Reborn with a Necromancer System - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Roommate
As Kai stepped out of the headmaster’s office, he caught a faint shimmer of mana in the air.

An almost imperceptible ripple of magic coming from the headmaster’s office.

A moment later, a voice echoed through the hall, though no one was there to speak it.

“Juno, come collect our new student, Mirlin Orth, from my office.”

Kai’s eyes opened wide. It was some form of telepathic magic, woven with the sort of precision that only a master of magic could achieve and made it almost impossible, even for Kai, to detect.

If it wasn’t for him being so close to the source, he may not have connected to the stream at all.

Even more curious was the way it carried a commanding undertone, as if the magic itself ensured compliance.

‘For strategic planning and management, that would be a great spell to figure out.’

Not long after, a boy approached. Juno was around eighteen, tall, and had an air of relaxed confidence. His academy uniform was slightly disheveled, the gold trim of his deep blue coat showing signs of wear.

He gave Kai a measured glance before offering a casual nod.

“You must be Mirlin Orth.”

Kai resisted the urge to react to his new name, nodding instead. “That’s me.”

“Juno. Student advisor for first-years. My job’s to make sure you don’t get lost or die in a duel on your first day.” He smirked. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

‘Die?’

As they walked through the halls, deeper into the building, the academy’s atmosphere grew more vibrant. The shelves, filled with all sorts of arcane objects, towered above the students. Floating sconces high up in the rafters created a pleasant feeling, like being underneath the night sky.

Along the way, Kai overheard a heated debate between two younger students.

“I’m telling you, the foundational principles of fire magic mean you have to calculate combustion ratios based on mana concentration! You can’t just brute-force a spell and expect it to work!” one boy argued.

Another scoffed, holding up a thick tome titled Rudimentary Instructions for New Players of Arcane Crucible. “You’re missing the point! In Arcane Crucible, refining your output makes you stronger in the long run. It’s a sport, not just raw theory!”

Kai glanced at Juno. “Arcane Crucible?”

Juno chuckled. “You’ll find out soon enough. It’s a school sport. Strategy, skill, and magic all in one, but I won’t spoil the fun.”

They continued until they reached the eastern dormitory building. Juno led Kai down a corridor lined with wooden doors, each marked with a brass number. He stopped at one and gestured.

“Room 117. Your new home. Your roommate’s already here, and I wish you luck. He’s a little… odd. I’ll be back after you’re settled to show you around the academy.”

Kai entered, the door creaking slightly as he stepped inside. The dorm room was modest: two beds, two desks, and a window overlooking the academy grounds. Sitting at one of the desks was a boy with green hair, hunched over an open book, his eyes scanning the text with laser focus.

Kai placed his bag on his bed. “I’m Mirlin Orth. Your roommate.”

The boy didn’t look up. “Willam.”

Silence stretched between them. Willam continued reading, his fingers occasionally flicking through pages with precise, practiced movements. Kai took the opportunity to unpack, carefully withdrawing a few essential items from his bag before discreetly reaching into his shadow space to retrieve the rest.

“That’s an interesting method,” Willam’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

Kai turned, only to find Willam standing uncomfortably close, peering at his hands with sharp interest.

“Spacial displacement magic?” Willam mused. “Looks a little more interesting than the standard spatial magics I’ve seen. What limitations have you set? No living creatures? Space restrictions? Does it slow down time? Speed it up? Alter physical makeup? Remove curses? Clean your-”

“Hold on a second!” Kai cut in, startled by the barrage of questions.

Willam took a step back, nodding in apology. “Curiosity gets the best of me. I have an interest in rare and unique magic. It’s why I’m here, to gain unrestricted access to the academy’s teachers and library.”

“You’re not here for the school itself?”

Willam smirked. “School curriculum limits growth. I’m here to learn without restriction.” His gaze sharpened. “So, about that spatial magic of yours?”

Kai treaded carefully, sharing only surface-level details. He explained its basic functions while omitting its deeper applications. Kai took the opportunity, while talking, to change into his new school uniform. Willam listened intently to every word, occasionally interjecting with theories and comparisons to other known spatial techniques.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. When Kai opened it, Juno leaned casually against the frame.

“Ready for that tour?” he asked.

Kai glanced at Willam, who had already returned to his book. Taking that as a cue, Kai stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Juno led him through the academy grounds, pointing out key locations. “Training grounds are here, you’ll spend a lot of time getting your ass handed to you. Trust me, I know,” he said, gesturing with his thumb pointed towards himself.”

They continued through the building into the west wing until they came up to giant doors with over a dozen heads that whispered amongst themselves.

“Oh, those?” Juno looked at the heads and then back to Kai. “Nobody really knows what they are, but they alert the librarian when people enter who shouldn’t. Either people who have used all of their library time for the month, or even trespassers. Most secure place in the academy.”

Kai felt a familiar strain of magic.

‘That’s necromancy… I guess Orlin was right about necromancers and variants building the citadel.’

“That’s very interesting, Juno. Thank you.”

“Manners? Rare for an S-Class student. So, as you probably know now, the library’s through here. Alhough, the lesser-ranks have restricted access, not that you will have to worry about that.”

“S-class? Lesser ranks?”

“I’ll get to that.”

They passed a sprawling courtyard where students practiced controlled spell-casting their magic forming intricate patterns in the air. Further along, Juno gestured to a large, enclosed arena.

“Dueling grounds. If you piss someone off, this is where you settle it. Officially, of course.”

They reached a series of lecture halls. “You’ll be in S-Class. The top-ranked first-years. Same curriculum as everyone else, but more free-study days and less restricted library access. Lucky. I’ve been an E-Class student since I enrolled.”

Kai frowned. “That seems counterintuitive.”

Juno shrugged. “Welcome to the academy. Rules here don’t always make sense.”

After the tour, Kai returned to his room, his mind processing everything he’d learned. Before turning in for the night, he placed weak barrier spells on his textbooks and backpack, simple, breakable wards. A test. If anyone tampered with them, he’d know.

From now on, he would be watching carefully. Leaving nothing to chance.