The Goddess's Oracle
“Look over there. They say that person has the power to slay the four-headed dragon in a single strike...!”
It was a story from the Four Dragon Legend quest.
“I heard they can even drop the floating island from the sky...”
That was from the Falling Sky Island quest.
“They say one swing of their sword can part the ocean?”
It was from the Overturn the Abyss quest...
Just what in the world...
Even though none of these things had happened yet, it seemed the goddess had gone around boasting about me and spilling every last detail. It was probably to make the temple people believe in me, but this was going way too far.
At this rate my face was so famous it was getting hard to even listen. Sure, I really did those things, but those were all stories from inside the game. The real me here is different!
Well... honestly, now that I could freely control these bodies, I probably could do them if asked.
“They say with one sneeze they can blow away an entire mountain...”
“I heard the arrows I shoot can reach the moon.”
“What? I heard that snapping their fingers makes stars fall from the sky?”
I can’t do that! No matter how you look at it, that one’s clearly an over-the-top lie!
As I walked through the temple, half the whispers I overheard were accurate. The other half were all wildly exaggerated false rumors.
No matter how quickly rumors spread and how much faster they balloon into exaggeration, this was simply too much.
Still, I couldn’t let it show. I did my best to let the words go in one ear and out the other while following the Pope deeper into the temple.
After walking for several minutes we reached a room so deep inside that the priests’ murmurs no longer reached us. Only then did the Pope enter and gesture for me to sit.
“Please, sit here.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank me? No, it is I who should be thanking you.”
The room the Pope had led me to was so luxurious it could only belong to someone of his station.
I had never seen the Pope’s personal quarters, but it felt like you would need the king’s own chambers to match this level of opulence.
As soon as we stepped inside, Magid closed the door and took up a reverent position behind the Pope. I settled into the seat I had been offered.
The sofa sank beneath me like cotton candy. Oh, the Pope’s furniture really is on another level.
I bounced lightly on the clearly top-quality sofa, but before I could fully enjoy it the Pope steered the conversation to the main topic.
“It seems my failure to explain things properly until now has caused you to suspect me. Therefore I will now give you a full explanation, Traveler.”
“I can roughly guess what this is about, but go ahead. I’m listening.”
I nodded at the Pope’s words. I had been planning to question him about himself anyway, so there was no reason to refuse when he offered the information first.
When I asked for the explanation, the Pope seemed to consider where to begin before finally opening his mouth.
“It was exactly four days ago. Lady Iriel delivered an oracle. Oracles come frequently, but four days ago she manifested in person to deliver it. The citizens of the Fhara Kingdom were so shocked they mistook the event for Advent Day—the day the goddess first descended—which is still four months away.”
“Hoo...”
So Lady Iriel had caused a massive stir and nearly created an uproar?
I hadn’t heard the rest, but the fact that she had done something so out of the ordinary and spread stories about me explained the way everyone was treating me now. My guess had been exactly right.
“And Lady Iriel told us this: a traveler from beyond the world would arrive, so we must assist her with all our heart and all our strength. She said, ‘She is the one who will open heaven and earth, command nature itself, and thereby prevent the destruction of the world.’”
She really had gone all out with the grandiose phrasing. I clicked my tongue inwardly at the flowery description the Pope claimed to have heard from Iriel.
There was nothing I didn’t understand about the “opening heaven and earth” and “commanding nature” parts. They were all true, after all.
But wasn’t it a bit much to stir up all this trouble without consulting me first and then disappear, Goddess?
We would meet someday. When that day came I promised myself I would give those pretty cheeks a good, refreshing slap.
But such playful thoughts lasted only a moment. Reconsidering the Pope’s words, a doubt rose in my mind and I tilted my head.
“But how did you determine that I was that traveler? I know I attract a lot of attention, but I don’t think that alone is enough to conclude I am the traveler Lady Iriel spoke of.”
How had the Pope and Magid decided I was the traveler? The conclusion was correct, but I was curious about their reasoning. The Pope gave a very simple answer that I could readily accept.
“It is simple. We sensed Lady Iriel’s divine power within you, Traveler.”
“Divine power?”
“Yes. It is different from the holy power we wield. It is the divine power that the goddess Iriel herself commands. It was coiled stably inside you. Seeing that, I became certain you were the traveler.”
I see. I had wondered how they knew; that reason was perfectly convincing. It matched one of the messages I had recalled many times—the one I saw right before falling into this world.
One line had read, [I, the goddess Iriel, will reside within you so that your heart does not collapse.]
Since that was the truth, it was only natural that the Pope could sense Iriel’s energy inside me.
Once I nodded in understanding, the Pope looked relieved that his words had gotten through. Then, with a truly serious expression, he asked me.
“Then, Traveler. I know it is rude to ask when you already have your own thoughts and intentions, but for the peace of my own heart and the believers, I must inquire. How do you plan to stop the world’s destruction? If there is anything we can do to help, please allow us to do so.”
“How...?”
It was a sudden question. Had I not met Riana before coming here, I would not have been able to answer.
I would have had no idea what point in time this was, how long remained until the war, or how my avatars related to the characters of this world.
But after meeting Riana I had become certain. I had a plan built on that solid conviction, yet I could not tell the Pope. Doing so would be the same as announcing that I knew the future.
That did not mean I would hide everything from him. I could not speak directly, but I could give him indirect hints.
Before that, however, I needed one confirmation. I looked straight into his brightly shining eyes and asked for a promise before answering.
“Before I speak, Helestins. Can you swear that you and your people will help me without questioning my actions?”
“Of course. Even if you do not reveal the method, Traveler, we will devote our lives to assisting you.”
“I feel exactly the same as the Pope. I believe everyone in the temple shares this heart.”
The Pope answered without the slightest hesitation, and Magid bowed his head in agreement.
Their expressions carried sincere resolve. I let out a short sigh and rose from my seat.
If they had said this much, it should be fine to ask for their help and show them. I could not reveal the entire plan, but they would learn it eventually, so there would be no problem.
I finished my brief deliberation and opened my closed eyes.
“To the question of how I will prevent it, I can only answer this way. I will nurture heroes.”
“Heroes... you say?”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you everything right now. So I have one request. Please secure five positions at Lua Academy. I need professor posts for swordsmanship, martial arts, archery, and magic, plus a cook position in the cafeteria.”
“Professor positions at Lua Academy... securing them is not difficult, but why do you need five?”
I had asked the Pope for four professor positions and one cook position at Lua Academy.
Naturally he asked why I needed so many. Before answering I quietly murmured a single word.
“Avatar.”
Will you select Mage — Meiel?
“If you ask why I need five positions... I can only say it’s because of this...”
The moment I whispered “Select,” light enveloped my body and it began to change. Kama’s tall frame shrank until it was under 160 centimeters. The short white hair grew into long, dark-navy waves.
My mature, refined voice and manner transformed into the sleepy tone of a young girl who sounded ready to drift off at any moment.
My body had become an entirely different person. The Pope had watched the entire transformation from beginning to end. Realizing why I had asked for five positions, he let out a gasp of wonder.
“O-ohhh...! So you possess multiple bodies?”
“Ung... that’s exactly right.”
I nodded at the Pope’s words and lifted the staff in both hands, using its white jewel as a mirror.
Reflected in the pure white gem was a girl with charming dark circles under her eyes. A large robe covered half her face all the way to her nose, giving her a mysterious aura.
If Aria carried a proud and fierce atmosphere and Kama a gentle, warm one, then the mage Meiel gave off a cute, slightly disheveled feeling.
If I had to compare her to something, she was like a cat curled up right before falling asleep. In truth I was not sleepy at all and felt perfectly alert, yet the face I now wore looked ready to doze off at any second, so the impression was unavoidable.
By the way, this body was supposed to be twenty years old, yet it was surprisingly small.
While I examined my reflection in the jewel and noted my impressions, the Pope seemed to have collected his startled thoughts. The surprise left his face, replaced once more by that benevolent smile. He bowed deeply to me.
“Please do not worry. I will secure the Lua Academy positions you requested by tomorrow without fail. I will also distribute your time carefully so no difficulties arise. Since this is for nurturing the heroes you named as your goal, I will spare no effort.”
“Eung... do your best. Honestly it’s a little burdensome, but...”
“Pfft...!”
When I waved my hand and spoke, a sound like someone swallowing a laugh came from somewhere. I turned my head, wondering if someone else was present, but only the Pope and Magid were there.
Seeing the Pope still bowing so deeply it was almost burdensome, I quickly stopped paying attention to the sound and helped him stand back up.
This is exactly why fanatics are so troublesome. And now I had one stuck to me.
“Sigh...”
It seemed that while the work might become easier, the road ahead would not be entirely smooth.