DLRV 3

The Oracle is the Word of God, proclaimed throughout the world. There must be no falsehood in its delivery, no monopolization of the word, and no daring to doubt it.

This meant that the blessing I received, which was unbelievable, had been made known throughout the world. I was chosen by God as a resurrected being.

Naturally, the temple that retrieved my body would assert its rights over me as their devoted follower. The Roam family and the royal court that abandoned me would likely attempt to call me back in some way.

Even foreign powers that could speculate on my situation and recognize the potential value I held might attempt to make contact behind the scenes.

Every future scenario was all too predictable. While God claimed that evil would surge and bring about the resurrection, in reality, the resurrection itself seemed to be causing the surge of evil.

“So, I should escape.”

There was only one conclusion. I had no interest in whether this world thrived or perished, and even if evil surged, I had no ability to resist it.

In my previous life, I had never wielded a sword, let alone fought anything! Moreover, I wasn’t in a situation where magical or divine powers had manifested. All I possessed was a monstrous resilience and slightly heightened senses.

A resurrected person? It might sound plausible, but in reality, isn’t it just another way of saying undead?

Hasn’t this just been a case of being revived as a monster? I had no inclination to become so eager to protect this world that I’d turn into a monster.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve chosen the wrong person.”

Muttering words that couldn’t be heard, I pondered an exit strategy.

Those working in the temple were all priests. Though they held varying positions, they were all bound by an oath of obedience to the deity and reported ultimately to the high priest.

If I rashly tried to escape, I might end up losing even the current modicum of freedom.

Oh deity, you should have granted me more proper abilities instead of this useless resilience. If I had even a bit of magic, I could have shattered this high wall and left right away.

[Huh? Who are you?]

That’s when I encountered the squirrel.

[My acorns! My acorns are gone!]

Perhaps the priests had considered my emotional stability. I was assigned a lavish room on the first floor with a small garden terrace connected to it.

There weren’t any grand magnolia trees in the garden that I could hang myself from, but there were some pretty flowers that adorned it modestly.

That’s where the squirrel appeared.

“Hey, who sent you?”

At first, I thought it might be some kind of magical creature. I thought someone from the outside might have sent a being to contact me. But upon closer observation, I realized that this squirrel had been singing acorn songs all along.

[You stole my acorns, didn’t you? Give them back right now!]

The squirrel leaped at me in an insignificant manner. Instead of swiftly running away, it puffed up its chest and started scolding me, demanding that I return the acorns. After a couple of confused attempts, I came to a realization.

Ah, this one’s really an animal.

I can actually communicate with animals right now.

That was the very first realization of my true ‘Awakening of the Mysterious Power’ after I had been resurrected

“Where can I find help?”

Up until now, all the allies I had managed to create were animals. Despite a few clashes and failures, they had proven to be far more reliable than humans.

The squirrel, in particular, displayed remarkable skill in pilfering temple treasures. When I located its stash of acorns, it brought back a small treasure as a reward, hidden in its mouth.

[When is that fierce eagle fellow coming?]

The eagle the squirrel is talking about was a fellow I encountered in the temple. It had come to devour the squirrel, but I managed to discover it and cleverly persuade it away. However, because of that eagle, I had to come up with all sorts of strange excuses to the priests in order to get some raw meat for it.

However, in return, the eagle caused a commotion in the temple, which allowed me to find an opening and make my escape. So, the ordeal wasn’t entirely in vain.

“Well…”

When I mentioned my intention to leave the city, the eagle mentioned that it knew someone who might be of help and then flew off somewhere.

Is it expecting to receive fresh meat in return for its help this time as well? If it does help, I’m certainly willing to procure all sorts of exquisite meats for it…

Sitting by the window, gazing outside through the curtains, I suddenly paused

“What’s the matter?”

How did they manage to find this place so easily?

[Annelie?]

As I fell away from the window and quickly closed the curtains, I turned to look at the squirrel.

“You hide for now. I’ll get your acorns later.”

[Okay!]

After making sure the squirrel had quickly scurried under the bed, I nervously toyed with the ring in my hand.

The rugged and uneven black gem embedded in it was an interdimensional magical item.

I had been wearing it since leaving Roam. It could only store precious metals, which was a drawback, but given that most conveniences could be solved with money, I didn’t hesitate to empty the funds I had received from the temple into it.

So, at the moment, it was essentially my entire fortune.

I wondered if the money I had collected then was enchanted with tracking magic. Sometimes, those fearful of theft would place expensive tracking spells on each coin.

Even if that were the case, I had no way to discern which coins might be enchanted. But I couldn’t just abandon the money and leave.

I had already left my previous lodgings, abandoned my entire bag of belongings, and came here. If I also lost the money, I would completely lose the means to escape.

Or could I be under tracking magic? But since my resurrection, I had never had any contact with a magician.

Amidst the confusion, the sound of footsteps reached me from outside the room. The weight of the footsteps felt heavy and substantial. The sound of chainmail rubbing against itself also echoed.

Perhaps it wasn’t coming into this room after all…

Knock, knock, knock.

My breath caught at the immediate knocking sound. As I stared at the closed door in silence, the knocking came again. Still, I didn’t respond.

“I know you’re in there.”

A composed voice sounded familiar. It was undoubtedly the black-haired holy knight I had encountered in the street a while ago. The same one I had seen from the window.

“I heard you woke up and were quite confused. The temple understands your confusion as a resurrected individual. However, we hope this wandering doesn’t lead you into danger.”

His words weren’t speculative. He was confident that I, the resurrected one, was in this room. If that’s the case, what I needed to know was how he had figured out my location.

Pausing for a moment, I stood in front of the door. If he intended to capture me, he would have forcefully entered by now. I could deduce that he had no intention of dragging me away against my will.

“If you need more time to think, please take it. I only request that you consider accepting my escort for your safety.”

With a sudden creak, as I swung the door open, I came face to face with the imposing holy knight. I stared directly into his ashen eyes.

“Who are you?”

He showed no surprise at the sudden door opening. He likely already knew that I was standing near the door.

This holy knight was different from the others. He was far superior. Perhaps he was the one who had found me at my previous lodgings.

“It’s nice to meet you for the first time. I am Samuel, serving the deity.”

Samuel. It was a name I had heard before. Samuel Vent. The second son of the Vent family, who had determined his future at a young age due to a powerful manifestation of divine power.

“The Vent family’s…”

“I’ve been in service to the temple for a long time. You can call me Samuel, Holy Knight Samuel.

After succinctly sorting out his title, he stared at me intently.

When we had crossed paths on the street, I hadn’t bothered to take a closer look and had just fled. But now, seeing him like this, he had at least a head taller than me.

Moreover, he was a giant, large enough to fill the space beyond the open door. It seemed his stature was naturally larger and sturdier, rather than due to his armor.

Was it because he was looking down from above? Perhaps due to his elevated stance, his shadowed face appeared extremely cold and arrogant.

Among his distinct features and prominent lines, his tightly sealed lips hinted at a stubborn determination.

In short, he was undoubtedly the epitome of a holy knight with an appearance that was utterly devoid of flexibility.

“So, you’re the famous Samuel Vent, right?”

“…Clerics do not adhere to worldly titles.”

The addition of ‘Vent’ to his name seemed to have unsettled him, as a slight crease formed between his brows.

“Did I mention the Holy Knight’s birth incorrectly?”

“You spoke correctly.”

“It’s accurate, yet why do you seem so disgusted?”

“Arguing over a cleric’s place of birth is meaningless. It seems you’re unfamiliar with the temple’s culture, so I’m just correcting you.”

“Why should I care about the temple’s culture?”

“I heard that you haven’t had suitable interactions at the Grand Temple since your resurrection. I understand that you’re feeling unfamiliar due to the lack of assistance in adapting.”

He seemed entirely unable to grasp my counterargument.

Or perhaps he was deliberately ignoring it.

“Yes, Sir Samuel. Anyway, it means that you’re the Holy Knight himself, equipped with that amazing tracking technology, right?”

Samuel Vent, a holy knight renowned for his exceptional tracking skills, always proudly graced the temple with his presence. He has never missed a single person he pursued.

Recently, he left his post to capture a necromancer who had escaped from the temple prison, and it seems like he called me to help.

“It’s interesting to meet a prominent figure from the temple, but what should I do? It doesn’t seem like I’m the one you’re looking for.”

“You can’t deceive me with your appearance.”

Despite smiling confidently earlier, Samuel denied my words with a firm voice.

At least it sounded like he recognized that the ‘me’ he met earlier and the ‘me’ now had different appearances.

It meant that the magic device was working properly…

“How can you be so sure of my identity?”

“I cannot fail to recognize the one chosen by God.”

No, there must be something. I missed something. I must have made a mistake somewhere and left a clue for this man.

I persistently scrutinized Samuel’s face, hoping to find a hint. However, his expression remained as impassive as a solid rock.