Charlot was startled and asked, “Respected Priest, could you have mistaken me for someone else?”
The young priest smiled and said, “The one who possesses the Whisper of Fate is bound to the Serpent of Fate. How could I mistake you?”
“Besides, even if I made an error, the High Priest would not.”
Charlot was slightly surprised and asked, “The Whisper of Fate?”
The young priest nodded and said, “It’s the golden serpent ring you carry.”
Charlot then realized that the ring, reshaped by the Serpent of Fate, was named—the Whisper of Fate!
Annie, who had already opened her eyes, was also curious. She said, “Let’s go meet the High Priest.”
Charlot agreed, holding Annie’s hand as they followed the young priest to a secluded area. There were no buildings here, only a small forest where a tall, elderly priest stood. He resembled a towering tree, reaching into the heavens.
Feeling a sense of warmth, Charlot performed an imperial salute and asked, “What guidance does the High Priest have for summoning me?”
The High Priest smiled faintly and first addressed Annie, “You often visited with your father as a child. How time flies—you’ve grown so much.”
Annie, recalling how she often accompanied Earl Bretagne as a child, hastily performed a routine greeting. She explained, “This is Tromso, the High Priest, and a friend of my father. This is Charlot Mecklenburg…”
High Priest Tromso smiled slightly and said, “There’s no need to introduce Mr. Mecklenburg.”
“He is the bearer of the Whisper of Fate, a divine recipient of the Serpent of Fate.”
“I invited Mr. Mecklenburg here in the hopes that you would join the temple. Divine recipients are not like God Pact Holders; you don’t need to follow the rules or work in the temple. You retain complete freedom.”
Charlot was mildly surprised. “I can join the temple?”
Typically, only God Pact Holders could serve as clergy, though it was not mandatory for them to do so. Conversely, those without a God Pact could not join the temple. Furthermore, God Pact Holders of other deities could not join temples they didn’t worship.
The High Priest said softly, “Of course. The gods are always especially kind to those they favor.”
Annie was equally surprised and asked, “What is the Whisper of Fate?”
Charlot, who rarely wore ornaments, retrieved the golden serpent ring from his pocket and curiously asked, “I’ve never displayed this. How did you know I possessed it?”
The High Priest pointed a finger at Charlot. Immediately, his entire body was enveloped in a pure light that disappeared as quickly as it appeared. The High Priest explained, “To the faithful servants of the gods, the divine glow of a recipient is as conspicuous as a torch in the night. Moreover…”
The High Priest smiled slightly. “I can glimpse fragments of fate.”
Charlot suddenly understood. “You can divine the future?”
The High Priest chuckled. “Though I cannot calculate fate, you could say that.”
In this world, there were very few extraordinary individuals specializing in prophecy. Charlot had only ever encountered one, and he had casually eliminated them. Even among the priests of the Serpent of Fate, not everyone could touch the threads of destiny. Tromso was clearly an exception.
He instructed the young priest, “Give Mr. Mecklenburg the clerical documents, robes, and the Serpent of Fate’s divine oracle.”
The young priest had prepared in advance and handed Charlot a set of documents, a priestly robe, and a thick scroll.
The High Priest said, “From today forward, you are an official priest of the Temple of the Serpent of Fate.”
“No matter where you go on the New or Old Continents, if there is a temple of the Serpent of Fate, you can receive assistance.”
“In places without a temple, you have the authority and the duty to establish new ones and spread the divine radiance of the Serpent of Fate.”
Charlot felt as if he were dreaming as he accepted the items. Upon seeing the thick scroll, he couldn’t help but mutter, “This is the divine oracle?”
“Why is it so long?”
“Is the Serpent of Fate always this verbose?”
He quickly extinguished this irreverent thought. To criticize one of the Nine True Gods—especially the one most attuned to the workings of the heart—within their own temple was courting death.
The High Priest smiled and said, “You also have the privilege of learning the arts of fate in the temple. Though your extraordinary path is unrelated to destiny, under the Serpent of Fate’s favor, you will find learning these arts exceptionally easy.”
Charlot nodded. Whether or not to learn the arts of fate could be decided later.
After exchanging a few more words with the High Priest and confirming there were no additional matters, Charlot and Annie left the temple together.
Charlot didn’t glance at Yan Melianne and directly boarded the carriage with Annie.
Inside, Charlot handed the documents and robe to Annie and said, “Please take care of these for me.”
Annie was overjoyed and replied, “I’ll keep them safe!”
This was the first set of official documents Charlot had ever entrusted to her. To Annie, they held profound meaning.
Charlot, meanwhile, found the items cumbersome. After passing them to Annie, he opened the “divine oracle.” After a single glance, his expression changed drastically, and he whispered in shock, “How could it be so outrageous?”
Realizing he had misspoken, he hurriedly covered his mouth, but his face still bore a look of utter disbelief.
Annie, intrigued, asked, “What’s wrong with the oracle?”
Charlot handed the thick scroll to Annie. After a quick look, she also gasped but then smiled with excitement. “Charlot, this would make fantastic material for a new novel!”
“Are you sure you don’t want to start a new book?”
Charlot’s expression shifted dramatically. “As an author, finishing every story completely and wholeheartedly is our greatest duty. I still have several unfinished novels. How could I possibly start a new one? That would be irresponsible to my readers.”
Taking back the thick oracle, Charlot was now certain: the Serpent of Fate was a proper trickster god. This “divine oracle” was simply a way to stir up more chaos for entertainment.
The oracle consisted of 128 distinct instructions, all detailed and precise, with no signs of padding.
A True God offering guidance on how to amuse themself…
This god…
Was incredibly serious about it!