I Became The Academy Necromancer-Chapter 255: Idol

Normally, I wouldn’t have dug this deep into a story that didn’t seem interesting.

“…”

However, after hearing the full explanation from the Goblin, I exhaled heavily and slowly stood up from the spot on her head I had been squatting on.

Feeling relieved, as if the knife pointed at her throat had been retracted., the Goblin slowly tried to rise.

However, she instinctively got on her from her awkward posture when I shot her a glare.

It seemed that she realized that it wasn’t over yet.

“That might be true.”

The yokai consumed souls to sustain themselves—perhaps it was a bit unreasonable to criticize them outright.

To be frank, we also slaughter pigs, cows, and chickens for food. And the yokai, we were simply included in that category of beasts.

However, that was their perspective.

I was human, so I could only think from a human point of view.

“From now on, you won’t have any reason to complain if I decide to kill you all, right?”

“…!”

At my words, the Goblin slammed her head down and shouted desperately.

“W-We did it to survive! We had no other choice!”

“…”

“It’s not only humans who have lives! Yokai do, too! We also get hungry and have no choice but to eat!”

As I listened to her story, I hesitated for a moment. It wasn’t because I felt a weight to their lives or pity for them.

It was simply that.

“Really?”

I asked again.

“Were you really hungry?”

Can you even feel hunger?

The Goblin raised her head abruptly. She wanted to see the expression I had while asking.

However, my face remained blank as I simply stared at her.

Though I wasn’t using Deus’ outer appearance and I now looked like Kim Shinwoo, my expression was even more devoid of any liveness than before.

To be precise, while Deus’ expressionless demeanor felt cold, mine felt like any trace of emotion had been completely extinguished.

And since it was an artificial body created by Professor Fel, naturally, its facial expressions weren’t as varied as one might expect.

This meant there were still aspects of her creation that could use some improvement.

“…Y-Yes. We felt hunger. We really did.”

“I see, so that’s how it was.”

Sensing the awkwardness in my response, the Goblin kept trying to gauge my reaction as she tried to find an opening to escape. However…

“I’m back!”

The delivery girl, Xiao Hu, burst in through the door, entering with quite a rush. And upon seeing the situation inside, she took a sharp breath.

“M-Manager?!”

Realizing that the diner manager was on her knees with her original appearance in broad daylight, she quickly turned to flee.

And having seen how she ran earlier, it would have become really troublesome if she managed to get away.

Like before with Findenai, I was somewhat weak when it came to chasing fleeing enemies.

It could be said that I had no means of pursuit.

However, Xiao Hu hesitated midway and slowly turned back to look at us.

“I-Is it you, the one the Ancient Dragon spoke of?”

“Ancient Dragon? Is that the guardian deity of this land?”

Did it realize that I had arrived?

It must have been closer than I expected, or perhaps it was not of ordinary caliber.

“The Ancient Dragon said that the air of land felt heavy, as if someone who shouldn’t be here has arrived… so we were told to let you pass without hindering you.”

The Goblin’s expression turned to despair upon hearing the guardian deity’s words and Xiao Hu also realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

I too was somewhat surprised to learn that the guardian deity of this land was reluctant to get involved with me.

However, the timing was perfect.

I turned to Xiao Hu.

“Are you hungry?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I heard that the yokai consumed human souls because they were starving. So, I am asking if you are hungry as well.”

“Oh, um… I can’t eat souls.”

“…”

“I just eat regular food. I-I like fried rice the most.”

“I see.”

I examined the girl named Xiao Hu with a subtle expression and sat down in one of the chairs that the Goblin had knocked over in her panic.

“I’ll be staying here for today. I won’t stay long though.”

There was still a long journey ahead of me to get home.

Even if the aftermath of guiding the souls to the Land of Eternal Rest had caused some disruption, I couldn’t afford to waste too much time here.

“I also have people waiting for me.”

As various faces flashed through my mind, a small smile appeared on my lips without me realizing it along with a warmth that filled my heart.

Just as one often forgets the importance of those closest to them, I too found myself wondering if I had grown too accustomed to their affection and the close distance between us.

Being away from them reminded me of their importance once again.

I would surely see them again when I returned.

Unfortunately, there were some I would never see again.

Dark Spiritualist, Stella.

I did not see the two before entering the general store during the final battle.

Even after I defeated Raizel inside the general store and recreated the Land of Eternal Rest using Deus’ body, they were nowhere to be found.

I’m sorry.

They must have perished, either during the battle with the gods or during the fight with Heralhazard.

I thought I had prepared myself enough for our parting, but after experiencing it directly, I realized this.

There was no such thing as being ‘prepared enough’ when it came to parting.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

I missed them, yet I would overcome this feeling someday, and move forward as the living should.

Even someone like me, who once had faint emotions, needed to adapt to this unfamiliar feeling of loss.

“E-excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

Xiao Hu’s voice brought me back to reality.

I was aware that I had been spending a lot more time lost in thoughts like this as of late, but I couldn’t seem to stop.

Traveling was about seeking new things, encountering the unknown, and easing the tiredness that came with one’s daily life.

However, at the same time, it was also about missing the place I once called home.

And the increase in my reflections was probably a sign of that longing.

“A-are we all going to die?”

“…”

“Even though we consumed human souls, the yokai had their reasons, didn’t they? We just wanted to live!”

“But you can’t eat souls, can you?”

“That’s true, but…”

Hearing Xiao Hu repeat the same excuse the Goblin made earlier, I asked her again with a meaningful look.

“Did you really eat just because you were starving?”

“…Pardon?”

Xiao Hu hesitated, unsure why I was asking such a question. But I shook my head and framed it differently this time.

“You saw the alley where six people were killed earlier, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes.”

Her voice was barely audible, suggesting that she too had realized that it wasn’t the work of humans but yokai.

This made it easier for me.

“Let’s go back there tonight. You’ll find the answer.”

“…”

Looking puzzled, she kept her lips sealed tight and eventually just nodded.

The diner fell silent again.

What’s this? Why is it that only the two of you understand it? Explain it to me as we!

Fufu, wouldn’t it be alright if I told Senior a little bit?

Perhaps it was because I had just thought of the Dark Spiritualist and Stella.

It felt like I could almost hear their voices.

I closed my eyes calmly. Indeed, the feeling did bring pain, but I allowed myself to savor it.

***

[Woohoo! I won!]

The Dark Spiritualist jumped up and down with joy, raising her hands high. Heralhazard’s staff rattled and shook as if responding to her emotions.

[…]

Stella, who had been staring at her hand that played scissors in silence, pouted and glanced at the Dark Spiritualist before making a suggestion.

[How about the best two out of three, Senior?]

The suggestion was quite unlike Stella’s.

While she would have normally agreed, the Dark Spiritualist scoffed and crossed her arms defiantly.

[Why should I? I already won.]

[…Didn’t I agree to play the best two out of three for you last time?]

[That was then, and this is now, right? Besides, I still lost that time.]

The rooftop of Griffin Palace.

At the site where an intense battle had taken place recently, two souls were bickering as they chatted.

The Dark Spiritualist, who won at rock-paper-scissors, was gloating, while Stella looked visibly disappointed.

Owen, who was playing the piano behind them, asked awkwardly.

“What bet did you make this time?”

Deia, Findenai, and Erica had already left Graypond, but surprisingly, Owen alone remained behind.

The boy would simply recall the day the battle raged and played the piano in that spot everyday.

You will be my successor.

His teacher, Deus Verdi, had once told him about being the next Soul Whisperer.

To become that, Owen had decided to stay back at Graypond alone, making some effort.

At Owen’s question, the Dark Spiritualist answered proudly.

[The right to be the first to meet Deus when he returns!]

“…Last time, it was for the right to hug him first, right?”

Back then, Stella won, but it was the Dark Spiritualist who won this time.

However, wouldn’t the Dark Spiritualist naturally hug him when they were reunited?

For some reason, Owen had that thought.

[I’ll get to meet him first, and then Stella can meet him after me! That’s final!]

[…]

Stella was disappointed, but a bet was a bet. She could only nod and accept it.

Watching the two, Owen let the fear he had been holding in slip out.

“Lord Soul Whisperer… is really alive, right?”

Both their gazes landed on Owen at the same time. For a moment, Owen wondered if he said something he shouldn’t have.

[I don’t know.]

[I hope he’s alive.]

Hearing the Dark Spiritualist and Stella give such absurd answers at the same time, Owen couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.

Although they both had smiles on their lips, for some reason, they felt dark.

[All we can do is wait.]

“…”

While it was the truth, that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

Stella slowly approached Owen, gently patting the boy on his head.

Since obtaining the goddess’ power, Stella was in a somewhat ambiguous state—not exactly alive, but not dead either.

[Why do you think Findenai went back to Norseweden?]

“Pardon?”

[Why do you think Miss Erica returned to the academy?]

He was unable to answer.

Was it because the wait had become too hard for them?

Was it because it was too painful to keep looking at the place where Deus disappeared?

He could only make such guesses.

[And why do you think Senior and I are still here?]

“…”

He still couldn’t answer.

Sadly, this was neither something Owen could understand, nor was it a feeling he could share.

Deus Verdi was also like a benefactor, a lifelong mentor, and a role model for Owen.

However, this sentiment was something that only the women who harbored feelings of love for Deus could truly share.

[We want to become the place he will return to.]

“…”

[We don’t know where he’ll return, but if he’s alive, he will definitely come back.]

That explained why these women had scattered in different directions without saying a word to each other.

To become the place where he would return to.

“I… see.”

As Owen nodded, having finally understood, Stella smiled softly and continued.

[That’s all we can do. However, Owen, what can you do?]

“I’ll have to take on Lord Soul Whisperer’s mantle during his absence,”

Said Owen, for he was the next in line to become the Soul Whisperer.

That was what he decided to do.

[That’s right because there will always be innocent people who meet unjust deaths and more evil spirits that will appear.]

Stella nodded and offered him a piece of advice.

[Remember well what you’ve seen him do, and learn as much as you can from it.]

“Ah…”

However, could he really do what Deus Verdi had done?

The man who brought salvation to the whole continent—Would he be able to follow in the footsteps of someone who bestowed such a grand gift?

Owen couldn’t help but feel afraid.

He feared that his own shortcomings might tarnish the legacy that had been built.

Seeing this, the Dark Spiritualist leaned against the piano and spoke.

[He chose you as his successor, didn’t he?]

“Yes…”

It was an honor beyond what he deserved.

Owen blamed himself, thinking he was someone who could only play the piano, someone who was unable to even comfort the yokai in Claren properly.

However, the Dark Spiritualist sighed and replied.

[But then, why do you think he never taught you Necromancy?]

“…”

Her question pierced the core of doubt that Owen had been holding inside.

Now that he thought about it, it was true.

All he did was play the piano, gather souls, and watch the Soul Whisperer.

However, he received no other teaching.

Deus Verdi had always spoken while showing his back.

It was only Owen himself who was yet to understand that.

[Think about it carefully. Why did a Necromancer like him never teach you Necromancy, even though he chose you as his successor?]

“…I understand.”

At the Dark Spiritualist’s advice, Owen looked down at his small fingers resting on the piano keys.

What was it that his idol had hoped for…

Hoped for in these two hands?

What did he truly /genesisforsaken