novelraw Chapter 586: Episode 586
Chapter 586: Episode 586
"We are not here to play."
Aaron casually raised a hand and caught the snowball with a soft ’smack’. As he clenched his fist, it crumbled into powder. The watching TAs breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Prepare for breakfast and class," Aaron stated calmly. "And Simon Polentia."
Simon, who had just returned from his secret meeting with Erzebet, jumped at the sound of his name. "Y-Yes! Professor."
"A word with you."
With that, Aaron turned and walked away. Lorraine, Toto, and Eshe gave Simon questioning looks, but he could only shrug before following his professor.
---
They arrived at a secluded corner of the base camp, where a small, shed-like building stood behind a stack of firewood. Simon and Aaron sat on tree stumps that served as makeshift chairs. The head TA appeared, handing them each a steaming mug of hot cocoa before departing.
’W-What did he call me for?’ Simon wondered, breaking into a cold sweat. ’Did he sense Erzebet?’ She was a master of barriers, capable of slipping in and out of Kizen itself, but against Aaron, nothing was certain.
Once they were alone, Aaron began. "Starting today, I will be conducting counseling and lessons for my direct disciples."
"...Ah!"
Simon’s shoulders slumped in relief, and his eyes lit up. Aaron had agreed to take him on as a direct disciple in his second year, but they hadn’t had any special sessions yet. A wave of excitement washed over him.
"I will do my best!" he declared.
"Good." Aaron leaned back. "Do you have any questions or concerns? Or if there is something specific you wish to learn, I can tailor the lessons to that."
"I do!" Simon answered without hesitation. "I want to create a Bone Dragon!"
Aaron sprayed a mouthful of cocoa. He coughed, wiping his chin, and shot Simon a sideways glance. "What kind of madness are you spouting now?"
Simon calmly retrieved a pearl-like orb from his pocket. "I received this from Lady Nephthys. A dragon’s corpse is sealed inside."
He explained how Nephthys had given it to him, and the promise he had made.
"I swore to her that I would complete the Bone Dragon before the end of my second year!"
As Aaron listened, a muscle in his jaw began to twitch. ’...What sort of ideas have you been putting in his head, Nephthys?’
It was one thing to motivate the student he had personally selected as Special Admission No. 1. But she could have at least chosen something realistic. For her, it was just a few casually spoken words, but the burden of managing this genius’s passion and turning his wild ambition into a concrete reality fell squarely on Aaron’s shoulders.
’That woman, honestly.’
Aaron took a long sip of cocoa, grinding his teeth. "Let’s get one thing straight."
"Yes, sir."
"Realistically, what you’re proposing is impossible." He set his mug down. "I acknowledge your talent. Creating a Lich at the end of your first year was an incredible achievement. But a Bone Dragon is on an entirely different level. To reanimate a legendary creature is the dream of every summoner, but some dreams are best left as dreams. Most high-ranking necromancers wouldn’t even dare attempt it."
"Is it that difficult?"
"It’s beyond difficult." Aaron’s gaze grew steely. "The materials are so rare that there’s almost no research or samples to study. No established creation method exists. The number of necromancers who possess one is infinitesimally small."
Simon tilted his head. "Is it something even you can’t make, Professor?"
’...This brat.’
A flicker of irritation crossed Aaron’s face. Necromancers were, if nothing else, honest about their power. "Of course, I have made one. And I have deployed it in combat."
"Then you can teach me, right?" Simon’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
’Damn it.’
Those bright, eager eyes always reminded Aaron of his own youth, a memory that was more painful than pleasant. He deliberately avoided his student’s gaze and muttered, "It’s not so simple. In addition to your regular coursework, you would have to dedicate yourself to disciplines solely for the purpose of creating a Bone Dragon. And even if, by some miracle, you succeeded, you might not be able to control it."
"Even so, I have to try!" Simon said, his voice firm.
’...Right. I knew you’d say that.’
Not a hint of hesitation. Not a flicker of doubt. Just pure, unadulterated passion and the boundless energy of youth. He wasn’t the type to be deterred by things like ’realism’ or ’lack of data’. ’I do it because I want to, and I will see it done.’ Aaron knew he couldn’t talk him out of it, just as he knew he couldn’t have persuaded a younger version of himself.
"Your workload will triple."
Simon nodded. "I’m prepared for that."
"...I understand your resolve." Aaron closed his eyes and let his arms fall to his sides. "However, there is one condition."
"Anything!"
"It would be absurd for you to be fumbling with a mere Dullahan while talking about creating a Bone Dragon. Therefore, by this midterm exam, you will create an ’extraordinary Dullahan’—one that truly surprises me. If you can do that, we will begin Bone Dragon lessons after the exams."
"Understood!" Simon nodded quickly before Aaron could change his mind. The message was clear: focus on the Dullahan for now. "I will create the best Dullahan in my year!"
"I expect nothing less."
As they continued their discussion, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from behind. Simon turned. ’The second disciple?’
It was Hector.
’Of course,’ Simon thought with a quiet smile. Hector, seeing the back of Simon’s head, scowled as if he’d expected it too.
"Have a seat," Aaron said.
"Yes, sir."
Hector sat, and Simon, his consultation finished, stepped back.
"Simon Polentia," Aaron said. "Go and bring the next student."
The rules allowed for three direct disciples. With Simon and Hector chosen, Simon assumed the third would be Aseraz. Serne wasn’t the type, and he knew Lorraine was being taught directly by Nephthys.
"Should I bring Aseraz?"
"Unfortunately, Aseraz was taken as another professor’s disciple during his first year."
"Ah. Then who...?"
Aaron’s expression was unreadable as he spoke. "Bring White."
---
Aaron’s choice of White as a direct disciple was completely unexpected. ’Why him?’ Simon recalled the way his professor’s expression always hardened at the sight of White.
’Hmm.’
Still, it wasn’t his place to question a Kizen professor’s decision. Simon turned and went to find him.
He didn’t have to look far. While the other students were bustling about, preparing breakfast or playing in the snow, White was sitting alone, staring blankly at the sky.
"White."
Simon called his name, but White didn’t turn. His hair, as pale as his name, fluttered in the wind.
"Professor Aaron is looking for you."
He must have understood, because he slowly rose to his feet.
He walked away, his boots crunching on the snow. Simon watched him go, then turned to leave.
Suddenly, White was standing directly behind him. Simon was so startled he almost subdued him on pure reflex.
"You," White said, his voice flat. "Are you... two people?"
"...W-What?"
’What is he talking about?’ As Simon stood there, utterly confused, White turned his head.
"Never mind."
And with that, he walked away.
’Still an enigma,’ Simon thought, shaking his head.
---
As befitting a special training camp, the schedule was brutal.
"The runic language must be fully activated! Only those who succeed will move to the next station. Fail, and you will keep trying until you get it right!"
"Jet-Black must pour from the bio-organ like a faucet! Insufficient volume will lower your mana conversion rate!"
"If the circle isn’t perfect, your Dullahan will have problems using its aura! Repeat until it’s flawless!"
The students gasped for breath, frantically trying to keep up. The goal was to master both the creation and control of a Dullahan within a week, making the curriculum far more intense than anything they had experienced before.
By lunchtime, they were all hollow-eyed and exhausted.
"Ugh, I have to cook, but my body won’t move," Eshe groaned.
But there was no time to rest. The TAs barked out the remaining time, herding the students back to their tasks before they could collapse completely.
"It’s been only Professor Aaron teaching so far," Lorraine commented as Simon grilled the reindeer meat they’d bought. "Are the other professors not coming to the camp?"
"I think it’s because we’re focusing on theory first," Simon replied. Summoning Materials Science and Summoning Thanatology were crucial, but it was still too early for the practical application of creating a Dullahan.
Toto, who was washing vegetables nearby, looked up. "I overheard the TAs in a meeting! I think another professor is coming soon."
"Really?"
Toto was right. After lunch, as the students were lining up, a familiar face strode to the front.
"Atten-tion!"
It was Professor Grelion, the brawny, muscular head of Summoning Materials Science, a pair of sunglasses perched on his face.
"This evening, all fifty-two of you will be deployed to the battlefield!"
A murmur rippled through the students at the word ’battlefield’. Fitzgerald pushed up his glasses. "I knew there was a catch."
"No way it was going to be this easy. It’s definitely a large-scale performance evaluation."
The rumor of a major evaluation centered on the Dullahan had been circulating for a while. As they whispered among themselves, Grelion spoke again.
"I hear you’ve been honing your Dullahan creation skills! But if you’re going to build a Dullahan, you should use the best materials, am I right?"
"Yes, sir!" the students roared.
"We are heading to the castle ruins of the Gahal tribe!"
Grelion explained that the ruins, located within the Frigod Autonomous Region, were under attack by monsters, and they were being sent as a relief force. Just as he had sent them to the desert to hunt Ratchet for ghoul materials, Grelion always emphasized the importance of necromancers contributing positively to society.
"We will support the Gahal tribe and fight alongside them. But of course, we are not going simply to offer aid." A grin spread across his face. "Now that knights are extinct, the highest-grade Dullahan material a necromancer can obtain—the ’Guardian’—appears on that very battlefield."
A new light shone in the students’ weary eyes. Grelion was telling them they had a chance to obtain a Guardian, the best of the three legendary Dullahan materials alongside the Ogre Lord and Abaddon. This was something money couldn’t buy.
"I don’t know if any of you fifty-two will manage to obtain a Guardian, but do not miss this opportunity! We depart late this evening, so prepare yourselves thoroughly!"
"Yes, sir!"
The carrot he had dangled was irresistible. The students snapped to attention, a renewed sense of purpose surging through them.