CH 4. Holy Church

As Albert contemplated his plan to obtain the item, he realized he would need an excuse to leave the mansion without raising suspicion from his father. He knew he couldn't reveal his true destination, the Great Forest in the north. After considering the limited time he had before the main storyline started, he made a decision.

"I'll just be honest with my father," Albert determined.

Acknowledging that he wasn't a genius strategist, he believed honesty would be the best approach. However, he knew his father would likely disagree, so he decided to improvise his honesty a bit.

Albert left his room and inquired about his father's whereabouts from a nearby servant. After receiving directions, he began making his way to his father's room. Along the walk, he noticed the many beautiful servants and guards who kept glancing his way.

"Am I really that ugly?" Albert muttered to himself, quickening his pace while feeling self-conscious about his appearance.

Finally, he reached his father's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," his father's voice called out.

Opening the door, Albert saw his father working at his desk, while a beautiful servant—presumably his assistant—stood nearby holding some documents.

"Father, I have a request," Albert spoke up.

"Oh? Tell me, son," his father replied, curious about the request.

Albert hesitated, glancing at his father's assistant. His father noticed his gaze and reassured him, "Don't worry, she is my trusted aide." The assistant seemed moved by the affirmation.

Encouraged by his father's confidence, Albert decided to reveal his request.

"Father, I want to go to the Great Forest in the north."

His father appeared surprised by the request but remained willing to listen.

"I had a revelation, Father. During my unconsciousness a few days ago, a voice seemed to tell me to head toward the Great Forest in the north."

"A voice?" his father seemed slightly confused but then realized something. "Don't tell me you received an oracle from a god?!" His father stood up abruptly and exclaimed, surprising even his assistant, whose eyes widened.

In this world, gods indeed existed, and receiving an oracle from them was exceptionally rare. Most of the time, such oracles brought benefits to those who received them. However, casually using the gods' names could result in divine retribution, but Albert knew that currently, the gods were unable to enforce such consequences. He also knew the reason for this from playing the game, but that was a concern for the future, considering his current powerless state.

"It has been three hundred years since anyone received an oracle from a god," his father said, worry evident on his face. He turned to his assistant and urgently instructed her, "Don't let anyone else know about this, understood?"

His father's assistant nodded quickly and replied, "I will not, my lord."

His father let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to Albert. He emphasized that Albert should not disclose this news to anyone else either.

Curious about his father's alarmed reaction, Albert asked, "What's wrong, father?"

His father's face displayed a mix of conflicting emotions and happiness as he finally explained the reason.

"You may not know this, Albert, but the Holy Church is currently in chaos. They are searching everywhere for those who have received oracles."

"Why are they doing that?" Albert inquired.

"I'm not entirely sure, but there was a case of an imposter claiming to have received an oracle from a god, and the news reached the Holy Church."

"What happened to that imposter?" Albert asked.

"The Holy Church hanged him after discovering he was lying."

Albert fell silent, realizing that if he were to falsely claim an oracle, he would likely face a similar fate. However, one question remained, so he asked his father, "But if my oracle is true, why shouldn't we want the church to know?"

His father seemed hesitant but responded, "You can say it's this old man's intuition not to get involved with the Holy Church at the moment."

Intuition? Albert suddenly recalled that even though his character in the game seemed like a weak mob villain, he managed to stay in the prestigious academy despite his bad behavior and weak potential. It appeared that his father had considerable political acumen.

"That's why, Albert, I can arrange for you to have an escort and make it known that you're going to practice hunting and riding skills," his father proposed.

"Alright, father," Albert agreed, thanking his father and feeling satisfied with the outcome. Having an escort would be better than venturing into the dangerous forest alone.

"When do you plan to leave?" his father asked.

"As soon as possible," Albert replied. His father seemed to contemplate something and then declared, "Alright, you shall leave tomorrow."

Albert was surprised by the quick departure date, realizing that his father was even more eager than he was.

"You can rest for today, Albert. I will call for you tomorrow when your escort is ready," his father informed him.

Albert stood up, expressing his gratitude once again, and left for his room, feeling a sense of anticipation for the journey ahead.