Chapter 74
The High Priest’s fury must mirror my own. He serves the gods, yet values human will above all else. That he would tell me to live, despite the absurdity of it…
“Earlier, you spoke of the heavens’ tapestry. Was that… an oracle?”
The High Priest gazed at me, his grey eyes brimming with an unbearable sorrow that made me want to shatter the sanctuary’s sacred spring.
Wow.
Is this what life is all about? Seriously?
It’s even worse knowing exactly how my death will trigger a catastrophic butterfly effect.
Three men have made a mess of things, claiming they can’t live without me. One of them, Clovis, is a direct descendant of the Golden Dragon and now bound to me.
Even in the original story, these three wreaked havoc, nearly destroying the world for Hestia. Now, those feelings are directed at me, compounded by the mark of the Golden Dragon, a creature thought lost to legend. Seikan’s situation is a bit ambiguous, but the remaining three are already more than I can handle. And now, it’s been decreed by divine oracle that I must bear this burden?
The sheer audacity of it made my ears ring. The usually clear sound of the spring was drowned out by a deafening silence. I swayed, clutching my head, and the High Priest steadied me.
“Adelina.”
His gentle voice finally broke the dam of my tears.
Damn it… I want to curse and rage, to wish for the world’s end. But I can’t do that in front of this old man who has dedicated his life to protecting it.
“This is difficult for you to bear, I know. But… will you hear me out?”
“What is it…?”
“There is another oracle.”
Another oracle? What comfort could it possibly offer? Has the world ever been on my side? This one probably decrees that I grind myself into dust to become the world’s fertilizer.
“It is…”
But the High Priest’s next words left me utterly speechless.
***
Inside the carriage back to the Imperial Palace, I remained silent. More accurately, I couldn’t speak. My chin rested on the window frame, the scenery blurring past as my mind raced.
‘At the very end, you will find all the answers you seek.’
Really?
I haven’t exactly been searching for answers. The answers I seek…
Since realizing I was living in a novel, my only goal has been self-preservation. If pressed for an answer, it would be, ‘How can I live the rest of my life in peace and quiet?’
If the gods themselves are issuing oracles about me, I suppose I’ve graduated from being a disposable extra.
No, it’s more than that. If I die, the world ends. That’s a full-blown protagonist role.
“Ha, haha.”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
Protagonist, huh? What good is that? To avoid dying, I have to do… those things.
The thought fills me with dread. My mind is a tangled mess, like a ball of knotted yarn.
I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned my head against the swaying carriage wall. The High Priest’s warmth from when he embraced me, urging me not to die, lingered in my memory.
If I die, and the world ends… will the High Priest, one of the world’s protectors, despair?
“What did you discuss? You look troubled.”
Hestia, who had been considerate enough not to pry until now, finally broke the silence.
“Adelina, did the High Priest say something upsetting?”
“Does he think the Imperial family is holding you captive?”
Clovis’s sharp question drew my attention to the mark of my teeth on his hand. A stark reminder of our… history. I averted my gaze and shook my head.
It’s true they’re keeping me here, but that wasn’t the topic of conversation today.
“It’s nothing.”
“You don’t look like it’s nothing.”
Looking at Hestia’s worried expression, I wondered: Hestia, would you be more saddened by my death, or the destruction of the Empire?
“You look unwell. We should summon Lumiere again as soon as we arrive.”
Clovis’s gaze raked over me, persistent and invasive, like ivy creeping up my leg.
I fixed my eyes on the passing scenery to escape his gaze.
The carriage rattled along the paved road, unimpeded. Who would dare stop a carriage bearing the Imperial crest?
“Adelina!”
But Reynard did.
Hearing my name called out at the palace drawbridge, I buried my face in my hands.
Someone save me. How far and wide does he intend to spread my name?
Reynard had been waiting. Upon seeing the carriage, he charged towards us like an enraged bull.
Before Clovis could even order the driver to stop, the carriage lurched to a halt. The driver must have been terrified of hitting Reynard, who was now mere inches from the horses.
“You’re certainly busy.”
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