The Deathland performance evaluation, more perilous than any before, had finally concluded. The students of Class A washed up and retreated to their dorms, all of them physically and ntally drained. Simon and Dick were no different, sprawled on their beds, utterly spent. With a dazed expression, Simon raised his arm, watching his fingers against the familiar ceiling as Jet-Black flowed over his hand. ’I can’t stop thinking about it.’
Pier had said he’d used ‘Corpse Explosion,’ but Simon had no mory of it. When he ca to, he was in Prince’s mansion, with only a phantom sensation lingering in his body. But the mont he saw Aaron’s ‘Corpse Explosion,’ a thrill had coursed through him. His entire body had trembled, reacting as if it desperately wanted to replicate that black magic. ’But there are no zombies nearby. I can’t practice even if I want to.’
Deciding he would have to visit Rochester over the weekend, Simon let his arm fall limp. "Dick. Are you asleep?"
"Ahhh... not yet," ca Dick’s groggy voice from the next bed. "Do you rember what class we have tomorrow?"
"Uh, I forgot. Wait a sec, now I’m curious too." Dick picked up a notebook that had fallen onto his bed and flipped it open. "Oh, we’re screwed."
Simon gave him a questioning look. "We have Combat Magic in the afternoon! And it’s a joint class with Class C." Dick dropped the notebook and scratched his head vigorously. "We’re so screwed. I feel like absolute garbage. This ti, I’m definitely going to fall off the hippo."
Simon blinked, staring at the ceiling. ’A joint class? Who do I even know in Class C?’
---
Joint classes, where two or more sections had lessons together, were a frequent occurrence at Kizen, thanks to its flexible titable. In this instance, Aaron’s Summoning evaluation had eaten up an entire day of each class’s schedule. As a result, all of his Summoning classes were pushed back, and joint sessions were being held to catch up. One might think this would annoy the other professors, but it was commonplace for them to use a full or half day for their own evaluations. Since everyone understood the circumstances, they were generally cooperative. And so, today, Class C, the first to go to Deathland, and Class A, who had just returned yesterday, were having a joint Combat Magic class. "Ahhhh."
Dick, exhausted and spread-eagled on the grass, was imitating a Deathland zombie. Other students were also slumped over, catching their breath, but despite Dick’s fears, no one fell from their hippo. When pushed into a corner, people sohow found the strength to keep up. "I heard Class A just got back yesterday."
"We, too, were just like that."
The Class C students chuckled at the sight of the drained Class A students. It was the easy confidence of those who had already been through the ordeal. "But Simon," irin said, sitting across from him and wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. "You’re sure you’ve never seen that guy, Pion?"
Simon flinched inwardly but answered nonchalantly. "I told you, I don’t know him. When I woke up, I was in the mansion’s basent."
"That’s a sha." irin tilted her head back, looking genuinely disappointed. Kamibarez, sitting beside her, covered her mouth and giggled. "Yesterday, irin spent the whole day in the dorm lounge talking my ear off about Pion."
"Hey, he was amazing!" irin shouted, her face turning red. "Honestly, I never got why my roommates fangirled over the professors, but now I think I get it."
"Was he that handso?" Kamibarez asked. "Of course!"
Simon, who had been quietly sipping his drink, nearly spat it out. He was sure half his face had been covered by Pier’s skull. "I was in danger after being kidnapped, and suddenly he crashed right through the roof of the carriage!" irin recounted dramatically. "He beat that perverted kidnapper to a bloody pulp, then kicked him out! Then he gently lifted up like a princess, we escaped, and just in the nick of ti, the carriage fell off a cliff!"
"Woooow! It’s like a fairy tale!" Kamibarez gushed. It had only been yesterday. Why was her mory so distorted? Simon found it too embarrassing to even listen. "To be honest, Sir Pion wasn’t really my type," irin admitted, crossing her arms. "You know I can’t stand ignorant, violent behavior. But what do you call it? Falling for a bad boy?"
"Like a dangerous charm?"
"No, it’s more like... a violent person being gentle only to ? I think that’s kind of my fantasy. Ah, well, to be honest, he’s so handso that it makes up for most things."
irin, who had been passionately gushing about Pion, glanced at Simon. "Hey, why is your face turning red?"
"It’s hot."
As Simon sharply turned his head away, a TA’s voice called out. "Alright, class will begin in ten minutes!"
At the announcent, the students who had been lounging around got up and began to stretch. Simon was also about to prepare for class when a graceful voice sounded from behind him. "Hello."
’Ugh.’ Simon flinched and turned. A girl with ivory hair cascading down, wearing a white coat over her Kizen uniform, was approaching with her hands clasped behind her back. So, Simon did know soone in Class C. Special Admission No. 2, the successor of the Ivory Tower, Serne Aindark. Her unique, overwhelming presence was as potent as ever. "It’s been a while, Simon," she said, curtsying gracefully like a queen of high society, lightly lifting the hem of her skirt. The mont she spotted irin, however, her expression shifted. "iriiiiin!"
She cooed, her voice taking on a childish, cloying tone as she clung to irin’s arm. irin’s brow imdiately furrowed in disgust. "I missed you!"
"Ugh! Get off , you’re disgusting!" irin shoved Serne’s face away. Serne’s delicate features were pushed back by a rciless palm, but she didn’t give up, returning to rub her face against irin’s arm. "Are you okay? I was so worried, I couldn’t sleep a wink, knowing you were going to the dangerous Deathland!"
"‘Worried, my foot! I told you to stop. It gives the creeps!"
As irin shoved her away with all her might, Serne fell with an exaggerated motion. Sitting on the grass, she hung her head pitifully, like a drenched mouse. "I just want to be friends with irin."
"Get lost," irin said through gritted teeth. "You play with people’s hearts for fun. Coming from you, that just sounds like a lie. Understand?"
Serne fell silent. "Let’s go, Kami."
irin left with Kamibarez, leaving an awkward silence in her wake. Serne gracefully swept her hair behind her ear, then blinked and looked at Simon. "A lady has fallen. Aren’t you going to help up?"
The pitiful expression was gone, replaced by a sly smile. Simon reluctantly took her hand and helped her to her feet. "It’s been a long ti since Island Survival."
"Yeah, it has," Simon said. "Work hard in class today. My friends are waiting, so I should get going." Dealing with Serne was too ntally draining. As Simon turned to walk away, she caught up with light, airy steps. "You haven’t forgotten the debt you owe , have you?" she asked, then whispered, "Legion Commander."
Sighing deeply, Simon stopped and turned to face her. "If I hang out with you today, will that cancel the debt?"
"Nope," she chirped. "I’m saving it for when I really need it."
’Clap! Clap!’
Just then, Hongfeng’s distinct, halting continental accent cut through the air. "Alright! Azzemble!"
"The professor says to assemble!" a TA relayed. "Everyone gather around!"
The students from both classes gathered before Professor Hongfeng. "Today, we will learn a zpecial technique! Pleaze zpread out and get into pairz of two for the clazz!"
The TAs went around, personally assigning partners. Since it was a joint class, they made sure to mix Class A and Class C students. Pairs were mostly of the sa gender, but occasionally a boy and girl were paired up. It seed to be entirely at the TA’s discretion. "You two over there. You two here. And..." The TA assigning pairs stopped in front of Simon. Finding Serne’s presence overwhelming, Simon had discreetly moved away to stand alone. The TA was about to pick a male Class C student nearby when a single, transparent feather fluttered down and stuck to the back of his neck. The TA’s arm twisted at an unnatural angle, his finger pointing directly at Serne, who was a good distance away. "With that student."
Serne waved with a sly smile. The feather soon fell from the TA’s neck, but he, completely oblivious, moved on to the other students. "I guess we have no choice," Serne said, approaching Simon with light, almost floating steps. With every move, white feathers fluttered to the ground. "The TA assigned us."
Simon sighed and silently clutched his forehead. He was starting to understand why irin avoided her. ’Clap! Clap!’
"Alright, everyone haz a partner, right? Then, let’z ztart with a light warm-up!" Hongfeng announced. TAs, who had also paired up, ca forward to demonstrate the warm-up exercises. The students simply had to follow their movents. Simon and Serne faced each other and began doing arm stretches. She smiled sweetly. "Are Pier and Erzebet doing well?"
Simon flinched, his eyes darting around. Though there was a good distance between them and the other students, he couldn’t help but feel paranoid. "Don’t worry," she assured him. "I’ve placed a little ward so we won’t be overheard."
He spotted a single feather stuck in the grass nearby. He let out a small sigh. "That’s a topic I’d rather not discuss."
"Then what topic would you like to discuss?"
"Your relationship with irin," Simon said while doing side stretches. Serne always seed to keep a certain distance from others, but she treated irin with a casual familiarity. Of course, irin always reacted with utter disgust. "I don’t understand why you insist on clinging to her. If it’s an act, as irin says, you should probably stop. irin sees you as a rival to be defeated. Nothing more, nothing less."
She smiled brightly. "But I genuinely want to be friends with irin."
"I an, isn’t it natural to want to rely on familiar people from the Ivory Tower in this foreign place?"
Simon narrowed his eyes. "I don’t think irin sees it that way."
"Perhaps. But I am sincere." Serne was an adopted daughter, sharing not a single drop of blood with the families of the Ivory Tower. When the head of the Tower first brought her in, she had faced imnse criticism and scorn. "The one who reached out to back then was irin."
Serne smiled. "irin was so far above , a re guest in her ho, that I couldn’t even dare to look her in the eye. Still, she said we were the sa age and took care of , played with . Even though she knew I had been brought in as her rival." As she spoke, a wistful emotion, different from her usual facade, softened her expression. "It remains a warm mory for . But as ti went on..."
"The tables turned," Simon finished. "Yes."
Serne’s talent was monstrous, beyond legendary. Eventually, the people of the Ivory Tower, captivated by her ability, went so far as to change the Tower’s laws to make her the successor. The situation was reversed. Serne received praise, while irin, the object of comparison, was left out in the cold. Everyone who had cherished her turned their backs, and irin beca isolated, her spirit gradually eroded. That was why, even now at Kizen, she was still fighting to catch up to Serne. "irin firmly believes that I manipulated and played her," Serne said with a shrug. "It can’t be helped. Given my ability, I’m often misunderstood."
"You’re not going to try to clear up the misunderstanding?"
"When she’s already so hostile toward , do you think a conversation would go well? Oh, of course, even if the opportunity arose, I’m not sure I’d clear it up."
"Why not?"
"Watching irin struggle so desperately to catch up to ..." As she stretched, a feather fell. She caught it and licked it lightly. "It’s kind of cute."
’She really has a terrible personality.’ He felt a little embarrassed for having felt a shred of pity for her, even for a mont. "Alright, next exercise!" a TA called out. As befitting a joint class, the demonstrations moved on to partner stretches. It started simply: two people stood back-to-back, linked arms, and one person bent forward at the waist to lift the other. "Shall we?" Serne asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah."
They stood back-to-back. When Serne boldly linked her arms with his, Simon flinched involuntarily. "I’ll go first!" she declared. She took a deep breath and bent forward with all her might. But it was no use. Simon’s feet lifted and touched down, over and over. She kept grunting and straining, but his feet were only off the ground for a couple of seconds at most. ’Kids from the Ivory Tower must not be very athletic.’
"Alright, back to the starting position!"
At the TA’s shout, Serne returned to the start, having barely lifted Simon. They stood back-to-back again. "Simon," Serne’s lilting voice purred. "It’s my turn to pick the topic of conversation, isn’t it?"
"Do what you want."
"Let’s talk about our future."
"Like aspirations? I’ve never really thought about it."
With her back to his, she smiled brightly. "Have you thought about where you’ll work after graduation?"
’So that’s what this is about.’ A recruitnt offer. It was obvious. Simon sighed inwardly. Just then, the TA’s shout of "Now, the other way around!" echoed across the field. As Simon took a deep breath and bent over, her body lifted with surprising ease. ’This isn’t even a workout.’
Just as Simon was letting his guard down, she suddenly tilted her head all the way back. The top of her head brushed against the back of his neck, and a blush crept up his cheeks. "What are you doing—!"
"Or, how about this for a future aspiration?" Her voice was like a siren’s song. At her next words, Simon couldn’t believe his ears. "The next head of the Ivory Tower."
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