Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 221: Episode

"Ugh!"

"Blegh!"

Simon finally understood the vomiting incident at the cafeteria. The same thing was now happening to the students of Class A. The people he’d seen throwing up earlier must have been from Byulya’s morning class.

"Cease your complaining and eat. Humans do not die as easily as you think," Byulya fumed, pacing the classroom.

This is what had happened: Byulya had declared the start of the practical exercise, and the teaching assistants had placed a case in front of each student. Inside were colorful, clay-like blocks.

’Are we going to do some clay modeling? Is this the raw material for poison? I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s fascinating.’

As the students reacted with curiosity and tried to light the fires under their cauldrons, Byulya made her declaration.

"Alright. Eat it."

It was meant to be eaten. The case contained two contrasting ingredients: one was a real poison, and the other was a medicine designed to stimulate the immune system and create antibodies.

With a stern warning from the TAs—if you eat the poison first, you will die—they were instructed to swallow the medicine, then the poison.

Everyone hesitated, dumbfounded, but a Kizen professor’s order was absolute. In the end, the students cautiously swallowed the medicine. The medicine itself seemed quite potent; spots were already appearing on their skin, fevers were rising, and nausea was setting in.

Five minutes later, once the medicine had sufficiently spread, they had to swallow the poison.

"P-Professor! Is this really a class?"

"Are you sure we won’t die?" a few students with weak stomachs asked, their faces pale.

Byulya grinned, revealing her triangular teeth. "Would a professor poison her own students? None of the students who have taken this class before have died, so cease your hesitation and eat."

Overwhelmed by her murderous glare, the students reluctantly swallowed the poison. Simon did the same.

The moment it entered his throat, his entire digestive system recoiled, trying to force the poison back out. It felt as if all his internal organs were screaming in unison. ’This is wrong. This is so, so wrong.’

"Anyone who spits it out or intentionally vomits will be immediately expelled from this course," Byulya threatened, descending from the podium to patrol the classroom as she saw students hesitating.

Simon squeezed his eyes shut and gulped down the poison he had been holding in his mouth.

"Argh!"

His organs spasmed. As the components of the poison and the medicine waged war inside him, hives and strange patterns erupted all over his body.

"W-What is this?!"

"I-I can’t... breathe!" He coughed, gasping for air.

It was utter chaos. Meirin collapsed onto her desk, while Kamibarez trembled so violently she couldn’t bring herself to swallow. Dick let out a hollow laugh, muttering his brothers’ names under his breath.

"This is the process of creating antibodies in your bodies," Byulya explained, one hand on her hip. "If you master just the poisons provided in my class, you’ll be able to handle most common toxin. This is the absolute basics."

She continued, "What I find most pathetic is when so-called necromancers are afraid of poison. They hold a potion bottle and their fingers tremble. It is truly pitiful to see them wage chemical warfare while they are equipped with hazmat suits, metal masks, and consuming antibiotics. I want to tell such students to give up on poison altogether."

Her voice rose, laying down the law. "If you are going to use poison, you must at least become accustomed to it."

Even as students collapsed and vomited, Byulya pushed forward with the poison-eating class.

The class reached its midpoint. It didn’t end with just one set. After using a purifying agent to cleanse their bodies of any residual toxins, they had to consume the next poison. There were three sets in total.

Students who finished all three were allowed a short break before attending the textbook lecture conducted by a TA. Those who couldn’t stomach it were forced to keep trying for the entire duration of the class.

"...Professor, I really don’t think this is right."

Finally, a complaint erupted. Representing everyone, Claudia Mendes, the top-scoring Venomology student in Class A, protested directly.

"The very existence of a class where we get used to poison by eating it is questionable. We came here to learn Kizen’s great venom-based black magic, not to undergo this kind of barbaric training."

Befitting the daughter of a high-ranking noble who feared nothing, she even used the rather strong wording of ‘barbaric training.’ A few students timidly nodded in agreement. The TAs were horrified and glanced nervously at Byulya, but she just flicked her fingers as if to say, ’keep talking.’

"A-And I also question the purpose of this class." Though she seemed nervous, Claudia pressed on. "Our main enemy is the priests. You should be teaching us how to defeat them with venomology, not making our bodies adapt to poison. I don’t understand."

"You." Byulya grinned and leaned in close. "Claudia, is it? The student the TAs were praising as the best in Class A. Let me ask you something. Do you believe you are superior to a Kizen Venomology professor?"

"N-No, of course not."

’Is she just trying to crush me with her authority?’ Claudia thought, a little disappointed, but she didn’t let it show as she lowered her head.

"Not me. I am referring to the former Venomology professor, Lang Strauss. Since you are so brilliant, can you guarantee you will become as great as him?"

Though he had become entangled in strange incidents in his later years, Professor Lang Strauss was a legend among legends. In his thirties, he had established many of the frameworks of venomology, advancing the field by more than twenty years.

At the question, Claudia’s head shot up, and she denied it with all her might. "N-No! I’m not even worthy of..."

"Even that great man, the one all you venomologists worship," Byulya’s tongue flicked out, "died after being poisoned by a priest. Have you forgotten already?"

An instant, chilling silence fell over the classroom. It was an incredibly sensitive topic that everyone went to great lengths to avoid. The students who had been listening in desperately turned their heads, pretending not to have heard. The TAs’ faces turned ashen.

"In a way, I can understand why the Witch of Death placed me in this position, passing over all the other intelligent students. She must have had some serious doubts. Do you have anything else to say?"

With a stiff expression, Claudia lowered her head. "...I do not."

"Then eat. If I hear one more word of protest, you will be expelled from this class."

She coldly turned her back and resumed the class. Now, no one dared to make a sound, focusing only on swallowing the poison.

The class continued until the latter half, when the students who had managed to swallow all three poisons finally rose from their seats.

"Wow, seriously. I think I saw my late grandfather waving at me."

The first to finish in Team 7 was Dick. Having finally consumed all three poisons, he staggered toward the adjacent classroom for the theory lecture.

And Simon, the icon of talent who had always achieved outstanding results without any prior learning...

...was on the verge of death.

Simon had no special talent for enduring poison. Of course, no such talent existed; it was simply a matter of constitution.

"Are you alright?" Byulya personally came over to Simon’s side, flashing her sharp teeth.

Simon looked up, his face sallow. "I-I’m fine."

"One more to go. Finish it so you can attend the textbook lecture you all seem to love so much."

"Yes. But I have one question," Simon said in a small voice. "This poison and the antidotes... how were they made? They don’t seem to be available on the market."

Having witnessed Byulya’s eccentricities, Simon was the only one who could ask such a question. It seemed to catch her off guard, as she paused for a moment before bursting into a loud laugh.

"To explain that..." Byulya flicked her tongue, untied the strap on her shoulder, and revealed the bare skin of her arm. She placed her index finger on her skin and grinned once more. "It is about three years too early for you. Should I tell you?"

"...I’m sorry. Please, please don’t." Simon said, swallowing the third poison.

Byulya chuckled, ruffled his hair, and walked away.

’Ugh.’

The poison’s effects were kicking in. His consciousness began to fade.

"A-Are you okay, Simon?" Kamibarez, two seats away, asked in a weak voice. She had just finished the second poison.

From within his fading consciousness, Simon replied, "Hang in there, Kami..."

He was lost in a daze for a few minutes, all sorts of delusions floating through his mind. ’Who am I? Where am I? Mom’s homemade tomato omelet is delicious. If I had to teach a monkey a language before humanity goes extinct, what would I teach it? Ah, this is crazy. The poison tastes like grime. They say one of an octopus’s arms is a reproductive organ. Then what’s my Overlord? What does my own grime taste like?’

As his consciousness slowly drifted away, a strange sensation suddenly emerged. His mind returned, but he couldn’t feel his body. His head felt a little clearer, and a sense of euphoria welled up inside him. He felt like he could study well. For a moment, Simon swam through a sea of fantasies.

"Simon! Simon!" Kamibarez shook him.

Simon sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"...How long was I out?"

"About a minute, maybe?"

After swallowing the third poison, he somehow felt refreshed. His body felt lighter, too. Simon rolled his shoulders, feeling surprisingly limber. Just then, the TA shouted.

"Students who have finished the third poison, please move to the classroom next door!"

"Ah, yes."

Nodding, Simon looked at Kamibarez with a sympathetic expression. "Don’t push yourself too hard."

"Okay, I’ll be there soon!" she said, trying to sound cheerful.

Simon nodded back and moved to the next classroom.

"Now, please turn to the next page."

There, a TA was diligently going through the textbook.

"These are what we call combinations that become poisonous when eaten together, right? While a single ingredient may not pose a threat, certain combinations of poisons can be a major danger when they interact. In Venomology, this effect is called... Ah, good work, student. Please, take any seat."

"Yes, excuse me."

It was a perfectly normal Venomology class. Originally, Byulya had intended to change the entire curriculum to her own style, but Jane had pressured her to follow the textbook, so this was the compromise.

Simon sat down next to Meirin and asked, "Are you okay?"

She had a paper bag over her head, with two eyeholes that she seemed to have poked herself.

"What’s that for?"

As Simon reached for the bag, she flinched and pulled back violently.

"Don’t look at my face!"

"Uh?"

Clutching the bag tightly, she blushed and said in a hushed voice, "...I have hives all over my face. It’s ugly."

Simon laughed and pointed to his own face. "I look just as bad."

"Ah, shut up! I don’t want you to see!" She hugged the bag as if it were her last line of defense, refusing to let it go.