Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner

Chapter 623: Episode 623

Simon and Kajan spent the entire day scouring Roc Island, but they found no further clues about the fanatic.

The strange stall owner had returned to normal after about an hour, with no memory of what had happened to him.

’There aren’t enough clues.’

Whether the fanatic was using an Innate Ability or an artifact, she was meticulously concealing her Divinity and moving about with a false identity.

In this situation, the only sure way to confirm if someone was a Priest was with the help of Parahan, the Professor of Holy Defense, and his handful of assistants. All of them were Priests who had defected from the Holy Federation and could still wield Divinity.

When Kizen agents captured a suspect, they would bring them to Parahan and his team, who would then use detection-type holy magic to verify the person’s nature.

But there were far too few of them. A report had already come in that they were all exhausted from overusing their detection magic.

—We’ll resume the investigation tomorrow.

As night fell, Kajan had called it a day. Simon parted ways with him and returned to campus.

He stopped by the student council room first to handle work related to the Dark Festival, but he found it impossible to concentrate.

’A fanatic has infiltrated Kizen.’

Tapping his quill pen against the desk, Simon was lost in thought.

’Then that sense of unease I felt back then... could it have been...?’

The thought that he might have already crossed paths with the fanatic sent a shiver down his spine.

How could they apprehend her before she made her move? The current method of grabbing every ’suspicious-looking person’ and having Parahan check them had its limits.

’What should I do?’

He couldn’t focus on his work. The Dark Festival was five days long, and tomorrow was the third. Even being optimistic, they were running out of time.

"Simon?"

He turned his head to see Kamibarez tilting her head, a stack of documents in her arms.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah. I’m fine." Simon pressed his forehead and gave a wry smile. "Just a little tired, I think."

Concern clouded Kamibarez’s face.

"Maybe you should head back to the dorm early today? The rest of us can handle what’s left..."

"No, no."

The other members were just as exhausted, having to compete in the events on top of their duties. Simon picked up a nearby teacup, downed it in one go, and then rolled up his sleeves with a show of renewed energy.

"Let’s just power through and get this done!"

---

He finished his student council duties earlier than usual and returned to the dormitory. His classmates were just heading back inside, having finished their evening training in the yard, their boisterous laughter echoing in the twilight.

Even drenched in sweat, they were in high spirits, their mood at an absolute peak.

’It makes sense.’

Simon looked up at a wooden plank someone had hung on the dormitory building. Words had been carved into it with black magic, sparkling even in the darkness.

[Dark Festival Day 1 – Summoning Department, 1st Place!]

[Dark Festival Day 2 – Summoning Department, 1st Place!]

"Hey, President!"

The leader of Team 4, looking particularly energized, jovially slapped Simon’s arm as he passed.

"You were awesome today! It was so satisfying to see you land a blow on the Curses Department representative in the Train Scramble! Haha! We’re counting on you tomorrow!"

Simon flinched but forced a smile.

"Yeah."

Every student from the Summoning Department greeted him with a bright smile or a wave. Simon returned their greetings kindly, but he couldn’t bring himself to smile back.

He entered the dormitory, an unsettled feeling churning in his stomach. In the lobby, students were excitedly recounting their heroic tales.

"Seriously! You should’ve seen the look on the Combat Magic kids’ faces when I landed that hit!"

"I think the Jet-Black Dynamics Department is having some internal strife."

"The atmosphere over there must be a total mess."

He felt a pang of envy for his classmates, who could enjoy the Dark Festival so purely, without a care in the world.

Just as Simon was heading up the stairs to his room, a voice called out.

"Simon, wait a moment."

It was Fitzgerald. The two of them left the noisy lobby and stepped into a quiet lounge area.

"That was another amazing performance today," Fitzgerald said, holding a file and pushing up his glasses with his free hand. "Now then, about tomorrow’s schedule..."

"Fitzgerald. There’s something I need to tell you."

Simon spoke calmly. As Fitzgerald listened, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"You’re saying it’ll be difficult for you to participate in the events starting tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"...Hmm. I hadn’t considered this variable."

Just as Fitzgerald was poring over the schedule, racking his brain, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness at the back of the lounge.

A large, thick hand slapped against the wall with a ’thud’.

"Right now."

Hector’s hideously contorted face emerged from the shadows.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Hector Moore, the second-year department representative. Of all people, he was the one Simon least wanted to find out.

With heavy, thudding steps, Hector strode over and stood directly in front of Simon. Facing him like this always felt like standing before a massive, unmovable hill.

"Explain yourself, Simon Polentia."

"...It’s just as I said."

But he couldn’t tell Hector the truth—that a fanatic with the potential for terrorism was roaming the Dark Festival.

’Leaking this to any outside party is forbidden. That includes the Student Council members, the professors, the Crows, and even Kizen headquarters.’

’It’s a drawback of the Dark Alliance’s system. We don’t know who might be a spy.’

He had no choice but to be vague.

"Due to school business, it’ll be difficult for me to participate in the Dark Festival for the time being."

A vein immediately bulged on Hector’s forehead.

"Do you think it’s acceptable to give such a one-sided notice the day before?"

"I’m sorry, Hector. And you too, Fitzgerald. I’ll talk to the seniors—"

Unable to contain his rage, Hector slammed his fist into the lounge wall with a deafening crash. Fragments of plaster crumbled to the floor, and a spiderweb of cracks spread from the point of impact.

"Get your story straight," Hector growled, his breathing ragged like a cornered beast. "It’s not school business. It’s ’Student Council’ business."

"Hector."

"If you back out, the entire plan falls apart. You know that, don’t you? The core of our strategy was for you to handle one event entirely on your own, just like in the Raid, so we could concentrate our other classmates’ strength on events where we’re at a disadvantage. You agreed to it. It was your proposal!"

Simon bit his lip hard.

"We built our entire schedule and strategy around that. If you’re gone, someone unprepared has to fill that hole, and everything will go wrong!"

"...You’re right."

"We are on the verge of winning the department championship! What business could possibly be so important that you’d inflict such a loss on our department?"

Simon’s mouth felt dry as dust.

"I can’t tell you. It’s confidential."

"Ah, of course," Hector sneered, a bitter smile twisting his lips. "I never liked how you strutted around as Student Council President, always putting them first while our department came second. You’re not even the official president, just a substitute until Aizel gets back. Did a few successes make you start looking down on department affairs?"

"I have never looked down on them."

Simon, who had been listening in silence, felt his own anger begin to simmer.

"Then what do you call this? Dragging our department through the mud for the sake of the Student Council. If that’s not looking down on your fellow students, what is?"

"I’m just as angry as you are that it’s come to this, Hector."

"Then make a choice." Hector’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "That childish game of an acting student council. Or your department..."

"Stop trying to force that on me!" Simon roared.

As the fight erupted, Fitzgerald, who had been trying to intervene, went pale.

"I have no intention of giving up on either, and I’ve never looked down on either side! I’ve always given my all to every task I’ve been given! But this time, I can’t help it! I just can’t! The school is...!"

’...in danger.’

He couldn’t say the words, which meant he couldn’t persuade Hector. It was doomed to become an emotional battle, their arguments running parallel, never to meet.

The realization hit Simon, and his arms fell limp at his sides.

Hector, his expression twisted in a scowl, said nothing more. The two boys stood locked in a tense silence.

"...Damn it."

Finally, Hector turned his back and stomped away, his heavy footfalls echoing through the lounge.

’Haa.’

Simon covered his forehead with his palm. As Hector stormed into the lobby, Simon could hear the scurrying footsteps of classmates scattering.

Hector’s bellow filled the air.

"What are you gawking at? Get lost, before I kill you all!"

The festive mood that had filled the dormitory instantly froze solid. The sound of Hector’s heavy tread climbing the stairs faded into the oppressive silence.

Simon sank onto a lounge chair with a thump and tilted his head back, his heart still pounding in his chest. His eyes fell on the shattered section of wall.

"Are you okay?" Fitzgerald asked, approaching cautiously.

Simon nodded silently.

"Again, Fitzgerald, I’m sorry."

"You must have your reasons." Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "...In that light, I’d like to cautiously make a proposal."

"Hm?"

---

The next morning, Simon left the dormitory early. Kajan was already waiting with a carriage.

"Kajan!"

"Good morning."

Simon immediately climbed in and explained the situation. He had agreed to participate in just one event per day—the one that relied most heavily on him. Kajan accepted without complaint.

"We were the ones who dragged you into this in the first place. We’re grateful for any help you can provide."

"I’m sorry. More importantly, where are we going?"

Kajan slowly closed his eyes and reactivated all the soundproofing magic circles in the carriage.

"The scale of this incident is growing."

"What?"

"The Holy Federation has proposed a collaboration."

Simon’s eyes widened. ’Did I hear that right?’

"The Holy Federation?"

He had assumed they would draw a line, claiming the incident had nothing to do with them while secretly hoping for a major disaster to strike Roc Island.

"It seems there are people on their side who also believe a war must be prevented."

At those words, Simon immediately thought of Israphel. His mother Anna’s former aide, the woman who was like an aunt to him, the Saintess of the Divine Sea. He’d heard the number of wars and tragedies she had single-handedly prevented was countless.

"They apologized for failing to manage their believers and offered to provide a Priest to help detect the fanatic. Lady Nephthys readily accepted."

Hearing that, Simon sat up straighter. They were sending a Priest!

"That’s great news!"

"Of course, this isn’t an official proposal from the Holy Federation. Within the Dark Alliance, only Lady Nephthys and her closest aides know about this."

Just as Kajan said, this wasn’t a deal between the two great powers. It was a private agreement between the factions that opposed war—between Israphel and Nephthys.

Incredible things were happening beneath the surface of the Dark Festival.

"And right now, we are on our way to meet the Priest who has come from the Holy Federation."

"Wait, they’re already here?"

Simon shot up from his seat.

Just how was this Dark Festival going to unfold?

A short while later, they arrived at a cave that served as the base for Grelion, the Professor of Summoning Materials Science.

Professor Grelion and his assistants were on vacation for the festival, and Kajan explained they had permission to use the place freely.

’This place should be fine.’

If a priest were coming over, teleporting into the cave would be the perfect way to conceal their identity.

Simon and Kajan rode a minecart deep into the cavern.

After thirty minutes, Simon passed through several layers of meticulous security magic and stepped into the main chamber.

"...What is this?"

In the middle of the cave, a lush field of wheat was growing where none should be. It was tall enough to reach his chest, the grains plump and golden. He had been here several times for class, but he had never seen such a sight.

In fact, this was an environment where wheat shouldn’t be able to grow at all.

Simon and Kajan pushed their way through the rustling stalks.

At the center of the field, a woman sat at a table under an awning, lifting a teacup as if posing for a painting.

Her mere presence seemed to illuminate the dark cave and stir the wheat into a gentle sway.

She wore the white, dress-like holy robes of a Saintess and a wide-brimmed straw hat that concealed her face. A sickle and a rake were crossed on her back.

She turned her head to look at them.

’What is with this person?’

The air grew heavy. Simon knew instantly she was no ordinary individual.

She took the brim of her straw hat and lifted it. Her yellow hair, the color of a wheat field, fluttered, revealing her face.

It was not what Simon had imagined. Her long, slanted eyes were sewn shut with rough thread, and a branded, X-shaped scar was imprinted over them. One side of her face was covered in a gruesome burn that reached her mouth, giving her voice a strange, airy quality.

"...So you’re the student council president, yeah."

"Wh-Who are you?"

She scrunched her facial muscles into a grim smile.

"The Saintess of Harvest. A pleasure to meet you, yeah."