Necromancer School's Summoning Genius Chapter 20
How much time had passed? Simon's consciousness began to slowly return.
[Oh ho, have you come to your senses!]
And as soon as he opened his eyes, what he saw was a tall skeleton with burning eyes.
Simon quickly sat up.
"...... Pier! Wh-what happened?"
[The contract was successfully completed.
Feel the changes in your body!]
Simon blinked and placed his hand on his chest.
'The core......!'
The core had grown larger.
Not only that, but the dark energy that used to be burdensome even in small amounts now felt as comfortable as warm water.
It felt like some fundamental change had occurred.
[Congratulations on becoming one of the seven 'Legion Commanders' in the world! Boy!]
Pier grinned.
As Simon tried to stand up, a wave of dizziness made him cover his forehead with his palm.
[Don't overdo it! Your body has undergone a massive change.]
"Ah, yes."
During the process of the contract, Simon had nearly fainted several times.
The terrible feeling of his entire body being overwhelmed by an unknown sense of alienation was so painful that he had considered biting his tongue to end it all.
'I won't be able to move for a while.
I'll have to stay here tonight.'
Simon sighed softly and looked at Pier.
"I have a question, Pier."
[Ask away, boy!]
Pier crossed his arms and spoke solemnly.
"What is a legion?"
[.......]
A deep silence fell over the ruins.
[What! You made a contract with me without even knowing that!]
"Yes."
He had come to the place Nephthys, his father's comrade, had told him about, and met Pier, his father's undead.
That was all there was to it.
Pier laughed as if he couldn't believe it.
[It might take some time to fully understand you as a person! Very well.
I'll explain it to you!]
Pier's gaze turned serious.
[Before that, how much do you know about the undead?]
"Um...... about as much as a first-year student at Kizen."
[Ha! A mere freshman dared to come here alone! Truly worthy of being Richard's son!]
Pier began his explanation.
According to him, the undead in this world are classified into three types.
The first is the summoned undead.
All the undead controlled by necromancers fall into this category.
They are artificially created from corpses through dark magic and move according to the necromancer's commands.
They disappear when the dark magic's effect wears off or after a certain period.
The second is the natural undead.
These are undead that are naturally generated without any relation to necromancers or dark magic.
They are generally known to people and are feared across the continent due to their blind hatred for the living and extreme aggression.
They fall into the 'monster' category designated by humans.
And the third is.
[The legion!]
Pier raised his voice.
[The legion is an existence that lies exactly in the middle between 'summoned undead' and 'natural undead'! They are natural undead capable of self-sustaining with their own core, yet they also obey the commands of necromancers and higher entities as summoned undead!]
"Legion-type undead......."
Simon murmured as if to engrave it in his mind, slowly nodding his head.
[There are only 7 legions in this world.
In other words, there are only 7 necromancers in the world who can control a legion.
Including you, boy!]
Pier's story was full of surprises.
Ordinary summoning necromancers are said to lead undead in platoon units.
Some necromancers move undead troops in company units, and high-ranking necromancers at the Kizen level can operate in battalion units, albeit somewhat inefficiently.
The reason for these numerical constraints is that all the undead led by necromancers are 'summoned undead.' Summoning them and controlling them both consume dark energy and mental strength.
However, the legion, which moves with its own magic, was completely free from these constraints.
[The legion has no limits! Whether it's an army of a hundred thousand or a million, it can be operated infinitely! If you've heard stories of necromancers leading massive undead armies, it was undoubtedly about a legion commander!]
"Ah......."
Simon felt both happy and a little bewildered.
To think he had become one of the seven necromancers in the world with no limit to his forces? It was a story hard to believe even when heard.
[Have all your questions been answered now?]
"Yes."
[Good! The contract was successfully completed, and whether we like it or not, we're in the same boat now.
Shall we talk about our future plans?]
"Alright, Pier."
Pier, who had been sitting slouched, straightened his posture.
Seeing this, Simon also sat up straight.
[You and I are in a special situation, are we not?]
"Yes, I'm enrolled at Kizen."
[Do you plan to leave Kizen?]
"Not for now. It would go against my father's wishes, and more importantly, there's still much to learn at Kizen."
[Hmm, that's good! I also agree that Kizen has its uses!]
Pier tapped his forehead with his finger.
[Then let's address the special situation the legion is in.]
"The legion was disbanded once?"
[That's a given.
If the legion hadn't been disbanded, you wouldn't have had the chance to make a contract with me in the first place.]
The blue flame burning in Pier's eye sockets grew stronger.
[Currently, we are the common enemy of necromancers.
You could say we're wanted.]
"Why is that?"
[Because of the crime committed by the former legion commander, your father Richard.]
Simon's body trembled slightly at those words.
His father's crime?
[Richard committed an unforgivable crime in the world of dark magic.
The legion also assisted as accomplices in committing that crime.]
"What exactly is this unforgivable crime......."
Pier closed his eyes.
[Betrayal.
Richard loved a priest.]
"Ah......."
Simon felt like he had been struck hard on the head with a hammer.
To hear this story here?
[At the time, a hundred-year war between necromancers and priests was ongoing.
It was a very sensitive period! Despite that, Richard ordered the legion to protect the priest he loved.
He commanded them to attack the fellow necromancers who came to kill her.]
Simon swallowed dryly.
[Many lives were lost.
An order for the annihilation of Richard and the legion was issued, and it remains valid even now, after Richard disbanded the legion.
This is why the legion cannot reveal itself to the outside world.]
"I understand what you mean."
After hearing Pier's story, Simon felt a much stronger sense of responsibility for the legion.
Accepting Pier and the legion and bearing the risks they carried seemed like a natural destiny as the son born between Richard and Anna.
[Boy, you don't need to feel guilty!]
Pier laughed, splitting his mouth wide.
[The legion moves strictly according to the will of the legion commander! Richard's legion and Simon's legion are different.
The necromancers will probably recognize that.]
"In that case......!"
[But you're not a complete outsider; you're Richard's son.
The elders will have no choice but to be suspicious.
And more importantly.......]
Pier poked Simon's forehead with his bony finger.
[If word gets out that a mere first-year student at Kizen owns a 'legion,' how do you think other necromancers will react?]
Simon's eyes sharpened.
He couldn't let anyone take his father's power.
"I need to become stronger."
[That's right.]
Pier clenched his fist tightly.
[For now, quietly absorb the knowledge at Kizen and grow stronger! The legion will gradually regain its former might.
And when the time comes.]
"Yes."
There was no need to say more.
Simon and Pier nodded at the same time.
[Returning to the main topic, we're in a special situation.
Therefore, as the manager, I propose a new method of operating the legion!]
"What kind......?"
Pier raised his arm and gestured.
The skeleton that Simon had summoned earlier to hold the lantern came wandering over.
"Oh, can Pier control my skeleton too?"
[Of course! We now share a single dark energy, and all the undead summoned with your dark energy belong to the legion.
You, as the legion commander, are the primary commander, and I am the secondary commander.
However.......]
Pier stroked his chin.
[This undead has not yet undergone the process of 'legionization.']
"Legionization?"
The skeleton approached Pier.
Pier raised his arm and touched the skeleton's skull.
Whoosh!
Simon's characteristic dark blue energy surged like flames, lifting the skeleton's body into the air.
The dark energy, which had been scattered chaotically in the air, was sucked into the skull all at once, forming a sphere like a 'brain.'
After a moment, the skeleton fell to the ground with a thud.
[This is an undead that has been legionized!]
The skeleton slowly began to rise.
Its appearance hadn't changed much, but dark blue flames like Pier's were flickering in its eye sockets.
In simple terms, what Pier referred to as legionization was the process of a 'summoned undead' becoming a 'natural undead.' These undead, having their own cores, no longer had a summoning time limit and could exist indefinitely without Simon's attention.
"But it's very noticeable."
[Indeed.]
Simon wore a troubled expression.
If he took these to Kizen, they would be discovered immediately.
[Therefore, there's no need to legionize all undead! Unless they're undead that have existed for a long time like me, summoned ones are generally more efficient in battle.
Boy! Use summoned undead as you usually do.
When a skeleton's maintenance time runs out or it becomes too damaged to use, bring it to me.
I'll legionize it and station it here.]
"Oh, that method of operation sounds good!"
Ordinary undead like skeletons or zombies were disposable, but now Simon could preserve them permanently like a warehouse.
Moreover, if they weren't severely damaged, they could self-regenerate through legionization.
[So become stronger, boy! The more excellent undead you can summon, the stronger the legion becomes!]
"Yes, of course."
Simon took the opportunity to incorporate the two skeletons damaged in the fight with the werewolf into Pier's side.
The skeletons that became natural undead also changed their behavior patterns.
Originally, they would stand blankly like puppets with cut strings without Simon's command, but now they displayed some animal-like behaviors, such as scratching their heads or randomly running around.
However, when Simon called them, they quickly came running.
It was proof that the command authority was properly applied.
Even after the serious discussion about the operation plan of the legion ended, the night was long.
Sitting across from each other, Simon and Pier began to chat.
[Boy.
How long has it been since you entered Kizen?]
"It's been three days now."
[Just a little longer! After a bit more time, even first-year students can receive 'missions' handed down by Kizen.
You can travel all over the continent, not just Rock Island, using teleportation magic circles!]
Pier raised the corners of his mouth and continued.
[At that time, I'll go with you! You'll be able to operate the legion freely without worrying about being noticed! And under the guise of missions, we'll gather the old forces of the legion scattered across the continent! If you're Richard's son, they'll gladly come under you!]
Simon widened his eyes in surprise.
"Pier, you know a lot about Kizen."
[Hehehe, of course! I've been watching your father's life at Kizen all along! He was a notorious troublemaker at Kizen.]
This overlapped with what Nephthys had said.
And when Pier talked about Richard, a faint emotion passed over his face.
[Yes, those were good times.]
This sentiment also overlapped with Nephthys.
Simon cautiously asked.
"...... Pier, don't you resent my father?"
[Resent? Resentment? Hahaha! Resentment is a weak emotion that doesn't exist in the legion! The legion moves according to the legion commander's orders, even if your father used us as sacrificial pawns for the priest he loved, we would gladly accept that command! That's the legion!]
As he said this, Pier paused and stroked his chin.
[But if his son repeats such nonsense, I might get pissed off.
Don't you think?]
"...... Haha."
Simon talked with Pier until late into the night.
There were many topics, but the stories about his father were the most memorable.
They were much more candid than what he had heard from Nephthys.
[What would I hide? Your father was a legendary scoundrel!]
Pier laughed heartily.
[He would toy with a girl who followed him around by throwing the underwear of a girl he had just started dating yesterday right in front of her!]
.......
Simon's eyes narrowed.
"Isn't that a story I've never heard before? Aren't you exaggerating too much?"
[......
Exaggerating? Hahahahaha! I'm actually telling stories at a moderate level, considering Richard's reputation! Do you know how many carriages it would take to carry all the women he made cry?]
That can't be true.
Simon shook his head in denial.
[Yes.
That legendary rascal.......]
A peculiar resonance mixed into Pier's voice.
[That scoundrel, who even the professors at Kizen shook their heads at...... changed completely after meeting one woman.
It was as if he became a different person.
It wasn't a change that could be described with the common phrase 'the power of love' or anything like that.
It was like.......]
At that moment, Pier's voice abruptly stopped.
Then he turned his head and stared intently at Simon.
[Wait, wait, wait! How did I not think of that?]
"What is it?"
[You, you said you're Richard's son, right? Then could it be......!]
Simon smiled gently.
"Yes, my mother is Anna Polentia."