In the boundless gray-white desert, the vast and chaotic sky covered every direction. Night Lady's towering throne stood at the center of the Divine Kingdom like a mountain at the center of the world. This ancient deity had remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking to that distant voice. "Even you find it surprising?"
"Not every living being, after confirming the existence of gods, will still choose the arduous path of walking alone. Mortals who refuse to bow before the Divine Throne... are few and far between," the distant voice said unhurriedly. As it had for many years past, Night Lady could hear this voice but could never sense where it came from. It was a great consciousness, leaving its mark directly upon Her awareness. "After all, if one can obtain everything one desires in comfort, why pay a greater price to pursue an elusive future?"
"...Aren't you angry?" Night Lady hesitated, but still asked the question. "You are willing to find a way to help them, yet mortals refuse to bow to you... As a true god, you..."
"A true god is merely a more advanced civilization, a group of more powerful individuals. I reminded you of this from the very beginning," the voice said with a smile. "And as for 'anger'... why should I be angry? Because they refuse to prostrate themselves? Because 'how dare mortals reject the grace bestowed by gods'?"
Night Lady said nothing. She seemed lost in thought, while the voice spoke again after a brief pause. "I just said that mortals who refuse to bow before the Divine Throne are few and far between—yet if they are few and far between, then such peoples do exist. They know the gods exist, yet still choose to walk forward alone. At the end of