Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#105Reader Mode

#105

Like hell I’d accept a blessing from a traitor!

Who knows what kind of crazy shit might happen if I did?

Besides, if anyone’s record is a chaotic mess, it’s gotta be mine.

I’m the one who hijacked this body, after all. A typical record is probably a nice, linear timeline, but mine must be…different. Like someone took a pair of rusty scissors and just spliced in a whole new perspective right in the middle.

[What does my record look like?]

[If you accept my blessing, you could see for yourself….]

Are you serious?

I practically stabbed the parchment with my quill, scribbling out Record’s words in a furious mess.

[Fabio? I couldn’t understand what you wrote! Write it again!]

“…….”

[Wow, Fabio, your handwriting is terrible! But don’t worry! My blessing will give you neat handwriting too!]

…You know what? I’m too exhausted to even be angry anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I wrote back, completely done with this whole thing.

[Don’t ever mention the blessing again. I’m not accepting it. Ever.]

[But why? Do you hate receiving blessings? Mine is super helpful! It’ll make things easier and help you! I’m serious!]

Is this guy playing dumb, or does he really not realize that he’s a traitor?

What does he possibly think he’ll gain by badgering me about this blessing?

If I get caught, he’s going down with me.

[Did you, by any chance, suffer some kind of brain damage? Your judgment seems severely impaired.]

If he doesn’t immediately recognize this as an insult, I’m throwing in the towel and heading back.

Surely, he can’t be that dense….

[As expected of Fabio! You figured it out!]

“…….”

[You’re right, something’s definitely wrong with my intelligence! I used to be way smarter! But now I’m like this. Judgment! That’s a good word. Got any more like that?]

[Wait… are you saying you’ve actually become stupid?]

[Stupid! Exactly! That’s the perfect word! I lost a bunch of my records. So I’ve become much smaller. My intelligence shrunk too! That’s why my judgment is so bad!]

…Is this what normally happens to a god when their divinity is damaged?

Now I understand why they usually beg for death.

Honestly, if someone told me, “Hey, we’re gonna scoop out most of your brain and leave you with the IQ of a pigeon! But hey, at least you’re alive, right?” I’d probably be begging for them to just put me out of my misery too.

But if most of his records are gone…

[…You said if I came to the main building, you’d show me the truth the Order erased. Is that record still here?]

[Huh? Nope!]

This damn bastard…

[But Fabio, you can still see it!]

What the hell is he talking about?

[Order didn’t erase the records. The deeper you go, the more records I have left. But they’re blocked by a powerful barrier of Oblivion. If something I was thinking about down there tries to come up, poof! I forget it….]

So, his entire domain wasn’t completely destroyed. It’s more like it’s been shattered and locked away?

[Then why didn’t you just tell me to go further down from the start?]

[Well, that’s because… the me on the 4th basement floor really wanted to see Fabio?]

What?

Is he saying… each floor has its own separate consciousness?

[So, the ‘you’ on the lower floors don’t want to see me?]

[They do! But I’m the only one who can actually touch the records on the wax tablets! That’s why I called you here.]

Is this some kind of multiple personality disorder thing?

It’s not a perfect analogy, but basically, the ‘God of Records’ is kind of fractured right now. Like, imagine him split into different versions of himself – 5-year-old, a 12-year-old, a teenager, a young adult… each stuck on a different floor.

And the only one who can use the ‘phone’ to contact the outside world is the five-year-old version.

Anything the little guy doesn’t understand? Can’t be explained to anyone outside. So the oldest version, probably wanting to scream and tear his hair out in frustration, has to dumb everything down to the five-year-old’s level just to send out an SOS.

All the while, he’s sweating bullets hoping the Order doesn’t catch him sending out that distress signal…

…Poor guy must’ve been through a lot.

It occurred to me that perhaps dealing with all these broken and diminished pieces of himself is the ‘punishment’ Records is going through.

He’s basically piling up a mountain of cringe-worthy memories he has to relive every. Single. Day.

[But if I go down there, won’t Oblivion notice?]

[Oblivion is stupid, so it’ll be fine!]

Uh, you’re not exactly in a position to call anyone stupid.

Shouldn’t you be, you know, smarter than someone you’re calling dumb?

[Oblivion doesn’t remember what it’s doing. Even if you run into it again, it’ll act like it’s meeting you for the first time.]

…Seriously?

Now that I think about it, Oblivion did say to present the holy relic first next time. It never said anything about remembering me.

I just assumed it was bad with faces…

[If it’s something nobody should know, Oblivion shouldn’t know it either, right? That’s the restriction Order gave it. Oblivion forgets everything the second it’s done. What a stupid guy!]

…So, I basically just had a run-in with a divine answering machine.

Hearing that explains why Oblivion didn’t even ask where the ‘holy relic’ came from or who I was.

Since Oblivion gets a memory wipe after every task, it wouldn’t even cross its mind to ask ‘Who is this guy?’ in the first place.

Damn, Order’s a total control freak.

The less someone knows about what they’re doing, the easier it is to make them obey orders.

If they don’t know the bigger picture, they can’t exactly think for themselves and make independent decisions.

Honestly, at that point, just kill Oblivion and turn it into a relic already.

Why even bother to keep the god alive? What’s the point?

And for what purpose?

[Do you know what Oblivion usually ‘processes’?]

[Nope!]

“…….”

I took a deep breath.

Don’t get worked up.

Just knowing what I know now is a huge win. Coming here was worth it.

This means I don’t have to worry about Oblivion listening in when I meet with Athanas.

The second Athanas forgot Oblivion’s name, the path to intrude must have vanished too.

The reason for destroying a perfectly good path, even though it costs extra, is simple.

If the path stayed open, Oblivion wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between places it already checked and places it still needed to go.

So, a path used once has to be tossed out.

Talk about inefficient and illogical. What a waste of a powerful ability.

…Knowing this, that descent wasn’t really anything to be afraid of.

It was just a glorified answering machine, and yet I had a nervous breakdown thinking it was something way worse.

Guess the fear of the unknown really is a powerful thing, huh?

[Oblivion backed off after seeing the holy relic. What did it learn from that?]

[Show it to me for a second. I’ll see what’s written on it.]

I reached beneath my clothes and retrieved the holy relic, holding it gingerly in my hands.

[It needs to touch the book for me to read it.]

…Is it really a good idea to let this relic touch the book, though?

Well, I’ve been exposed to ‘Distortion’ every day, and the Saint hasn’t shown up yet, so it’s probably fine.

With a shrug, I gently tapped the relic’s tip against the book, and with a sudden whoosh, words scrolled across the page.

[This creature is under the protection of the Church of Order.

Do not harm it.

Provide assistance if injured.

If within the territory of Order, a guardian will arrive shortly.

You are obligated to ensure this creature’s survival until the guardian arrives.

If found outside the territory, please bring it within the borders of Order.

Violation of these rules will result in punishment.

Guardian: The Saint of Order.]

…You’ve got to be kidding me.

So, this whole time, I’ve been carrying around the mystical equivalent of a ‘wildlife protection notice’?

Okay, useful information, I guess, but…

This wasn’t exactly the mind-blowing revelation I had in mind. It’s like expecting some earth-shattering prophecy, like “Gasp! Could it be?! Have the gods bestowed upon me a mark like Cain’s? A symbol of destiny?!” But instead, you get, “Nah, sorry. Congrats though! You’re now a protected species!” Rather than being marked for greatness, you’re basically the heretic human version of a cuddly quokka.¹T/N: The “Mark of Cain” refers to a biblical story from the Book of Genesis. After Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, kills his brother Abel, God punishes him by making him a wanderer. To protect Cain from being killed by others, God gives him a special mark. The exact nature of this mark is not described, but it symbolizes God’s protection and Cain’s punishment. Over time, the term “Mark of Cain” has come to symbolize a sign of guilt or a mark of punishment.

So, apparently, I’ve been walking around as an endangered species fine this entire time?

[…This is a ‘Decree!’ It’s a rule that all members of Order must obey!]

[Is it really that big of a deal?]

[Of course it’s a big deal! It’s huge!]

You say that, but I’m not exactly feeling the gravity of the situation here.

[Then why would the Saint entrust me with something so important?]

[How should I know?]

[…But you called me your hope.]

[Because you are my hope!]

This conversation is going nowhere fast.

I need to get to the bottom of his motives. What could have possibly compelled him to seek me out in the first place?

[So, what exactly do you know about me?]

[Your name is Fabio!]

[…And?]

[I’ll tell you more if you accept my blessing!]

I just stared, speechless, before quickly shifting gears and steering the conversation in a new direction.

[Never mind that. Isn’t it a bit concerning to you that I’m under the Saint’s protection? Aren’t you supposed to be against Order?]

[It would be troublesome if Order found out about us talking! But no, I’m not against it.]

[Why did you start a rebellion then?]

[Rebellion? Me? I never did!]

[…Then why are you trapped here in this sorry state?]

[I don’t know! The me on the lower floors would know. The me down there was convinced that Order was a liar! But I forgot what the lie was as I came up here.]

It seems there’s only so much I can glean from this guy.

To have any hope of getting some real answers, I’ll need to go down to those lower floors.

But hold on a second… What if that’s precisely what this guy wants me to do?

I decided to proceed with caution.

[Will going down to the lower floors be safe?]

[Yes! Others have gone down and come back just fine!]

[They were fine…? Who did speak with before me?]

[Colomba!]

Colomba… That name rang a bell, but where had I heard it before?

…The Research Director?

I couldn’t believe it. This guy actually tried to tell the Order’s secrets to Colomba, of all people?

[But Colomba doesn’t remember the conversations he had with the me down there, so it wasn’t helpful.]

Still, you’ve got a high-ranking Apostle of Ledeia chatting it up with a traitor? Are you serious?

The Order is an absolute train wreck.

Damn Order… if you’re going to be a control freak, at least be thorough about it and keep your organization in check.

Running the Church of Order like a loosely connected network is exactly why there are more security breaches than a sieve.

I let out a silent, exasperated sigh.

…I was already in too deep the moment I set foot in this place. What difference will a few more floors make?

Holding the open book, I continued my descent.

[What is Order hiding?]

[You need to come further down.]

[How much further?]

[Further.]

On every floor, I received the same cryptic response.

[Go down further.]

Eight floors down, and a sense of unease began to creep over me.

Just how many basement levels does this place have?

I mean, there weren’t any in the game…

I stopped in my tracks.

[Listen, I’m not taking another step until you give me a straight answer. How many more floors do I need to go down?]

[That depends on what you want to ask me.]

…Something’s different.

The once hurried and simple handwriting now flowed with a tranquil elegance, or perhaps it was the atmosphere itself that felt more serene.

After a moment of hesitation, I scribbled down my question.

[So, how’d you end up trapped in this place anyway?]

[I’m afraid I can’t give you the full answer with just the records available on the 12th floor. They only hold fragments of the truth. But I shall share what I can, omitting the parts that are forbidden to speak about.

This library, with its towering shelves and musty tomes, was once a grand temple erected in my honor. And not just this main building, but every library that dotted the continent, from the humblest village repository to the grandest royal archives, stood as a testament to Order’s devotion to me. Order cherished me deeply, declaring that every word ever written, from the ancient past to the unfolding present, belonged to me alone.

As Order’s influence spread like wildfire across the land, the domain of ‘Records’ grew in tandem, expanding its reach to encompass the very fabric of history. And when I gained the ability to delve into records that had been lost to the sands of time, Order bestowed upon me a solemn command. It tasked me with unearthing the records of the ‘Lost Past.’]

[‘Lost Past?’]

[Indeed, the past that Order sought was no ordinary history. It yearned to gaze upon the records of a time that had been made nonexistent, wiped clean from the annals of memory. Imagine, if you will, this world as a parchment that has been erased and rewritten countless times, each layer of time stacked upon the other like the delicate pages of an ancient tome. It is a concept that may strain the mind, but it is the truth of our reality.]

Is this not the first playthrough?

[Among the shattered remnants of the Lost Past, I discovered records that chilled me to the very core of my being. They spoke of Order’s hand in the destruction of this world, a revelation that left me reeling in horror. As I delved deeper into these lost chronicles, I began to piece together the true nature of Order’s desire…]

What did he desire?

[…Alas, that knowledge lies beyond my reach, locked within the depths of the lower floors. The version of me that resides there holds the key to unveiling this mystery. Suffice it to say, the truth I uncovered was so profound, so earth-shattering, that I refused to divulge it to Order. And thus, I find myself trapped in this state, a prisoner of my own defiance.]

So in the end, if I want to know the secret, I need to go further down.

It’s not that difficult, but I’m worried about making it back up these endless stairs later on.

The ceilings are sky-high, each floor would feel like climbing three stories of an apartment building…

Just how far down did they dig?

Was this even possible with the architectural technology of this era?

As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I descended further into the depths of the library, my footsteps echoing against the ancient stone steps. Six floors flew by in a haze, the air growing heavier with each level, until Records suddenly spoke first, catching me off guard.

[Fabio, the truth that awaits you in the depths of this place could be dangerous. Perhaps it is wise to halt your descent here.]

Why?

Shouldn’t Records be all for me reaching the very bottom?

That way, it can relay its true thoughts to the upper levels.

[Some truths cause contamination, spreading their corruption far and wide… I have come to understand, albeit vaguely, that I myself have been tainted by something unspeakable. It was this realization that compelled me to seal my lips, to keep the truth hidden when I understood that revealing it would forever corrupt the very essence of Order. This is…]

[What is it?]

[…No matter. Do not venture further.]

And just like that, the words vanished into thin air on the book.

I faltered, my resolve momentarily shaken, but then I steeled myself and descended another floor.

No reaction.

As I moved down yet another level, the words reappeared.

[…You’re still determined to uncover the truth, aren’t you?]

[I’m immune to mental interference. I should be fine even if I come into contact with whatever contamination.]

Having learned that Oblivion’s descent was nothing more than an automated response, I felt it was best to gather as much information as possible.

Normally, the mere mention of ‘contamination’ would have sent me running for the hills, back to the safety of the upper levels, but I was no longer the same person I once was.

I was determined to go all the way down.

No matter what Records said…

[So be it. Then follow your own path. You who are not Fabio.]

T/N: A quokka ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა