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A chilling silence filled the hut, built in the traditional style of the tribal alliance. Rumor had it they would soon leave the Empire and return to the Great Plains, yet right before their departure, a horrifying message had been delivered, leaving everyone unsettled. Even Aiden was drenched in a cold sweat amidst the terrifying silence… 

“…That damned man.” 

The first thought that came to mind was resentment toward Meyer, the one who put him in this position. Claiming that they could only enter the mental world if they slept holding hands, Meyer was the one who pushed him into this situation. 

“If you just wanted me to meet the spirit, you didn’t have to go this far.” 

If Rania hadn’t spoken in a weary voice, Aiden might have continued ruminating on his resentment. 

“Pardon?” 

When Aiden questioned her, Rania, biting down on her smoking pipe, pointed to the bracelet on his wrist. 

“There’s a spirit in there, right? You meet it every night in the mental world, don’t you?” 

She was so precise that he couldn’t find a response. As he blinked in a daze, Rania chuckled softly, tapping the eye on the side where she wasn’t wearing an eye patch. 

“I am a shaman, after all. Seeing spirits is only natural.” 

Of course, that made sense. 

Thinking back, it was her ability that had allowed her to find Meyer and bring him along in the first place. As Aiden nodded in agreement, Rania packed her tobacco pouch into her pipe and continued speaking. 

“Hand it over. Let’s see what brings you here, at least.” 

Having no reason to refuse, Aiden handed over the bracelet. Rania, upon receiving it, frowned as she looked within. 

“…This is the Knight of Dawn, isn’t it?” 

“Isn’t it?” 

“You’re dealing with someone remarkable.” 

“…Am I?” 

“Yes. This person exists in a realm you would never normally cross paths with in your lifetime.” 

Strangely, he didn’t feel insulted. Her tone made it sound like she was merely stating the obvious. In truth, though their time together was short, he felt this way about her overall demeanor. Iron and stone — her words and actions carried neither embellishment nor fluctuation. She simply spoke facts, never intending to belittle others. 

“To be honest, it’s a foolish thing to worry about.” 

This matter-of-fact feeling must have been why her words didn’t anger him, even as she calmly added that. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Your abilities aren’t the type that can help someone grow stronger.” 

“…?” 

“How much do you know about the Heavenly Pantheon?” 

Her cryptic words left Aiden tilting his head in confusion, only for her to suddenly ask that question. 

“I’m not really interested in theology. All I know is that it’s where the gods reside…?” 

“More precisely, it’s where the ‘known’ gods reside.” 

“…Pardon?” 

Aiden questioned the ominous undertone in her words, and Rania continued her explanation in a composed manner.

“The power of a god is determined by the number and influence of their followers. Only those whose ‘divinity’ has been proven are granted entry into the pantheon. It’s a symbiotic relationship; just as worshippers need the god, the god also needs their followers.”

The oaths of devotion, consecrations of spirit, and sacred vows offered by followers are all proofs of this symbiotic relationship. Followers dedicate virtues to their god, and in return, the god bestows their power upon them. However—

“There are quite a few gods. There is a divine entity for every supernatural power that has existed throughout the continent’s long history.”

In other words—

“Not every god can prove their worth.”

Naturally, there are gods who exist outside the pantheon—forgotten gods, those dwelling in the shadows of the heavens. Some have faded due to a lack of influence over their followers, while others have been cast out of the pantheon for slightly different reasons.

“There is a certain category of these heavenly outcasts that is the most dangerous.”

“…What is that?” Aiden asked.

“Those divine beings ‘sealed’ by other gods.”

Foreign entities, or “Outer Gods,” as they are called. Thick smoke rose from her pipe.

“…Sealed, you say?”

“Those whose names and powers have been forcibly stripped from them by their followers. Despite being worthy of staying in the pantheon, they are banished outside of it.”

“How does that happen?”

“When a god poses a threat to the very existence of the pantheon. The god worshiped by the ancient demonic tribes is a prime example.”

Rania chuckled as she explained.

The god Vorneel, worshiped by demons, was a god of devouring, a mad god who sought to grow his power by consuming even his own kin. His greed and insatiable hunger were boundless, and it was said that if left unchecked, he would bring ruin to the entire pantheon. 

As a representative of sealed gods, this myth speaks volumes.

“Do you know why I’m telling you this now?” 

Aiden silently looked at Rania. It was becoming obvious how the story would unfold.

“The thing attached to you is one of those. It’s not a ‘normal’ god that shares a symbiotic relationship with its followers…”

“A god that exists alone, a god that chooses its followers rather than being chosen by them.”

It’s a mysterious, alien presence—something almost too otherworldly to be called a god.

At this point, the reason why Rania once said he had something ‘terrible’ attached to him became abundantly clear.

“The thing that clings to you is an Outer God. Its purpose, abilities, and origin are all unknown.”

“That’s probably why gods seem to grant you power so freely. We still don’t know why it does so, though.” 

As Aiden stared at her, speechless, Rania shrugged her shoulders in response.

“Well, don’t get too down.”

For someone who just revealed such mind-boggling information, her closing words were remarkably simple.

“Even if it’s an Outer God, whose true name and dominion are unknown, that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. At this stage, we simply don’t know anything.”

“…Is that so?” Aiden replied calmly.

While her words were meant to reassure, he honestly didn’t feel too troubled by it. 

“To be honest… it’s just too overwhelming to fully grasp right now.”

Naturally, he had questions.

“…By the way, Shaman,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Why would such a terrifying being choose me?”

That was his biggest question. What reason would such an extraordinary existence have for noticing an ordinary human like him? Rania paused in silence before letting out a small laugh.

“Because it likes you.”

“…Pardon?”

“That’s what I feel. At the very least, it doesn’t seem to want to harm you.”

“For whatever reason, it seems to like you quite a lot.”

Far from easing his questions, it only deepened his confusion.

“Anyway, back to our original topic.” Rania propped her chin on the table as she continued.

“Given the origin of your power, strengthening it isn’t possible. No one, not even I, could help with that.”

“…Is that so?”  

“Yes. So if you want a powerful attack method quickly, it might be better to focus on finding top-quality ‘materials.’”  

“Materials?”  

“I’m talking about the kind of raw material the Knight of Dawn could offer for whatever it is you want.”  

“Even if we don’t know the specific domain of the Outer God attached to you, wouldn’t it be better to take advantage of it?”

…In essence, she was advising him to stick to the basics. 

‘So she’s telling me to build rapport to get a skill-copying permit, huh?’ 

Aiden smirked to himself. After all, that was the only clear ability he had. While it felt like he was going back to square one, learning the true origin of his power was still a significant gain.

Because…  

‘If this Outer God is that grandiose… does that mean I could swipe skill copies from anyone, no matter who they are? If I can increase their favorability, there’s no limit.’

It felt like he’d been handed permission to go after anyone he wanted, without restrictions. Though the thought left a peculiar taste in his mind, he decided to focus on what was urgent. 

Let’s see, first…  

“Are there any particularly powerful holy figures around?”

“Powerful?” 

“I mean, someone with a supreme mastery of holy power that I could somehow approach.”

Considering his target was a spirit, holy abilities would be the top priority. Katia was around, but he’d already exhausted all of her skill-copying potential long ago. Trying to raise her favorability further didn’t seem feasible at the moment, so it was time to find someone new.

Rania, listening quietly, exhaled a puff of smoke before speaking. “I hear some people from the Holy Kingdom are coming.”

“Pardon?” 

“The delegation, I mean. Isn’t it related to you?” 

—Oh.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. He’d heard about this before. The delegation was supposedly being sent to investigate his use of holy power, something only royalty should wield.

‘People I have some dues to settle with,’ he thought. His memories involving them were mostly unpleasant, so…

…he wouldn’t feel much guilt no matter what he did. 

“You have a scheming look on your face.”  

When Rania laughed and commented, Aiden couldn’t help but chuckle along. 

“Thank you for the help, Shaman.”  

“Call me Rania. No need for thanks; just consider this a preemptive debt.”  

“Pardon?”  

“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other a lot.”

She waved her hand lazily with a relaxed smile.  

“Until next time, Aiden Kellermain. Let’s have those Eastern noodles you like next time.”  

She was an intriguing person. Though a shaman, she gave off an almost eerie aura, one that felt mystical beyond measure.

As they exchanged goodbyes and parted ways, Aiden kept mulling over his impressions. She didn’t seem like a bad person, considering she’d suggested they go out for noodles… but—

‘Wait.’ 

Had he ever shared his food preferences with her? 

A shiver ran down his spine as he left the hut. 

***

The Kellermain household’s dinners were always simple and modest.

In the small house shared by only Kenneth Kellermain and his daughter Sisella Kellermain, it was rare for anything eventful to happen.

“Dad, I’m home—”

Sisella pushed open the door with her tiny hand. Even though it was always late when she returned from school, tonight the house was eerily silent, almost chilling. She pouted and trudged inside.

Kenneth always worked late, so there was no helping the loneliness that sometimes filled the house.

…Her brother used to greet her.

Though he had a busy job himself, her brother was always waiting for her after school. She missed him dearly.

It was hard not seeing his face for so long. Her dad said her brother had gone away on urgent business, but surely he could have at least said goodbye.

Sighing, Sisella set down her bag and walked slowly toward the kitchen, planning to make herself something to eat. But as soon as she turned on the kitchen light, she was met with an unexpected sight.

“…Ah, are you Aiden’s sister?”

A woman stood there, asking the question, while in front of her, Kenneth lay unconscious on the floor. The woman was holding him up with both hands—

Sisella’s eyes widened in alarm.

“W-What did you do to my dad?!”

“…I understand this might look odd, but I’m just helping him after he suddenly collapsed~”

“We haven’t done anything wrong! Get away from my dad!”

“I didn’t do anything; he just fainted as soon as he heard my name…”

“Get away from my dad, I said!”

…This wasn’t going as planned.

Noel thought in dazed confusion as she took in the situation.

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