Was the Being I Experienced the Protagonist of the Oracle?
Several days had passed. In that time, the fruit had grown considerably. The soft golden hue it had when it first appeared had now become brighter and more vivid. The heavy weight it carried had also intensified compared to before.
‘Just a little longer and it’ll be fully ripe, won’t it?’
I felt a warm sense of satisfaction. Seeing my first fruit ripening so well filled me with joy. While I was basking in that feeling, a lively commotion broke out from one side of the village.
“Goblin sirs, please slice these!”
“Kieeee!”
“Tori sir! Could you check this broth for me?”
“Kkoong!”
Ever since the decision to help with cooking, the kitchen had become quite noisy. This morning was no different. The goblins stood in a neat line, knives in hand.
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
At Khan’s count, the blades came down in perfect unison.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
The rhythm was flawless. The ingredients were sliced into perfectly even thicknesses. It was remarkably clean and precise.
—Wow!
—They’re slicing so well!
The spirits clapped their hands in delight. Then Khan stepped forward. He picked up a single potato and—
Shhhshshshshk—!
In the blink of an eye, he carved it into the shape of a flower. The spirits burst into applause.
—It’s so pretty!
—Wooooow!
—Amazing!
Khan gave a small smirk and reached for the next ingredient. Meanwhile, the Totori were bustling about busily. One of them scooped up a spoonful of broth, tasted it carefully, and let out a soft sound.
“Kkoong.”
Deciding it needed to be a little sweeter, he added a drop of honey. Then he tasted it again.
“Kkoong-kkoong!”
This time his expression said it was perfect. The Totori beside him leaned in and took a sip as well.
“Kkoooong~”
A happy little hum escaped him. Tabu watched the scene, then gave a firm nod.
“Kkoong.”
Approved. It was fascinating to see the goblins’ knife work and the Totori’s discerning palates working in perfect harmony.
‘It’s running smoother than I expected.’
I gazed at the scene with deep satisfaction. And then, at last—
“Everyone, the meal is ready!”
It was time to eat.
While everyone was enjoying their meal, Luan approached me.
‘You’re already finished?’
At my question, Luan smiled gently.
“Ah, I thought I should check on the fruit. It won’t take long.”
‘Still, take your time.’
“I’ve already eaten almost everything… so it’s fine.”
Just then, Rin flew over and spoke up.
—I’ll lift you up!
“Ah… thank you.”
Rin created a round orb of water, and Luan carefully stepped onto it.
‘Seeing this, it really does seem like we’ll need an intermediate wind spirit.’
Luan rode the water droplet and slowly rose into the air. The orb came to a gentle stop right beside the fruit.
“I’ll take a look now!”
Luan took out the tools he had brought and cautiously touched the fruit. I extended my own mana to examine it as well.
‘The gold really has become much deeper.’
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before it fully ripened. My anticipation was rising when—
“Huh…?”
Luan’s expression suddenly stiffened.
‘What is it?’
“Please wait a moment. I need to examine it more closely.”
Luan moved even closer, inspecting the fruit with meticulous care. He brought his hand near it, narrowed his eyes, and checked the surface from every angle. After some time had passed, he finally spoke.
“This is serious.”
His voice had grown heavy.
‘Don’t tell me… is it a big problem?’
I froze every leaf on my branches. Luan continued carefully.
“It appears… the fruit has contracted Growth Inhibition Syndrome.”
‘Growth Inhibition Syndrome?’
It was a term I had never heard before.
‘What is that?’
“It received too much energy at once, causing a backlash and reflux. If this condition continues…”
Luan paused for a brief moment before continuing.
“The fruit will stop growing entirely.”
‘What?’
It took me a moment to fully process his words. It would stop growing? Did that mean it would remain forever unripe?
“I’m sorry.”
Luan bowed his head.
“I should have paid closer attention…”
‘No. This isn’t your fault, Luan.’
I gently rustled my branches as I spoke. Though Luan’s face remained dark, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
‘Is there… any way to fix it?’
Luan thought for a moment before answering.
“I can create a cure.”
‘A cure?’
At least there was a treatment. That was a relief.
“Yes. However…”
Luan slowly descended back to the ground and continued.
“To make it, I’ll need a very special ingredient. I have all the others, but…”
‘What is it?’
“It’s a flower called the Moonflower.”
‘Moonflower?’
When I asked in confusion, Luan explained.
“It’s a golden flower that glows with a soft, moonlight-like radiance. We need its petals…”
He furrowed his brow.
“It won’t be easy to find. It’s an incredibly rare flower.”
‘Why?’
“It only grows on moss-covered stones in the middle of clean, pure water. Such environments are quite uncommon.”
I fluttered my leaves in thought. There had to be places with clean water inside the Firel Forest. But how would we find the right spot?
That was when—
—You need the Moonflower…?
Gini floated over as she spoke. It seemed she had overheard everything.
—We’ll go look for it!
Rin shouted, clenching her tiny fist. Then Khan crossed his arms and declared,
“If our master needs it, of course we must act.”
At the same time, Hylen stepped forward as well.
“We elves will assist with all our strength.”
The Totori puffed out their chests and shouted.
“Kkoong! Kkoooong!”
“Kkoong-kkoong!”
It was as if they were saying not to forget about them. The goblins and spirits added their voices too.
“Kieeee!”
“Kieeeeeeeee!”
—Just leave it to us!
—We’re helping a friend!
Even Riri joined in.
“Riri will help Mama too!”
Seeing everyone rolling up their sleeves and preparing to move, I was momentarily speechless.
‘Thank you. All of you.’
Yes. If we all worked together like this, we would surely find it.
And in the middle of that enthusiastic crowd, Tori’s eyes sparkled like stars.
“Kkoong!”
Inside a grand cathedral, two devotees who had come early in the morning to clean the main hall were walking down the corridor with brooms in hand. One of them muttered quietly.
“Ha… we have to clean this entire enormous hall.”
“Hey, at least we take turns, so it’s only once a week.”
“That’s true. If we had to clean a place this big every single day… ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.”
The main hall was used for sermons and speeches, but it was also occasionally opened for the devotees’ prayers. Since people came and went frequently, it required constant care.
“There probably won’t be anyone praying today, right?”
“Yeah, from what I saw at the morning service, it looks like no one’s here.”
“Too bad… if someone was, we could’ve skipped it…”
The devotee who spoke pushed open the door.
Creak.
The moment they looked inside the hall, both of them froze in place. Someone was already there.
It was a woman with long pink hair and a veil over her face. She was kneeling, her white robes spread across the floor. At first glance, it was clear she was praying with desperate fervor.
The devotees gasped in shock.
“Th-that’s…!”
It was none other than Saint Lillia.
The devotees quietly slipped back out of the hall. They whispered to each other in low voices.
“Did the Saint say she would be using the main hall today?”
“No? I only heard she was going to pray yesterday…”
“Then… has she been praying since yesterday until this morning?”
“Huk…”
As the devotees’ footsteps faded into the distance, Lillia remained on her knees, praying with unwavering resolve. There was only one reason she had stayed up all night like this.
To hear the voice of the Goddess. More precisely, to learn any information about the protagonist of the Oracle.
Since sending a letter to Aselia with no reply, this was the only thing she could do. Lillia prayed with all her heart, once more, with even greater desperation.
‘Please, give me anything at all.’
Even the smallest hint… anything.
‘Your humble servant begs you…’
Sweat trickled down her forehead. At that moment, a single ray of light descended before her eyes. Her entire body grew languid as holy power resonated within her.
‘This is… could it be!’
It was unmistakable. This was undoubtedly an Oracle. Would a voice come this time? Or a vision? Whatever it was, she had to remember it clearly.
The moment she made that vow, she felt herself being sucked somewhere. Her vision changed completely.
A clear blue sky filled her sight.
‘Where am I…?’
She tried to move her body, but nothing responded. She had no feet. No arms. No fingers, no wrists, no ankles. She couldn’t feel anything. Instead, she sensed something deeply rooted in the earth. It felt as though her entire body stretched long from the ground toward the sky. When the wind blew, something attached to her body swayed gently.
‘What… is this?’
The strange sensation left Lillia bewildered. Then a new landscape unfolded before her eyes.
It was a village. There were wide fields and clusters of charming little houses. Various beings were moving about. Goblins, Totori, even members of the Honeybee clan, and—
‘That’s…! A spirit!’
There were elves too! Lillia tried to reach out, but her body remained motionless. Then a small girl with yellow hair and wings flew toward her.
‘That monster is…!’
A dangerous monster said to bring immediate death upon encounter. It was the Queen of the Honeybee clan, something she had only read about in books. Though still small, it was unmistakable.
‘I have to run!’
Just as she thought that, the Honeybee Queen tilted her head and spoke.
“Mama?”
Mama? At the same time, the Queen’s expression hardened. She bared her teeth, flying around fiercely as she shouted.
“You… not Mama!”
Huh?
“Where Mama!!”
Wait, just a second—!
“Bring Mama! Bring Mama!!”
Before Lillia could say anything, she felt herself being yanked away. The entire scene vanished at once.
“Huk… haaah…”
Lillia gasped for breath. Her entire body was drenched in sweat. She immediately felt her fingers move.
‘I’m back…’
She had returned to being Saint Lillia. She was back inside the temple. Catching her breath, she continued her thoughts.
‘That was definitely an oracle just now…’
And then she had been pulled somewhere. That must have been the Goddess’s answer. The sensations she had felt still lingered at her fingertips—the feeling of digging into the earth, the sensation of part of her body swaying in the wind.
‘It was like I had become a different being…’
Unable to move anything, yet able to feel everything. Such an existence.
Lillia slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again.
‘Could it be…’
Then the being she had just experienced—
‘Was the protagonist of the Oracle?’