WCBD CH148

Chapter 148: Fisher Civilization

Even after Madame Heidi left, Siles could not shake the shadow cast by that thought.

“Shadow.” Good grief, he hardly liked using that word anymore.

The crucial question that came to his mind was that his earliest encounter with the “Shadow” involved the spiderwebs wrapped around the tall doll in the deep-sea dream, as well as the spider that crawled out of the rotting star’s eyeball when he looked directly at it.

Yet since then, the relevant materials he had found in reality concerning the “Shadow” had never mentioned spiders or spiderwebs.

If anything, when he thought of the power of destiny he possessed, he frequently used the metaphor of a “spiderweb,” because all of them were indeed like prey caught in destiny’s web.

However, when spiderwebs were associated with the “Shadow,” the meaning clearly changed.

Siles believed it might be a manifestation of a certain power.

Spiders always spun their webs in dark corners, and the “Shadow” also seemed to prefer hiding in the dark. Perhaps the manifestation of the “Shadow’s” power was related to spider silk and spiderwebs.

But Siles could not ignore the inspiration that had just struck him.

This inspiration had flashed through his mind several times, and this time, he finally captured it. Even though the dice hadn’t provided any hints, he still had a vague premonition that this inspiration was highly important.

Spiderweb. Star map.

A spider crawling out of a rotting star’s eyeball. He thought of this imagery and marveled that he had never carefully considered its meaning.

Not long ago, when he witnessed the “Shadow” and the sacrifice on the deep-sea isolated island during the storm in Kingsley, he underwent a Will check.

At the time, he noticed that the Will stat required to resist the “Shadow” seemed slightly higher than the stat required during his Will check against Lusmi.

And that slight difference was exactly the margin between a Failure and a Critical Failure.

In other words, if Lusmi were to gaze upon the “Shadow,” She would face a Critical Failure in divine Will.

Siles had realized this at the time. What he hadn’t considered was what would happen if this Critical Failure actually occurred.

Now he suddenly realized that perhaps this very event had already taken place. And the result was precisely the spider crawling out of the rotting star’s eyeball.

Lusmi’s Will was utterly shattered, turning Her into a husk and a nest for spiders to hatch.

Eyeball, Siles thought. The eye serves only one purpose: to see.

Therefore, when Lusmi looked upon the “Shadow,” Her eye rotted in an instant. The spider usurped the host, growing inside Her eye before finally manifesting in the world.

This was a brand new perspective for analyzing the scene that had occurred in the deep-sea dream.

And the other thing, or rather, what truly guided Siles’s train of thought here, was the connection between the star map and the spiderweb.

In form, this was practically a parallel between the macrocosm and the microcosm. Both were web-like, both were interwoven points of light, and both existed in the dark.

Could this conceptual resonance also be one of the reasons for Lusmi’s collapse?

Moreover, the star map.

Siles couldn’t help but wonder if the “Spider,” which was to say the “Shadow,” could be a god from outside the Fisher World. Was it an “Outer God” from the boundless, endless universe?

For him, steeped in the cultural influences of his home world Earth, arriving at such a hypothesis was not difficult.

He had never thought in this direction before because he had always assumed that the “later gods” were merely a matter of chronological order, like Antinam, but still belonged to this world.

However, it could also mean a “god that came to this world later,” couldn’t it?

Siles himself had transmigrated to this world, though he didn’t know the true reason why. He had previously deduced that his home world Earth was his strong backing, the fundamental reason he possessed a Will stat as high as 90 upon arriving here.

If he could come to this world through such means, why couldn’t other entities?

And even though he harbored no malice toward the Fisher World, why should other entities necessarily be benevolent?

Was it an alien god?

This thought brought him a wave of unease.

The dice had previously told him that they hoped he could save this world, and confronting the “Shadow” was a part of saving it.

Siles had once found it hard to understand why it had to be him. Why couldn’t Antinam do it?

Now he suddenly realized a possibility.

Perhaps only an outside god could combat an outside god?

He froze for a moment before snapping out of his reverie. The chilly early spring wind brushed against his cheek. Chendo stood quietly beside him, watching him with concerned eyes.

“What were you thinking about?” Noticing Siles regain focus, Chendo asked timely.

Siles thought for a moment and finally said, “A somewhat surprising hypothesis.”

He hadn’t considered that the “Shadow” might be a god from outside this world. If that were truly the case, then many past assumptions might need to be slightly adjusted.

For example, why did the “Shadow” come to this world?

The dice once said that the relationship between the Fisher World and Earth was much closer than he imagined, and that by saving the Fisher World, he might in some way be saving Earth as well.

If the “Shadow” truly was a god from outside the Fisher World, it could indeed be connected to Earth, or perhaps even head toward Earth, Siles thought.

Chendo waited for a moment, realizing Siles didn’t intend to say more, and asked, “Is it a theory you cannot easily share?”

“Perhaps. This idea cannot be verified right now,” Siles said, looking up at the sky.

The sky was currently bright, obscuring the distant stars in the firmament. Yet they were certainly there, vast and innumerable. Would the galaxy cascade over their heads like a waterfall?

After a moment, he said, “The universe is quite vast.”

Chendo paused and instinctively looked up at the sky as well. He watched for a moment, then muttered, “I can’t see anything.”

Siles laughed. Shaking his head, he said, “Let’s not think about it too much, myself included. Maybe it’s just an inconsequential guess. In any case, let’s head to the library first.”

He wanted to use the joy of reading to dispel these complex, heavy emotions.

Chendo gave him an affectionate hug. “That’s good. You seemed so preoccupied just now; it made me very worried. Those issues might be highly important, but you yourself are the most important thing.”

His bias was so obvious that it left Siles speechless.

They proceeded to the Praia family’s library. It was situated in the basement of this ancient estate, quite spacious and brightly lit. Despite being underground, the damp-proofing and ventilation were excellent, so Siles felt no moisture or stuffiness.

He saw a multitude of books neatly arranged. A small section was empty, and after asking Chendo, Siles learned these were the books previously mailed to Lamifa City.

Yet in this massive library, those books were merely a drop in the ocean.

He couldn’t help but marvel. He realized that in the Fisher World, the vast majority of records, archives, and literature were held in private hands like these, or by the Church of the Past.

This created a definite barrier to the flow of information. Many things might simply vanish silently into the dust of time, known only to a few, or perhaps to no one at all.

Of course, Siles was well aware this was dictated by the world’s current state. Allowing ordinary people to read those ancient, mysterious manuscripts or texts would actually be highly irresponsible.

People could only seek a middle ground between these two extremes.

Just as it was now, a portion of safe books was made public, while dangerous volumes gradually became taboo. Once the Age of Mist had a longer period to develop, people might truly begin to forget the power of the gods.

Unfortunately, the “Shadow” was still secretly stirring. Furthermore, the dice had once said It was gradually losing patience.

Siles sighed inwardly. He followed Chendo’s steps, admiring and observing these ancient collections.

They started with the oldest section of the collection.

Chendo explained, “A significant portion of the books and archives here use completely unrecognizable ancient scripts. I can’t decipher their meaning either, which is quite a pity.”

Siles wholeheartedly agreed, asking with keen interest, “Do you have materials here from before the Age of Empire?”

“It seems we have a few, but not many,” Chendo replied. “Moreover, they are too ancient. Even if some documents remain, most are fragmented and incomplete.”

Siles nodded. He thought of the materials concerning “Scions” sent over by the Church of the Past, which even contained records from the Age of Gods.

This was quite surprising considering the world’s ancient and lengthy history.

However, standing behind the Church of the Past was Antinam, the God of Past and History. Given this deity’s divine portfolio, it was perfectly normal for them to possess such ancient records.

Siles felt that some of his internal questions and perplexities might be answered by those materials, provided he could obtain more of them from the Historical Society.

They continued forward. After the ancient eras came materials related to the Age of Empire and the Age of Silence, which comprised the largest quantity of books and documents preserved by the Praia family.

Regarding this, Siles couldn’t help but ask, “Are there no records from the Age of Shadows?”

Chendo shook his head. “I once asked the same question. Although the Praia family was born in the Age of Shadows, all the records from that time have been lost. There are no entries regarding this in the family archives either.”

Siles nodded and said softly, “I understand.”

He thought that since the Praia family was born during the Age of Shadows, it was highly likely during the period before Ligadia embarked on His journey.

And after Ligadia departed, it was very likely that something happened, severing the Praia family’s connection with Ligadia’s followers and simultaneously causing the loss of a large portion of their records from that era.

This was indeed deeply regrettable.

Yet the Age of Shadows remained a highly mysterious epoch to them. What exactly happened back then to trigger so many massive upheavals, ultimately leading to the fall of the gods in the Age of Silence, was truly a perplexing question.

They continued down the aisles.

As he navigated through the layers of bookshelves and walked past these intricate volumes arranged chronologically, Siles felt as if he were walking through time itself, traversing the world’s long and grand history. The entire past slowly unfolded before him.

It was a thoroughly intoxicating sensation.

Even without reading the contents of every book or page, just walking quietly past them allowed him to feel the pleasant, weighty essence of time and the passing years.

Next came the materials from the Age of Mist. This section was equally massive, and being from a more recent era, it was relatively well-preserved.

However, since the Praia family had already settled in Kansas during this period, the vast majority of the Age of Mist records preserved here were in the Kansas language. The few Konst language books they had, Siles had already seen previously.

After they finished a general browse of the entire library, only one thought remained in Siles’s mind: why hadn’t he mastered a few more languages?

He pondered it deeply. Remembering that the dolls knew multiple languages, it suddenly occurred to him that he should master Akamara’s power as soon as possible. That way, perhaps in reality, looking through the dolls’ eyes, he would be able to read those texts.

Right now, he could only use Doll No. 1 as a mouthpiece in dreams but couldn’t yet make the doll speak in the real world, let alone read documents. Even so, he believed the dolls must possess such a translator function.

Siles committed this idea to memory.

Then again, despite the dolls wielding such immense power, he only thought of using them to help him read. This realization brought a trace of wry amusement to Siles’s mind.

It was approaching noon, so they headed out to eat lunch first.

Afterward, Chendo went to search for materials related to concepts like the “Dark Sea” and the “Lighthouse of the Soul.” Siles picked out a book at random and returned to the upstairs study to read.

The book he chose was naturally in the Konst language, though not modern Konst. It was a travelogue from the Age of Silence. The Praia family library held many such travelogues, perfectly aligning with the family’s history.

When Siles picked out the book, he specifically asked Chendo if he recalled anything about it.

Chendo thought for a moment before replying that the book’s author was one of the foreigners whose burial the Praia family had arranged. That was why this travelogue had ended up in their library.

In fact, many of the collected travelogues shared a similar origin.

The author of this travelogue was named Felix Michelson. He was born in the early Age of Silence near the present-day Duchy of Konst, so the language he used was very similar to the Konst tongue.

Naturally, Siles still had to expend some effort to decipher what was written. Felix’s language could be classified as Old Konst, which differed somewhat from the modern Konst language.

During the era when Felix was born, the fall of the three earliest deities, Elco, Trisli, and Hoodoka, had already concluded. Hearing of the gods’ demise left people feeling as though they were living in an illusion.

No one knew if more gods would fall, nor did anyone know why they were falling. The fall of a god was like shattering a pane of glass, creating a phantom boom that echoed loudly in everyone’s hearts.

It was an era of subtle turbulence. On the surface, human society remained ordinary, but massive storms were already brewing. Even the most oblivious people would have surely noticed the strange behavior of the divine believers around them.

It was an era where countless acts of blasphemy were carried out in secret.

Felix Michelson was born into an ordinary family. Both his father and mother had been guided by their elders to worship the gods during their youth. But by the time they grew up, the gods were “capable” of dying.

This fact dealt them a massive shock. They didn’t adamantly deny the possibility of divine death like some zealots did, but they could no longer maintain the devotion in their hearts.

Thus, even though his parents were believers, Felix grew up in an environment almost entirely isolated from the gods.

His childhood memories were only briefly mentioned in his travelogue.

However, Felix’s decision to embark on a journey and ultimately die in a foreign land was more or less influenced by this background. He became curious about those gods who were “unconfirmed as fallen but already silent,” which included Ligadia.

At that time, people were often afflicted by a restless mindset, dissatisfied with the status quo.

Felix was swept up in this trend. Upon reaching adulthood, he naturally set out on his own journey.

By then, parts of the Fisher World had already been covered by mist. Traveling was equally perilous in that era; after all, people today at least knew where the mist lay, whereas back then, any excursion was a total gamble.

When Felix died, he was barely in his early thirties. He had gone hiking in the southern Booth Mountains but accidentally fell into a valley. He exhausted every ounce of strength to crawl back out, but his severe injuries were beyond recovery. He didn’t even make it home in time to see his parents one last time.

The Praia family happened to be stationed nearby at the time. They helped collect his body and, honoring Felix’s final wish, returned his ashes to his homeland.

Felix Michelson was likely one of those few foreigners Chendo had mentioned whose ashes managed to return to their roots.

Siles spent some time reading through the thin travelogue with keen interest.

He couldn’t help but notice the evolution of the Konst language. Linguists would likely adore this book, as it demonstrated semantic shifts and morphological developments.

The travelogue’s greatest literary value lay perhaps in its reflection of the subtle atmosphere of early Age of Silence society.

In the travelogue, Felix encountered countless people from all over the world. They all held their own beliefs or philosophies. Compared to the highly stereotypical portrayals of believers in some books, these individuals were remarkably fleshed out.

When discussing the gods, some believers who had grown close to Felix would candidly express their confusion. At times, they no longer knew how to face the deities they worshipped.

The believers of that era were perhaps fortunate, Siles thought. After all, most of the Old Gods hadn’t fallen yet, and it was evident that these believers wouldn’t face the catastrophic upheaval of divine death in their short lifetimes.

They wouldn’t endure the agony of believers who witnessed a god’s fall firsthand: the collapse of faith, the obliteration of worldviews, the crushing of self-worth, and the feeling that life was dumping garbage on their heads.

Yet from another perspective, they were perhaps unfortunate. Because they would forever be isolated from the truth, no matter how cruel that truth was.

Siles couldn’t help but sigh. Closing the travelogue, he looked out the window.

The study in the ancient Praia estate also featured beautiful, large French windows. Outside lay the lush green woods. He had to admit, this setup suited his tastes perfectly.

He watched quietly for a while, feeling his emotions gradually calm down before he calmly shifted his thoughts to a subtle location mentioned in the travelogue: the Booth Mountains.

That was exactly where Trisli had fallen.

When Felix arrived at the Booth Mountains, the year was 190 of the Age of Silence, more than a century after Trisli’s fall.

Siles couldn’t say for sure that there was a connection between the two. He merely felt it was a bit of a coincidence, and coincidences appearing around him always warranted a subtle level of attention.

Could Felix’s fall into the valley somehow be linked to Trisli’s death? Siles remained skeptical. Over a century had passed, and such a vast span of time could erode anything.

However, the Booth Mountains…

It was a majestic mountain range situated in the south of the modern Ashless Lands, spanning a massive area. It was considered one of the great spectacles of the Fisher World. Many tourists considered the Booth Mountains when choosing a travel destination.

Nevertheless, exploring the Booth Mountains did carry a certain degree of danger. The cliffs were steep, with no safety measures or designated tourist routes.

Entering them was like stepping into a giant maze, where one could only rely on their own luck.

Even so, a significant number of people would pick a suitable day to go exploring or hiking. The former sought out untrodden paths, while the latter opted for safe, common, and bustling routes.

Some explorers also treated it as part of their Ashless Lands expedition. Just as the Fuliou Sea was to the north of the Ashless Lands, the Booth Mountains were a crucial component to the south.

So, if the Fuliou Sea to the north held a secret, did the Booth Mountains to the south conceal one as well?

Siles suspected as much. Of course, such suspicions were always brewing in his mind, so he didn’t waste time dwelling on the feeling.

He pulled his thoughts away from the travelogue’s details and snapped open his pocket watch. It was nearly 4:00 PM. Noticing that Chendo hadn’t emerged from the underground library yet, he planned to go downstairs to find him, only to bump into him on the stairs.

Chendo was carrying a large stack of paper archives.

“Did you find anything useful?” Siles asked, moving to help share the load.

“Don’t touch it,” Chendo warned. “These are old files, covered in dust. Don’t dirty your clothes.”

Saying this, he walked briskly into the living room, deposited the stack of documents on the table, and let out a long breath. He took off his coat; it was indeed caked in dust.

Chendo said, “I found some relevant materials. I hope they’ll be of use.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Or rather, I also recalled some past memories.”

Siles froze, looking at him.

Chendo’s emerald eyes gazed back intently.

He said, “I told you once… or rather, you must have noticed, that I strongly dislike this place, even though it undeniably constitutes a part of my life.”

Siles nodded.

Chendo continued, “When I was young, that old man was always chattering on about this book and that book, making me learn different scripts, memorize passages from the divine texts…

“I’ve forgotten most of it now, but the memories still linger. When I went to flip through those archives just now, those memories surfaced. Not memories of the texts themselves, but… memories of that time.”

He fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, “If it were you, you would certainly describe it in a far more romantic way. But all I can say is, I remembered those things.”

Siles shook his head, stating objectively, “To you, that wasn’t a romantic thing.”

Chendo looked at him, paused, and asked, “May I tell you something?”

Siles froze briefly, then said, “Of course.”

“But it might not be very proper.”

“Then you can whisper it.”

“The kind where no one else can hear?”

“Only I will hear,” Siles said. “Chendo, it’s alright.”

Chendo sighed softly, then stepped forward to embrace Siles. He murmured, “You are truly too gentle.”

Siles asked in confusion, “Is that the improper thing you wanted to say?”

“Well… I hope you won’t be so gentle in another setting,” Chendo said. “I also look forward to you breaking me and reshaping me. I hope I can become exactly as you desire, instead of…”

“The way you are now is already exactly what I desire,” Siles said.

When he heard the first half, he thought it was merely Chendo’s usual urging; but hearing the second half, he knew Chendo’s meaning wasn’t so simple.

Chendo loathed his past, his lineage, and to some extent, the power he wielded. It was something he was born with, something that had restricted his life from the very beginning.

Now he felt that Ligadia’s power and the Praia family’s influence seemed useful to Siles. But he himself, it seemed, was not.

When he looked at Siles, he felt a sense of panic. He knew his love would be accepted by Siles, gently embraced by his beloved god. But that seemed only to be because Siles was simply such a good person.

He would rather be molded according to Siles’s will.

As they gradually touched upon the truth of the world, as they slowly deepened their understanding of one another, and as the thing Chendo had always anticipated entered its final countdown…

Chendo felt he hadn’t yet become “good” enough for that.

And Siles gazed at Chendo. His Chendo.

Those emerald eyes churned with complex, heavy emotions. After a moment, Chendo unconsciously tried to look away, as if afraid to meet his gaze.

“Look at me, Chendo,” Siles said in a low voice.

Chendo trembled slightly, then looked back at him.

“I love the you that you are now,” Siles said. “If you change into some unfamiliar mold, I’m not certain I will continue to love you.”

Chendo stared blankly, murmuring, “Even if it’s according to your wishes?”

Siles felt a mix of exasperation and amusement but kept a straight face and said, “Of course.” His tone softened slightly. “You understand my thoughts, Chendo. If you’re referring to the friction of personalities or other such things, then of course we can take it slowly.

“But I do not need, nor do I wish, for you to conform to my thoughts and become a mannequin of my ideal. Just as you thought, I dislike casually interfering with the destinies of others.”

Chendo looked at him for a moment, then leaned in and hugged him. He seemed relieved but still muttered, “I meant I would be more than happy for you to do so. I want to make my stance clear… I mean, the way I love you.”

It was absolute, candid, fiery. It was reckless.

“…I understand,” Siles murmured, gently stroking Chendo’s hair, the braid woven from those ashen-gray locks.

He knew Chendo was still using the hair tie he had braided by hand, even though months had passed and it was badly frayed. He mentally added braiding a new one to his schedule. Perhaps after returning to Lamifa City, he could consult Mrs. Fenn.

He pondered silently as he thought this.

“But you are already wonderful as you are,” Siles said after a pause. “There is no need to change into someone else to please me. If you truly do that, it will only backfire.”

Chendo seemed to nod, nuzzling affectionately against Siles’s shoulder.

After a while, he suddenly stepped back and pressed his forehead against Siles’s. He stared at Siles from this close range, though at such proximity, they actually couldn’t see each other clearly.

Chendo said, “But sometimes, I’d rather just stare at you like this, whiling away the hours, too lazy to bother with serious matters. Won’t you be angry about that?”

Lovesick fool, the Earth novelist thought to himself.

…Thank goodness for Earth, he added silently. He knew exactly how to describe this behavior and personality.

He said, “I am willing to indulge you in this during inconsequential times.”

Chendo sighed, then couldn’t help but laugh. He said, “Before you even spoke, I knew what you were going to say. I mean…”

He gazed at his beloved god, then murmured softly, “You are truly too wonderful.”

He loved him so, so fiercely, yet still felt his love was not enough. He wanted to drown his lover in affection.

After a moment, Chendo said reluctantly, “Well then, your devoted lover, believer, and teaching assistant will now go read those damned ancient archives.”

Siles was amused by his tone.

He kissed Chendo’s lips and said, “Don’t stress yourself too much, Chendo. You are already doing excellently.”

“…I feel like you’re coaxing a child. But of course, I know what you mean. I just…” Chendo grumbled, then took a deep breath. “Those are Old Gods, after all.”

Siles said, “From a certain perspective, we are gods as well.”

Chendo froze, then said, “It seems so. After all, we have both mastered the power of gods.”

Siles thought for a moment. He knew it was unlikely for Chendo to shake off the foundational mindset of the Fisher World’s current era anytime soon, especially having grown up in the rigid atmosphere of the Praia family.

Chendo couldn’t yet face those gods with the same egalitarian stance as Siles. His past experiences dictated that.

It wasn’t to say Chendo revered or worshipped those gods deeply. It was simply that his attitude toward deities naturally differed from Siles’s. Objectively speaking, they were not people of the same world.

From a certain angle, Chendo also possessed a foundation of madness; it was just that this madness was now restrained by Siles. Or rather, he now madly and devoutly worshipped Siles.

For Chendo, he was clearly conflating love with faith. And Siles also knew this was inextricably linked to Chendo’s previous Critical Success and Critical Failure in Will.

Destiny had drawn them together.

Within manageable bounds, Siles didn’t want to forcefully alter Chendo’s worldview. He knew it would be exceedingly difficult to achieve, and highly likely—just as Chendo had said—to destroy him.

Perhaps Chendo had recognized this very point, realizing the ideological gap between himself and Siles, which was why he expressed his thoughts so bluntly, hoping to be shaped by Siles’s will.

However, Siles didn’t consider this a grave issue.

Moreover, he didn’t believe he was so inept that he needed to utterly destroy Chendo’s old concepts and thoughts just to make Chendo keep pace with him. Things wouldn’t come to that, he firmly believed.

They still had plenty of time.

The materials Chendo had selected were in the Kansas language or other ancient tongues, meaning only Chendo could read them; Siles couldn’t help even if he wanted to.

However, it was getting late, so they went to the dining room for a meal first. Chendo went upstairs to change his coat. When he came down, his expression was completely composed.

He then asked about Siles’s upcoming plans.

It was already March 15. With Lamifa University starting classes on March 22, they didn’t have much time to waste in Kansas.

Siles asked, “Roughly how long will it take for us to return to Lamifa City?”

Chendo answered honestly, “There’s no direct train from Cronin City to Lamifa City, so I’m afraid we can only take a carriage, or if you prefer, we can ride horses. I can take you. That would probably take three or four days.

“But if you want to experience Ligadia’s power, we could be back in Lamifa City in a day or two. Though it might not be as comfortable.”

Siles calculated the time in his head and said, “It’s best we return to Lamifa City a few days early, because we still have to move, remember?”

Chendo froze, then unconsciously murmured, “Of course, I remember perfectly.”

Siles smiled and said, “Moving will take at least two days. Factoring in Ligadia’s power, the journey back will take two days. Leaving one day to rest, we’ll have to set off the morning after tomorrow.”

Chendo nodded and said affectionately, “As you wish. If only I could find some useful information before then.”

“No need to rush, Chendo,” Siles said. “These two days can be considered our real vacation.”

“Of course. I always savor the time spent with you.”

Siles couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

However, despite declaring it their vacation, he only allowed himself to enjoy the idle atmosphere of lounging with his lover for that one evening. The following morning, he very rationally brought out the piccolo.

—He had amassed a mountain of questions for the dice.

Naturally, since their conversation would visibly touch upon the “Shadow,” Siles took the precaution of pinning on the [Silent Heart] brooch. He hoped he wouldn’t need it, but better safe than sorry.

“Ah, Keeper of Secrets. Long time no see; I was already missing you.” The piccolo’s beautiful timbre, accompanied by its chatty tone, once again graced Siles’s ears. “You must have something to ask me.

“But I must say, if you’re ever bored, you could just summon me for a chat to pass the time. Frankly, it would help me pass the time; otherwise, I’m always stuck in that place…

“I know you must be quite busy. Still, even if you just call me out and let me talk to myself for ten minutes, I’d be perfectly content. I’m not a picky die; my demands are quite low!”

Siles looked at the piccolo in silence. For a moment, he actually felt he had grown somewhat accustomed to the dice’s tone.

…Yes, demands were quite low.

He sighed inwardly and said, “I understand, Dice. Don’t worry, I’ll let you out for some fresh air more often.”

“You’re so thoughtful, Keeper of Secrets,” the piccolo said, laying it on thick.

Siles calmly accepted the dice’s praise—he meant, on one hand, he was already used to the frequent adulation from people in this world; on the other hand, given how talkative the dice was, he genuinely felt his action was indeed thoughtful.

The piccolo coughed, then said earnestly, “Alright, I won’t waste this precious time. So, what did you want to ask me?”

Siles deliberated, then decided to start with the most fundamental question—namely, the “Shadow.” He said straightforwardly, “Regarding the ‘Shadow.’ I had a bit of an inspiration.”

“Oh…” the piccolo said softly. “Your progress is quite impressive. So, what was this inspiration of yours?”

Siles stared deeply at the piccolo resting on the table. He asked, “Is the ‘Shadow’ a god from outside the Fisher World?”

The piccolo gave a violent jerk, knocking against the table with a sharp thwack that made even Siles wince in sympathy. But the piccolo showed no reaction, merely stammering in disbelief, “W-What?”

Siles asked, “Should I repeat…”

“No, no, no,” the piccolo swayed back and forth rapidly. “This old ‘die’ can’t handle such scares! I mean… how did you… how could you possibly have that kind of inspiration?”

Siles actually found a trace of amusement in the piccolo’s dramatic tone. He said, “I merely connected the star map and the spiderweb.”

The piccolo muttered something under its breath, but Siles couldn’t catch it. Having his own suspicions, he waited patiently for the dice to recover.

After a moment, the piccolo’s tone suddenly grew solemn. It said, “Yes. You’re not wrong.”

Siles watched it in silence.

The piccolo said softly, “Where there is light, there is shadow. Where there is a world, there is that which lies outside it. Correspondingly, where there is civilization, there is that which lies outside civilization.” It paused, then spoke rapidly, as if afraid it might change its mind, “That is a god from outside Fisher Civilization.”