At the Church of Death

"And for the next otherworlder, we have a Swordmaster! May they lead our warriors to victory!" The castle erupted with cheers as the high-schooler in the middle of it all waved like an idol to their fans, already basking in the fame brought by their reincarnation and its bonuses, before stepping away from the crystal ball on the platform. As one might expect, the ball was capable of displaying status screens, and therefore the strengths of the summoned Otherworlders. Apart from the swordmaster, the kingdom had gained an Alchemist, which could work with potions and weapons, a Fire Mage, and an unorthodox but still powerful Flag Bearer, that could provide buffs to allies.

The final student stepped up to the podium, a blond haired boy by the name of Kyle, and activated the ball. As the screen loaded in, the first thing to be displayed was their 'Class', and all present murmured and gasped as they saw it.

Necromancer.

Hushed whispers could be heard amongst the crowd, as the Otherworlders grimaced. It was a common trope for disliked jobs such as Necromancers to be excommunicated or executed depending on which story you read. Was their friend about to receive that same fate?

The King, sitting above everyone else on his throne, cleared his voice and bellowed to his subjects. "Settle down everyone, it has been long since we have received a Necromancer." He turned his gaze to Kyle, but it was filled with no signs of disdain or deceit. "What is your name, Otherworlder?"

"It's Kyle."

"I'm afraid the Castle doesn't have the facilities to accommodate a Necromancer." The king shook his head regretfully. "You will have to be separate from your friends for a moment."

"Where am I going then?" Kyle had already prepared to make a run for it, expecting the trope to come true.

"To the Church of Death, where our kingdom's Necromancers reside."

All the high schoolers let out a collective sigh of relief. No one was going to be executed for their choice of fantasy job.

"You may be accompanied by one of your friends if you wish." The king continued. "Regardless, we are expecting to hold a banquet tonight in your honour, so there will be no exiles or executions, if you're all worried about that. But with this, the Ceremony is over!"

As everyone finished filtering out of the hall, the King leaned back into his Throne, basking in the rays of sunlight shining in through the windows. "Otherworlders certainly have worrying thoughts if they think we're barbaric enough to execute a child."

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Kyle and his friend Lena, the mage, walked through the streets with a guard as their guide. The scenery was about as one would expect from a Fantasy, with houses built from stone and brick rather than cement and steel. It was certainly lively though, with bustling markets and friendly folks everywhere. Soon, they arrived at the so called 'Church of Death', a building built from a white stone-like material that towered over the nearby residences, about three stories high.

"Once inside, turn right and then walk to the end of the hallway." The guard said. "You'll find the leading Necromancer, Linya Yi there. It's hard to miss her. I'll be waiting here for you when you're done."

"Alright." The two students pushed the doors open, and found the inside to be quite roomy. It really wasn't that different from a normal church, minus the colour scheme. Down the hall they went, following the guard's instructions, before emerging into…a stable? Why did a church of death have a stable?

A whinny from nearby drew their attention to a woman scrubbing dirt off a sickly pale horse with an ethereal blue-coloured head. "I can't understand how you could possibly fall into a pit of mud." She wore a pitch black coat that went down to her knees like a dress, and at her waist was a book. Lena squinted at her and tried to use one of the 'Cheats' she'd chosen, the tried and true 'Analysis' skill. The woman's skill board popped up, confirming her to be Linya, the woman they were meant to meet, and apparently held 'Right hand of Death' as her title. That was intimidating, but what drew the mage's attention more was the horse.

The status board that showed up was covered in mist, only showing its name as 'The Headless Horse'.

"What?" Lena said a little too loudly, drawing Linya's attention to the pair. She put down the brush she was using and straightened her dress.

"It may be a little late for this now, but welcome to the Church of Lady Death, Otherworlders." She greeted them with a light bow. "I heard one of you is a Necromancer?"

Kyle raised his hand.

"I heard you chose the 'Advanced Necromancy' skill." Linya mused. "A solid option for building up both offence and defence. Good choice."

"Thank you?" 

Linya looked at them like she knew something they didn't, before opening up the book at her waist. The Necronomicon, Lena read with a jolt. The Right Hand produced a pen from somewhere and wrote down Kyle's name in a register.

"As is protocol in the Church, Necromancers that join us are expected to gather at least once every week for training and to receive instructions from Lady Death, though as an Otherworlder you're only mandated for the training. Any questions?"

"That's it?" Kyle asked. "I just have to come here for training?"

"Yes. You're tasked with defeating the Demon King, so training is necessary, given that none of you are even adults yet." That point made sense despite how absurd it would be in a different context, and being expected at the upcoming banquet, the Otherworlders said goodbye and left. 

"I wonder how this cast will turn out." Linya muttered, stowing the Necronomicon back at her waist. The Headless Horse brushed its head up against Linya's dress, and she stroked its mane.

"If you get dirty again, I won't be the one cleaning you." She warned with a knowing smile on her face, and the horse whinnied dejectedly. "Let's get you back to my Lady, I'm sure she's waiting with her siblings."

Linya climbed onto the Pale Horse's saddle, and as it trotted forwards, a mist appeared from nothing, engulfing both horse and rider, before they vanished into thin air along with it.