Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner - Chapter 2
After Neftis left, Simon had to endure the busiest week of his life.
Even his usually relaxed father, Richard, acted as though he was under some sort of spell.
With his sharp, intense gaze and harsh actions, any childlike complaints such as "Do we really have to go to Keyzen?" were immediately silenced.
Richard cast a spell on Simon's body. It was supposed to be the creation of a "Core", but all Simon could feel was an intense, excruciating pain.
After three days and nights of nonstop work, the construction of the Core was completed, and Simon climbed into the carriage with Richard.
The carriage was huge and luxurious, far beyond what would be expected for a rural estate. The comfort of the cushions, unlike anything Simon had ever felt, left him with his mouth hanging open in awe.
"You must be safe, Simon."
Anna, who had packed two weeks' worth of lunches into the carriage, waved her hand with teary eyes.
"If you ever feel like you can't handle it, you can always return to Leshill."
Richard, known for being a doting husband, scolded her, saying that Simon was just beginning his journey.
Having never witnessed an argument between the two of them, Simon finally realized that his daily life was truly changing.
"Then, let's depart."
The coachman pulled on the reins, and the wheels of the carriage began to roll.
Thus began Simon's adventure, having lived his whole life in Leshill.
Of course, it was far from a comfortable carriage ride. Inside, Richard taught Simon the fundamentals of dark magic.
"Try breathing."
What Richard meant was for Simon to practice the 'breathing technique' Richard had taught him.
Simon took a deep breath and drew the magical energy from the air into his body. He had practiced this countless times, so it wasn't difficult.
"Now, slowly move the mana inside you and pass it through the Core."
Richard placed his hand on Simon's chest to assist. Simon carefully directed the flowing mana below his heart to the Core.
Something changed. The once fluid mana became more viscous and solidified.
"Now, guide the mana to flow through your arms. Yes, that's it. Release it through your hand."
With the feeling of blocked channels being cleared, a black liquid, like sweat, began to ooze from Simon's palm.
Blinking in surprise, Simon looked down at his hand as Richard smiled gently.
"Well done, Simon. This is the source of the Necromancer's power: 'Darkness'."
According to Richard, there was a time when knights and mages ruled the continent.
However, they have since been outpaced by Necromancers, who dominate now. The knights can't compete with the sheer number of Necromancers, and mages are outmatched in speed and destructive power.
"The biggest difference between mages and necromancers is the presence of 'Darkness'."
Richard extended his left hand. Blue mana swirled up from his palm like heat waves.
"Mana has the properties of a gas. Its density is low, so it's hard to bind, and it tends to dissipate in the air."
He then extended his right hand. A viscous black liquid surged up from his palm and flowed down below it.
"On the other hand, 'Darkness' behaves more like a solid or liquid. It's made of dense magical power, which makes it easier to bind and reshape."
The black liquid that was flowing from Richard's palm suddenly shot upward. It formed into a flower, a wave, a snake flicking its tongue, and even a spinning windmill.
"Wow...!"
Just as Simon was amazed by the sudden display, the Darkness transformed into a 'magic circle'. The black magic circle, built with countless runes, began to glow red, like a bomb about to explode.
A chill ran down Simon's spine, and the hairs on his body stood up.
Something huge was about to happen...!
Bang!
When Richard clenched his fist, the magic circle shattered. The ashes falling from it slowly disappeared.
"People who use this 'Darkness' as the basis for their powers are called Necromancers."
Simon nodded absently.
"I don't have much time, so I can't teach you everything. Let's focus on practicing the basics of drawing 'Darkness' from your Core during the remaining time."
"Yes, Father!"
Practicing the creation of Darkness was surprisingly fun.
At first, Simon only created small drops on his palm, but as time passed, the size grew, and the shape began to change.
Seeing such visible progress, Simon was so immersed in the practice that he didn't even notice the time passing. Richard, though pleased with Simon's rapid progress, guided him to avoid rushing too much.
'... This is monstrous progress.'
Though Richard didn't show it, inside he was stunned.
It only took three days for Simon to progress from simple release to shape-shifting.
This was truly abnormal.
Considering that it usually took half a year to two years for most to achieve shape-shifting, Simon was a boy born for Darkness. Even as his teacher, Richard couldn't help but feel chills during the lessons.
In truth, Richard had already known about Simon's talent. He had just been waiting for the right time to introduce the Core.
Unleashing talent without a solid sense of self and emotional maturity could be poisonous. Richard, who deeply regretted his own childhood spent acting like a tyrant, didn't want to pass that mistake onto his son.
But now, the time had finally come for Simon to bloom. The entire continent would be shocked by his appearance.
Just imagining it made Richard tremble with excitement, and he couldn't stay still.
"Father! Look!"
Simon raised Darkness above his palm, flickering like flames. Richard looked at it with a serious expression.
"That's a beautiful, deep black with a hint of blue."
"Is... is it good? Am I rare? Am I talented?"
"It's just cool, that's all."
"...."
Simon pouted and resumed his practice. Richard turned his head, barely managing to suppress a grin.
'Keeping a straight face isn't easy.'
Time passed quickly.
For Simon, the week seemed to fly by without him even realizing it.
Then.
"I can only go this far, Simon."
Suddenly, Richard announced it. Simon felt his heart drop.
"I thought you were going to take me to Keyzen."
"I'm sorry, but I have my reasons. I can't step into the Kingdom of Dresden. From here on, you'll have to make your own decisions and move on your own."
A heavy pressure settled in, and Simon gulped nervously. Having lived in Leshill for 17 years, it would be a lie to say he wasn't scared of this change.
At that moment, Richard firmly grasped Simon's hand.
"I promise you, my son. You can do better than anyone. And."
Richard smiled warmly.
"I'm truly proud of you."
Hearing this acknowledgment from his father for the first time made Simon's chest swell with emotion.
"I'll be back, Father."
After parting with Richard, Simon spent the rest of the journey alone in the spacious carriage. He didn't waste any time, continuing his practice of Darkness.
Another week passed.
"Wow...!"
They had arrived in the capital of the Kingdom of Dresden, 'Langerstine'.
Simon, seeing a big city for the first time, felt completely overwhelmed.
Tall buildings, massive carriages speeding down the roads, and the bustling crowds, all of it was a dizzying sight.
"Move! Move!"
Simon was startled and stepped back. A gigantic carriage, more than five meters wide, was speeding down the steep slope. The horse pulling it was made of nothing but bones.
'Undead!'
Undead walked freely in the middle of the city.
From pulling carriages to distributing flyers in the square, they were everywhere.
This was the kind of scene one would expect in an age dominated by Necromancers.
'Stay alert.'
Simon slapped his cheek lightly and then unfolded a crumpled note from his pocket.
<239 Camellord, Langerstine SL1E 6AJ.>
'So I'm supposed to go to this address?'
Simon steeled himself.
Whether it was Langerstine or Leshill, it was all the same; it was a place where people lived. If he went to this address, he would meet the guide who would take him to Keyzen, and everything would be solved.
But with only this information, he had no idea what to expect.
In the end, Simon decided to approach the woman with the lush golden hair, who was standing with her back turned.
"Excuse me, Madam, may I ask something?"
When the woman turned around, Simon was taken aback.
One of her eyes was bulging out and swinging loosely.
"What's the matter, young man?"
"...."
It would be rude to show surprise. It would be rude to show surprise.
Simon desperately tried to calm his startled heart and forced a smile.
"I need to go to the address written here...."
"Address? Let me see."
The eyeball that had been dangling from the woman's socket suddenly stretched out and scanned the paper, causing cold sweat to pour down Simon's back. Thankfully, he bit his lip hard enough to prevent any sound from escaping.
"Ah, Camellord? It's a famous landmark in Langerstine. If you go around the square over there and take a right, you'll see a street with golden tiles."
"Ah...! Thank you so much!"
Simon bowed deeply in gratitude.
The woman opened her fan and covered her mouth, laughing softly.
"You're such a rare polite young one. I hope you have good luck in Langerstine."
Thankfully, things seemed to be going well!
After giving his thanks once again, Simon strode towards the square the woman had indicated.
'....'
A little while later.
A man, who had been quietly watching the entire scene, approached the woman and spoke to her in the same way Simon had.
* * *
'Finally, Camellord.'
What's up with this city? Why is it so complicated? After wandering for 20 minutes, Simon finally found his way into Camellord. Just as the woman had said, the floor tiles were covered in gold.
'239, 239....'
Holding the note, Simon walked while checking the address on every building.
"Excuse me."
Someone appeared from the opposite side and spoke to Simon.
The bald man had sweat dripping from his forehead. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his brow, then spoke politely.
"Are you by chance heading to 239 Camellord, specifically SL1E 6AJ?"
Simon's eyes widened in shock.
How does he know the exact details of the address?
"Ah! Are you the guide sent by Mr. Howl...?!"
The man nodded.
"Yes, I'm Howl's guide! You hadn't arrived after some time, so I thought maybe you had gotten lost, and I've been searching for you."
At those words, Simon let out a huge sigh of relief and replied.
"I've finally found you. My name is Simon Follentia."
"I'm Rowley, the guide in Langerstine. Now, please follow me. I'll take you to your lodging first since you must be tired from the journey."
Simon nodded and followed him.
"It'll take about 15 minutes. I'll take the quickest route."
"Alright!"
Exiting Camellord and walking through the winding alleyways, Simon kept glancing around in wonder.
Everywhere he looked, there were houses. No space was wasted at all in this densely packed city.
The people here seemed to number several times more than the entire population of the Leshill estate.
"I've been really worried, customer. It's dangerous for outsiders to wander around Langerstine without a guide."
Rowley continued speaking.
"As they say, you can lose your nose in broad daylight. There are many people here looking to rip off innocent travelers—pickpockets, thieves, and crooked merchants. Once we get to the inn, I'll teach you a few phrases in the Langerstine dialect. It's just a temporary solution, but better than nothing."
"Ah."
Simon smiled broadly.
"So, you're planning to rip me off too, huh?"
"...!!"
Rowley stopped in his tracks.
"Wh-what do you mean, customer...?"
"You keep looking down quite a bit."
Simon extended his finger.
"You've even checked the bottom pocket of your vest with your hands, making sure your stuff is still there, right? From the pocket's width and the creases, it looks like you've got a knife hidden in there."
"...."
Rowley sweated profusely and turned to look at Simon.
"That's... Yes. You're right."
Click.
Rowley acknowledged it without hesitation and showed the handle of a knife in the bottom pocket of his vest.
"I told you, didn't I? Langerstine is a dangerous place. You never know who you'll run into in these narrow alleyways..."
"By the way, that person named Howl, I actually made him up."
Simon grinned, casually resting his hand behind his head.
"When I said about Howl's guide, you immediately took the bait. There's a goat in Leshill named Howl, one that Mr. Johnson cares for. Are you running errands for a goat, by any chance?"
"...."
Rowley's face, which had been wearing a friendly smile, suddenly hardened into a stone expression.
"So you knew everything and still followed me? What the hell are you playing at?!"