Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Spendthrift Necromancer (80)

Second Arrangement (6)

“Lord Kern, do you happen to have a partner……?”

“Already do.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Perhaps because he'd shown so much, countless invitations poured in.

Naturally, a Mage would be delighted to have a reliable Swordsman guarding the front line.

Even.

“……

Excuse me.”

Dolores approached him too.

“Yeah?”

“D-Do you already have a partner?”

“Wow. You're impressive.”

After everything that happened today, she was asking him to partner with her?

He was genuinely impressed.

Apparently misunderstanding him, Dolores bit her lip and glared.

“Don't misunderstand. I'm not insulting you. I mean, I cut your hair earlier.”

“……

That's separate. This is separate. Besides, pairing with me would benefit you too.”

Minwoo nodded.

If he were an ordinary Academy student, he'd naturally pair with Dolores.

One way or another, she was the top-ranked student in the Magic Department.

Seeing her today, it seemed she didn't hold that position for nothing.

“Sorry. Don't think it'll work.”

“……

You're pairing with her?”

Dolores pointed toward Merhen.

“Yeah.”

“Why? There isn't a single advantage for you. And she was dead last in the last exam too. Aren't you worried about your score?”

“I can take first place alone.”

“……

Do you actually like her or something?”

“Dolores.”

Minwoo lowered his voice slightly, and Dolores flinched.

“W-What?”

“Since when were we close enough for you to talk casually? You weren't doing that earlier.”

“Y-You're talking casually too. And we're the same age…….”

“That's true. Fine. Then talk casually from now on. Don't mix the two.”

“……

I was planning to.”

“Good. Anyway, I can't party with you. I already have a teammate.”

“No, I'm asking if you like her.”

“Does that matter?”

“Yes, it matters. I kind of like you.”

“……?”

Minwoo tilted his head.

Where the hell had that come from?

Merhen beside him was also staring at Dolores as though she couldn't understand what was happening.

“Why?”

“D-Does a person need a reason to like someone?”

“I mean, there isn't anything for you to like.”

“H-How is there nothing? You're the first person who ever treated me like that……. I-It made my heart race.”

Dolores's face turned bright red.

Murmur!

The students around them erupted into frantic whispers at the sudden public confession.

This was driving him insane.

“Sorry. I already chose a partner.”

“Th-That's why I'm asking whether you two are dating.”

“No. We're not.”

“……

Then I still have a chance, right?”

“Dolores. How about thinking about the other person's feelings too instead of only your own?”

“You don't like me?”

“Think carefully about how you've behaved until now. Then ask yourself that question.”

“I-I'm still pretty even with short hair.”

Had she actually interpreted what he meant by ‘how you've behaved’ as her appearance?

Her eyes trembled.‘No, she got it.’Judging by the shame on her face, she understood perfectly.

She was simply charging forward like a rhinoceros with her eyes closed.

Kim Minwoo snorted.

At least when it came to romance, Dolores seemed incredibly proactive.

Someone who gave their all in any field was pleasant to see.

If she was being this sincere, Minwoo should answer sincerely too.

“I don't dislike you. But I don't think I can date you. Sorry.”

“…….”

“I'll go.”

He gestured to Merhen.

The two left together.

As though it were obvious, he asked Merhen.

“We're partnering, right?”

“……

If you'll have me, then yes.”

Perhaps she'd taken something from their previous conversation, because she accepted immediately.

“……

But why are you doing so much for me? Lord Kern, you and I don't really have anything to do with each other.”

Why?

Because if he built up some points with her now, she'd be easier to handle later when she came under him as a minion. And helping her might earn him some kind of bonus when the Arrangement ended.

If there was such a thing as a clear score, shouldn't he start stacking it from now?

Naturally, he couldn't say that.

“You know my nickname was Problem Child, right?”

“……

I've heard.”

“I was also dead last in the Swordsmanship Department. Maybe that's why you kept catching my eye since we were in similar positions. I felt a little sorry for you, and it bothered me. That's all.”

She remained silent for a long time, her lips moving slightly.

“……

Thank you. For helping me.”

“I'm doing it because I want to.”

“But were you hiding your skill, Lord Kern?”

“Something like that.”

Technically, his abilities had been overlaid onto Kern's body, but he couldn't exactly tell her that.

So he'd have to leave it at that.

“We're the same age. Isn't it awkward to keep speaking formally to each other?”

“……

Is it?”

“There's no need for ceremony, so let's just be friends. Everyone's equal at the Academy, right? You'll do that, right?”

“Y-Yeah…….”

“Good. Let's get along.”

He held out his hand.

She took it.* * *There was still some time before the practical examination.

Meanwhile, Kim Minwoo decided to try something he'd already been considering.

He went to Professor Wellington.

“Oh! Kern! What brings you here? Have you finally decided to take School of Death classes?”

“Professor. Before that, I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Does the School of Death have no summoning magic at all?”

“……

Summoning?”

“Yes. Things like summoning undead.”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Why not? Since you work with corpses, I doubt nobody has ever thought of the idea.”

Wellington nodded.

“Indeed, it is a subject one would naturally consider. Quite a few Death Mages have challenged that field. The problem is that nobody has ever succeeded.”

“Then suppose someone appeared who could summon undead?”

“Suppose they did?”

“Yes. Would some religious organization try to exterminate them or something?”

“Hoho, don't be ridiculous. If that were the case, why would other Mages have attempted it in the first place?”

Kim Minwoo nodded.

Wellington had a point.‘My research says the same thing.’He'd searched through every Academy document he could find.

The conclusion was that they didn't avoid summoning because of external pressure.

They simply couldn't do it.‘Nothing strange about that.’Was creating undead really easy?

Maybe once you had the proper know-how or enlightenment.

But if you had to begin from an entirely unknown field, it might be an incredibly difficult subject.

Even Minwoo himself couldn't have summoned a Skeleton if he hadn't learned the Skill.

“So if someone could summon undead, they might receive good treatment?”

“Hmm. Probably. At least to us Death Mages, they'd be little different from a hero. They would prove that it can actually be done.”

“Would Mages from other schools care?”

“Hoho. Unfortunately, probably not. Those fellows avoid our school precisely because they hate disgusting, foul-smelling things. Undead summoning? I doubt they'd do more than snort.”

“I see.”

“Well, perhaps if someone could summon high-ranking undead like Liches or Death Knights…… but otherwise, that's what I think. Why do you ask?”

His conversation with Wellington gave him confidence.

Conclusion.

Summoning undead was safe.

And this knowledge would be incredibly valuable, especially to Death Mages.

Mages from other schools avoided Death Mages because they hated disgusting things in the first place.

But Death Mages?

They'd probably lose their minds with joy over even a single summoned Skeleton. It meant reaching an untouched frontier nobody had ever conquered.‘Enough that they'd teach me magic just for showing them…….’From what he'd examined, the School of Death possessed plenty of useful magic.

Magic using corpses.

Magic using bones for offense and defense.

Poison magic.

There were plenty of higher-level spells.‘Perfect for my Mages.’His Skeleton Mages knew several spells, but they were all basic ones.

Against high-level monsters, most simply bounced off.

They needed heavier attacks that consumed more Mana and delivered real power.

“Professor. I know how to summon undead.”

“……?”

He summoned one Skeleton Mage before him.

At that instant.

Shock filled Wellington's eyes.

“I-Impossible!”

His hands trembled like he was having a seizure as he grabbed the Mage's face.

“H-How is this……! How did you do it? How?!”

“I just imagined it, and it happened.”

“Y-You mean this is possible through imagination alone?”

Wellington's eyes quickly grew more serious.

“Can you explain that process of imagination?”

“I simply pictured an undead and held out my hand. Then Mana moved on its own.”

“Hmm…… I suppose. Your aptitude was greater than anything I've ever seen. Since this is an unknown realm, perhaps talent of that degree truly can make the impossible possible…….”

Wellington desperately grabbed Minwoo's hand.

“……

Help me. Let me study this undead! I'll give you anything, so please……!”

“Professor. Research is better when you have more samples, isn't it?”

“O-Of course!”

“I can summon quite a lot of undead like this. I'll let you study them.”

“Oh! Truly? Thank you, thank you! You're a treasure of our School of Death!”

“In exchange, I have one request.”

“Name it!”

“Teach the Mages the magic of the School of Death. As much as possible.”

“Fine. I'll teach them. I'll gather every professor in our school! But…… can they actually learn magic?”

“We won't know until we try.”

“Wait right here!”

Wellington immediately summoned every professor belonging to the School of Death.

There were five total, including him.

The professors rushed in, and their eyes grew enormous when they saw the Skeleton Mage.

“U-Undead summoning!”

“This was truly possible?”

“I-If we teach them magic, we'll really be allowed to research these undead?”

Minwoo nodded.

“Perhaps our School of Death will finally make a glorious comeback.”

“Hoho! Exactly! If we can summon undead like these, it's absolutely possible!”

The professors' eyes lit up.

If undead summoning became possible, the potential of the School of Death would rise enormously.

Skeletons were only the beginning. If they could discover the mechanism behind summoning, there was no reason they couldn't eventually summon higher undead too.

A tremendous realm of possibility would open before every Mage of the School of Death.

They might leap from the very bottom of the rankings straight into the middle tier or even higher.

The five professors' eyes gleamed.

Soon, they rented out an entire large lecture hall.

“S-Summon them! Quickly!”[1,628 Skeleton Mages are summoned!]

Clatter!

The professors stared ecstatically at the Mages filling the enormous hall.

“Ahhh…….”

“Is this heaven……?”

“First, let's teach them magic! That too will be part of the research process!”

“Good! Let's write history! Summoning research! That's our research topic for this year!”

Soon, the five professors began passionately lecturing before the Skeletons.[‘Mail’ receives instruction in ‘Corpse Explosion’ from ‘Professor Hemerson’…….][Skeleton Mage 523 receives instruction in ‘Bone Shield’ from ‘Professor Sdal’…….][Skeleton Mage 1,102 receives instruction in ‘Magic Circle Construction’ from ‘Professor Milanol’…….]

Messages began flooding in like a tidal wave.