章 22: The answer is not clear
This was truly the last hope Kaito was left with and it left an ironic taste inside his mouth. In essence, this was a place that was not under his rule at all during his past life - perhaps, the only exception to his cruelty in his past life.
The temple was built as a sign of respect to the ancestral gods, the dragon and the phoenix which shared their powers with every living creature. As such, the head priest held almost the same authority in the eyes of people.
It was an enigma to everyone, a place that accepted everyone and yet no one knew what secrets it actually held.
Kaito avoided it on purpose, Jess's own dislike for this place rubbing off on him but Noah had liked it enough to be asked to assign here after he had been freed.
While he still served in the royal palace, Kaito was sure that his loyalty to this place had been bigger than to the one he had with the crown. Maybe that's why he became a guardian deity after Kaito's death.
The temple rested on top of a hilltop, the traditional practice dictating that the place of the gods be closest to heaven. The almost 5000 steps were a drag but his body had been trained to take part in the army.
This was not an impossible task to undergo for him. But even before he was to go inside, he knew that his wolf needed to be contained inside his mind. He could not allow the other's presence to be detected inside there for now.
And yet when he tried to look for his wolf, the other seemed to have disappeared from his mind. He could still feel the power and connection in its existing place but he could not feel the physical manifestation of his wolf anywhere.
It was weird but not an unknown feeling to him. His wolf did this from time to time and he had long ao accepted it.
His body had a light layer of sweat once he reached the top, his breath heavy and legs building up a small ache. But it all paled in comparison to the hope burning inside his chest because this was the last place he could think to find Noah.
The central courtyard the stars opened up to was a magnificent sight, even more so than the royal gardens - flowering trees covering the whole scape, filling it with a sweet smell and variety of colours.
The place was clean and gave off a majestic feeling. It presented an impactful image, even for someone like Kaito who had seen modern architectural masterpieces.
There was almost something 'divine' about this place.
"Your majesty?" a priest asked, his voice surprised. After all, it was common knowledge that the prince was not too fond of the temple and this side of things. Of course, his presence here would raise a lot of questions for the people around here.
"C-Call the head priest. I need to discuss things with him" Kaito caught his breath, his words full of confidence and authority.
He was no longer used to this authority and position. He knew he was slipping and yet he was not able to maintain it all the time. The sixteen years of the future were messing up his rhythm but thankfully he had people to remind him every two seconds.
The empty courtyard was an almost blessing, no one would witness his awkwardness.
"I'll inform master Ryu that his highness is here. Please make your way inside the side shrine" Kaito was directed toward the main residential shrine in the place, his posture still in place.
He could not smell the other priest, his smell masked over by something. Perhaps the very same thing that everyone else except the head priest used. The very thing that Noah had likely used too.
The room he had been directed to faced the garden and he waited for the head priest to arrive.
"Your majesty, it's surely a pleasure to see you here but not a surprise. The new oracle did predict that you would be here today" the head priest was a young man with light blonde hair and almost green eyes - the mark of the gods.
Every head priest had these distinct features - a gift of the gods, as it was said. There was a time when Kaito had believed this nonsense, but now he knew that the other must just have foreign blood mixed into his veins.
There was a whole other side of this world filled with such colouring after all.
"Enough chit chat already, I'm here to ask you some questions. Get your oracle here now" the king was not in a fun mood, he did not want the other to delay at all.
Yet all the other did was pass him a small laugh.
"I'm afraid that the previous oracle has died and the new one is still in training for now. Perhaps it would be better if your highness comes back another day?" The words were spoken so lightly but they had a heavy impact.
Oracle was a heavenly position in the kingdom, very powerful and sought after and always covered by the nobility. It would be a mess if people knew that the oracle was dead, not that Kaito cared much.
It was the temple's headache now.
"Bring the one in training to me then. Which family is he from?" Kaito asked, his disinterest showing in his voice. Ryu gave off a gentle smile but his closed expression had a certain darkness to it.
"I don't know the exact relation of this person, but Dawn family was kind enough to supply us with an exceptional replacement" that caught Kaito's attention. Jess's family was shady, that much he knew but they had never been too interested in this side.
From Jess's own words, they wanted to build up the support in his court, not the temple. So, why this gift and why now? Maybe from a branch family?
"Master Ryu, your majesty, the oracle is here" a voice announced from outside and Kaito almost jumped in surprise. He had not seen the other call for the oracle at all and yet the other had arrived.
"Don't be startled, your majesty. Didn't I tell you that our current oracle is exceptional? He likely saw your summons way before you arrived and is here to greet you" another gentle smile his way. "Send him inside"
The door opened slowly, and the one who entered was almost a child. The first thing Kaito noticed was that the other had no smell to them. Even their gender was not distinctive enough to become clear.
The white hairs had blue highlights in-between and the clothes were an amalgamation of white and blue - the very colours believed to be of the phoenix god, a contrast to the black, white and red of the dragon god.
But that was not even the most eye-catching thing overall. The fox mask with the almost armour robes of the others was the most eye-catching thing Kaito could see. One side was covered in the shoulder armour while a wide sleeve hid the white overall the other had.
And then the almost teen bowed, breaking the spell.
"His highness is here for your skills. See that you can help him with his troubles" Ryu added from his side and for a second Kaito had forgotten that the other was there at all, his senses too focused on the one in front of him.
Had he seen such a figure in his past life? He could not remember at all, but maybe he had seen them in passing. The child nodded at the head priest and then turned toward him.
Kaito took that as his cue to ask his question, his senses focusing on how to word out his question appropriately.
"I'm looking for someone - an omega fox with white hair and blue-green eyes" Ryu's eyes narrowed at his words but the oracle looked to be unmoved, his body relaxed and looking at him.
"A cursed fox? Why would his majesty be looking for such a fox in the first place? Isn't it better to hand this case over to the temple? If such a person does exist then we need to keep them in check here" Ryu's voice sounded almost accusing and Kaito knew why.
Anything that had to do with the dragon and the phoenix tales was their jurisdiction. Technically, Ryu was right but Kaito was not going to tell him that.
"It's something personal that you don't need to know about. I just ask you to look for such a person for me" Kaito's voice sounded firm and final which made the head priest back off.
This was an answer he would get at all cost
"You are trying to look for an answer you already know. You just need to realise it if you want to get back to those important to you. You don't have a lot of time left and the shadows are closing in faster than ever" the voice was muffled up by the mask and not clear.
But the meaning was clear sense to Kaito. That did not mean he actually knew what the other was trying to hint at exactly. It was all getting tangled up into a mess and he was not liking it at all.
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