Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

***

Simon and Lorain returned to Campbell Road.

As it turned out, Campbell Road was a street that catered to necromancers.

The deeper they went, the more explicit the displayed items became. 

Skulls, monster corpses, and even some still-pulsating organs were bottled and sold.

Simon felt like he had entered a different world, far removed from the one he knew.

"Do you know when the most exciting time in all of school life is?"

Lorain, walking beside him, asked.

"Uh, um... I don't know?"

"It's before school starts, when you're excitedly shopping for uniforms, textbooks, and supplies! Right now is the most enjoyable time, so enjoy it, Simon."

She smiled slightly.

"Once you enter Kizen, it'll be truly hectic."

"...Haha."

Their first stop was a bookstore.

While Kizen's admission and tuition fees were free, textbooks, naturally, had to be purchased individually.

"There are quite a few books to buy. Do you still have your admission letter?"

"Yes! Here."

Inside the envelope, besides the admission letter, was a list of necessary supplies.

Lorain glanced briefly at the book list, returned the letter, and said,

"I've memorized it. This way."

As Simon followed her, something heavy suddenly landed in his arms.

He quickly reached out to catch it, finding a terrifyingly thick book. 

The title on the cover read, 

.

'Summoning?'

Before Simon could process it, another book landed on top. 

This time, it was .

'Th-This is heavy too!'

Lorain continued pulling books from the shelves.

, , , , and more piled up. 

Simon's arms trembled.

"Lorain! You don't mean we learn all of this in our first year, do you?"

"Of course not."

She turned around and smiled brightly.

"We're Kizen, you know? Mastering this much in the first semester of the first year is basic."

"...."

"Here, catch too!"

...He was already starting to miss Leshill.

While frantically selecting books, she dashed off, saying she would find the Jet Black Mechanics book.

Left alone for a moment, Simon looked around.

'Come to think of it...'

Most of the people in the bookstore were around his age.

Judging by the and textbooks they were holding, they were undoubtedly Kizen's incoming students.

It was the first time he had been in a place with so many people his age. 

In Leshill, the only peers he knew were Calon, a year older, and Sophia, two years younger.

A new life with classmates of similar age. 

Simon was gradually starting to look forward to school life.

"Okay! I'm coming!"

"?"

While he was distracted, an unfamiliar female student ran past him. 

Simon narrowed his eyes, observing her movements.

For a split second, her body veered towards him.

'What's this?'

There was no reason to let her collide with him, so Simon sidestepped to avoid her.

"...Ah!"

She crashed into a bookshelf, and the books piled on top wobbled precariously.

This was dangerous.

Reacting instinctively, Simon jumped in and shielded her.

Crash!

The books tumbled onto Simon's back.

It hurt. 

A pain like a rock hitting his back.

The girl, looking up at Simon with a startled expression, quickly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Because of me...!"

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I was standing in the way, lost in thought."

Simon forced a smile.

"More importantly, let's put these back. I think we'll get in trouble."

"Oh, yes!"

They hurriedly picked up the fallen books. 

The girl handed him the books from the floor, and Simon, on tiptoe, placed them back on the shelf.

A clerk, alerted by the commotion, came over to see what was happening, but seeing them putting the books back, thankfully left without a word.

'This is the last one.'

While Simon put the last book back in its place, the girl was organizing his scattered books.

"Y-You're a Kizen enrollee too, right?"

She must have seen his textbooks. 

Simon nodded, and her face brightened.

"I-I'm an enrollee too! My name is Cindy Vivace! What's yours?"

"Simon Polentia."

"I see, nice to meet you! Actually, I'm from Shahed in the north, so I don't have any close friends, and I was a little nervous."

Simon nodded.

"We're in similar situations."

"I-If you don't mind, Simon..."

Cindy blushed, tapping her index fingers together. 

Then, in a barely audible voice, she asked,

"Could we... acknowledge each other... at school later?"

As if it were such a big request.

Simon chuckled softly.

"Of course. I'll ask first."

"Thank you!"

She jumped to her feet.

"Then I'll be going now! My dad's waiting outside."

"Okay."

"See you later at Kizen!"

She waved and walked away.

"Wait a minute, Cindy."

"Huh?"

She turned around. Simon was holding something up.

"My wallet. Aren't you going to return it?"

In Simon's hand was Cindy's wallet.

In an instant, her previously innocent eyes sharpened. 

Her pupils narrowed vertically, like a cat's.

'No way.'

Cindy quickly checked her pocket. It was empty.

"...Ha."

She had been completely fooled.

Smiling, she turned back to Simon.

"I was so confident I wouldn't get caught, since I used necromancy to swipe it. How did you know?"

"Well, you know, my wallet suddenly started floating."

Cindy strode over and looked Simon directly in the eyes.

"You just noticed? Don't lie. You're aiming for the Necromancy major, aren't you?"

"I don't know yet..."

"I knew it!"

Cindy's eyes sparkled.

"Kizen is on a different level, after all! Wow, what am I going to do? It'll be full of kids like you, right? Ah, I'm so excited for school!"

'...Isn't this pickpocket a little too brazen?'

She grinned and pulled Simon's wallet from her pocket, tossing it to him.

"If we're both Necromancy majors, we might see each other for all three years, right? Let's have a bloody competition, Simon!"

She seemed like the type who rarely listened to others.

As Simon sighed softly, about to return her wallet, Cindy waved her hand dismissively.

"Forget it. I lost this match, so consider it spoils of war."

She was strangely cool about it.

Simon was starting to think the rumor about necromancers lacking sanity was true.

"I look forward to it. Let's acknowledge each other when we see each other at school!"

Waving, Cindy walked towards the wall of the bookstore and disappeared right through it.

'....'

It felt like a storm had just passed.

Staring blankly at the wall where Cindy had vanished, Simon opened her wallet.

It contained only a few coins.

'Such a show-off.'

Simon chuckled.

"Simon!"

Just then, Lorain returned, her black hair swirling around her.

"Apparently, they're all sold out of Introduction to Jet Black Mechanics! They said they'll have more in stock in two hours, and they'll deliver it to our accommodations along with the other books then."

"Oh, that's great!"

Lorain playfully nudged Simon's arm.

"But who was that girl just now? Have you already made a friend?"

Simon sweated nervously, avoiding her gaze.

"S-Something like that."

"Hehe, why are you stuttering? Don't tell me you've already exchanged hearts?"

They almost exchanged wallets, that was for sure.

"Anyway, since we've arranged for the books to be delivered, let's go. There are plenty of other places we need to visit."

"Where are we going next?"

"A bag store."

Did he have to buy a new bag too?

Simon looked at the backpack he was wearing.

"The one I'm using now isn't bad."

"Huh?"

Not understanding what he meant, she blinked, then burst out laughing.

"Ah-ha-ha! That's so cute. You really are a country bumpkin."

"Ahem."

Embarrassed, Simon blushed.

"When necromancers talk about bags, they usually mean 'Magical Inventory.' Or more simply, subspace."

Simon's eyes widened.

"So, we're going... to buy subspace?"

***

A large building located a few blocks from the bookstore.

Simon and Lorain were led to the basement. 

After passing through several layers of security dark magic, they entered a dimly lit underground showroom.

"...Wow."

The entire space was filled with backpacks, pouches, briefcases, and other similar items.

Long coats, pocket watches, even carriage wheels and live lizards.

Items of unknown purpose hung on the walls or floated in the air, held by magical effects.

"Welcome, Lady Lorain!"

An old woman in a luxurious mink coat appeared from the stairs.

She was thin, with a sharp, discerning look, and adorned with expensive gold jewelry.

Lorain waved cheerfully.

"It's been a while, Stephanie."

Stephanie rubbed her hands together and smiled.

"What brings our VVIP here without any notice? You bought a bag last month..."

Lorain lightly placed her hand on Simon's shoulder.

"Today, I'm here to look for a bag for this friend."

"Ah!"

Stephanie suddenly appeared in front of Simon. 

He had to pull his head back slightly to avoid the old woman's hooked nose.

"A Kizen enrollee! Welcome! Necromancers are always our shop's most valued customers."

"N-Nice to meet you."

"Then, what kind of product would you like to see?"

Lorain answered for him.

"The best, and the most expensive."

"Unbelievable!"

Stephanie exclaimed.

"This way, our two VIPs!"

Stephanie led them to another room. 

The items here weren't hanging on the wall but were displayed in glass cases.

Stephanie tapped a display case with her finger, and the glass vanished as if it had evaporated.

"Try this on, sir."

She handed him a navy blue glove with an elegant pattern.

As Simon carefully put it on his right hand, he felt an incredibly luxurious, almost comforting sensation.

"This is a product made by 'Ellen Baiter,' the legendary subspace artisan. Would you mind touching any wall with your finger and drawing a square?"

Simon nodded and did as instructed.

Swish!

A hole opened in the wall.

As Simon peered inside in astonishment, a vast space unfolded before him. 

It was large enough to fit an entire house.

'This is subspace!'

While Simon marveled inwardly, Stephanie continued her explanation.

"As befits Ellen Baiter's masterpiece, the storage space is a whopping 8,000 UB! Moreover, as long as you're wearing the glove, you can summon the subspace anytime! Truly a revolutionary product in the world of inventories!"

"...Hmm."

Lorain, however, seemed unimpressed.

"It looks convenient, but needing a wall to open the subspace is a significant limitation. In actual combat, there are many cases where you fight in open fields with nothing around. And since Simon is a beginner necromancer, he doesn't need such a large capacity."

"That's a valid point."

"Do you have anything smaller, something simpler to use, even if it has less capacity?"

Stephanie grinned and walked away without a word. 

She then removed the glass from a display case at the very end.

"This product hasn't even been released to the public yet. The latest creation from 'Gellen Eclipse,' considered the next generation's leading artisan!"

She carefully held up a ring. 

It was primarily silver, but it shimmered with violet and green depending on the angle of the light.

"Please try it on, sir."

"Ah, yes!"

Simon carefully put on the ring. The subtle prismatic colors were beautiful.

"The usage is simple! Just channel your Jet Black into the ring."

Simon did as instructed. 

The ring absorbed the Jet Black like a sponge, changing from silver to a dark blue.

"How does it feel?"

"...I feel something like a handle under the ring."

"It's working properly! Think of it as a lever and pull it."

Simon gripped the imaginary handle and slowly pulled it back.

Then...

Clank!

With a sound like interlocking stones, a vertical opening appeared on the floor. 

White vapor-like substance flowed out from the gap.

"...Wow!"

Simon's heart began to race. This time, even Lorain looked slightly impressed.

"The storage space is 4,000 UB, half of the previous product, but it's far superior in terms of practicality! The subspace opens from the floor and isn't affected by slopes or uneven surfaces. The space inside is enchanted with seven spells, including a first-rate preservation spell and a temperature control spell."

"What about the ejection function?"

Lorain asked.

"Of course, it has that! Let's try a demonstration."

Looking around for a suitable object, Stephanie spotted a deflated rabbit doll lying in a corner.

"Huh? Why is this doll here?"

"My mischievous granddaughter often comes to play at the shop."

Stephanie chuckled wryly and tossed the doll into the subspace.

"You said you were a new student, right? You'll need a lot of practice to use the ejection function in actual combat. Now, try to circulate the subspace's magic power, as if you're enveloping the object..."

Simon circulated the magic power as instructed, enveloping the rabbit doll.

It wasn't difficult. 

Perhaps because the ring was in contact with his body, the subspace's mana moved as freely as his own.

"...Just enveloping the object automatically activates the internal ejection spell. Now, release the mana enveloping the object, as if flicking it away!"

Whoosh!

The rabbit doll shot out of the subspace. It flew in a gentle arc and landed upright on the floor.

Stephanie and Lorain gasped.

"Excellent, sir!"

"You're good! Are you sure this is your first time?"

His heart was pounding so hard that he could barely hear their voices. 

He was starting to understand why subspace was an essential item for a necromancer.

Simon imagined himself opening his subspace and summoning undead in the near future.

"Simon, do you like it?"

Lorain approached, smiling. Simon snapped back to reality and nodded repeatedly.

Of course, he liked it. He had never wanted something so badly before.

But...

Simon's gaze shifted to Stephanie.

"...How much is this subspace?"

***

@ChaoticTL

Read chapters in advance in - patreon.com/ChaoticTL

Join Discord - https://discord.gg/2W4ngMxj