Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 193: Episode

Simon and Kamibarez left the crowded fountain plaza and slipped into a narrow alley. "I’m so sorry, Simon!" Kamibarez exclaimed, bowing so low her purple hair swung forward, revealing the top of her head. Simon quickly held up his hands. "I-I’m really fine! I’m not hurt at all."

"Still, I’m sorry. I thought he’d behave with so many people watching... My dad is so embarrassing."

She covered her burning cheeks with her hands. "He’s just a little playful," Simon said gently. "I don’t think he meant any harm."

"P-Playful? You almost died!" she gasped, horrified. ’I doubt it. If he’d been serious about killing me, I’d be in two pieces on the ground right now.’

But there was no point in dwelling on it. Simon pulled a paper-wrapped treat from his bag. "Want an ice cream bun? I bought it from a stall on my way here."

"Huh?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Flustered, Kamibarez tried to refuse, insisting it wasn’t the time for snacks, but Simon’s persistence won out. She took a small bite. Her purple eyes widened in surprise. She took another bite, her brow furrowing for a second before an irrepressible smile broke across her face, her shoulders trembling with delight. "Oooh, this is delicious!"

A bright, genuine smile finally lit up her face. She clutched the ice cream bun in both hands, taking happy little bites. She really knew how to enjoy her food. ’Looks like that smoothed things over.’

Simon glanced over his shoulder. Kamibarez hadn’t noticed, but he could see Dietrich’s eyes glinting from a short distance away. "Alright, shall we go find Dick?"

"Yes!" she chirped, a smear of ice cream on her lips. Simon silently offered her a handkerchief, gesturing to her mouth. Blushing to the tips of her ears, she took it with both hands and dabbed at her lips. "I’ll wash it and give it back to you, I promise!"

"Okay."

After finishing their snack, they walked side by side down the narrow alley. With nearly two months to catch up on, they had plenty to talk about. Kamibarez chattered like a little bird, and Simon listened intently, nodding along. "You’re a really good listener, Simon!"

He gave her a questioning look. "I didn’t really say much."

"It’s just a feeling! I get so nervous talking to other people, but with you, I feel comfortable, and the words just come out. I like it."

He wasn’t sure what she meant, but he was glad she felt that way. "We still have two more days until school starts, so we have plenty of time to talk."

"Okay!"

She told him that, as planned, she had followed Professor Silage’s recommendation and sought out his disciples to learn how to control her family’s volatile blood. While learning from the Ursulas themselves would have been ideal, Kamibarez’s body was more human than vampire. The challenge of a human wielding Ursula blood was a completely new problem, one her family couldn’t teach her to solve. Silage had determined she would be better off learning from another human. "What were Professor Silage’s disciples like?"

"Oh, the doctor? He was wonderful! I showed up so suddenly, but he was kind and considerate, and I felt right at home."

"That’s a relief." Simon nodded, crossing his arms. "I thought Professor Silage would teach you himself."

"The doctor told me Professor Silage was away on a secret Kizen mission during the break. Apparently, it was a job only the continent’s top blood-flow mage could handle."

Kizen’s professors didn’t just rest during vacation; they often used the time to catch up on missions. They were teachers, but they were also active necromancers. "How was your break, Simon?"

"Me?"

’I went to the Holy Federation, fought the Blood Heaven Cult, learned to wield Divinity, and discovered a whole new field of holy undead.’

That wasn’t something he could say out loud. "I did my homework and helped my father with his duties as lord of our territory. That kept me more than busy."

"Being a lord sounds like hard work!"

Chatting away, they left Campbell Road and entered a bustling commercial district. Simon pulled out Dick’s letter and scanned their surroundings. "Simon, where’s Dick?"

"He said he’s been working a part-time job in Langerstine for the past week. It should be right around... ah!" Simon’s eyes widened as he spotted a sign. "There it is! The Blue Hobbit."

"What a strange name for a shop."

"Let’s go in."

’Jingle, jingle.’

As they stepped inside, they were met with shelves packed so tightly with goods it made their heads spin. "Hey, you made it!"

"Dick!"

Dick, wearing a casual apron over the shop’s uniform, hurried over. "Haha! Good to see you both!" He greeted them with a wide smile and a fist bump before clapping his hands together. "Right! No time to waste! My shift ends in two hours, so I need your help!"

"...All of a sudden?"

"The big sale starts in ten minutes! Hurry up and change! The owner said he’ll pay you. Go, go!"

Dick pushed them toward the back. A moment later, they found themselves in changing rooms, putting on uniforms. ’He tells me to put it on, and I just do. How did this happen?’

Simon kept his Kizen trousers on but donned a striped brown apron and tied a scarf around his neck over the navy shirt. "Simon..."

Kamibarez emerged shyly from the women’s changing room. Simon chuckled. ’How cute.’

She wore the same outfit, but it was so large on her that only her fingertips peeked out from the sleeves. The brown apron suited her perfectly. "Are these the part-timers you mentioned?"

"Yep, that’s them, boss!"

Dick walked over with a short, middle-aged man who gave Simon and Kamibarez a quick, satisfied look. "You two will handle the event corner."

"Pardon?"

"You got it, boss! This way!" Dick expertly led them to their posts. "Surprised? Sorry about that. This shop sells household goods that incorporate necromancer technology. I’m working here to get some ideas and do a little market research."

"Forget the apology. You could have warned us you were going to put us to work."

"Haha! Life is full of surprises! Kami, you take the dessert corner."

Kamibarez stood awkwardly by a table of sweets. "Just open these boxes, put the samples on paper plates, and offer them to people. Easy, right?"

"Uhh, y-yes!"

Her legs were already trembling with nerves. Dick then led Simon to a spot directly across from her. "You’re here!"

Simon blinked. It was a clothing section. "Just help customers try things on and tell them how great they look. Simple enough?"

"...Shouldn’t I at least know what I’m selling?"

"It’s got waterproofing magic or something. Just tell them they look good! Ah, here they come!"

The door they had entered wasn’t the main one. Another set of doors opened, and a flood of customers poured in. "You’re going to pay for this later," Simon muttered, straightening his scarf. A woman in her forties who was browsing the racks turned to him. "Excuse me..."

"Welcome, madam! Would you care to try this on? This model is one of our finest."

Whatever Simon did, he did it with his full effort. Dick watched, impressed, and gave him a thumbs-up as a torrent of smooth sales talk flowed from Simon’s lips. The event offered a 40% discount on all items for one hour. A huge crowd turned up, and the most popular items were, by far...

"For you, madam, I would recommend this brand over that one."

"And why is that?" a sharp-looking woman asked, her arms crossed. "Your skin is quite fair, so these darker tones would complement you far better than pastels."

"Ohohoho!"

A steady stream of noblewomen gathered around Simon. Across the aisle, Kamibarez was holding her own. "P-Please try our strawberry chocolate!" she called out, her voice trembling but determined. At first, her shyness worked against her, and customers passed her by, causing her to shrink even further. But then...

"Is this free?"

"Yes!"

A customer tried a piece and told her it was delicious. Though the woman hadn’t bought anything, Kamibarez beamed. "Thank you!"

As if entranced, the customer immediately bought two boxes. Soon, a line began to form, and Kamibarez sold out her entire stock. "Alright, that’s the end of the event!"

The two hours flew by. While other sections had struggled with their high price points, Simon and Kamibarez had cleared out their inventory completely. "Thank you so much," the owner said, pressing extra money into their hands with a huge smile. "You’re Kizen students, aren’t you? If you’re ever short on cash, feel free to stop by."

Finally, they returned to the changing rooms and put their uniforms back on. Dick, who had also changed, was chatting with the owner. "You’ve got a real talent for this, kid. Or was today’s success all thanks to those two?"

"Of course not," Dick said smoothly. "It was thanks to my talent for having them as friends."

"Hahaha!"

’The nerve of this guy,’ Simon thought. Dick saw them approaching and waved. "Alright, let’s go! We have to throw a party to mark the end of vacation! It’s on me tonight!"

"Yay!" Kamibarez cheered, clapping her hands. "Now we just need Meirin tomorrow, and the team will be complete," Simon said. Dick snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! I got some new info on Meirin, and you guys are going to be shocked! Follow me."

"New info?"

The three of them stepped out of the shop.

---

The shop door opened with a jingle, and a colossal man in a black cloak stepped inside. He was so tall that he had to duck his head to avoid hitting the ceiling. The owner rushed forward. "Welcome! The sale is over, so I’m afraid everything is full price. Is that alri—" He gasped.

The murderous aura radiating from the man’s eyes sent the owner sprawling to the floor. The other clerks froze where they stood. ’A-a vampire?’

’Should I call the guards?’

The man produced a money pouch, dropped it on the counter, and spoke. "Bring me all the strawberry chocolate in this shop."

"...What?" the owner stammered, looking up with a dazed expression. Dietrich’s face was a mask of utmost solemnity. "Strawberry chocolate."

It took a moment for the owner’s brain to process the request. "I-I-I’m terribly sorry, but the strawberry chocolate is completely sold out! We don’t have any left in stock! Might I interest you in the orange chocolate instead?"

At those words, the man retrieved his pouch without a second thought. "If it’s not strawberry chocolate," he declared, his voice impossibly grave, "I do not need it."

And with that, Dietrich strode out of the shop.

"...Is he out of his mind?"