“The jewel of that necklace serves as a milestone for the Oracle.”
“A milestone?”
“Yes. It breaks and shatters, awakening the realization that this is not a prophecy, but reality.”
The Holy Emperor did not deny being the Oracle and even went so far as to provide Seongjin with quite detailed explanations.
It was an unusual sight to behold.
“However, the fact that it remains in shape despite being broken suggests that its purpose has not yet been fully served. Its coming into your possession is likely no coincidence.”
“That means…”
Seongjin paused for a moment before asking.
“Does that mean I am to be the next Oracle?”
“…”
The milestone of the Oracle must hold its meaning when in the hands of an Oracle.
The Holy Emperor gazed silently at Seongjin’s face for a moment before nodding.
“…Yes. You must have heard it from him as well. That is indeed the case.”
It seemed surprisingly straightforward for him.
Perhaps it was because Seongjin had already received a fair amount of information from Sigurd Sigurdson.
But to think that the reckless Morres could really be an Oracle?
How could a so-called prophet live such a reckless life without a care for the future?
“As you said, the storyteller of dimensions told me I am to be the next Oracle. But…”
Seongjin hesitated before continuing.
“As you know, I am different from who I was before the fever. I don’t possess abilities like foresight.”
I am not your real son. So, I’m probably not the Oracle.
But why would you, who know this best, entrust me with this jewel?
“Do you know this, Morres?”
The Holy Emperor looked at Seongjin with a deeper gaze.
“The Cornsheim clan possesses the eyes to see the truth. Many of them have the ability to foresee the future. Even if it’s not a distinct foresight ability, they possess a kind of intuition to somewhat predict the future.”
“…”
“In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the entire clan possesses the qualities of a prophet.”
The entire clan as prophets? Then why is the Oracle so special among them?
Why could Morres, without any distinct foresight ability, surpass them to become the next Oracle?
“The most important quality for an Oracle is not foresight.”
Seongjin blinked in surprise at this unexpected statement.
“Not foresight?”
“Yes. An Oracle is not one who sees the future, but one who lives through it. The path he contemplates and treads becomes the future he chooses.”
It seems understandable, yet not quite.
Doesn’t one need to foresee the future to make proper choices and live accordingly?
Then the Holy Emperor interlocked his fingers, appearing to organize his thoughts, before posing a question.
“Let’s take an example. You’ve met him recently, right? Livga, the leader of the Arenja.”
If he’s referring to the time Seongjin was possessed by Commander Bruno.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Yes. He is quite adept at foresight. Apart from the occasional unnecessary actions, he can be considered quite capable.”
Ah, so it seems.
Livga was cautious about being discovered by the Holy Emperor, but it turns out the Holy Emperor knew all along.
“So, how was it? Did his words seem helpful to you?”
“Hmm…”
If asked whether it was helpful, well, perhaps not so much?
Livga informed Seongjin that two of the missing people he was looking for were detained by the Milo trade association. He also advised meeting the Saintess before confronting Riccardo.
‘Wait a minute.’
What was the information he provided again? Seongjin did instruct Dasha to keep an eye on them, but it wasn’t information urgent enough to act upon immediately.
And what about his advice? Seongjin had ignored it, finding it bothersome, but then the Saintess unexpectedly sought him out without it being planned!
“…So, it really was utterly useless, wasn’t it?”
As Seongjin expressed his astonishment, the Holy Emperor asked again.
“In living your life, do you need anything more than your own will?”
“…”
“Is it really that important whether you are the Oracle or not?”
At that question, Seongjin recalled something the Holy Emperor had said to him not long ago.
—”Do as you wish. If you seek to rectify such injustices, so it shall be.” (Chapter 75)
Just do what you want.
What’s important isn’t seeing the future, but the will to live through the future.
This brought another question to Seongjin’s mind.
“Then, why would the leader of Arenja go through such pointless efforts…”
Seongjin trailed off, furrowing his brows.
He claims to act on behalf of the Oracle. Surely, he must be aware of these things as well.
Yet, why would he go to the lengths of possessing Commander Bruno to contact Seongjin? His intentions seem quite peculiar.
Then, a fleeting silver glint passed through the Holy Emperor’s eyes as he locked gazes with Seongjin.
“There’s one thing we need to clarify first. Why didn’t you act on the information he provided and investigate the trade association?”
“Uh, that’s because…”
Perhaps stirring up the Milo trade association in search of some insignificant missing persons would bury more critical matters even deeper?
“Yes, that would be the case.”
The Holy Emperor nodded, continuing the conversation.
“Consider another point. Let’s assume you followed his advice and sought to meet the Saintess. How do you think you would have approached it?”
“Hmm. I probably would have tried sending a letter to arrange a meeting?”
“Indeed. But if you had done that, do you really think the Saintess, who is currently declining all invitations from the imperial court due to her wariness, would have agreed to meet you so easily?”
“Uh…”
“Did Livga, truly not know this? Do you think he genuinely wanted you to meet the Saintess beforehand and thus gave that advice?”
A chilling realization washed over Seongjin.
As his expression turned stern, the Holy Emperor calmly continued his explanation.
“Remember this well, my son. The Cornsheim clan are the most untrustworthy beings in this world. I keep them close in the imperial court and make use of their talents because they are as useful as they are dangerous.”
“…”
“The words spoken by the Cornsheim clan to anyone are all manifestations of their will to predict and alter the future. Therefore, everything they say carries a clear intent, and without exception, it’s all deceptive.”
The Cornsheim clan are all liars.
That’s what the Holy Emperor said, in a voice so calm and even that it almost felt like anger.
Suddenly, Seongjin’s gaze fell upon the broken pendant lying on the table.
But Father, what about Grandmother?
What about your mother, who was from the Cornsheim clan?
* * *
“I want to go home!”
With a booming shout, the hefty body of a Varsha warrior was thrown onto the sandy ground. Boom!
A moment of silence.
Then, a massive roar erupted.
Woaaaah!
“Is that Owen? Quite the fighter for an Imperial.”
“He’s certainly a formidable warrior! But wasn’t it said that today is his first time at Varsha-style wrestling?”
“What of it? He’s undefeated so far! And his next opponent is last year’s wrestling champion, Azjatur!”
The youths of the Volanta tribe exchanged excited words in an animated tone.
Caught up in the heat of the wrestling ring, their attention was focused on a particularly standout man in the center of the sandy arena. Among the sizable Varsha warriors, he was a young man of tall stature who was in no way inferior.
Owen of Delcross.
The son of the tribal chief and a formidable warrior of the battlefield, he was fundamentally different from the warriors of Delcross, who were like sandmen.
Unlike the cowards of the Empire, wrapped tight in hard iron armor like turtles, the young man always moved freely across the battlefield in light armor.
Contrary to the empire’s young soldiers with their short, baby-like cropped hair, the young man rode his horse with long hair flowing behind him, much like a Varsha warrior.
Even now, tied up tightly, his bright, tawny hair was adorned with several cormorant feathers, each symbolizing his splendid battle achievements.
“Can you believe that he accumulated such battle honors in just a few days? He’s an excellent warrior! No matter how strong the enemy, he never backs down!”
True to those words, Owen’s unyielding eyes were steadily fixed on the fierce-looking Varsha warrior who had just stepped into the arena.
And then, the resounding cry echoed once more.
“I want to go hooome!”
With a powerful throw, the previous year’s wrestling champion was spectacularly slammed to the ground.
Boom!
Woaaaaah!
The cheers pouring out solely for him vigorously shook the cool air of the beach.
+++
[Special Quest – Achieve more than 5 victories in the beach wrestling tournament! (Completed)]
[Quest Grade: B+]
[Summary: You have effectively impressed your toughness upon all members of the Volanta tribe. This has earned you the favor of the aggressive youths and some of the stubborn elders. This minor achievement will serve as a foundation for further solidifying alliances with the Volanta. Your record of complete victories beyond 5 wins is commendable. If not for the somewhat lacking battle cry, you would undoubtedly have received a higher completion grade, perhaps by two levels. As a token of this slight regret, a bonus cash reward is provided.]
+++
Receiving a bonus was rare enough, but a mere 20 cash seemed rather stingy.
Owen pursed his lips at the thought, but he dared not voice his opinion. After all, there had been instances where the system, seemingly taking offense, had reduced rewards by up to 50%.
[Main Stream 2 – (Progress 19%)]
Nonetheless, this quest had significantly increased the overall progress.
As Owen wiped the sweat off his brow and sighed, his friend Chikundanka[1] approached him.
“You were truly magnificent today, Owen.”
“Well, it’s all thanks to you for properly teaching me the wrestling techniques beforehand.”
Owen replied with a broad smile.
As he turned towards Chikundanka, the sole crimson jewel hanging around his neck, exposed due to his wrestling attire, sparkled and shone brightly.
Chikundanka’s eyes lit up with interest at the sight.
“Is that stone some kind of talisman protecting you? You always wear it.”
“Ah, this?”
Owen lifted the necklace to show it off, grinning.
“Pretty cool, isn’t it? I heard it was a gift from my godfather on the day I was born.”
“The chieftain of Delcross? Then it must indeed be no ordinary item. It makes sense that you always carry it.”
Chikundanka nodded in understanding.
“But I’m curious about something. What’s that chant you always shout?”
“…Haha.”
Owen laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek.
“That? It’s the Delcross victory chant. Quite magical, really.”
Yes. At least for Owen, it was an invincible battle cry.
He was getting so homesick for the Holy Emperor and his siblings that he was even starting to miss that reckless Morres.
“Looks like all the warriors are already gathered. Since we’ve caught the chieftain’s black sheep today, you should rest up and join the feast soon.”
Chikundanka patted his shoulder and turned away.
After waving back lightly, Owen checked the small window that persisted in his right field of vision with a slightly gloomy face.
[Main Stream 1 – Defend the Southern Front! (Completed)]
[Main Stream 2 – Form an Alliance with the Volanta Tribe! (Progress 19%)]
Truth be told, regardless of quest achievements, Owen really wanted to return to Delcross.
But here lay the cruelty of the system. It subtly revealed subsequent quests that Owen couldn’t ignore.
[Main Stream 3 – Rescue the Holy □!]
[Main Stream 4 – Rescue the Holy □!]
[Main Stream 5 – Defeat the □□□ □□!]
Owen wasn’t a fool; he knew what those blanks implied—either the Holy Emperor or the Saintess.
And it was unlikely that a quest to rescue the same person would appear twice.
In other words, the more Owen delayed, the greater the risk to both the Holy Emperor and the Saintess. How could he possibly return to Delcross with peace of mind under these circumstances!
“Damn it! I miss Sisle! I miss the kids! I miss Father!”
Under the star-filled beach sky, poised to spill over, the mournful cry of a young man unable to return echoed long and far.
Footnotes
