Infori was startled by that statement. He had never imagined that the dagger that had been stored in a small box in his shop for years was, in fact, the very first legendary artifact ever created.
His thoughts returned to a particular phrase Noya had uttered earlier.
(Surpass everything...)
Infori tried to weigh the various possibilities that came to mind. However, the more he thought about it, the harder it became for him to understand the true meaning behind that statement.
"Surpass everything...?"
Noya did not answer immediately. Instead, she said something that Infori had never expected.
"However, that statement is nothing more than an illusion."
Infori immediately raised his gaze. His tone changed instantly in surprise.
"What?"
"It is merely a statement created by the dagger's own innate ability, which is—Illusion."
The final word sounded simple. Yet, precisely because of its simplicity, Infori needed some time to process what it meant.
If the claim that the dagger could surpass everything was nothing more than an illusion, how far could that ability influence someone's perception of reality? More importantly, how could someone distinguish between something that had truly happened and something they merely believed had happened?
"A statement created by an illusion... What do you mean?"
"The dagger doesn't actually surpass everything."
Infori once again focused his attention on Noya. He waited for further explanation, trying to understand the connection between the power of illusion and the statement that had long been associated with the artifact.
"What the dagger does is make its wielder believe that they have surpassed something. Perception, understanding, even the limits that have long been considered absolute—all of them can be influenced by illusion."
Infori fell silent.
The explanation made enough sense to him. If Blades of Mirage could influence its wielder's perception, then the claim that the dagger could surpass everything did not necessarily describe its true capabilities. Perhaps it was all just a belief deliberately instilled by the illusion.
With that thought in mind, Infori began to question the value of the artifact they were discussing.
"In other words..." he muttered, "the dagger doesn't change reality. Instead, it changes how someone perceives reality?"
"More or less."
"Then Blades of Mirage isn't a particularly special artifact."
"You're wrong."
Infori was immediately taken aback.
"Huh?"
He couldn't understand why Noya had so readily rejected his conclusion. Hadn't her earlier explanation been clear enough? If Blades of Mirage could only influence someone's perception, didn't that mean the dagger had no actual power to surpass any limits whatsoever?
As an artifact shopkeeper and an artifact maniac, Infori believed he was fairly knowledgeable about the various abilities possessed by such objects. He even knew of several artifacts capable of creating illusions in a similar manner. Some of them were only ranked B.
(Then why did Noya dismiss my conclusion so easily?)
"What do you mean? The ability to create illusions is an ordinary ability that can be found in B-rank artifacts."
"You'll find out eventually, Infori. If you want to know the answer, you'll have to look for it yourself. I don't want to go on and on about a single artifact."
Infori let out a quiet sigh. He still had plenty of questions, but judging from Noya's answer, he could tell that this conversation would not take him any further for the time being. Probably.
"...I see. I'm sorry for asking so many questions like this."
Noya remained silent for a moment before finally turning toward Infori.
A faint smile appeared on her face. This time, there was a different kind of warmth behind her expression—something Infori had never truly felt throughout their previous conversations.
"It's all right. I know you're an extremely curious person."
Infori returned her smile with a faint one of his own. He hadn't expected to hear her mention a trait he had once possessed, but had since tried to abandon because of one or more matters related to his past.
"So you still remember that bad habit of mine, huh?"
There was a particular incident that Infori and Noya both remembered. Although it hadn't directly caused Infori to abandon that part of himself, it had nevertheless left a lasting impression on his mind.
"Of course I remember. I could never forget that incident. Back when you were still a little boy, you were playing with your friends, but then you decided to fool around by touching an artifact in your father's shop that you were never supposed to touch. It caused an explosion that destroyed the entire shop," Noya explained. "I witnessed everything firsthand, and it was quite a shock."
Infori's expression darkened. He recalled the incident, even remembering the terrifyingly angry look on his father's face when he was still a child.
"That's exactly why my father wouldn't let me look after the shop. Yet now, I've inherited it and become the one responsible for running it."
"My condolences for your father's passing a few years ago."
"Yeah."
Noya then resumed walking, with Infori following behind her.
***
They finally arrived at the point where the root of the problem had begun. It was located within the void, yet, for some reason, it seemed incredibly close to Infori's fate path. It even looked as though he could touch it with his fingers.
Infori's eyes widened as he stared at a point that looked vastly different from the surrounding void. A crack had appeared within the emptiness, splitting it apart and separating two points of nothingness that should have been connected.
"What the hell is this?!" he exclaimed.
Countless tiny particles, colored in a mixture of amethyst and magenta, continuously emerged from within the crack before disappearing midway through their passage, as though the void itself refused to allow anything like those particles to enter it.
The crack seemed to cause a space-time distortion in its surroundings.
It was as though it were attempting to connect one dimension to the dimension within the crack itself. Whatever that dimension was, nobody knew for now.
The crack also stood in stark contrast to the fate paths of all living beings. Perhaps that was why it caused several nearby fate paths to become distorted as well.
At least, that was all Infori could observe for the time being.
"What happened here...?"
Noya, who appeared to already know about the situation, finally spoke.
"This interdimensional rift appeared some time ago. It caused a spatial distortion within the Pathways of World. I've already tried to seal it using all the power at my disposal, but nothing worked."
"What will happen if we just leave it alone?" Infori asked Noya.
However, before answering, she first explained something related to the rift, laying the groundwork for the answer.
"This rift may have appeared due to an instability between the two worlds: the Overworld and the Underworld. And that instability may also be caused by the impending Vael'Nyth disaster."
"Wait, you mean this rift was caused by that disaster?"
"That's only my speculation. I don't know the definitive answer. What I do know is that if we leave it alone, something terrible will inevitably happen. And it won't just affect both sides of the world. The Pathways of World will suffer something far worse than simply losing a single fate path."
Infori remained silent after hearing that rather terrifying statement. He understood the implications behind Noya's words. However, something suddenly occurred to him. A question that had previously gone unanswered came to mind: What was Noya's true objective?
He had indirectly found his answer through what he was witnessing now. The impending disaster was enough to plunge the world into profound despair. Therefore, Infori immediately asked her again, albeit in a different way.
"Is this why you're after those seven legendary artifacts? To fix all of this?"
Noya shifted her gaze toward Infori before answering with complete seriousness.
"That's right. Everything I've done up until now has been for the sake of restoring the stability of the two worlds and this dimension as well. If I simply stood by and did nothing, something I desperately want to prevent would inevitably happen."
Upon hearing her answer, Infori felt relieved. However, that relief was only the beginning. He still harbored suspicions and doubts about Noya. After all, she had even ordered her subordinates to kill a Seraphim who was supposed to save the world.
"But why did you attack a Seraphim? You even caused my death through your instructions. I understand that I'm gone because I didn't trust you."
Noya fell silent.
"..."
"Even though it seems like I've finally found the answers to my questions..."
He paused for a moment, as though a mere smile wasn't enough to conceal the enormous question weighing on his mind. Infori carefully reconsidered the words he was about to say, and then he finally settled on a statement.
"But I'm still going to find the answers... Because I simply want to know."
His mind was currently haunted by an overwhelming sense of curiosity. He was nothing more than a Nephilim. Just an artifact merchant in a single city, living his life in a world that, from his perspective back then, seemed to consist of nothing more than that one city. However, after witnessing everything, he had discovered that the world was far larger than he had ever imagined.
"Who I truly am. What my true fate is. Those are the questions..."
Noya's smile faded as well. She looked at Infori's face, which seemed to reflect someone confronting despair. At that moment, their eyes met. Infori was clearly looking directly into her golden eyes.
"...that I want to answer. That's why I want a much clearer answer from you! Noya!"