The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School
"Ah."
The shopkeeper crossed his arms and smiled.
"A new student, right? Already going for a Skeleton Archer?"
"Yes. I'm going to give it a try."
There are various types of skeletons.
Skeleton Archer, Skeleton Mage, Skeleton Rider, and so on.
The 'Skeleton Archer' is simply a skeleton that wields a bow as its main weapon.
At first, Simon had given a bow to an Island Ratman Skeleton and tried to make it shoot, but it was a complete disaster.
It couldn't even string the bow properly, let alone shoot an arrow.
So, in search of a solution, he flipped through his textbook and discovered that there are specific types of skeletons suitable for becoming a Skeleton Archer.
"If a beginner is going to start with a Skeleton Archer, Saphiros is the most reliable choice. This way, please."
Simon and the shopkeeper headed deeper into the spacious central hall.
Simon's eyes darted around, taking in the chaotic assortment of items piled high, many of which he couldn't even identify.
He thought it might be quite fun to come back here later when he had time to explore.
"Here are the bones of Saphiros."
The shopkeeper knelt down and pulled out a box from a shelf below.
He blew off the dust, revealing a logo that sparkled silver against a black background.
It looked very luxurious.
"Would you like to see the inside?"
"Yes!!" Simon almost shouted in response.
The shopkeeper smiled at the eager junior and opened the box.
"Wow...!" Inside the box was a vintage red cloth, and in the center lay the skull of Saphiros, with two horns protruding.
Surrounding it were various compartments filled with vertebrae, arm bones, leg bones, and more.
"The Vanilla brand skeletons are the best quality."
The shopkeeper said, taking out an arm bone and flicking it with his finger.
"Do you hear that sound? It means it has been properly cold-treated. The joints of the arms are important for the skeletons that will be used as archers. Ah! And of course, the magic circle drawn on the skull as well."
The shopkeeper carefully lifted the skull to show its interior.
A rather complex pitch-black magic circle was visible.
"This magic circle has been meticulously engraved by professional necromancers. The defect rate is remarkably low, and if there is a defect, the brand will handle the after-sales service. Bring it back to the store, and we'll replace it with a new one."
While the shopkeeper spoke enticingly, Simon's smile began to waver slightly.
"Uh, that must be really expensive?"
"Thirty gold for one box. But since it's the well-known Vanilla brand, it’s worth it."
Thirty gold! Simon sighed inwardly.
He knew that summoning studies were costly, but this was no joke.
Of course, as a legion commander, it was a different story for him, but given the short lifespan of skeletons, thirty gold per one was chillingly expensive.
"Is there anything a bit... cheaper?"
"Of course! Let me show you."
The shopkeeper stood up and scanned the boxes.
He carefully pulled out a few boxes and placed them in front of Simon.
"From the right, we have 27 gold, 24 gold, and 22 gold."
Even Simon, who didn't know much about the undead, could see that the quality of the bones decreased from left to right.
"And there's also a 20 gold one made by an unknown necromancer."
He opened a box that was loosely tied with a string, revealing a foul smell and a messy jumble of bones.
As he rummaged through the bones, he pulled out a skull to show the magic circle.
"Still, the magic circle is functioning properly, but whether it's a defective product or not is a matter of luck."
I should avoid that one.
Simon thought as he looked at the other boxes.
[What are you hesitating about, boy!]
"Ah! You startled me."
[Of course, you should choose the most expensive Vanilla brand! If your skeleton breaks like other necromancers, it won't be useless! It all contributes to the strength of the legion!]
"That's true, but..."
Simon pondered as he looked at the boxes.
Pierce's words weren't wrong.
If he was going to buy it, it made sense to choose something of good quality.
"... I'll take three sets of Vanilla."
"Oh, you’re quite bold! Understood."
The shopkeeper whistled and pulled out two more boxes labeled Vanilla in silver.
As Simon watched, curiosity suddenly struck him, and he asked, "But why is the undead product brand named Vanilla?"
The shopkeeper took out a bone and sniffed it.
"Because it smells like vanilla."
"......"
"Just kidding. The founder's last name is Vanilla. Now, let’s head to the counter."
"Ah! Wait a moment, senior."
Simon swallowed hard and said, "There's one more thing I want to buy..."
Hearing Simon's words, the shopkeeper smiled brightly.
"Oh, that must be really expensive... Shall I guide you?"
[What the heck! Hey, get a grip! Are you planning to spend all the money you earned from your mission on that?]
Despite the cold sweat running down his back, Simon nodded with a smile.
"Yes, please."
"Please come again next time~!" The shopkeeper bowed as Simon left the necromancer shop with a light smile.
He had also received three bows used by Skeleton Archers as a bonus.
[Hmph.
Is it really that great?] Pierce grumbled.
[In the end, you splurged on that expensive one.]
"Ahaha... I'm sorry for spending money without consulting you, Pierce. But..."
His heart raced.
Although he had stored the items he bought today in his spatial pocket, he couldn't help but want to open them again and touch them.
"I thought these items were essential for the upcoming duel evaluation."
[Well, if that's the judgment of the legion commander, I have no further comments.
Since you bought them, use them without regret!]
"Yes!"
He needed to return to Kizen before it got any later.
Pulling his hood down tightly, he moved forward.
Perhaps he had lingered too long in the necromancer shop, as the night was deep, and the streets were deserted.
Just as Simon was walking quickly, he suddenly turned pale upon seeing someone walking from the opposite direction.
"Ah...!"
He immediately turned and slipped into an alley between buildings.
[Hmm? What’s going on? What’s the matter!]
"It's someone I know."
Simon peeked out cautiously.
Though the person was wearing a robe, the face and white attire visible through it were recognizable to any Kizen student.
"Professor Bahil? What brings you to Rochester...?"
[Is there a problem? You seem to have come for a drink after work.]
"Um."
Well, it wasn't Simon's place to concern himself with the private life of a professor.
He watched Bahil disappear down the opposite street before dashing towards Kizen.
"Ah, I made it."
Thankfully, he arrived at the dorm without incident.
There was a close call when he almost got caught by a patrolling guard while scouting around Kizen, but he managed to slip by without trouble.
Opening the door to his cozy room 409, he was greeted by the usual sight.
Dick was lounging on the bed, reading a magazine, while Kazhan, as always, had pulled the blanket up to his head and was snoring.
"Oh, you're back! Simon."
Dick sat up and said.
"Today is the day the guards are patrolling. Was everything alright?"
Simon shrugged.
"I almost ran into them, but I escaped safely."
"Hehe! You really have guts. You seem diligent in class, but you often stray off, like running away from Rochester. Aren't you going out more often than I am these days?"
Simon just smiled awkwardly as he hung his uniform in the closet.
Changing into a light short-sleeve outfit, he prepared to head out.
"Where are you going again?"
"To make a skeleton."
"At this hour...? What are you making?"
"A Skeleton Archer."
At those words, Dick sprang up from the bed like a spring.
"Wow! Wow! You're already going to use a Skeleton Archer? For the duel evaluation?!"
"Yeah. I still don't know if it will work."
"That might be a bit tricky for us to assemble! What brand is it?"
"Vanilla."
Dick's eyes sparkled as he grabbed Simon's shoulder.
"Oh, what are you doing? Hurry up and lead the way!"
"...... Haha."
The two left room 409 and headed to the pantry.
The study room in the dorm was crowded and had a quiet atmosphere, so they preferred this place.
"This is perfect."
The spacious area had no one else around except the two students chatting.
"Quick! Show me!" Simon opened his spatial pocket and took out the box.
The black box had the word Vanilla shining in silver.
Dick let out a "Kya!" sound.
"Can I open it?"
"Go ahead."
As Dick opened the box, white bones appeared on the luxurious red cloth.
"Such a beautiful color."
Students who had been chatting nearby approached out of curiosity.
"What is this?"
"A Saphiros Skeleton Archer set. It's from the Vanilla brand."
"Wow...!"
"Is this Vanilla?" Everyone was inspecting the box with eyes full of wonder, as if they were looking at a new product.
Simon chuckled at their reactions.
It was nice to see a shared interest in a necromancer school.
"But where's the assembly guide?"
"Just a moment."
Simon rummaged through the box and found a paper included at the bottom.
He unfolded it and completed all the preparations.
"Okay, let's start."
"Go go!"
Simon first infused the pitch-black energy into the summoning magic circle drawn on the skull.
The colorless magic circle turned black, and the runes intertwined and began to create an ecosystem of magic.
"Is it done?" Simon muttered as he lifted and lowered the skull.
The magic circle was functioning, but the skull showed no movement.
Upon examining the magic circle, he noticed some runes that were still not functioning properly.
"Look, Simon!" Dick, who was checking the assembly guide, said.
"Do you see the four corners of the magic circle? You need to circle the pitch-black energy and insert it there!"
"What does circling mean?"
"It’s a technique used in pitch-black mechanics when creating magic circles. We haven't learned that yet."
As expected, this skeleton was too challenging for a newcomer, and they faced obstacles right from the start.
Simon pulled out the textbook on pitch-black mechanics from his spatial pocket.
"Circ... circling..."
As he skimmed through the table of contents, he found the section on circling about halfway down.
He opened that page.
"Oh, this...?"
It felt familiar, reminiscent of the explanation Bahil had given him about core operation.
The cycle of pitch-black.
Contemplation.
The black sun.
Simon realized that it was almost identical to the core operation he was currently using.
He thought that the tips Bahil had shared might have been based on this circling technique.
'If it's this, I might be able to do it.'
Simon slowly raised his right arm and closed his eyes.
'Not transformation, but circulation.
An image of circulation.'
Shhaaa—
Slowly, the pitch-black energy began to rise from Simon's palm.
- The pitch-black has a property of memory.
The voice of Bahil echoed in his ears.
- Just like a person's hands and feet.
After repeating the same action hundreds or thousands of times, eventually, without conscious thought, the pitch-black will try to reproduce the flow it has learned.
Isn't it fascinating?
Simon gritted his teeth.
Focus on the center and contemplate.
Let the pitch-black remember and tame this flow on its own.
Shwaaa—
The pitch-black stabilized.
Sweat poured down Simon's body like rain.
'It's done.'
Now, even if he slightly shifted his focus elsewhere and looked back, the pitch-black was rotating on its own.
This was circling.
Simon compressed the swirling pitch-black into a small size and inserted it into one of the corners of the magic circle.
Wuuuuuu—
The corner lit up.
The runes that had been still around it began to move with newfound vitality, as if powered by a machine.
"Hey, what are you...?" Dick looked utterly speechless.
"Did you just follow the textbook after glancing at it? Are you really a genius or what?"