Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 190: Episode

Everything went smoothly. Hidden in the crate of a cargo wagon, Simon passed safely through the Gate of Divinity. Normally, inspectors conducted a tedious check of all goods leaving the Federation, but security had been relaxed in the aftermath of the Blood Heaven Cult incident.

He crossed the neutral territory of the Harley Desert and activated the magic circle on the bottom of the crate. When he opened his eyes, he was in the familiar territory of Hope.

He immediately caught a wagon and crossed into Leshill. At the forked forest path where he had first met Lethe, he paid the driver and set off on foot, running over the mountain range.

Everything had gone so perfectly since the cult incident that a sliver of anxiety began to creep in. He was arriving earlier than expected, but what if something had happened in his absence? The worry gnawed at him.

He ran frantically until, at last, he arrived home.

’Ah!’

In the time he had been away, the house had been completely restored. The repairs were so meticulous it was hard to find any trace of the White Flame’s burns.

’Well, if Father used skeletons as workers, it would have been quick.’

He approached the door and knocked, his heart pounding.

"Father. It is Simon."

Footsteps sounded from within, and the door clicked open. Richard stood there, his arms spread wide with a brilliant smile.

"Simon! I am so glad you are safe!"

The two shared a brief, firm hug.

"I brought it!" Simon exclaimed, pulling the box from his Subspace and opening it carefully. "The white leaf from the Tree of Life!"

"May I take a look?"

"Of course!"

Richard lifted the leaf, examining it closely. A smile of relief spread across his face. "It is genuine. You have done well, Simon."

"You will start the surgery right away, will you not?"

"Yes. Everything is prepared."

They decided to begin Anna’s surgery that evening. Richard said Simon did not need to be present, but Simon insisted. If something went wrong again, it would not hurt to have a second person who knew the procedure.

As Richard was taking out the White Leaf, however, he noticed a note tucked underneath it.

"Have you seen this?"

"No."

Simon had been so protective of the leaf since receiving it that he had not thought to check beneath it. Richard unfolded the paper.

"It says, ‘To my brother-in-law.’"

"Ah!" Simon cheered. "It must be from Israphel!"

"Hmm." Richard already knew from Simon that Israphel had procured the leaf. He smoothed out the note.

It was filled with densely written research on the side effects of the essence removal surgery and detailed methods to counteract them—likely the culmination of her tireless efforts for Anna’s sake.

A smile touched Richard’s lips. "My sister-in-law may despise me... but it seems I only ever receive her help."

"Is the information useful?"

"Of course. It is the research of a divine authority far more skilled than I am." Richard rolled up his sleeves, his eyes gleaming with renewed vigor. "Your aunt... no, Israphel’s theory is sound. If the surgery is completed according to this, we will not have to worry about the Saintess’s essence ever transferring to your mother again."

"Ah...!"

The surgery was slightly delayed. Richard spent the night studying Israphel’s research, and the next morning, he began.

He floated a hundred pure mana magic circles above Anna’s body. Watching his father effortlessly maintain them while performing the delicate procedure, Simon was once again struck by what an incredible necromancer he was. Simon had ambitiously tried to memorize the formulas, but they contained principles far beyond his first-year Kizen studies, and he soon gave up.

Several hours later...

"...How about omelets for dinner?"

Anna’s eyes fluttered open. Those were her first words as she reached out to caress Simon’s cheek. Overcome with emotion, he hugged her tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "And I am sorry, my son."

The surgery was a success. Once she regained consciousness, Anna, every bit the first-rate Priest, used her own divine magic to accelerate her recovery. In no time, she was perfectly healthy, her face full of vitality, her bright smile back in place.

The moment she felt better, she tried to head straight for the kitchen. Richard insisted she needed absolute rest and tried to cook himself, only to burn everything, earn a smack on the back from Anna, and get promptly kicked out.

"The reason this father of yours cannot cook," Richard grumbled to Simon in a hushed voice, "is entirely your mother’s fault."

During the early dinner that followed, seeing the table piled high with food, Simon finally felt that normalcy had returned. His adventure in the Holy Federation, being chased by Heretic Inquisitors alongside Lethe, already felt like a midsummer night’s dream.

He recounted his journey for his parents (toning down the dangerous parts so as not to worry Anna), and she listened with sparkling eyes, thoroughly captivated. When he described Israphel’s timely arrival, she even clapped her hands in delight.

"Israphel is a brilliant and wise child," Anna said fondly. "I cannot even begin to count the number of wars and tragedies she has prevented. I am so glad she became a Saintess."

Just then, Richard cleared his throat loudly. "So, Simon, about what happened at Kizen..."

"What happened after Israphel chased away the Inquisitor-General?" Anna asked, completely ignoring him.

"Uh, right. I am curious about that, too," Richard mumbled, defeated.

Seeing his father still so utterly powerless before his mother, Simon hid a small laugh. As he told them about his teammates in Team 7, he found himself missing his friends more and more.

"Is there a girl you are dating?" Anna asked, her eyes twinkling like a teenager’s.

Richard’s expression hardened, and he gestured vaguely with his fork. "This is a time for Simon to focus solely on reaching the top. Dating can wait until he is an adult. You saw how outstanding Lethe of Efnel is. Be inspired by that and strive even harder."

"Oh, I do not think so at all," Anna countered, turning to Simon. "My biggest regret is not dating a single boy at Efnel. The elders would follow me everywhere, nagging me about a Saintess’s decorum and chastity. It was insufferable."

Simon was struck by how different they were. They say couples grow to resemble each other, but his parents seemed to disagree on every little thing. A subtle war of nerves over his love life began, but as usual, it did not last long.

"Simon," Anna said, changing the subject. "Did Nephthys or any of the professors mention your father’s school days?"

She seemed to have a rough idea. Out of loyalty, Simon remained silent, but the bitter smile that touched his lips was answer enough for Anna.

Sensing danger, Richard broke into a cold sweat. "It was just three, honey," he said defensively. "The three I told you about."

At his excuse, Simon failed to keep a straight face. Anna caught his reaction, and sparks flew from her eyes.

"Honey," she said sweetly. "Can I see you for a moment after dinner?"

"...Ahem, I am rather tired."

"It will only take a moment."

Using the excuse of washing the dishes, Simon beat a hasty retreat, silently praying for his father’s soul.

---

Back in his room for the first time in a while, Simon found a pile of letters on his desk. They were from his teammates: Dick, Meirin, and Kamibarez.

’I am sorry I could not reply right away.’

He picked up Meirin’s envelope from the top of the stack. It was just like her—incredibly elegant and expensive-looking, sealed with high-quality wax despite being a simple letter. He broke the seal and unfolded the stiff parchment, revealing a flowing, beautiful script. She had sent three letters in total.

In summary:

—Consider it an honor that I am writing to you. It is my first time, actually, and you are the first person I am sending one to. A real honor, right?

—I am doing great, I am outstanding, I am cool, my training is going well—anyway, I am the best.

—I sent you three letters, and you dare not send a single reply? Do you want to die?

Reading the last one, Simon let out a worried laugh. If he did not reply quickly, he would be met with either a furious or a thoroughly sulking Meirin on the first day of school.

Next was a stack of seven letters from Dick. They were written on practical—in other words, cheap—plain white paper. The handwriting inside was a nearly illegible scrawl.

In summary:

—Let us hang out.

—Let us hang out.

—Writing this. Girl walking by is pretty.

—Let us hang out.

—Can I come over to your house?

—Let us hang out.

—Let us hang out.

Dick really seemed to think of nothing else. A sudden wave of concern washed over Simon. ’Has he even done his vacation homework?’

Finally, he opened Kamibarez’s letters. She had also sent three. A sweet, girlish sensibility emanated from the pink envelopes and light purple paper. Handmade stickers added a cute, personal touch. The paper was slightly crumpled, showing signs of being written, erased, and rewritten many times.

—Simon! Are you doing well? I am. I am staying at the research lab of a student Professor Silage introduced me to. What is Leshill like?

—I am going to work hard during the break so I do not fall behind everyone! How about you, Simon?

—Oh, um... I have not received a reply. Ah, but I am definitely not forcing you to write back! Or... did I do something to upset you? If I did, please tell me... I will work hard to fix it during the break....

Reading her letter made his chest ache. He felt like absolute trash for not being able to reply while he was in the Holy Federation.

’I hope she was not hurt. Okay, I need to write back immediately.’

In addition to the letters he had written on the train, Simon began a new one to explain everything. He told them he had been away from home for personal reasons and was truly sorry for the silence. He assured them he was well, working hard on his homework, and that he could not wait for the break to end so he could see them again.

At sunrise, he crossed the mountain range and personally handed the letters to the mail carrier, bowing and asking him to take good care of them.

Back in his daily routine, Simon helped his father with his duties as lord and diligently trained his necromancy from the basics.

Before long, replies from all three arrived at once. They all understood his situation. Kamibarez, relieved that the misunderstanding was cleared up, had covered her letter in even more stickers.

As they continued to exchange letters, Dick made a new proposal.

—Let us all meet up in Langerstine before heading to Roc Island! We can buy our second-semester textbooks, get supplies, and catch up! And finish any leftover homework. Deal?

’That sounds fun.’

It was exactly what Simon had been hoping for. The more letters they exchanged, the more he missed them. He immediately wrote back to accept.

’I am looking forward to next week.’

The thought of returning to Kizen filled him with excitement. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. It was really time to start preparing for the new semester.