire year had not been conducted since their second year began.
“This is Eshu Arzel! Hasn’t there been any notice of what kind of exam it will be?”
“No.”
Aron gave a short reply.
“Whether it will be a competition or cooperation, what place it will be held, what kind of exam it will be, even we professors do not know. The Keyzen headquarters is preparing it under utmost secrecy.”
Aron rubbed his weary eyes, then lifted the papers again.
“Think of it roughly as similar to the island survival evaluation you did in the first year. Only, since it is the second-year version, the difficulty will be several times more grueling.”
At the reminder of the nightmare-like island survival exam of their first year, the students’ faces stiffened slightly.
“Statistics say the number of dropouts this semester was lower than expected. So, there may well be a very strict expulsion option tied to the exam, keep that in mind.”
“Yes!”
“Starting tomorrow, the regular classes will begin. For the general subjects, the enrollment will proceed in the same way as last semester, so be prepared. Think carefully about which subjects will be advantageous.”
Everyone nodded. They had already experienced course registration in their first semester at Keyzen, so they understood well enough.
“Then, today we will finish with a simple review of the first semester.”
* * *
Perhaps because it was the first day, everything was run like an orientation.
After Aron’s major Summonology class ended, the students once again rode the mine-cart down into Grerion’s cave.
The Summon Materials professor, Grerion, was unchanged. No, if anything, he looked even more bulked up.
His entire body was so brawny that his jutting face looked small in comparison. With only sunglasses perched on his face, he looked far closer to someone in Magical Combat than a professor of Summonology.
“You must have heard already. Professor Aron intends to push through the Death Knight curriculum this semester!”
Grerion, arms crossed and legs spread, struck his signature pose as he spoke.
“Personally, I am not 100% satisfied, but since the professor in charge of Summonology has decided so, we must follow! Obtaining the materials for a Death Knight will not be easy, so be prepared!”
“Yes!”
“This semester as well, I will thoroughly teach not only Materials Science but also Chimera, so keep up! That is all for the announcements!”
He thrust out his arm.
“Since it is the first day, we will take it easy! Kill about an hour and then leave! If you are bored, you may use my training equipment!”
The students looked at the iron bar set with boulders in the corner of the cave, which Grerion used for exercise. They all clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
“Professor Grerion! This is Coiter Fizen!”
“Oh, is there a question? If you have one, ask!”
“Could you tell us anything about the new visiting Funerology professor?”
Persistent, Coiter Fizen had been asking since earlier.
Grerion stroked his chin.
“Hahahaha! You will see next time, you are too impatient! Find out for yourselves who it is!”
“Is it a man?”
“A woman, right?”
Grerion pushed up his sunglasses, lifting the corner of his mouth.
“A lady.”
Wooooooahhh!
A thunderous cheer exploded among the male students. The female students looked at them with eyes full of disdain.
“More! More! Can’t you tell us anything else?”
“Hahahaha! Well…”
Grerion picked up a dumbbell, flexing his muscles, then spoke as if he had just remembered.
“From the few words we exchanged, it seemed we had a lot in common. Especially about exercise!”
“……?”
The students, picturing a long-haired, hulking muscle-woman, sank into a cauldron of confusion.
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