Surviving without God

— Ellen Beyra, the First Secretary of the Society. She was a contractor of a god who governs time... and she predicted all of this.

— ...Ellen Beyra.

Gunther involuntarily repeated the name. From the strange intonation and tone alone, the old man immediately realized that he had heard it before. A sharp, almost beastlike gaze dug into Gunther.

— You know her name.

— I read her works in the library.

— ...In the library?

For a moment, dissatisfaction flashed across the old man’s face, as if he had just heard something utterly absurd from his interlocutor. However, Gunther, lost in his thoughts, did not display his usual perceptiveness this time. Instead, he hurried to ask the next question — the one that had been troubling him ever since he learned of the existence of “Return After Death.”

— As far as I know, a deity that governs time does not exist... Was she truly a contractor of such an entity?

— That’s what she claimed. And we are not fools. We were not so naïve as to blindly believe in abilities that cannot be verified.

— ...Verified?

— The Tablets are real. And by looking into them, she read our past and our future.

Gunther’s heart began to beat faster. The Tablets the old man mentioned — records in which the past and future are inscribed. The One-Eyed King had once mentioned them as well — the Outer God who oversees the “Night Raven.”

“He said I do not exist in the Tablets...”

Only an idiot would fail to realize that at this very moment he had stumbled upon an important piece of the puzzle — one that could reveal the secret of his own existence. Gunther, who rarely lost his composure, hurriedly asked:

— Then where is she now—

The old man’s brows drew slightly together.

— Didn’t we agree to exchange questions one at a time?

— ......

Gunther inhaled regretfully and once again restored calm to his gaze.

— ...My apologies.

He realized he had grown far too agitated. There was no point showing impatience in front of a potential ally. Gunther regained his composure and spoke again.

— Though I must say, I did not expect that you, honored sir, would also have questions for me.

— Naturally.

As already mentioned, the old man was not fond of long introductions either. He immediately pulled out the largest question that had been swarming in his mind.

— You... why did you approach us? In this situation, there is far more loss than gain for you.

Having returned to his homeland after thirty years, the old man had found nothing but the ruins of the Society. The promised day had arrived, yet the members had not gathered. Only three or four people remained — the Society had become far too weak to plan anything. Worst of all, even in such a state, Luthien still kept watch over them.

The old man could not understand why anyone would risk themselves to make contact with people who had become completely useless.

— Answer me. What are your true intentions?

Meanwhile, from that short question alone, Gunther had already drawn several conclusions.

First:

“This man knows about the existence of ‘Night Raven.’”

The “Society of Forgotten Books” had once operated in the Border City, until thirty years ago when Luthien eradicated it. At that time, “Night Raven” had only just begun to grow from a small group of conspirators, so it was hardly strange that the two organizations had known of each other.

And second:

The old man mistakenly believed that Gunther had approached them not on his own behalf, but on behalf of an organization.

Gunther considered his answer. Should he present a lie, or the truth?

His deliberation did not last long.

— The fact that I approached you, honored sir, is entirely my own decision.

— ...?

— I want cooperation, but this is not a decision made by the organization as a whole.

Ding!

[Development: Significant changes are occurring within “In the Shadow of Oblivion”]

The old man tilted his head in confusion, though disappointment flickered across his features.

— ...So, acting on your own.

Gunther did not miss that fleeting reaction.

— Yes. The organization has nothing to do with this. I contacted you for my own personal goals.

And that was the truth. Gunther had not even reported the existence of the “Society of Forgotten Books” to his superiors yet. Therefore, it was impossible to say with certainty how the leadership would react. However, considering the circumstances, the reaction would most likely be lukewarm. At the moment, “Night Raven” had thrown all of its strength into a “special operation,” and they had no reason to introduce a new variable into the equation in the form of a decayed group.

“For cooperation on the organizational level, the time has not yet come. Besides, I myself still know almost nothing.”

But beyond that, over the past few months Gunther had personally experienced that events were unfolding differently from the official history, and his conviction had only grown stronger.

— My conclusion is this.

— ......

— The current gods are not enough. If the old gods do not regain their power, we will inevitably lose to Luthien. Therefore I will find them and force them to rise again... and on that path I need the help of the Society.

[Three gods are deeply moved by your declaration]

[The Ruler of the Oceans cynically smirks at your ambition... but it seems she secretly likes it?]

[The Sniper with the Double Claw watches you closely]

After hearing this, the old man suddenly let out a quiet sigh. A heavy, weary sigh that did not match his rough, beastlike appearance at all.

— ...You believe in the potential of the old gods. Why?

— Because I have experienced the power of the Ruler of the Oceans.

— She...

The old man swallowed the rest of his words, unwilling to disappoint Gunther.

“She is an exceptional case. One of the rare old gods who managed to preserve at least a fragment of her rank.”

That was probably why Ellen Beyra had wanted to pass down the sacred relic of the Ruler of the Oceans to future generations. But most of the other old gods were now inferior even to minor spirits. It was no coincidence that thirty years ago no one except the members of the Society had placed their hopes on the forgotten gods.

...For that very reason, the old man felt a faint sympathy toward the young man standing before him. His clear hostility toward Luthien, his competence, his decisiveness, and the conviction with which he spoke about the potential of the old gods. He possessed everything the current “Society of Forgotten Books” had lost. A bitter smile appeared on the old man’s lips.

“If only we had met earlier.”

If they had begun cooperating while the Society was still strong, perhaps a new wind might have blown. But now they were incapable of either finding the old gods or performing the ritual to restore them. After all, even he himself could not provide the “Sniper with the Double Claw” with sufficient power. In the end, he merely uttered a short phrase.

— ...You have chosen a thorny path.

— If you know the method, it may turn out to be smooth.

For a moment, fleeting confusion appeared in the old man’s eyes.

— A method?

Even through his resignation, Gunther’s single sentence had awakened curiosity within him. Gunther took a sip of tea.

— Now it is my turn, is it not?

— ...Ask. I will answer.

— Ellen Beyra. The one who contracted with a god of time, founded the Society, and read the future and the past.

Gunther’s question had been inevitable.

— Where is she now?

For a moment, the old man’s gaze clouded, drifting into the distant past. With an expression ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) as though he were groping for something in the darkness of memory, he spoke in a low voice.

— She...

***

After the brief conversation, the old man rose from his seat.

— It seems this is not a question I can decide alone. I will contact you after discussing it with the remaining members of the Society.

Ding!

[Branching: “The Veil of Oblivion, in Pursuit of Forgotten Names” has been updated]

— Your proposal will be delivered to the remaining members of the “Society of Forgotten Books”.

— Await their response.

Gunther gave a slight nod. He still had many questions left, but he understood that pressing the old man now would not be wise.

— In that case, how will you inform me?

— ...Through this fellow. The Luthien dogs are unlikely to track him.

Nine, his face swollen, looked at Gunther and gave a short bow. In the blink of an eye, both of them disappeared behind the curtain of falling snow. Only Gunther and Brody remained in the reception room. Gunther replayed part of their astonishing conversation in his mind.

“...She disappeared.”

They said Ellen Beyra had vanished without a trace about thirty years ago.

“The Tablets are shattered... scattered into pieces,” those ambiguous words had been her final message. At that moment, even more questions arose in Gunther’s mind.

What exactly were these Tablets? Did they possess a physical form? Why were they shattered? And why — and most importantly, where — had Ellen Beyra disappeared? Judging by the old man’s tone, he already considered her dead.

— Most likely the work of a Theocracy purge squad.

He said she loved the Society too much to fail to appear before it completely collapsed, if she were still alive. Of course, Gunther knew very well that Luthien possessed incredibly skilled assassination squads. They appeared in the main storyline as well. Could it be that Ellen Beyra truly fell to their blades?

— Fuuuh.

Gunther let out a heavy sigh.

...At the moment, something more important than these unanswerable questions demanded his attention. His gaze shifted toward Brody, who sat beside him.

He had deliberately conducted the entire conversation in her presence, because he believed Brody needed to clearly understand what was happening around her. Even though the conversation had been fragmented... perceptive as she was, Brody had surely pieced together the overall picture.

She had learned that the partner she chose was a madman who spoke of overthrowing Luthien — the strongest power in this world... and realized just how dangerous a matter she had involved herself in.

— ......

Brody had indeed sunk into thought, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger. Her young freckled face appeared and disappeared behind her hair. From her expression alone, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“This is my fault.”

...He had been careless and far too reckless.

When he first drew Brody into his affairs, he had not thought deeply about it. She was simply a valuable asset — someone with wide connections and the keen perception typical of merchants. He had merely been glad to acquire a useful contact who could provide high-quality information.

“It was obvious this would become dangerous.”

Yes, it had been the behavior of a gamer rushing forward purely for the sake of “clearing the game.” One of those moments when he had unconsciously simplified reality into something like a game. But from now on he must not allow such mistakes again.

“If she says she wants out...”

He had no intention of holding her back. That was only natural. On the contrary, he intended to continue watching over her and ensuring her safety until everything was certain. And he would compensate any financial losses several times over.

At that moment, Brody met his gaze.

— Hmm, the information we heard was simply fantastic.

Plop, plop.

With those words, she filled Gunther’s empty glass.

— Want me to guess what you’re thinking about?

— Since when can you read minds?

— You feel guilty toward me, don’t you?

A person who is struck right on the mark usually falls silent. The same happened to Gunther. Brody laughed carelessly and added in a tone as if she were discussing breakfast:

— Gunther, why do you think that out of all the kinds of business I could have chosen, I picked information trading?

An unexpected question. Suddenly Gunther recalled a conversation with Ryan the day before the initiation ceremony. Back then, everything had also started with ordinary words.

— I don’t know. Why?

So Gunther chose simply to listen, without rushing to interrupt.

— When I was little, no matter how many questions I asked, nobody ever told me anything.

— About what?

— About everything.

With a faint smile, Brody continued.

— Why were there screams and pleas coming from the neighbor’s house yesterday? Why did I never see my friend Maggie again from the next day onward? Why did my mother and father die? Why is there a shining, pristine city spread above our heads while we live on a pile of garbage? Why is this city built the way it is? Things like that. No one answered me, so in the end I had to sniff everything out myself. That’s how I decided on my profession.

— I see.

— Well, looking back, it’s not like anyone would politely explain anything to a skinny, ugly kid who stuck her nose everywhere.

— You were ugly?

Brody burst into laughter.

— Is that really important?

— ...Well, Eddie’s blood runs in your veins, so it’s not surprising. But you clearly made up for it during adolescence.

— Oh-ho, Gunther. Are you saying I’m beautiful?

After laughing for a while, Brody soon calmed down and continued.

— I want to know. I want to know a great many things. My goal of reaching the Upper City comes from the same place. When you look from above, you can see much more. In that sense, Gunther, you serve me perfectly as a ladder. So you really have nothing to apologize for.

That was why, even now, when her life was threatened and the foundations of her business were shaking, she did not fall into despair. The very process of watching the layers of the world’s secrets being peeled away one after another was simply fascinating to her. That was what she meant.

“...A dream.”

To be honest, such motivation was difficult for Gunther to understand. The only dream he had ever possessed in his life was returning home. Nevertheless, Brody’s words lightened the weight pressing down on his heart, if only slightly. Because he too wanted to be someone who brought benefit to an ally — not problems and danger.

— ...I will raise you to the very top. That I promise.

— Hmm, that’s enough.

Good. Brody’s matter was settled. Now it was time to deal with other problems. Gunther sighed and turned his head toward the entrance of the building, from where heavy footsteps could be heard. Among the fighters of the support squad that had arrived for the cleanup, several familiar faces appeared, rushing forward while breathing heavily.

— Hello! We were told some bastard was hanging around here, so we rushed over!!!