Necromancer 14

 Test

14. Nayuka and I

“Thank you for saving me, Shigure-kun.”

Nayuka looked at me.

“And—welcome back. I’m so glad… you’re safe.”

Suddenly, Nayuka started to tear up.

“Did I worry you?”

“Of course you did!”

Her voice was uncharacteristically loud.

“…Sorry about that.”

“No, I’m just glad you came back.”

Nayuka smiled.

It was a tearful smile.

“Nayuka—”

I almost started crying too.

There’s someone here who cares enough about me to shed tears.

In this unfamiliar world, her presence is a true comfort, and I feel so grateful.

“H-Hey, is that really Shigure…?”

Then, the other classmates came over.

“You really stood up to Kenzaki…”

Some of them sounded impressed.

“Well, Nayuka was being harassed…”

I said, a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, right. I should go greet the King now that I’m back.”

So, I went ahead and arranged an audience, and I was granted a meeting right away.

The King was apparently very busy from morning till night, but he always made time to meet with us first.

“I’ve returned, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, it’s good to see you safe. I was worried when I heard you were missing.”

The King spoke with relief.

He had the look of a kindly, middle-aged man.

He had the dignity of a king, but even more so, a kind nature came through.

That said—I can’t fully trust him after everything that happened when he summoned us.

“There was a bit of an accident, and I got separated from the group.”

I left out the part where my classmates almost banished me, opting for a more neutral explanation.

No need to inform the people of this world about our class’s internal disputes.

“I see. We had actually organized a search party for you, worried something might’ve happened to you.”

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed.

A search party?

Did they really intend to send one out?

I have no idea.

Anyway, the people of this world—can’t be trusted.

On the surface, they revere us as “Heroes”, but who knows what they truly think of us?

They might just see us as pawns to use for their own gain.

“By the way… it seems there’s some movement from the Demon King’s forces.”

The King changed the subject.

“Up until now, only minor demons have attacked this world sporadically—but a few days ago, we finally confirmed the appearance of a ‘mid-level demon.’”

“A mid-level demon—”

“One of them is reportedly heading toward this country. Later, I plan to select a team from among you Heroes to defeat it.”

The reason we were summoned to this world in the first place was to defeat the Demon King.

Ordinary humans can’t even fight lower-level demons, so it’s our job as Heroes to hunt them down.

“An all-out war is inevitable—and we need as many strong Heroes as possible. This upcoming battle against the mid-level demon will be a test of your abilities.”

The King looked at me.

“I’m counting on you, Shigure-kun.”

“…I’ve got the lowest skill rank in the class, though.”

I smiled wryly.

“For now, you do. But a Hero’s skills can grow.”

The King smiled slyly.

…Huh?

Did the King somehow know I unlocked the next stage of my skill?

“There are records of past Heroes who honed their skills so much that they grew into something entirely different and more powerful. It’s said they reached the fourth stage of their skills, though I don’t fully understand what that means… Perhaps you might, Shigure-kun?”

“…Well, I’m not really sure.”

I shook my head.

“Hmm. If you say so, I’ll take your word for it.”

The King smiled slyly again.