Unable to hold herself back, Benya immediately stepped closer, wanting to examine it personally. However, the Overlord instinctively raised its bladed tentacles in warning, forcing her to stop several steps away. Seeing this, Simon quickly synchronized with its lingering thoughts and gently calmed it before inviting her over.
"Would you like to take a closer look, Senior?" said Simon.
"Of course!"
This time, Benya carefully inspected every part of the Overlord. From the mithril mixed into its bones to the balance of its overall construction, she examined everything with surprising seriousness before finally nodding in satisfaction.
"The craftsmanship is excellent," she praised. "Creating another Kraken undead with this level of balance would be incredibly difficult. Treasure this partner well, Comrade."
Receiving praise from someone as knowledgeable as Benya, Simon couldn't help smiling.
"Then..."
Benya clapped both hands together.
"Welcome to Mutant!"
With that, Simon officially passed the interview. For Simon, it was the first time he had been surrounded by people who genuinely enjoyed discussing the same things he did. Without realizing it, he completely lost track of time.
Eventually, their conversation naturally returned to the Overlord.
"Comrade," Benya suddenly said, "its overall performance is already impressive, but constantly bringing the entire body out of your subspace isn't very practical."
Simon nodded. "I've been thinking the same thing. That's why I've been practicing attacking while keeping the Overlord inside the subspace, but controlling it that way is much harder than I expected."
"Hmm..."
Benya tapped her chin for a moment before snapping her fingers.
"Have you ever considered improving the subspace itself instead?"
"The... subspace?"
"Exactly. From what you've described, your subspace isn't just a storage space anymore. It's practically part of the Overlord's fighting style. If that's the case, why not create a customized subspace specifically for it?"
Simon's eyes widened.
"...Is something like that even possible?"
"It is."
Benya nodded confidently.
"You're in luck too. One of the continent's greatest subspace craftsmen, Gellen Eclipse, happens to be staying on Roke Mountain right now. He has a cooperative relationship with the Vanilla Group, so if anyone can help you, it's him."
"...Gellen Eclipse?"
The name immediately sounded familiar.
A moment later, Simon suddenly lowered his head and looked at the ring on his finger.
That's right! He's the one who created this subspace.
For the first time since obtaining the Overlord, Simon could finally see a clear path toward making it even stronger.
"Alright! Last but certainly not least!"
Benya pointed excitedly at Knox. "Comrade Knox, it's your turn!"
Knox immediately raised one hand. "Commander Benya, reporting for duty."
"Hehehe!" Benya laughed heartily before clapping both hands together.
"Alright, Knox! It's your turn now. Show me your undead! Show me your summon!"
"Hmm..."
Knox rested a finger against his chin, genuinely thinking for a moment. "I wonder which one I should summon..."
"If I may make a suggestion..."
Fitzgerald adjusted the bridge of his glasses.
"I believe your Death Knights would be the best choice."
"...Death Knights?"
Benya's eyes widened.
Even Dio, who had remained rather indifferent throughout the interview, immediately straightened his posture.
"Did you just say... Death Knights?"
"...A first-year controlling Death Knights?"
His usually sleepy eyes were now completely awake.
"They're the same Death Knights Knox used during the Team Evaluation," Fitzgerald calmly explained.
"So those rumors were actually true..."
Benya muttered under her breath, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
Meanwhile, Simon and Toto quietly looked toward Knox.
Unlike Benya and Dio, neither of them was particularly surprised. After all, they had both witnessed those Death Knights during the Team Evaluation.
Even so, watching them from the audience and seeing them standing only a few meters away were two completely different experiences.
Seeing everyone's expectant expressions, Knox smiled helplessly.
"Alright then. I'll go with those two." He casually snapped his fingers.
A pair of magic circles slowly unfolded behind him. Although they resembled summoning portals, everyone present could tell they originated from a summoner's subspace.
Clang. Clang.
Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the underground workshop.
From the first magic circle, a towering armored figure slowly emerged, its steel boots striking the floor with deep, resonant sounds that reverberated across the room.
Clang.Clang.
A second pair of footsteps followed soon after.
Another identical figure stepped out from the second magic circle before silently taking its place beside the first.
They were Death Knights.
Completely encased in dark steel armor that seemed to swallow the surrounding light. Each carried an enormous tower shield, thick enough to resemble a moving fortress rather than a mere defensive weapon. Their visors revealed nothing beneath them except two faint crimson lights, quietly flickering like dying embers hidden deep within ashes.
Neither Death Knight made a single unnecessary movement. They simply stood behind Knox. Yet their mere presence was enough to make the entire underground workshop feel noticeably heavier.
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
Benya slowly approached the two Death Knights, the playful smile on her face gradually fading into one of complete concentration. She circled around them once before stopping directly in front of the first knight, her eyes carefully inspecting every inch of its black armor.
"...Beautiful!" This time, there wasn't the slightest hint of exaggeration in her voice.
She slowly raised a hand, asking for permission with her eyes. Seeing Knox nod, Benya gently tapped one of the shoulder plates with her fingertip before examining the surface more closely.
"The armor has completely fused with the undead."
She quietly exhaled in admiration.
"Most people think creating a Death Knight is as simple as putting armor on a Skeleton Knight. They couldn't be more wrong."
Her fingers lightly traced the dark steel. "Because a true Death Knight isn't wearing armor, the armor itself has become part of its body."
Dio also walked over, his sleepy expression replaced by rare seriousness. He observed the joints around the shoulders, elbows, knees, and neck before slowly nodding.
"...The integration is almost flawless."
His gaze lingered on the heavy tower shield.
"...No unnecessary mana leakage. No structural instability. Not even around the movable joints."
He glanced toward Knox. "...The craftsmanship is exceptionally high."
Benya nodded in complete agreement. "And that's only the armor."
Her attention shifted toward the crimson glow hidden beneath the visor.
"Judging from the lingering thoughts...these Death Knights must have been created from the corpses of incredibly powerful individuals."
She folded her arms. "A Sword Master...or perhaps even a high-ranking monster."
She slowly shook her head. "Either way, I can't even imagine how powerful they must have been while they were still alive."
Fitzgerald quietly adjusted his glasses.
"Considering their overall quality...I highly doubt these are newly created Death Knights."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Death Knights naturally continue developing as they're refined over time through repeated battles and mana reinforcement."
His gaze settled on the two silent knights.
"The density of their mana, their pressures, and even the way they carry themselves...these two have clearly undergone extensive refinement."
Even Dio nodded without hesitation. "...I agree. They're far above the average Death Knight."
Hearing even Dio give such an evaluation, everyone's attention naturally shifted back toward Knox, waiting to see how he would respond.
Under their expectant gazes, Knox merely scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile. "Hehe... they're just a little better than average~."
His answer immediately left everyone speechless.
"..."
An awkward silence quickly settled over the group as they tried to process what Knox had just said.
Among them, Benya was the first to move. As if wanting to confirm whether she had somehow overestimated the two undead, she slowly turned her attention back toward them.
Her eyes first landed on the first Death Knight, carefully looking it over from head to toe. Once she was done, her gaze naturally moved toward the second one standing beside it.
After comparing the two for several seconds, Benya finally looked back at Knox.
Unfortunately, his sheepish smile hadn't changed in the slightest.
"...Comrade." This time, however, Benya's expression had become unusually serious.
"If these are only 'a little better than average'...then I'm afraid every necromancer on the continent would disagree with your definition of 'average'!"
Simon looked at the two towering Death Knights for a few more seconds before letting out a small smile.
"I already saw them back during the Team Evaluation," he admitted. "But no matter how many times I see them... I still think they're absolutely amazing."
"You finally understand now, don't you?"
Pier's calm voice echoed inside Simon's mind through their telepathic connection.
"Creating a Death Knight is already an extremely difficult feat. Yet those two... are on an entirely different level. Their armor, the quality of the corpse, the lingering thoughts, and the refinement they've undergone... none of those are things an ordinary necromancer could ever achieve."
"Even during my time... Death Knights of that caliber were considered very precious."
Simon silently nodded. The more he learned about Summonology, the more he realized just how extraordinary Knox's summons truly were.
Beside him, Toto's eyes were practically sparkling. "...So cool."
He stared at the two silent knights as though they were the greatest treasure in the world.
"I really want a Death Knight as my summon someday..."
A bitter smile slowly spread across his face. "...I'm so jealous."
"Hehe, thank you. Thank you."
Knox scratched the back of his head with a smile after hearing everyone's praise.
Unfortunately, that simple response seemed to become the trigger for something else.
"Comrade Knox!" Benya suddenly stepped forward, her eyes shining brighter than ever. "How did you make them? What kind of armor did you use? What was the original corpse? Was it a Sword Master? Or perhaps a high-ranking monster? Did you personally refine them? How long did the refinement take? What material did you use for the armor? Did you modify the lingering thoughts? And those tower shields, were they forged specifically for the Death Knights or did you acquire them elsewhere?"
Question after question poured out without giving Knox even the slightest chance to answer.
Even Dio, who was usually quiet, occasionally chimed in with additional technical questions, while Fitzgerald calmly added several inquiries of his own regarding the refinement process and the construction of the armor.
"...Senior, everyone!" Knox quickly raised both hands in surrender.
"Please calm down first! I can't answer all of your questions at the same time."
"...!" Only then did Benya finally stop.
For the first time, she realized just how close she had unknowingly moved toward Knox during her barrage of questions. The distance between them had become so short that she could almost count the strands of his hair.
"...Ahem." She hurriedly took two small steps backward before awkwardly scratching her cheek.
"You're right... my bad, Junior. Hehe..." A faint blush appeared on her face as she let out an embarrassed laugh.
Seeing Benya finally calm down, Knox chuckled before answering her questions one by one.
Some of them could be explained without issue, while others naturally remained confidential. Even so, every answer he gave only seemed to spark another round of discussion. Benya and Dio frequently exchanged opinions with him, occasionally debating certain methods before arriving at the same conclusion, while Fitzgerald quietly listened from the side, sometimes asking surprisingly sharp questions that even caused Knox to pause for a moment before answering.
Compared to the three of them, Simon and Toto remained mostly silent.
The topics being discussed had already gone far beyond the level of first-year students. Most of the time, the two simply listened carefully, trying their best to absorb the unfamiliar knowledge.
Every now and then, when they found the courage to ask something, Benya, Dio, Fitzgerald, and even Knox patiently explained it to them, turning what had begun as a club interview into an unexpectedly valuable lesson on advanced undead craftsmanship.
"With these Death Knights alone, you're already more than qualified to join Mutant!"
Benya suddenly grabbed Knox's hands again, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"No... scratch that. Please join our club!"
"Hehe." Knox laughed awkwardly.
"Thank you for your praise, Senior."
Dio, who had been quietly observing the two Death Knights all this time, suddenly spoke.
"...These are your strongest summons, aren't they?"
Knox blinked once.
My strongest summons...?
If they knew I was the Eighth Legion Commander...
A single Igris or Beru would probably be enough to leave everyone's jaws hanging so wide that even the Axis asteroid could fly straight through.
...Well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.
Or maybe not.
"Well..." Knox smiled as he prepared to answer.
However, before giving his answer, he paused for a moment to think about the question.
"My strongest summon, huh..."
Just as he was about to continue, however, he suddenly felt a small movement against his academy uniform.
"...Hm?"
Knox's attention immediately shifted downward, where the pink badge attached to his uniform had begun to tremble slightly.
Before he could wonder what was happening, a faint pink glow appeared from within the badge, pulsing once before flashing again a moment later.
Watching its strange reaction, Knox tilted his head slightly and continued staring at it.
Somehow, despite being nothing more than a badge, it almost looked as though it was pouting.
"...Hahaha!" It didn't take long for Knox to realize what was happening, and an amused smile quickly appeared on his face.
"Alright, alright."
As if trying to comfort it, he gently tapped the badge with his finger.
"Don't be jealous."
His expression softened slightly as he continued.
"No matter what happens..."
He gave the badge one last gentle tap. "You'll always be my cutest and most adorable summon~."
"...?" Everyone looked at Knox with puzzled expressions.
They exchanged confused glances, completely unable to understand why Knox had suddenly started talking to his own badge. Well, except Simon.
Knox simply smiled. "Come out, Mem."
A soft pink light immediately burst from the badge. The light gathered in front of Knox before rapidly taking shape.
A few moments later, asmall pink creature with long bunny-like ears floated happily in the air.
"Mimi~!"
The moment the tiny pink creature appeared...
Benya's eyes immediately began sparkling.
"T-This...this is...so cute!!!"
Before anyone could react, Benya rushed toward Mem with both arms wide open.
Mem noticed her immediately. She could have easily floated away. However, sensing no trace of hostility from Benya, she simply hovered in place and allowed herself to be caught.
"Huwaaa!"
Benya happily hugged the tiny pink creature against her chest before gently rubbing her cheek against its soft fur.
"It's so fluffy! So cute! What kind of summon is this?!"
"Miuu~" Mem happily rubbed back against Benya's face, seemingly enjoying the attention just as much.
"Haha."
Simon smiled after seeing the familiar little mascot again.
"Long time no see, Mem."
"Miuu~!" Mem immediately waved one tiny paw toward Simon as though greeting an old friend.
Fitzgerald quietly observed the scene before adjusting his glasses.
"Although I've only seen this summon twice...I still find it difficult to believe that this tiny creature is capable of growing to such an enormous size."
He looked directly at Mem. "At that size, she possesses enough physical strength to toss even a dragon around."
"...Huh?"
Benya slowly turned her head.
"...Huge?...Throw a dragon around?"
Seeing Benya's completely bewildered expression, Simon smiled awkwardly before explaining what had happened during the Duel Evaluation against Chatel, where Mem had suddenly transformed into a gigantic form before casually slamming Chatel around.
He also mentioned the Island Evaluation, where Mem had defeated the giant undead that had appeared there almost entirely through brute force.
"..."
"..."
Benya became completely speechless. Even Dio, who usually maintained an indifferent expression, felt as though his brain had briefly stopped functioning.
"...A fluffy mascot.....that can throw dragons around?...What kind of absurd summon is this?"
"Hmph!"
Suddenly, Mem puffed out her cheeks. She placed both tiny hands on her hips before looking around proudly.
"Mem! Mem!"
"...?"
Everyone instinctively turned toward Knox, silently waiting for an explanation.
Clearly, none of them had understood what Mem had just said.
Seeing their confused expressions, Knox couldn't help letting out a small laugh.
"Haha. She's protesting."
His answer only made them even more confused.
"Protesting?"
"Yep."
As he answered, Knox gently patted Mem's head, causing the little summon to look up at him.
"She said she's not just a summon."
Hearing that, everyone finally began to understand what had upset her. Meanwhile, Knox's expression softened as he continued stroking her head.
"She is my partner, and she's also aproper young lady, so please call her 'she'."
"Miuu~!"
As if strongly agreeing with every word he had said, Mem immediately nodded several times. She then puffed out her chest with obvious pride, seemingly very satisfied that Knox had properly defended her dignity.
"Hehe."
Seeing her adorable reaction, smiles quickly spread across everyone's faces. Even Dio's usual expression softened slightly as he watched Mem proudly puff out her chest.
For a brief moment, a peaceful atmosphere settled over the group.
Unfortunately, it lasted for less than three seconds.
Just as Knox was beginning to enjoy the rare moment of peace, an excited voice suddenly called out to him.
"Knox!"
Hearing his name, Knox instinctively turned toward the source, only to find Benya staring at him with her eyes shining brightly once again.
"What species is she? I've never seen anything like her before! Is she an evolved spirit? A mutated undead? How did you form a contract with her? Can she evolve further? Does she belong to a known bloodline? What's her origin? Does she possess a Core? Is she classified as an undead or a spirit? Can she reproduce? Have you ever tried analyzing her mana composition?"
Another barrage of questions descended upon Knox.
Even Dio and Fitzgerald joined in this time, asking considerably more technical questions regarding Mem's race, mana structure, evolutionary potential, and biological classification.
"..."
Knox felt a slight headache coming on.
Unlike the Death Knights, whose origins could be explained through necromancy, Mem was an entirely different matter.
I can't exactly tell them she came from another world through a mysterious system...
That would only create far more problems than answers.
Fortunately, Knox had already prepared an explanation long ago.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat before smiling helplessly.
"To be honest, even I don't know her exact race."
Everyone immediately became quiet.
"The closest description I can give is... she's a very rare spirit with an unknown bloodline. We met through a rather unique opportunity, and ever since then, she's been my partner."
Knox gently rubbed Mem's head.
"So...I'm afraid I can't answer most of the detailed questions either."
"Miuu~" Mem happily nodded beside him, almost as though she were confirming Knox's explanation.
Benya stared at Mem for several more seconds.
"...A spirit with an unknown lineage..."
Rather than looking disappointed, her eyes shone even brighter.
"That only makes me even more interested!"
————————————
Character Voicelines · Mem (Cyrene): About Her Way of Talking
Mem (Cyrene): "Knox, how long do I have to keep talking like this whenever I'm in my Mem form...?"
Knox: "Well, maybe until the timing is right? How about after one of our missions, I just explain that the reason you can suddenly talk is because you ate a mysterious fruit called the 'Hito Hito no Mi'?"
Mem (Cyrene): "૮₍ ^• . •^₎ ?"