Room of Oracle in Bellium.
On the high ceiling, murals of the Goddess and people caught the eye, and each window was engraved with the image of the Goddess.
And from the statue of the Goddess erected on the central Altar, a gentle silver light was leaking out.
Combined with its mystical atmosphere, the place evoked the image of a classic sanctuary.
Yet Evan was familiar with all these things.
‘No matter how many times I see it, it’s exactly the same.’
It was just like the Ancient Ruins he had seen in his previous world.
Of course, at that time, it had been an old, decrepit Shrine.
Naturally, these sorts of decorations hadn’t existed.
It hadn’t been in complete shape, and much of it was broken, but the overall exterior and structure of the building were identical.
‘What’s going on here?’
Encountering a place he’d seen in the previous world in this form brought an odd feeling.
‘Is the world truly connected after all?’
It was a clue worth speculating over.
Through the memories of Ellecell and Abaddon, Evan had realized that the world was not just one.
Even just looking at the Gates, other worlds existed within them.
If those could be seen as points where they connected to the current world, then it was certainly plausible.
‘Maybe this Shrine existed in a world that perished.’
Evan soon recalled the Hidden Piece.
The Shrine’s concealed secret passage.
There, the item Evan needed lay dormant.
“Are you that fascinated by this place?”
The Sacred Maiden, Elise, spoke to Evan with a soft smile.
Evan came out of his reverie and looked at her. At this moment, only Evan and Elise were in the Room of Oracle.
No, in fact, only the Sacred Maiden could even enter this place in the first place.
Aside from Evan, the others were waiting in the guest room prepared for visitors.
“Yes, I was just looking around a bit.”
“Do you like it here?”
“Well, I suppose I do.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Evan’s blue eyes gazed at her.
“So, why did you call me here? Is it about the Oracle…?”
Before he could finish his words, light began to radiate from the Sacred Maiden’s body.
“The Goddess seems to have taken a liking to you. I can feel Her joy overflowing.”
Evan didn’t particularly like it but nodded without showing his feelings.
“It’s an honor. To think the Goddess would be pleased with me.”
“Yes. She’s so delighted. She says She will change the Oracle.”
“……Pardon?”
“The Goddess has made a request. She asks that you take care of the Corrupted World Tree in the eastern forest and safeguard the peace of the south.”
“The Corrupted World Tree?”
Evan couldn’t hide his surprise.
This world had a World Tree as well.
The World Tree acted as an important medium sustaining the world.
‘The World Tree also has the effect of suppressing calamities.’
He thought of Yggdrasil, his only companion for conversation.
It made him recall an old friend he’d missed dearly.
Of course, not all World Trees were the same, so there was no telling what this one would be like.
Still, perhaps because of the memories of chatting with Yggdrasil in the previous world, he wanted to see it again.
The thought that it existed even here made his heart flutter a little.
‘But the fact that it’s corrupted bothers me.’
And, more importantly, the reason the Goddess made such a request was significant.
‘Handle the Corrupted World Tree… Why is she suddenly asking me to do this?’
While pondering, Evan recalled Abaddon’s memories.
When the Goddess descended, Abaddon was used and cast aside, meeting a tragic end.
‘The kind to use humans like tools and then discard them. I don’t know if it’s the same one…’
Of course, that had only happened when someone had blindly devoted themselves to her, but this time, it would be different.
Rather, he would look for an opening and exploit it himself.
With the image of the ruthless Goddess in mind, Evan smiled.
“Understood. I’ll take care of the World Tree.”
“Really? Thank you! If it’s you, Evan, you’ll be able to handle that troublesome Yggdrasil! The South will never forget your grace.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just doing what must be done.”
It would be best to first build trust from this side and look for the right opportunity.
And, regarding this matter, Evan wanted to handle it personally.
He couldn’t accept destroying Yggdrasil.
No matter what condition it was in, corrupted or not, he would judge for himself.
Especially if it was something the Goddess desired—he would not grant her wish so easily.
But before that, Evan had a few things he needed to check.
The Goddess the Sacred Maiden spoke of.
Whether that being was the world’s administrator, and just what her capabilities were—he needed to find out.
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
Elise kept her bright smile as she answered.
“Yes. Ask me anything.”
“I never really believed in gods. But after all I’ve experienced, I have no choice but to believe now.”
He recalled the Goddess Nerban, whom the Nervan Cult had tried to resurrect.
“That entity I defeated before—was it truly a god?”
“Yes, that’s right. An evil god. Evan, are you perhaps unfamiliar with this?”
Evan nodded.
Elise continued.
“Each region’s myths are different. In the history of the central region, alchemy and magic developed more than belief in gods, and the north believes in a single god. Anyone else is treated as a heretic.”
Elise, who had been smiling, opened her eyes wide.
Evan continued to listen, gazing at her beautiful red eyes.
“Unlike them, our southern region worships many gods, accepting each other and forming a great union. As a result, religion developed more than in the north, and our power will only continue to grow. Then, we’ll achieve eternal peace for the Continent.”
“……Eternal peace for the Continent?”
“Yes. Achieving Valhalla is our Bellium’s goal. The Goddess wishes for that as well.”
Listening to her, Evan predicted the situation would become serious.
He could more or less guess what eternal peace meant.
Looking at the worlds that had perished, in a way, they did attain eternal peace—just not in a good way.
Even if that wasn’t the case, this idea was dangerous.
To unite the Continent as one.
One power ruling the world would upset the balance.
Considering human greed, monopoly of power always led to destruction.
‘With these people, taking over the whole Continent isn’t just talk—they could really do it.’
Offerings to the Cult from the entire South.
He’d heard that anyone could make offerings, regardless of class.
Especially the higher nobles—the amounts they contributed would be astronomical.
‘And they’re making enormous profits from various businesses and the Adela Guild’s Guild Currency.’
With immense funds and fanatic followers, they were nearly unbeatable.
The Cult was expanding into the central region, and their number of followers kept increasing.
‘Ellecell is a problem, but in the long run, these guys are even more dangerous.’
With a look of curiosity, Evan asked her,
“Is the Goddess always watching over you?”
It was a casual question, but for Evan, it was an important one.
When humans think of gods, they imagine a being who knows everything and watches humanity.
An omnipotent presence—thinking back to the fake goddess he fought, he couldn’t even describe her overwhelming power.
And if his actions were being watched, his future movements could be heavily restricted.
||
There was a moment of silence at Evan’s question.
Elise’s eyes widened as she looked at Evan intently.
“Um? Is something the matter?”
“No, I just wondered if you truly don’t believe in gods. Honestly, this is a matter of faith.”
“Faith?”
“Yes. If you believe the Goddess is watching, then she is. If you don’t, then maybe not.”
Her ambiguous answer made Evan’s eyebrow twitch slightly.
“I see, that’s a bit abstract.”
Elise smiled broadly again.
“But the Goddess knows everything. If we all sin, she will remember and judge us one day. If you don’t believe, it probably doesn’t matter.”
“Hearing you say that, Sacred Maiden, I suppose I should be careful in my daily life.”
“Evan, you’re fine. Didn’t you save the world? And you’ll help our South again, won’t you?”
“If you think so, I’m grateful.”
Deciding he’d learned all he could from her, Evan decided to leave.
“I think I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. I’ll see you again next time.”
Just as Evan was about to leave the Room of Oracle, he suddenly remembered what Rozi had said.
‘Was I supposed to pass something on if I met the Sacred Maiden?’
Evan chuckled and pulled a coin from his pocket.
“Oh, and Sacred Maiden. Before I go, I’d like to give you a little gift to commemorate our meeting.”
Elise tilted her head in curiosity and approached Evan.
“A gift?”
Evan handed her the coin.
“Someone I know is listing a guild, so I received a few Guild Coins. They’re made from high-quality materials and make good gifts. I think you’ll like it, Sacred Maiden.”
Elise took the Rosie Coin and examined both sides closely.
“…It’s beautiful.”
She genuinely seemed to like it, not just saying it out of politeness.
“This color… And the emblem, too. No one in the South would object to this. In fact, it would be perfect as a ceremonial coin for offerings.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’m sure he’ll be pleased as well.”
Elise asked Evan, clearly curious.
“What’s the name of the guild? At this level, I’d like to collect a few myself.”
Evan didn’t miss the opportunity.
“It’s the Rosie Guild. It will soon be listed in the central region…”
Evan began to explain the Rosie Guild in detail.
Evan was now inside the Shrine’s secret passage.
He knew that on the second floor of the Shrine, what appeared to be a library, there was a hidden passage.
‘Since I’ve come this far, I can’t just leave.’
The Hidden Piece here was too important to miss.
But there was one thing that bothered him.
‘The probability that the Goddess has noticed my movements.’
But Evan soon shook his head.
He’d been here for some time already, yet the Cult hadn’t shown any particular reaction.
It was more accurate to think they were unaware.
‘Even the Mediator couldn’t track my movements exactly.’
Unless she was a true god, it should be impossible.
The truly divine being he knew never revealed itself, nor spoke of anything.
It simply granted the Awakener’s power and offered unseen assistance.
Thinking of this, Evan continued walking.
Soon, the end of the passage came into view.
“…What’s this?”
Unexpectedly, a door he’d never seen before blocked his way. There should have only been an entrance.
‘Damn. Was there originally a door in this structure?’
In his previous world, the Shrine had been collapsing, so some of the facilities had been destroyed.
Thanks to that, Evan had been able to find the Hidden Piece, but now things were different.
All the facilities were in perfect condition.
Which meant the seals were working, too.
“Do I need a key?”
He couldn’t just turn back.
He considered breaking down the door, but it was sure to be enchanted.
As he was thinking about a solution, something crossed Evan’s mind.
“Ah, wait. I have that.”
He immediately opened his inventory and took out an item.
A Golden Key that shone with a golden light.
An item he received as a reward for completing the Judgment of the Wicked quest.
It was a master key that could open any door.
Evan used the Golden Key to unlock the firmly closed door.
Clack!
-The seal of the ancient Shrine has been lifted.
The door began to open, and a large clearing appeared.
And in that space, things existed that he had never seen in his previous world.
-The Shrine’s guardians have begun to awaken.
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