I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 121
121 Oracle
When they first set off for the town, she hadn’t expected things to move quite this fast.
Riji flopped face-down onto the inn bed.
It was already pitch black outside. It had been a long time since the last footsteps of passersby had faded from the streets.
“You’re tired, aren’t you?”
Juhwan laid the child down on the other bed and came over to sit beside her.
As the straw mattress compressed, Riji’s body tilted, bumping against Juhwan’s leg.
“You must be more exhausted than I am. You were in meetings the whole time.”
Riji forced her half-closed eyes open and looked up at Juhwan.
Her husband smiled.
Riji wiggled her body and rested her head on Juhwan’s thigh. His legs were so thick that her body felt slightly elevated. Laughing, Juhwan pulled her up and held her close.
“Well, I’m alright. I used to pull all-nighters for work all the time in the past. This is nothing.”
“Where on earth did you work? A dark guild?”
Juhwan chuckled softly at Riji’s remark.
The few days since arriving in town had been incredibly hectic. Just organizing the subjugation force seemed to be a massive undertaking. Juhwan had been busy beyond belief, attending meetings and interviewing people day after day.
And finally, having finished the preparations, they were set to depart tomorrow. A staff member from the Guild had been assigned to accompany them as a guide.
They were told that basic meals would be provided once they reached the subjugation site. It seemed several subjugation bases had already been established.
However, each person had to provide their own food and supplies for the journey there.
While Riji and Juhwan had a substantial stock of food and various items in their carriage, the other adventurers were scrambling to finish their preparations over the last few days.
To make matters worse, the sudden influx of people caused prices to skyrocket at the shops that usually sold things cheaper than elsewhere.
Fortunately, the Guild contacted several shops, allowing them to purchase basic food and urgent supplies at a reasonable price.
Even so, most of what they bought was just jerky, salt, and a bit of flour.
The luggage an adventurer carried usually consisted of several layers of clothing and a single backpack; many didn’t even carry proper blankets, enduring with just the clothes on their backs. Few people could travel as lightly as an adventurer.
“….”
Her eyes began to flutter shut. Riji murmured half-asleep.
“I feel like we’re living too luxuriously. The food, the place we sleep… it keeps getting better every day. You spend more money on that than anything else.”
“It’s only natural when I have a woman and a child with me.”
“…You’re just too generous to us.”
They hadn’t sold the hides they brought from the mountains to the Guild yet.
When Juhwan asked about the price, the Chatterbox had pondered for a moment before replying that the price would likely rise further in the future.
She hadn’t expected Juhwan to be interested in such things, but surprisingly, upon hearing that, he pulled back the bundle of hides he had been about to offer.
Thinking of that moment made Riji giggle.
The Chatterbox hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the receding bundle of hides for a long time. It seemed that, in his heart, he hadn’t really wanted to mention that the price would go up. He was an amusing man.
Riji reached out and wrapped her arms around Juhwan’s waist. As she held him tight, Juhwan gently stroked her hair. Every time his hand softly brushed her head, a pleasant sensation washed over her, making her eyes slip shut.
There were a few things she needed to do, but she was so sleepy. She just wanted to sleep like this. Ah, but she had to get up. She must have fallen asleep while drifting between those thoughts.
Soft lips brushed against her cheek, and she heard her husband’s voice.
“Goodnight, Riji.”
Her body floated into the air for a moment before settling back onto the bed. It seemed Juhwan had tucked her properly into the blankets.
Just before falling completely into a deep sleep, she heard Juhwan heading outside. Was he going to check the luggage in the carriage one more time?
‘I should help too.’
She thought so, but her head felt as heavy as wet cloth. She drifted off into sleep.
At that hour, the temple of the Simoni Kingdom was shrouded in darkness. The lights were out in most of the buildings.
However, in one place—a small prayer room in the central temple—a dim light flickered. It was the prayer room of the Great Shrine Maiden, who was praised for being more beloved by the gods than anyone in history.
Having entered the temple at the age of five, she was now twenty-three. Her daily life, having lived as a Shrine Maiden for nearly twenty years, was a continuous cycle of prayer from morning until late at night, and sometimes until dawn.
It was all to hear the word of God, yet she had only received an oracle three times in her life.
Publicly, however, it was made to seem as though she received an oracle every year. This was because the King desired it.
The situation within the country grew more difficult each year. Prolonged war and drought, the increasingly impoverished nobility and their subjects, the starving people….
To quell the rising resentment of the nobility and the populace, the King had long used the temple.
While he didn’t directly demand that she, the Great Shrine Maiden, tell lies, she was expected to do things like smile when someone asked a question.
‘Do they not fear God?’
The Great Shrine Maiden closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart. She pressed down firmly, asking for forgiveness for her sins. She knew it was the truth because she heard the words of God directly. She felt fear and awe at the fact that God truly existed.
However, among the King, who never heard the word of God, and those who entered the temple using it as a stepping stone for career advancement, there were those who did not believe.
In particular, those who knew that the annual oracles were fake did not believe even when a real oracle was delivered. They simply assumed she and the priests had made it up.
The Great Shrine Maiden clasped her hands over her chest and prayed fervently.
O God, have mercy on us humans. Have pity on the land that withers day by day and the children who starve to death, and grant us Your mercy.
But even after years of fervent prayer, there was no answer.
God was a silent being. He did not tell humans to do this or that, nor did He say how to avoid suffering.
Even when an oracle was received, the words were so ambiguous that they were difficult to interpret.
The Shrine Maiden’s duty was simply to listen and relay the message exactly; no matter how strange the words, she was not to add her own interpretation. She had to pass them on as they were.
It was the duty of the priests to properly interpret and announce the words of God. For that purpose, the priests spent all day reading, studying, and re-reading ancient books, just as the Shrine Maidens prayed.
The crowing of a rooster was heard from somewhere. The sky was still pitch black, but it seemed dawn would break before long.
The Great Shrine Maiden let out a small sigh and stood up. She hadn’t heard the word of God today either.
As she left the prayer room, she saw a faint light leaking from the nearby library. It seemed some priest was there studying.
The Great Shrine Maiden was about to pass the library when she suddenly stopped. She thought she heard a strange sound.
“….”
Had she misheard? She strained her ears, but no sound could be heard.
The Great Shrine Maiden began to walk again.
But then, something called to her.
[Come, child… listen to my words….]
She heard it clearly this time. The voice was not unfamiliar.
As if possessed, the Great Shrine Maiden looked toward the entrance of the library.
As she took a few steps inside, an intense light suddenly flooded into her mind.
It was a strange sensation, but it wasn’t a light visible to the eyes. It felt as if her entire soul was being dazzled.
The library, which should have been dark, was as bright as broad daylight.
In the midst of the brilliant light, something with an indistinct form could be seen. It had a human shape but was massive. A figure of light, several times larger than a normal person, stood there.
The Great Shrine Maiden hurried to her knees.
Above her bowed head, the light reached out as if to caress her.
[Child of our God, our poor child… the time has come to end your long suffering… the Hero sent by our God has already descended upon this land, so welcome them… the Hero shall save your parched hearts and parched land.]
Usually, it is difficult to discern the will of God from an oracle. They are composed of ambiguous words. But this oracle was as intense and clear as a bolt of lightning.
An intense light flashed in the Great Shrine Maiden’s mind. For a moment, she felt blinded. Her vision was pure white. She could see nothing.
When she came to her senses, she was staring blankly into space while kneeling.
“…Maiden… Great Shrine Maiden… My Lady, are you alright?”
She heard a priest’s voice.
When she turned her head, a priest who still looked quite young was looking at her with concern.
Behind the young priest stood an old man with white hair and a white beard. He was the one in charge of the education of the children who entered the temple.
“I have… I have met God. It was not a simple oracle.”
“It appeared so.”
“Did you see it too, Elder Priest?”
“No, I only saw you. But I knew. I could feel it instinctively. That God was here.”
The Elder Priest looked at her with narrowed eyes as if seeing something dazzling, then turned his head to the side.
“You, go quickly and inform the priests. I shall go to see the High Priest.”
The Elder Priest held out his hand to her.
“Great Shrine Maiden, let us go. Meeting God is not a matter for the temple alone.”
The Great Shrine Maiden stood up as if snapped back to reality by the Elder Priest’s words.
That was right. The word of God had to be made known to the world.
Drought, war, and famine had plagued the entire country for a long time. While the commoners suffered the most, it wasn’t as if the nobles were comfortable either. With few exceptions, the nobles had also lost kin and seen their territories devastated through the long years of war. The suffering was universal.
It was a time when many were despairing at the fact that God did not answer even after enduring such periods. It had to be announced to everyone immediately.
As she hurried down the dark corridor with the Elder Priest, the Great Shrine Maiden’s heart swelled with emotion.
‘Finally… finally, a Hero has appeared in our country too. A Hero sent by God…’
A Hero was a being summoned when humans fervently pleaded with God. Many preparations were required, but the most important thing was God’s permission. No matter how well-prepared, if there was no divine consent, a Hero would not be summoned.
That was also why everyone had been anxious upon hearing the news that a Hero had been summoned in the Tairon Kingdom.
God had sent a Hero to their enemy, but their own country had not been granted one. Did that mean they had been abandoned by God? Such anxiety had spread not only among the commoners but also among the priests and Shrine Maidens.
The King had even spread rumors that a Hero might have already descended upon this land to dispel such an atmosphere, but it was to no avail. Despair was spreading throughout the nation.
‘But God has not abandoned us.’
A Hero is hope. They become a focal point that brings the hearts and strength of the people together. They would be the power to overcome these dark and painful times. Her heart swelled, and tears welled up.
“This Hero seems entirely different from those of the past.”
The Elder Priest suddenly murmured.
“Yes. Certainly. Because they are someone sent directly by God.”
The Great Shrine Maiden nodded firmly.
*
Meeting the King requires various procedures and takes time. However, this time, an audience was granted as soon as day broke.
The Great Shrine Maiden headed to the audience chamber of the magnificent royal palace with the High Priest.
Normally, a Shrine Maiden does not meet the King directly. On the rare occasions they do see him, it is only from a great distance.
It was important for a Shrine Maiden to keep her soul pure for the reception of God. Contact with people was kept to a minimum, and they lived almost entirely within the temple.
But this time, it was more than just a simple oracle. Although it was at the King’s request, the High Priest also seemed to think it better to deliver the story directly.
As the attendant’s cry announced the King’s arrival, the Great Shrine Maiden bowed her head in a slight state of tension.
At the King’s permission to raise her head, she lifted it slightly.
It wasn’t certain since she had only caught a glimpse from a distance, but he seemed to have grown gaunt. It occurred to her that he might be ill. It was just an intuition, but she was likely right. Her instincts tended to be accurate.
However, she was in no position to say such things, and he might already know. If he was hiding it, there was no need to stir things up for nothing.
The Great Shrine Maiden waited until the High Priest finished speaking to the King.
And finally, after the King gave her permission to deliver the words of God directly, she spoke.
No more, no less—exactly the same. The words of God must not be distorted.
The King listened in silence.
Once more.
Commanded thus, the Great Shrine Maiden spoke the same words to the King again.
“I see… as I thought.”
The King spoke as if relieved and let out a low chuckle.
“It seems our Hero accidentally fell into the enemy country. Fortunately, news arrived late last night that they are departing from the royal palace of Tairon.”
As soon as the King finished speaking, the attendant beside him spoke up.
“For things to align so perfectly, you are indeed our country’s greatest Shrine Maiden.”
The attendant began by praising the Great Shrine Maiden, then proceeded to relay several of the King’s commands to the High Priest, stating that this matter must be widely publicized to the people. It seemed they had prepared in advance.
They were to announce the appearance of the Hero to temples throughout the country and explain to the people that the King had exerted every effort to snatch the Hero from the enemy’s grasp.
The High Priest listened quietly to the attendant’s words. Was he intending to follow them? But….
“No, that is not it.”
The Great Shrine Maiden said, taking a step forward before she realized it.
The eyes of the King, the attendant, and the High Priest all turned to her.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. But the Hero is already in this land. They are not in another country.”
The King’s gaze sharpened. A vein throbbed in his forehead.
The Great Shrine Maiden felt intimidated, but she had to say that this was different. God had clearly said that the Hero had descended upon this land. He had not said they were elsewhere.
She tried to explain, but the High Priest gripped her arm firmly.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. This Shrine Maiden is a child who has lived almost exclusively within the temple since entering at the age of five. She is a pure soul who knows nothing of the world, having only listened to the words of God. Please forgive her.”
The King frowned and waved a hand dismissively.
“As she is a Shrine Maiden who has only ever relayed the words of God, she may not know the ways of the world. Since today is a joyous day, I shall forgive her. But it would be wise to watch your words in the future.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. This will not happen again. Thank you for your generous mercy.”
She was led out of the audience chamber without being able to say another word.
As she walked down the corridor with her wrist held by the High Priest, the Great Shrine Maiden shook her head.
“High Priest, no. This is wrong.”
“Quiet. There are many eyes here.”
Because the High Priest spoke so sternly, the Great Shrine Maiden could say nothing. It was only inside the carriage returning to the temple that she could finally speak.
“The words of God were not like that. This time, there wasn’t even room for a different interpretation….”
“I know. But you cannot.”
After saying that, the High Priest placed a hand on her head.
“It might have been different before the King secured a Hero. But the King has already obtained a Hero through his own power. In such a state, to say another Hero has appeared is the same as asking him to kill the true Hero—the Hero sent by our God.”
“But… it’s a Hero sent by God. To announce someone else as the Hero…”
“It is fine.”
The High Priest smiled faintly.
“It is a story you do not know, but in truth, a summoned Hero is merely a person from another world whom we humans called upon by borrowing God’s power because we desired it. They are simply people with great strength.”
“Oh….”
“This is a story known only to high-ranking priests. It is not told to ordinary people because it would only cause confusion. That is also why the King treats the Hero as nothing special. The King knows better than anyone what a summoning truly is.”
“But I truly heard the words of God.”
As the Great Shrine Maiden spoke with a confused expression, the High Priest looked steadily at her face.
“I know that you truly met God. I do not think it is a lie. But that is why it is fine. No matter how much the King insists another Hero is the real one, it does not mean our Hero becomes that person.”
“….”
“If it is a Hero sent directly by God, they are not a mere person from another world. They are God’s messenger. When the time comes, everyone will know. So there is no need to worry.”
She didn’t know. Wasn’t what the High Priest was saying simply accepting and tolerating a lie? It was a foul thing.
The High Priest chuckled and turned his gaze out the window.
“You may remain as you are. There is no need for you to be tainted by the world. It is enough for a few people to get their hands dirty.”
“….”
After that, there was no further conversation. Only one sentence was murmured by the High Priest.
“Perhaps even this is part of God’s providence.”
Upon returning to the temple, the Great Shrine Maiden headed straight for the prayer room.
The guilt of having defiled the word of God felt like a weight crushing her heart.
Lying prostrate on the floor, the Great Shrine Maiden begged God for forgiveness.
Though she offered prayers dozens, hundreds of times, the word of God did not descend. Only the time to offer her usual prayers had returned.
