Chapter 97: Midterm Evaluation (1)

“What’s this?”

Guartes peered at the grape-like object and then looked back at me.

“It came from Clatter. Well, more like I’m guessing it did.”

I told Guartes about what happened at the Academy.

The duel between Zad and Clatter.

And how Clatter, having won, absorbed Zad’s thoughts.

“So that’s how it turned out.”

“Yeah.”

“Ah. Now that I think about it, I remember reading something in Royal Dream. They said the Mysterious Swordsman shattered into pieces right before their eyes. So that was Clatter. You’re familiar, Master?”

“That’s right. But the Mysterious Swordsman isn’t Clatter.”

It’s me.

“The Mysterious Swordsman is just speculative gossip made up by Royal Dream reporters.”

“Well, it’s true. There’s no way Master’s familiar could kill Narsi-sama.”

“He doesn’t even have the skill for that.”

Guartes nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, that’s why I came to ask. You’re the only Necromancer I know.”

“I’m honored by your trust, but this is my first time seeing something like this.”

“Is Clatter really gone?”

Guartes stroked his chin, lost in thought.

After a long pause, he spoke.

“It doesn’t seem like it. Judging by the amount of Sagi condensed in this, it looks like the skeleton’s physical body couldn’t withstand it and broke apart, but the familiar’s thoughts are still inside.”

It was the same answer Dayle, Luis, and I had expected.

Through Dayle’s Evil Eye, we had already examined the bead, and Dayle had given the same hopeful response as Guartes.

“The problem is the bead’s true nature…”

Guartes examined it from every angle, tilting his head.

“…It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere.”

I quickly asked.

“What? Really?”

“Ah. I’m not certain, but as I was explaining, a memory flashed through my mind. Black bead, condensed Sagi, and the body’s destruction. These three keywords feel familiar.”

“….”

“Something I saw when making the Elixir of Death… Ah!”

That was when it happened.

As if something clicked, Guartes jumped up and rummaged through a bookshelf tucked away in the corner of the lab.

“What did you remember?”

“My apologies, but please excuse me for a moment!”

Guartes kept digging through the bookshelf.

If he figured it out, he could be excused a hundred, a thousand times over.

I waited as he frantically pulled out books and flipped through pages.

Soon,

“This is it!”

Guartes pulled out a black-covered book and spread it open on the table.

“Necrobead.”

There, alongside the name Necrobead, was a black bead with a detailed description written out.

“As expected.”

Guartes nodded as he read the contents.

“…What’s that?”

“As expected. This is a Necrobead.”

I’m not an idiot; I already knew that much.

“So? What kind of object is it?”

“To put it simply, think of it as an egg.”

“…An egg?”

“Yes.”

An egg.

I don’t know why Dayle and Azester’s Small Calamity suddenly came to mind.

Anyway, I listened closely to Guartes’s explanation.

“This book is an undead encyclopedia, listing all the ranks and types of undead from ancient times. It’s not just about undead but also their origins and the histories of related figures, making it a rare tome that rivals history books or biographies.”

I looked at the book with newfound respect.

If what he said was true, its value was beyond imagination.

“According to this book, 700 years ago, a Necromancer first discovered the Necrobead. His name was Bone Heartjack. A legendary figure among Necromancers.”

I knew the name Bone Heartjack.

How could I not?

He’s one of the final bosses in Heroes of Frey, the Archpontiff of the Death Council, and his techniques bear his name.

No way I could forget that.

“Bone Heartjack had a peculiar fondness for creating and using skeletons. One day, his main companion, a King Skeleton, transformed into this Necrobead form.”

“…And then? What happened next?”

“It revived. As a Bone Dragon.”

My jaw dropped.

‘…What?’

When you’re too shocked, no sound comes out.

That was my state exactly.

Lucky for me, I was wearing a skull mask, or Guartes might have reconsidered his respect and loyalty if he saw my expression.

That’s how shocked I was.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. It’s written in this tome.”

Guartes held out the book as if to say, “See for yourself,” and turned to the next page.

After the Necrobead, there was an illustration of a massive bone dragon.

And below it, the name.

‘Antakagon.’

Bone Dragon Antakagon.

A named magical beast and the worst field boss in Heroes of Frey.

Honestly, in my personal opinion, I’d dare say it’s the strongest.

‘Damn it. Antakagon. Why’s this guy showing up here?’

No.

Should I be happy about this?

I looked at the Necrobead in my trembling hand and asked.

“I heard Antakagon still exists.”

“You even know that? As expected of Shadow’s intelligence network.”

“How is Antakagon still alive? Is Bone Heartjack alive too? As a lich?”

Guartes laughed.

“Haha. No, that’s not it. Bone Heartjack is dead.”

“Then? Did Antakagon kill him?”

“That’s not it either.”

Good to know.

“Antakagon was passed down to the next successor. Necromancy is typically handed down from master to disciple, and so are familiars. But Antakagon was different.”

“A special entity, huh?”

“…Yes. Like Zad.”

And like Clatter.

Unique individuals with independent will.

“Antakagon wouldn’t acknowledge anyone but Bone Heartjack as its master. So it left. It’s a famous anecdote among us Necromancers.”

I see.

I swallowed a groan and looked at the Necrobead with mixed feelings.

‘A Bone Dragon, huh.’

If such a powerful entity is born, that’s great for me.

It’d be one of the strongest forces.

But that’s only if it acknowledges me as an ally.

If not, I might be creating a calamity like Antakagon with my own hands.

And.

‘There’s no telling if Magello’s will is still inside it.’

I don’t know.

“Thanks.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful. If you need anything else, please let me know.”

“Alright.”

I left the Sewer District.

‘I’m waiting for the answer.’

I stored the Necrobead in a small box and placed it in Subspace.

* * *

Time passed quickly.

The midterm evaluation period arrived.

Early in the morning, I met with Luis to receive a report.

[Tomorrow’s the midterm evaluation. Are you prepared for the exam?]

I shook my head.

[Why prepare? A true exam is about your usual skills.]

[You’re brimming with confidence.]

[Of course.]

Truthfully, there was nothing to prepare.

Unlike other years, which take three days, the first-year midterm evaluation lasts four days.

Two days for written exams, and the remaining two for a practical exam called ‘Crown Snatch.’

The written exams, where memorization matters, are where preparation would be needed, but I already had a rough idea of what questions would come up.

With past exam questions in my head, how could I not be confident?

[By the way, what’s Dayle up to?]

[He spends most of his day in the basement.]

[Oh, really? Making something again?]

I asked with anticipation.

[No. He’s been training.]

[Training?]

[Yes.]

After the battle with the Central Knights, Dayle must have realized his shortcomings, as he’d been focusing on training.

[He should make more artifacts. Tsk.]

[Getting stronger isn’t a bad thing.]

I chuckled.

[Annoying, huh?]

No doubt Luis was his sparring partner.

But Luis shook his head.

[No. As I said, Dayle getting stronger is good for us. And there’s a certain satisfaction in teaching.]

Despite their bickering, Luis’s words carried affection for Dayle.

A far cry from when he’d curse Dayle’s conman face and glare at him coldly.

[I’m not going easy on him since he asked me to be tough, and he’s got a good feel for it.]

Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t affection for Dayle but something else.

[So. Any requests?]

At my question, a rustling sound came, and something poked out from the gap in the bench.

A sealed envelope.

[This is the request from the client.]

I tucked it into my pocket, and Luis continued in a businesslike tone via Whisper.

[The client’s request is to infiltrate Dark Clerics of the Darkness Council into the exam site, the Mountain of Trials, where the ‘Survival Game’ takes place. Their goal is to eliminate targets, and the targets are first-year cadets.]

I nodded casually.

As Bishop Cristiano said, the two factions seemed to have agreed to temporarily halt their competition for leadership.

This request was the result of that agreement.

The Darkness Council’s infiltration.

It followed the same flow as the main story in the original work.

A battle between the Dark Clerics who infiltrate the exam site and the cadets, including Ivan.

The culmination is the boss fight that caps Chapter 2.

But.

[There are twelve people in total: ten clerics, one high cleric, and one unidentified individual.]

I interrupted Luis’s Whisper.

[Wait. An unidentified individual?]

[Yes.]

This was different from the original work.

[Do you know who the high cleric is?]

[I heard it’s a high cleric named Galbart.]

[And the unidentified individual?]

[That’s unknown. Literally unidentified. We don’t know if they’re part of the Darkness Council or if they’re a high Cleric. I asked the client, but even he didn’t know their identity.]

Even Guartes didn’t know.

That meant they might not be part of the Cult.

‘An outsider?’

The first thing that came to mind was Blood.

This villainous contract organization, based in Karagas, had rapidly grown in the absence of Shadow and was a subordinate group of the Darkness Council.

Just as Bandarok is under the Death Council, Blood is under the Darkness Council.

Yes. If they’re not part of the Cult, it could be one of them.

But even then, questions remained.

Why now, for this operation?

[You said their mission is to eliminate targets, right?]

[Correct.]

[Do you know the target list?]

[Yes. And your concern is correct, Master.]

As expected.

That list included me, Gerard.

The Darkness Council must still carry the painful memory of losing High Cleric Sabo and his group.

It makes sense that they’d pull out a hidden card they’d kept under wraps.

They’re determined to take me out this time.

How strong could they be?

“Hm.”

…I might need to investigate this myself.

If they’re as strong as Galbart.

No. If they’re truly a hidden card, they’re likely stronger than him, which means I might have to face two bosses.

‘I need to find out.’

Time passed quickly, reaching the midterm evaluation, the main stage of Chapter 2.

The written exams went smoothly.

As expected, the questions were what I anticipated, and, as predicted, I was the first cadet to finish all the written exams.

Another day passed.

At dawn, before the Survival Game.

Leaving the dormitory, I arrived at the coordinates listed in the request.

It was a forest clearing not far from the Mountain of Trials, where the Survival Game would take place.

Perhaps due to the rain the previous day, the forest, wrapped in thick fog, carried a heavier, gloomier atmosphere than usual.

Silent air,but I felt eyes watching me.

“Your hospitality toward a guest is rather impolite.”

I said, filled with displeasure.

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