Chapter 331: Episode 331

The ‘Skeleton Mage’ construction class announced by Aaron had finally arrived. From the moment it began, Aaron and his teaching assistants were overwhelmed.

“Take out your magic sheets! Just the magic sheets! Put everything else away!”

“You can work on the lightning attribute later, on your own time! For this class, we will be standardizing with the ice attribute!”

As this was their first attempt at constructing such a high-level undead, the students were completely lost. From the very first step, a forest of hands shot up asking for help. The TAs had barely managed to get them through the first stage when just as many hands went up for the second. To make matters worse, students were causing accidents left and right.

The TAs had to run themselves ragged.

“You have to build the circuit first! Why are you already touching the master inscription? Start over from the beginning.”

Aaron had to pause his lecture to personally assist the students.

“The first year is almost over, and you’re still making basic mistakes? Pathetic. Start over.”

“S-Sorry!” a student stammered.

It looked like it would take a day or two for things to settle down. It was an unavoidable part of the learning process, a chaotic scene Aaron was used to seeing every year.

Amidst it all, one student stood out.

Among a sea of students who didn’t know Bone No. 1 from Bone No. 2 and confused series circuits with parallel ones, there was a boy who had three self-completed Skeleton Mages standing imposingly beside him, staring at the chalkboard with a blank expression.

’…That crazy bastard.’

The auras flickering from the staves were flame, frost, and wind. He had succeeded in creating three different elements. The sight of him standing there with them, doing nothing, felt like a silent protest.

“As expected of a genius.”

“He’s on a different level from us.”

“He’s Special Admission No. 1, after all.”

The whispers of students filled the air.

“He must have been lying when he said he hadn’t studied ahead, right?”

“Obviously!”

“So he was just faking it when he struggled with the skeleton in the first class?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I admit he’s a genius, but he’s kind of a show-off.”

’No,’ Aaron silently refuted the voices in his head. Simon truly had not studied ahead. He had enrolled with zero prior knowledge as a necromancer. He had started at the very bottom of his class, from a more disadvantageous position than anyone.

On top of that, he was saddled with the empty honor of being Special Admission No. 1. A single misstep could have derailed his entire school life. But now…

’No one can deny this kid’s title anymore.’

The Skeleton Mages standing beside Simon were, no matter what anyone said, the crystallization of his blood, sweat, and tears. The dark circles under his eyes and his disheveled hair were proof of his recent ordeal. And yet, his eyes shone with a fierce intelligence.

“Simon Polentia.”

Aaron approached him. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice laced with an understanding of the boy’s struggle.

Simon offered a faint smile. “Yes, Professor.”

“Why did you do something so reckless?”

“Because I…” In Aaron’s eyes, Simon’s own bright, intelligent gaze was reflected. “Because I wanted to.”

A fresh breeze blew in from the window. Aaron’s pupils dilated as the world around him seemed to shift. It was the same lecture hall, but everything had turned gray, and the students wore old-fashioned uniforms. And there, a boy who shone brighter than anyone else raised his arm high.

’Forget about lame things like Island Ratmen!’

Next to him, a freshly assembled skeleton struck an arrogant pose, mimicking its master.

’When can we make a lich, Professor?’

The Summoning professor let out a dry laugh.

’Don’t cross the line, Aaron Deia.’

The wind blew once more, and the scenery changed again. The boy was a little taller now.

’You’ve chosen a difficult path,’ the professor said, his own wrinkles deeper than before. ’I hear you’re working part-time jobs all night to afford materials?’

’Yes.’

’Why go to such lengths?’

Aaron smiled.

’What reason could there be? I’m doing it because I love it!’

A third wind blew, and the past faded.

Simon was standing in front of him. This boy, just like his younger self, had eyes that blazed with intelligence, filled with the confidence that he could achieve anything. Aaron sighed and opened his mouth.

“…What do you want, Simon Polentia?”

What was the reason for brazenly completing the subject of the next few weeks’ lessons all on his own and waiting like this?

“Please teach me about the Lich’s ‘Life Vessel’ formula.”

It was to meet the conditions required to get ahead of everyone else. It was Aaron’s number one educational principle: every student in his class would learn something. For those who already knew the material, he provided personalized lessons. Simon had used this policy to learn ‘Bone Armor’ and ‘Blood Golem’ from him before.

“I read the book you gave me, but I couldn’t grasp the concept of the Life Vessel at all,” Simon said, bowing his head. “I need your guidance.”

Aaron swallowed hard. His hands, shoved in his pockets, were trembling, his palms slick with sweat. “Are you seriously planning to create a lich for this performance evaluation?”

“Yes.” The boy’s eyes were unwavering. “I regret speaking so lightly about creating a lich before. But my resolve was sincere, and it remains unchanged.”

Youth was…

“Whether I can do it or not doesn’t matter anymore. I will make it happen, no matter what.”

…too precious a thing for a young man to possess. He didn’t calculate, didn’t measure the odds. ’Because I like it. Because I want to do it.’ The courage to take on challenges boldly and clash with them endlessly. It was something Aaron himself once had but had long since lost.

He was envious of Simon’s youth.

“A moment ago, did you say ‘because I wanted to’?”

Realistically, he should try to stop him. This genius always reminded him of his younger self. “In this world, there are more people who do things they don’t want to do.”

He had faced countless setbacks. It wasn’t just his own suffering; the people around him had suffered too. His family’s fortune declined, his loved ones turned their backs, he was thwarted by the academic society, and the direct disciples he had painstakingly chosen all transferred out.

’Simon Polentia, as you grow older, you will gain responsibilities. The more you pursue what you want, the more you risk exhausting those around you. Countless practical reasons will hold you back.’

The genius among geniuses, once brimming with motivation and energy, was now…

…a professor in a stretched-out turtleneck who suffered from chronic fatigue, dragged his slippers around, and urged students to give up on Summoning from the very first class.

’We cannot allow a heaven-sent genius like Simon to end up like you, senior.’

His junior, who had watched his downfall from up close, had urged him to relinquish the right to teach Simon. But strangely, he couldn’t. Did he still harbor some lingering greed, a desire he couldn’t let go of? And yet, feeling as if he were committing a sin, he couldn’t bring himself to choose Simon either.

He had remained in that ambiguous state, letting time pass.

“…Simon Polentia. The second-year major selection is coming up soon.”

But he couldn’t stay like this any longer. For this boy’s sake, and for his own.

“If you still choose Summoning in your second year…” Aaron’s lips trembled as he spoke. “I would like to accept you as my direct disciple.”

—

After Summoning class, the students bustled toward their next lecture. Despite it being one of the few happy moments in their day, someone was crying.

“Stop crying,” Meirin said, forcing a smile as she looked at the source of the tears. “Kami.”

“Hic’, but… Simon and Professor Aaron! It was so moving!” Kamibarez dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “When I saw Professor Aaron listing only the disadvantages of Summoning during our first year, I thought he must have been going through so much! I’m so glad he finally opened up his heart…!”

“But why are you the one cry—”

Dick’s joke was cut short by a sharp chop to the top of his head from Meirin. Simon just smiled faintly.

“Brother! You look relieved!” Dick said playfully, nudging Simon in the ribs. “You were waiting all this time, even turning down offers from other professors!”

“Yeah. It would have been rude for a student to ask to be a direct disciple first.”

Simon was desperately trying to keep a grin from spreading across his face. If no one was around, he would have been pumping his fists in the air and screaming with joy. For now, he was somehow managing to maintain his composure.

“But Professor Aaron is really something else,” Meirin mused, placing a slender finger on her lips. “Simon wants it too, so he could just accept you right away. He’s being so stubborn, insisting on waiting until the second-year promotion.”

“I understand,” Simon replied with a smile. “Professor Aaron is wary of making a hasty choice for a direct disciple.”

The current trend at Kizen was to secure key talents quickly through aggressive offers. Aaron’s philosophy, however, was that students should carefully choose their major and professor only after fully discovering their own talents and aptitudes.

“Seeing you and Professor Aaron was so inspiring! I want to become someone’s direct disciple soon too!” Kamibarez exclaimed. “…I wish Professor Walter would offer.”

Simon flinched at her words.

“Don’t be so anxious, Kami,” Meirin said, smiling gently as she stroked her hair. “Professor Walter hasn’t taken any direct disciples yet. If he were looking for one, you’d be his first choice.”

“Oh, definitely!” Dick nodded vigorously in agreement.

Only Simon wore a grave expression, fidgeting with anxiety.

’Kami becoming Walter’s direct disciple?’

“Hey! Professor Bahil, are you listening?!” Dick threw his arm up and shouted. “If you don’t snatch up this genius disciple quickly, he might just go to Professor Byulya!”

“Could you just go to another planet or something?” Meirin shot back. Simon and Kamibarez burst out laughing.

“Ah, more importantly, guys! I’ve got some hot, important info!” Dick snapped his fingers, turning to the three of them.

“Important info?” Meirin asked.

“Yeah! After this weekend, it looks like we’ll have our third after-school BMAT game right away next week!”

“It’s already the third game,” Simon noted.

Once the after-school BMATs were over, the performance evaluation season would be nearly finished. Then, only a single trial would remain for the Kizen first-years: the promotion exam, which included the fifth and final BMAT—the worst trial of all.

“Kizen’s promotion exams are infamous,” Meirin said, raising an index finger with a serious expression. “The difference in power and treatment between first and second-years is like heaven and earth, so the exam is incredibly tough. I can’t even imagine how hard it’ll be with the final BMAT included.”

“Yes,” Kamibarez added, her voice trembling. “The simulation at headquarters said that 500 out of 797 students would fail. It’s so scary.”

“We can worry about the promotion exam when the time comes!” Dick threw an arm around Simon’s neck and grinned. “You promised to do the siege warfare with me for this BMAT, right?”

Simon nodded. “Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”

The part he was looking forward to, however, was something else entirely. He planned to field-test his Skeleton Mages in the upcoming battle.

’What new techniques are possible with mages?’

Just the thought of it sent a thrill of excitement through him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep