Chapter 43

　　Missions. They were one of the core components of Kizen’s unique and brutal system.

　　Once the initial student protection period ended, students were given a ‘mission period’—a five-day window, typically spanning a weekend, during which they could undertake various assignments requested from the outside world.

　　The range of missions was staggering: from simple chores and part-time jobs to monster extermination, bodyguard duty, high-profile assassinations, and even serving as proxies in minor wars. Even missions typically handled by professional necromancers were made available. Success was rewarded not only with an official payment but also with a crucial ‘evaluation score.’ For Kizen students, constantly drained of funds by the high cost of materials, it was the fastest way to earn serious money.

　　And just as Professor Hongfeng had promised, Kizen had designated the upcoming five days, including the weekend, as the first mission period.

　　"Every student has their own strategy during the mission period," Dick explained over lunch in the cafeteria, laying out the intel. "You have to take and clear at least one mission, see? Some kids just knock out a simple one on Roc Island and use the rest of the time to cram for exams. Others use the teleportation circle to go off-island, solve some major incident, and rake in the reward and mission points."

　　"Hmm." Simon nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "What happens if you can’t clear a mission within those five days?"

　　"It’s a failed request, obviously. No money, no points." Dick shrugged. "In special cases, you can file for an extension, but you end up missing all your classes, so it’s your own loss in the end."

　　"So there’s a risk."

　　Dick’s face grew serious. "That’s why I’m planning to grab something I can handle in Rochest, take it easy, and focus on expanding my business."

　　[There is nothing for us to contemplate!] Pier’s clone, attached to Simon’s uniform, spoke directly into his mind. [We will use the mission as a pretext to travel to the continent! Our top priority is to gather the scattered forces of the Legion and restore its former power!]

　　Simon was in complete agreement. If the Ancient Undead who had served his father were still out there, he had to find them. It was, without a doubt, the single greatest power-up he could currently attempt.

　　But are there undead even stronger than you, Pier?

　　Pier’s clone let out a sinister grin. [Hehehe! I am the administrator of the Legion! No one would dare defy me. But in terms of raw combat ability, there are some true monsters among those who served as captains.]

　　Captains? This was the first Simon had heard of them.

　　[The Legion was originally divided into several undead units, each commanded by a sentient Ancient Undead! If we can reunite all the captains and the forces they lead, it won’t be long before the Legion regains its former glory!]

　　The thought of commanding other Ancient Undead besides Pier made Simon’s eyes sparkle. This was something he absolutely had to do.

　　But how do we find them?

　　[Hehehe! As if those lunatics could stay quiet and not cause trouble. They’re undoubtedly stirring up problems all over the continent. It’s highly likely that those very incidents are listed as Kizen missions!]

　　If there’s even the slightest clue, I have to go.

　　"Simon."

　　Lost in his conversation with Pier, Simon looked up to see Dick watching him with a puzzled expression.

　　"Why are you suddenly grinning to yourself?"

　　"Oh, huh? Ahaha! No reason, just had a funny thought…" Simon quickly laughed it off.

　　"Anyway, just coasting by with an easy mission is a problem too," Dick continued, waving his fork. "Your mission performance is on the line. If you keep putting it off by only taking easy jobs, you might get stuck with a really dangerous one later, like assassinating some important figure."

　　"So procrastination isn’t an option," Simon mused.

　　"Exactly."

　　Simon’s resolve solidified.

* * *

　　The next morning, mission boards were erected in key locations across Kizen, including the dormitories. Students swarmed in front of them like bees to a hive.

　　"Anyone for the Roc Island werewolf hunt? Need a party of three!"

　　"A Langerstine mission on a blue request form! Now that’s the good stuff."

　　"The pay for Langerstine is too low. If I’m going that far, I might as well go farther."

　　Listening to the chatter, Simon scanned the request forms tacked to the board. He noticed they were color-coded.

　　White – Mission within Roc Island. No possibility of conflict with priests. Blue – Mission within the Dark Alliance. Extremely low possibility of conflict with priests. Red – Mission within a Neutral Zone. High possibility of conflict with priests. Black – Mission within the Holy Federation. Conflict with priests guaranteed.

　　Naturally, the more dangerous the mission, the higher the reward and the mission points. Even among the blue requests, the pay varied wildly depending on the task.

　　He watched as the white forms were snatched up first. The first-years were still adapting to Kizen’s brutal environment, and most preferred to focus on their studies. The desire to avoid a difficult first mission was a powerful motivator.

　　Of course, Simon had other plans.

　　There’s no way another of my father’s undead is still on Roc Island.

　　He skipped the white requests entirely and moved to the board with the blue forms. These were also popular due to the shorter travel distance and lower psychological pressure, attracting students who wanted a reasonably safe mission but were still hoping for a decent payout.

　　Pier?

　　[Mm, I’m looking,] Pier’s clone replied, its eyes darting diligently across the board. [Nothing that stands out.]

　　Then let’s move on.

　　Simon stepped over to the board with the red request forms. The crowd here was significantly thinner. As he leaned in to read the small print, he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone.

　　"Oh, sor—"

　　He looked up at a large, burly student. It was Hector.

　　Recognizing him, Simon quickly created some distance. He was well aware of Hector’s animosity.

　　"Simon Polentia," Hector said, his voice low. "Are you also planning to go to the Neutral Zone?"

　　"…Just looking," Simon replied evenly.

　　Hector let out a short, derisive laugh. "The Neutral Zone is a lawless land beyond Kizen’s influence. Whatever happens to you there, however you meet your end, Kizen will have no way of knowing." The corner of his mouth curled into a sneer. "I do hope we run into each other."

　　With that, Hector ripped a red request form from the board and strode away.

　　"Hector," Simon called out.

　　Hector turned back.

　　Simon was smiling.

　　"Take care of yourself."

　　Instantly, Hector’s face contorted in fury. Veins bulged on his neck as he clenched his fists. Simon straightened his shoulders, meeting the glare with a calm, unwavering gaze.

　　A tense staredown followed. Finally, with a frustrated growl, Hector spun on his heel and stormed up the stairs.

　　Simon turned his attention back to the board.

　　[Hehehe! What is that brat’s problem?]

　　I have no idea.

　　No matter how hard he tried, Simon couldn’t figure out why Hector hated him so much. Was it because he’d been embarrassed in the first Summoning class? But Simon had been humiliated in Cursology, so that should have made them even. The confrontation in the bathhouse? That had been defused by Kajan before a real fight could break out. Unable to find a reason, Simon mentally dismissed Hector and refocused on the red requests.

　　Pier, what about this one? A village raid by a horde of infected zombies.

　　[Infection is far too common.]

　　Then this one? Damage to buildings and crops from a swarm of red snakes.

　　[Intriguing, but none of the captains possess such an ability.]

　　As they meticulously scanned the requests, something caught Simon’s eye.

　　Why is this here?

　　Tucked away in a corner, almost hidden by a cluster of other forms, was a single, conspicuous request. It was a blue form posted on the red-request board.

　　A mistake?

　　The moment Simon moved toward it, a staff member peeled it from the board.

　　"Ah, this is still up. Please ignore this one."

　　It was one of the administrators managing the mission boards.

　　"What kind of mission is that?" Simon asked quickly.

　　"Oh, this request has been up for a few months," the man explained. "A necromancer subcontracted by Kizen took the job and went missing."

　　Simon’s eyes widened. Not a student, but a professional necromancer had vanished?

　　"Could I take a look at it?"

　　"Huh? B-But this isn’t a mission for students…"

　　"Please."

　　With a nervous expression, the administrator handed over the form. Simon and Pier scanned it quickly.

　　Request: Solve Missing Persons Case

　　Request Rank: D → B

　　Reward: 50 Gold. Location: Arnish Fief. Details: Young women being discovered as desiccated corpses. Special Note: Previous mission taker went missing.

　　Simon flinched at the photograph attached to the form. The victim was shriveled like a mummy.

　　[Found her!] Pier’s mouth split into a wide, triumphant grin. [This is her handiwork! Erzebet!]

　　Who’s that?

　　[She is the Ancient Undead who leads the Spider Corps. When Erzebet or her spiders drain a person’s bodily fluids, this is the result. I am certain of it!]

　　Simon carefully tucked the request form into his uniform. The reward was a whopping fifty Gold, likely due to the high rank. Having recently splurged on a new set of skeletons, he was in desperate need of funds. This was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.

　　"…Simon," the administrator said hesitantly. "Are you really going to take that one?"

　　"Yes."

　　"I doubt your supervising professor will approve it."

　　Simon smiled. "I’ll just have to persuade her."

* * *

　　While missions on white request forms could be taken freely, anything red or B-rank and above required consultation with a supervising professor.

　　Simon took a steadying breath and knocked on Jane’s office door.

　　"Professor Jane, it’s Simon Polentia."

　　"Come in," her voice called from within.

　　Simon entered cautiously. The room was lined with bookshelves crammed so tightly that no empty wall space was visible. Towers of documents were stacked in boxes in every corner. Despite the clutter, the room was well-organized—except for the papers scattered across her desk, which Simon recognized as her workload for the day.

　　"Are you here about a mission?" she asked without looking up.

　　Unlike her usual appearance, Jane’s hair was tied up, and she wore a pair of reading glasses. Her eyes remained fixed on her documents, the quill in her hand moving at a dizzying speed.

　　"Yes, Professor."

　　"Let’s see it."

　　Trying not to disturb her, Simon quietly approached and placed the request form on the corner of her desk. Jane merely flicked her eyes over it for a second before returning to her work.

　　Did she even read it?

　　As Simon stood there uncertainly, she spoke.

　　"Bring me a different request. This is not a job for a first-year."

　　So she had seen it. Simon swallowed hard. "I think I can do it, Professor. I really want to take on this request and solve it."

　　Her quill stopped moving. He saw her eyes, sharp and piercing, staring at him from behind her glasses. A wave of tension washed over him, and he instinctively straightened his back.

　　"Are you sure?"