Elias remained silent while sitting, his nerves tense and his heart palpitating. His body felt cold and his breathing paused, almost as if he was being submerged in an icy cold pond with no immediate way out.

It felt like the man standing across from him could read him like a book, leisurely glancing through the pages containing his most treasured secrets without any form of difficulty or obstruction.

The fact that he was an Apostle walking down an unknown path was one of Elias's most treasured secrets, as well as the one thing that caused him the most worry.

He could already picture what his life would be like once this secret was revealed to the public, which was why he spent a lot of effort to make sure that possibility didn't happen.

Elias could already see himself being branded as a blasphemous heretic, an accusation which would make his life a whole lot more difficult, not just his, but his friends and family's as well.

He had toiled night and day to make himself appear spotless and without fault, efforts which seemed rather meaningless while he was present before the Benign Philosopher in front of him.

The man's calm eyes seemed to be staring right into his very soul, unraveling each and every tapestry of his secrets like a deity looking down onto a powerless mortal.

In front of those eyes, It seemed like the concept of secrets itself was useless because secrets were ultimately truths silently waiting to be unraveled.

Noa El-Lah noticed the tense expressions of both brothers, prompting him to chuckle before leaning back into his chair.

"No need to worry, for I have no plans to be of harm to any of you. Rather, everything that has happened so far has been put in place for me to help you, so you both can calm down."

This made Lars feel a lot more wary, as he didn't understand the underlying meaning behind these words.

How could a high-ranking figure who had disappeared from the world more than a decade ago state that he had done all of this to help them? Especially when they hadn't had any prior interactions or connections with each other.

This made the entire situation seem a bit more sketchy, with Lars making sure that this fact was perfectly reflected in his gaze.

Elias also seemed to be a bit on guard about the whole thing but still decided to maintain a respectful approach, as their founder hadn't shown any signs of wanting to cause them harm.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, speaking soon after with a characteristic tone and expression.

"I don't mean for it to seem like I'm doubting you sir, but I don't quite follow. Weren't the puzzles and clues you left behind meant to be the starting point of your plan to escape this place? I don't see how helping us plays into all of this."

Noa El-Lah listened silently, before calmly agreeing.

"Yes, you are right. That was the initial plan, but it's not anymore. Unfortunately, I cannot leave this place for the time being, as my departure would spark up a chain of calamitous events. When it's time for me to leave I will naturally do so, so there is no need to worry about that."

Elias glanced at him hesitantly, with Lars taking the initiative to ask, albeit in a rather rude manner.

"Well, why can't you leave? Are you stuck here as punishment for something you did?"

Noa El-Lah simply smiled, his eyes serene but solemn.

"Rather than being punished, I think it's fair to say that I've been entrusted in protecting something, something that is as valuable to me as it is to you.

"If I were to leave this place, the world we both know and love would be plunged into a never-ending nightmare, one which neither you nor I or even the gods themselves shall ever recover from. My choice to remain here is simply to offer a little bit of help to the world, no matter how small or insignificant it may be."

Lars took in a deep breath, not expecting his sarcastic remark to receive such an alarmingly deep response.

Elias silently observed his founder's expression for a brief moment, before posing a question of his own.

"I assume we shouldn't ask for the specifics concerning what you are talking about?"

Noa El-Lah simply shrugged his shoulders, neither agreeing nor denying.

'Thought as much. Well that's alright, it's not something I should be bothering myself with, as it greatly exceeds what I can handle at my current level. There are more pressing matters to get to, such as...'

Elias glanced wordlessly at his brother, the latter picking up on his cue instantly and without delay.

"No need to worry about that sir, forget he asked. For now, what we want to know is what you meant by doing all this to help us. That still doesn't make sense to me."

Elias calmly nodded, signaling his agreement.

Noa El-Lah walked quietly to a cabinet, pulling out a book from one of the illusory shelves that bordered between the real and unreal.

He turned towards the twin duo and abruptly snapped his fingers, their vision blurring instantly, bringing them back to the section of the library that they initially came from.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He moved to take his seat behind his desk, before addressing both Elias and Lars.

"As I've said before, the underlying foundation of the sapience authority is truth, and in truth, all things will forever remain the same. Sometime before I was pulled up here I was granted a vague revelation, prompting me to put together an auxiliary plan for my escape.

"The first step of that plan was to connect me to an external helper in the outside world, as that was key to facilitating my release. Who would have known that all of my actions had been preplanned and that I had been operating based on a plan set aside by one of the five deities."

His face looked conflicted and a bit bitter, as he still couldn't stomach the thought of his actions not being his own.

Elias and Lars noted his subtle change in expression but remained silent, as they felt like it wasn't the right time to ask any questions.

Noa El-Lah shook his head as if to drown out his own negative thoughts, before moving to speak once more.

"Like I told you before, by the time I got up here, 'he' was already gone, but that didn't mean that 'he' didn't leave behind any instructions for me to follow. 'His' orders were for me to wait here for the one that would inevitably respond to my calling, stating that I should provide you with as much help as I can without limiting your personal growth and independence." He paused, his smile riddled with conflicts. "It seems like we both have been pawns in a game 'he' is playing, pawns who have no other choice than to move according to 'his' whims."

Both Elias and Lars listened in silence, their nerves tense and their brains rolling.

They both didn't understand what they might have done to attract the attention of a divine deity, especially one that was related to an Echelon with almost little similarity to their own.

Why did 'he' want to help them?

Was it related to their connection to the Echelon of Irregularity?

Could the Librarian At A Corner have a relationship with 'The One That Represents All That Is Abnormal'?

And if so, did 'he' simply just want to offer aid to his potential companion's newest follower?

Or maybe there was a deeper truth to it, one that he still couldn't unravel due to his limited information and strength?

All of these questions made Elias realize that he might have stumbled into a situation well beyond his power, one which involved the actions and wills of the gods.

He already had a connection to the Benevolent Mother from his orthodox faith and could be said to be connected to the unknown god of death based on his unique constitution alone.

Not only that, he was also given a 'present' by one of the nuns from the Church of Providence some time ago, which could also be interpreted as being the will of the goddess of destiny and fate, as the Sightless Seers rarely operated if not based on 'her' will.

He had now also forged a connection with the Librarian at a Corner, meaning that aside from the gods of the Church of Pyre and Ordinance, he already had either a direct or indirect relationship with each of the known orthodox deities.

This made Elias seem a lot more frightened and suspicious than he was before, as even he could more or less detect the signs of a concealed ploy involving the deities at work.

Noa El-Lah noticed Elias's tense expression, understanding the young man's sentiments.

"I see you are a bit suspicious, and I honestly don't blame you. Your situation is an odd one, so I can understand if you are a bit skeptical about the entire thing. All I can say is that I guarantee you that 'he' means no harm, as his goal is and has always been to protect both humanity and the world as a whole. I wouldn't have abided by his plans for so long if that wasn't the case."

Lars refused to let up his guard but was instead now a lot more vigilant. The only person in the world he trusted unconditionally was Elias, so a few meager words from a stranger were less than enough to dilute his suspicions.

Elias on the other hand was a lot more calm and collected, running through the wealth of information he had received before making his choice.

He would have felt a bit more reluctant to let down his guard if it wasn't for the reassurance of the person before him because as opposed to the secretive ploys of the gods, he was a lot more inclined to agree with the perspective of a person who was known as one of the historical beacons of humanity.

He gazed at Noa El-Lah for a few moments in silence, before finally relaxing into his seat.

"If that is what you think sir, then I understand. Even if I don't fully accept the current situation, it won't stop me from taking full advantage of it, so I can at least be capable of affording the bill that comes with this timely 'help' in the future."

The Benign Philosopher nodded in approval, clearly satisfied.

"Well, that's good. Even though I said I'm going to be of help to you, I want to make it known that I cannot do too much, as I am currently restricted to this space. All I can do is offer you knowledge, which is what I was permitted to do by 'him'. I am currently allowed to answer any three questions you might have, but the caveat is that they must be questions which you can bear to know."

Noa El-Lah's expression suddenly darkened, looking a bit rather tense and fearful.

Lars noted this, before opting to ask a question he was curious about.

"I've always wanted to ask this, but why are certain forms of knowledge so restricted? It is the same with the Silent Archives where we work, as we aren't allowed to glance through any piece of knowledge that is above our current level. The possibility of knowledge being infectious has always made no sense to me, so I've always wanted to know why that is the case."

Noa El-Lah took a moment to contemplate, before smiling with his usual carefree expression.

"You know normally, I should take that as being one of your three questions, but I'll throw it in as a bonus as I quite like how straightforward you are." His tone then became solemn, and his eyes rather deep. "This is a secret that should normally be accessible to only Apostolic Archbishops and above, so I'll try to make my explanation as vague as possible to avoid complications."

He then stood up from his seat, walking to a point that allowed him to better see the entire expanse of the library.

He admired the entire structure with calm eyes, his form straight and upright.

"All I can tell you is that there exists a deity hiding somewhere within the Spiritual Sea, a terrifyingly evil demigod that is capable of corrupting even the most basic and innocent forms of knowledge.

"The reason why old historical records are controlled in the way it is today is also because of this, as only by accepting and digesting information corresponding to one’s level will you then be able to better protect your Realm Of Thought from the encroaching degeneration.

"Knowledge that exceeds one's capabilities is more susceptible to potential corruption from that deity, thus leading to a vote of regulation by each of the figures in power at the time, irrespective of both faith and race. It was a jointly agreed decision, one which was made to suppress the growth of the evil demigod while protecting the sanity of our people in the process."

Elias felt a chill run down his spine, while Lars shrank back reflectively.

The fact that they could run mad simply by glancing down at a few words was as scary as it was unthinkable, causing both of them to realize how dangerously close they were to losing their lives when they were in the inner section of the archives.

Elias slowly regained his composure, his eyes clear but his voice hoarse.

"What a scary world we live in, seems like our daily life is a lot more riddled with danger than any of us could have ever even imagined."

Noa El-Lah smiled softly, tapping his hands across the table as he once again took his seat.

"Yes, it really is. Some, a lot closer than you might realize."