When Aaron said that summonology was weak against priests, Simon's eyes widened without him realizing it.
Conflicts involving the priest faction had become the most sensitive topic among students lately. Until now, every professor had emphasized the advantages of summoning in that context.
Aaron, however, did the opposite.
"To be precise," he said lazily, "summonology isn't really suited for modern warfare in general."
Silence settled over the classroom.
"The era where summoning truly shines is during full-scale wars," Aaron continued. "When tens of thousands clash, summoners gain access to an almost limitless supply of materials. That's when undead armies actually make sense."
At the back of the room, Knox rested his chin on his hand, listening with interest. There was no surprise on his face—if anything, he looked mildly amused, as if Aaron was simply confirming something he already knew.
"But nowadays?" Aaron went on. "Most conflicts are localized skirmishes under ceasefire agreements. Priests go on missions. Battles are fast, clean, and leave as little evidence as possible. In that environment, curse users and combat-focused necromancers naturally became the mainstream."
"And yes," Aaron said, tapping the board, "summoning magic is weak against priests. Imagine pouring time, money, and effort into building an undead force, only for it to get erased by a single holy spell. It's simply bad compatibility."
He set the chalk down. "There are plenty of other flaws I haven't even mentioned. Whether you accept them or not is up to you."
A hand shot up.
"Jamie Victoria! I'd like to know summonology's strengths as well!"
Aaron stared at her.
"I don't recall giving permission for questions."
Jamie stiffened. The previously relaxed atmosphere vanished, students straightening up all at once.
No matter how careless his appearance, Aaron Deia was still a top-tier necromancer—and a professor at Kizen.
"I—I'm sorry!"
Aaron clicked his tongue, clearly irritated, but answered anyway.
"The strength of summonology is numbers. You don't fight alone. Your summons allow you to deploy multiple tactics by yourself. That answer good enough?"
"Yes!"
Aaron crossed his arms. "Whether you continue summonology next semester—or choose it as your major—is up to you. But remember this."
His tone sharpened. "If you're not prepared, don't step into this field."
Knox let out a quiet breath through his nose, something close to a chuckle.
I suppose that's fair.
"If you plan to cry about money, doubt yourself halfway through, and come begging for a transfer in your second year, don't even consider majoring in summonology."
There was bitterness in Aaron's voice. The assistants behind him sighed softly.
"And if you think you can survive here just because the competition rate is low," Aaron continued, "I'll personally expel you."
"That's all."
Then, just as abruptly, his shoulders relaxed. "Alright. Let's start the lesson."
With a lazy wave, the assistants moved, placing skeleton sets on each desk.
Simon finally relaxed, his gaze settling on the skeleton set placed neatly on his desk.
Jamie, having just steadied herself, stared at hers with a focused expression, her earlier tension completely gone. Claudia leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming with pure curiosity—and Cindy, barely concealed excitement—at the skeleton set in front of her. Merida, on the other hand, looked like she was only half-awake, her attention drifting in and out as she lazily glanced down at the desk.
Knox simply smiled.
He looked at the skeleton set before him with an easy, almost casual expression. Considering his past experiences—and his training under the Second Legion Commander, Jean, and the Fourth Legion Commander, Tenerife, both of whom treated him like a little brother—something like this barely registered as a challenge.
A mere skeleton set? To Knox, it was nothing more than a flick of the wrist.
Bone fragments were neatly arranged inside the box. Upon closer inspection, small numbers had been written on each piece.
"What you've been given are the bones of an Island Ratman," Aaron explained lazily. "Its skeletal structure is similar to a human's, just simpler—and cheaper. Most beginners start with this one."
An assistant pinned a large diagram onto the blackboard, detailing the Island Ratman's bone structure along with the corresponding numbers.
"Let's begin. Take out bone number one—the skull."
Knox and the rest of the students lifted the skulls from their boxes and placed them on their desks.
A few girls flinched instinctively, expressions tightening for just a moment, but none of them hesitated. As expected of students admitted to Kizen, even discomfort wasn't enough to stop their hands.
"The skull's already pre-assembled," Aaron continued. "There's an opening at the bottom. Put your hand inside. You'll find the spell circle frame carved into the interior. Construct the spell circle there."
Just as he said, the structure was similar to the correction plates used in the first curse class—except this time, it had been engraved directly into the skull itself.
Simon released his darkness and carefully guided it into the correction frame.
Good. He was getting used to handling correction tools now.
"And once you complete the spell circ—"
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
"Ugh—aaaargh!"
Screams exploded across the classroom.
The moment the spell circle stabilized, the skulls suddenly sprang to life. Their jaws began clacking violently, snapping open and shut with an unsettling rattle.
Startled students yelped and instinctively threw the skulls away. Chairs scraped, desks rattled, and more than a few people tumbled backward in panic. Even Rick, seated next to Simon, clutched his chest and took a few hurried breaths.
Meanwhile—
Just before the skull on Knox's desk could make a sound, Knox narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then, the skull froze.
Its jaw clicked once, hesitated, then slowly went slack, as if it had suddenly remembered how to behave.
Knox blinked, then smiled faintly.
"…Ah," he muttered to himself, almost amused. "Easy there."
The skull remained perfectly still, meek and obedient, as though it had decided that causing trouble wasn't worth it.
Aaron, who had caught the subtle movement out of the corner of his eye, felt his eyebrow twitch.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Did this kid just…?
His gaze lingered briefly on Knox before drifting away again.
"…Seriously," he thought, rubbing his temple. "What a monster."
"The undead activates once the spell circle is complete, so don't be surprised. …Which is what I was going to say," Aaron added lazily, "but I guess I was a bit late."
A few dry chuckles escaped him.
Several students shot him resentful looks, but not a single one dared to voice a complaint.
Meanwhile, Simon had finished constructing the spell circle inside the skull as well. The skeletal head immediately sprang to life, its jaw clacking noisily as it rolled across the table.
"Stay still."
Simon caught it just before it tumbled off the edge and gently set it back in place.
Almost instantly, the skull stopped moving.
It looked—somehow—obedient.
Rick, seated beside him, stared in disbelief, clearly refusing to even get close to the undead.
"…Simon," he said carefully, "have you dealt with these things a lot before?"
Simon shrugged. With a necromancer for a father, skeletons wandering around the house had been part of his normal upbringing.
"You'll get used to it," he said calmly. "You're a necromancer now."
Menwhile, Knox watched the scene with a relaxed smile.
"Hoo~," he thought, amused. As expected from the main character.
Just by finding and placing the correct bones, they clicked together naturally, as if guided by an invisible hand. Simon's skeleton, now assembled up to the neck, bobbed its head lightly—almost as if it were congratulating itself.
Simon burst out laughing.
This is fun!
Nearby, Knox worked just as smoothly. For him, it was ridiculously easy—but instead of rushing to finish, he took his time, smiling casually as he assembled each piece.
It felt less like magic and more like putting together a moving sculpture that followed the blueprint perfectly. Simon was completely absorbed in the process.
"Be careful not to mix up the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae," Aaron warned. "Island Ratmen are bipedal. The spine supports everything."
"If you assemble it incorrectly, movement will suffer. It'll creak, break down at critical moments, and fall apart when you least want it to."
Despite the tense impression Aaron had given earlier, the class itself turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable.
The classroom buzzed with excitement as students showed off their progress, comparing skeletons and firing questions at one another. Aaron made no effort to stop the lively atmosphere.
"We're almost done. Continue up to number fifty-three. If you're stuck, raise your hand."
"Professor! My leg assembly isn't working!"
"Waaah—Professor! Mine keeps running away!"
Simon completed his skeleton perfectly on the first try. A full skeleton—slightly shorter than a human—stood beside his desk, its bones clacking softly.
…This is the skeleton I made with my darkness.
For some reason, the thought made his chest feel warm. As he stared at it, the skeleton tilted its head, as if curious.
Simon smiled without realizing it.
Knox had already finished as well. He glanced at Simon's skeleton—then, as if struck by a sudden intrusive thought, casually moved his hand.
His skeleton started dancing.
Not just moving—dancing. Then it dropped into a clean breakdance spin.
The classroom froze for half a second.
Then—
"Wait, how is it moving like that?!"
"That level of control—!"
"Eek! Look at it! It's dancing!" one girl exclaimed.
"So cute!" Claudia said with her eyes sparkling.
Laughter erupted from all directions. Students who had finished assembling their skeletons started playing around with their summons, the room filled with clacking bones and cheerful voices.
Time flew by faster than anyone expected.
"That's enough," Aaron said at last. "Skeleton assembly ends here."
Groans of disappointment echoed through the classroom.
Aaron returned to the lectern and picked up the attendance sheet.
"For the final part, we'll have a participation session. When I call your name, come to the front."
Almost instinctively, several students glanced toward Knox and Simon.
Knox remained relaxed—if anything, slightly excited, already wondering what kind of move he should make his skeleton perform next.
Simon, meanwhile, stiffened.
Maybe… just maybe… I can get away with it this time…
Aaron let out a long sigh as he scanned the classroom.
"Man… two special-entry number ones in the same room," he muttered.
His gaze shifted.
Knox.
Then Simon.
Then back to Knox.
Then Simon again.
Simon swallowed.
Those few seconds stretched on endlessly, feeling more like an hour than a moment.
Aaron scratched his cheek, sounding almost bothered.
"Well," he said lazily, "I am curious about the famous 'White Devil'…"
Knox just smiled back, relaxed as ever, even giving a small, innocent shrug.
"But," Aaron continued, his eyes settling elsewhere, "I'll go with the other one today."
Simon's heart skipped.
"Simon Polentia," Aaron called.
"To the front."
A hush fell over the room.
Knox glanced at Simon and flashed him an easy grin—no pressure, no teasing, just a quiet you've got this kind of look.
Simon took a breath, stood up, and stepped forward.
————————————
Character Voicelines · Knox: About Summons on Stage
Knox: But I feel like it's still missing something…Should I try another summon? Maybe an undead one… or a zombie?
Knox (glancing at Jamie, Claudia, Cindy, and Merida): ...
Knox:(a lightbulb pops up above his head)(💡(✧▽✧)💡)
Knox: That's it! How about forming a zombie idol group instead?! (＾▽＾)✨)
Knox: And the name? Hmm… Franchouchou sounds perfect, doesn't it~?
Jamie, Claudia, Cindy, and Merida: ….. (・・;) (ಠ_ಠ) (;￣Д￣) (¬_¬)