Necromancer 45

Test

45. Lunch with Nayuka

I left the lounge and headed to the dining hall inside the castle.

This place operates specifically for us 'otherworlders.'

Just like the 'lounge' I had been in earlier, the King had arranged it for our comfort.

As I entered the dining hall, I spotted Nayuka.

"Shigure-kun."

 "Grabbing lunch now?" 

"Yeah. Want to eat together?" 

"Sounds good."

So we sat side by side and began eating. I quickly shared what had just happened with Nayuka.

"And so, people are treating me differently now."

I was chatting with Nayuka.

"That means you have a better relationship with them, right? Isn’t that good?" 

"Well, I guess... maybe."

I smiled wryly at Nayuka's words.

"I’ve been treated as the lowest rank for so long that it feels strange." 

"Everyone’s finally seeing how amazing you are, Shigure-kun."

Nayuka smiled.

"I guess being at the bottom forever isn’t great either..."

I groaned.

Not that I intend to join their group.

Besides, at least Hazuki never mocked me.

We simply didn’t interact until now.

So, the idea is to become friends moving forward—it’s no disadvantage to me. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Still, why does it leave me so uneasy?

"Because I got stronger, they’re getting closer... maybe it’s those shifting dynamics within the class, the power moves... maybe I just don’t like that." 

"...Yeah. I’m not fond of that aspect of human relationships either."

Nayuka responded.

"Honestly, I prefer moments like this, just enjoying lunch with you, Nayuka." 

"...! Y-Yeah, me too... I like this... hehe."

Nayuka blushed.

Honestly, I felt a bit shy too.

—After that, we enjoyed some lighthearted conversation.

During that time, a certain topic came up.

"By the way, I heard we’ll be given a mission to subdue a mid-tier demon soon." 

"Mid-tier demon?"

Since the defeat of the Blood Claw, I hadn’t heard about another mid-tier demon appearing—

"It means the Demon Lord’s army is stepping up their invasion."

Nayuka’s expression darkened.

"Nayuka?" 

"There will likely be... more sacrifices." 

"Sacrifices..."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Does that mean someone from our class might die?" 

"For now... it’s unclear. It could be one of our classmates or someone relatively close to us in this world. But either way, there will be significant losses."

Nayuka looked as if she were about to cry.

"Like Tanaka-kun or Suzuki-san... I don’t want anyone else to die... but..." 

"The prediction is 100% accurate, isn’t it?" 

"It is. When I used my skill, the message appeared in the air: 'This prediction will definitely come true’." 

"Even so... I want to change it."

I told Nayuka.

"We’ll defeat the Demon Lord without any more sacrifices." 

"...Yeah. I’ll do what I can too."

After finishing lunch with Nayuka, I headed back to my room.

What should I do next?

Training sessions might be on hold for a while after Lan’s recent rampage.

That means I’ll have more free time.

I could use it to refresh myself, or perhaps—

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"Necromancer means 'Master of the Dead'... maybe I should look into it."

To better understand my skill... there’s something I can do now.