The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 04: The Oracle Comes

From the moment Alice was born, she had never experienced such kindness from the outside.

She was an illegitimate child, a fact that made her unpopular on the Dark River Street.

Women who claimed to be “chaste” would not allow their daughters to associate with someone of “unknown origin.”

Boys were not subject to such restrictions, but this was even more unfortunate for her. They would chase her, taunting her about being a bastard child.

After her mother died, the mistress took care of her but only helped occasionally.

She solved her own dilemmas and the mistress made no effort to defend her, unlike Lord Etienne. Not to mention, he was a priest, and priests were generally not permitted to lie.

He’s so kind!

She looked up at him. His golden hair was stunning, making him look like a prince or a saint in a fairy tale.

However, Lord Etienne’s eyes were not on her.

He was staring at the apprentices in the middle of the temple and somberly instructing them.

“That’s how it should be. Don’t make a fuss. Temple apprentices must always maintain their manners.”

The apprentices corrected their attitudes, honestly acknowledging their mistake, and returned to their places to resume their duties.

The children who had come to participate in the ceremony looked at Alice curiously for a few moments and also bowed their heads to recite the prayers they would use later.

Alice looked around for a while and noticed that no one was watching her anymore.

She lowered her head and began to recite the prayer that the temple apprentices had given her.

Perhaps to appease God Bertucci’s followers, who had more courage than wisdom, the prayer was short. In fact, it was even shorter than the prayer to the God of the Future.

However, due to the interruption, she was more or less lost in thought. Even after reciting the short prayer several times, she could not remember it.

The line in front of her moved quickly.

It seemed that God Bertucci was not pleased with this year’s new followers. He refused to bless them with even a few words. When she looked back, only one person remained in line ahead of her.

As Alice looked around, she noticed that most of the children had finished their prayers and left with the temple apprentices.

Only a few people remained in line at the Goddess of Commerce’s temple. This goddess had always been generous, and it seemed that she had visited the temple today and given her blessing to several new followers. Most of the temple apprentices were busy making offerings of their favorite gems and incense to her.

Lord Etienne ordered the temple apprentices to carry the offerings.

However, he did not forget to pay attention to Alice. He turned his head and happened to meet her blank gaze. Glancing back at the apprentices, who were busy arranging the offerings, he strolled out of the center of the hall toward her.

“It seems you enjoy wandering.” He asked calmly, “Would you like me to help you memorize your prayer?”

“No need.” Her face turned slightly pink, “I can handle it.”

By the time she finished speaking, the person in front of her had already come out of the prayer chamber.

She nodded to him, looked down at the prayer in her hand, and hurried into the chamber.

The prayer chamber was specially prepared so that the followers could communicate with the gods alone. Although the vast majority of the followers’ prayers would go unanswered, some would be favored and receive an extra blessing or special revelation.

Such a person would often be viewed differently.

Alice entered, feeling a bit confused, and the door closed behind her.

Suddenly, the room became eerily quiet. She saw a shrine inside with a small statue of God Bertucci, similar in style to the one outside but smaller.

She knelt before the shrine, looked down at the card in her hand, and began to pray.

“God Bertucci, bestow upon me fortitude, and I will become your devotee.”

When the prayer ended, nothing happened.

She turned the card over to check that she hadn’t memorized one fewer prayer.

According to the temple apprentices, a telltale sign would appear when the gods chose a person.

She knelt on the cushion and wondered when it would appear.

Was God Bertucci reluctant to choose her because she was a girl? Or was it because she had already sworn allegiance to the God of the Future? Was God Bertucci unwilling to bless her because of that? Or was there something wrong with her?

Though Alice’s attitude toward the gods had always been slightly different from that of others, she was still just a child and was truly at a loss for words when faced with this situation.

The cushion under her knees was shabby and thin from previous use. She was not used to this position, and her knees ached from the hard floor.

She didn’t know whether to stand up and leave.

As she paused, she suddenly heard someone call her name.

“Alice.”

Thinking it was Lord Etienne, she panicked and gave in.

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

It was only after the words left her mouth that she realized Lord Etienne’s voice was not what she was hearing. Furthermore, she had heard that this kind of chamber was insulated, so sounds from outside could not possibly get in.

An idea flashed through her mind like a bolt of lightning.

With slight hesitation, she carefully opened her mouth to speak.

“Are you God Bertucci?”

It did not seem right to address the god openly by his divine name, yet adding “god” to it seemed a bit embarrassing.

Alice really did not know how to address him. She was not a temple apprentice and had never received instruction in this area, so she did not know how to be polite when addressing a god.

Before she had a moment to think about it, she heard the same voice ask her a rhetorical question.

“Are you waiting for Bertucci? I thought you were waiting for me.”

The voice is extremely faint and is difficult to distinguish as male or female. It seems somewhat disappointed. It’s hard to imagine that this statement came from the mouth of a god. The voice of mortals cannot be transmitted into this closed chamber; it can only be god’s.

Subconsciously alarmed, Alice questioned, “Who are you?”

“My divine name is not known to the world. Additional epithets have been circulated. They call me the God of the Future or the God of Doom. They also refer to me as the Thirteenth God implicitly, according to the order in which mortals think of me. There’s no set pattern to the choice of appellation; it’s just up to the whims of mortals. No matter what I’m called, however, I am who I am, and it doesn’t change anything of substance.”

She was startled, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest.

“They said you were asleep.”

“I have been asleep the whole time, but I heard your call in my slumber. I created a vision and sneaked into Bertucci’s prayer chamber to meet you while he was away at a feast. I knew you wanted to be my follower. I haven’t encountered that in a long time.”

The God of Doom’s words were so ambiguous that Alice could barely keep up with his train of thought.

She could only grasp the most perplexing point of it.

“Are you saying that you are dreaming at this moment?”

“I am not awake, and this is undoubtedly a dream of mine. Today’s tête-à-tête between us—including Bertucci and the God of Light, whom you especially worship—was all in my dream.”

Her mouth fell open as she struggled to understand his explanation.

Only the voice of the God of Doom sounded amused.

“We exist in different realms and perceive everything differently. No matter how hard I try to explain using your vocabulary, you won’t be able to fully understand, so let’s talk about something else.”

Even though the God of Doom had spoken, Alice still felt unable to put her doubts aside completely. If her questions were not answered, she would not be able to rest at night.

After pondering for a moment, she asked him one more time.

“Lord Etienne said that when you wake up, the gods will die out and the order will be overthrown. You also said that the God of Light appeared in your dream. Does this mean that the realm you are in is more powerful than the other gods?”

The God of Doom paused for a moment, as if considering how to answer her question.

Only then did He say, “You are young, but quite quick-witted. However, your understanding is not entirely correct. The realms of the gods, including mine, are not clearly defined. Rather, they are intertwined in a state of pandemonium. Everything will become clear only when I awaken, and that will be a new realm.”

Toward the end of his speech, his tone became lighter and more engaging.

Alice tried her best to understand what He said, but she could barely retain what she did not fully grasp.

The God of Doom paused to give her time to process the information, and only after a while did He continue, “Setting aside these complications, I have come here today to share my joy with you. My followers are few, and it has been a long time since anyone has believed in me.”

This statement differed from what she knew, so she immediately asked about it.

“Lord Etienne just said that no one has ever become your follower.”

The God of Doom sneered, “What does the priest know? All he does is recite those boring phrases from the scriptures. How would he know that, just over three centuries ago, there was a secret sect that believed in me? They shunned the world, living in seclusion and setting up my altar in a grotto under a cliff. They prayed endlessly. Those were glorious days. I was free to roam as I pleased and travel among their dreams. Though this sect has long since disappeared, their prayers allowed me to use the powers of the vision realm at will and gave me the opportunity to meet you.”

His tone held a note of elation that made Alice feel as if her wish were about to be granted.

She opened her eyes wide, “Is this your acceptance of me as your follower?”

“I love children. They belong to the future and are more closely connected to me. However, I do not accept children as followers,” the God of Doom’s voice held a hint of condescension.

“The gods of today have degenerated to the point of trying to trick children into believing in them. I am not in the habit of doing that, though. I cannot recognize you here and now. However, when you grow up, gain sufficient strength and judgment, and are still willing to become my follower, I will absolutely accept you and take you under my wing.”

Alice was not pleased to receive such a promise.

“Are you asking me to wait until I’m seventeen? I don’t have parents to rely on, and I don’t have friends to guide me. There’s a good chance I’ll die before then.”

The God of Doom chuckled, “I won’t let you die. You cannot be considered a follower of mine today, but you are a child who calls to me in the dream world, and you are beloved by me. I cannot give you a blessing, but I can give you a revelation. Now, close your eyes.”

She closed her eyes, and the image of an odd middle-aged man with a long scar on his face and a sharp, somewhat coarse gaze appeared before her.

“This man is known as Immortal Rom and is a mercenary. He embodies all the coincidences between the Human Realm and Chaotic Heaven. He doesn’t believe in the gods, yet he’s luckier than any believer. Remember his appearance, and within a year and a half, your paths will definitely cross. If you can find a way to be on the same path as him, you will always be in harmony. In short, seize this opportunity and do not let it pass you by.”

As the God of Doom spoke, information about Immortal Rom flooded Alice’s mind. She tried to remember his face and the other details.

After absorbing all the information, she opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by silence.

He was no longer there.

…

A/N:

After much consideration, I decided to use the unusual “He” to refer to the God of the Future. Currently, the God of the Future is in chaos, and there is no distinction between men and women. Calling him “He” would not reflect the inhuman characteristics of the God of the Future. Using “it” would be disrespectful. For the time being, I will use “He” to refer to the God of the Future, and it will not be too late to use “He” once he clearly shows his form.