That evening. In the Summoning Department dormitory study hall.
Simon, Toto, and Fitzgerald, a fellow club member who had joined them for the first time in a while, formed a trio, sitting around a desk diligently working on their Summoning Material Studies homework.
The study hall was quiet and peaceful. The only sounds were the scratching of quill pens and the occasional rustle of a turning page.
"Ugh, I don’t get it!" Toto, who had been scribbling furiously in his notebook, suddenly grabbed his head and screamed. "We’re Summoning majors, so why do we have to study this stuff?"
The homework for ’Summoning Material Studies’ was to memorize a stack of handouts nearly the size of a book. It was a copy of a field guide for common plants and plant monsters.
Simon said in a placating tone, "It’s an order from a Kizen professor. He must have his reasons for telling us to memorize it."
"...U-uh, yeah. I guess so."
Toto nodded dejectedly and, steeling himself once more, picked up his quill.
Simon, having just finished the ’Mandragora’ section and turned to the next page, looked up. He saw Fitzgerald. Wearing horn-rimmed glasses and always with a book in hand, he was the classic model student and scholar type.
"Fitzgerald."
"Hm."
"You’re not even doing the homework. What book are you so engrossed in?"
He was reading another strange book. The title was ’I’m Only Saying This For Your Own Good’, and for some reason, just looking at the title gave Simon a headache.
"Books are food for the soul." Fitzgerald pushed up his glasses. "I just filled my stomach with dinner, so now I must provide my head with its daily bread."
"What happens if you don’t?"
"The brain cries out in mental starvation. In the end, it will spiral toward the tragic fate of an emptiness filled with vanity, castrated of all intellectual curiosity."
For reference, he was the same type as their club senior, Benya Vanilla. Meaning, he was a weirdo.
"And that copy." Fitzgerald pointed at the assignment with his fingertip, his gaze fixed on the book. "I’ve already read the original so many times I know it by heart, so I don’t need to study."
Simon let out a dry laugh. "...That’s impressive, in more ways than one."
"That’s so mean, Fitz!" Toto, who had been scribbling with his quill, shot Fitzgerald a glare. "I thought the three of us mutants would stick together all through our second year! But you’re always hanging out with the Class M kids during class!"
"That’s strange." Fitzgerald retorted jokingly. "I thought you were leaving me out because you Class A kids were sticking together."
"W-We’d never do that!"
The three of them burst into light laughter. Just as they were about to get back to work, the study hall door rattled open and a student entered. Seeing the gold badge on his collar, the three of them shot up from their seats. He was a third-year senior.
"Ah, ah. You don’t have to do that. Please, relax." He was a student with a guileless, bear-like face and drooping eyes.
"Leonard and Will are away on a mission, so no one will be bothering you for a while," the third-year senior offered.
"Ah, yes, sir," replied Toto.
The three of them sat back down as the senior pulled a book from his own cabinet.
"Oh, right."
Then, as if remembering something, he reached for the top of the cabinet.
"Have some of these while you work."
The members of Mutant, who had been engrossed in their homework, looked up in surprise. He was offering them ’Love Cookies,’ a snack so popular it was nearly impossible to find in Rochest. Sweet and affordable, they were a top-tier late-night treat for students.
Recognizing the wrapper immediately, Toto’s eyes widened. "A-Are you sure we can have these?"
"Of course."
The third-year smiled, then scratched his head with a slightly sheepish expression.
"Well, I just want you to know... not all the third-years hate you."
"...Oh," Simon murmured.
"I actually like you guys. We share a dorm, study the same subjects... We’re seniors and juniors, aren’t we? I don’t get why they’re so insistent on tormenting you just to break your spirits."
Simon looked up at him, his eyes wide with surprise. "...Senior."
"I may not have the power to stop Will and Leonard—and I probably won’t in the future, either—but I just wanted you to know that not every third-year is wary of you. That’s all."
The senior offered a genuine smile and held out his palm.
"If you ever have questions about dorm life or your classes, just ask. I’ll do whatever I can to help."
Toto’s eyes welled with tears as he bowed his head deeply.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Simon and Fitzgerald also rose and bowed politely. The senior even brought them something to drink before quietly closing the door behind him.
The moment he was gone, Toto let out a long, tense sigh of relief.
Simon’s eyes brightened. "He’s a good person."
"Yeah! That’s what a real senior should be like!" exclaimed Toto.
"I agree," Fitzgerald added, reopening the book he had set aside.
The three of them resumed their assignments, the atmosphere in the room now considerably warmer.
Craving something sweet after all the mental exertion, Simon reached for a Love Cookie.
"Ah, wait."
Fitzgerald shot out an arm, stopping him.
"...We might have let our guard down."
"Let our guard down?"
Fitzgerald pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Why did he specifically mention that Leonard and Will were gone? Why did he pretend to grab a book only to pull out snacks for us? Did he really just happen to come to the study hall for a book? What if his actual intention was to put us in danger—"
Simon ignored him and took a bite of the cookie.
Fitzgerald shot to his feet, his face a mask of astonishment.
"Simon!"
Simon just grinned.
"It’s not poisoned or laced with anything. It’s just a delicious cookie."
"...Hmph."
Fitzgerald sank back into his seat, looking thoroughly embarrassed. The sight was so amusing that Simon couldn’t help but laugh.
"You’re going to suspect every act of kindness you receive? I don’t think that’s a very good habit."
Fitzgerald adjusted his glasses primly.
"It’s better than being blindsided because I was careless."
"No, no, I’m not saying you should drop your guard completely. But it was obvious that senior’s actions came from a place of goodwill. If you’re so bound by suspicion that you can never accept kindness for what it is..." Simon’s smile softened. "Wouldn’t that be a greater tragedy than getting stabbed in the back every once in a while?"
Fitzgerald’s mouth fell open as if he’d been struck. He shifted through a series of poses—crossing his legs, turning his head, folding his arms—as he mulled over Simon’s words, before finally settling into a firm posture.
He snapped the strangely titled book shut and opened his textbook and notebook for Aaron’s Summoning assignment.
"Finished reading already?" Simon asked.
"I’m full."
Fitzgerald’s quill began to scratch across the page.
"Your words just now have filled my quota for the evening. I have no need for further nourishment."
A deep smile spread across Simon’s lips. They had been in the same club for a year, but he still hadn’t quite figured out what kind of person Fitzgerald was. Today, however, he felt like he had finally learned a little more about him.
"Aren’t you two going to eat? These are really good!" Toto said, already on his tenth Love Cookie as he looked between them.
"If you don’t eat them, I’m finishing them all."
At that, Simon’s and Fitzgerald’s arms shot out in a hurry.
They didn’t finish their assignments until late in the evening. As they walked back to their dorm room, Simon and Toto chatted idly, Toto clutching the box of leftover Love Cookies to his chest.
"Huh?"
Simon stopped in his tracks. Toto halted behind him and looked up.
"What’s wrong, Simon?"
"Did we leave the door open when we went to do our homework?"
"I’m not sure."
Simon’s eyes narrowed. He pulled the door open and stepped inside slowly. Nothing in the room seemed out of place; the items on their desks were undisturbed. But then...
"Ehehehehe!"
A strange giggle echoed from Simon’s bed as the white sheets began to rise.
"Gah! A-A ghost?!"
Toto stumbled backward in fright, but Simon let out a relieved laugh. A moment later, the covers were thrown back to reveal a flurry of silver hair.
"It’s a ghost! Aren’t you scared!"
Looking at the adorable ghost—a little girl trying her best to be menacing—Simon greeted her warmly.
"Hello, Lady Nephthys."
"Lady Nephthys?!"
The shock was too much for Toto, who froze on the spot. Just then, Nephthys hopped off the bed and scurried over to him.
"Uh, uhhhhh."
The ruler of the Dark Alliance was right in front of him. He knew he should show proper respect, but he was too stunned to move or speak. Nephthys said nothing, simply staring up at him.
"I, I...!"
’She must be furious. What did I do? Did I do something to offend Lorraine? Or is it because I didn’t greet her properly? I’m... I’m going to die...!’
"Toto."
Simon pointed to the cookie box clutched in Toto’s arms.
"I think she wants some of those."
"Huh?"
As Toto lowered the box, Nephthys’s eyes lit up, and she snatched it from him.
"Cookies!"
She immediately started munching away, getting crumbs all over her mouth. Toto’s soul seemed to drain from his body as he slid to the floor, pressing himself flat against the wall.
"Lady Nephthys, what brings you here?" Simon asked.
"Oh, right!"
She beamed. "Can you come with me for a moment, Simon?"
Simon and Nephthys left the room together. Staring at the empty space, a hollow, disbelieving laugh escaped Toto’s lips.
’Oh, right. Simon is the Student Council President. It makes sense for the Headmaster to visit him directly.’
His limbs trembled. This was a world away from his quiet, peaceful first year. Now that he was Simon’s roommate, the scale of everything was overwhelming, and the constant chaos was bad for his heart.
’J-Just what kind of life is Simon living...?’
Simon and Nephthys walked along a deserted forest path. It was a pleasant night, filled with the gentle chirping of insects and the soft crunch of leaves underfoot.
"Do you remember?" she asked suddenly.
"Ah, my apologies, Lady Nephthys. We were supposed to meet the night before the entrance ceremony, but I was suddenly assigned to guide the new students..."
"No, no! Not that!"
She shook her head vigorously and looked up at Simon again.
"I told you I’d give you a present!"
Of course, he remembered.
"This doesn’t fully grant your request, so I’ll give you a personal gift later. Is that okay?"
"A gift?"
"Yep! It’s still a secret, though. I’ll give it to you as a new semester present!"
As a reward for defeating Silage during the Blood Cult incident at the end of his first year, Nephthys had been laying the groundwork to change the public perception of the 7th Legion, so that Simon could one day operate as a legitimate Legion Commander. Her personal appearance at the Student Council President inauguration ceremony was part of that effort.
However, Simon’s original request had been for the ’pardon of the 7th Legion’s sins’. Claiming she hadn’t fully granted his request, she had promised him a personal gift.
"This is it."
From her pocket, she produced a small, pearl-like orb. Simon accepted it.
"Drop it on the ground."
Simon obediently placed the orb on the forest floor. She held out her hand.
"Take my hand."
Given their height difference, it looked more like she was hanging from his hand as she reached up.
"Now, we’re going to step on this orb together, half and half. At the same time!"
"Understood."
Simon and Nephthys lifted their legs in unison and brought their feet down on the orb.
The world dissolved and reformed around them. An autumn forest, leaves of amber and gold drifting down, spread out in every direction.
"A subspace?"
Simon’s eyes widened.
"A rather special one. People can enter it temporarily, not just objects! Now, come this way!"
’Is the gift another subspace?’ Simon silently followed her.
A moment later, a large hill formed from a massive pile of fallen leaves came into view.
"Do you know what this is?"
Just seeing the shape protruding from the edge of the leaves sent a shiver down Simon’s spine.
"This is...!"
It was a colossal bone.
When Nephthys lightly clapped her hands, the leaves swirled away, revealing the complete, magnificent form of a dragon’s skeleton. It was even larger than Caris, the dungeon master he had fought in the Holy Federation. Though it was long dead, with only its bones remaining, a residual magic still flickered around its frame like a phantom aura.
"This is my gift to you, Simon."
She grinned.
"A Bone Dragon. I wonder when you’ll be able to handle this?"

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