The courtyard, as well as my overly spacious room, was undoubtedly lavish. The luxury I was being afforded was far beyond anything I could ever experience living on my own.
Yet, none of it made me happy.
There was no peace here, no freedom like the kind I used to take for granted. All that remained was an increasingly dire situation and my exhausted body.
I knew it—I was losing my composure.
Knowing a name that could be my breakthrough only made me more impatient.
Ironically, it felt like it had been easier to endure when I was completely ignorant. Even so, I couldn’t stop myself from calling out that name.
“Come to me soon, Isaac.”
Once again, silver light rose into the air. Following it with my eyes, I watched it disappear into the distance.
A sharp pain stabbed my temple.
Perhaps I was overusing my blessings.
Even though I’d been pouring so many blessings toward the Sky General, the rituals orchestrated by the snake-man still left me far more drained. That was probably because of my own feelings.
Never once had I sincerely blessed the many old men brought before me.
Honestly, anyone who could earnestly bless bad people while being held captive must have a mind as vast as a field of flowers.
“Well, well, Oracle. Have you been using your divine power?”
I had half a mind to snap back, What’s it to you?
Though curious how he might react, I chose instead to slowly shift my gaze toward him.
It was rare for the snake-man to return without the person I had just blessed.
What did he want? His unexpected visits made it impossible to relax. Though, I could always manage.
Something about the residual energy of blessings lingering after use—that’s what some mossy-bearded old man had been fussing over a while back.
Feigning calm, I nodded slightly, and the snake-man narrowed his eyes at me.
“What did you bless?”
“…That.”
I pointed to a large, vividly blooming flower nearby.
It was a “Sol,” a flower I recognized from a book. Its showy golden petals were edged in white, resembling a Casablanca lily. It was apparently this country’s national flower.
While blessing the Sky General, I had also blessed the flower for camouflage—a small effort to avoid trouble.
“My, my. A Sol blooming this beautifully is surely unparalleled in any garden but this one. Truly magnificent, Oracle.”
Apparently, my powers could affect all living things. The snake-man had been the one to test this theory, though his transparent intent to exploit me as much as possible was thoroughly unimpressive.
“I noticed your blessings were cast outward as well. Was it all to make the Sol flower bloom?”
“Yes. I heard the national flower is planted in many places.”
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