Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner

Chapter 599: Episode 599

Wherever she went, she drew people’s eyes. A young saintess, newly ’called’ from the Holy Federation. Still a student, she wore an Efnel uniform instead of holy vestments. Each time she walked, sweeping back her wave-like white hair, sparkling starlight embroidered her steps as if in blessing.

Her beauty was so profound it inspired reverence. With flawless, jade-like skin and movements that overflowed with grace, her gentle voice was filled with concern for the citizens. They could only bow their heads, their reverence coming from the very bottom of their hearts.

"Saintess."

The paladins escorting her spoke, bowing respectfully. The saintess replied with a benevolent smile.

What could they be talking about? The will of the Goddess, perhaps, or the lives of the Federation’s citizens. The residents prostrated on the street could only revere and respect them, praying that the Goddess’s infinite blessing would be upon their path.

The reality, however, was a little different.

"Saintess! This afternoon’s schedule requires you to complete the assignment given by Professor Rahl!"

"Please allow us to escort you to your next location!"

At the paladins’ urging, Lethe slowly turned around.

"Hmm?"

She tilted her head and smiled. It was a benevolent smile that seemed to radiate a holy light, but strangely, the burly paladins cowered like frightened rabbits.

"You must prepare for your afternoon schedule..."

"My schedule for today is empty, is it not?"

Her voice was as gentle as a textbook saintess’s, yet the paladins’ trembling didn’t stop. In fact, their faces were growing paler by the second.

"Pr-Professor Rahl added an etiquette training session."

"Etiquette training?"

’Hah.’ With a short, sharp sigh, her lips twisted into a sneer.

"By whose authority was such nonsense added, I ask you?"

With every trace of pretense gone, her voice turned as cold as ice. As everyone averted their eyes in silence, the senior paladin forced his unwilling lips to move.

"E-Efnel requested it..."

"And you accept every request they make, do you? You imbeciles!"

In a flash, she spun, her leg slicing through the air as a picture-perfect kick slammed into the paladin’s helmet. The man spun half a dozen times in the air before crashing to the ground with a choked grunt.

The junior paladins quickly lowered their eyes.

’It’s starting.’

’The three stages of the Saintess of Stars’ mood swings.’

In the beginning of her first year, Lethe had been a bit hot-tempered, but she was still a typical priest with devout faith. However, starting from the first-year summer vacation, she had emerged as a ruthless tyrant and a rebel. Rumors abounded about what on earth she had experienced during the break.

Later, when she was baptized as a saintess and her training began, she seemed to have lost her nerve, obediently following the elders’ instructions.

And now, in her second year, Lethe was becoming a master of duality, freely switching between the image people expected of a saintess and her own fiery personality. Only the paladins, who had to serve her all day and read her every mood, were withering away from the stress of her whims.

"Hah, honestly."

After confirming there were no residents around, Lethe perched herself on a nearby rock in a thoroughly delinquent manner.

"Hey. Get up."

The fallen paladin didn’t move. Lethe beckoned again with her index finger, a sharp, impatient flick.

"Get up."

As her cold, chilling tone echoed, the fallen paladin shot to his feet and stood at attention before her.

"Hah, for fuck’s sake. This is unbelievable."

How could such vulgar words come from such a beautiful face? The paladins had been flustered at first, but now, as if used to it, they simply stood at ease with their heads bowed low.

"And what is the issue this time, pray tell?"

"We-We are deeply sorry!"

"I have been playing the part of a saintess well lately, have I not?"

"Yes! You are truly a role model for all priests!"

That was a lie, of course. If someone like her were a role model, the Holy Federation would have collapsed long ago.

"Did I ask for a day or two off? I said I could not today because it is a truly important day."

"B-But...! Professor Rahl, because of the incident where you assaulted the bishop..."

"I beat him because he deserved it! That perverted, saintess-fetishist bastard!"

The paladins’ mouths fell open, their faces ashen. To denigrate a bishop like that, even if she was a demigod above humanity!

"Regardless. I am taking today off."

"W-Wait a moment! Saintess!"

Getting up from the rock, she started toward the women’s dormitory, then paused to clasp her hands and smile prettily.

"So that is how it is. I trust you will handle the aftermath."

Then she blinked and winked, and a tiny star popped into existence.

"Sainteeeesss!"

Lethe disappeared into the Efnel women’s dormitory, a men-prohibited zone. The senior paladin, prostrate on the ground, stretched out his arm and called her name at the top of his lungs, but there was no chance of her returning.

The female students of Efnel, enjoying tea time on the terrace, smiled at the amusing spectacle.

"Those knights got owned again today."

"It’s a shame they have to grovel like that for such low pay."

"My older brother wants to be a paladin. I have to talk him out of it somehow."

Her footsteps tapped quickly down the hallway. Back in the dormitory, Lethe strode quickly, her face alight with an unconcealable, excited smile. By the time she reached her dorm room, her walk had turned into a near skip.

The door clicked open.

"I have returned! Lirinet!"

The freckled girl who had been lazing on the dorm bed whipped her head up. It was her roommate and best friend, Lirinet. She clasped her hands and playfully murmured.

"Gratula mi cibilis. We greet the Goddess’s closest dau—"

"Agh! I told you not to do that!"

Lethe slammed the door shut with a ’bang’, her voice laced with annoyance.

In truth, a saintess didn’t need to use the women’s dormitory; she could live comfortably in an extremely luxurious mansion on Sky Island, attended by servants. But for some reason, Lethe had refused the mansion and insisted on the dorm. People praised the young saintess’s humble choice, but there was another reason.

"More importantly! The letter! Has the letter arrived?"

"Ah, of course! You mean that certain letter the old woman brought?"

One reason was that she didn’t want to be separated from Lirinet, but the real purpose was this letter. If she moved to the mansion, she wouldn’t be able to receive letters from Anna in the Dark Alliance. Her accomplice, Lirinet, also kept quiet about it, only guessing that Lethe had someone precious to her across the border.

"Here you are!"

As Lirinet held out the letter, an ecstatic blush bloomed on Lethe’s cheeks, and her eyes sparkled.

Then, with a quick ’swoosh’, Lirinet snatched the letter behind her back, and Lethe’s expression turned as cold as a northern wind.

’This is fun!’

A mischievous Lirinet repeatedly offered and hid the letter, and each time, Lethe’s expression swung between heaven and hell.

’Ugh, is it okay for a saintess to be this cute...’

’Whack!’

"Do not trifle with me!"

Finally punished by Lethe’s kick, Lirinet went tumbling across the floor. Lethe clutched the letter to her chest and scurried away.

Her approach to Anna’s letters was one of extreme reverence. She immediately took a ritual bath, and after drying off, emerged to don her sacred saintess robes. She knelt demurely on the carpet and placed the letter on the floor as if it were a precious treasure.

"Oh, Goddess. Thank you for helping my teacher’s letter arrive safely today."

She clasped her hands and offered a devout prayer. This was the moment of the year when Lethe’s faith and Divinity reached their absolute peak. All the mana in the air transformed into Divinity, becoming a curtain of white light. Stars appeared in the daytime, and a halo descended from the sky as if a god were giving a revelation. The saintess’s faith was powerful enough to alter natural phenomena.

"Ooooh!"

"The Saintess is receiving a revelation!"

The paladins, who had been waiting endlessly outside the women’s dormitory, prostrated themselves on the ground upon seeing the grand phenomenon. This was the proof of God, a sight that made faith well up in the hearts of all who witnessed it.

"Putting on a show again, Saintess Lethe?" Lirinet said, peeking out the window and chuckling.

"Let them be," Lethe replied nonchalantly, finishing her prayer.

She lowered her hands to her knees and took a deep, steadying breath, her expression tense.

’I’m opening it.’

The letter from her most respected teacher, Anna. The pillar and driving force of her saintess training and her life at Efnel.

With trembling hands, she broke the seal and opened the envelope. With a rustle, a single sheet of white paper emerged.

’’

This elegant, graceful handwriting. It was definitely Anna’s.

She carefully placed the letter on the floor and rummaged through the envelope. Nothing came out.

Not giving up, she turned the envelope upside down and shook it vigorously. But no matter how much she shook, not even a speck of dust emerged.

’...What is this.’

Her expression soured.

’That bastard’s letter is not here this time either...’

"Saintess!"

Lirinet suddenly called her name, making Lethe jump and freeze.

"Wh-What is it! You startled me!"

"Hmm? What is there to be so surprised about?" Lirinet asked, rolling over on her wheeled chair. "I just thought it was odd that you took out the letter and then started shaking the envelope. I thought you had finally snapped."

"...Mind your own business."

"And why is your face so red?"

"Since when!" Lethe shouted.

Lirinet blinked, wondering what was wrong with her now, then cleared her throat.

"Aha, I see you were looking to see if there were two letters?"

"Hmph..."

"One would be from that person who always writes, but who could the other one be from, I wonder?"

"Ran!"

With a crash of shattering glass, a white dragon appeared from nowhere, grabbed Lirinet, and pinned her to the ceiling.

"Aaaah! Wh-Why are you doing this!"

"Ah, be quiet! Did I not tell you not to disturb me when I am reading a letter!" Lethe yelled, gesturing with her hand.

Ran moved the tip of its tail and began tickling Lirinet’s armpits. She let out a gasping laugh and twisted her whole body.

"Kuk! Khahaha! F-Forgive me... Eeheeheehee!"

Ignoring her completely, Lethe knelt piously on the floor again and picked up Anna’s letter.

’Honestly, how can he not send a single letter when it has been so long since we parted?’

For a moment, her eyes burned with fierce anger.

’Fine, I no longer care! Just let me meet him on the battlefield. I do not care if he is Ms. Anna’s son or not, I will tear him to shreds.’

She growled and began to read Anna’s letter. At least admiring Anna’s elegant handwriting brought some comfort to her heart.

The happy moment passed in an instant, and she was already at the last sentence.

’’

Lethe’s eyes widened.

’’

’...You fool.’

A smile bloomed on her lips as if by magic.

’You should have told me sooner if that was the case!’

She had sent a letter to Roc Island before through an acquaintance, an Inquisitor named Metin. She wasn’t sending a letter first, she reasoned, she was just telling him the method.

She resolved herself to that several times over, then immediately sat at her desk and took out a quill.

"Ugh! Kyahahahak! Saintess Lethe! Save m—!"

"Ah, be quiet!"

---

Simon’s midterm preparations continued. While attending his other classes, he would slip into the Mutants’ basement whenever he had a spare moment to research how to utilize Manus.

He had promised Aaron he would create the best Dullahan among his peers. A normal Dullahan would never be able to defeat the ’Guardian Dullahans’ the other students would make. He knew for a fact that both Aseraz and Hector had gotten their hands on Guardian corpses. Those two would not only complete their Guardian Dullahans but would undoubtedly add some extra, unique power.

The only way to surpass them was with the power of Manus, who had once been an Ancient Undead.

’This is difficult.’

Simon continued his research, tearing at his hair in frustration.

That weekend, another Dullahan special lecture was scheduled. Aaron had ordered mandatory attendance.

And in that day’s class...

"I will now announce the most important performance evaluation that the department will conduct immediately following the midterms."

The details of the dreaded performance evaluation, which everyone expected to be related to Dullahans, were about to be revealed.