Strength That Does Not Require Direct Control
The Student Council President's inauguration ceremony drew to a successful close.
And now came the final act — the 'Department Introduction Corner,' newly established by the student council at the tail end of the entrance ceremony.
The reaction could only be described as explosive.
"Hello there, new students! I'm Jamie Victoria, a second-year from the Curse Magic department!"
With Jamie at the helm, the second-years took the stage one by one, explaining each department, the pros and cons of choosing it as a major, and weaving in anecdotes from their own first-year experiences.
"Simon, look over there!"
Camibarez tugged excitedly at Simon's sleeve, her face glowing.
"Everyone's paying such close attention!"
"Yeah."
Simon found it astonishing as well.
Not a single student was slacking off or dozing.
Was it because the elders' speeches had been so mind-numbingly dull by comparison? Or perhaps because, on the very eve of their first classes, the freshmen's focus was at its absolute peak?
Everyone hung on Jamie's every word as if missing a single syllable would cost them dearly. Some freshmen were already fumbling notebooks out of their bags, scribbling furiously.
Seywir, the emcee, used his illusion abilities to reproduce Jamie's words in living imagery behind her, and Jamie herself demonstrated some of the most potent curses the department had to offer.
"That's all from me! It's been an honor to introduce Curse Magic to you all! Once you're second-years a year from now, I hope you'll come join us in the Curse department! Thank you!"
Jamie landed her opening act flawlessly, and a storm of cheers erupted from the freshmen.
But the moment she strutted proudly back past the curtain and reached the space behind the podium, she collapsed into a seat and let out a long, shaky breath.
"Uuugh, I was so nervous! So, so nervouuus!"
"You killed it, Class President! Absolute best!"
Meilyn shrieked with delight, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her vigorously. Simon came over as well.
"Great work up there. You're a really talented speaker."
"I practiced all day yesterday! And that emcee guy was quick on his feet, playing off me so smoothly too."
Jamie looked up at Simon and smiled.
"Thank you, everyone. For putting me up on that stage. It was a genuinely wonderful experience."
Just then, Seywir's voice rang out.
"Next, please welcome the student who will introduce Jet-Black Mechanics — second-year Meilyn Villenne!"
Now it was Meilyn's turn.
She bounded onto the stage brimming with confidence, and needless to say, she gave a commanding display of exactly why she'd been chosen as Vice President.
"If I had to guess, you'd all assume this is the easiest department to get into, wouldn't you? The safe, unremarkable pick for anyone whose talent is a maybe-yes-maybe-no?"
Hahahaha!
The freshmen who'd been struck square in the sore spot burst into laughter, and Meilyn spread her arms wide.
"Well then, allow me to shatter that preconception! What can you actually do with Jet-Black Mechanics? Please direct your attention to the screens."
Not a single slip-up. Not a single tangled word.
Unswayed by the roaring crowd, occasionally pausing to banter with her audience, she marched confidently through everything she had prepared — and the sight of her from behind was dazzling.
Simon found himself thinking, once again, that he'd chosen the right Vice President.
Meilyn's presentation was a smashing success too.
"Next up is our student in charge of the Summoning department. Simon Polentia!"
WAAAAAAAH!
The henchmen waiting behind the stage clapped their hands over their ears for a moment. Simon, ears plugged as well, laughed sheepishly.
"Wow, look at you. Practically a superstar."
Cindy Vivace remarked with a smirk.
Before long, Simon stepped up to the podium, took hold of the amplifying crystal orb, and began his introduction of the Summoning department. Most of what he said bore Aaron's influence.
He didn't inflate the department into something it wasn't. He honestly acknowledged the practical drawbacks — that it could be seen as out of step with current trends.
"But—"
Simon's eyes gleamed.
"One thing I do know for certain — I have never once heard of a necromancer who couldn't summon."
Laughter rippled out across the hall. The merriest reactions of all, funnily enough, came from the elders up on the third floor.
Though somewhat behind the times, the older necromancers still loved their Summoning.
"As necromancers, I believe honing our summoning is simply a given. Having an army that is truly your own — and knowing that no matter the situation, you are never alone."
Simon's eyes shone as he stretched his arms out toward his juniors.
"I'll admit the risks exist. But I'm confident there will be people who — just like me — love this discipline enough to shoulder every one of those risks. That's all from me. Thank you!"
The loudest ovation of the entire ceremony erupted.
The very existence of a senior named Simon Polentia.
Next year, the Summoning department's popularity was set to explode all over again.
After Simon came Cindy to introduce Spirit Magic, and then it was Camibarez and Claudia's turn.
Camibarez's popularity, in particular, was tremendous.
"O-our department, Hemomancy, is, umm…!"
This was her first time ever presenting in front of so many people. She twisted her legs into knots as she pressed on.
"B-because it consumes blood, some of you might feel, uhm, hesitant… but in truth, more than any other department…!"
It was far from a perfect presentation, but she was summoning her courage and doing well all the same. The freshmen listened on, smiles softening the fronts of their faces.
"You can do it, Cami!"
"Kyaaaaa!"
"I think I'm gonna cry!"
Meanwhile, behind the stage, Meilyn, Jamie, Cindy, and Claudia had knelt down in a neat row, peeking their heads out past the curtain to watch.
"…And what, exactly, are the four of you doing sitting in a row like that?"
Dick, who had just finished seeing off the VIPs and come down, let out an awkward laugh. Simon answered.
"Cami's introducing the Hemomancy department right now."
"Ah, I see."
Dick snickered and waved a single script card.
"What's that?"
"Heh heh heh! The one Cami dropped during practice! She'll probably realize any second now—"
"SIMOooON!"
Suddenly, Camibarez — who had been presenting so well — came sprinting toward Simon, on the verge of tears.
"S-Simon! The paper I wrote my notes on is goooone…!"
"Ah, that's when you just wing it with ad-libs, Cami!"
Dick said mischievously, but Simon quietly swiped Dick's script away with Cloud and handed it back to Camibarez. The moment she realized what had happened, she whirled on Dick and shrieked.
"I hate you, Dick!"
Whoosh!
The sight of her spinning on her heel and hurrying straight back to the podium sent the girls crumbling to the floor.
"Haaahhh."
"I really do miss our Class A days."
Dick grinned awkwardly and scratched his head.
"It was just a joke, but maybe that was a bit much for Cami."
"Yeah. Apologize properly later."
"Yessir~ I'll start with a full bow to the floor."
After Camibarez and Claudia, it was time for the Magic Combat presenter to take the stage — a student Simon had personally reached out to recruit.
Seywir called out.
"And just like that, we've reached our final corner! New students, are you sad it's over?"
"YESSS!!"
"Well, all good things must end — and now you'll have to head off to class! The henchmen running the broadcast are shooting me some rather pointed looks, you see. In any case, to close us out, please welcome the student who will introduce Magic Combat — 'Kajaan Edvalt'!"
Kajaan strode forward in long, heavy steps without the slightest trace of nerves.
Taking the amplifying crystal orb Seywir handed him, he habitually scratched at the wound over his right eye.
Scars across his entire body, bandages visible beneath his uniform — his appearance was so striking that the freshmen grew visibly tense.
"I only came because the President asked, but there's nothing particularly worth introducing about Magic Combat."
The freshmen murmured uneasily. Behind the stage, Meilyn seized Simon's shoulder and shook it.
"Hey! What happened with the recruitment?!"
At that moment, Kajaan clenched his fist tightly — and swung it lightly forward.
VUUUUUUM!
A colossal gust of wind burst outward, sweeping across the hall. The seated freshmen's hair whipped wildly, and a few small personal belongings went tumbling into the air.
Having unleashed the shockwave, Kajaan slowly lowered his fist.
"No small talk needed. Magic Combat is the symbol of pure strength."
Having seized every eye in the hall with that opening display, Kajaan moved on to his detailed explanation.
"I imagine everyone carries preconceptions about Magic Combat. But the prevailing consensus is this: a Magic Combat major can mount the fastest, most straightforward response in any situation, and deliver consistent strength against any opponent."
"Note that, according to Pentamonium's statistics, the most sought-after partner among professional necromancers is a Magic Combat major. A Magic Combat specialist protects their comrades while they prepare their dark magic, buying time for them to show their true worth — and can deter even a mightier foe with a preemptive strike."
"That is not to say their follow-up firepower is lacking. A Magic Combat major forgoes magic circles, and in exchange…"
Not only the freshmen listening, but every second-year waiting behind the stage stood frozen with their mouths hanging open.
Both feet planted firmly on the floor, not a gesture, not so much as a shift of his body — in an utterly restrained posture, he delivered a riveting speech.
"H-he's even good with words. Senior Kajaan."
Meilyn wore a dazed smile.
"That's my former roommate for you!"
Dick exclaimed, thoroughly fired up.
"Think about who Kajaan actually is! This is not someone you beat with a student-level presentation skill set!"
And so, when Kajaan finished his presentation and returned behind the podium, Simon and the students greeted him with rapturous cheers.
The newly created Department Introduction Corner, born of the student council's idea, ended as a resounding success.
Meilyn ran a quick survey at the entrance, and it posted an overwhelmingly higher satisfaction rating than any other segment of the entire entrance ceremony.
"At this rate, wouldn't this end up becoming a permanent fixture of every Kizen entrance ceremony?"
Meilyn ran her happy-circuit at full speed. And of course, Dick's VIP hospitality had been a triumph as well.
"Heh heh! Feel free to expect a snowball effect from a single shared drink. The elders will have plenty of good things to say about us to Kizen headquarters."
It was an entrance ceremony that satisfied everyone — from the humblest of the many to the most exalted of the few. Jane, the faculty advisor for the student council, even sought the four of them out to tell them they'd done well.
With that, the freshmen departed for their classes, and Simon and the student council members finished tidying up the Great Auditorium alongside their direct henchmen before heading back to the dormitories.
After a deep, proper rest, morning came.
Now it was time for the second-years to begin Kizen's full-fledged second-year, first-semester classes in earnest.
Aaron shuffled into the lecture hall in his signature ambling gait.
The students had already laid out their textbooks and Skeleton Knight materials neatly across the lab desks.
"Did everyone rest well?"
"Yes!!"
Aaron nodded and took his place at the podium.
"I see the textbooks and materials are all prepared. From today on, discard every last trace of those bumbling first-year habits of yours. Approach this class as befits a specialist."
Aaron picked up a piece of chalk and slowly wrote across the blackboard.
Chalk arm lowered, Aaron turned back to the students and spoke.
"Can anyone here tell me the difference between a standard skeleton and a Skeleton Knight?"
As the students traded furtive glances, one young woman raised her hand without a hint of hesitation.
"Aseraz Mikel."
Rank 5 overall. Holder of the overwhelming No. 1 written-exam score in the entire year, she rose from her seat.
"Cost, speed, armament — there are many differences, but the clearest one can be summed up in a single phrase."
Aseraz continued, her eyes serious.
"Strength that does not require direct control."
Strength that does not require direct control.
What did that mean?
"Well said."
Aaron nodded and gestured for her to sit. Then he swept his arm through the air.
CLATTERCLATTERCLATTER!
The bones scattered around the lecture hall took flight, whirling through the air before assembling into three standard skeletons and one Skeleton Knight before the students.
The stage was set in a matter of seconds.
At the stripped-down, immaculately clean control, the students let out gasps of admiration without realizing it. In particular, the astonished reactions from the back rows made Simon feel his shoulders puff up for no good reason.
"From this point on, I will not intervene with my thoughts. Let them fight a pure battle."
Clack-clack-clack!
Clack-clack!
The three standard skeletons charged in, swords raised. Though itself undead, the Skeleton Knight wore armor and carried a sword and shield in its hands.
BANG! BANG!
In the opening phase of the fight, the skeletons used their superior numbers to shove the Skeleton Knight back mercilessly. The Skeleton Knight held its shield forward, moving defensively.
Interesting.
While the students simply enjoyed the spectacle of the battle, Simon's eyes were glittering in a peculiar way.
A defensive-minded undead — even without thought-based control?
Undead, being monsters made from corpses, never hesitate to throw their own bodies away. Recklessness, brutishness, cruelty — those are the words that come to mind at the very mention of the undead.
And yet the Skeleton Knight displayed a defensive inclination. And then—
WHACK!
It began parrying the skeletons' attacks, one after another. Striking out at legs and chests with shield and sword, it started to break them down.
WHACK! WHACK!
Three reduced to two.
CRACK!
And then it succeeded in cutting down the last skeleton standing.
"As you can see, a single Skeleton Knight carries the combat strength of three standard skeletons."
As the Skeleton Knight raised its sword in a victory ceremony, the Summoning students burst into raucous laughter.
"Had there been four skeletons, the Knight would have been overwhelmed outright. Next—"
CLATTERCLATTER!
Before the still-celebrating Skeleton Knight, another standard skeleton was assembled. The two skeletons raised swords of identical length and took identical stances.
"The difference in available techniques."
TWANG!
The skeleton advanced using Dash. The Skeleton Knight skipped the dash entirely and simply swung its sword.
HRMMMM!
Simon's eyes went wide. He could see jet-black light rippling across the Skeleton Knight's equipment.
The two skeletons swung their swords at almost the same instant.
BOOM!!
The charging skeleton's body shattered into hundreds of fragments that went spinning through the air.
It had been utterly pulverized.
"In place of the charge technique 'Dash,' the Skeleton Knight can use the strike technique 'Bash.'"
WAAAAAAH!
The students clapped and cheered.
"This is awesome!"
"Now THIS is what class should feel like!"
Amid the cheers of the Summoning students — especially those in the back rows — Aaron carried on in a calm voice.
"Now, keeping everything you've just seen in mind, the question again. Besides Aseraz, can anyone explain the meaning of 'strength that does not require direct control'?"
SWISH!
This time, Simon raised his hand as if he'd been waiting for the chance.
Aaron nodded, while Aseraz turned to regard him with wary eyes.
"Simon Polentia."
Simon rose proudly from his seat.