REAPER SCANS
Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner
[Translator - Ramen]
[Proofreader - Artethrax]
Chapter 482
Swaaaaaaaaah…
It was the middle of the night, and rain was still pouring down outside the window.
The sound of raindrops tapping against the window seemed unusually loud.
'…'
Simon sat on the floor with his arms crossed. After a moment, the bathroom door opened.
"Sorry for troubling you."
Chehekle, Professor Bahil's chief assistant teacher, stepped out of the bathroom, drying her dripping wet hair with a towel.
"N-Not at all, Assistant Teacher! Please, make yourself comfortable."
"I got caught in the sudden rain. I'm sorry."
She bowed her head and sat down in front of Simon. He smelled a faint perfume as she sat, diluted by the smell of rain.
Her hair had been taken care of, but her clothes were still soaked. Simon said in surprise,
"You were drenched. Maybe you should take a shower…"
Chehekle shook her head with a faint smile.
"I'll have to head out again anyway. I will shower back at my place."
"Ah, understood."
Simon tried to appear calm, but in truth, he was incredibly nervous.
A forbidden act even among the forbidden acts. He had brought a woman into his dorm room.
Even if she wasn't a student but an assistant teacher, it didn't matter. If the dorm prefect found out about this, the maximum penalty and possible expulsion would be unavoidable.
Feeling uneasy, Simon glanced toward the bed.
"What about Toto…?"
"I've made sure he's deeply asleep. He won't wake up as long as we don't make too much noise."
It seemed Chehekle had already done something.
Completely unaware of what was happening, Toto was scratching his belly, wearing nothing but his boxers, and was sleeping soundly. Simon pulled Toto's blanket over him for the sake of his dignity.
"Anyway."
Simon avoided Chehekle's gaze as he continued,
"Wh-What brings you to my room, Assistant Teacher…?"
"Simon, no, Student Council President, I have a favor to ask."
"P-Please just call me as you usually do. Is this favor perhaps related to Professor Bahil?"
"It is."
As they talked, Chehekle blinked in confusion.
Simon was acting strange. His face was as red as a carrot, he was stuttering, and he couldn't make eye contact with her.
Then, she belatedly looked down at herself.
"Ah."
Because of the rain, her shirt was soaked, revealing her undergarments. Chehekle covered her chest and made an awkward smile.
"Sorry, in front of a student…"
"N-Not at all."
Finally finding a place to look, Simon regained his composure and returned to a serious expression.
"Has Professor Bahil returned to Roke Island?"
"Yes. We had to mobilize other department professors and even the Crows to find him hiding in his villa. We barely convinced him and brought him back to Roke Island for now."
Simon's face stiffened slightly.
'For now', huh?
"To be honest, the professor's condition is a mess."
Chehekle sighed deeply.
"It seems his despair was too much. He has no motivation for classes, doesn't spout his usual odd nonsense, and just stares blankly at the ceiling without a single thought in his mind. I've never seen him so powerless before."
Simon flinched.
"Could it be…?"
"Yes, it's probably because of what happened with you, Simon."
Simon was a little confused.
"I'm sorry, but it's hard to believe that someone like Professor Bahil would end up like that because of a single student. Could there be another reason you can think of…?"
"It's definitely because of a single student."
Definitively stated Chehekle before adding with a bitter tone,
"You probably have no idea how strong the professor's obsession and determination toward you was."
"…Ah."
What Simon had seen so far was just Bahil's many masks.
Of course, Simon felt that Bahil treated him a little more special than the other students, teaching him things like Compellonia and the 'four great curses' needed to learn it.
But he still hadn't expected that Bahil's mental state would be shattered from a simple rejection.
"…He's pathetic."
As Bahil's story was laid bare, anger and irritation flashed in Chehekle's eyes. She ruffled her damp hair roughly and muttered bitterly under her breath. Then, Simon's face turned red suddenly, and he quickly turned his head away.
"Hm?"
Chehekle, who was brushing her hair back into place, belatedly realized and laughed, covering her chest.
"Sorry."
"I-It's fine."
Simon turned his head back and cleared his throat.
"But Assistant Teacher Chehekle… it doesn't seem like you have only good feelings toward Professor Bahil, either."
"…Yeah, you're right."
She sighed deeply.
"To be honest, I resent him."
"What happened?"
Without much emotion or hesitation, she began to tell her story.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Ramen
Proofreader - Artethrax
Join our discord for updates on releases!
* * *
"When Professor Bahil was still a rookie professor and I was still a student at Kizen, he valued my talent. He wanted to have me."
Chehekle stared silently into Simon's eyes for a second, as if to say, 'Just like you,' before continuing,
"In the end, his constant interference meant I couldn't endure my second year, and I dropped out. As soon as I packed my things and took off my uniform, he offered me the position as his assistant teacher."
She said that, at the time, she had no choice but to accept the offer. Her parents had fallen seriously ill, so she needed money for immediate treatment.
Bahil not only took responsibility for her parents' treatment but also guaranteed her the position of the next Curses professor.
She accepted her enemy's proposal and became her enemy's subordinate.
"But my resentment only grew."
Said Chehekle, looking up at the ceiling.
"While I was stuck supporting the professor and preparing materials for students, my peers were living their happiest lives at school, running toward their bright futures. Can you even imagine how it feels when you're sweeping the floor and bowing your head in submission whenever you see your peers or juniors?"
"…"
Simon let both his hands fall to the floor, his face carrying hundreds of emotions.
"So, enduring your life as an assistant teacher and rising to the position of chief assistant teacher is also…"
"Yes, I wanted to get revenge on him."
Chehekle smiled.
"I tried countless times. I leaked critical information to his competitors, I published papers that refuted his own… But as time passed, I realized I wasn't even close to being his match. He's a real genius. Someone ordinary like me could never defeat such a genius."
When Chehekle concluded that surpassing Bahil with skill was impossible, she shifted to full-on opposition. There were even times when she inflicted significant damage that could have jeopardized his position as a professor.
However, Bahil never blamed Chehekle in a single situation.
"Do whatever you wish. Just stay by my side, Chehekle."
And no matter what, he never accepted Chehekle's resignation.
'So it wasn't just a simple professor-and-assistant-teacher relationship, but a connection tangled with complex stories.'
Simon observed a myriad of emotions on Chehekle's face.
A relationship filled with both love and hatred.
That was probably the most fitting way to describe what was between Chehekle and Bahil.
"Of course, I still haven't given up on getting revenge on him."
Said Chehekle in a low whisper.
"But even so, I don't want to succeed in my revenge against someone who has become so lifeless."
"Assistant Teacher…"
"It seems I rambled too much. Let's return to the topic at hand. I have a favor to ask of you, Simon."
Chehekle, who had been laying on her side, politely folded her knees under her and bowed her head. She seemed to be kneeling, so Simon panickedly mimicked the same stance.
"A-Assistant Teacher…!"
"Tomorrow is the subject registration day, right?"
She raised her head with a serious face.
"I'm not trying to ask for too much. I'd like your first general subject registration to be Professor Bahil's Curses subject."
"What?"
Simon blinked.
He had already finalized his schedule with the student council members.
Of course, he had planned to register for Bahil's curse, too, but it was their second preference. Their first was set to be Jane's Mechanics of Jet-Black.
"…B-But will that really be enough?"
"He's an adult, but his sentiments are somewhat childlike. It's a trait of geniuses, or perhaps eccentrics."
Chehekle sighed.
"Even though, as a second-year, you chose Professor Aaron, if you can at least give him the assurance that he's next…"
Hope shimmered in her eyes.
"You might be able to bring that man back from the brink of despair."
* * *
The next morning.
The heavy rain that fell throughout the night had significantly eased. That meant, thankfully, the subject registration season could proceed smoothly today.
Four hundred second-year students, wearing raincoats that had been distributed to be over their uniforms, stood at a starting line outside the second-year campus.
"Yaaaaawn…"
Among the adults standing in front of the students, there was a familiar face.
The necromancer of cards, 'Endolas Vaudeville'.
One of the continent's top ten mysteries alongside Nefthis. He was the person who had overseen the fourth BDMAT when Simon was a first-year student.
Endolas rubbed his eyes, his face awash with exhaustion.
"Pulling an all-nighter on such a rainy day is killing me."
"Oh my, thank you for your hard work, Sir Endolas!"
A Kizen staff member was chatting with Endolas.
Meanwhile, the students were a mess of noise as they talked amongst each other about the subject registration process.
"What? You're changing the order now?!"
Simon explained the situation to the student council members. As Meilyn jumped up and down in frustration, Simon scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry for deciding this on my own all of a sudden…"
In the end, Simon had decided to accept Chehekle's proposal.
Setting aside who Bahil was as a person, Simon liked his classes.
Bahil's teaching skills were undeniably exceptional, and Simon had personally benefited from his help many times. Most notably, the 'Compellonia' skill he taught had once saved Simon's life.
He couldn't let the person who had saved his life fall apart like this.
If simply changing Bahil's registration order from second to first could save him, Simon was more than willing to do that much.
"It's okay, Simon! Don't stress."
Camibarez smiled brightly.
"You've only changed the registration order a little. We're still all taking Professor Jane's, Bahil's, and Hong Feng's classes together, right?"
"Yeah, that's right!"
"I'm sure all four of us will be able to take classes together, just like old times!"
Simon felt an extra boost of confidence surge through him from Camibarez' encouragement. Meanwhile, Rick was deeply lost in thoughts, his arms crossed.
"Hmm… Then, maybe we should just follow Simon and make Curses our first priority?"
"No, no, you guys don't have to change your plans off of my whim."
The truth was, Rick had secretly snuck out of the dormitory the previous night, mapped out the shortest route, and noted the positions of the cards set by Endolas.
Changing the order wouldn't only render Rick's efforts pointless but also introduce too many variables.
"Don't worry, I work better alone anyway. I'll figure out how to register for all three subjects."
Confidently said Simon, clenching and unclenching his fists in preparation.
Just then, a Kizen staff member and Endolas Vaudeville stepped forward.
"Alright, second-years, we'll now explain the rules for subject registration!"
Simon already knew the details because he had heard them from Rick.
The second-year campus had been transformed using Endolas Vaudeville's supernatural ability, becoming a chaotic 'wonderland' where monsters roamed and the world had changed.
The professors were waiting in their respective labs within the campus buildings. Students had to visit them with subject registration forms and obtain their signatures to complete the registration process.
Of course, once a class reached its capacity, registration was no longer possible. The time taken to reach a professor and the energy spent navigating through monsters and traps would go to waste. Therefore, quick and decisive thinking was crucial.
"You'll all be entering while wearing these protective suits!"
Endolas held up a vest and said,
"This protective suit converts the attacks from my card monsters into numerical values which deplete your 'barrier gauge'. Once the gauge hits zero, you'll be trapped in a barrier at that spot for thirty minutes."
The students let out shocked gasps.
Thirty minutes was more than enough time to register for a whole subject.
"Woah, guess you gotta be careful…"
Muttered Rick.
"At this level of competition, a thirty-minute penalty is basically game over."
Saying that, Meilyn turned to Simon.
"Hey Simon?"
"Yeah?"
"Just so you know, there are more students choosing Professor Jane's class as their first subject than the maximum capacity of her class. Do you understand what that means?"
Simon nodded.
"It means I have to reach Professor Bahil first, then get to Professor Jane before those who are only going to her."
"That's right. I won't try to stop you now, but are you sure you can pull it off?"
Feeling Meilyn's sincere concern, Simon responded with a smirk.
"Yeah, I'll make it happen, no matter what."
Rick exclaimed, "That's our president!" and handed Simon a map.
"Fortunately, the Curses building and the Mechanics of Jet-Black building are close to each other! If you move twice as fast as everyone else, you might barely make it!"
"Okay."
"Alright, students! Are! You! Ready!!!"
At Endolas Vaudeville's shout, all the students responded with, "Yes!!!"
"The subject registration season is now upon you! I hope you all get into the classes you want!"
With a dramatic sweep of his cape, his arm came down.
"Begin!"
——
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