Chapter 32

　　It had been some time since Simon’s last Summoning class with Professor Aaron. Today’s topic was Restoration—specifically, dismantling the Island Ratman Skeletons they had previously constructed and reassembling them.

　　"A skeleton’s greatest strength is its ability to be restored," Aaron declared. He had shown up for work in his usual shabby shorts, his hair a disheveled mess. He raised a single finger.

　　Fwoosh! Whoosh!

　　Bones scattered across the classroom floor shot into the air at incredible speed. The skeleton, assembled in mid-air in mere seconds, landed gracefully and offered a stylish bow, drawing a wave of cheers and applause from the students.

　　"The principle of Restoration isn’t complicated," Aaron explained, pulling a single bone from the skeleton’s frame. "Even when a skeleton is shattered by a powerful impact, residual Jet-Black remains in its bones. You simply need to activate this Jet-Black to maximize the property of attraction that compels it to return to its original form."

　　He relaxed his grip, and the bone flew back, snapping into place like a magnet.

　　"Alright, let’s begin the practical exercise."

　　Since the lesson was on Restoration, Simon had, in a way, already studied ahead. While other students struggled to reassemble the torso, arms, and legs separately, Simon restored his entire skeleton in a single, fluid motion. Not just Meirin, but even Hector, the ace of Class A, found the task challenging. It was a domain of pure, innate talent, something that could not be perfected through practice alone. When it came to skeleton restoration, Simon was in a league of his own.

　　For once, Simon was not scrambling to keep up. He enjoyed a rare moment of leisure, even finding time to help Dick and Kamibarez after finishing his own task. With nothing else to do, he began idly flipping through his textbook.

　　"Hey, are you sure you should be slacking off like that?" Meirin grumbled, clearly annoyed by his ease.

　　In response, Simon simply waved his hand in a lazy circle. The bones scattered on his desk clicked together instantly, forming a complete torso.

　　"…W-Well, you’re good at that, I guess," she conceded, rendered speechless.

　　From the back row, Dick cackled at her expense before a sharp look from a passing teaching assistant silenced him.

　　"D-Don’t get so cocky just because you’re a little good at Restoration!" Meirin declared, her competitive spirit flaring. She was the type who could not rest unless she was at the top of every class. "You promised you’d leave Kizen if you couldn’t beat my Summoning score next month, right? Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because we’re in the same group…!"

　　"Don’t worry," Simon replied, propping his chin on his hand as he turned a page. "I will beat you for sure."

　　She trembled with frustration, but in this class, at least, she was in no position to argue.

　　"Pfft, if I had just solved problem twenty, my Summoning score would have been in the nineties…" she muttered to herself.

　　At that, Simon looked up. "Problem twenty? The one on the very last page?"

　　"Yeah."

　　"That one was easy."

　　Her brow furrowed. "…Hey. Why are you suddenly acting so arrogant? Are you saying you’re better at Summoning than me?"

　　"No."

　　"Then how did you solve problem twenty? Did you use the formula?"

　　"I do not know any formula for it."

　　That was impossible. Problem twenty required the application of Theron’s formula. Meirin, having gotten it wrong, had gone to Aaron herself for the solution. And now Simon, who had not even studied ahead, was claiming he had solved it without knowing the key formula?

　　"What answer did you get?" she demanded.

　　"1,200,146."

　　Meirin’s eyes went wide. The correct answer was 1,200,000; his was practically dead on.

　　"Spill it! How in the world did you solve it?!"

　　"I just combined the formulas we’ve learned at Kizen so far as best I could," he said with a shrug. "I do not remember the exact problem, so I cannot really explain it."

　　She bit her lip, hard. She made a mental note to get a copy of the problem and make him solve it again in front of her.

　　With Meirin silenced, Simon’s attention drifted back to his textbook. The more he read about Summoning, the more fascinating it became. His heart pounded with excitement just skimming the chapters on new undead and black magic they would eventually cover.

　　I want to try making a golem as soon as possible. Maybe I can teach myself if I just buy the materials in Rochest?

　　"Simon Polentia."

　　The voice, sharp and sudden, startled him. He whipped his head around.

　　"What are you doing?"

　　Professor Aaron loomed over him, his eyes radiating a menacing aura. Simon’s face went pale. He had been caught! With his textbook open to a completely different section from the rest of the class, there was no room for excuses.

　　"Answer me," Aaron commanded, his voice as cold as ice. He looked genuinely furious, so Simon decided honesty was his only option.

　　"I had already succeeded with the Restoration, sir, so I was briefly reviewing the material for the next lesson."

　　Aaron, of course, already knew that. He knew Simon was the only student in the class who had achieved a complete restoration in under ten seconds on his first try. But that fact did not seem to soften the professor’s murderous expression.

　　"Remain in the classroom after class."

　　With those words, Aaron turned and walked away, leaving Simon enveloped in a thick fog of dread.

　　"S-Simon… Did you just get on his bad side?" Dick whispered, his face tense.

　　Meirin crossed her arms, a pout on her lips. "Well, I warned you. I asked if it was okay to be slacking off."

　　Despite her words, she kept sneaking worried glances at him. But Simon was too lost in his own anxiety to hear any of them.

* * *

　　Summoning class ended. It was time for dinner and a return to the dorms, but Simon had to stay behind. As he waited nervously in the empty classroom, Aaron approached, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

　　"Follow me."

　　The two left the room, Simon trailing behind with his head bowed.

　　I should have just kept practicing Restoration.

　　Aaron walked in silence. Simon knew it was his fault and was prepared to accept any punishment, but the professor’s cold shoulder treatment was more agonizing than any lecture. They passed through the main building and entered a vacant clearing—a wide, open space surrounded by trees, completely deserted.

　　"There are a few things I cannot tolerate," Aaron said, pulling a worn cigar from his pocket and placing it between his lips. With a snap of his fingers, a spark ignited the tip. He took a long drag, his eyes turning serious.

　　Simon shrank, bowing his head even lower.

　　"One of them," Aaron continued, exhaling a plume of smoke, "is a student with the will to learn who leaves my class without being challenged."

　　"…Excuse me?"

　　"Take out your skeleton."

　　Confused but obedient, Simon summoned his skeleton from his Subspace.

　　"Restore it. In front of me."

　　With a flick of his other hand, Aaron sent the skeleton flying apart with a loud pop. The severed connection sent a jolt of pain through Simon’s head, making him stagger, but he reflexively shot out his right arm.

　　Restore!

　　With the skull on the ground as its anchor, the bones flew together like magnets, reassembling the skeleton in an instant.

　　"…Right. I see you are indeed unrivaled in the field of Restoration. In that case, I will now teach you its advanced applications."

　　Simon’s eyes widened in disbelief. "W-Weren’t you going to scold me?"

　　"This is a supplementary lesson," Aaron stated, holding the cigar between his fingers. "And just so there is no misunderstanding, providing extra instruction to a student who has surpassed the standard curriculum is also part of a professor’s duty."

　　Overwhelmed with emotion, Simon’s eyes welled with tears. "…Professor Aaron!"

　　"Hurry up and get in position. Do not waste any more of my time."

　　"Ah, yes, sir!"

　　His face bright with renewed focus, Simon straightened his posture. Aaron then summoned a skeleton from his own Subspace.

　　Wow.

　　It was far larger and more intricate than Simon’s. Its bones were the color of obsidian, and its construction was infinitely more complex than the simple Island Ratman. A crimson cape draped over its back, and it was armed with an array of deadly weapons.

　　"This skeleton was crafted from the bones of a demon."

　　"It’s incredible!"

　　A magnificent sword. Ornate armor. A beautiful steed. Simon, who had always been indifferent to material wealth, felt an overwhelming surge of desire to possess that skeleton.

　　"I will not show you twice, so watch carefully."

　　Aaron snapped his fingers, and the demon skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones. He then raised his arm and pointed to a nearby tree.

　　The scattered bones stirred with a rattling sound, then shot into the air like a volley of arrows.

　　Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!

　　Hundreds of bones pierced the tree, skewering it through and through.

　　"An offensive technique using Restoration: Bone Piercing."

　　A nearby squirrel, startled from its meal, darted away. Aaron’s slender arm shifted, pointing at the fleeing creature.

　　The bones flew like rays of light, forming an inescapable cage around the squirrel.

　　"A binding technique using Restoration: Bone Prison."

　　Aaron raised his index finger. The cage flew upwards and disintegrated, allowing the squirrel to escape.

　　"And finally."

　　He clenched his fist. The bones, which had been scattered across the sky, now streaked toward his own body.

　　Clack! Clank!

　　Bone by bone, the armor assembled itself around him. It was as if he were donning a bespoke suit made of skeletal remains. Joints clicked into place, and Jet-Black flowed like dark energy to seal the gaps, while the red cape settled over his shoulders. Finally, the demon’s skull closed over his head like a helmet.

　　"A defensive technique using Restoration: Bone Armor."

　　"Whoa…!" Simon shivered, a thrill coursing through him. Clad in the skeletal armor, Aaron was a dazzling, magnificent sight.

　　So cool!

　　Aaron extended his right arm. The armor peeled away as if alive, re-forming into the kneeling figure of the skeleton.

　　"Depending on a necromancer’s skill, a skeleton can be a weapon, a prison, or armor. All of it is black magic, applied Restoration. Do you understand?"

　　Simon nodded frantically.

　　"Of course, these are techniques you would normally learn in your second year," Aaron explained. "But your proficiency in Restoration is exceptional. I will teach you a modified version that you can use now."

　　"Th-Thank you!"

　　"For now, the only technique you could possibly imitate is Bone Piercing. Get ready."

　　Aaron had Simon perform the restoration again, analyzing his method. "You deploy the restoration centered on the skull."

　　"Yes."

　　"From this moment on, you will break that habit. The key is to guide the skeleton to assemble wherever you wish. Here is a tip."

　　Thanks to his training with Pier, Simon immediately grasped Aaron’s explanation.

　　Gather in front of me!

　　After a few failed attempts, the scattered bones began to assemble in the space before him. While the speed of the reassembly was still dictated by how quickly the skull arrived, the ability to perform a ranged restoration was a massive achievement.

　　"Restoration and Bone Piercing are fundamentally different," Aaron instructed. "It applies the principles of Restoration, but you should think of it as a completely new technique. When you summon the bones, get in the habit of tilting them sideways. That way, the sharp edges will dig into the enemy’s flesh. By concentrating the Jet-Black within the bones, you can make them as sharp as blades. For bones without a piercing point, simply attach them to the target’s body. That alone will have a considerable binding effect."

　　Simon absorbed Aaron’s teachings like a sponge. They immediately moved on to practical training.

　　The skeleton’s bones loudly latched onto a nearby bamboo stalk. The sharpest pieces dug into the wood, while the others clung to it like magnets.

　　Restore!

　　As Simon clenched his fist, the bones tightened their grip on the bamboo. Tighter and tighter, until finally…

　　Crack!

　　He had broken it.

　　"Yes!" Simon pumped his fists, letting out a triumphant cheer. In just a few hours, he had mastered a brand-new skill.

　　Ahhh, this feels amazing!

　　A wave of accomplishment so powerful it made his entire body tremble washed over him. It was a truly addictive sensation.