Chapter 60: Episode 60

“Oh.” The shop owner crossed his arms and smiled. “Aren’t you a new student? A Skeleton Archer, already?”

“Yes. I want to give it a try.”

Skeletons had various specializations: Skeleton Archer, Skeleton Mage, Skeleton Rider, and so on. A Skeleton Archer was, simply put, a skeleton that used a bow as its primary weapon. At first, Simon had tried giving a bow to his Island Ratman skeleton, but it had been a complete disaster. It couldn’t even properly nock an arrow, let alone draw the bowstring. After flipping through his textbook for a solution, he learned that specific types of skeletons were best suited for the role.

“For a beginner starting with Skeleton Archers, the Saphilos is the most standard choice. Come this way.”

Simon followed the shop owner from the spacious central hall into a deeper area of the store. His eyes darted around, taking in piles of items whose purpose he couldn’t possibly guess. He thought it would be quite fun to come here and simply browse when he had the time.

“The Saphilos bones are over here.” The shop owner knelt and pulled out a box from the bottom shelf. ’Poof!’ He blew the dust off, revealing a logo of glittering silver letters on a black background. It looked very high-end. “Shall I show you the inside?”

“Yes!” Simon answered, almost shouting.

The shopkeeper smiled as if looking at an eager junior and opened the box.

“Whoa…!”

The inside of the box was lined with elegant red cloth. In the center lay the skull of a Saphilos, two horns jutting from it, while the surrounding compartments held vertebrae, arm bones, and leg bones, all sorted by type.

“When it comes to skeletons, the Vanilla brand has the best quality,” the shopkeeper said, taking out an arm bone and flicking it with his finger. “Hear that thud sound? That means it has been properly cold-tempered. The arm joints are crucial for skeletons intended to be used as archers. Ah! And of course, the magic circle drawn on the skull, like so.”

The shopkeeper carefully lifted the skull to show him the inside. A rather complex-looking Jet-Black magic circle was inscribed within.

“This magic circle was meticulously engraved by professional necromancers. The defect rate is remarkably low, and even if you do find a faulty one, the brand offers after-sales service. Just bring it back to the shop, and we’ll exchange it for a new one.”

To Simon, it was an enchantingly attractive sales pitch, but the smile on his own lips began to waver.

“Uh, this must be incredibly expensive, right?”

“Thirty Gold per box. But since it’s the famous Vanilla brand, it’s worth the price.”

Thirty Gold! Simon sighed inwardly. He knew Summoning was an expensive discipline, but this was on another level.

Of course, that limitation didn’t apply to a Legion Commander like Simon, but considering the short lifespan of a typical skeleton, thirty Gold per unit was a staggering price.

“Do you have anything… a little cheaper?”

“Of course! Let me show you.” The shopkeeper rose and scanned the rows of boxes before carefully pulling out a few and placing them on the counter in front of Simon. “From the right, we have twenty-seven Gold, twenty-four, and twenty-two.”

Even to Simon’s untrained eye, the quality of the bones visibly degraded from left to right.

“And there’s also this twenty-Gold one made by some no-name necromancer.” He opened a box haphazardly tied with string, releasing a musty smell from the jumbled mess of bones within. Rummaging through them, he pulled out a skull to display the magic circle etched onto it. “The magic circle is functional, but whether it’s defective or not is a gamble.”

I should pass on that one, Simon decided, turning his attention back to the other boxes.

[What are you hesitating for, boy!]

Ah, you startled me.

[You must choose the most expensive Vanilla brand, of course! Unlike other necromancers, you can utilize a skeleton even after it shatters! Every piece becomes strength for the Legion!]

That’s true, but…

Simon stared at the boxes, deep in thought. Pier wasn’t wrong. If he was going to invest, shouldn’t he choose the best quality available?

“…I’ll take three sets of the Vanilla.”

“Ooh, a big spender! Right away.” The shopkeeper whistled as he brought out two more boxes emblazoned with ‘Vanilla’ in silver script. As Simon watched him, a question came to mind.

“By the way, why is an undead product line named ‘Vanilla’?”

The shopkeeper picked up a bone and gave it a dramatic sniff. “Because the bones smell like vanilla.”

Simon was silent.

“Just kidding. The founder’s last name is Vanilla. Now, if you’ll follow me to the counter.”

“Ah! Wait a moment, sir,” Simon said, taking a steadying breath. “There’s one more thing I’d like to buy…”

A wide grin spread across the shopkeeper’s face. “Oh, that one’s going to be ridiculously expensive. Shall I show you the way?”

[You absolute fool! Get a grip! Are you planning to blow all the money you earned from the mission on that?]

Even as a cold sweat prickled his neck, Simon nodded with a smile. “Yes, please.”

—

“Please visit us again!”

Simon left the necromancer shop with a satisfied smile, the shopkeeper bowing deeply behind him. He’d even received three bows for Skeleton Archers as freebies.

[Tsk, tsk. Are you that pleased with yourself?] Pier grumbled telepathically. [You went and splurged on that expensive thing after all.]

“Ahaha… Sorry for spending so much without consulting you, Pier.” “But…” His heart hammered against his ribs. Though he’d stored his purchases safely in his Subspace, a giddy urge to pull them out again, just to look at them, pulsed through him.

“I felt it was absolutely necessary for the upcoming Duel Evaluation.”

[Hmph. If that is the Legion Commander’s decision, then I have nothing more to say. Since you’ve bought it, make sure to use it without regret!]

“I will!”

He had to get back to Kizen before it got any later. He pulled his hood low and quickened his pace. He must have lingered too long at the shop; night had fallen in earnest, and the streets were eerily deserted.

It was then, as Simon hurried along…

Oh…!

The color drained from Simon’s face as he saw a figure approaching from the opposite direction. He immediately spun around and ducked into a narrow alley between the buildings.

[Hm? What is it! What’s the matter!]

I know him. Simon cautiously peered around the corner. The man wore a robe, but the face and white attire visible underneath belonged to a figure any Kizen student would recognize. Professor Bahil? What’s he doing in Rochest…?

[Is there a problem? Perhaps he came for a drink after work.]

“Hmm.”

Then again, a professor’s private life was none of his business. Simon watched until Bahil disappeared down the opposite street before emerging from the alley and breaking into a run toward Kizen.

—

“Phew, I made it.”

Fortunately, he made it back to the dormitory without any trouble. He’d had a close call with a watchman patrolling the Kizen grounds but had managed to slip away undetected.

He opened the door to Room 409, his cozy haven, and was greeted by the familiar sight. Dick was lounging on his bed reading a magazine, and a soft snore came from the lump under the blankets that was Cadian.

“Oh, you’re back, Simon!” Dick exclaimed, sitting up. “The watchmen are on patrol tonight. Did you run into any trouble?”

Simon shrugged. “Almost, but I managed to get away.”

“Huh, you’ve got guts, man. You act all diligent in class, but you’re always breaking the rules, ditching for Rochest. I swear you’re sneaking out more often than I am these days.”

Simon just laughed it off as he took off his uniform and hung it in the closet. After changing into a light, short-sleeved shirt, he prepared to leave the room again.

“Where are you off to now?”

“To build a skeleton.”

“At this hour? What are you making?”

“A Skeleton Archer.”

At those words, Dick shot up from his bed like a spring. “Whoa! Seriously? You’re already planning to use a Skeleton Archer? In the Duel Evaluation?!”

“Yeah. I’m not sure if I can pull it off yet.”

“That’s supposed to be really tricky for us to assemble! What brand is it?”

“Vanilla.”

Dick’s eyes lit up as he clapped a hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way!”

Simon chuckled.

The two of them left Room 409 and headed for the common room. The dormitory’s study hall was always crowded and quiet, so this was a better option.

“This place is perfect.”

The spacious area was empty aside from two students chatting in a corner. Simon and Dick took a seat at a large table.

“Hurry! Take it out.”

Simon opened his Subspace and retrieved the box. ‘Vanilla’ was written in gleaming silver letters on its black surface. Dick let out a low whistle.

“Can I open it?”

“Be my guest.”

When Dick lifted the lid, pristine white bones lay nestled on a luxurious red cloth. “Damn, look at that quality.”

Their curiosity piqued, the two students from the corner wandered over.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“A Saphilos Skeleton Archer set,” Dick announced. “It’s the Vanilla brand.”

“Whoa…!”

“This is Vanilla?”

Everyone examined the box as if it were a newly released treasure. A small smile touched Simon’s lips as he watched them. It was nice that, being at a necromancer school, they all shared the same passions.

“But where are the assembly instructions?”

“Hold on.”

Simon rummaged through the box and found a folded paper at the bottom. He spread it out, finishing his preparations.

“Okay, I’m gonna start.”

“Go for it!”

First, Simon infused Jet-Black into the summoning circle drawn on the skull. The colorless sigil turned a deep black as the runes interlocked and spun, forming the complex ecosystem of the magic circle.

“Is it done?” Simon muttered, lifting and setting down the skull. The circle was active, but the skull remained inert. Looking closer, he saw that some of the runes weren’t functioning properly yet.

“Look at this, Simon!” Dick called out, pointing at the instructions. “See the four corners of the magic circle here? It says you have to process the Jet-Black with ‘Circling’ and insert it into them!”

“What’s Circling?”

“It’s a technique from Jet-Black Mechanics, used when creating magic circles. We haven’t even learned this yet.”

As expected of a skeleton too advanced for a first-year, he’d hit a snag right out of the gate. Simon took his Jet-Black Mechanics textbook from his Subspace.

“Circling… Circling…”

He scanned the table of contents and found the entry about halfway through. Simon turned to the page.

“Huh, this…?”

The description felt familiar. It was almost identical to the explanation Bahil had given him about operating his core. The circulation of Jet-Black. Contemplation. The Black Sun. The core technique Simon was using now was nearly the same. The tips Bahil had given him must have been based on this very principle.

I might be able to do this.

Simon slowly raised his right arm and closed his eyes.

Not conversion, but circulation. The image of circulation.

A soft hiss filled the air as Jet-Black began to rise from Simon’s palm.

“Jet-Black has a tendency to remember.”

Bahil’s voice echoed in his memory.

“It’s like a person’s hands and feet. If you repeat the same motion hundreds, thousands of times, the Jet-Black will eventually try to reproduce the learned flow without you even thinking about it. Isn’t it fascinating?”

Simon gritted his teeth.

Just hold the center. Contemplate. Maintain the flow until the Jet-Black remembers and tames itself.

The flow of Jet-Black stabilized. Sweat trickled down his temples.

I did it.

Now, even if his attention drifted for a moment, the Jet-Black continued to rotate on its own. This was Circling.

Simon compressed the vortex of dark energy into a small, dense point and inserted it directly into one of the four corners of the magic circle.

The corner lit up with a low hum. Like a machine receiving power, the dormant runes around it flickered to life and began to move.

“Hey, you… what the…” Dick stared, utterly speechless. “…You pulled that off just by glancing at a textbook? Are you a genius or something?”

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