Riena’s Side (2) “Divine Oracle” (1)
“Mother, what’s this urgent matter you needed to discuss? If it’s about the arranged marriage, I’m pretty sure I already turned it down—firmly.”
Summoned by her mother, the High Priestess of the Order of the Goddess Athena, Riena entered the office at temple headquarters and spoke with a weary sigh.
“But it’s such a promising match, dear. The young lord comes from an old noble house descended from royal blood, and he’s been raised with impeccable manners and refinement.”
“Sorry, but I don’t find noble lineage—or any of that—remotely appealing.”
“He’s not just of noble birth—he’s also made a name for himself with unmatched swordsmanship, and was appointed to the Royal Guard while still in his youth. I hear his cheerful smile has quite the fanbase among the younger women.”
“Unmatched swordsmanship… except, of course, ‘not including the Hero,’ right? Well, unless he’s as strong, kind, and cool as the Hero—or stronger—I’m not marrying him.”
“Can we at least let go of the ‘strong’ part? I mean, really now—there’s simply no one in this world stronger than Shuhei Oda-sama, the Hero who defeated Demon King Kanan and saved us all. Isn’t that why you went digging through ancient texts and performed a Hero Summoning from another world?”
“Ugh, don’t tell me that’s why you called me here again. I’ve got plenty on my plate, you know. Can I go now?”
As one of the Order’s high-ranking priestesses, Riena had remained tirelessly busy even after the Demon King’s defeat.
To be summoned so abruptly, only to be pestered again about a marriage she’d already rejected—it was more than she could bear.
With a face full of exasperation, Riena turned toward her mother.
“Very well. Let’s get to the real reason I called you. What I’m about to say is of utmost importance—so listen carefully.”
“All right, I’m listening.”
When her mother’s expression turned grave, Riena instinctively straightened her posture in response.
In that moment, they were no longer mother and daughter—no longer a mother anxious about her daughter’s future and a daughter dreaming of her ideal partner.
They now stood as priestess and high priestess—two servants of the Goddess Athena, facing each other in solemn duty.
“Just now, I received a Divine Oracle from the Goddess Athena. It reveals that the soul of Demon King Kanan—though believed destroyed—still persists. It is attempting to cross into Shuhei Oda-sama’s world, the Hero’s original realm, and resurrect itself there.”
“A Divine Oracle…? You actually received one!?”
“Yes, I did.”
A Divine Oracle, as the name suggests, is a revelation above all other oracles—sacred words from the Goddess Athena herself, delivered only in moments of grave significance.
Even for Riena, widely hailed as a prodigy among high priestesses, receiving such a revelation was almost unheard of.
That her aging mother had been granted one now was proof that she still carried the weight and wisdom befitting a High Priestess.
“But… for the Demon King’s soul to have survived… That’s impossible. I saw it with my own eyes—I watched him vanish.”
Even in the face of something as sacred as a Divine Oracle, Riena couldn’t accept it so easily—not when she had witnessed Kanan’s annihilation with her very own eyes.
She had stood beside the Hero and fought Kanan in the final battle, striking down the Demon King after a brutal and desperate struggle.
So no matter how divine the revelation, it wasn’t something she could simply accept with a nod and a quiet “I see.”