DLRV 3

Chapter : 03

An oracle is the word of God proclaimed throughout the land. It cannot be falsified, monopolized, or doubted.

This meant that the absurd blessing I had received was now known far and wide. A resurrected one chosen by God.

The temple, which had taken care of my corpse, would naturally assert authority over my body. The Roam family, who had abandoned me, and the royal family would try in some way to reclaim me.

Foreign powers, predicting the chaos this situation would cause me, would quietly attempt to make contact as well.

The future was painfully predictable. God had said that a resurrected one would arise as evil proliferated, but in truth, it was the resurrected one who caused the spread of evil.

“Then I have to run.”

There was only one conclusion. I had no concern for whether the world fell into ruin, and even if evil ran rampant, I had no ability to oppose it.

I had never even held a sword in my life—how could I possibly fight anything? I had no manifestation of magic or holy power either. All I had was monstrous regenerative ability and slightly heightened senses.

A “resurrected one”? Sounds impressive, but in reality, I was practically undead.

I had simply been reborn as a monster. I had no noble desire to protect the world, even as a creature.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve chosen poorly.”

Muttering words that would go unheard, I considered my means of escape.

Everyone working at the temple was a cleric. Titles varied, but all had sworn obedience to God and reported to the high priest.

If I revealed even a hint of an intent to escape, I would lose the freedom I currently enjoyed.

God, you should have given me some proper abilities instead of useless regeneration. If only magic had manifested, I could have smashed this tall wall and walked away.

[Huh? Who are you?]

It was then that I met the squirrel.

[My acorns! My acorns are gone!]

Perhaps considering my emotional stability, the temple had assigned me a lavish room on the first floor, connected to a small garden terrace.

No towering tree to hang from, but a few pretty flowers added a small charm to the space.

The squirrel appeared there.

“Who sent you?” I asked at first, thinking it might be magic. Perhaps someone from the outside had sent it to contact me.

But as I watched, the squirrel only chattered about its acorns.

[You stole my acorns, didn’t you? Give them back now!]

The little creature fussed and demanded its acorns instead of running away. After a few exchanges, I realized:

Ah, this is really an animal.

I could communicate with an animal.

This was the first true awakening of a strange power I realized after my resurrection.

“Where can I find allies?” I wondered.

All the helpers I had created so far were animals. Though there had been a few struggles and failures, they were much more reliable than humans.

The squirrel had been especially helpful in stealing temple treasures. In return for finding its acorn stash, it would hide small treasures in its mouth and bring them to me.

[When’s that fierce eagle coming?]

The eagle the squirrel mentioned had also been encountered at the temple. I had found it attempting to eat the squirrel and lured it away. Because of it, I had to come up with strange excuses to get raw meat from the priests.

But the effort wasn’t wasted. The eagle created enough distraction for me to find an escape route.

“Well…”

When I planned to leave the city, the eagle claimed it had a senior it knew and flew off somewhere.

Perhaps it expected fresh raw meat if it helped again? If it assisted, I would naturally provide all kinds of rare raw meat, no problem…

I was peering out the window between the curtains when I froze.

“What? How did it find me?”

[Anelli?]

I dropped from the window and closed the curtain, then looked at the squirrel.

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

[Okay!]

I saw the squirrel dart under the bed and fiddled with a ring on my hand.

The rough, black gemstone was a pocket-dimensional magical item.

I had worn it since leaving Roam. It could only store precious metals, but as long as I had money, most needs could be solved, so I had scooped up all the temple money without worry.

Essentially, it was my entire fortune at the moment.

Had someone placed a tracking spell on the gold I took? Some paranoid people reportedly enchant every coin with expensive tracking magic.

Even if that were true, I had no way of distinguishing which coins were enchanted. But I couldn’t leave the money behind either.

I had already abandoned my previous luggage to move here, and without money, I would lose all resources for escape.

Or maybe a tracking spell was on me? But since my resurrection, I hadn’t interacted with any mages.

While I was lost in thought, someone’s footsteps approached outside. Heavy, weighted steps. Chain armor rubbed against itself.

Perhaps they wouldn’t come into the room at all…

Knock, knock, knock.

My breath caught at the sound. I didn’t answer, just stared at the closed door. Another knock came. I remained silent.

“I know you are here.”

The calm voice was familiar. It had to be the black-haired knight I saw earlier in the street. The same one I glimpsed from the window.

“I’ve heard you were very confused upon awakening. The temple understands your disorientation, and we only wish that you do not put yourself in danger by wandering.”

He wasn’t testing me. He was certain I, the resurrected one, was in this room. That meant the real question was: how did he know my location?

I paused for a moment, then stepped toward the door. If he had intended to seize me, he would have opened it already. Clearly, he wasn’t forcing me.

“If necessary, take your time to gather your thoughts. But for your safety, I humbly request that you accept my escort.”

I swung the door open. The knight stood calmly before me. I stared into his ash-gray eyes.

“Who are you?”

He showed no surprise at the sudden opening. He already knew I was there.

This knight was different from the others. Far superior. He had likely been the one to find me at the previous lodging as well.

“I am Samuel, serving God.”

Samuel. The name was familiar. Samuel Bent—second son of the Bent family, chosen early in life due to his powerful manifestation of holy energy.

“The Bent family…?”

“I have long devoted myself to the temple. You may call me Sir Samuel.”

He declared his title plainly and scrutinized me silently.

When I had seen him in the street, I had fled without observing him closely. Now, he was at least a head taller than me.

And his frame filled the doorway—he was naturally broad, not just due to armor.

Looking down on me from above, his shadowed face seemed cold and arrogant.

Sharp features, strong lines, lips pressed firmly—he exuded stubbornness.

In short, a classic, inflexible knight.

“So, you’re the famous Samuel Bent?”

“…Clerics do not follow worldly heritage.”

He frowned slightly at the name Bent, seemingly displeased.

“Did I misstate your origin?”

“You spoke correctly.”

“Then why the sour face?”

“Discussing a cleric’s origin is meaningless. You seem unfamiliar with temple culture, so I am merely correcting you.”

“And what good would knowing temple culture do me?”

“I hear you have had little interaction with the Grand Temple since your resurrection. It is understandable that you find things unfamiliar without guidance.”

He clearly didn’t understand—or perhaps deliberately ignored—my protest.

“…Very well, Sir Samuel. In any case, you are the knight with the incredible tracking skills, right?”

Samuel Bent was renowned in the temple for his tracking skills—never having lost a target.

He had been away pursuing a necromancer who escaped the temple prison, but he had summoned his skills to capture me instead.

“Interesting to meet a temple celebrity… though it seems you’re looking for someone other than me.”

“You cannot deceive me by appearance.”

Despite my attempt to laugh it off, Samuel’s confident voice denied my claim.

At the very least, he had recognized that the ‘me’ he met earlier and the current ‘me’ looked different.

The artifact was working correctly…

“How does he know my identity?”

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

No. Something had to have happened. I must have made a slip somewhere, leaving a clue for him.

I scrutinized Samuel’s face for any hint, but his expression was as immovable as a stone.