DLRV 3

Chapter : 03

A prophecy is the word of God announced throughout the land. There must be no lies in its delivery, no one may monopolize it, and no one may dare to doubt it.

This meant that the ridiculous blessing I had received was now known everywhere. A resurrected person chosen by God.

The temple that collected my corpse would naturally claim authority over me, and the Roam family who abandoned me, as well as the royal family, would try to summon me back in some way.

Even foreign nations, guessing my situation and disgusted by it, would try to make secret contact.

Everything ahead was far too predictable. God had said the resurrected one would appear as evil spread—but in truth, evil spread because of the resurrected one.

「So, I have to run.」

The conclusion was simple. I didn’t care if the world ended, and even if evil spread, I had no ability to resist it.

I had never even held a sword in my life. How could I fight anything? This wasn’t a situation where magic or holy power had manifested. All I had was monstrous healing and slightly enhanced senses.

Resurrected? Sounds impressive, but in truth, I was just like an undead.

This was just me being revived as a monster. I didn’t have a noble heart that wanted to protect the world even as a monster.

「Sorry, but you chose wrong.」

Muttering words that couldn’t be answered, I searched for a way out.

Everyone working in the temple was a cleric. Rank may differ, but all swore obedience to God and reported to the High Priest, so in that regard, they were all the same.

If I even hinted at trying to escape, I would lose the little freedom I had now.

God, you should have given me some proper ability instead of useless healing. If magic had manifested, I could have smashed through this high wall and left immediately.

[Huh? Who are you?]

At that moment, I met the squirrel.

[My acorn! My acorn is gone!]

Considering my emotional stability, the temple had assigned me a luxurious first-floor room connected to a small garden terrace.

There were no huge trees to hang myself from, but pretty flowers decorated the space modestly.

The squirrel appeared there.

「What? Who sent you?」

At first, I thought it was magic. Someone must have sent a messenger to contact me. But I noticed that the squirrel only kept singing about its acorn.

[You stole my acorn, didn’t you? Give it back immediately!]

The squirrel scurried over indignantly. It didn’t try to escape; it just demanded its acorn persistently. After a couple of exchanges, I realized:

Ah, this is really an animal.

I could talk to animals now.

This was the first true “awakening of a strange power” I had realized after being resurrected.

“Is there anywhere I can ask for help?”

All the allies I had created so far were animals. There had been a few struggles and failures, but they were far better than people.

The squirrel had especially helped in stealing treasures from the temple. When I helped it find its acorn storage, it brought small treasures as thanks.

[When is that fierce eagle coming?]

The eagle the squirrel mentioned was another creature I had met at the temple. I had found it trying to eat the squirrel and tricked it. Because of that, I had to give priests a strange reason to get raw meat.

But in return, the eagle caused a commotion in the temple, giving me a chance to escape, so it wasn’t a wasted effort.

“Well…”

Since I was trying to leave the city, the eagle said it had an older brother somewhere and flew off.

Perhaps it expected fresh raw meat if it helped again? I would gladly provide it if it meant getting assistance.

Sitting by the window, looking outside through the curtains, I suddenly froze.

“Who is that?”

How did they find me so quickly?

[Anelli?]

I fell back from the window and quickly drew the curtain, looking at the squirrel.

“Hide for now. I’ll get your acorn later.”

[Okay!]

Watching the squirrel crawl under the bed, I fiddled with the ring on my hand.

The rough black gem set in it was a magical tool for extra-dimensional storage.

I had worn it since leaving Roam. It could only store precious metals, but with money, I could solve most problems. So I scooped up the coins given by the temple without worry.

At this point, it was my entire fortune.

Was there a tracking spell on the coins I grabbed? Some fearful people enchanted each coin with expensive tracking magic.

Even if so, I had no way to tell which coins were enchanted. And I couldn’t leave the money behind.

I had already abandoned my previous bag to move here. If I had no money, I would lose all capital to escape.

Or maybe I was being tracked? But after being resurrected, I had never contacted a wizard.

Amid my confusion, I heard footsteps outside. Heavy steps, carrying weight. Armor chains clinked as they moved.

Perhaps they wouldn’t even enter this room…

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The knock made my heart stop. I didn’t answer and stared at the closed door. Another knock came. Still, I stayed silent.

“I know you’re here.”

The calm voice sounded familiar. It was the black-haired paladin I had seen earlier in the street. The one I glimpsed outside the window.

“I heard you were confused after waking. The temple understands your disorientation, but we hope you don’t put yourself in danger by wandering.”

He wasn’t testing me. He knew the resurrected person was in this room. The real question was how he found out.

I hesitated, then approached the door. If he intended to capture me, he would have already opened it. So I could tell he had no intention of forcing me out.

“Take some time to gather your thoughts if needed. But for safety, I ask you accept my escort.”

The door swung open, revealing the paladin standing directly in front of me. I stared into his gray eyes.

“Who are you?”

Even with the sudden opening, he showed no surprise. He already knew I was there.

He was different from other paladins—far superior. He likely was the one who found me at my previous lodging.

“I am Samuel, serving God.”

Samuel. I had heard the name. Samuel Bent. The second son of the Bent family, chosen early by powerful holy power.

“The Bent family’s…”

“I have long devoted myself to the temple. Call me Sir Samuel.”

He spoke bluntly and stared at me silently.

When we met in the street, I had fled without examining him. Now I saw he was easily a head taller than me.

Moreover, his build filled the doorway. It wasn’t just the armor—he was naturally large and sturdy.

Looking down, his shadowed face seemed cold and arrogant.

His features were sharp and strong, lips pressed tightly, showing a stubborn character.

In short, he looked exactly like a paladin: rigid and inflexible.

“So, you are the famous Samuel Bent?”

“Clerics do not follow worldly titles.”

He frowned slightly at the mention of “Bent.”

“Did I misstate your birth?”

“You spoke correctly.”

“Then why the displeasure?”

“A cleric’s birthplace is irrelevant. You seem unfamiliar with temple culture, so I correct you.”

“What use is knowing temple culture?”

“I heard you had no proper exchange with the temple after resurrection. You are unfamiliar due to lack of guidance.”

He didn’t understand my objection at all. Perhaps he was ignoring it.

“…Alright, Sir Samuel. In any case, you are the paladin with that incredible tracking skill, right?”

Samuel Bent was a paladin renowned for never losing track of his target.

Apparently, he had left to capture a necromancer who had escaped temple prison, but he summoned me alone.

“It’s strange meeting a temple celebrity. But… I don’t think I’m the person you’re looking for.”

“You cannot deceive me by appearance.”

Despite smiling and denying it, Samuel spoke with certainty. He had recognized that the “me” he saw earlier and the current “me” looked different.

The magic tool was working correctly…

“How are you sure of my identity?”

“You cannot fail to recognize someone chosen by God.”

No. There was something I hadn’t noticed. Somewhere, I must have made a mistake, leaving a clue for him.

I stared intently at Samuel, hoping for a hint. His expression, however, was as solid as a rock.