Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22]

Finally! Took you long enough, HUMAN!

In the inky-black space around him, green flecks of light started manifesting, like distant stars on the firmament. Their weak light illuminated nothing and he was unable to tell how far they were, even when swerving from side to side, as if he really was suspended in the vacuum of the space.

Zeph could feel arrogance and annoyance emanating from the text, almost hearing them as if the sentence was spoken out loud. But what really caught his attention was the old Laiu word for a ‘lesser being’ she had used.

He frowned. That one comment was enough to destabilize his mind again, but even if his Willpower was acting up again, he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now.

“Oh, finally?” he asked through a clenched jaw. “What is this farce? I don’t even know why I am here, and you are already dissatisfied?”

Pride, Gru silently muttered to himself, but Zeph ignored the comment.

Ara? A rebellious Soul? And here I thought you wanted to see me.

An elegant, yet condescending laughter echoed in the background of the message, giving him creeps and infuriating him even more, all at the same time.

Zeph shook his head and flexed his Will, draining it to enhance the mentally stabilizing effect of Willforce. He was getting better at using it against his emotional states.

I am being baited? What is this bullshit? he thought in indignation.

At last, he managed to gather himself enough to try a diplomatic approach. It was difficult right now, but he wasn’t here just to disrespect some random Goddess for no real reason.

“I am open to negotiations…” he admitted in a much calmer tone. “But it seems you already have something in mind? Why don’t we hear it, then?” he proposed, faking an indifference with difficulty.

Hoho, calming your primal instincts already? Not bad, for a primitive. Let’s talk business then.

The patronizing tone almost made him lose it again, but he endured. The fact that Willforce Magicules weren’t exactly efficient right now didn’t escape his notice.

Know my graciousness! I will exchange one book of any kind for one of your making. Though, I require those to include extworld works or knowledge, and be of a similar genre to your choice. I have a list of priorities, of course, but the exchange rate won’t change for those. One book of your interest for one book of mine. It’s already too kind of me.

Zeph forced himself to ignore her pompous remarks and considered the proposal seriously. On one hand, he was bringing totally new knowledge, culture, history, and more into the fold. On the other, he didn’t know much about this world, so it looked like the exchange she proposed was balanced.

Alas, it wasn’t.

The fact that the Goddess knew what she wanted from him meant she already had information about him, his memories, or Earth and understood, more or less, the scope of what he could bring. But Zeph was clueless as to the value, rarity, and usefulness of her books. Which meant, he would have to study certain topics first, before choosing the best options. It had the potential to circumvent some of the restrictions placed on the accessibility of said books. But, in the end, it would be just a guesswork for the most part. Not to mention, until deciding on a book to exchange, he would have to pay for the standard access to the Library.

Also, he came from a Manaless world. Even if she was able to share writings from worlds other than Corora, how many of those had such a unique background? He was sure Earth’s workings were alien enough to be considered a scarce resource.

One does not simply pay for gemstones with food!

At least not in a one-to-one weight ratio, he corrected himself. Or of lower rarity… Ugh, whatever, the metaphor isn’t important! It’s a scam. The conclusion made his face contort in anger once again.

“That is not even close to a fair offer, Onji,” he shook his head slowly, taking a deep breath. “Truth is, the thing I need the most is just Interface functionality allowing me to make notes. Even just the information from those notes should be enough for you to pay me for—”

A loud laughter interrupted him. No message was sent through his Interface, only an overwhelming echo of her contemptuous amusement reverberating inside his mind.

Against himself, he started to nervously smirk, too. The external influence was making him jolly, but the new emotion was clashing violently with the anger he still felt, making it flare in retaliation once again.

To think you would be so audacious! The foolishness!

The echo repeated once more, making him feel dizzy with all the contrasting emotions. He could feel his Will depleting at a dangerous rate, making him sick in the stomach.

The next words were oozing authority, diminishing him with every word, crushing his worth, confidence, and ego.

He buckled down but refused to fall to his knees.

Know your place, HUMAN! Either take the offer or begone and never again step in my domain!

He had enough. Unrestrained fury surfaced from the deeps of his being.

His full-body enhancement, the Willforce Morphon, flared with unbound power for the first time in his life.

His metabolism reacted, restoring his Will. His Soul stilled, preserving it. Willforce devoured his whole Mana generation and exploded inside of him, dissipating almost instantly after creation to power everything that was happening. A wave of Will, an unnaturally grandiose fluctuation of Soul, started rolling through his whole being…

Only to be snuffed like a candle thrown into the ocean.

As he was on the verge of exploding, but before his emotions had a chance to take full control, another, this time familiar, message popped up.

All in gray colors, absolutely cold and indifferent; dousing his burning mind, his whole existence in the tranquility of an unfeeling universe.

But also cutting him off from the Goddess and her influence.

[Yuki], what do you think you are doing?

Despite the calmness and tranquility, those words instilled a primal fear in Zeph. A hint of anger and a promise of punishment, maybe even violence, mingled within them.

Like a mother, or maybe an older sister, calmly threatening a child, but magnified beyond extreme proportions.

Tch…

No, what are you doing here, [Şɣs]?

There was no emotional influence accompanying the message this time. Zeph could still decipher muted displeasure and accusation as if the words were spoken out loud, but they couldn’t reach him, couldn't touch his mind.

He was too weak to fully concentrate, though. The adrenaline rush… Or rather the full mobilization of his resources, didn’t end immediately. The sudden change left all parts of him unbalanced, confused, and spent.

You have transgressed.

Who is transgressing here? What happened to the [Interface] communication inviolability?

Her tone was subdued, but her outrage at what was happening was clear.

Take a better look. We are just an automated precaution measure. Which, by the way, you personally triggered. You better have a good explanation, [Togana].

Grrrrr… To think you would humiliate me like that in front of others…

The embarrassment in her voice couldn’t be mistaken. He could almost imagine as she hid her face in her hands.

That’s enough! Back off, you fink! Ungraceful [Şɣs]! You wanted more data on his enhancement – you have no right to speak!

But did nothing for her pompous attitude…

We don’t care about that part. Your exchange proposition is outrageous, though.

Oi! Is my sanity irrelevant here?! he screamed internally.

“Gra!” suddenly, his companion vibrated in self-satisfaction.

“You did what?!”

Hoho, no need to be so upset, little lamb. It seems even your [Bond] knows what’s better for you than you yourself.

She did have [Garuan] permission, so was technically—

He ignored those comments altogether. “You little traitor…” he said in a whisper with a thousand-yard stare. It hurt him more than he would admit. He slowly looked down at his chest with disbelieving eyes. “How could you agree to be a part of it?!”

“Gruuuu…” it vibrated weakly, trying to defend himself. “Gree, raaau! Raaa…”

Gru continued to give excuses, inciting Zeph’s raising headache.

It was true I wanted to test the enhancement’s influence over my emotional states, but… he thought weakly. Why like that? Screw the Resonating Trait test! And screw you, Gru! It felt like I was going to explode from within! How did she even manage to feed Gru those emotions to resonate with me, anyway?! Ugh, my head hurts…

While he was deep in thought, and slowly coming to terms with what just happened, the discussion continued. To the chagrin of a certain Goddess.

Don’t change the topic, [Yuki]. The [test] you performed may be legitimate, but you used it to gain an advantage for the negotiations. And your price was way below the acceptable threshold.

It’s not my fault your transcription prices are exorbitant. Maybe try to tailor them to the realia and deal with the wimp as you should, instead of meddling in the affairs of others?

She pouted, managing to offhandedly offend Zeph once again.

Be that as it may. His memories aren’t cheap. And for a good reason.

That fully brought Zeph’s attention back to the conversation. He shushed his prattling Bond, concentrating on the messages sent through his Interface once more.

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So, the System can sell my memories and knowledge just like that? I don’t even know how to feel about it…

I have offered all books without exception. Isn’t that benevolent enough? I know you two are acquainted, so I don’t have to worry about restrictions placed on the books. You would supervise him, anyway.

Aren’t you just lazy?

That’s beside the point. He is learning still and you didn’t give him any opportunity to access basic knowledge without overpaying. Advanced and esoteric books won’t do any good for him this early.

And again, you used underhanded methods on a youngling.

Am I a kid to you?! he complained quietly, making a sour face. His position was slowly getting ridiculous, but he couldn’t see any opportunity to add his own opinion.

On the other hand, Gru was perfectly content with playing a child’s role. Probably because his mentality and age were just that.

“Gre!” it spitted mentally to the side, evidently deciphering Zeph’s thoughts and disagreeing.

“What now?” he whispered under his breath. “If we were mentally equal, you wouldn’t have made such a mistake. And stop spitting, it’s disgusting,” he berated his Bond and could feel as it became somewhat embarrassed.

“Grauu…” it vibrated sheepishly.

Zeph just shook his head wearily and turned his attention to the ongoing discussion between two Gods… or rather, one and a half Gods, seeing as the System wasn’t really here.

[Şɣs], don’t do this to me! This is unfair!

Is it now? If you want to negotiate, you should contact us directly. The current arrangements are balanced. You can do whatever you want, anyway.

Keh… You threaten me with releasing his memories to those knuckleheads and call it a balanced arrangement? Don’t you have shame?!

Ever heard about a free market, lady? he thought dryly, staring blankly at her message.

No, we don’t. In any case, if you won’t respect his right to keep the data confidential, why would we?

I missed something it seems. But yea, go System! Thankfully, the conversation wasn’t going too fast. He could clearly see that there was a connection lag of some kind.

But… I won’t gain anything from such an exchange! It’s ludicrous!!!

Are you a teenager? Stop with those exclamation marks! Gru chuckled at that by vibrating lightly.

You will, in the future. Did you forget that you are buying new materials right now? Somehow, you don’t see a problem when making similar deals with organizations of ‘lessers’.

Those are different, [Şɣs]. At the very least, they guarantee a stable Mana income.

Zeph sighed heavily. This discussion was going nowhere. “Look here, you abrasive Goddess, I will rather not see You and your ‘magnificent’ Libraries ever again than agree to be treated like a simple resource,” he stated with confidence. “You insinuated it yourself. That you can greatly profit from my materials. Are you going to invest in it, or not?”

...

We will leave now; further discussion is pointless. [Yuki], contact us directly for the [test] remuneration.

And don’t try it again without precautions. The cost of stabilizing his Soul will be deducted.

Haaaah… As you say, [Şɣs]…

Silence ensued, only the green flecks of light keeping him company.

Zeph crossed his arms and waited for a minute. He already had an idea as to why this situation came to be and how to bargain. It was mostly an educated guess, though.

After sorting everything in his head, he decided to push the talk forward a little.

“Sooo…. It doesn’t seem like you have many advantages in the knowledge department, even being a Goddess of the Library. With those rivals and all—”

Listen here, you little shit. Information trade is a cutthroat business. On our level, we live and die by it.

Zeph smiled slightly. He evidently hit a sore spot.

“Information… Are you talking only about knowledge or do you also mean entertainment? Culture works, so to speak?” If beings like her were immortal, in the sense of longevity, he could see that boredom could become a problem rather fast. It was a bet, but his idea sounded plausible. Even primitive Artificial Intelligence on Earth were developing their inclinations, and this Goddess was more human than even some people he knew. It wouldn’t be strange for her to search for new entertainment venues.

Especially because she sounded a little like a chuunibyou…

… Everything has its use. But practical knowledge can be found in every genre of literature, if you know where to look. Separating them like that, it’s an attribute of a fool, HUMAN.

At least I can agree with that, he nodded to himself, ignoring the not-so-hidden insult. “You failed to acquire any data from other Terriens, didn’t you?”

The silence lasted for a second too long, which was enough to confirm his guess.

You dare to try gaining a higher hand? Over me?! Don’t be delusional, pest, I won’t play into your hand just because of such a minor obstacle! I have all the time to gain what I need.

The message this time emanated clear animosity.

It seems knowledge doesn’t provide social acumen… Just like for normal people. I am sure she tried to avoid exactly this outcome from the very beginning… But she didn’t even try to understand my intentions. Were her interactions with ‘mortals’ until now that bad? he mused unhurriedly, allowing her to drift in uncertainty a bit longer as a revenge for all those past insults.

“You know, we are more alike than I thought,” he finally said, almost smiling. Almost. “I want for the two of us to gain something in this exchange. My knowledge aside, did you know that at least two of my close companions, the Terriens, are present in the city?”

...

“One of them should be a treasure trove when it comes to the entertainment industry,” he silently thanked Alana for watching all those movies and serials. “And the other one should have more knowledge about esoteric martial arts than all of us put together. I am sure they could share… If I could contact them.”

That’s not going to happen. Personal information, like a location, is non-negotiable with [Şɣs]. I may have clues, but those also fall under sensible personal information as long as they live.

Besides, if they are working with my peers, interacting with them would be a declaration of hostility.

Zeph was surprised by the almost gentle tone this time. It sounded almost like she finally put away her social mask and engaged with the negotiations for real.

He pondered on new information for a moment. “You know, I am not sure if I should do this, but… I will give you a benefit of the doubt…” Showing goodwill now was risky, but she was already threatened by the System to keep quiet... His only alternative, a realistic one, for the exchange of information was Leilucia. But he would have to wait until Aisha managed to finish constructing a Shrine on Kwan’s lands. Taking into account the internal fracture of her faction, he would rather avoid normal Lelucia Temples.

Nodding to himself for reassurance, he decided to disclose some more details. But… “First, can you tell me how many Terriens showed up? According to your information?” It was an important point.

Counting you, six.

He breathed out with relief. “Good. It means my information is worth something. You see, I am eighth on this world…”

Are you playing with me?!

“You can ask System Onji, tell them I allowed you to have this information. Anyway, two people, my closest comrades, should be in this city. I recognized their group’s symbol, you see. There is no mistake.”

He breathed out heavily. Sharing this information wasn’t easy. There was a real risk of putting them in a hard spot if the information leaked.

“Even if they are under other Onjis, I am sure their ‘contracts’ aren’t as strict as for the rest of my people.” He paused but elaborated before she could ask. “At least, I didn’t see anything indicating as much. But nobody knows about them, you included. I can make an educated guess that they work independently of this world’s powers, at least to a huge degree. It’s a bet, but a good one.”

I see now. So that’s why you wanted to speak with me. Even if I cannot give you information about them…

“You can, instead, give my information to them, yes. Especially because you are in charge of more physical aspects of sharing knowledge, something the System lacks. I can give you a description, so you should be able to detect their group…”

The risk of making a mistake is still at large, though. I have a few ideas of how to implement an inconspicuous message, but I have a feeling you already thought about that?

“Indeed. I wanted you to insert leaflets into books that possible targets will take from the Library. Well, I mean the copies. Anyway, I can easily design a symbol that would be inconspicuous, but clear for only my comrades. Our Guild’s address can be posted openly for them to read, it would even perform a second function of promoting our Guild’s new entertainment venture. It would work as another smoke screen at the same time.”

Such shameless advertising… The idea isn’t bad but needs some more work. I despise unwanted content destroying the pleasure of reading.

Zeph smiled widely. It seemed they finally started to reach an agreement. “Same here. It has to be in the theme, but we will have our own theatre, so it shouldn’t be out of place. Anyway, all that is only an add-on to our base contact.”

Yes, yes. I can offer you free-of-charge Library access within standard restrictions and the recording Interface function. Your scribbles in the latter will be used to pay for both.

“Do remember to keep my notes under wraps until I would like to publish them. And you will have to pay for the right to propagate them, separately.”

You already have [Şɣs] warranty, why do you even ask?

The message was almost pitiful. “Right… As for the future books’ exchange…”

Will be the same as I proposed…

He could almost hear a sob.

“I think we should price my efforts later, when the publishing would be possible…” He could feel the depression of the Goddess emanating from all around. “But… why don’t we exchange some stories first?” he asked hesitantly.

The mood in the chamber improved immediately, which was instantly perceivable by the ‘stars’ shining brighter.

“Gra!” it exclaimed expectantly.

Don’t worry, little one. Our deal is separate from this one.

What?! You trai—

===============================

And so, a long night of unexpected literature exchange took place in a dark chamber of Lurona’s main Library.