Chapter 189

We followed the woman into the library and the sounds of the rioting outside quieted. The inside of the tall spire had a large open lobby with three floors of bookcases surrounding the open space in the middle. Against the back wall of the lobby rose a giant statue of a woman holding a book in one hand and a quill in the other. It was the first actual depiction of Sorsette I had ever seen.

"It is unfortunate that you came at such a difficult time," The woman said as she led us past desks and tables toward a large reception desk. "Normally this place would be bustling with activity but with the situation outside we've suspended many operations for the day."

I glanced around, there were still several people sitting and reading at the various desks and chairs but the room didn't look particularly crowded at the moment.

I turned back to the woman. "Did Theo tell you to expect us soon? I'm surprised we were recognized at the door."

She smiled in amusement as she looked back at me. "Theo did mention you, though I knew you would come soon regardless. The goddess herself had asked the leadership of the library to keep an eye out for you, she expected it wouldn't be long for you to seek us out once you reached the capital city."

I scratched the base of my horn. "How... easily are you able to speak with Sorsette? I knew that she interacted with mortals more than other gods but it sounds like you have regular conversations with her."

"Or, your presence is more auspicious than you are aware. After all, few would have the head librarian herself register your membership to the library." She grinned, walked around the desk, and touched a round stone plate there. "Lilith Baphomet. Belladonna. Mimi. I have now registered you three to the Great Library of Sorsette. I apologize but I cannot register those in bondage to the Great Library, though should you eventually gain your freedom you will also be preapproved for registry. In the meantime, you may enter here with someone else who is registered. I see that some of your other friends are not with you, you may inform Raya, Sibyl Steelglyph, and Cecilia of Silvergrove they are also welcome to register should they come by." The woman placed three silver cards on the desk facing us. "These cards can also serve as identification for entry into cities that require it."

I picked up my card and glanced down at it. "What are the benefits of being registered at the Library?" I asked.

"Oh? Has Theo not told you? I suppose he wasn't aware that you and your friends were preapproved for membership. Membership to the Great Library of Sorsette gives you access to most of the books and knowledge kept here as well as other libraries in the Goddess's purview as well as classes and training in many disciplines at discounted fees. Depending on the level of membership, you are also entitled to personal assistance from our librarians and copying of excerpts from our scribes. Your membership is of the highest quality so you may ask for personal assistance for up to four hours per week and ten excerpts of up to two pages a month or twenty pages in total for no charge. The card will also serve as proof of membership if you wish to receive discounts from various businesses associated with us throughout the world. Many cities that require tithes or charge tariffs on imports may also give you discounts based on your membership as well. Be warned however, not all cities and countries have a positive view of Sorsette, a bit of research before you enter would be wise. These cards also entitle you to protection and sanctuary should there be a time of crisis." She gestured to the doors behind us. "Such as during a citywide riot."

I raised an eyebrow. "It's not that I'm unhappy to receive membership but I'm a little confused why this is being offered to me and my friends out of nowhere."

She laughed. "It's not out of nowhere. I'm told that you yourself are considered a follower of Sorsette via the system. I'm also aware of your... circumstances regarding your hidden titles. Rest assured, the Library is very strict when it comes to matters of confidentiality. Our Goddess wishes to build strong ties with a burgeoning new race, especially one that is shaping up to be powerful and influential. This is just our first gesture of goodwill." I looked around, slightly uneasy with the way she said that out loud in the middle of the lobby. No one seemed to be paying attention but that wasn't all that reassuring.

"Right..." I slipped the card into my pocket and watched Bella and Mimi take their cards. Morrigan was basically drooling over the card and Mimi was perfectly happy to let her look over her new library card. Despite the vaguely suspicious situation, the sight brought a smile to my lips.

I looked back at the Librarian. "Alright, well I was hoping to browse some of your books, perhaps something on the construction of ritual magic?"

She nodded. "You'll be welcome to look at what we have but before that, I wish to have a private conversation with you, Lilith Baphomet."

"Just Lilith is fine..." I glanced at my friends. "My friends can't come?"

For the first time, the woman frowned a little. "I'm afraid I must insist that this be a private conversation, though you may speak to them about the conversation afterward. I'm sure you'll understand the situation quickly during our meeting."

Morrigan put her hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Lilith. We'll be fine. I'm sure whatever she needs to talk to you about is important." The librarian gave Morrigan a small nod of thanks in response.

"Will this take long?" I asked.

"That will be up to you I suspect," she said with a shrug. "Your friends are free to browse the library to their content while they wait for you to return."

I sighed. "Okay. Let's take care of it now then."

"Excellent. This way, please." She gestured in a direction and started walking toward a door tucked between two bookcases. I glanced back at my friends who had started to spread out in the library before following the woman through the door. She led me up two long flights of stairs before bringing me into a large office filled with different knick-knacks, books, scrolls, and statuettes.

She gestured at the chair facing her desk and sat down across from me. Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end and I felt the nature of the room shift. The woman's blue eyes began to glow and something about her presence abruptly felt overwhelming. The trick Silva had shown me of determining someone's level range based on your own made me feel dwarfed by the sheer power the woman across from me gave off. The woman's features shifted and she became a stunningly beautiful elf rather than the human that had just been in front of me. Her ears lengthened and poked out from her hair, her hair's black color lightened until it was a pure silvery white, and her robes suddenly looked ethereal and wispy.

"Welcome to my home, dear Lilith. Now that we're in a more private setting we can talk more candidly. I am Sorsette, the goddess of knowledge and innovation."

My gut dropped, I felt flatfooted and out of my depth. I had considered the possibility of coming face to face with a god again after it had happened with Charon, but this time things felt different. Visiting Charon was like meeting him in a dream, this time Sorsette was in front of me, magical presence and all.

She laughed and relaxed back in her chair. "No need to be so disturbed little one, I'm excited to finally meet you. There's no need for so much concern. Let me get you something to drink." She waved an arm and a tray of tea and clear water suddenly appeared on the desk in front of me.

I cautiously took a glass and poured myself some water to wet my suddenly dry throat.

She nodded. "Good, just relax. No need to be so worried. If I was upset with you I wouldn't have invited you into my home, little one. Now then, there is a lot to discuss. Though I suppose I should first ask you if there's anything pressing you would like to know before I start asking a few things myself. It's only fair."

There's one question that has been bubbling up over the course of my adventure so far. Something that has bothered me about my interactions with the gods. "Have you been manipulating my growth? I was told you can influence the system and it seems to be pushing me in a particular direction."

She smiled and leaned back again before steepling her fingers in front of her. "I have and I have not. It would be more accurate to say that I locked in your growth soon after it happened. I've been watching you closely from the very beginning and I was pleasantly surprised to find that you weren't the force of destruction many prophesize you to be. I am not able to use the system to force you to change your view on things, how you see yourself, or how you wish for the origin title to alter your base abilities and race. All I can do is force your status to update sooner to reflect how you feel. I did not make you renounce your connection to demons but I did make your status immediately reflect how you felt, the moment you felt that way."

I frowned. "You've been watching me that closely? Reading my thoughts since then?"

She shook her head. "No. I cannot read other's thoughts. I suspect that is also why not even your own powers truly allow for that. I am however able to see markers in the system that reflect particular things. I saw when you were first exposed to a demon and rejected it as kin, there is a marker for that. I took advantage of the opportunity and pushed the change to your race before you could change your mind. Are you disappointed by that?" she asked.

"...No. It's true, demons in this world are a far cry from how I view myself."

She grinned widely. "Good. It's no wonder with how quick you were to earn yourself the [Demon Hunter] title." She laughed. "You should have seen Felketh's reaction. The god of demons was pissed when you not only rejected his demons but immediately began to undermine his work. With so much focus on you, the mother of succubi, a demon, kicking off the prophesized second war of the gods, he had been working for years to bolster his followers and spread his influence. Only for you to turn away and immediately reject him."

My brows furrowed. "The first demons I had ever seen were grotesque horrors that were trying to kill me and my friends. How would that make me do anything but reject him?"

She began to laugh again and wiped a tear from her eye. "The dumb sod thought that he was doing you a favor, leading you to a dungeon so that you could get stronger. He did not expect that your first encounter would sour you to demons and for you to not only destroy that dungeon's core but also help repulse the dungeon break afterward and earn yourself a title for it."

My hackles raised. "Wait, did you say he led me to that dungeon?"

She nodded. "Yes. Gods can... push and pull things. Tug strings into place. It is less one of us controlling your actions and more like one of us presenting you with... opportunities."

"What kind of opportunities?" I asked.

"Mmm, I would have enjoyed chatting about a few more things but this is one of the main things I wished to talk to you about." Her demeanor suddenly shifted to something more serious. "I know you're concerned about the prophecy you recently learned about but I would like to put your mind at ease. Your actions are not causing this prophecy. It is already playing out. Long before your appearance in this world, there has been a cold war brewing between some of the gods. Your appearance here is merely the signal that things are starting to play out."

"Are the gods bound by this prophecy the same way people are?"

She chuckled, though a lot of her mirth had died after the change in subject. "First I would just like to say that the divine are people too, as much as they would like to deny it. And bound is... the wrong choice of words. Truthfully the various prophecies are not as ironclad as the ones I assume exist on your home plane. They function more like simulations here, meaning they are not only very malleable but they are also prone to error. The more you know about them, the easier it is to push the result in your desired direction. Place that on top of old and poor translations and you have situations like the one with the Tamin church."

I gripped the desk tightly. "If that's the case why hasn't anyone stopped the Tamin church from acting that way then?"

Sorsette shook her head and sighed. "The Divine Accords. The former priest you were talking to was wrong. The Tamin church is backed by gods, three in fact. And not even I know all of the ones involved. If we interfere with them directly it breaks the accords and the way the Tamin church is handling things is not by accident. They are being pushed to act the way they are intentionally, though I'm unsure of their true purpose other than a desire to trigger another war."

She leaned back in her chair, her glowing blue eyes intently focused on me. "I have however identified one of the gods behind the Tamin church and she's of particular interest to you. Fortuna, the goddess of luck and fortune."