Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 298: Episode

Back in Roc Island, with all the first-year students away on their dispatch evaluations, a faculty summons had been issued. The professors in charge of first-year classes were gathering in the central banquet hall.

"Ugh, I told you I hate wearing these damn clothes!" From the moment she arrived at the entrance, the Venomology professor, Byulya, was already throwing a fit.

Over her usual bandage-like attire, she had a black suit jacket draped over her shoulders and was, for once, wearing proper pants.

"Pleaze, juzt zhut your mouth. It’z embarrazzing." Beside her was the Combat Magic professor, Hongfeng. "Are you zeriouzly planning to meet Lady Nephthyz in that bizarre, half-naked outfit?"

"Hmph." Byulya snickered. "They say you’re the talk of the town, the ‘Freak of Kizen,’ but I guess the freak is dead and gone. Looks like you’ve completely adapted to city life, huh?"

"Don’t get zmart with me," Hongfeng said, her voice serious. "I told you before. Thiz plaze iz even more of a dog-eat-dog world than the plainz we grew up on. If you zhow the zlightezt weaknezz, they’ll zwarm you like a pack of hyenaz and tear you apart. How long do you think they’ll go eazy on you juzt becauze you’re from a different culture..."

The door opened, and a distinguished-looking middle-aged man entered.

"Ah, ladies. A good evening to you." It was Eric Aura, the professor of Jet-Black Dynamics. He spotted the sisters and doffed his hat in greeting.

Just as Byulya was about to retort with some crude remark, Hongfeng moved like lightning, striking a pressure point on her sister’s neck to silence her.

"Hello, Profezzor Eric!" Hongfeng then forced a gentle smile and clasped her hands. "It’z zo rare to zee fellow profezzorz theze dayz!"

"Haha! We’re all busy just preparing for our classes. What with the BMAT and all, the older I get, the longer it takes to adapt to change." Eric’s gaze shifted to Byulya. "I’ve heard much about your great work in particular, Professor Byulya. I look forward to your continued guidance for our students."

Byulya could only manage strangled noises like, "Eek! Ugh!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Meanwhile, Hongfeng and Eric exchanged a few more pleasantries before parting ways.

Byulya punched Hongfeng in the back, then pointed furiously at her own neck. Hongfeng sighed softly and released the blocked pressure point with her fingertip.

"Ah! Ah!" Finally, her voice returned. Byulya glared at Hongfeng, her eyebrows raised high. "Are you out of your mind? I’ll melt you from head to toe...!"

"Let’z just get inside. Lady Nephthys will be here soon." Hongfeng pushed her fuming sister’s back, guiding her into the banquet hall.

The interior was magnificent. Round tables were set with wine and refreshments, and professors were scattered about in conversation. At the two sisters’ entrance, a few professors stood to politely offer them a seat, but Hongfeng declined with a smile and led them to a table in the farthest corner. There, she sat down the ticking poison bomb that could detonate at any moment.

"Please, just behave. Please."

"Tsk."

Byulya propped her feet on the table with a look of disgust, but Hongfeng immediately swatted them down. ’Can’t do this. Can’t do that.’ Letting her annoying sister’s nagging go in one ear and out the other, Byulya signaled for a servant to bring her a drink. The pants Hongfeng had forced her into were already riddled with holes from her own poison, creating a sort of unintentional distressed fashion statement.

"Lady Nephthys is entering!"

At that timely announcement, all the professors rose to their feet. Accompanied by Vice-Chancellor Jane, a small girl with fluttering silver hair strode into the hall, swinging her arms briskly. Seeing the faculty, she beamed and waved enthusiastically.

"Hi, everyone! How have you all been?"

The professors responded with a deep, respectful bow.

At the center of the stage was a large, plush throne. With practiced ease, Jane slipped her arms under Nephthys’s armpits, lifted her up, and placed her on the seat. Then she stepped back, standing behind the throne with her hands neatly folded.

"It seems all the first-year professors are present," Jane announced, her eyes scanning the room. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the twin sisters in the corner before returning to the center. "We have gathered today to discuss the matter of the BMAT. I would like to hear all of your opinions without reservation."

"Yep! Yep!" Nephthys chirped, nodding vigorously.

Jane turned her head. "Then first, we will hear from Professor Duncan, who requested this meeting. Please speak."

Professor Duncan, who taught Venomology to the lower-ranking classes, stood. He was currently quite displeased, as many of his own students had been auditing Byulya’s class, desperate to learn from her instead.

"Ahem! I’ll get straight to the point." The man with the thick brown beard addressed the assembly. "Holding the BMAT five times is, frankly, too much."

A few professors quietly nodded in agreement. This was a sentiment that had already found some consensus among the faculty.

"I’m sure you all feel the same when you enter a first-year classroom these days," Duncan continued, spitting with excitement. "‘Is this related to the BMAT?’, ‘Will this be on the BMAT?’ That’s all the students ask. As an educator, it’s utterly exhausting and infuriating!" His eyes flickered, darting quickly past Byulya, who sat arrogantly with her legs crossed. "The difference in concentration between BMAT-related subjects and others is enormous. This is a problem! The cart is before the horse!"

This time, Duncan’s gaze shifted to Nephthys, who was smiling brightly in her chair. She was swinging her legs back and forth and even humming a little tune, clearly in a good mood.

"I understand why Lady Nephthys revived the BMAT, which was previously for second-years and above, and implemented it for the first-years! The intention was good, the anti-Kizen factions have been weakened, and it’s true that there have been some positive effects on the students. But!" Duncan raised his voice, spittle flying. "We are now seeing the side effects. The most important part of our curriculum is being neglected! Students only care about black magic they can use in the BMAT and are ignoring the fundamental knowledge in their textbooks! This biased thinking will only have a negative impact on the development of these young students!"

"Indeed," another professor interjected. She was tall and gaunt. "Professor Duncan may be exaggerating, but it’s true that the students are obsessed with the BMAT. And why wouldn’t they be? It’s stimulating, entertaining, and a stage where they can build their reputation in front of countless people. Of course everyone will pay more attention to it. Kizen’s curriculum has never been so thoroughly ignored."

"Exactly! To truly raise our students’ capabilities, I believe the BMAT must be stopped!"

"The BMAT was originally a measure to correct public opinion after the Saintess incident! Now that public opinion has stabilized, I see no reason to continue it!"

Several professors voiced their opposition. Most were those who taught textbook-based courses or emphasized steady, theoretical academic achievement.

Of course, there were also professors who disagreed.

"This year’s first-year BMAT is Kizen’s biggest hit. If we cancel this important event for such a trivial reason, the backlash will be considerable."

"If you view the BMAT as part of the curriculum rather than just a test, it has many positive aspects."

"The students’ focus has improved, too. Isn’t it a basic skill for a Kizen professor to be able to weave textbook knowledge into BMAT-related topics?"

There were certainly professors who valued the BMAT, mostly those who, like Byulya, had achieved significant results with BMAT-tailored lectures.

Just then, a hand went up. "May I say a word?"

The noisy hall fell silent at once. Bahil, the Cursology professor, rose slowly to his feet, dressed in a snow-white suit.

Nephthys beamed. "Yeah, go ahead!"

"But first, a moment." Bahil approached Nephthys, reaching into his suit. Then, with the grace of a gentleman presenting a flower to a lady, he produced...

"An ice cream!"

He presented it like a bouquet. Bahil was the only person in the world who kept ice cream in a magically frozen Subspace at all times, solely for the possibility of an encounter with Nephthys.

"Hah," Jane sighed, displeased.

Nephthys’s eyes, however, sparkled. She grabbed the ice cream and opened her small mouth as wide as possible, but just as she was about to take a bite...

Jane, standing behind her, snatched it away. "You promised you’d only eat five a day. I’m confiscating this."

Her treat stolen, Nephthys bit down on empty air. Of course, there was no taste. Her bright smile began to stiffen. Her lips trembled in disbelief, and her large blue eyes rapidly filled with sorrow.

"My ice cream!" she wailed, beginning to throw a tantrum.

Jane, of course, didn’t budge, holding the ice cream high above her head.

’CLATTER!’

A loud noise came from the corner. Byulya shot to her feet, her face a mask of terror. "Wh-What do you think you’re doing, Vice-Chancellor! Do you all want to die?"

"...Excuse me?"

"Give that back right now! Can’t you see that monster is getting angry?!" Byulya stared at Nephthys as if she were some unspeakable horror.

’...What is that woman on about now?’ Jane sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. What were the odds of all these fools gathering in one place? To think this was a meeting of the world’s top necromancers. A backwater village club would have more decorum.

With no other choice, Jane returned the ice cream. Nephthys calmed down as she ate, and Byulya clutched her chest and sank back into her seat.

"Now, to continue," Bahil said, returning to his spot as if nothing had happened, his composure completely unshaken. "I believe both sides have valid points. The BMAT has greatly increased student motivation and practical skills, but there is also concern that textbook content is being neglected in its favor. Yes, all of that is correct." He shrugged. "Conversely, to continue with five BMATs is too extreme, as is ending it altogether. We must find a compromise."

The room fell silent. Bahil met Nephthys’s eyes and continued. "Therefore, I propose the following."

He suggested combining the 4th and 5th BMATs into a single event. The number of eliminations would be raised to one hundred, and the test duration would be extended to five days and four nights.

"I’m not so sure," Jane said. "After the 5th BMAT, there is also the second-year promotion exam. Two major exams back-to-back would be an immense burden on the students."

Duncan, a BMAT opponent, also spoke cautiously, glancing at Bahil. "If we combine the two exams, won’t that just increase the importance of the BMAT even more?"

Just then, another hand went up.

"Would you mind hearing me out for a moment?"

It was Walter, the new Hemomancy professor substituting for Silage.

Jane nodded. "Go ahead, Professor Walter."

"Thank you." Walter bowed his head and began his explanation. "Let’s try running the performance evaluation season concurrently with the existing BMAT."

As the professors listened to his detailed explanation, they found themselves nodding in agreement.

"Hmm!"

"Not bad, is it?"

Walter’s plan was adopted with the overwhelming support of all the professors, including Bahil. A new wind of change was blowing through Kizen.

---

"Heave-ho!"

"Did you pack everything?"

Their dispatch to Vengeance, a place they had grown fond of, was finally over. Simon and his teammates finished packing in their room and headed down the stairs.

"Ah, so you’re all finally returning to Kizen."

Agent Block and his secretary were waiting in the Vengeance lobby. Block was sniffling, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Oh, why are you crying, Agent!" Meirin teased, approaching with a smile.

Block blew his nose loudly. "It was a stroke of luck that such kind kids as you came to us. I’ll never forget this week."

"We feel the same way, Agent!"

While Block was too choked up to speak, his secretary sighed and explained for him. "A Kizen attendant has prepared a teleportation circle in the front yard. Please return to Roc Island now."

"You worked hard, too, ma’am!" The secretary shook hands with Simon and Dick, and shared a boisterous, laughing hug with Meirin. The two had hit it off and become like sisters.

"Ma’am!" This time, Kamibarez ran up and threw herself into the secretary’s arms. As if infected by Block’s tears, her own eyes were welling up.

The secretary gently stroked Kamibarez’s head. "Surviving at Kizen is important, but I hope you don’t lose who you are."

"I won’t! Thank you!" Kamibarez beamed. "Please take good care of Sasha!"

"Of course. The agent and I will take full responsibility for her."

Block had decided to become Sasha’s godfather and guardian. It seemed they would be able to see her soon, once she recovered. As everyone was saying their goodbyes...

"Huh." Meirin’s gaze shifted. "Isn’t that Agent Seiwyr over there?"

Seiwyr, who had been trying to sneak out the back door with his office belongings, flinched like a thief caught red-handed.