Chapter 37
In a secluded infirmary at Leyla Academy.
Among the beds lined up in a row, there was one that had someone lying on it.
The man lying on the bed unwrapped the bandage around his head.
The bump that had formed when he slammed his forehead on the desk was now completely healed.
He picked up the remains of his shattered glasses.
Whoosh-
A mysterious energy swirled around his hand.
As the divine power gathered, the fragments of the glasses reassembled into their original form.
This was part of the Power of Knowledge that could only restore things when one fully understood their internal structure.
Ring- Ring- Ring- Ring-
The man brought his index and middle fingers together and held them to his ear.
"Yes, speaking."
He focused on the voice of the Wisdom First Apostle coming through the communication.
"It's possible. Yes. Yes."
The man nodded for a while as he received his orders.
"Understood. I'll meet with her separately before academy lectures start tomorrow and make the request. Don't worry. It's entirely possible. Everything shall be as Wisdom desires. Yes. Very well then."
When the First Apostle's voice in his head cut off, the man rose from the bed.
"This works out perfectly. Who would have thought she was the supplier."
A divine revelation had come from the Goddess of Wisdom.
Obtaining a book that she desired.
That was the order given to him through the First Apostle.
His Constellation [Lewd Wisdom] possessed vast wisdom and knowledge befitting its name, but tended to be obsessed with certain fields.
That field was erotica.
Whether the subjects in the media were tentacles, same sex, both sexes, or non-human, as long as it was sexually stimulating, she wanted it.
Her most faithful servant, the First Apostle, could find any object and those closest to obtaining it through her unique divine power [Small World].
The man had received such orders many times before to find and deliver items that the god desired.
The last item he delivered was probably that specially magi-engineered female pleasure device.
This time it seemed the god wanted a book featuring certain characters.
Though it was the kind of item only circulated within secret organizations...
"It won't be a problem. She owes me a debt."
The man was confident.
After all, he was an Apostle of [Lewd Wisdom], who possessed the ultimate wisdom that could overthrow even mighty powers.
*
"I am Ryan, Apostle of the [Archive]."
Monica blankly shook the hand extended to her.
"Let's get you up first."
She was pulled to her feet by the man's strength from where she had been sitting.
"Are... are you really the Supervisor's Apostle?"
"Technically I'm the Archive's Apostle, but you could see it that way."
If his Apostle had been female... it would have been hard to bear, but with a man like this it was different.
An Apostle with looks like these....
It made her want to become his Apostle even more.
"Monica."
"Y-yes? Ah, yes!"
Monica hurriedly responded when Ryan called out to her.
"This is another god's temple."
"Ah, yes."
"And it belongs to a god who is friendly with him. So why did Monica hold his memorial service here in this temple? Without even getting permission from the temple's owner."
"W-well..."
Monica pressed her index fingers together nervously.
"I-I just thought since it was an abandoned temple... I-I didn't have any other intentions..."
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes it is!"
Hmm, hmm.
The young man nodded.
"It does seem you didn't intend anything malicious."
"Th-that's right!"
"However, this temple's owner is extremely angry. Using their temple without permission, it's only natural."
"N-no way..."
"Yes, that's right. And all that anger will be directed at [Archive], at him. Since it was a memorial service for him after all."
"Wh-what should I... What should I do!"
To think my actions would cause him trouble!
No.
That was unacceptable.
"Is-isn't there a way? A way to make up for my mistake!"
"Hmm... there is, but it will take considerable time and effort. Can you handle that?"
"I can do it! No, I will do it! Please let me!"
Ryan smiled faintly at an angle Monica couldn't see.
From eliminating those with deviant sexual desires hiding in the shadows to delivering snacks for Lady Constellation.
He had found a suitable problem solver.
*
"Ugh... so sleepy."
I rubbed my eyes as I arrived at the academy with my bag slung over my shoulder.
[The Magi-Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath pats you comfortingly for working so late last night.]
The frog doll wearing a crown sitting on my shoulder patted my shoulder.
"It's fine. It was something I had to do."
Yesterday after encountering my fan (though I question if they can be called that) in the mental world, I returned to the original world and acted as the Supervisor's Apostle.
I had her clean up Lady Constellation's temple that was ruined by my memorial service and made her into a slave to deliver snacks to Lady Constellation.
It was worth exposing my current face for.
However, when I returned to the dormitory after finishing all this, one problem arose...
[Dream Storyteller scratches their head awkwardly with short arms, saying they fell asleep because they were too tired.]
Did Lady Constellation recruit gods to appear in the game while I was attending school classes?
When I asked Lady Constellation for details since this made no sense, she said she had been looking for Constellations who seemed corrupted by sin to use as material for the game since I seemed to be having such a hard time lately.
The Magi-Engineer helped her.
An unexpectedly large number of gods gathered, she said.
They all want to appear as main characters in the next story of [Akashic Archive]?
I thought the gods weren't very interested since there was barely any contact from them before the Demon God's story, but it seems they were all just being mindful of appearances.
Once the floodgates opened, they all came rushing in.
So Lady Constellation selected three gods, but...
The problem is she can't grant their request before releasing the event.
Past subculture games would hold events timed with occasions like Halloween or Christmas.
I decided to benchmark those games by using events to showcase the appeal of characters and provide players with a better play experience.
This world doesn't have Halloween but it does have Memorial Day.
I was planning to release skins and hold an event timed with that holiday...
What am I supposed to do with this workload, Lady Constellation?
[Dream Storyteller presses her tiny hands together apologetically, saying she's really sorry.]
This is quite the dilemma.
I still haven't even figured out the identity of those Abyss bastards and the gods corrupted by sin...
Well, I pretty much finished creating the event framework by staying up all night, so I can move on to the next story after completing this.
"Apostle! Apostle!"
I heard someone running up behind me as I was walking down the hallway.
Apostle?
When I turned around, that Courage Apostle Monica from yesterday was running towards me waving.
...This woman.
"Did you sleep well, Apostle?"
All traces of her violent side from yesterday were gone as she greeted me demurely.
"Huh?"
I grabbed her wrist and moved us to a secluded spot at the end of the hallway.
"I would prefer if you didn't call me Apostle."
"What? B-but..."
"I can't explain the details, but [Archive] is currently in a crisis situation. Which means drawing others' attention would not be good."
Ah! I-I see... imprisoned...
She drooped dejectedly after apparently misunderstanding something from my words.
"I-I'm sorry. I was thoughtless."
"Sigh, no it's fine. It's partly my fault for not explaining beforehand."
It would be troublesome if word got out about me pretending to be the Apostle of a non-existent god.
"So what brings you here?"
"Ah! Well! That is... th-there's something he ordered me to do..."
Is this about eliminating those deviants?
It's definitely not something I can or want to get involved with.
Better to have her, a god's Apostle, handle it instead.
Just then...
"So this is where you were, Courage Apostle."
A familiar voice came from beside us.
When I turned my head, there was a handsome man pushing up his glasses.
It was the Wisdom Apostle from yesterday.
"...What do you want?"
Monica's voice had suddenly turned cold as she responded to him.
"No need to worry. I'm not here about yesterday's incident."
He shrugged.
"But my Lady Constellation ordered me to obtain a certain book from you. I was hoping you could spare one copy."
B-book?
Monica's face filled with panic.
"As it happens, I hear you're the author. I know you have that book with you right now. I'll pay you handsomely for it. Could you give me one copy now?"
Monica frantically looked back at me.
"A-Apostle! Th-that's..."
Monica flailed about in a fuss.
The opening of her bag came loose from the violent shaking.
Swoosh-
[The Supervisor and the Unstoppable Lady]
A book slipped out through the gap and
Thud-
The pages of the book that fell to the floor opened up.
"What in the..."
I couldn't close my mouth.
Because drawn in shoujo manga style was a beautiful lady
Kissing the Supervisor, based on my past life's appearance, in a rose garden.
"Hau, hauuu..."
Monica squeezed her eyes shut like an ostrich, as if believing she could escape the current situation by closing her eyes and lowering her head.
*
Heaven.
In a small room deeply isolated from other gods' domains
In the middle of a room cluttered with various odds and ends, a goddess too large to be called a girl but too small to be called a woman lay curled up with her eyes closed.
-For the sake of ultimate wisdom!
-You are my greatest masterpiece!
"N-no more..."
She tossed and turned as if having a nightmare, grimacing.
-On the day the narrative is complete, you shall become the god who oversees wisdom and be imprisoned in the prison of knowledge.
-That is your mission that you cannot escape even through ascension.
"Stop!"
The goddess opened her eyes.
Her eyes were bloodshot.
Grasp-
She grabbed something long that was placed beside her.
Crunch...
The bad memories jumbling her mind.
She had to forget them.
She had to endure.
While desperately waiting for salvation that might never come.
Fervently wishing for the freedom she could only dream of.