Chapter 58: In the City Forsaken by the Gods (4)
"So… are you saying I may glimpse His will in your words?
…No, that was a foolish question. Please forget it."
「There's no need. This exchange will not be stored in any records.」
"I appreciate your consideration."
Drake bowed deeply. He bore no small grudge toward her—150 years of resentment had piled up since she abandoned direct governance. But none of that mattered now. In the face of a divine return, all such grievances were meaningless. Before God's presence, old bitterness dissolved like frost in sunlight.
He had neither the standing nor the authority to press the matter further.
Of course, the ever-clueless monkey had to interrupt.
"Hey, would someone mind explaining what you're talking about? I can't follow a single word here…"
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand—" Drake began, then paused. "No… since you've stumbled into this circle, perhaps you do need to know."
「Is that really necessary? A simple prohibition on disclosure and movement would suffice.」
Ea's eyes never opened, yet Monkyspanner felt her gaze pierce him through the hologram. The Holy Priestess of Shinshi was said to see all that transpired within the city. And when her unseen eyes fixed upon you, it meant you were truly being watched.
Monkyspanner trembled under the weight of that attention, sweat dripping freely. He understood enough: whatever this was, it was dangerous. Very dangerous. And if it meant imprisonment, he wanted no part of it. Unless the God Himself commanded it, he would resist with everything he had.
Seeing his terror, Drake interceded.
"Lady Ea, this monkey's overdue contact has already unsettled our subordinates. He's due to return shortly. If we imprison him now, suspicion will spread."
「A valid point. Very well—he will not be confined. But surely you understand why I cannot simply let him roam free. He is far too clumsy at concealing the truth.」
"I disagree. He may be a fool, but unless one already knows the circumstances, his bluster won't give him away. Yes… matters concerning Him clearly rattle him, but with minimal exposure, it should suffice."
"Haaah…"
Monkyspanner exhaled with relief. Even if he didn't understand half of what they were saying, at least he wasn't about to be locked up. He vowed, once again, to obey Drake to the letter from now on.
But Drake pressed further, his voice low and stern.
"Tell me this: why hide it? You've let me glimpse His return, yet you forbid the others to know? For two centuries they've clung to their loyalty, waiting only for His awakening. Concealing this truth feels… wrong."
「Simulations run through the Twelve Heavenly Stems suggest that announcing His return now would be premature. More importantly, He Himself commanded: 'Do not tell the others.' It pains me to twist His words in this way, but for His sake, preparations must be made.」
Drake froze. "…Did I hear you correctly? Are you admitting you circumvented His command?"
「Your hearing is sound. Yes—I bent His order, within the limits of my authority, for His sake.」
Both Drake and Monkyspanner gaped. For Ea—the flawless system incarnate, the Sub-Master bound to the guild weapon, the one who once governed Shinshi with absolute precision—to admit openly that she had defied her God's command? It was unthinkable.
Even Drake, who had changed over the centuries, could scarcely process it. She had always been a perfect, unbending law. To see her claim personal judgment now was… terrifying.
"…You've changed."
「And so have you. A hundred years ago, you were wailing 'No! No! I won't go back!' like a frightened child. You may be more competent now, but all your charm is gone."
"S-stop! That record—delete it, Lady Ea! Why in the world would you keep such a thing?!"
「Why not? I'd love to share it with everyone.♪」
"No! Please, stop!"
The once-majestic High Priest of Shinshi flailed helplessly, trying to claw away the holographic playback of his humiliating past. To all the world he was a dragon-lord, a pillar of authority. Yet before Ea, he was little more than a toy.
Only she could strip him down so easily, mocking him and calling him adorable.
Monkyspanner shrank into himself, deeply grateful that he wasn't the one caught in her games. Better to be ignored than noticed.
At last Drake regained a measure of composure, gritting his teeth as he sat back down. "…You will erase it. Someday."
「Perhaps. We'll see. But let us return to the real matter… There is another reason I've withheld this from the others.」
"And what is that?"
「The ones who killed Monkyspanner.」
Her words dropped like a stone in the quiet chamber.
Drake turned sharply toward the monkey, who scratched his head and gave a vacant look. Whether he remembered or not, the truth was clear: someone had slain him—and that truth could not remain buried.
「We have no data yet on what effects death and resurrection may have on beings like us in this world. So, whether Monkyspanner's memory loss is a side effect of resurrection, or the result of something else, we cannot say for certain.」
"Can't we test it?"
「On whom, exactly?」
Drake hesitated. "…If a subject is needed, I will volunteer."
「Rejected. Your role is far too vital to Shinshi. If you were to lose your memory, the administration of this entire city would falter.」
"That point could be managed if you—"
「And then there is the matter of gold. Would you waste five hundred million gold just for a single experiment? Shinshi's treasury is ample, yes, but it is not infinite. Remember—you are not the one earning it; the production classes are.」
"…Yes."
Even so, both Drake and Monkyspanner felt she had sidestepped the question. Surely, for Ea, temporarily covering Drake's duties would be nothing—but she refused. Why? Neither could read her mind, so both fell silent.
「Nor will I allow other citizens to be used as test subjects. Yes, our lives are gifts from Him, and to be spent for His sake is no burden. But that does not make us disposable. And… do you not recall? It was you, not I, who decreed long ago that no living experiments would be done upon our people.」
Her words carried them back 170 years, to the time of schism—when Shinshi split its faithful from the "kingdom folk." Back then, the council had raged over whether the divine blessing could justify using citizens as test subjects.
"A single life, for an answer—that is not a meaningless death, but a noble sacrifice!"
"Nonsense! What citizen deserves to be cast away? You first, then!"
"Now, now, calm yourselves… no violence. Control your emotions."
The debate dragged on: weeks, months, years. For three years they fought over it. In the end, a vote was held—every citizen was asked to decide. The result was clear: "Lives gifted by God cannot be squandered."
Even the kingdom-born, who had once envied the divine favor, voted to protect life. For the first time in this otherworld, amid strife and division, they had acted like true people of reason.
"…Yes. I let passion blind me. Forgive me, Lady Ea."
「No forgiveness is needed. That moment left a deep impression even upon me. Efficiency might have said sacrifice one for knowledge. But never forget—our lives may have been granted by Him, but they remain His property. Only He can measure their worth. Do you understand?」
"…Yes. I will remember those words."
「You need not remember my words. More importantly—our discussion has strayed. In any case, experimentation is rejected. But while Monkyspanner's missing memory leaves us no hard proof, we can draw conclusions about the enemy's strength.」
"Specifically?"
「Consider Monkyspanner's abilities. He is not the strongest among the commanders, but his overall evaluation is high. Particularly outside of direct confrontations, his adaptability makes him formidable. For him to die means only two things: either the enemy was so powerful he had no chance to flee, or they had the means to utterly prevent his escape.」
Monkyspanner gulped. It was true—if someone tried to catch him, it would be no easy task. He wasn't as powerful as Drake or Lion in head-to-head combat, but in irregular battles, he always had a chance. He was sure that if survival alone was the goal, even both of them together would not be able to kill him outright.
And yet, he had died. Ea's logic was sound. Whoever had done it was beyond anything he could handle.
"…Wait, hang on. I should say—I've been holding back. I've got plenty of tricks no one's seen yet. What you've seen isn't the full picture—"
「I am aware. You mean the legacies left to you by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, do you not? Those were factored into my conclusion as well.」
"Huh? How do you know that?"
「Big data, of course.」
"…What the hell does that even mean…"
Monkyspanner wilted like a wet rag, despairing that the powers he had kept hidden for two centuries were apparently nothing but an open book to her. Drake, however, ignored his collapse and pressed forward. Monkyspanner's secret powers, gifts from the Creator, could always be dragged out later—if necessary, by throwing him into a cell. What mattered now was the unknown enemy.
"Then what do you estimate the enemy's strength to be?"
「Strong enough to pose a real threat to Shinshi. If they could block Monkyspanner's escape, they must have wielded at least a World Item—or something on par with it.」
"…A World Item!"
The words alone carried terrible weight. Artifacts of godlike power, capable of reshaping entire worlds. Once, when countless deities still roamed, many such relics had existed. But when the gods departed, most vanished with them. Drake knew that of all the Twelve's hoarded treasures, only five remained—four, now.
Each one was said to contain a world within itself. To face such a thing without one of equal rank was impossible.
Yes—if a World Item had been involved, Monkyspanner's death finally made sense. His escape cut off, his resistance nullified, even his memory shattered after resurrection… yes, perhaps even that could be traced back to the artifact's power. Drake's mind flooded with dozens of hypotheses, flickering and dying in an instant.
「But hasty conclusions are dangerous. We know nothing of the enemy's true form. It may even be that Monkyspanner stumbled upon them, was noticed, and silenced for it.」
Drake's eyes sharpened. "…Then if we trace Monkyspanner's movements outside, perhaps we can identify them."
「No. For now, that course of action is forbidden. Shinshi must not stir against the outside.」
"…Why?"
To Drake, the reasoning was simple: Dragon's Dream still stood beyond. A splinter force, yes, but one of considerable size. If it had fallen, there would be traces. To follow those traces back should yield answers. But Ea had forbidden it.
"The longer we wait, the colder the trail becomes. Why forbid this?"
「Because He is absent.」
"…What?"
Drake froze, mind racing over every word exchanged so far—Monkyspanner's rambling, Ea's evasions, her sudden appearance. He had overlooked something fundamental.
"…Don't tell me… He's left?"
「Yes. Even now, our Lord walks outside. He may already have crossed the mountains by now. ♪」
Drake's roar split the chamber, an inarticulate cry of denial. The howl of a dragon-kin who refused to comprehend what his own ears told him. His anguished bellow dragged with it his unconsciously-triggered Dragonic Aura, filling the office with a storm of raging force.
Monkyspanner was flung into the wall like a ragdoll. Drake's cherished flowers and tea set shattered instantly.
Ea, far away in the Heavenly Stem chamber, watched the scene through her projections. Eyes closed as always, lips curved in a serene smile, she savored his despair.
***********************
***********************
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Vanity01