"Did you have a good vacation, Class A?"
As if on cue, a thunderous reply poured out. Jane lightly raised her palm, silencing the students. Just then, a TA standing behind Jane raised both hands above her head to mimic horns, pointed at Jane, and then returned to her at-ease posture.
"It’s good to see you all after so long. However, it’s a shame that I couldn’t even bid a proper farewell to four of you. I’m sure I told you to come prepared to deal with divinity."
Only then did the students flinch. Her face was undoubtedly smiling, but the tone of her voice was not.
"I heard that only one person dropped out of the neighboring Class B. When Professor Bahil told me that, my face turned red with embarrassment."
’Ugh, Professor Bahil, seriously...! Why did he have to provoke her and make things difficult for us?’
Dick and a few other students cursed Bahil internally. As the students hung their heads, Jane smiled.
"I’m not trying to blame you all. It’s not your fault, but the fault of the incompetent dropouts."
She turned her back. As she walked to the blackboard with the click-clack of her heels, the TAs swiftly set up a mana projector and displayed a screen in the air.
"To prevent this from happening again, we’ll need to go over the feedback for this exam, won’t we? We’ll start from the last place."
Jane went through the video, pointing out the mistakes and faults of the Class A students one by one. The students’ mental states were in tatters from hearing feedback on the very first day of class.
Dick was criticized for being all talk and no substance, and for making a major mistake in his choice of route. Kamibarez was criticized for having her mental state shaken when she first saw the divine monster, causing a slow start, and for being too soft-hearted when saving her teammates. Meirin’s creativity in making an ice boat to cross the river was commendable, but she was criticized for trembling from the cold due to her own sensitivity to it, and was advised to devise a countermeasure.
Most of the students were thoroughly torn apart. The only ones Jane simply passed over were Simon and Hector.
"Even if they’re your classmates, you should learn what you can from them. Everyone, try to emulate the judgment of these two. Applause."
’Clap, clap!’
Suddenly receiving applause, Simon smiled awkwardly, while Hector, still annoyed at being pushed to second place by Simon, scowled.
"Professor! Still, isn’t our class amazing?" Dick blurted out, speaking to Jane as if he were talking to a friend next to him.
’Has he lost his mind!’
Meirin and the surrounding students put their fingers to their lips in shock, but Jane surprisingly took the bait.
"What’s so amazing, Dick Hayward?"
"We had the 1st, 2nd, and 9th place from our class! Class B only had one person in the Top 10, at 8th place!"
As Jane glared at him coldly, Dick quickly shut his mouth and bowed his head.
"Then let’s move on to the next announcement."
Surprisingly, from then on, Jane’s voice became noticeably softer. Dick, who was pretending to write diligently, was seen quietly giving Simon a thumbs-up.
"This is a bit sudden, but there’s something you all need to decide by today," she said, receiving new materials from a TA. "In this integrated second semester, you can drop a maximum of two of the nine subjects you are currently taking."
At those words, the students’ eyes widened.
"Basic Black Magic, taught by your homeroom professor, Divine Defense Studies, which is the core of the integrated second semester, and Jet-Black Dynamics have been designated as required subjects. Kizen recommends dropping only one class. If you wish to drop two classes, an interview with your homeroom professor is required. Naturally, it would be best not to think that having fewer classes will give you an advantage in getting good grades."
Listening to the explanation, Simon nodded. It was true that dropping from nine subjects to seven was too big of a risk. Only a student who was completely all-in on one subject would do such a thing.
"So, by this week, choose one class to drop. That is all."
Simon made his decision immediately.
’Professor Umbra, I’m sorry.’
Simon still hadn’t gotten over the chicken feed dance in Necrology, so it was a natural decision. Most of the students who still couldn’t feel Spirit would probably drop Necrology. Of course, Kamibarez was the same.
"What will you do, Meirin?"
"I’ve decided."
"Oh, I’m good too."
Surprisingly, both Meirin and Dick decided to drop Necrology. Meirin’s reason was that she couldn’t prepare for Jet-Black Dynamics in the ‘Spirit Form’ state, which was the core of Necrology. Dick’s reason was simply that since the other three were dropping it, he would follow suit.
Meirin immediately chided him.
"It must be nice to be so thoughtless. This is about your future, so please think seriously."
"I’m an all-rounder, so I’m good at everything," Dick shrugged. "And in Necrology, the gap between majors and non-majors is huge, and it’s disadvantageous for getting good grades. Dropping it is the right move."
And so, all four of them made their decision.
After Jane’s Basic Black Magic class, Simon and his group members headed to their next class. Simon was in a very good mood.
’To think the very second class is Summoning!’
How he had longed for Aaron’s class. He had been so hungry to learn. He wanted to quickly learn new things and make them his own. But Dick, who was walking beside him, flipped through his notebook and said, "This Summoning class isn’t in the usual lecture hall, is it?"
"Nope! It’s an outdoor class!" Kamibarez said.
Meirin, next to her, nodded grimly.
"An outdoor class on the first day," she mused. "I have a feeling."
"A feeling about what?"
"A hint for the Comprehensive Black Magic Aptitude Test."
Indeed, Aaron had said so himself during the opening ceremony: "You must figure out the theme of the test yourselves. The content of the lectures, the topics of performance evaluations, the flow of supplies, rumors among residents, legends and folktales, and so on. We will provide hints in various ways. There may even be hints in the jokes that professors casually drop, so pay attention to everything." Recalling that voice, Simon let out a small gasp.
"That’s sharp."
Meirin acted smug, flipping her long, sky-blue hair with her fingertips.
"No, isn’t it a given to think like me? It seems like you guys have lost your touch after the break, so hurry up and get your heads in the game."
And so, all the Class A students, including Simon, arrived at the class location Aaron had notified them of. It was behind the 3rd Indoor Arena, which they frequented for duel evaluations, and a racing track had been installed. The tiles of the track were marked with rulers to measure records. The male students were playing among themselves, doing standing long jumps and comparing their records.
Simon rested his chin on his hand.
’Summoning, a track, and the Comprehensive Black Magic Aptitude Test? I can’t quite get a feel for it.’
The other three were also diligently trying to deduce the theme of the next exam. Various speculations were thrown around, from a necromancer version of a marathon to a contest of instantaneous speed.
"Gather around!"
Aaron and his TAs appeared. All of Class A lined up with tense faces.
’He’s still the same,’ Simon smiled to himself.
Yesterday’s neat attire was nowhere to be seen; Aaron was back in his short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and slippers. His chin, which he stroked, was stubbly as if he hadn’t shaved, and his eyes flickered with fatigue and annoyance. Aaron came forward, and the TAs lined up behind him.
"It’s been a while."
At Aaron’s languid voice, the students also greeted him cheerfully. Everyone’s eyes were shining with anticipation.
"I hope you all had a good rest during the vacation. All the professors are planning to work you to the bone throughout the integrated second semester." After saying that, Aaron turned his head toward the track. "But there’s no need to get all serious and intense on the first day. Today, we’ll learn a new Summoning-type black magic. Everyone, take out one of your skeletons."
At those words, the sight of all the students simultaneously opening their Subspaces and calling forth their skeletons was a spectacle. Simon also took out one of his non-Legionized, ordinary skeletons.
"Considering the two-month gap, we’ll have a brief review," Aaron said. "Among undead summons, what is the unique strength of a skeleton?"
The moment he said "strength," an arm shot up faster than anyone else’s. Aaron nodded with a "you again?" expression.
"Me, Professor!" Jamie Victoria answered. "A skeleton’s greatest strength is undoubtedly the applicability and utility of ‘Restoration,’ which uses the property of bones to connect and attach to each other! Even if it collapses, as long as Jet-Black remains in the bone joints, it can be raised again and again!"
Aaron nodded and turned his head to the other side.
"Then what is its weakness?"
Simon, who wanted to answer himself, shot his hand up, but too many students in front of him raised their hands. Among them, Aaron’s finger pointed to the person with the most imposing presence.
"It is vulnerable to a priest’s divinity." Hector Moore said.
"That’s a weakness of almost all undead. Next."
This time, Simon shot his hand up, and Aaron gave a slight smile as he pointed to Simon.
"A skeleton’s weaknesses are its mobility and defense. If used alone without a restorer, it’s easy for it to be destroyed before reaching the opponent."
"Correct."
The moment Aaron said it was correct, Simon felt overjoyed. It might not be a big deal, but he was purely happy just to have participated in class and gotten the answer right.
’This bastard! He deliberately answered after me...!’ Hector seethed with anger, grinding his teeth, but Simon didn’t notice at all. Aaron’s explanation continued.
"As an undead made only of bones, a skeleton’s athletic ability is not outstanding. A strong impact can easily scatter the bone connections and cause it to collapse. It holds no meaning beyond its numbers."
Simon, who strongly agreed, nodded. In the early part of the first semester’s duel evaluation, he had been able to use the sheer numbers of skeletons to some effect. The opponent couldn’t help but pay attention to an undead with a weapon approaching, and it could force the opponent to attack. But that was all.
Now that the overall capabilities of the Kizen students had improved, everyone could wipe out a large number of skeletons at once with wide-range skills. They also had martial arts that made them less likely to fall to the weapons wielded by the undead. Now, in the middle of the first year, skeletons held little meaning beyond their numbers. Their threat level had dropped, making it difficult to even draw out an opponent’s attack.
If the opponent was a priest, it was even more of a headache. They could just blast out divinity and make the skeletons unusable. That’s why Simon also focused on battles using restorers rather than relying on the inherent combat power of skeletons. In the fight with Hector in Langerstine, they had both only used restorers.
"In that case," Aaron’s voice snapped Simon out of his thoughts. "Is a skeleton a summon that can only be used by necromancers with a talent for restorers? To that question, I will of course answer NO."
Aaron’s voice echoed softly.
"There is a way to cover the weaknesses of skeletons that you all mentioned to some extent. The integrated second semester starts here."

Comments

Loading...