Simon and Lorraine returned to Cambell Road.
As it turned out, Cambell Road was a street that catered to necromancers.
The deeper they went, the more explicit the items on display became.
There were skulls, monster corpses, and even organs preserved in liquid-filled jars that moved as if they were alive.
Simon felt as though he had stepped into a completely different world from the one he had known.
"Do you know when the most exciting time of school life is?" Lorraine, who was walking beside him, asked.
"Uh, well... I'm not sure?"
"It's when you're excitedly buying your uniform, textbooks, and supplies before starting school! This is the happiest time, so enjoy it, Simon."
She gave a slight smile.
"Once you enter Kizen, things will get really hectic."
"... Haha."
Their first stop was the bookstore.
While tuition and other fees at Kizen were free, textbooks had to be purchased out of pocket.
"There are quite a few books to buy. Do you still have your admission letter?"
"Yes! Here it is."
Inside the letter, along with the admission notice, was a list of required supplies.
Lorraine quickly skimmed through the book list and handed the letter back.
"I've memorized it. This way."
Simon followed her, but suddenly something heavy dropped onto him.
He quickly stretched out his arms to catch it—it was an incredibly thick book.
The cover read, Introduction to Summoning - by Elricmore Trimbull.
'Summoning?'
Before Simon could think further, another book landed on top of it.
This time, it was Necromancy.
'This is heavy too!'
Lorraine kept pulling books from the shelves.
Soon, Curses, Blood Studies, Divine Defense, and Martial Arts were piled on top.
Simon's arms were trembling.
"Lorraine! You're not saying we have to learn all of this in the first year, are you?"
"Of course not."
She turned around and smiled brightly.
"We're at Kizen, after all. Mastering this much in the first semester is the bare minimum."
"......"
"Here, take Toxicology too!"
...
Simon already missed Resthill.
Lorraine, who had been frantically picking out books, ran off to find a book on Dark Arts.
Left alone for a moment, Simon glanced around.
'Now that I think about it.'
Most of the people in the bookstore were around Simon's age.
Seeing them holding books like Introduction to Summoning or Necromancy, they were undoubtedly Kizen freshmen.
It was the first time Simon had seen so many people his age in one place.
In Resthill, the only peers he knew were Calon, who was a year older, and Sophia, who was two years younger.
A new life with students of the same age.
Simon was starting to look forward to school life.
"Yes! I'm coming now!"
"?"
While Simon was momentarily distracted, a girl he didn't know ran past him.
He narrowed his eyes and watched her movements.
In an instant, her body turned toward Simon.
'What's this?'
There was no reason to collide, so Simon subtly shifted his body to avoid her.
"... Ah!"
She crashed into the bookshelf, and the books stacked on top wobbled dangerously.
This is bad.
Simon reflexively jumped in and shielded her.
Crash!
The books tumbled onto Simon's back.
It hurt.
The pain felt like a boulder had landed on him.
The girl, who had been looking up at Simon in shock, quickly bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's my fault...!"
"No, it's my fault for standing in the way like that."
Simon forced a smile.
"Let's put these back. We might get in trouble."
"Ah, yes!"
The two quickly picked up the fallen books.
As she handed the books from the floor, Simon stood on his tiptoes to place them back on the shelf.
A clerk, hearing the commotion, came over but, seeing the two putting the books back, left without saying anything.
'This is the last one.'
As Simon placed the last book back, the girl was tidying up Simon's scattered books.
"Um, are you also a Kizen freshman?"
She must have seen the textbooks.
Simon nodded, and her face lit up.
"I'm a freshman too! My name is Cindy Vivace! And you?"
"Simon Polentia."
"Nice to meet you! I'm from Shahad in the north, so I was a bit scared because I don't know anyone here."
Simon nodded.
"We're in a similar situation."
"If, if it's okay with you..."
Cindy's face turned red as she tapped her index fingers together.
Then, in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, she said.
"Later... at school... can we act like we know each other?"
It wasn't a big request.
Simon smiled slightly.
"Of course. I'll ask you first."
"Thank you!"
She jumped up from her seat.
"Then I'll go now! My dad's waiting outside."
"Alright."
"See you at Kizen!"
She waved as she walked away.
"Wait, Cindy."
"Huh?"
She turned around.
Simon was holding something.
"Can you give me back my wallet?"
In Simon's hand was Cindy's wallet.
For a moment, her innocent eyes turned sharp.
Her pupils split vertically, like a cat's.
'No way.'
Cindy quickly checked her pocket.
It was empty.
"... Hah."
She had been completely outsmarted.
She looked back at Simon with a smirk.
"I was sure I wouldn't get caught using necromancy magic. How did you know?"
"Just... I suddenly saw my wallet floating."
Cindy walked over and looked Simon straight in the eye.
"You just noticed that? Don't lie. Are you aiming for necromancy too?"
"I don't know yet..."
"I knew it!"
Cindy's eyes sparkled.
"Kizen is on a whole different level! Wow, what should I do? There must be so many people like you. Ah, I'm really looking forward to school life!"
'...
Isn't she too bold for a pickpocket?'
She laughed and pulled Simon's wallet from her pocket, tossing it back to him.
"If we're both in necromancy, we might see each other for three years. Right? Let's compete fiercely, Simon!"
She wasn't the type to listen to others.
Simon sighed lightly and tried to return her wallet, but this time Cindy waved her hand.
"Keep it. I lost this round, so consider it a victory prize."
She was oddly cool about it.
Simon was starting to think the rumors that there were no normal people among necromancers might be true.
"I'll look forward to it. Let's act like we know each other at school!"
Cindy waved as she walked away, passing straight through the bookstore wall and disappearing.
'......'
It felt like a storm had just passed.
Simon stared blankly at the wall where Cindy had disappeared, then opened her wallet.
It contained just a few coins.
'She's really something.'
Simon chuckled.
"Simon!"
Just then, Lorraine returned, her black hair swaying.
"The Introduction to Dark Arts is sold out! They said new stock will arrive in two hours, so I arranged for it to be delivered to the dorm along with the other books."
"Ah, that's good!"
Lorraine playfully poked Simon's arm.
"By the way, who was that girl? Did you already become friends?"
Simon wiped the sweat from his brow and avoided her gaze.
"... Well, sort of."
"Haha, why are you stuttering? Did you already exchange hearts?"
They had almost exchanged wallets.
"Anyway, since the books are being delivered, let's go. There are other places we need to visit."
"Where to next?"
"The bag shop."
Do we need to buy a new bag too? Simon glanced at the backpack he was carrying.
"The one I have now isn't bad."
"Huh?"
She blinked, not understanding, then burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! You're so cute. You really are a country bumpkin."
"Ahem."
Simon's face turned red with embarrassment.
"For necromancers, a 'bag' usually means a 'magical inventory.' Simply put, it's a pocket dimension?"
Simon's eyes widened.
"So we're going to buy a pocket dimension now?"
A large building a few blocks from the bookstore.
Simon and Lorraine were guided to the basement.
After passing through several layers of security dark magic, they entered a dimly lit underground display room.
"... Wow."
The entire space was filled with backpacks, pouches, briefcases, and more.
There were long coats, pocket watches, even a carriage and a living lizard.
Items of unknown purpose hung on the walls or floated in the air with magical effects.
"Welcome, Miss Lorraine!"
An elderly woman in a luxurious mink coat appeared from the stairs.
She was thin and had a sharp appearance, with expensive gold jewelry hanging all over her body.
Lorraine waved happily.
"Long time no see, Stephanie."
Stephanie rubbed her hands together and smiled.
"What brings our VVIP here without notice? You just bought a bag last month..."
Lorraine placed a hand on Simon's shoulder.
"Today, we're here for this guy's bag."
"Ah!"
Stephanie suddenly appeared in front of Simon.
Her hooked nose came so close that Simon had to lean back slightly.
"A Kizen freshman! Welcome! Necromancers are always our best customers."
"Ni-nice to meet you."
"So, what kind of product would you like to see?"
Lorraine answered for him.
"The best and most expensive one."
"Unbelievable!"
Stephanie exclaimed.
"Right this way, VVIPs!"
Stephanie led them to another room.
Here, the products weren't hung on the walls but displayed in glass cases.
She tapped one of the cases, and the glass vanished as if it had evaporated.
"Try this on, sir."
She handed over a pair of elegant, patterned gloves in a deep blue color.
Simon carefully put one on his right hand and immediately felt the luxurious cushioning, which was so comfortable it was almost soothing.
"This is a product by 'Ellen Bator,' a master of pocket dimensions. Just touch any wall with your finger and draw a square."
Simon nodded and did as instructed.
He drew a square on the wall.
Swoosh!
A hole opened in the wall.
Simon peered inside and saw a vast space, large enough to fit an entire house.
'So this is a pocket dimension!'
As Simon marveled, Stephanie continued her explanation.
"As expected of Ellen Bator's masterpiece, the storage capacity is a whopping 8,000UB! Plus, the convenience of being able to access the pocket dimension anytime as long as you're wearing the gloves! Truly a revolutionary product for inventory management!"
"... Hmm."
Lorraine, however, seemed unimpressed.
"It looks convenient, but needing a wall to open the pocket dimension is a clear limitation. In real combat, you often fight in open plains. And Simon is just starting out as a necromancer, so he doesn't need such a large capacity yet."
"That's a fair point."
"Is there something simpler with a smaller capacity?"
Stephanie smiled and walked over to another display case at the far end.
She removed the glass cover.
"This is a product that hasn't even been released to the market yet. The latest creation by Gellen Eclipse, a rising star among young craftsmen!"
She carefully lifted out a ring.
It was primarily silver but shifted to purple or green depending on the light.
"Try it on, sir."
"Ah, sure!"
Simon carefully slipped the ring onto his finger.
The subtle prismatic colors were beautiful.
"The usage is simple! Just channel your dark energy into the ring."
Simon did as instructed.
The ring absorbed the dark energy like a sponge, turning from silver to a deep blue-black.
"How does it feel?"
"... I feel like there's a handle beneath the ring."
"That means it's working! Think of it as a lever and pull it."
Simon gripped the imaginary handle and slowly pulled back.
Clunk!
With a sound like stones grinding together, a vertical space opened on the floor.
White mist-like vapor flowed out from the gap.
"... Wow!"
Simon's heart raced.
Even Lorraine looked slightly impressed.
"The storage capacity is 4,000UB, half of the previous product, but it's far more practical! The pocket dimension opens from the ground and isn't affected by slopes or uneven surfaces. Inside, there are seven spells, including first-class preservation and temperature control."
"What about the ejection function?"
Lorraine asked.
"Of course! Let me demonstrate."
Stephanie looked around for a suitable object and spotted a deflated rabbit doll in the corner.
"Huh? Why is there a doll here?"
"My mischievous granddaughter often comes to play at the shop."
Stephanie gave a wry smile and tossed the doll into the pocket dimension.
"You're a freshman, right? You'll need a lot of practice to use the ejection function in real combat. Now, channel your mana to envelop the object..."
Simon did as instructed, moving his mana to wrap around the rabbit doll.
It wasn't difficult.
With the ring in contact with his body, the pocket dimension's mana moved as freely as his own.
"... Just enveloping the object activates the ejection spell. Now, release the mana as if flicking it away!"
Whoosh!
The rabbit doll shot out of the pocket dimension.
It rose in a gentle arc and landed perfectly upright on the floor.
Stephanie and Lorraine both gasped.
"Excellent, sir!"
"You're good! Is this really your first time?"
Simon's heart was pounding so hard he could barely hear them.
He was starting to understand why a pocket dimension was essential for necromancers.
He imagined himself opening the pocket dimension in the near future and summoning undead from within.
"Simon, do you like it?"
Lorraine approached with a smile.
Simon snapped out of his thoughts and nodded repeatedly.
Of course, he liked it.
He had never wanted something so much before.
But.
Simon's gaze shifted to Stephanie.
"... How much is this pocket dimension?"