Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Simon and Pier arrived in Arnish.

It was a city with winding residential areas centered around a tall castle for a lord, resembling a spider web.

Since it was close to the Holy Federation’s side, and because of the rough terrain, the size of the territory was small and the houses were old. However, Simon could feel some kind of strange affection for it.

‘I love this kind of neighborhood more than a big city after all.’

[It’s! So! Suffocating! Dammit!]

At that moment, Pier, who was inside the armor, coughed out a complaint. You could hear the rattling sound of metal clashing as he moved.

“Hang in there just a little, Pier.”

[Buy a bigger one next time! This size isn’t right after all!]

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

To say that the size was small when he didn’t even have the flesh. Simon thought that Pier was being such a baby, but he just laughed it off.

The two walked around the streets, talking about different things.

Perhaps the street wasn't so lively due to the recent uneasy happenings. Doors were firmly shut in every house, and curtains were drawn on the windows. It felt like everyone was sparing themselves.

“Mm. We’re at a loss. How do we find the undead here?”

[Kuhehe! I did a lot of missions like this while I was traveling with Richard. There are three main methods.]

Pier raised his fingers with the stiff gauntlet, making it creak.

[The first is to meet the client. Since it was mentioned that the client is a lord, reveal that you’re from Kizen and ask for all the information they have so far! Perhaps we can also get some financial or physical support!]

“Oh, that’s a great idea.”

[But if the client hasn’t been able to solve this problem till now, there’s always a reason for that around them!]

Simon could understand the meaning behind Pier’s words. He was saying that, if you contacted the client, there’d be a factor of that variable intervening.

[The second is an investigation by questioning. Borrowing Richard’s words, it’s basically legwork!]

“Mmm. That’s a bit……”

[But in my experience, surprisingly, there have been times when this was the quickest shortcut to the truth. And lastly!]

Pier raised a third finger.

[Buying information from the Thieves Guild.]

“The Thieves Guild?”

[Are they called differently these days? Think of it as an information guild. There are always informants in a city of decent size who buy and sell information. No one is as sensitive to issues as them!]

“Hmm.”

After hearing Pier’s advice, Simon closed his eyes for a moment and pondered.

“Alright. Then let’s find a place to stay first and find the Thieves Guild.”

[That's great news! I want to take this fucking armor off already!]

Simon and Pier wandered the streets around the square. Because of the rough terrain, the number of inns was small when compared to the size of the city.

However, they managed to find an inn by asking around.

“Welcome!”

As soon as Simon opened the door, the innkeeper greeted them. He was a man in his mid-40s who looked like a native of this region that knew a lot about this place.

“One large and clean room, please.”

“Sure, got it! It’s gonna be 300 silver per night. Do you need a meal too? If you eat wheat bread and soup, it’s gonna be 50 silver, and a meat dish is an extra 150 silver.”

‘Inns are quite pricey. Must be because there aren’t many inns around, huh?’

With that thought in mind, Simon searched through his pockets, pulled out 1 gold coin, and flicked it with his finger.

“Wheat bread is enough for our breakfast tomorrow.”

The innkeeper grabbed the coin with wide eyes. It was 1,000 silver per gold coin.

“Shall I provide you with the change?”

“You don’t have to. But instead, I’m curious about the location of the Thieves Guild.”

The innkeeper’s expression changed strangely.

“A-Aha! So you want to buy some information. You seem to be an outsider. How did you get h—”

Simon slowly raised an open hand.

“……?”

“You’re randomly asking for the identity of the customer. I think I should receive 1 gold for that information.”

Giggles!

Standing next to Simon, Pier laughed out loud while twisting his sides.

[A little kid who’s still wet behind the ears is playing around with an old man!]

The innkeeper’s face froze.

He could tell. The gold wasn’t the problem. He had an uneasy feeling that his head would go flying if he returned the 1 gold and asked for his identity.

What were these outsiders?

The innkeeper put the coin in his pocket with that thought in mind.

“S-So you’re curious about the location of Thieves Guild, right?”

Ting!

Simon flicked his finger again. Another gold coin flew into the innkeeper’s hand. 

“And all the information you have about the ‘disappearance case’ too.”

Simon shone his penetrating eyes.

“You seem to know something. Am I right?”

“……”

The innkeeper gulped with an obviously nervous face. Simon felt like he could hear him putting his brain to work.

“……I’ll return the 1 gold.”

The moment the innkeeper was about to approach Simon…

Shing!

Before he knew it, a pure-white greatsword was aimed at his neck.

His face turned pale, and you could hear a dark laugh sounding from the helm of the armored man pointing the greatsword.

It was a terrible laugh that couldn’t exist in reality.

“What’s wrong?”

Simon still held out his palm and smiled kindly.

“Weren’t you gonna return it?”

‘……K-Kugh!’

After shaking for a moment, the innkeeper fell to the floor.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’ll do as you say. In return, please keep the fact that I was the one who provided the information…… a secret.”

Simon nodded at Pier. Pier retrieved his greatsword and carried it on his shoulder.

“Please stand up. I’ll do that.”

The time allotted for solving the case was only 5 days. There wasn’t much time for measured approaches to different things.

Simon and Pier decided to go tough for this mission.

Simon heard everything from the innkeeper. He was able to check all the detailed information about the disappearances so far.

“After the disappearance of the people of the territory, a skinny mummy is found a few months later.”

“……Yes.”

“The victims of the disappearances are mostly young men, but the ones found as mummies are mostly women.”

“Th-That’s right.”

Simon put on an agonized look. There wasn’t enough evidence to get the hang of the situation.

“For the female victims… Uhm…… Was there by any chance traces of abuse?”

“The lord also suspected that the gangs in the territory were committing sexual assaults, but he said that there were no such traces.”

Simon’s head started to hurt more and more, but Pier, who was listening next to Simon with his arms folded, was giggling over and over, making Simon think about what was making him so happy.

“……Pier?”

[Heheheheh! I’m sure! I’m sure of it!]

Pier smirked.

[Elizabeth. She must be somewhere in this city! It’s certain! To think that we found her this easily! Kuhahahaha!]

Pier certainly seemed to get the hang of it. Then there was no reason for us to be here any longer. Simon stood from his seat.

“We’ll come back in the evening.”

“Ah, yes! Please be careful out there. The territory is unsettled these days.”

Simon and Pier came out. The next destination was the Thieves’ Guild, which they knew from the innkeeper.

“Pier. How can you be sure that this case is the work of that ancient undead?”

[That’s obvious!]

Pier grinned.

[Toying with young men and draining up and killing the women since she doesn’t really care about them! It’s exactly what that devil of a woman would do!]

“……An undead does that? Isn’t she human?”

[Didn’t I tell you? Undead are beings that can’t be understood by a human’s common sense! The ancient undead, who have lived for a long time, are even more eccentric!]

“Mm.”

Simon rested his chin and pondered.

[What are you thinking so hard about?]

“Well, I’m also a young man, you see. Why don’t I use myself as bait to pull that devil of a woman out?”

* * *

* * *

Pier burst out laughing through the helm.

[What is this kid who’s still wet behind the ears blabbering about?! Hahahaha!]

Pier ruffled Simon’s hair with his palm. Simon pouted his lips.

“……Is there something wrong with me?”

[What I’m telling you is that you’re too far from her taste! The chances are still small, even if you put on a beard.]

“Ugh.”

After talking about different things, the two finally arrived in front of the Thieves Guild. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary pub. 

The two opened the door and went inside.

A bar-style pub. A handsome middle-aged bartender was wiping the glasses, and the bearded men occupying the table were drenched in alcohol. Unlike the empty streets, this place was crawling with people.

‘But the atmosphere of selling information is nowhere to be found. It just looks like a local pub.’

Simon and Pier sat down at the bar’s side.

“What can I give you?”

Simon stretched out his finger at the bartender's question and drew a T in the air before holding out a silver coin.

“Please, this way.”

‘Ah, it really worked!’

It was easy when just following what the innkeeper had told them.

Simon and Pier followed the bartender’s guidance. As they exited the store’s back door, he saw a door and a staircase leading to the basement. The bartender bowed his head politely and went back right away.

“Phew.”

Simon took a deep breath and went down the stairs. The sound of the stone floor resonating was particularly loud, and the moldy smell of the basement stung the nose.

As he went down the stairs, two men wearing masks carrying crossbows stood in front of the door. Without saying a word, they stepped aside and opened the door.

Creeeaaak.

The door opened with the sound of an old hinge.

The atmosphere here was quite different from upstairs. People with robes drawn over their faces or masks sat quietly at the tables.

Three middle-aged men were sitting face to face playing poker, two young men glanced up, and an elderly man and a young woman were drinking beer alone.

Behind the bar, there were several doors that seemed to be places to purchase the information. For now, Simon and Pier sat down at a table in a quiet corner against the wall.

“Welcome.”

A young hostess approached the two.

She was dressed in a tight, wine-colored dress clinging to her body, and her voluminous blonde hair was tangled into bubbles.

Tap. Tap.

A black band was worn on her white legs that could be seen through her dress, and beside the band, you could see blades secretly shining.

Simon gulped.

“Well, then,”

Sitting in the chair opposite to them, she said with a business smile,

“what brings you to our Guild, dear outsiders?”

“……Pretty obvious.”

“We came to buy some information.”

“What kind of information do you want?”

“About people who’re missing from the territory and dead bodies that have dried up like mummies. Everything you know about this case.”

The hostess smiled.

“Everything? It’s going to be very costly. Can a first-year from Kizen really afford it?”

‘……!!’

Simon was flabbergasted inside, but asked back expressionlessly,

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s simple deduction.”

She continued to speak in a relaxed tone.

Everyone knows that the lord is desperate to solve this case. In fact, he has commissioned the case to many kinds of people, and there’s no way that Kizen’s not part of them. However, a small territory like this wouldn’t be able to call the Necromancers of Kizen’s HQ, so he would’ve chosen to place a request on the students.”

Her body leaned towards Simon. One knee came up on the chair, and the scent of dense roses wafted through her. A narrow curve could be seen behind her smiling face.

“And at this time, there are only first-year students in Kizen. The students who received the mission are first-year students whose student protection period has been lifted. And a young-looking outsider……”

She removed Simon’s hood with a furtive hand.

“appeared in our territory in good time.”

She lifted Simon’s chin with her fingertips and smiled.

“Am I wrong?”

……How disrespectful.

But he shouldn’t be so obvious. It was just a matter of offering the information that he came from Kizen to the information guild.

“Of course, if you don’t have enough money, you could also reveal your identity. Get us on our knees right now and grab the information by force. The name Kizen is that great, isn’t it?”

Simon didn’t falter.

Instead, he grabbed her slender hands grabbing his chin.

“Interesting deduction. Then shall I try it this time?”

“……What?”

Simon leaned over, pulling her hand slowly. 

“A grave incident occurred that is shaking up the entire territory. The lord was in crisis, and as you've said, he asked for help from numerous organizations.”

The grip of the hand holding her became stronger and stronger. Her smile stiffened slightly.

“And the only information guild that exists in this territory. Whether it was the lord’s side or the commissioned people’s, everyone must’ve stopped by here to get information. In conclusion, no one has been able to solve it.”

Simon approached her little by little, and this time, she was the one who moved away from him.

“The same incident has been happening for several years, yet the culprit hasn’t been found, let alone the case being solved. Don’t you think that there’s strangely too little information? If it’s this much, the information wasn’t really controlled, but everyone was getting lost because of the clever lies mixed with the given truth.”

He didn’t know what kind of recognition and influence this Thieves Guild had in this territory, but for Simon, an outsider, they were defying common sense.

Looking at her hardened face, Simon coldly said,

“Am I wrong? There’s no way that the Thieves Guild, located in the middle of the crime scene, hasn’t known the key information until now. Incompetence? Nah, I don’t think that’s the case, looking at you.”

Revealing her true character, Simon’s palm touched the back of her head.

Then, he whispered as he slowly pulled her toward his face,

“Before I flip everything on its head, give me the truth.”

——