The Genesis Of A Necromancer - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Going to school
Time, they say, waits for no one, yet sometimes its passage can feel so slow that it seems like a person is left waiting for time itself.

That’s precisely how Jack felt as he stared at the worn pages of his journal. Ten years. A decade had crawled by. What was supposed to be a temporary stay had stretched on far beyond what he’d been promised.

‘I was told I’d be here for two years,’ Jack thought with bitter frustration, flipping through his notes. ‘Two! How did that become ten?!’

The memory was still vivid—how Urek, his personal butler, had appeared out of nowhere that fateful day. He’d arrived with a look of unease and a message that Jack had dreaded.

“My prince,” Urek had begun, voice laced with regret, “Lord Aldermond has decided to extend your stay here until the conventional school is prepared.”

Jack’s heart had sunk. “And how long will that take?” he demanded, trying to mask his impatience.

Urek had sighed, “We’re… uncertain. The kingdoms must sign the treaty before the school opens, and obtaining their agreement will be a complex, lengthy process.”

Jack remembered how his face had blanked at those words. ‘So I’m stuck with this old man for who knows how long?’ He’d cast a glance back at Alogra, who was standing nearby with that maddeningly calm smile.

Jack shivered just remembering it. Alogra wasn’t simply a teacher—he was a relentless taskmaster who saw no issue in pushing Jack to the edge of his limits daily. Jack had endured exhausting, grueling training under his merciless guidance. And now, just when he’d thought he was free, he’d been told that escape was still out of reach.

But that had been years ago. Today, finally, the end had arrived.

“Ten years,” Jack muttered to himself with a mix of disbelief and relief, hopping out of bed. He scanned the room one last time, an unexpected wave of nostalgia tugging at him. He’d grown stronger, no doubt. Alogra’s brutal regimen had done its work.

Jack glanced down at his open system menu, studying his stats:

[Character Info and Stats]

[Name: Asriel Digmun / Jack Hunter]

[EXP: 15300/160,000]

[Level: 15]

[Class: Necromancer Noble]

[Title: Predator of the Mountains]

[Mage: B-rank]

[Basic Swordsman]

[Battle Mage: A-rank]

[HP: 100/100]

[MP: 1000/1000]

[Tiredness: 10]

[Character Stats]

[Strength: 170]

[Stamina: 150]

[Agility: 160]

[Perception: 200]

[Bonus Points: __]

He sighed. “That Tiredness stat…” he muttered. It hadn’t budged from ten in weeks. Alogra’s training sessions drained him, both physically and mentally. ‘Nothing to be done about it now,’ he thought, closing the dashboard.

Despite the exhaustion, he felt ready. He was stronger, faster, and more skilled than he’d ever been before. And today, he was finally leaving this place.

Arriving in the dining room, he found Alogra, who glanced over his shoulder with a sly smile. “You look energetic today,” Alogra remarked, flipping the pan over the fire.

Jack dragged himself to the table, feeling anything but energetic. He glowered at Alogra’s back, well aware the old man was playing coy. Alogra knew exactly how exhausted Jack was—he’d made sure of it. But he’d never acknowledge it.

Moments later, Alogra brought the food to the table, setting it down before taking his own seat. His expression turned uncharacteristically serious.

“You’re leaving for school soon,” he said, voice low and somber. “I don’t have much advice to give, just a few warnings: Keep away from the church and don’t expose your powers to anyone. There’s a world of politics within those walls. Don’t let yourself get drawn into it too deeply.”

Jack nodded, swallowing his frustration. He was well-acquainted with Alogra’s roundabout way of showing care. Somewhere along the way, the stern old man had become more than a mentor. Jack respected him—grudgingly, perhaps, but respect all the same. Alogra had pushed him to his limits, made him face his fears, and, in the process, had helped him grow into someone stronger.

‘Guess we make a strange sort of pair,’ Jack mused with a smirk.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

Alogra stood, smirking as he took the plate back from Jack. “Looks like you won’t need this after all,” he said, carrying the food away.

‘Old bastard,’ Jack thought, biting back a laugh as he got up to answer the door.

Outside, Urek stood, hands clasped neatly behind him, a figure of stoic formality. He nodded at Jack. “Young Master, your ride has arrived. If you have everything you need, we should be on our way.”

Jack took a deep breath, glancing back one last time. ‘This is it,’ he thought, feeling the weight of expectation settle onto his shoulders. ‘The academy… where the real events will begin.’ He squared his shoulders and stepped forward, leaving the hut behind.

—

Meanwhile, in a lavish chamber miles away, tension simmered.

“My lady! Please reconsider!” A man draped in white robes embroidered with a crimson cross pleaded as he watched the veiled young woman standing at the center of the room. Around them, men in similar robes exchanged uneasy glances, their faces tight with apprehension. But none dared question her directly.

She was Alisha, the heir to an ancient lineage, and her word was law.

“Francis,” she replied, her voice calm yet unyielding. “I’ve made my decision. I’m going to the academy, and I will not be persuaded otherwise. Do you really believe anyone there could harm me?”

Francis paled. “My lady, if they find out who you are, they will stop at nothing. Those madmen would summon an entire army just to see you fall. We can’t risk losing you—not now, not at such a crucial time. Without you, the Church would crumble.”

A smile curved beneath her veil, her scarlet eyes gleaming with a fierce light as she looked down on him. “Francis, do you doubt the Crusades’ strength?” she challenged, her voice like a silken dagger. “I am going to the academy, and that decision is final.”

Francis lowered his head, defeated.