Chapter 330


    The talk of the town, the student that Nefthis herself chose, the Special Admission No.1


    Eric had heard many things about Simon.


    "Alright, what did you want to ask me about?"


    "I was wondering if you could take a look at this form."


    With Meilyn''s help, the errors in the elemental magic form had been fixed, but there was still much to be done with the rest of it. This time, Simon showed Eric the configuration of the summoning magic circle.


    "Let''s see."


    Eric''s eyes checked the magic circle carefully.


    "It''s hard to pick out just one part of a summoning magic circle, as each element has a great influence on the whole, but still, this section…"


    Eric pointed to one part of the circle."This is definitely wrong. It''s better to utilize the Gale form rather than simply adding your other forms through here."


    "Then what about this section?"


    Eric answered without hesitation every time Simon questioned him.


    "Why is it so?"


    "Because it''s more efficient to use the Gale form."


    "But using the Gale formplicates the pattern. I don''t understand why it''s more efficient."


    There were a few children who asked for the reason in Kizen.


    It had been so long since he was questioned that even Eric, whose whole job was teaching Mechanics of Jet-ck, was a little taken aback.


    "Mm, I see. If you''re curious about that…"


    Still, it was a professor''s job to answer their students'' questions.


    Eric picked up a chalk and wrote down the equation, solving it for Simon''s situation.


    "Here''s what I think that area should look like."


    Simon also picked up a piece of chalk and wrote what he hade up with.


    Eric''s eyes widened. Simon hadn''t used forms in his calctions, but had just utilized the root expressions. It was like doing calculus with only addition and subtraction.


    And yet, the results were still approximately what they would be if he had used the forms.


    "That''s an interesting interpretation."


    Eric smiled.


    "But didn''t you learn the Hexa form in the first semester? Why did you have to calcte like this?"


    "That''s because…"


    Simon put down his chalk and looked at Eric.


    "That''s because I didn''t fully understand it, so I thought it wasn''t mine to use it."


    "…"


    "I didn''t want to put an unstable factor into my magic circle."


    Eric let out an inward exmation.


    When he teaches a new rune or form in ss, the students don''t really care about or want to know the principles behind it.


    Because they''re busy using it.


    They''d be happy to augment their magic circle with the new teachings so they can best use it for their uing Duel Evaluations or the next BDMAT.


    Practicality above all else.


    Kizen was a meritocracy, and the students had adapted to survive in that system.


    Eric didn''t necessarily find that a bad thing. Of course,petition always drove efficiency and performance.


    But if you asked any necromancer who graduated from Kizen why they utilized the Hexa form here?


    Nine out of ten wouldn''t be able to answer.


    Instead, they''d just reason out that it simply is how it is, or how that it''s always been done that way.


    Even the ones who did have answers would only know a small fragment of the reasons, and only because they so happened to see them in a textbook years ago.


    The young necromancers of today, who use forms without knowing how they work, be the necromancers who rule the Alliance in the future.


    As an educator, Ericmented this, but he had no choice.


    Thepetition between professors was just as if not more fierce than it was between students in Kizen.


    To survive with the boring subject ''Mechanics of Jet-ck'' and for it to be considered a good lecture by the students, making them understand didn''t matter.


    ''However…''


    For Eric, having even a single student like Simon in a year was like rain in a drought.


    "The exnation might be a little lengthy."


    The magic words that made most students give up.


    "Would that be alright with you?"


    Nine students out of ten would just say no right here.


    "Yeah, sure!"


    But this child…


    No, this budding necromancer. What Simon wanted, surprisingly, was the principles.


    "Watch closely."


    Eric was having fun as he wrote the proof on the board.


    He wondered how long it had been since thest time he drew this up.


    <em>"Do we really need to do the proofs?"</em>


    <em>"All we care about is if the rune works, right?"</em>


    <em>"A professor in Kizen wouldn''t teach some kind of weird form anyway."</em>


    Year after year, the students scorned his teachings. Until he stopped teaching that.


    Well, they were right.


    Previous generations had thoroughly tested the runes and forms taught at Kizen.


    They only need to build upon the feats of their predecessors to grow stronger.


    Proofs were now stuck in the realm of researchers and often contributed little to active necromancers.


    Despite that…


    ''It''s fun.''


    A smile formed in Eric''s mouth.


    ''I''m enjoying proving a form right now in front of this student.''


    "Do you understand now?"


    "Yes, that makes a lot more sense now! Thank you so much!"


    After a few more words with Eric, Simon bowed his head and walked out of the lecture room. Eric suddenly picked up the chalk, watching him leave with a satisfied smile.


    ''I tried my best to hold it in, but…''


    <em>Tap.</em>


    Then, he began to write proof after proof on the board, one form at a time.


    He was grateful that an old man''s heart like his could still beat with the fervor of the youth.


    * * *


    * * *


    "Alright! Let''s do it again!"


    After ss, Simon scribbled down the new form in his notebook in his dormitory.


    The truth was, Simon hadn''t always wanted to know the roots of the form from the start.


    His grades in Mechanics of Jet-ck were extremely mediocre. When he could barely grasp even the simplest of forms being taught to him, understanding the proof was a matter of greed.


    Above all, it required more knowledge and desire to study than anything else. To understand discoveries made decades in the past, he had to understand decades of developments in research.


    This time, however, he had a goal. He needed to create a summoning magic circle himself, so he needed to understand the concepts at their very core.


    Simon was up against a wall. Completing the skeleton mage was a task far beyond him. But his mind remained restless, mming itself against the wall again and again and again until the tiniest of dent could be made.


    He remembered his first day of Summoning ss.


    Looking at the bones of the bipedal ind rat man, he had turned it into an early evolution that ran on four legs. With instinct alone, he reverse engineered an entire species.


    But instinct could only carry him so far.


    As he honed his skills and grew stronger, his challenges grew even faster. For the first time in a while, Simon had felt the gap between him and the rest of his cohort, who had all studied to be necromancers for years before joining Kizen.


    Knowledge.


    Hecked knowledge. So the only option avable to him was to learn.


    And Eric was the perfect help for that.


    Finally, all the basic tools were at his disposal.


    <em>Scribble, scribble, scribble.</em>


    Rick, lying in bed, was filled with amazement as he watched Simon writing down forms on a nk notebook.


    "…You''re really amazing, really amazing."


    Rick couldn''t even be sarcastic anymore, looking at him working so hard.


    But he was a little worried.


    "You''re not going to go out of your mind like when you made your first golem, right?"


    "I won''t make such mistakes anymore."


    Said Simon, writing down the form.


    "I''m maintaining good shape. I''m eating well and exercising, so I''m fine."


    "You need to stop cutting sleep, dude."


    "Other than that."


    Simon changed the topic while writing the form.


    "How''s the analysis of Professor Walter''s handwriting going?"


    "Ah! I managed to deliver the handwriting to the professional. But he said it might take a while as he has some backlog. He also mentioned that it being a photograph from a camera instead of the writing itself might mean it takes even longer."


    "What about the analysis of the hematopoietic injection?"


    "I''m trying to find someone who can do it confidentially. Since there''s a conference going on right now, I should be able to find someone soon."


    "What about the auction for the monster duke''s corpse?"


    "It starts tomorrow. The price may go up a bit because the skin tissues of the monster were found to be of scientific value. You can look forward to i—"


    Suddenly, Rick jumped to his feet.


    "Wait, hey! What''s the meaning of all this?! I''m not your manager! Just how many jobs have you given me??"


    Simon identally drew a line through some of his work as he shook withughter.


    "Stop making meugh! I''m trying to focus."


    "Can you really study normally after giving your roommate so much work? Should I call you ''young master'' or something?!"


    Rick reached out his legs off the bed and wrapped them around Simon''s neck. Then, he shook Simon side to side.


    "You''re making me dizzy!"


    Simon still maintained his smile and shouted,


    "And I''m paying you for everything. Don''t you think you''re being a bit too much of a cheapskate for your roommate?"


    "That can''t be helped! Being a cheapskate is an upational disease that all merchants suffer from!"


    Rick let go of Simon''s neck before saying with an unexpectedly serious face,


    "I''m not sure why you''re prying around Professor Walter, but be careful. Don''t get yourself into any trouble."


    "Alright."


    <em>Click.</em>


    Just then, the door opened, and Kajann walked in. As Rick nervously screwed his mouth shut, Kajann looked at Simon and said,


    "The work you''ve given me has just started. I''ll let you know when there''s any progress."


    "Yes, I''m counting on you."


    Kajann removed his school uniform, tossed it aside, and climbed into his bunk bed. With the nket over him, he tossed and turned momentarily, then went still.


    Rick came running and put a rough headlock on Simon''s head.


    "You bastard! Did you also assign Kajann a job? I thought <em>I</em> was your manager! This is betrayal!!"


    "Ouch, that hurts! And what do you mean by betrayal…?"


    "Are you saying the Thieves'' Guild is better than my intelligencework, huh?"


    <em>Slip.</em>


    Simon ced his arm between Rick''s and pressed down, breaking open the headlock. Using his position, he then hoisted Rick up and threw him back onto the bed.


    "Wow."


    Rick was absolutely amazed.


    "This guy is getting better and better at everything, evenbat dark magic."


    "I''ve been practicing a new skill inbat dark magic recently, you see."


    Rick imitated Hector''s voice.


    "Just how far are you nning to go, Simon Polentia!"


    Simonughed out loud at the incredibly inurate impersonation. Rick soon followed suit, and the entire room was filled withughter.


    * * *


    "Hmmm."


    Rick, tossing and turning at dawn, woke up.


    Rubbing his eyes, he yawnedzily and headed for the bathroom.


    After taking care of his needs, he sighed and checked the clock on the wall. He still had four hours until ss.


    Just when he was about to crawl back into bed…


    ''?''


    Simon wasn''t in bed.


    ''There he goes again.''


    There was no one in Kizen crazier than Simon, past present or future. Rick wore his slippers and stepped out of room 409.


    The first ce he headed while dragging his slippers was themon room.


    <em>Click.</em>


    Rick pushed the door, rubbed his eyes, then called out,


    "Hey, Simon! Are you sleeping here?"


    But Simon wasn''t to be seen.


    All that was left was a jumble of empty skeleton mage boxes in the corner of themon room.


    "Man."


    Rick clicked his tongue, looking at the mess.


    "The manager won''t let us use themon room if this goes on."


    While fighting his sleepiness, Rick staggered over and tidied up the mess Simon had made.


    His next stop was the garden at the back of the dormitory.


    ''Brr, it''s so cold.''


    Stepping outside, Rick rubbed his arms and shoulders in a vain attempt to warm himself up. He walked on as he took in the chilly early morning air.


    "Bastard! It''s good to work hard, but make sure to sleep inside your r…!"


    Then, Rick stopped talking.


    Simon was there.


    He was muttering to himself as he frantically manipted a magic circle he had spread out in front of him.


    "I think I finally got it. This time, for sure."


    ''Who is he talking to? He must''ve really gone nuts this time.''


    Rick nced to the side just to make sure no one was really there, when…


    ''…Woah!''


    Three fully assembled skeleton mages stood beside Simon.


    ''H-He actually made all of those? Just by himself?''


    Perhaps he wanted to test them out. Simon''s expression became serious.


    As he drained his expression of everything that didn''t help him focus, Rick could really see the bags under Simon''s eyes and the gauntness of his cheeks.


    "Ready!"


    When Simon reached out his arm, the three skeleton mages held up their staffs.


    <em>Gulp.</em>


    Rick started to also feel quite nervous, and he started watching Simon''s endeavors from the side.


    "Activate!"


    And as soon as the words left Simon''s mouth…


    <em>Fwooooooosh!</em>


    <em>Craaaaack!</em>


    <em>Whiiirrrr!</em>


    me, ice, and wind shot out of the three skeleton mages'' staffs.


    "I did it!!!"


    Cheered Simon.


    The light of the rising dawn shone down his raised arms in the air, his hands balled into fists.


    ''He actually pulled it off…''


    Perhaps their ssmates would just shrug it off in this morning''s Summoning ss, saying it was expected of him as the S.A.1 genius.


    But this was the part they wouldn''t see of the genius.


    The blood, sweat, and tears that went into shattering all sense of expectations.


    "…Hah."


    Rick felt a shiver run up his spine as he watched Simon from behind.


    "That bastard… He''s so fucking cool."


    Geniuses were geniuses for a reason.


    ——