Chapter 77 of the Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School
"......?" Simon's eyes widened.
An external instructor? This was a first for him.
"Please come in," Jane gestured, and a middle-aged man stepped up to the podium.
He wore a work uniform with many pockets and had a friendly smile on his face.
"I would like to introduce Edward Burkbeck Hunter," Jane announced.
"Some of you may not recognize him, but he is a legendary treasure hunter in the industry, having discovered over twenty ancient ruins."
Applause erupted from all around.
Particularly, Dick was banging on his desk with an excited expression.
"No way! Wow! Is that the treasure hunter Edward? Professor Jane's recruitment class is truly impressive..."
"Is he really that amazing?" Mei Lin asked with a pout, and Dick turned to her with a shocked face.
"Hey! How can you not know Edward? This is a serious lack of common knowledge!" "Who is he?" "Aaaah!" Edward, who had stepped up to the podium, opened his mouth with a nervous smile.
"Ah, um. Nice to meet you. You are the first-year students of Kizen, right?" "Yes!" the students replied loudly.
"Hehehe! I can't believe I'm teaching at Kizen! I must have really made it big! In fact, all my success is thanks to my father. I was born into a difficult environment, but..." Cough. Jane, who had her arms crossed at the back, cleared her throat softly.
Edward straightened his back and trembled slightly.
"Ah, yes! Let's skip the small talk and get right to it! I pride myself on having explored every corner of the Dark Alliance territory. Well, to be precise, I have not left any part of the continent unvisited. Even the territory of the Holy Federation, I have sneaked around..."
"Mr. Edward Hunter."
"Ah! I’m sorry, Vice President! Hahaha! To put it simply, I am a survival expert. I may not have powerful dark magic like you, but the weak have their own ways to survive. It all comes down to thorough preparation! Now, now."
Edward, who had been rambling, took out prepared materials from his bag and pinned them to the blackboard.
Pictures and charts of monsters and vegetation found on the island were displayed.
The teaching assistants were moving around, handing out copies of the materials to the students.
"The place where you will take your exam is called 'Kera Island,'" Edward said, looking at the students.
"It is an area prohibited by Kizen, but there are several other large and small islands nearby. I have visited all these islands, and based on that, I was able to estimate the vegetation and monsters that appear on Kera Island."
Although he was quite nervous about being at Kizen and was very aware of Jane's gaze behind him, once he started talking about his field of expertise, Edward showed a very professional demeanor.
He spoke about edible plants on Kera Island, inedible plants, edible monsters, and inedible monsters, detailing exactly which parts could be eaten and how to prepare them.
He also covered the weather and climate, terrain to be cautious of, tidal patterns, actions that attract monsters, and how to drive away wild snakes.
Even the noble students who had been sitting with a disdainful attitude quickly leaned forward, captivated.
After all, this was survival knowledge that would be useful in just two days.
The students frantically moved their quills, taking notes.
"Alright! That's all for my explanation. Thank you for listening! Are there any questions?" Hands shot up from all directions.
As Edward answered each question, Simon was examining his copy of the materials. 'Hmm?' Among the various monsters inhabiting the island, there was one particularly strange creature.
For some reason, it caught his attention.
It was a monster with its face wrapped in bandages.
Just as Simon was staring intently at the monster, Pier's avatar began to stir and move. [Hey, boy...!] "Oh, Pier. When did you arrive?" Pier's avatar opened its eyes wide. [That picture! Bring it closer to me!] Simon held the picture in front of his chest so Pier could see it well.
Pier's avatar's pupils were shaking wildly. [This can't be.
No way! Why is that thing there?] "Do you know who it is?" [Of course! That creature was the commander of the Legion, the Ancient Undead!] Simon's eyes widened.
The commander is here? [Hehe.
I never thought I would see that face again.] Pier's avatar muttered in a serious tone. [Boy! You remember the sins of the Legion, right?] "Yes. I betrayed the Dark Alliance and fought against the necromancers to protect my mother at my father's command..." [That's right.
After fighting for a long time, when the Alliance launched a massive offensive and the Legion had to retreat, there was one who sacrificed everything to hold back the assault and safely lead us to escape into the sea.] "Could it be that...?" Simon's gaze shifted back to the bandaged monster's eyes. [That creature's name is Vickrum.] Pier's expression turned serious. [He is the commander of the Legion's giant squad.] Simon listened as Pier explained in detail.
The Ancient Undead who sacrificed himself for the Legion, who was surprisingly devoted and loyal, unlike typical undead. [I thought for sure he had died back then, but to think he was alive.
And on an island owned by Kizen, no less.] '.......' Simon pondered, resting his chin on his hand.
Something felt off.
Was there really an undead from his father at the place they were going for their practical assessment? The timing was too perfect.
However, it was too big of a lead to completely ignore. [There is definitely a connection! If you go inland from that Kera Island, you will reach the port city of Balot.
Vickrum went missing during the battle there.] 'That makes sense.
Since he is my father's undead, I want to take him in, but is that okay?' [Hehe! Of course! That creature is an important asset.
If you can obtain him, he will be a great help to you in the future.] 'Alright.
Since I have nothing to lose, let's try to make contact.' In addition to taking the survival assessment like the other students, Simon had gained a new goal.
Perhaps this mission could be even more important than achieving a good score. [But since quite a bit of time has passed, his personality may have changed, or he may have had a change of heart.] Simon nodded.
Erzevet had also been uncooperative with the Legion at first. [So take me with you! I need to persuade him myself.] 'Hmm.' Simon flipped through the guidebook with a troubled expression. 'It says here that before teleporting, they check all students' spatial pockets? Unnecessary items and food are strictly prohibited...' [Spatial inspection? That sounds troublesome.] 'I'll come up with a plan.
I need to visit the ruins tonight and talk to Erze.' Just then, the bell signaling the end of class rang.
Jane clapped her hands and returned to the podium.
"That's all for today's lesson. Make sure to prepare thoroughly over the next two days. It would be wise to familiarize yourself with the detailed rules and the operation of the teleport pad in advance. That will be all."
"Thank you for your hard work!" The students poured out of the classroom like a tide.
Some students, including Dick, seemed eager to talk to Edward and get his autograph, but they quickly turned away at Jane's stern gaze.
"Simon, what are you doing? Let's go eat."
At Dick's words, Simon smiled and replied, "Sorry, but I want to eat with Mei Lin today. I have a bit of personal business to attend to." "?"
"Three minutes and twenty-one seconds left until meal time."
Edward thought that this woman, the Vice President of Kizen, was scarier than any monster or trap he had ever encountered.
Stuffing food into his mouth without even knowing how it tasted, Edward walked out of the dining hall, following Jane's lead to the teleportation magic circle.
In fact, it felt more like being taken away than being guided.
"V-Vice President."
Edward forced a smile.
He decided to try to say something.
Surely, just speaking wouldn't turn him into a skeleton.
"Please, give me five hours! No, just two hours! As a professional treasure hunter, I can't just leave after coming all the way to this mysterious Rock Island..."
Jane looked at her wristwatch with an expressionless face.
"Rock Island is off-limits to anyone who hasn't received formal permission from Kizen. Mr. Edward Hunter, you have six minutes and twenty-three seconds left on your permit."
Edward was sweating profusely.
How could a person be so inflexible...? But he couldn't give up like this! "Then, can't we extend the permit time a bit? Ah, Professor Bahil asked me to teach a class in B class..."
At that moment, sparks flew in Jane's eyes.
Realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, Edward quickly covered his mouth, but it was already too late.
Jane signaled to the teaching assistant who was following her.
"Tell Professor Bahil to come to my office immediately."
The assistant, looking tense, said, "Um, what is the reason for the summons...?" "Shut up! If he doesn't run over here in ten minutes, I will go myself."
At those words, the assistant started running like mad.
Edward's mouth twitched.
The adventure was over.
He just hoped he could safely escape from this island.
After walking for a few more minutes, they arrived at the teleportation magic circle leading back to the continent.
"Does that even make sense?" But the trouble was not over yet.
Jane began to get furious upon hearing the report from the teleportation manager who approached with a troubled expression.
The manager bowed repeatedly as if he had committed a crime.
"You say there is a malfunction in the magic circle due to preparations for the island survival? Are you using that as an excuse?" "I-I will correct it!" "Gather the entire teleportation team in my office by six o'clock."
"Yes!" Jane sighed deeply and approached Edward.
Then, with her eyes closed, she bowed her head slightly.
"Due to internal construction issues, Mr. Hunter's return will be delayed by about ten minutes. On behalf of Kizen, I apologize."
"Ah, ahahaha... I'm fine! Really, I'm really fine!" What the heck, are they really going to hold someone up for ten minutes just because an outsider is late? Is this how the organization culture works here? "I need to check the magic circle myself. Please remain here and wait."
With her words, Edward felt as if he was truly frozen in place.
Was this the curse he had only heard about? "Ah, understood! Please take your time! Hahaha!" Jane went to check the teleportation magic circle.
Left alone, Edward let out a sigh of relief.
Somehow, his legs felt weak, and he crouched down.
"Hello!" Someone spoke to him.
Turning his head, he saw a male student in Kizen uniform looking down at him with a smile.
"Oh! You are a student...!" "I’m a student from Class A who attended your lecture earlier. It was a really good class."
Edward felt his self-esteem quickly recovering and jumped up from his seat.
He then pulled out a pen and paper at an incredible speed.
"Hehe, great! What was your name again?" "I didn't come to get an autograph; I have a question about something from today's lesson."
Edward's expression fell.
Why was everyone in this school so stiff, whether they were professors or students? "This monster in your materials."
Simon held out the picture of Vickrum and continued, "Do you know anything about it?" Edward took the picture and made a thoughtful sound as he looked it over.
"So there was a picture of this monster too. I pulled them all together, so I haven't checked it separately."
Edward shook his head as he returned the picture.
"I took the picture because it was interesting at the time, but I don't know what kind of monster it is. I've been in this field for thirty years, and this is the first time I've seen a monster like this." "...... What do you mean it was interesting?" Edward squinted his eyes.
"That day, the fog was so thick that I couldn't tell if I was seeing it clearly or not, but suddenly this monster was roaming the island, and it was enormous. When I hurriedly took out my magic recording device, it shrank back down."
Simon swallowed hard.
"How big did it get?" Edward's face hardened as if recalling that moment.
"It was big enough to cover the entire island."