The Heavenly God's Oracle of Progeny
As my final task, I stared at the Death Knight who had brought the unexpected news.
"The Heavenly God issued an oracle?"
"Yes."
I almost asked why, but then it hit me. Before the Heavenly God had been summoned to me and vanished, it had told the priests it would deliver an oracle later. But was that said in earnest? I'd thought it was just a brush-off because the priests might summon it again on my way home, and it found that annoying.
Still, since it had promised an oracle, it probably wasn't something tossed out carelessly. If it were, the priests wouldn't bother calling me in.
"What's it say?"
"I don't know the details. The priests want to speak with you directly."
The Death Knight glanced at me cautiously as she added,
"And if possible, they want to talk to you alone."
That meant leave behind all the remarkable women who always hovered around me, causing a ruckus. My curiosity piqued. What could this be about?
If the Heavenly God had something to say to me, it could've done so when it appeared in my dream. Why go through the priests for a message only I should hear?
I couldn't guess, so I turned to Hames. But even she looked perplexed.
"When I met it, it didn't give me any such oracle. ...Though I suppose it wouldn't deign to issue a precious oracle to a repulsive creature like me."
"That wasn't your doing, so don't put yourself down. So you didn't hear anything else on your own?"
"...We did have a private conversation."
Hames hesitated, her face conflicted as if unsure whether to share, before finally speaking.
"It said that hitting on a kid who's just turned twenty when you're thirty would get you chewed out by a lot of people. But it would support me anyway."
Totally irrelevant nonsense. Why would a god say something like that?! She was probably the first to hear such drivel from one.
We all stared at her in disbelief.
"It called me the Heavenly God's acknowledged Demon King."
"It told me not to act like a stereotypical blonde female knight!"
Some had heard similar barbs and chimed in with their own encounters. Hearing everyone's stories about the Heavenly God only made me more uneasy. With such an eccentric deity, who knew what oracle it might drop?
I spoke up awkwardly.
"Got it. I'll go find out what this is about, so everyone else stay put and behave."
"...Alone?"
Viol sounded worried, but it was unnecessary.
"They said come alone. These are the capital temple's priests, and we're in the imperial palace—what's there to worry about?"
Besides, I was the apostle chosen by the Heavenly God. No one would dare harm me. With zero concerns, I headed out.
Soon, "This way, Lord Seres!"
The attendants led me to one of the palace's guest chambers. As I entered, they shut the door firmly and withdrew.
Only one priestess waited inside, no others. Makes sense if it was a private talk.
I recognized her. She was the high priestess of the capital temple, right? What was her name again? So much shocking stuff had happened lately that it slipped my mind.
"Namiel."
As I stood there, the high priestess, Namiel, named herself as if reading my thoughts.
"This humble servant of the Heavenly God greets Seres Huferion, saint and apostle of the Heavenly God!"
She rose and prostrated herself before me, debasing herself utterly.
"Why are you doing this? Get up!"
I startled and tried to stop her, but she wouldn't budge.
"How could I, a mere mortal, dare meet the eyes of God's proxy? This is comfortable for me, so please allow it."
"...If you insist, I suppose I have no choice."
What could I do? I reluctantly agreed. Fair enough! This was a fantasy world where gods actually existed, and this woman had devoted her life to faith. For her, seeing the god's own apostle would naturally provoke this reaction.
"So, what oracle prompted you to summon me?"
"Well..."
"?"
This devout believer, who knelt before me, now hesitated when it came time to relay the god's words.
"As the apostle chosen by the Heavenly God, I command you: What oracle did it deliver?"
"...That is."
Urging her firmly, Namiel finally spoke with reluctance.
"Before I say, I have a question, Apostle. Is the Huferion bloodline you bear a special one?"
"Did the Heavenly God tell you that?"
"Yes. It said the Huferions were originally the royal family of the legendary Holy Kingdom, tasked with serving as its proxies and safeguarding the divine relic it bestowed."
Awe filled Namiel's face as she spoke. Learning that a mere prosperous count's family was tied to their god? Yeah, that'd inspire reverence.
How much had the Heavenly God revealed? Surely not everything about me. Its worldly wisdom suggested not, but just in case, I probed warily.
"What did it say about me?"
"The being once revered as king in the Holy Kingdom. The Holy King who inherited its power most purely!"
Namiel cried out, overcome with emotion.
"Now it all makes sense! That's why you could summon it! Even your appearance— it said that was merely borrowing the apostle's form at the time, but truly, It’s proof you bear its power most strongly!"
She was spot on, except the key part: I was born from one of its feathers. It hadn't spilled that.
"That wicked one! The true bloodline massacred by the Demon King has manifested in your generation—a immense grace! ...However."
Namiel, joyful as a devotee beholding a divine creation, suddenly faltered.
"It may bring you a grave burden."
"What do you mean?"
"The Heavenly God said this: The Huferion blood has diluted to the point where only you remain as a Holy King. And the Huferion clan itself has dwindled too far."
Namiel said bitterly.
"Thus, to the apostle with the purest blood... it commanded you to produce as many heirs as possible!"
"What?"
"If you wish, you may sow your seed with many women. The most efficient method possible only to a man. It, it grants permission, so do as you desire..."
Her voice trailed off smaller and smaller.
I saw why Namiel hesitated. This was a gender-reversed world—equivalent to telling a woman in my original world to marry many men and bear diverse children. She thought I was being coerced into something inhuman by the god, so she'd excluded others and hemmed and hawed.
"What will you do?"
Namiel gazed at me pityingly.
"The Heavenly God said only if you wish, but this is divine urging. Defying it..."
"If it's the Heavenly God's command, I have no choice. I'll do it!"
"...Really?"
Namiel stared in disbelief.
"Are you serious?!"
"Dead serious."
"But obeying the Heavenly God to the letter will defile you!"
Did she have to say something so ridiculous? Pregnancy happens on the women's side anyway—what's there to defile about me? If anything, this oracle was the Heavenly God looking out for me.
It knew I'd tried building a harem and failed. It had promised to resolve my issues.
...And suggesting the efficient male method only worked because I was the man here. Not just a gender nod—the original female Seres couldn't have done this, hence the mention.
From when it referenced the original story's scenes, I'd suspected: the Heavenly God had novel knowledge and knew I was a reincarnate reader.
That explained why, unlike ignoring the original Seres, it fussed over me—because I was such an anomaly?
...Whatever. The reason didn't matter. I never expected an oracle for this, but it was all good for me!
"With this oracle, if I follow it, what will the temple do? Protect me, obviously?"
"...Of course. It's by its command, permitted by it—no one will dare object. We'll ensure it!"
Namiel vowed solemnly, as would all who served the Heavenly God.
In other words, a harem acknowledged by the god and all believers was now legally possible!