Chapter 254: Equals, not followers

A statue that was apparently styled after the late Goddess of Water and Learning, a god from the Primordial Era, did actually exist in the City of Knowledge. In Litera or, depending on who one asked, the Vacuos County, a small following dedicated to her ideals of lifelong learning and other intellectual philosophies existed.

"You'd expect to see more devotees here, though," Lily muttered. "Bummer."

"What's gotten you so down?" Claud asked. "Did you want to find them for something?"

"Well, it'll be nice to talk to believers in a long-dead god," Lily replied, looking around the place. Three old people sat around the statue, with two of them playing Moon Phase and one of them spectating the game. Claud didn't feel inclined to disrupt the serious business of Moon Phase by talking to them, so the two of them simply spectated for a bit, and then moved on to examine the statue itself.

"Hmm." Claud frowned and looked at the statue, which was wearing a long, flowy robe. "I'm not sure of a few things. For instance, how do we know that this status actually depicts the Goddess of Learning? I mean, there really isn't any authority that can tell us that for sure, right?"

"Wait, that's your main point? I thought you were going to comment on how impractical her clothes are or something. I mean, they look really flappy to me. If she needs to run through a forest, they probably get caught on something, right?"

"For one, we're talking about gods here," Claud replied. "And besides, there's a reason why she was killed in the Second Godsfall, right?"

"Eh? She died from being caught in a forest?"

"I love it when you take me literally, but no. I'm not sure how she died, but something bothersome probably dragged her down and contributed to her actual death," Claud replied, his voice lowered. "That era's Bearers probably trapped her in something and killed her."

"…You sound very certain."

"I was talking outta my ass, so buy it with a pinch of salt or something," Claud replied. "Anyway, it's a bit hard to accept that this random statue depicts a god, especially since there really isn't much in the way of verification. For all we know, this woman might just be a person who wanted her visage sculpted years ago, and then fell into ruin with the rest of her family."

"That's awfully specific." Lily chuckled. "Well, I suppose we'll never be able to tell for certain. In fact, texts about the Six Gods of Virtue don't really exist either, and I'm told that those that do…are problematic. Half of them are forgeries, the other half are works that take the Six Gods' teachings and reinterpret them through their own knowledge."

"What's the result?"

"Oh, statements that depict the Six Gods of Virtue as gods that championed things like slavery, for instance," said Lily. "But anyone with some modicum of education knows that the current anti-slavery policies are simply a continuation of the Six Gods' own anti-slavery slant."

"That…I didn't know." Claud rubbed his nose. "Modicum of higher education, I guess?"

"Y-yeah." Lily shuffled her feet. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."

"I know. And besides, you're right. I don't have the benefit of higher education. Maybe that's why I like reading," Claud replied. "Well, you're going to guide me around, okay?"

"Leave it to me!"

The two of them examined the statue from head to toe once more, but neither of them could reach a verdict on whether this statue actually depicted the real deal or not. After around ten minutes, they gave up, and were on the verge of leaving when the old woman spectating the match of Moon Phase ambled over and cleared her throat.

"Younglings."

The two of them jumped, and Claud exchanged glances with Lily. After around a second of blinks and winks, the two of them turned back to the old woman, having worked out a game plan.

"Ma'am." Claud nodded his head politely. "How may I help you?"

"Oh, dearie. You're quite the polite one!" The old woman chuckled. "No, no. I just overheard your conversation about the Goddess of Learning. Your mindset is something she would love, yes."

"My mindset?" Claud pointed at himself. "Who, me?"

"Yes, you, dearie." The old woman shuffled over to the statue. "She wanted mortals and gods alike to doubt everything. Their senses, their world, their beliefs, their knowledge. To doubt is to live. That is what she believed."

"To doubt is to live." Claud repeated that statement with a slow, mechanical precision. "I'll…keep that in mind. Pardon me, though. It sounds like a really exhausting way to live."

Lily's burning gaze fell on him, but there was a difference between his way of living and the lifestyle that this woman claimed to be the Goddess of Learning's doctrine.

…He was already doing it, apparently.

At any rate, his attention span and energy had limits. Claud knew that he would be sapped of energy if he started questioning anything and everything, so unless he had absolutely nothing to do — which sounded like what a god might experience after a while — doubting literally existence itself was an exercise best saved for a nice sunny afternoon with nothing on the mind.

"Very well," said the old lady. "Now, were you looking for scholars?"

Lily nudged Claud gently, and he nodded. "Yeah. People versed in ancient legends and things like that. Ma'am, do you know where I can find such people."

"Ancient legends. Like the great Dark, I presume. Or the Celestia Ruins. Oh, don't look so shocked." The old woman chuckled. "Of course you would. In recent days, many people have been looking for information related to the Celestia Ruins, the great Dark and the descent of the Moons. Some, like you, have found their way to the Goddess of Learning's statue, hoping to find some of her believers in there."

Claud and Lily nodded like little chicks pecking on rice.

"Unfortunately, you will not find believers in the Goddess of Learning here," said the old woman. "Just her adherents. We find her ideals admirable, but we do not seek to worship her. In our mind, we hope to be her intellectual equal; that is all."

"But she's…long gone," said Claud.

"Does death invalidate someone's ideals? Society in general practices a mutated form of survival of the fittest, but ideas are things that transcend the border of life and death." The old woman patted the statue. "I believe that her mindset, her way of living, will result in a more robust outlook on life."

"How would it help me?" Claud asked.

"Well, for starters, you'll be able to see things from a different angle. I would recommend that you start with this question. Why is something that way? This is a good question for understanding the world around you, young man. Or at least, learning to handle the world around you." The old woman chuckled. "Now, young ones tend to be busy, so I will not bother the two of you much. Let me leave you with this one question, however."

"We're all ears," Lily replied, dipping her head lightly.

"Why do we people have a status?" The old woman patted the statue of the Goddess of Learning once more, and then ambled off. "Farewell, young ones. May you live a fulfilling life. If you need a scholar, I recommend that you head towards the Hall of Erudition, in the city centre."

Claud and Lily looked at her soundlessly as she returned to the two old men playing Moon Phase, and as one, tilted their heads.

"Status, huh." Claud chewed over these two words, and then bowed once in the direction of the old woman. Lily followed suit a moment later, and the two headed towards the city centre. The old lady's questions and suggestions bore their own merits; Claud bowed once because he felt that there was something…worth pondering in there.

Now that he was a tri-folder, Claud knew that his every action could result in devastating outcomes. He couldn't just be paranoid anymore. He had to be thorough, to consider things from many angles.

"…I never thought of it that way," said Lily, after Claud told her about his tiny epiphany. "But you're right. Especially…for your true level of strength, right?"

Claud nodded. He had the ability to destroy an entire city, if he so willed it. And to make matters worse, he also had the passive skill, Omen. If he destroyed a city the way he killed the Emissary…

"Yeah." Claud grimaced. "Stop me, if I ever go mad."

"You? Go mad?" Lily shook her head. "Listen to your own words, alright? Don't be silly."

She took a look at his face. "Alright. I promise. I'll grab onto your arm and not let go if you ever think of doing something as stupid as that."

Claud rubbed her head. "Thanks, Lily."

"You sure can lapse into weird moods at times," said Lily. "Come on, let's go to the Hall of Erudition."

"Wait. I hear someone." Claud narrowed his eyes. "And I think it's the town crier."

The shrill, piercing shrieks of a man trained to do exactly that slipped into his ears, producing clear, painful words. Claud tried to parse them the best he could, and his face paled a moment later.

The Moons had their minions.

Therefore, the great Dark should have their own too. Proper minions, not just darkened animals. Unfortunately for Claud and Lily, these minions had, in the darkness last night, abruptly overrun one of the three dukedoms of the Nihila Sovereignty, the neighbouring Quies Dukedom. The count's personal troops were already moving out, and an emergency summons to all mana-users had been issued by the Lacuna Dukedom, which governed Cava, Vacuos and Lostfon, to assemble at Lostfon itself.

The Lacuna Dukedom was under attack, and Lostfon was the first real battleground.

Claud took a deep breath. "You have got to be kidding me. What's wrong with this year?"

"Everything, it seems." Lily patted his shoulder. "Come on, let's get more details."