-Team 10: Simon Polentia.
Finally. The name everyone had been waiting for was on the board. The remaining students held their breath. Lorraine’s gaze was sharp, while Serne flashed a sly, knowing smile.
With Simon Polentia secured for Group A, all eyes turned to the Group B box. In a team structure like this, the high-ranking Group B student was a critical component. It was time to see who Simon’s second-in-command would be.
The TA passed the ball to the head TA, who wrote the name on the board.
-Team 10: Simon Polentia, Eshe Arjel.
"Yesssssssssss!"
A sudden, triumphant roar echoed from somewhere in the crowd. Students frowned and looked around, trying to find the source. A girl with tangerine-colored hair was sprinting toward Simon at an incredible speed.
"This is the best! I drew the best card! Awesome!"
Her energy was off the charts. Simon could only manage an awkward laugh. ’Who is that?’
She had a unique, necromancer-style hairpin, a short skirt, and a tailored uniform. Her face, overflowing with a cheerful, vibrant energy, was split by a massive grin.
"Yay! Yay!" she cheered, jumping up and down as if she had already aced the evaluation. She came to a stop right in front of him.
"Nice to meet you, Prez! No need for introductions, right?"
Simon looked startled.
"Oh, come on! Don’t pretend you don’t know me," she pouted. "You saved me when the third-years collapsed the bridge during the welcoming ceremony, and you lent me that bone glue."
"Ah."
The memory clicked. They hadn’t formally introduced themselves, but their faces were familiar enough that they would recognize each other as classmates.
"I’m Eshe Arjel!" she said, smiling brightly with her hands clasped behind her back.
She had an explosive, energetic personality.
"Simon Polentia. It’s nice to meet you." He extended his hand.
She blinked a couple of times, then a curious smile spread across her face.
"Ooh," she cooed, taking his hand in a firm shake.
’So Group B is a new face,’ Simon thought, then turned his head. ’Group C is taking a while, isn’t it?’
A TA from outside was whispering to the TA drawing the balls. They both nodded, and the drawing resumed. But as the TA put her hand in the box, her eyes momentarily clouded over.
’Success,’ Serne thought from a distance, a sly smile on her lips. ’It takes a little time to create a reinforced feather strong enough to brainwash a TA.’
She was controlling the TA with her mind magic. The TA swirled her hand inside the box, a motion that went unnoticed by even Lorraine, who was too focused on the selection to sense the subtle manipulation.
’I will get my name drawn and join Simon’s team,’ Lorraine thought, her focus absolute. ’First, I’ll use black magic to see inside the box...’
"Let me make this clear," a voice cut through the tension.
Aaron descended from the podium.
"This team selection will be determined entirely at random for the sake of fairness."
As he brushed past the TA, the light returned to her eyes.
Serne’s expression twisted into a vicious scowl. Aaron, with an indifferent look, put his own hand into the box.
"Let go," he said calmly. "I’ll draw."
"Ah, yes, Professor." The TA stepped back.
Aaron pulled out a ball and announced the name.
"Lorraine Archbold."
A cheer erupted from the students. The head TA wrote the name on the board, confirming Lorraine, ranked 287th, as the Group C member of Team 10.
"Welcome, Lorraine!" Simon greeted her with a bright smile.
"Wow! For real? Lady Nephthys’s daughter is on our team!" Eshe cheered, bouncing on her feet.
Lorraine approached with a slightly sheepish smile.
"Ah, hello. It’s nice to meet you all. I’m happy to be here."
"If you’re happy, why the long face?" Simon teased.
She gave a faint smile and looked down at her toes.
"Of course I’m happy to be on the same team as you. I just wish I could have been more help, back before my innate ability was sealed."
"What are you talking about?" he said gently.
It was a humble sentiment, but her potential was still greater than anyone else’s in the department.
"I’ll do my best to help," she said, her voice firm.
"I know you will," Simon replied. He glanced over his shoulder.
Serne was glaring daggers at Lorraine’s back, practically radiating rage. Lorraine, refusing to engage, simply crossed her arms and turned away, a subtle victor’s smile playing on her lips.
"Yay! This is great! Our team is a total golden lineup!" Eshe exclaimed. "Just one person left from Group D!"
She turned to look at the last four male students, who were staring ahead with tense expressions. They didn’t look too worried; two of the four were guaranteed a spot on either Simon’s or Serne’s team.
"Who do you hope we get?" Simon asked Eshe.
She lowered her voice.
"Honestly, they’re all about the same. Everyone says they don’t care who comes from Group D. As for me..." She glanced at the shortest student at the end of the line. "As long as we can avoid the Death Knight boy, anyone is..."
"The final member of Team 10 is Toto Amori," the head TA announced.
"Aaaaaah!" Toto cried, tears of joy welling in his eyes as he ran over and threw his arms around Simon. "I made it through the one-in-four chance! Ah! I was so worried I’d be left all alone!"
"Welcome, Toto," Simon said, smiling as he patted his back.
Lorraine also welcomed him warmly, while Eshe awkwardly turned her head away.
"Oh, you’re the one...!" Toto exclaimed, finally noticing Eshe. "The one who saved me in the Summoning Materials class!"
"Yep. Hi," Eshe waved.
The shock of seeing someone almost beaten to death by a ghoul for the first time in history was still fresh in her mind, but she figured Simon would be able to handle him.
"What do you think, Aseraz?" one of his new teammates asked.
Aseraz gave a cool, dismissive glance at Simon’s group.
"It’s a complete Simon Polentia one-man team. They’re no match for us."
Hector was also watching Team 10 closely.
"It’s a bitter pill that Nephthys’s daughter went to that bastard Simon."
"You think so?" his friend, Pierre Buckler, asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "The rumor is her innate ability is sealed. Doesn’t that just make her average?"
"Don’t underestimate blood, Pierre." Hector rose to his massive height. "We have to widen the gap before that woman’s talent fully blossoms. This test is important."
With that, all the teams were decided. Serne, the other center of attention, ended up in Team 11 with Simon’s clubmate Fitzgerald as the Group A member.
Fitzgerald, a book tucked under his arm, pushed up his glasses and extended a hand.
"It’s a pleasure to—"
’THWACK!’
A feather struck the back of his neck, and he froze like a statue, his hand still outstretched.
"Knew that was going to happen," one of his teammates muttered.
"I told you not to talk to her," sighed another.
Serne sat in her seat, her expression grim. ’I didn’t expect a professor to interfere directly.’
What was done was done. In the end, the real prize was recruiting Simon to her faction, the Ivory Tower. Being on his team wasn’t the only way to win that battle. Her gaze shifted to Lorraine, who was chatting with Simon.
’So you met Simon at the weakest point in your entire life? I hope you keep holding him back, you toothless tiger.’
After the team selection, a thirty-minute break was announced. Simon’s Team 10 huddled together to get acquainted.
"I’m Simon Polentia," he began. "I’m the Student Council President. My specialty is all-around summoning magic, but I’m especially confident in restoration using skeletons."
"Of course we know!" Eshe chimed in, her energy infectious. Lorraine and Toto clapped in agreement.
"Then it’s my turn!" Eshe shot to her feet, already taking on the role of the group’s mood-maker. "I’m Eshe Arjel! Ranked 180th overall, and my specialty is curse dolls!"
A look of confusion passed between the other three.
"Your specialty is curse dolls, but you’re in the Summoning Department, not Cursology?" Simon asked.
"Yep! That’s because I’m more specialized in the ’dolls’ than the ’curse’," she explained. With a gesture, dozens of summoning circles appeared around her.
’POP! POP!’
Translucent dolls that looked like baby spirits from a fairy tale materialized. They were short and stout like cartoon characters, with simple facial features and faint stitched seams on their backs.
They played tag with each other, and one even climbed onto Eshe’s head and promptly fell asleep. Lorraine, who had a soft spot for cute things, watched with sparkling eyes, though she quickly composed herself with a faint blush.
Simon crossed his arms, his expression serious. ’A family-specific black magic. A summon that can be linked with curses.’
"Alright, time to go home," Eshe said.
She created a shimmering door with black magic, and the dolls giggled as they scurried inside.
"I have little ones like these, and some really big ones, too. I’ll show you properly later."
"I’m looking forward to it," Simon replied.
Typically, curse dolls were used as a medium to inflict harm on a target through a magical link. But as Eshe had said, she was more focused on summoning and control. She must have been torn between the Cursology and Summoning Departments, but her choice made her a rare and valuable asset. A necromancer skilled in curses was a versatile and formidable force on any battlefield.
"Then next is..." Everyone’s expectant gaze turned to Lorraine.
She swept back her night-sky-black hair.
"Lorraine Archbold. My rank last year was 287th. My specialty is... single summon control and Jet-Black deployment."
Simon sent her a silent look of encouragement, knowing she couldn’t mention her sealed innate ability.
Eshe clapped wildly.
"I believe in you! I believe in you, Lady Lorraine! I’m so happy to be on your team! Please take care of me!"
Lorraine sighed, seemingly used to this kind of treatment.
"You don’t have to add ’Lady’ between second-years. You can just speak to me casually."
"Don’t you remember me?" Eshe asked, suddenly leaning forward and pointing to her chest.
Lorraine leaned back, blinking.
"Isn’t this the first time we’ve met in the Summoning Department?"
"No! I’ve known you from the start!" she said, clapping her hands together with a meaningful smile. "When we were little, I didn’t call you Lady Lorraine. I called you Mistress."
Lorraine was speechless.
The bombshell silenced the group. Simon and Toto blushed as they looked at Lorraine, who seemed just as flustered. She studied Eshe’s face for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition.
"Wait! Don’t tell me, when we were little...!"
"Yes! I briefly worked as a maid—a temporary one—at your family’s mansion!" Eshe laughed, scratching her head.
"Well, it was when I was really young, and I quit around the time I came of age. But working at the Witch of Death’s mansion, I think I absorbed a lot of good energy and became a necromancer myself! I’m always grateful for that experience!"
"I remember now!" Lorraine gasped. "The only maid my age suddenly moved away, and we never even got to say goodbye. I never thought we’d meet again like this!"
The two girls held hands, a torrent of shared memories pouring out. Simon and Toto, momentarily forgotten, smiled quietly. It was a reunion of childhood friends; there was no room for them to intervene.
’Still, she must have had a tough time at such a young age,’ Simon thought, looking at Eshe. She was likely a commoner, or perhaps the child of a fallen noble. Either way, it was heartening to see her grow up so well, get into Kizen, and smile so brightly.
A moment later, they returned to the introductions.
"I-I’m Toto Amori!" he said, bowing his head. "I-It’s embarrassing, but I’m ranked 382nd, and I’m in the same Mutated Undead club as Simon. My specialty is surprise attacks from underground using Deathworms."
Simon looked at him.
"Toto, didn’t you used to specialize in the parasitic undead, Parasite?" He remembered Toto using them to control dog monsters during the club interview.
"Ah, I used to, but the students at Kizen are so strong that monsters just don’t cut it anymore. So I switched from Parasites to Deathworms."
"So you specialize in bugs, huh? Death Knight boy!" Eshe chirped with a chuckle.
Toto’s face turned beet red.
"Please stop calling me that...!"
She put a hand to her mouth and shouted, mimicking a boy’s voice, "Professor! If we made a Dullahan in the first semester, does that mean we can make ’it’ next? The dream of all summoners! A Death Knight!"
"Aaaargh!" Toto cried, waving his hands frantically as his most embarrassing moment was recited right in front of him. Simon and Lorraine couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
’The atmosphere is better than I thought,’ Simon mused. There were no mood-killers or overly flashy personalities. He had a good feeling their teamwork would be strong.
"Everyone, attention," Aaron’s voice cut through the chatter. "There’s no need to get too emotional just because your teams have been decided."
"This is different from the absolute group projects of your first year. There will be more assignments with new team options or separate group members, so be aware of that."
The students all nodded. The teams weren’t permanent.
"Break time is over. We will now move to the test site."
"Yes!"
It was finally starting. The students, who had been gathered in their new teams, stood up energetically.

Comments

Loading...