Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 311: Episode

The next morning, Simon woke several hours earlier than usual and took a walk through the school grounds. He planned to meet with Professor Parahan, the Defense Against Divinity instructor, to talk about the divine beast before heading to his morning class.

’I wonder how surprised the professor will be when he sees Akalion?’ A sense of anticipation bubbled within him. He opened his chest and took a deep, refreshing breath of the crisp dawn air.

But then, the caw of a crow, unusually loud, echoed on the deserted morning path. It was followed by the sound of kittens crying.

’What’s going on?’

When Simon followed the sound, he found a crow and some kittens fighting over a sausage on the ground.

’Kami’s cats?’

Looking closely, he saw they were the kittens Kamibarez was raising. They were so small they looked like they would be blown away by a flap of the crow’s wings, yet it was impressive how they worked together to bravely face it. Eventually, the crow must have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, because it spread its wings and flew away.

The kittens let out a cry of victory. Just as they were about to claim their prize... they spotted Simon. Forgetting all about their food, the white and black furballs came dashing toward him. Meowing, they clung to his shoes, rubbing against him and begging to be held.

"Why are you guys here?"

He was sure Kamibarez had named them Hayangi and Kkamangi. He knelt down to pet the cats, then scooped them up and held them against his chest. The cats calmly settled into his arms, finding a comfortable position.

"Let’s get you back to the girls’ dorm."

This place was full of necromancers, with undead roaming the paths freely. It was far too dangerous for kittens to be wandering around. Since it was on his way, he figured he could just drop them off. Simon walked with a cheerful heart, enjoying the kittens’ affectionate gestures.

"Hayangi!"

This time, a familiar voice called out. Kamibarez, still in her pajamas, was anxiously looking for the cats.

"Kami!"

"Oh, Simon!" Spotting him, Kamibarez smiled brightly and trotted over. She stopped, her wings fluttering, and noticed the cats in his arms. "Hayangi! Kkamangi! Where were you!"

Simon handed the cats over to her.

"They were fighting with a crow. They’re not hurt."

"That’s such a relief!" Kamibarez expertly held the cats, who began to purr contentedly. "I’m worried because they’re getting so smart these days. They keep finding ways to slip out."

Simon listened, gazing at the kittens.

"They haven’t grown much, though."

Usually, kittens grew bigger by the day, but they were about the same size as when he first found them months ago.

"Have you checked if they’re monsters?"

"Yes! I had someone come and check, but they..." She shook her head. "Even the researchers who are experts on monsters said they’ve never seen a baby monster like this..."

"Hmm." Simon reached out a finger to check the kittens’ foreheads. Thinking he was playing, the cats got excited and batted at him with their front paws.

"Wait, just a second." Gently touching their foreheads, he could feel a sharp horn. No matter how he looked at it, they didn’t seem like ordinary cats.

"So I’ve been really worried lately." Kamibarez’s head drooped. "The warehouse manager said it’s getting to be too much and that we have to let them go outside."

"You were only supposed to keep them for two months, whether they were monsters or not."

"Yes, if I could, I’d raise them in my dorm room, but the school rules won’t allow it... So I’ve been going around looking for someone to be their owner! I’m planning to visit Professor Hongfeng this weekend!"

Simon smiled.

"Then let’s go ask her together."

"Really? Thank you, Simon!"

It was time for the cats to go back and eat. As if they knew it was time to part, the cats struggled to get back into Simon’s arms, meowing plaintively.

"You can’t bother him. Simon is busy, you know." Kamibarez held the cats tighter, hugging them to her chest. "They really seem to like you."

"It seems so." Simon scratched the side of his head. It pained him to see the cats looking at him with such pleading eyes, but it couldn’t be helped. "Well, I’ll see you in class later."

Kamibarez replied with a gentle, smiling gaze.

"Yes, Simon! See you in class!"

And so, Simon parted ways with Kamibarez and the cats and headed to Parahan’s lab. He had been delayed, but by channeling his jet-black, he ran and reached his destination quickly. He lightly straightened his clothes and knocked on the door with the back of his hand.

’Knock, knock.’

"Professor, it’s Simon."

"Come in."

Simon carefully opened the lab door. He saw an old man in white robes, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the window. The long curtains fluttered in the breeze, and in his clasped hands, he held a folding fan.

"Did you have a good dispatch evaluation?" Wise, jade-green eyes turned to look at Simon.

"Yes, Professor!" Simon replied with a smile.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Anything is fine."

As Parahan snapped his fingers, the windows closed with a thump and the curtains drew, darkening the room. All over the walls, divine magic circles flashed to life. It was a barrier of white magic that blocked external access and eavesdropping.

"Have a seat."

"Yes, sir." Simon sat down comfortably. The first time he was called here after Parahan discovered his divinity, he had been terrified, but now it had become a place where he felt at ease.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Professor."

"Hmm, was it that obvious?" Parahan let out a hearty laugh, stroking his long beard. "Actually, I’ve secured a house outside the Kizen campus. A small place built on a low hill."

"Oh, congratulations!"

Parahan placed an elegantly colored porcelain cup on the table.

"I was once invited to Professor Hongfeng’s cabin. To these old eyes, I couldn’t have been more envious, so I requested that Kizen allow me to set up lodging outside. Of course, headquarters flatly refused due to security concerns."

"Ah..."

Warm, steaming tea from the kettle filled the teacup, its fragrant aroma filling the air.

"But it seems the students had many good things to say about this recent dispatch evaluation." Parahan lifted his teacup and continued. "They said this old man’s class was helpful when fighting the priests."

"That’s right! It was a huge help for me, too, when I fought the Efnel students!"

"That’s an honor. The students spoke so well of me that Kizen headquarters has granted me permission for off-campus housing."

Kizen was, after all, a meritocracy. It was only natural that not just students, but also professors, received various benefits as they proved their abilities. Simon felt happy for Parahan, seeing him gain recognition from both the students and the higher-ups.

"I believe that one day, more people will recognize your true heart, Professor."

Parahan let out another hearty laugh.

"Thank you. I don’t know what good deeds this old man has done to deserve such luxury in my later years, and to have such a fine student."

Simon lowered his head in embarrassment. A smile, not of an old man but of a child, graced Parahan’s lips.

"Would you like to come see the house? I haven’t shown it to anyone yet."

"I’d love to!"

Just as the two were getting up, Parahan’s gaze sharpened.

"Something has been detected by the barrier."

"Sir?"

Parahan waved his fan. The curtains drew back, the windows flew open, and the divine barrier vanished. They went outside the building to look.

"Ah!"

Outside the window, the kittens were meowing and struggling in a divine net.

Simon said in surprise, "Hayangi, Kkamangi!"

"Do you know them?"

"Yes, my apologies. They must have followed me here." He was sure he had seen Kamibarez take them, but how did they get out again? Simon approached to rescue them.

"Wait, hold on a moment!" A gasp escaped Parahan’s lips. His gaze was fixed on the cats, who were licking the divine net. "A-Aren’t these divine beasts!"

Simon’s eyes shot open as well.

"Divine beasts?!"

---

Simon entered Parahan’s new house. A quaint home on a hill surrounded by trees, it looked like a watercolor painting.

"You built this house in such a short time?" he asked in admiration.

"It’s less that I built it and more that I moved it with magic."

In the grassy yard, the kittens and Akalion, who looked like a small teddy bear, were tumbling around and playing. The feisty cats, who could fight on even terms with a crow, were constantly swatting with their front paws. Akalion couldn’t withstand the assault and fell over with a thud. It was so cute that just watching them brought a smile to his face.

"This is truly astonishing. To think a priest’s divine beast would follow you."

Simon had explained about Akalion on the way over. He scratched his head.

"I feel a little... sorry for that priest."

"Don’t feel sorry. When a divine beast chooses its master, it’s something no one can control. Even if you had abandoned Akalion there, it would not have returned to that Efnel student." Parahan explained that it was rare for a divine beast to choose its master in the first place. That was why Divine Beast Studies taught methods for leading and raising them even if one wasn’t chosen.

’Woong! Woooong!’

Akalion, looking like a teddy bear, couldn’t withstand the kittens’ attacks and hid behind Simon’s legs. The cats followed, wanting to keep playing.

"Stop, stop it. You have to get along." Simon picked up Akalion and hugged it to his chest. The kittens meowed, trying to climb up his legs.

"They are truly rare creatures," Parahan said, stroking the cats’ heads. The cats bit his finger in defiance. "I’ve seen divine beasts born rarely in the Dark Alliance. But to think one would be born on Roc Island."

"But are you sure they’re divine beasts? I don’t feel any divinity from them. And they got along well with Kami, who’s a necromancer."

"Divine beasts can be classified into two types."

There was the complete form, which existed as a full being from birth, radiating divinity. And there was the transformation form, which looked like an ordinary animal or monster on the outside but changed its form when imbued with divinity. Lete’s baby dragon, ’Ran’, was a complete form, while Simon’s ’Akalion’ was a prime example of a transformation form.

"You can consider complete-form divine beasts to be extinct in the Dark Alliance. If a creature emitted divinity from the moment it was born, necromancers or natural-type undead would have killed it on sight."

"I-I suppose so."

"In the Alliance’s territory, the transformation-form has a much higher chance of survival. The fact that those cats have no aversion to jet-black and can’t produce divinity unless they transform is likely a result of evolution."

Simon looked at the kittens with a serious expression. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Th-Then if I were to grant divinity to these cats..."

"Yes. They would awaken as true divine beasts and become self-aware."

Simon gulped. He wondered how these tiny kittens would change. Just then, Parahan stroked his beard and spoke.

"You said a girl named Kamibarez is looking for an owner for the cats?"

"Yes."

"These divine beasts won’t last long in the wild; they’ll die. You should become their master. A student can’t bring cats into the dormitory, so I’ll keep them with me for the time being."

Simon’s eyes sparkled.

"Would you really do that for me?"

"Hoho! Of course."

It was perfect. There was no safer option than entrusting divine beasts to a Defense Against Divinity professor.

"Then, will you try imbuing those children with divinity and transforming them into their true divine beast forms?"

"Yes, I’ll try." Simon nodded and slowly squatted down. He placed his hand on the head of ’Hayangi’, who was the first to cling to his leg.

’Why am I so nervous?’

He could feel the sharp horn between his palms. Hayangi, who usually couldn’t stay still for a moment, was now sitting as still as a statue. It just looked up at Simon with its round eyes, as if expecting something.

"Here I go."

After taking a light breath, Simon began to channel divinity into the cat.