"You're a Necromancer, Aren't You?"
“You're a necromancer, aren't you?”
The voice was sharp as a drawn blade.
Sensing that something was badly wrong, Simon hurried to add, “Wait a second, I—!”
The moment his mouth opened, she was already moving. Before her kicking right leg had even come down, her body launched into the air and her left foot came flying.
THWACK!
Simon immediately raised both arms to guard. The sheer force of the blow sent him skidding backward.
Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom!
The instant distance opened between them, holy magic circles bloomed around her like paintings. From within, white flashes of light began pouring out like machine-gun fire.
“Ghk!”
Simon stomped down on his Jet-Black and leapt skyward. Massive holy explosions erupted one after another across the ground where he'd stood.
So much for a conversation!
Even as she bombarded him with attack after attack from her white magic circles, she clasped both hands before her chest and began to pray.
He could see her body wreathing itself in radiance—blue, green, and gold. Simon's expression hardened.
A priest's Blessing!
The air around them changed. If necromancers had curses, then priests had blessings—and he could feel an immense, indescribable energy shaking the very atmosphere.
She drew her arm back and unfurled another holy magic circle.
Vuuuuuuum!
It was the same spell as before, but cast under the power of a Blessing, it was now five times the size.
Exorcism
A volley of radiant flashes burst from within and swallowed Simon's entire body in a massive explosion.
Kukukukukuu—
A bombing-type white spell that was especially lethal against necromancers and the undead. Certain of her victory, she stood quietly and gazed into the heart of the blast.
Sickness
Then, from within the explosion, a dark streak shot out and pierced straight through her.
Her eyes widened in shock. The landscape around her split into three overlapping images, and a wave of nausea crashed over her.
A curse!
She swiftly cast a powerful protective barrier of holy light around herself, then pressed a hand to her chest and began purifying the curse.
She was genuinely surprised. Even after being caught in white magic that was overwhelmingly fatal to necromancers, he'd still had strength left to complete a curse.
I let my guard down. The moment this curse is cleansed, I resume the fight.
White light rippled across her chest, and her wavering vision returned to normal. Then, from within the cloud of smoke and debris, a quiet voice reached her ears.
“Anna Polentia.”
At those words, her eyes went wide. Standing in the smoke without a single defensive dark spell cast, utterly unharmed, was Simon—and he was wearing a wry smile.
“You came to see our mom, didn't you?”
“......”
Her movements stopped.
Frankly, after being ambushed like that, he would have been well within his rights to fight back. But Simon made one last attempt at talking. Whatever else she might be, she was the benefactor carrying the cure for Anna's illness. He didn't want to fight her.
“You're......”
Her voice trembled.
Not so much with shock as with a low simmering anger.
Her robe lifted in the wind, and hair as pure white as fresh winter snow cascaded down like a flowing wave.
“—his son?”
Lethe. Eighteen years old. Currently enrolled as a first-year at Efnel.
That was all she'd offered by way of introduction. The two of them had halted their battle and were now climbing the mountain range together.
“I'll pick up the pace.”
Simon kicked off the ground and leapt. He worried whether she could keep up—but Lethe, refusing to be left behind, stamped on her own divinity and shot upward after him.
“Just don't worry about me. Maximum speed, shortest route. Go.”
She spat the words out flatly.
“And keep a three-meter personal distance from me, you damn necromancer.”
......Haha.
He'd revealed that he was Anna Polentia's son, but her hostility hadn't diminished by so much as a speck of dust. The sense was less reconciliation than a grudging, gritted-teeth truce born of urgency.
He briefly debated whether it was really safe to bring this person home, but there hadn't been any choice in the matter.
Several hours passed without another word, and at last the two of them arrived at their destination.
“Haa—hoo. Here it is.”
Even though Simon, with his superhuman stamina, was the one puffing for breath, she showed not a trace of fatigue as she stared quietly at the little treehouse.
“So Teacher Anna is here......”
She swallowed hard, tension written across her face, and approached the door.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Then, before Simon could even open it for her, she shoved the door open herself and marched inside.
“Ah, welcome.”
Richard, seated on the living room sofa, rose from his chair. A warm, kindly smile spread across his face as he extended his hand.
“You've come such a long way—thank you so much for your trouble. I'm Richard Polentia, Anna's husband.”
Grrrrrrrrrr.
Simon flinched in alarm. Lethe had crouched low like a wary wild animal, hostility burning in her every line.
Then—whether to muster her patience or simply force it—she ignored Richard's outstretched hand entirely and bowed at the waist.
“......I am...... pleased to make your...... acquaintance. My name is...... Lethe Shardena.”
Bowing her head to a necromancer was apparently humiliation itself; her face flushed scarlet and her voice shook violently.
Watching her, Richard awkwardly withdrew his hand.
“Ah—forgive me, that was rude of me. Anna's in here.”
Richard stepped aside and gestured them through. Lethe strode into the inner room with long, purposeful steps, and Simon followed.
“Ah.”
Her shoulder bag slipped off and thudded to the floor. The moment she saw Anna lying frail and hollow-eyed on the bed, Lethe's pupils trembled dangerously.
“Teacherrrr Annnaaa!”
Sobbing, she rushed to the bedside, calling Anna's name over and over—a completely different creature from the one who'd glared at Simon and Richard.
“......Lethe?”
Anna's eyes fluttered open. Lethe clasped her hands in her own, eyes brimming with emotion.
“Yes, Teacher! It's me! It's Lethe!”
“......I'm sorry, making you come all this way.”
“Oh, ohhh...”
Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to spill over at any moment.
“R-right away! I'm starting your treatment right now!”
Lethe fumbled frantically through her backpack and pulled out a single vial, one wrapped in layer upon layer of protective enchantments. Then she shot a withering glare at the two men standing a few steps back.
“You two would only interfere with the treatment, so I would be most grateful if you would kindly wait outside.”
Having delivered her notice in a voice cold enough to freeze the room, she slammed the door shut with a resounding BANG! Simon and Richard meekly retreated to the living room.
“Will she really be all right?”
Simon asked, worry plain in his voice, and Richard grinned.
“Don't fret. That girl holds absolute reverence for Anna. And her skill is the real deal, too.”
“Well, I suppose being enrolled at Efnel says something......”
“She's no ordinary Efnel student.”
Richard leaned back against the sofa and went on.
“Lethe Shardena—Efnel's Special Admission No. 1. Undisputedly the finest first-year in all of Efnel, and—”
Richard's gaze shifted toward Simon.
“—before long, she'll be the most powerful rival you've ever faced.”
By the time several hours had passed since Lethe had gone in, Anna's health had been fully restored.
The first thing she did upon regaining consciousness and rising from her bed was roll up her sleeves and march straight to the kitchen.
“There's nothing fancy, but eat as much as you like!”
And a little later, at dinnertime, Simon and Lethe were casting bewildered smiles at the table—covered from end to end in food.
“......Mom, this is 'nothing fancy'?”
A lavish feast spread out before them, so opulent that the table legs themselves seemed in danger of buckling.
Anna brushed her hair back and smiled shyly.
“Simon came home, and it's been so long since I've seen Lethe—your mom worked up a little celebratory effort, you see.”
“You truly are Teacher Anna herself!”
Lethe cried out, hands clasped tightly together, her eyes shining with admiration.
“I want to learn to cook from you, Teacher!”
“Why, you can learn from me anytime. But you're a guest tonight, Lethe, so eat to your heart's content.”
“Yes, ma'am~! Thank you!”
Lethe replied in a voice brimming with affection. But the instant her eyes met Simon's across the table, her expression flipped back to frost—like none of it had ever happened—and she muttered under her breath.
“It'd be a perfect evening, it would, if only a certain necromancer's face weren't sitting at the table.”
Simon smiled bitterly.
Being discriminated against as a necromancer didn't exactly feel wonderful, but say what she would—she was the benefactor who had saved Anna's life. He was grateful enough that he'd willingly put up with anything for as long as she stayed under their roof.
Anna set a barbecue dish at the center of the table and took her seat. Before the meal, Lethe and Anna prayed together, while Simon and Richard waited for the prayer to end before lifting their utensils last.
Wow. How long has it been since I had a home-cooked meal?
Kizen's dining hall was famous for its quality, but even so, he couldn't help thinking that nothing could compare to Anna's home cooking.
Simon carefully moved a single slice of tomato omelet onto his own plate.
“Simon, is the omelet not enough?”
Anna asked with a kind smile.
“Oh, no, no! I was just having one sl—”
“One moment!”
Anna sprang up from her seat and vanished into the kitchen. Then she returned with an entire additional platter of omelet and heaped it onto his plate.
“Honey.”
This time it was Richard who spoke up.
“This meat pie is incredible today.”
“Oh, you think so? I'm so glad~ I'll make another pan!”
“No, no! Wait, wait! That's not what I—!”
Even the great Richard Polentia himself was powerless to hold back the kitchen-bound Anna. A miracle was unfolding at that dinner table: no matter how much they ate, the dishes never seemed to diminish.
Only then did it truly sink in for Simon that he was home, and relief washed over him. The tension that had been wound tight in his chest finally came loose, warm and easy.
In high spirits, he reached out his fork to serve himself some cream pasta—and his eyes met Lethe's. Her face was scrunched up in undisguised revulsion.
“What?”
“Nothing at all.”
Lethe whipped her head away. Come to think of it, he noticed she was carefully picking through the spread, eating only the dishes that neither Simon nor Richard had touched.
Simon turned his fork and helped himself to another piece of the omelet he'd been eating. And with swift, practiced motion, Lethe twirled up a generous helping of the cream pasta.
“Oh, Lethe.”
Anna, who had finally emerged with a second pan of meat pie, set it down in front of Richard and said,
“You're not eating your tomato omelet? I worked so hard on it—it's your favorite, isn't it?”
Lethe hadn't touched the omelet since Simon had taken that first slice. She flinched, her eyes darting about.
“I-I was just getting to it......!”
“Oh, did you not like the taste? Maybe the egg layer was too thick? Tell me what's wrong and I'll make a fresh one.”
Simon and Richard fixed Lethe with long, knowing stares.
After an agonizing hesitation that seemed to stretch on forever, she finally sampled a piece of the tomato omelet—the very piece Simon's utensils had touched—and forced out a smile.
“Wow, it's absolutely delicious, Teacher! The best omelet of my life!”
“Oh, thank goodness. I'm so happy you liked it, Lethe.”
Lethe clutched her forehead in utter defeat. And just then, he caught a glimpse of Anna chuckling softly on her way back to the kitchen.
Simon snorted too. So that was her plan all along.
And so the peaceful hours drifted by, until at last the meal came to an end. Everyone had eaten themselves completely stuffed.
There was one moment of crisis when Anna, declaring she would make seven kinds of dessert, made to return to the kitchen—but the entire family seized her by the trousers and talked her out of it. That alone was their greatest triumph of the night.
“Mom, I'll do the dishes.”
Simon said, rising to his feet.
Lethe, who had been absentmindedly patting her full stomach, shot her hand up the instant she heard him.
“No! I'll do them!”
There was nothing on earth she would lose to a necromancer.
Watching Lethe burn with competitive zeal, Anna smiled gently.
“Oh, it's fine, sweetie. You're our guest.”
“But everything was just so delicious! Please, let me help with the dishes at least~ You're not fully recovered yet, remember?”
And as she said it, Lethe shot a sidelong glance in Simon's direction.
Anna caught the look too. She glanced back and forth between the two of them, then clasped her hands together and beamed.
“Oh my, then why don't the two of you do it together~?”
“Y-yes?”
Having so cheerfully delivered her verdict, Anna retreated to the inner room with Richard.
Uh. This is not what I meant.
Lethe let out a small sigh. Then, wearing an expression cold as ice, she rose from her seat.
“What are you waiting for? Let's get started.”
“R-right. Yeah.”
The two of them began washing up. Simon scrubbed the plates vigorously, stripping away grease and grime; Lethe rinsed them under the water, wiped them down with a dry cloth, and set them back in their places.
For a while they stood side by side, the only sound the clatter and clink of dishes, both of them lost in the work.
“By the way.”
Lethe broke the silence.
“You're really Kizen's Special Admission No. 1?”
“Yeah, that's right.”
Lethe set down the plate she'd been wiping and spoke quietly.
“When this is done, come outside. You and me. One round.”