After hearing Knox's "offer," Hector's companions immediately lifted him by the shoulders and hurried toward the exit.
They were almost at the door when Knox spoke again.
"Oh, by the way, there won't be a second chance. You crossed the line once more, so next time I'll make sure you end up as either a charred lizard… or a wingless lizard~."
Hector and his companions froze for a moment.
They understood immediately. Knox wasn't joking.
"Honestly," Knox continued, sounding almost casual, "if there's ever some kind of duel assessment…"
He smiled. "I really hope my opponents will be you guys~."
Hector clenched his teeth.
Under normal circumstances, he would have snapped back and picked a fight. That was simply who he was.
But the one saying those words was Knox. The same person who had just crushed him and thrown him aside like nothing.
Hector stayed silent.
Beside him, his companions could only pray that they would never be matched against Knox in the future.
Without another word, they resumed running, half-dragging Hector along.
"Bye-bye~ See you later~" Knox called after them with a cheerful smile.
Unfortunately, for the people he was waving at, that smile was anything but cheerful.
"Rick!"
Simon hurried over, checking him over from head to toe. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Rick chuckled.
Knox sighed, then smiled faintly.
"Honestly, Rick, I get that you provoked him on purpose. But at least tell me next time. That way, I can beat him properly."
Simon tilted his head, wearing a confused smile.
"As expected of you, Knox," Rick said. "You saw right through my plan. I was trying to get him to make the first move, so he'd face disciplinary punishment."
Rick grinned wider. "Sure, the plan didn't go exactly as intended—but the result was even better. To think I'd get to see Hector beaten down like a pebble on the road! Hahaha!"
Then Rick looked at Knox seriously. "Still, thanks for the help."
Knox laughed. "Don't mention it. Besides, thanks to you, I finally got to use him as a punching bag."
Simon sighed. "Really… you guys."
Knox then added casually, "Besides, even if I hadn't stepped in, someone else would have."
He glanced toward a certain direction. Simon and Rick followed his gaze.
There, standing quietly in the bath, was Kajann.
"Kajann?" Simon said.
Kajann let out a tired sigh. "You guys really ruined my bath time. Be more careful next time."
With that, he sank back into the bath, closed his eyes, and resumed soaking.
The other students sharing the bath subtly edged away from him.
Simon stood up slightly.
"Kajann… thanks for—"
"You're noisy too," Kajann said, his back still turned.
"Get lost."
"..."
Simon let out a faint smile.
Suddenly, Knox chimed in. "Kajann, tsundere is already out of style. Besides, if it's a girl acting tsundere, it's still fine. But if it's a guy—"
"Shut it, Knox!" Kajann snapped. "Who are you calling a tsundere?!"
Simon watched the exchange quietly.
…He really didn't seem like a bad person after all.
After showering, they stepped out to find their freshly cleaned uniforms neatly delivered in front of their dorm room by laundry magic.
The three of them quickly changed and made it through the last remaining afternoon class without any trouble.
By the time everything was finished, dusk had already settled in. After dinner, Knox, Simon, and Rick were on their way back to the dorm.
"Aaahhh! It's finally the weekend!" Rick stretched and shouted.
"Knox, Simon—what are you two doing this weekend?" Rick asked.
"The weekend?" Simon blinked. "I don't really have anything planned."
"Aaah~ that's no good!" Rick said dramatically. "At Kizen, how you spend your weekend is super important. What about you, Knox?"
"Hm," Knox thought for a moment. "I think I'll walk around and get familiar with the area. Maybe visit Rochester? I heard there's a lot of delicious food there."
His eyes practically sparkled.
Hearing that, Rick grinned."Ohhh, so you're planning to go to Rochester too!"
"From the way you're talking," Knox said, glancing at him, "it sounds like you already have plans."
Rick nodded enthusiastically. "Honestly, my weekend schedule is more important than weekday classes. I'm heading straight to Rochester as well."
Rochester—the satellite city of Kizen.
A small-to-mid-sized city bustling with visits from Kizen's staff, students, and servants alike.
Known as a necromancer's haven and a student city, it was packed with restaurants, inns, and shops specializing in necromancy-related goods. It wasn't uncommon to see Kizen students working part-time jobs there to cover material expenses.
Especially on weekends, the city was overflowing with people.
For most Kizen students, "Let's hang out this weekend!" practically meant "Let's go to Rochester!"
"But what are you going to do in Rochester?" Simon asked Rick.
"Start a business," Rick replied, his tone unexpectedly serious.
"The monthly allowance we get from Kizen isn't enough to live on. And it's not like I'm some genius who can land a scholarship. I've got to make use of my strengths—fast."
Simon nodded. Classic Rick—always thinking a step ahead.
"Simon, you should set up a source of income too," Rick continued. "The professors only supply materials during the student protection period. After that, the monthly allowance won't even come close to covering the cost of Kizen's classes. Most upperclassmen already have their own steady income streams."
"Hm… is that so?" Simon murmured.
"I agree with Rick," Knox said, nodding. "Especially with your preferred major—Summonology. That field is a complete money black hole. Even outside of class, you'll need to be self-reliant. Life here isn't easy."
Especially for Simon, who was interested in Summonology—one of the most expensive fields when it came to material costs.
"I see," Simon said slowly. "Looks like I really need to plan ahead."
"Hehe. Or you could just wait for me to get things running in Rochester," Rick said with a grin. "I might even save a job for you."
"Nah," Simon replied. "If I need money, I'll earn it myself."
"…Huh. You're pretty clear-headed when it comes to finances," Rick said, a little impressed.
Simon glanced at Knox and asked, "How about you, Knox? You're also interested in Summoning as your major, right?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Rick's expression twisted into one that looked like he'd just heard something utterly ridiculous.
Knox, meanwhile, simply laughed.
"Simon…" Rick said, shaking his head. "You asked the wrong question to the wrong person."
"Simon," Knox added with a chuckle, "I'm not saying this to brag, but you do realize that besides being a student, I have a few other professions, right?"
After a few seconds of confusion, it finally hit Simon.
…Oh. Right.
Knox wasn't just a student. He was a bounty hunter. And a famous writer.
His current income and personal wealth alone were already enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with some high-ranking nobles.
Realizing this, Simon could only stare at Knox with pure envy.
"Well," Knox said casually, smiling, "if you ever need to borrow some money, just ask."
"..."
Simon said nothing.
After a bit more banter, Rick slipped away before heading back to the dorms, saying he needed to prepare tomorrow's schedule, and quietly departed for Rochester.
Technically, students weren't allowed to leave Kizen during weekdays. But thanks to the academy's lenient, free-spirited culture, it wasn't a big issue—as long as you didn't get caught.
Meanwhile, Knox and Simon returned to their dorm.
Wanting to enjoy the holiday mood just a little, they stopped by the store, bought some snacks, and headed back to their room.
The two of them sat down on the floor and opened what they'd bought.
Simon had a soft pack of mini chiffon cakes—six pieces inside.
Knox, on the other hand, had something that could hardly be called snacks.
Fish and chips.
Pasta.
French fries.
And several drinks to go with them.
Looking at Knox's haul, Simon was genuinely amazed by his appetite.
In the end, they decided to share—though it mostly amounted to Knox sharing his food with Simon.
They ate together in comfortable silence.
"...…"
"...…"
Then—
They felt it. Someone was watching them.
Simon cautiously shifted his gaze toward the window.
And there, clinging to the glass, was a girl blinking back at him.
"L-Lady Nefthis…?" Simon whispered.
For reference—
This was the fourth floor.
Knox sighed. "Simon," he said calmly, "I suggest you pretend you didn't see anything."
————————————
Character Voicelines · Knox and Jane: About Nefthis's Work
Jane:Sigh… Honestly, for Kizen's leader to run away from work…
Knox: Sister Jane, do you need help?
Jane:(tilts her head)(°ヘ°)?
Knox:(silently pulls out a stack of cakes and places them on Nefthis's table)(￣▽￣)っ
Suddenly… Nefthis appeared, casually sitting in her chair and taking a bite.
Knox (glancing at Jane): ＜(￣︶￣)＞
Jane:(stares in disbelief)(・—・)