It had only been a single day since Noele the Noble Spellsword learned the truth about the World System. She was still reeling from this newfound information. It was something her mind had refused to even consider before. But that was not because of a lapse in her judgment.
It was because of the World System’s manipulation.
That was right— Noele was certain that her mind was altered to be reverently loyal to the so-called God of Vacuos. Any thought that ever crossed her mind that even questioned the sanctity of the World System was immediately purged, the memory then immediately forgotten.
But now, she remembered it all. It was thanks to her talk with Amelia. While Noele’s master didn’t often drop much words of wisdom… or rather, do much at all, what she regaled about the Voidgod had opened the blonde girl’s eyes.
Noele hadn’t wanted to believe it at first. To even trust anything that the Voidgod said was ridiculous. And yet, when Amelia told the blonde girl that it claimed that the World System was evil, something seemed to click.
The Noble Spellsword had an epiphany. A revelation. As she lay there, lost in her thoughts, she unlocked a memory that had been hidden away.
No— a memory that had been forcefully replaced.
It seemed so distant. It almost felt like a dream. But Noele knew it was a reality. She recalled that piece of memory— when she had been floating in darkness, stabbed through the chest by Nicholas the Noble Knight. And the World System appeared to her.
It tried to trick her into accepting her new Class as a [Champion Spellsword].
Unfortunately, Noele had been fully knocked unconscious when that happened. She only regained a semblance of consciousness later thanks to the combined efforts of Garron, Arthur, and Bucky. That was when she willingly accepted the advancement.
But when she returned to reality, she had forgotten the entirety of what happened when she had been left alone in the darkness of her mind. She couldn’t remember how the World System had tried to trick her. Because the memory had been suppressed.
And that wasn’t the only memory that she had forgotten. There were other times— moments in her life where she briefly questioned the World System. A recent memory was of when she had been heading to Whiteridge, just before the attack of the Miststorm Riders. After she had started to learn how to fight with her own strength through Amelia’s training.
There were other times too. Noele could vaguely remember them. Her mind was still a mess, and she couldn’t quite coherently gather her thoughts. However, she recalled tidbits of moments from her childhood. When she was still young and curious, she would ask many questions in her head. And some of those included questioning the World System.
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But before those thoughts could fully be explored in her mind, they were wiped and replaced with something else.
Noele understood now that she had been indoctrinated by the World System to rely on it since her birth. And all along, it wasn’t helping her. Instead, it was holding her back. That was why she was able to overcome her limits and fight above her level thanks to Amelia’s training.
It was so much to process. But the blonde girl couldn’t just forget it. She couldn’t just ignore it. She had to figure out why.
Why did the World System do all this? Was it truly because it was evil? Was the Voidgod telling Amelia the truth?
Was the Voidgod really the True God of Vacuos?
Noele needed answers. But she didn’t know where she could get her answers from. Perhaps she could talk to a [Priest]— maybe consult her fellow adventurers. But she knew that would all be a fruitless endeavor. After all, they would all still be brainwashed by the World System.
So now, after much deliberation, she decided to seek out the only person who could help her. It was someone who wasn’t influenced by the World System. It was someone who could share her perspective, and perhaps even speak more about the Voidgod.
No— it wasn’t Amelia. While Noele’s master was occasionally helpful… most of the time, she’d just shrug and say, “I don’t know.”
Knowing that, Noele decided against interrogating Amelia even further. Still, the blonde girl headed to Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant. Because the person she sought worked there. It was not Harlan, nor was it Edlyn. And it certainly wasn’t Bucky.
The person Noele sought was Arthur.
He was once a [Priest]. A long time ago. And then he became a Lich King. Before, finally, he was made into a vessel of the Voidgod.
He had experienced the indoctrination of the World System, the Voidgod, and now he was free. He no longer had a Class. So he had more experience than anyone else in all of Vacuos on the matters of the World System and the Voidgod. He might not have undergone Amelia’s training, but he knew her very well, since he was her employee.
Arthur was the only one who could offer Noele a perspective she hadn’t considered yet. He was the only one who could help her. That was why she walked up to Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant, resolved to learn the truth.
But when she got there, she was faced with quite the strange situation.
“...alright, so I’m going to pretend I’m just working at my restaurant, then you’re going to come here and start shouting about exterminating the bastion bees.”
“And then I should pretend to attack the hive?”
“No, no. You want the threat to be real. So you should actually attack the hive. But make sure you hold back until I come out.”
“Then we have our duel, is that correct?”
“Yes, I will kick your ass once the bastion bees come out.”
“Good.”
Noele glanced between Amelia and Jax as the two finished their conversation. The blonde girl just blinked a few times, before she managed to work her jaw.
“...what is going on?”
“Oh, hey Noele,” Amelia said casually as she nodded at the blonde girl. “I’m about to beat up Jax for attacking the bastion bees.”
Noele just stared. “That… that explains nothing.”