As Albert contemplated his plan to obtain the item, he realized he needed a solid excuse to leave the mansion without raising his father's suspicion.
He couldn't simply reveal that his true destination was the Great Forest in the north.
After weighing the limited time he had before the main storyline began, he made a decision.
"I'll just be honest with my father," Albert muttered.
He knew he wasn't some genius strategist, so honesty seemed like the best approach.
Of course, pure honesty would probably get him rejected, so he decided to improvise a little.
Leaving his room, Albert asked a nearby servant for his father's whereabouts.
After receiving directions, he began walking toward the Count's study.
Along the way, he noticed many of the beautiful servants and guards glancing at him.
"Am I really that ugly…?" he muttered under his breath, quickening his pace as a wave of self-consciousness washed over him.
Eventually, he reached his father's door and knocked.
"Come in," came the reply.
Albert pushed the door open and found his father working at his desk.
A beautiful woman... presumably his assistant stood nearby holding a stack of documents.
"Father, I have a request," Albert said.
"Oh? Tell me, son."
Albert hesitated, glancing at the assistant.
His father noticed and waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't worry. She is my trusted aide."
The assistant looked moved by the affirmation.
Encouraged, Albert decided to speak.
"Father… I want to go to the Great Forest in the north."
Surprise flickered across the Count's face, but he remained willing to listen.
"I had a revelation while I was unconscious a few days ago," Albert continued carefully. "A voice… it seemed to tell me to head toward the Great Forest in the north."
"A voice?" His father frowned in confusion, then suddenly stiffened.
"Don't tell me you received an oracle from a god?!"
He stood up so abruptly that even his assistant's eyes widened in shock.
In this world, gods truly existed.
Receiving an oracle from them was exceptionally rare, and more often than not, such oracles brought great benefits.
Casually using the name of a god, however, could invite divine retribution.
But Albert knew that the gods currently lacked the power to enforce such consequences... something he had learned from the game but that was a problem for the future.
Right now, he was still powerless.
"It has been three hundred years since anyone last received an oracle," his father said, worry clear in his voice.
He turned sharply to his assistant. "Do not let anyone else know about this. Understood?"
"I will not, my lord," she replied quickly.
Only then did the Count let out a sigh of relief.
He turned back to Albert and sternly emphasized that he, too, must not speak of this to anyone.
Curious about the strong reaction, Albert asked, "What's wrong, Father?"
A complicated mix of emotions crossed the Count's face before he finally explained.
"You may not know this, Albert, but the Holy Church is currently in chaos. They are searching everywhere for those who claim to have received oracles."
"Eh? Why?"
Albert knew far more about how to woo a Valkyrie than he did about the world's lore.
At most, he only remembered the main plot, which wouldn't begin until later… and even those main storylines never really revealed much about the background of the Holy Church.
"I'm not entirely sure. There was a case of an impostor who claimed to have received a divine oracle. When the news reached the Holy Church…"
"...What happened to him?"
"They hanged him after discovering the lie."
"..."
Albert fell silent.
If he were exposed as a fraud, he would likely face the same fate.
Still, one question remained.
"But if my oracle is true… why shouldn't we want the Church to know?"
His father hesitated for a moment.
"Call it this old man's intuition. It is best not to get involved with the Holy Church right now."
Intuition?
Albert suddenly recalled something.
Even though the original Albert was little more than a weak, poorly behaved mob villain in the game, he had still managed to remain in the prestigious academy despite his terrible potential.
It seemed his father possessed considerable political acumen after all.
"That is why," the Count continued, "I can arrange an escort for you and announce that you are leaving to practice hunting and riding skills."
"Alright, Father." Albert nodded, feeling satisfied.
Having an escort was far better than venturing into a dangerous forest alone.
"When do you plan to leave?"
"As soon as possible."
The Count considered this for a moment, then declared, "Very well. You shall leave tomorrow."
Albert was slightly surprised by how quickly his father agreed.
It seemed the man was even more eager than he was.
"Rest for today, Albert. I will call for you tomorrow when your escort is ready."
Albert stood up, expressed his gratitude once more, and returned to his room, a quiet sense of anticipation already building in his chest.