Simon set down a cup of warm milk and tore open one of the letters from the pile on his desk.
’Let’s hang out.’
The ssage was lazy, the handwriting crooked and ssy. It was, of course, from Dick. Simon set it aside and opened the next ones.
’Can I co over to your house?’
’Let’s hang out.’
’Let’s hang out.’
’If you don’t answer, I’m just gonna storm your place!’
’Let’s hang out!’
He must have been incredibly bored. Simon imdiately picked up a quill and wrote a reply, explaining that he was spending the New Year with his family and suggesting they coordinate with irin and Kamibarez to all get together before school started.
’It would be nice to et up before the sester begins.’
Starting second year, they would all have majors. Simon planned to enter the Departnt of Summoning. irin was headed for Jet-Black Dynamics, and Kamibarez for Hemomancy. Dick, while not certain, seed to be leaning toward Venomology. Once they were in different departnts, they wouldn’t see each other as often as they had as Team 7 of Class A. He wanted to spend more ti with them while he could.
’Alright, next letter.’
He picked up a girlish envelope adorned with a ribbon. The small doodle on it confird it was from Kamibarez.
’Simon! I’m in the city of vampires, ’Tuberan,’ with my dad!’
Her small, neat handwriting was endearing.
’The sunsets here are really beautiful. I don’t have a magic cara, so I’ll draw a picture and send it to you instead.’
He flipped the page with a soft rustle and found a landscape she had drawn. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but she had captured the key points, like the sunset and the orange-tinted sea. Her sincerity shone through. Feeling a warmth spread through his chest, Simon picked up the next envelope. This one bore irin’s characteristically elegant and aristocratic script.
’I lost a bet to that damn jinx again. I’m at the Langerstine Grand Theater.’
It seed she had lost another wager to Serne at the Ivory Tower.
’Her condition this ti was for to perform here again. But you’ll never guess who I saw. Seiwyr! Rember him?’
Simon stroked his chin. ’Seiwyr... Seiwyr... Who was that?’ The na was familiar.
’From when the four of us went on the ’Dispatch Evaluation’ in the Neutral Zone! That liar who pretended to be an agent and led us around!’
Ah, now he rembered. That illusionist who was all talk.
’That guy is a huge star in Langerstine now! Can you believe it?’
Seiwyr’s career as a necromancer was over after his disciplinary action, but according to irin, he was now enjoying a new pri as a theater actor. His combat skills had been lacking, but his wit and showmanship were undeniable. Simon put the letter down, hoping things would continue to go well for him.
Besides the letters from his three teammates, a few more remained. ’Who sent these?’
“Simon!” Anna’s voice called from downstairs. “Co down for your al!”
“Yes, I’m coming!”
---
’Chomp chomp chomp!’
When Simon ca down, Whitey and Blackie were already gobbling up a special al Anna had made. It was boiled chicken, and it was so delicious they were making soft “ow” sounds as they ate. They finished their bowls in an instant.
-ow!
-Nyan!
The cats stared at him, their gazes full of protest.
-Why haven’t you ever given us sothing this delicious before?
-You’re an!
They batted at his leg with their stubby paws before getting distracted by a small bug and darting off together.
“Mom,” Simon said, looking at the table.
Anna bead at him with eyes full of affection. “What is it, son?”
“...This is a lot for lunch.”
The table was laden with steaming dishes, groaning under the weight.
“You went through so much in the Holy Federation. It’s important to eat well and get your strength back!”
“Th-Then, Bon Appétit.”
As he ate, Simon opened the next letter. It was on cute, pink stationery. He assud it was from Kamibarez, but it was from soone else.
’To Simon.’
From the first line, he couldn’t tell who it was. Just as he was about to read on, Richard walked into the kitchen, his gaze falling on the letter.
“Haha!” He let out a knowing laugh and ruffled Simon’s hair. “That’s my boy. Getting letters from girls during the break.”
“Ah, Father!” Simon’s face turned red.
“Whose letter is this? irin? Or Kamibarez?”
“It’s not from either of them. I’m not sure who sent it.”
Richard stroked his chin. “Hmm. Right. Sotis it gets confusing. But listen, Simon. Even if a lady you can’t quite rember acts friendly, even if you can’t recall her na, you must remain calm. Casually converse with her to gather information...”
Richard froze mid-sentence. A few strands of his hair floated in the air. A fork was embedded in the wall behind him.
“Teaching the boy such wonderful things, are you?” Anna said, peeking out from the kitchen, her eyes glinting dangerously.
“Ahem! H-Honey! You’ve still got it!” Richard quickly tried to play it off as a joke.
“It seems you haven’t kicked your old habits, either.”
It was no use against Anna. As he watched his father get thoroughly chewed out again, Simon finished reading the letter.
’Simon. It’s , Sasha! Surprised? I begged Kamibarez for your address. I should have asked for it when we t at Pentamonium. I can’t believe I forgot!’
’It’s Sasha!’ The girl he had rescued from the Neutral Zone, who was now recovering at Pentamonium. Her admission to Kizen as a special freshman next year had been confird.
’I’ve grown a lot taller, and I’ve gotten much better at black magic! Once I’m discharged from Pentamonium next year, I’ll officially enter Kizen. Please take care of then, okay? Senior.’
Senior. Simon felt his heart pound. The day had finally co when he would be referred to as ‘Senior’ at Kizen.
’To think that I’ll be attending Kizen with you and Kamibarez! I’m so happy just imagining it. Please look out for next year, too! Happy New Year!’
Turning the last page, he saw a photo of Sasha taken with a magic cara. She was in a patient’s gown, but she had grown noticeably taller, and her face looked much healthier. Seeing her living with dignity, having overco her past trauma, made him feel strangely emotional.
’Alright, then.’ Simon picked up the last envelope. ’Who is this one from?’
With a rustle, he opened it, only to find another envelope inside. He opened that one, and there was yet another.
’What kind of joke is this... Huh?’
Simon’s eyes widened. The royal crest! The final envelope was marked with the crest of the Dresden royal family.
’Who is it?’ A wave of nervousness washed over him. With trembling hands, Simon unfolded the letter.
’To the esteed Senior Simon.’
Senior again. The word was magical, making his heart flutter.
’I hope you are well. I am Princess Molly of the Dresden Kingdom. Do you rember ? I apologize for the nested envelopes. As your territory is part of the Baldwin Kingdom, I took so precautions.’
It was her, as he’d expected. The youngest princess of the Dresden Kingdom. She was the only princess on the continent he knew.
“Oh, Simon,” Richard said, smiling with impressed approval. “Have you chard the princess of a nation without your father knowing? Turns out you’re even better than I was...”
“Richard?”
At Anna’s fierce glare, Richard imdiately shut his mouth. Simon returned to the letter.
’It’s a bit embarrassing, but my royal father has granted permission to enter Kizen! The mont I received it, the first person who ca to mind was you, Senior Simon!’
Reading on, it seed Princess Molly was quite a talented necromancer. He scanned the letter and reached the final part.
’If you are also departing for Kizen from Langerstine, could you perhaps help with purchasing textbooks? I don’t know anything at all. Ah, if this is an unreasonable request, I am truly sorry!’
Simon smiled wryly. How could he possibly refuse a princess’s request? However, he had heard that the admission dates for first and second-years were different. He decided to reply that he would gladly help once his schedule was confird.
“The Dresden Kingdom is clever,” Richard remarked, glancing at the letter. “They recognize a future power and act quickly. I wonder when our Baldwin Kingdom will make a move.”
Anna, sitting at the table, looked at her husband. “You had patriotism for the kingdom?”
“None at all, other than it being my holand.”
Simon scratched his head, embarrassed. “It’s just a request to help with textbooks. Aren’t you two reading too much into it?”
Richard burst out laughing. Anna just patted her son’s arm, a fond look on her face.
---
Happy New Year. Simon spent the holiday cozily with his family in his hotown of Leshill. He summoned Pier using Herseva’s ability to check on his progress, which was reportedly in its final stages. They agreed to have the final report at Pier’s ruins after the school year started. In the clear air of Leshill, Simon focused on resting his overworked body and core. For a few days, he did nothing but sleep.
Once his condition was back on track, he resud his Chaos training. Chaos was a true Simon original, created by combining the jet-black Cloud and the divine Sacred Blood. But he still had a long way to go. It was effective for creating unexpected variables against powerful enemies, but its instability was a major drawback. His summon, the ‘Chaos Reaper,’ was particularly dangerous; if the amount of chaos in the magic circle dwindled, it would betray him, attacking friend and foe alike.
“Being able to calculate your moves in battle is very important, Simon,” Richard said. “Let’s say the power of your ‘Chaos Sphere’ currently ranges from zero to one thousand. A high maximum is good, but the risk you carry if you happen to roll a zero in battle is far too great. The price for drawing a blank could very well be your life.”
Simon nodded emphatically.
“So, the goal of this break is to change your Chaos from a ‘zero to one thousand’ range to a ‘one hundred to one thousand’ range. We’re aiming for a lottery with no duds. Even if the maximum value drops, securing a minimum amount of power will be more effective to wield.”
“Understood!”
To properly formulate his Chaos magic, he needed help from both the Jet-Black and Divine sides. He received guidance from both Richard and Anna, but their opinions diverged.
“It’s best to just cover the minimum risk and go all-in on raw power,” Richard argued.
“I disagree. For Simon’s safety, it’s more important to increase its stability,” Anna countered.
The two were having a marital spat—no, a debate over the ratio of Cloud and Sacred Blood.
“Dear,” Richard said, “on the battlefield, taking the enemy’s head in a single blow is the safest bet. If you leave room for error and the fight drags on, Simon will be in more danger.”
"Have you forgotten how many tis I’ve had to save you when you push yourself like that?" Anna chided gently. "True strength isn’t about burning yourself out; it’s a power that is balanced, perfected, and flawless."
’But Chaos is my technique,’ Simon thought, biting back the retort.
The words died on his tongue. He simply held a polite smile, waiting for their tense exchange to conclude. They had all agreed that Chaos was not a skill to be used recklessly. In most situations, it was wiser to rely on his standard black and divine magic. Chaos was a trump card, a way to create an unexpected variable against a powerful enemy.
In exchange for its limited use, they decided to dramatically increase its raw power, to the point where a single cast would guarantee victory. Richard and Anna helped him refine the formulas for his Cloud, Divine Blood, and Chaos abilities. The spell felt significantly denser and more potent than when Simon had first conceived it.
’Chaos Sphere’.
Simon was thrilled as he watched a single, experintal spear of violet light pulverize the surrounding trees.
"This is it!"
As Simon devoted himself to training his new technique in the small mountain villa during his break, Richard ca for him.
"Simon, we have a visitor."
"A visitor? Out of the blue? Who is it?"
"You’d best see for yourself."
Richard’s expression was taut. Simon imdiately descended the mountain and ran toward the house. But the closer he drew, the stranger his surroundings beca. The surrounding trees and rocks were floating in mid-air.
Stranger still, bizarre fish swam through the air as if it were the ocean.
’A monster?’
Just as Simon was about to summon his Jet-Black, Richard placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
"Let’s just go."
They soon arrived at the house. When Simon hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside, he saw the back of a man as large as a giant sitting at the dining table. The man was inhaling the food Anna had prepared, the sounds of his ravenous eating filling the room.
"You’re here, Simon."
Even Anna seed taken aback.
Simon approached him.
"I heard you were looking for ."
The man set down his scraped-clean plate with a clank. He then picked up a water pitcher and began chugging from it.
"Ahhh."
With a sigh of pure satisfaction, he let out a loud burp and patted his stomach. Only then did he turn around.
"It’s been a long ti! Have you been well?"
Simon’s eyes widened. At the sa ti, a brilliant smile spread across his face.
"President Phantastus!"
It was none other than the Student Council President of Kizen and an unofficial subordinate of Nephthys, just like Kajan. It was Phantastus Hugh Ikel.
The chair screeched as Phantastus rose from his seat. He was so tall that his head hit the ceiling with a thump, but he didn’t seem to care.
"President? I’ve graduated from Kizen, so that title no longer applies. Now, I’m just a humble adventurer!" He strode toward Simon, dislodging dust from the ceiling with his hair.
"Simon Polentia!"
"Ye-Yes, sir!" Simon answered, his body going rigid.
"Let’s not drag this out! I’ll get straight to the point!"
What could he possibly want to say after showing up so unexpectedly? Simon swallowed hard. Richard and Anna watched from the side, their eyes flickering with tension.
Phantastus bead.
"Congratulations! From now on, you are the Student Council President of Kizen!"
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