The professor says, "Kasigna did not declare herself from this world or another, but she spoke familiarly of Khelt, and she spoke information of herself clearly of lesser importance than being from another world, and there is no obvious upside to concealing it. And she claimed to be a god, and she was able to grant a [Cleric] class. I don't think it is an extraordinary hypothesis that they are local, and they are gods, and are therefore local gods.

"Which is a different claim than them being the dead gods, returned to life, because that additionally posits a mechanism and reason for doing so? Could they be new gods, or old gods that were simply—away, or sleeping—it's not as if there were not dragons that secreted away for millennia between emergences. Though the time scales we would be talking about are far longer."

"They could be new or recently awakened gods, yes."

"And if I say 'but they cannot be new or recently awakened, because they are dead', is that falling into the... effect... you speak of?"

"Right."

"But they are dead."

"Yesterday I would have agreed with you."

"They're not," the dancer says suddenly. "He wanted—Laedonius Deviy said—they're not dead."

"The gods? We do not comprehend your meaning."

"Your Majesty—" he shakes his head.

"The gods are alive."

It's different, when he says it. Saturated with... something, indescribable.

"The..."

It feels like something is tearing. Threads, snapping one by one.

"The gods are alive."

"- were they alive the whole time or just - recently -"

"He said they'd been... waiting? Didn't say anything about their—deadness."

He's wringing his hands.

"Your majesty, do you have any very very old records that would give us - any idea if this is a good or a bad thing -"

"Yesterday, we would have said that there were no living gods ever recorded in history. But considering the self-censoring effect..." He turns the assistant at his side. "Call the Royal Archivist." She bows and leaves. To Blai, "We have records from the founding of Khelt, twenty-one thousand years ago. None older of substance. Germina is older, and though their records may not be intact, the Quarass of Germina herself may remember.

Then he turns to the dancer, who shirks at the King's gaze. "Hamil. Did your god merely mention that the gods are alive, or did he instruct you to say so?"

"I'm... no? Yes? He said, uh." He closes his eyes. "'Find me followers. I am the God of the Dance, and all who love and laugh are welcome with me. Tell the world the gods are alive, and the gods are here.'"

He sounds lovely and also this is NOT PART OF THE PROJECT SCOPE AT ALL

Too bad, he's In Charge Of God Things and this is a God Things.

"When you said that—'the gods are alive'—it cut through the censoring effect, we believe. It is not fully unraveled, but there is more space in our mind. Did you use a Skill? A boon from your god?"

He shakes his head. "No Skill, no... I don't know how it happened. I was speaking in His words, and it was like a... string, I could pull?"

"Would you be able to speak with the Archivist, to enable him to understand the Select's queries?"

"...I can try."

It doesn't seem to work if Blai does it, though admittedly he hasn't tried doing it quotatively. "Thank you."

The archivist shows up, a tall, gaunt man with braided hair and a pale complexion.

"Your Majesty," he says, bowing.

"Select Artigas needs to peruse the records of the time of Kingdom's founding." To Blai, "Do you wish to undertake an investigation now?"

"Yes, your majesty."