Chapter 80: Second Arrangement (6)
“Lord Kern, do you perhaps have a group…?”
“Already do.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Having shown off so much, a flood of love calls poured in.
It was only natural that a frontline swordsman like that would make any mage’s heart flutter.
Even more so.
“…Um.”
Dolores had latched onto him too.
“Yeah?”
“W-Well, do you have a group by any chance?”
“Wow. You’re something else.”
After causing all that chaos today, she had the guts to ask if he had a group?
He was genuinely impressed by her pure boldness.
Misinterpreting it, Dolores bit her lip hard and glared at him.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not belittling you. No, you’re the one who got her hair cut by me.”
“…That’s that, and this is this. Besides, teaming up with me would benefit you too, right?”
He nodded.
If he were a truly pure academy student, he would’ve teamed up with Dolores without question. After all, she was the top of the magic department.
Seeing her performance today, it was clear she hadn’t held that position for nothing.
“Sorry. Doesn’t look like it’ll work.”
“…With her?”
Dolores pointed at Merhen.
“Yeah.”
“Why on earth? There’s nothing advantageous about her for you. She even came last in the previous exam. Don’t you need the points?”
“I can take first on my own.”
“…Do you really like her or something?”
“No, Dolores.”
He lowered his voice slightly, and Dolores flinched.
“W-Why?”
“Since when were we close enough for informal speech? You weren’t using it just a bit ago.”
“Y-You’re using informal speech too. And we’re the same age…”
“True enough. Then from now on, you use informal speech too. No mixing.”
“…I was planning to.”
“Anyway, can’t do the party. Already have team members.”
“No, that’s why I’m asking if you like her.”
“Does that matter?”
“Yeah, it does. I kinda like you.”
“…?”
He tilted his head.
What kind of sudden acceleration was this?
Merhen beside him was also looking at Dolores with a baffled expression.
“Why?”
“W-What’s wrong with liking someone?”
“No, there’s no reason to like me.”
“What do you mean no reason? You’re the first one who ever treated me like that… It, it made my heart race.”
He could see Dolores’s face flush bright red as she said it.
Murmur!
The sudden public confession set the surrounding students buzzing wildly.
This was insane.
“Sorry. I already picked my group.”
“S-So, are you two dating or something?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“…Then, I still have a chance?”
“Dolores. How about thinking beyond just your feelings and considering others’ too.”
“Do you hate me?”
“Think about it. What kind of image you’ve shown. And ask yourself.”
“E-Even with short hair, I’m still pretty, right?”
Had she interpreted “image” as her appearance?
He could see her eyes trembling.
‘No, she gets it.’
She understood the meaning, judging by her embarrassment.
She was just charging ahead blindly like a bull.
Kim Minwoo chuckled.
At least Dolores seemed extremely proactive when it came to romance.
Anyone giving their all in any field was admirable.
For someone trying this hard, he should respond in kind.
“Don’t hate you. But we can’t date. Sorry.”
“…”
“Gonna head out.”
He signaled to Merhen.
He left with her.
As if it were obvious, he asked Merhen.
“You’ll join my group, right?”
“…If you’ll have me.”
Perhaps from their previous conversation, she accepted the offer right away.
“…But why are you going this far for me? You and I have nothing to do with each other.”
Why? So he could rack up points now and boss her around later if she became a lackey. Plus, helping her might net a bonus when the arrangement concluded.
If there were clear scores, he needed to stack them up steadily from now.
Of course, he couldn’t say that.
“You know my nickname was blockhead, right?”
“…Heard it.”
“My grades were dead last in the swordsmanship department too. So, someone in the same boat like you kept sticking in my mind. Felt bad, nagging at me. That’s why.”
After a long silence, she mumbled.
“…Thank you. For helping.”
“I’m doing it because I want to.”
“But, were you hiding your skills, Lord Kern?”
“Something like that.”
It was overlaid on Kern’s body, but he couldn’t explain that, so he glossed over it.
“We’re the same age, so isn’t constant formal speech awkward?”
“…Is it?”
“No need for formalities. Let’s be friends. Everyone’s equal in the academy. Sound good?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“Cool. Looking forward to it.”
He offered a handshake.
She grasped his hand.
* * *
There was still time until the practical period.
In the meantime, Kim Minwoo decided to try one thing he’d been thinking about.
He went to find Professor Wellington.
“Oh! Kern! What brings you here? Decided to take Death School classes after all?”
“Professor. Before that, I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Is there no summoning magic in the Death School at all?”
“…Summoning?”
“Yes. Like summoning undead.”
“None. Nothing like that.”
“Why not? Handling corpses, it’s not like no one ever thought of it.”
Wellington nodded at that.
“Certainly a topic worth considering. Quite a few Death Mages have challenged that field. The problem is no one succeeded.”
“Then, if someone who could summon undead appeared, what then?”
“If they did?”
“Yes. Would they get hunted down by some religious group or something?”
“Ha ha, what a joke. If that were the case, other mages would’ve tried it from the start.”
Kim Minwoo nodded.
It matched what Wellington said.
‘The investigations said the same.’
He’d scoured all the academy’s documents. They weren’t avoiding summons due to external pressure; they simply couldn’t do it.
‘No wonder.’
Was creating undead easy in the first place?
If there was know-how or insight, maybe, but starting from an unknown realm made it incredibly difficult.
Even he wouldn’t have summoned skeletons without the skill.
“So, someone who can summon undead could be highly regarded?”
“Hmm. Probably. To us Death Mages, they’d be no different from a hero. Showing it’s truly possible.”
“Wouldn’t work on mages from other schools?”
“Ha ha. Sadly, no. Those guys avoid our school because they hate the repulsive, smelly stuff. Undead summoning? They’d probably just snort.”
“I see.”
“Well, summoning high-tier undead like liches or death knights might be different… Anyway, that’s my take. But why ask?”
The conversation with Wellington gave him certainty.
Conclusion.
He could summon undead.
And this knowledge would be especially valuable to Death Mages.
Other mages avoided them due to disgust from the start.
But Death Mages?
They’d go wild over a single skeleton. It’d be reaching an unattained realm.
‘Just showing that much gets their magic in exchange…’
From what he’d seen, Death School magic was highly practical.
Corpse-utilizing spells.
Bone-based offense and defense spells. Poison spells, etc.
Lots of advanced ones.
‘Perfect for the mages.’
His mages used a few spells, but only basics.
They bounced off high-level monsters. They needed heavy hitters with more mana.
“Professor. I can summon undead.”
“…?”
He summoned a single Skeleton Mage in front of him.
At that moment.
Shock filled Wellington’s eyes.
“I-Impossible!”
His hands trembled like he was having spasms as he grabbed the mage’s face.
“H-How is this…! How did you do it! How on earth!”
“Just imagined it.”
“O-Only imagination makes this possible?”
Soon, Wellington’s eyes turned deadly serious.
“Can you describe that imaginative process?”
“Just thought of undead and reached out. Mana moved on its own.”
“Hmm… Well. Your aptitude is unprecedented. In an unknown realm, the impossible becomes possible…”
Soon, Wellington grabbed his hand desperately.
“…Help us. Let me research this undead! Anything you want, please…!”
“Professor. Isn’t more samples better for research?”
“O-Of course!”
“I can summon a lot of these undead. I’ll let you research them.”
“Oh! Really? Thank you, thank you! You’re the treasure of our Death School!”
“In exchange, one request.”
“Name it!”
“Teach the mages Death School magic. As much as possible.”
“Deal. I’ll teach. I’ll gather every professor in my school! But… can they even learn magic?”
“No idea. Let’s try.”
“Wait a moment!”
Soon, Wellington called all the Death School professors.
Including him, there were five. The professors rushed in and their eyes widened at the Skeleton Mage.
“U-Undead summoning!”
“It was really possible?”
“I-If we teach magic, can we really research these undead?”
He nodded.
“This might make our Death School gloriously revive.”
“Ha ha! Indeed! If we can summon undead like this, it’s possible!”
The professors’ eyes gleamed.
If undead summoning became possible, the Death School’s potential would skyrocket.
Skeletons were just the start. Crack the mechanism, and higher summons were feasible.
It would open immense possibilities for all Death School mages. From bottom ranks to mid-tier in one leap.
The five professors’ eyes sparkled.
Soon, they rented an entire large auditorium.
“S-Summon them! Hurry!”
[Skeleton Mage 1,628 summoned!]
Clatter!
Seeing the auditorium filled with mages, the professors gazed in ecstasy.
“Ahh…”
“Is this heaven…”
“Teach them magic first! This will be part of the research too!”
“Alright! Let’s make history! Summoning research! That’s this year’s project!”
Soon, the five professors began fervent lectures before the skeletons.
[‘Miley’ learns ‘Corpse Explosion’ from ‘Professor Hemerson’…]
[Skeleton Mage 523 teaches ‘Bone Shield’ to ‘Professor Sdall’…]
[Skeleton Mage 1,102 teaches ‘Magic Circle Construction’ to ‘Professor Millenol’…]
Messages began flooding in like a tidal wave.