I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

147 - Oracle (2)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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In the office of the head of the Moon's Eye, Lezero branch.

"Ugh... I can't get used to this no matter how many times I see it."

Narie muttered to herself, half-buried in the large chair of the room.

Images of Prince Zion, which she had seen earlier, kept coming to her mind.

Despite it being a while since she last saw him, Prince Zion's unique charisma was still overwhelming.

Narie thought back to the instructions Prince Zion had given her a little earlier.

Scouting six locations on the very edge of the City of Light.

At first glance, these places seemed unrelated and unimportant.

They had no value as tourist spots, so they were rarely visited by people.

To an ordinary person, the question 'Why?' would have naturally arisen.

However, she knew what these places meant.

'Places that play a key role in the sealing of the rebellious angel.'

One of the origins of the City of Light, Lezero, is the legend of the fallen angel's sealing.

Having received all the information about the city from the former head of Lezero, she knew this origin story was true.

And that these places were secretly managed by the Order of Light.

'It's puzzling that Prince Zion knows this fact without being told...'

But what was more puzzling was why he suddenly asked to investigate these places.

If it were about the recent disappearance of the contestants in the Saintess competition in Lezero, it would have made some sense.

However,

'Prince Zion I have seen so far was never one to give orders or directives for no reason.'

This meant there was a high likelihood of an issue at those places that Narie was unaware of.

Along with this thought came a sense of foreboding.

'I was sure these places were being thoroughly managed by the Order...'

Then,

"Head of the Branch!"

The door burst open, and a man entered.

He was one of the informants sent to investigate the sealed locations as per Prince Zion's orders a few hours ago.

Before Narie could ask what happened,

"This is bad!"

The informant began to report rapidly, almost like a machine gun.

And with that,

"!!!!!"

Narie's face started to harden rapidly.

---

In the corridor heading towards the deep parts of the Order of Light.

"So, you're saying that the oracle just mentioned me?"

Walking down such a corridor with Bishop Paulo who came to fetch him, Zion asked.

Just before in the Corridor of Light, when Paulo and the priests loudly greeted him, bowing their heads, all eyes turned towards them. To avoid this attention, Zion quickly said goodbye to Olivia and followed them.

"The Light didn't just mention you; it specifically designated you, Zion."

Bishop Paulo, still caught in the aftermath of hearing the oracle, couldn't hide the tumult of emotions in his eyes as he responded.

It might have seemed odd to speak of being designated, but the oracle that had just been received fit that description perfectly.

The oracle specifically mentioned the external features of a person named Zion Harness.

That's why they could find him immediately.

'Such an oracle is unprecedented in history, except for the calling of a hero.'

Thus, the current archbishop and bishops managing the oracle were in turmoil.

This was an unprecedented event, and therefore, its meaning and implications were unclear.

'Still, it seems right to take the one designated by the Light to the Chamber of Sacred Words.'

The Chamber of Sacred Words was the place where the oracle was received.

Then,

"Have you had any contact with the Eye of the Moon?"

While walking in silence, Zion asked him this question.

"The Eye of the Moon? Isn't that an intelligence guild? I haven't used it recently..."

Paulo responded with a puzzled look as to why he was asking.

'It wasn't as I thought.'

It had seemed odd from the start.

It was unlikely for those he had secretly been in contact with to openly shout and search for Zion himself.

It was correct to think that these priests had nothing to do with the high-ranking officials she had recruited.

Moreover, even if they were high-ranking officials of the Order, it was impossible to forge an oracle.

'This might be for the better.'

Thanks to this, he was headed straight for the place of the oracle.

However, why the god of Light would issue such an oracle to find him was still a mystery.

'I'll know once I get there.'

With that thought, he ventured further inside.

Passing through the strict security of high-ranking paladins, whose power was comparable to the elite knights of the royal palace, Zion finally arrived at the place called the Chamber of Sacred Words.

'It's not very large.'

Entering the room, Zion thought.

Like elsewhere, the room was enclosed with white walls on all sides, and in the center stood only a statue symbolizing the god of Light, Luminous, without any other objects present.

The room looked simple, even spartan.

Inside this room, high-ranking officials of the Order were gathered in full force, their eyes gleaming.

"Have you finally brought him?"

Among them, a bald old man with a long beard approached Zion and spoke.

It was Verdio, one of only six archbishops in the Order of Light.

"Yes, this is him."

"Oh! I am meeting you for the first time, the designated one of the Light. My name is Verdio."

The old man's attitude toward Zion was very polite.

Although the status of the other person was unknown, the fact that the god of Light had directly designated him meant that, in terms of suitability, he was on par with the pope or a hero.

Zion slightly nodded and then spoke.

"I'd like to hear the reason you've brought me here first."

He had come to ask about the content of the oracle, but that was his reason, not theirs.

At Zion's response, a hint of surprise flashed in Verdio's eyes.

Despite the priests, including himself, trying to conceal it, the divine power inadvertently emanating from their bodies would have been quite oppressive.

Yet, the man before them was unblinkingly letting all that pressure slide off him.

'Is he really the one designated by the Light?'

Verdio internally nodded and continued with a smile.

"We do not know that either. It is because the Light has called you. So... how about you hear it directly?"

With those words, the archbishop's gaze turned towards the statue in the center of the Chamber of Sacred Words.

"Let's do that."

Acknowledging his words, Zion slowly walked towards the statue.

It seemed that he needed to be in front of it to hear the oracle.

The priests' gaze focused on Zion followed him.

In their eyes was a strange anticipation.

Step.

As Zion arrived right in front of it, he stopped and looked at the statue's face.

Contrary to expectation, the statue had no reaction whatsoever.

'Is this not it?'

Just as Zion began to doubt, a moment of questioning flashed in his eyes.

Whoosh!

Without any warning, an immense light burst from the entire statue.

The light covered the entire room in an instant, and not stopping there, it extended throughout the deepest parts of the Order!

The light, containing an enormous amount of divinity, was so bright and splendid that it could blind anyone who saw it.

"…Could this be!"

Verdio's eyes, reflecting the light, started to fill with horror.

For him, who had dedicated his life to the Order, this was the first time witnessing such a violent reaction from the statue.

This was definitely not just any oracle.

Far above that.

A unique and distant miracle that has happened only once in the history of the Order!

"Pow, powerful...!"

It was at that moment the archbishop was about to continue his sentence.

Thunk!

Everything stopped.

The baptism of light that was bursting forth.

The other priests, including Verdio, who opened their mouths wide in shock.

The flow of the atmosphere and mana.

And even the movement of space.

Time.

At this moment, time in this place had stopped.

'This is...'

Somehow, within the stopped time, the only one who could move, Zion, noticed a woman standing beside the statue.

No, it was uncertain if it was correct to call her a woman.

She had golden hair shining as if melted directly from the sun down to her waist.

It didn't make sense, but the 'being's' vaguely visible face contained the aspects of both men and women, as well as both the old and the young.

'Does it even matter?'

With that thought, Zion smiled slightly.

Though it was his first time seeing it, Zion knew who the being before him was.

The only being that could cause such chills and shivers to run through Zion's body was one of the immortals, and among those immortals, the one who would reveal themselves at this moment was unique.

The god of Light, Luminous.

The god of light and the sun, and mercy, and the most powerful god in this world.

'I didn't expect him to reveal himself directly.'

He thought he would only hear a few words through an oracle, like a one-sided notification, but to manifest...

This was a situation even Zion hadn't anticipated.

Of course, this was better.

Then,

-It's the first time I'm seeing you in this era. Emperor of the Black Star.

Luminous approached Zion and began to speak.

A gender-neutral voice.

Thrumming!

Just the act of speaking caused the frozen time and space to vibrate as if about to shatter.

It was a distinction that was beyond imagination, but what caught Zion's attention was something else.

That single sentence.

The one sentence Luminous just uttered held a lot of meaning.

"…This era?"

-You must have already guessed it. That this world is not from a novel but the future.

At the words of the god, Zion's eyes darkened.

Of course, he had almost been certain of it all along.

But hearing it directly from the mouth of Luminous felt different.

'And it seems he knows exactly my identity and situation.'

Even if it's a god, they are not omnipotent.

Yet, the fact that he knew so much only pointed to one possibility.

Then,

-If you have questions, don't ponder them alone. Ask me directly. That's why I have manifested in this way.

Luminous, with a smile twisting his face as if laughing, spoke to Zion.

-I will answer everything within the limits of causality and the contract. In a way, we're in the same boat.

"In the same boat? What do you mean by that?"

Zion, shelving his thoughts, asked the god.

-We both wish for this world not to end in destruction. What else could being in the same boat mean?

Zion smirked at the god's matter-of-fact response and asked another question.

"I see. Then let me change my question. Why am I here?"

It was the most fundamental question and the one Zion wanted to know the most.

He had merely read the Chronicles of Frosimar and then, after closing his eyes and opening them, found himself transported to this world.

Therefore, he couldn't even guess the reason.

-That's simple. It's to save this world. You are aware that the future of this world ends in destruction.

Zion nodded at Luminous's words.

-It was a fate that was set in stone. A destiny that mortals trapped in the cycle of reincarnation could never change. Although a hero appeared who could uniquely change such a fate, even that ended in failure.

This was the content of the Chronicles of Frosimar and the recorded destiny of this world.

-Therefore, 'we' had to look for a new being. A being that could change the fate of the world, yet not immortal so as to interfere with the world.

A being that far surpassed the hero. 'We' searched through the present, future, and even the past, and finally found the most suitable being.

Endless divinity and mystique swirl in the vaguely visible eyes of Luminous.

-That was you. Emperor.

The god of light paused, looking at Zion.

-Oh, and one more thing.

Then from Luminous's mouth,

-Just to clarify in case of any misunderstanding, while it's true 'we' found you, the proposal to save this world was initially made by you.

A startling revelation followed.

---

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