Seshat was walking at a subconsciously rapid pace—her steps were erratic and hurried, almost as if she were trying to flee from something or someone.
That observation wasn't entirely off, for Arthur was trailing behind her, trying to keep pace even though he was growing a bit tired of the chase.
Today, he had just enrolled in Da'at Academy, and this was the second time he'd had to chase a divine down the long corridors of the academy's buildings.
Yet this time he couldn't understand why Seshat—who had come looking for him—now seemed determined to distance herself from his reach.
Could it be that all the divines hate humans, or is it just him in particular?
He was mistaken on both counts, of course. The divines love their children with as much fervor as mothers love their offspring. There are, clearly, exceptions—and of course, neutral sides as well.
Nonetheless, it was well known that the majority of the divines could express nothing more, and nothing less, than love toward their own creations.
On the other hand, it was understandable why Arthur felt the way he did after a few incidents with that bothersome, grumpy goddess he knew as Cleopatra.
Moreover, this very scene felt painfully reminiscent of one from just a couple of hours earlier. Internally, Arthur wagered—both as a joke and as a test—that if he tried to keep up with Seshat, one of two things was bound to happen: either Seshat would start hurling insults at him or she'd quicken her pace just to keep the filthy mortal at a distance—or, of course, both could happen simultaneously. Who could stop it?
Arthur quickened his pace and positioned himself alongside the divine. He noticed how her wavy, jet‑black hair swayed with the gentle air currents passing through the corridor—and also how her glasses obscured her ruby‑colored eyes, which flashed briefly but continuously with every step she took.
Seshat glanced at him and blushed even more, recalling that incident when she had caught the mortal in an undeniably compromising situation.
She didn't have proof to think anything negative of him—but she had no doubts either. Her divine peer was the respected, feared, and beautiful Cleopatra, who was also the goddess of fertility and beauty. Seshat was convinced that her fellow divine had made a move on the mortal—and that she had intervened, disrupting both Cleopatra and Arthur in a rather inconsiderate manner.
Averting her gaze from Arthur's eyes, she didn't pick up her pace; she merely remained silent while staring at the floor, embarrassed and red as a tomato.
"I'm sorry for interrupting…" Seshat said, her voice trembling like that of a lamb.
Arthur looked at her in surprise. It wasn't common for a divine of Cleopatra's stature to speak so politely to him. He had only spoken with two divines before, yet such courteous treatment from one of the same lineage as Cleopatra seemed very odd to him.
That was why he felt puzzled.
"Don't worry… It isn't as if we were doing anything," Arthur said, scratching his head.
Seshat stared at him. She didn't speak, but her gaze was clear: 'Don't try to fool me,' she told herself.
Perhaps she wasn't the most experienced when it came to matters of affection and love, but she knew well when someone had clearly been interrupted while doing "something steamy." Over the years, she, too, had found herself involved in such situations.
"By the way, Miss Goddess—"
"Miss Goddess?!" Seshat exclaimed, her tone rising as she continued walking. "It's just that I can't quite remember your name. Could you repeat it for me?"
Sighing deeply and wearily—another person who couldn't recall her name wasn't unusual—she knew that her kind was often taken for granted. No one remembered her well; it was just a normal part of their day-to-day.
"My name is Seshat. I am the librarian of the Egyptian Divines' Pavilion."
"Nice to meet you, Seshat. My name is Ar—"
"Arthur Pendragon," Seshat said tersely, almost robotically. "You are a mortal of European nationality, with blue eyes, brown hair, and blood type O. You completed your primary education in Louisville, Kentucky; then you returned to your country for secondary school, graduating and enrolling in Da'at. The methods by which you gained admission remain unknown, but it is rumored that you are very balanced in terms of both karma and luck—"
"Wait! Wait!" Arthur blurted, waving his hands in surprise. "That's way too much information about me—even for me!"
Seshat raised her eyebrows and looked at him now with a more relaxed expression.
"It's not as if you're a ghost in terms of records—and your information isn't secret, indeed it's public. Besides…" She raised her index finger and snorted with pride, eyes closed. "My job, as the librarian, is to keep up with all the files under my care."
"Holding them in your care, you say?" Arthur asked, arching an eyebrow. "Are you a librarian or a babysitter?" he teased.
Seshat looked at him with a touch of frustration and anger in her eyes and gave him a little tap on the shoulder—she even had to stand on tiptoe to reach that spot.
"Ouch," Arthur said.
"You deserve that for being rude," Seshat replied, puffing out her cheek and pouting.
Arthur diverted his gaze toward the large window to his left. There, he could see a great hill rising above all of the gods' pavilions; the clouds in that area appeared golden. On top of the hill, colossal structures could be seen in the distance from where he stood—only their silhouettes, being swallowed by the bluish opacity of the horizon.
Arthur was amazed, and Seshat noticed his wonder.
"You like the view, don't you?" Seshat asked, her voice laced with genuine intrigue.
"The landscape of Da'at has always struck me as incredible. Its buildings, its gardens, and the vast distances are among the most beautiful things I've ever seen," Arthur replied.
A broad smile spread across Seshat's face. "I'm very glad you like it. Namagiri, Athena, Saga, and I worked very hard on the plans for this academy 427 years ago."
"You all built this?!" Arthur exclaimed excitedly.
At the sight of the mortal's reaction, Seshat became flustered and jumped back, pressing herself against the wall. Once again, her shy side resurfaced.
"L-l-let's see… We only made the plans; the mortals did the rest," she stammered, nervously adjusting her glasses and averting her gaze from Arthur's brilliant eyes.
"Either way, it's impressive," Arthur said, beaming a wide, friendly smile.
Stunned by the young mortal, Seshat unconsciously curled her lips upward. "Thank you very much," she said serenely as she stepped away from the wall. "Not many people say that to me."
Arthur patted her on the shoulder, causing Seshat to shudder slightly. "You'd do well to be a bit more boastful, don't you think?" Arthur said, flashing his bright smile.
Seshat looked at him for a moment, then smiled and shook her head gently. "By Osiris—a mortal giving advice to a goddess. Who would have thought?"
Arthur broke into a light sweat and swallowed before continuing. "Is that considered an insult to the Divines around here or something?" he asked, a little worried.
Seshat shook her head once more. "Not at all. I just thought you'd be a little more reserved with us, being the only mortal at the academy."
Arthur wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled again. "Why should I be? That would only cost me points with you all, wouldn't it?"
Seshat arched an eyebrow at him, then composed herself. "You're right. Most gods appreciate the intrepid and the brave—especially the opportunists," she emphasized.
"Have you ever met someone who ascended to divinity by being opportunistic?" Arthur asked in a measured tone.
Seshat glanced at him from the corner of her eye and then proceeded toward one of the large doors in the corridor. "Of course I have." She opened the door slowly. "Hercules and Sisyphus."
Arthur's eyes lit up as if a bright spotlight had suddenly illuminated his mind, and he followed Seshat through the door.
When he entered, enormous bookshelves—each as tall and wide as a house—stretched along the corridor's length, with gaps between every two shelves forming additional passageways filled with even more books and stacks upon stacks of volumes.
"Welcome to the Egyptian Archives. Here we keep all information pertaining to us," Seshat announced as she adjusted her glasses. "We also store academic books and novels."
"Wow," Arthur said, marveling at the vastness of the archives. "It's enormous."
"Of course," Seshat replied. "Our stories and exploits as gods are incredibly extensive and immense—it's no wonder we were given such a large space for the archives."
Seshat walked toward a large counter at the far end; behind it were only a chair and a pen with an inkwell. She stepped up to the counter, positioned herself behind it, began retrieving some books from the lower shelf, and snapped her fingers—causing a chair to fall from the ceiling to the front.
"Sit down there and wait while I do my work."
Arthur, surprised by the goddess's action, walked softly and cautiously toward the chair while glancing up at the ceiling and wondering where on earth the chair had come from.
He saw Seshat bending down and then rising again as she pulled out book after book.
It was a very intense exercise, no doubt. Perhaps that was why Seshat still looked in shape despite having the appearance of a library mouse.
Well, that was exactly what it was.
Arthur watched his surroundings intently, and every now and then he stole a glance at the librarian as she methodically removed and stacked several books before him. Then he remembered something.
"Seshat."
"Mhm. Tell me."
"A little while ago you were telling me that you made the plans for the academy. So, those gigantic structures you see in the background—up on that hill—what are they?"
Seshat stopped pulling books out after finishing the second row atop the counter and fixed Arthur with a steady gaze.
"Well, mortal, you have a good eye," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Those structures represent the culmination of our masterpiece—the final plans we executed when we meticulously planned the construction of this academy." She cleared her throat before continuing. "Those structures are... the parts of Da'at University."
"Da'at University?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed."
"But why are there such structures? As far as I know, there was only the academy."
Seshat adjusted her glasses once more and began pacing side to side behind the counter.
"As you know, we started this project with the goal of having ordinary, everyday lives—just like yours," she said while pointing at Arthur. "Mortals, our children. However, Da'at University has another purpose." She fixed Arthur with an intense, curious look.
"What purpose do you mean?"
Seshat bit her lower lip while curving her mouth slightly upward.
"To divine mortals."
"DIVINE MORTALS?!" Arthur shouted, slamming his hands on the counter as he jumped up.
Seshat became flustered by Arthur's reaction and, once again, leaped back—this time crouching beneath the counter with her hands on her head as she closed her eyes in panic.
After a moment, she peeked over the counter while resting her hands on it.
"H-h-how do you know...?" she stuttered, "To deify a human, all it takes is for a god to bestow his grace and three of his blessings. However, even then... the human does not become a full divine—"
"I know," Arthur interjected while crossing his arms. "They become minor gods."
"Exactly!" Seshat affirmed excitedly as she sprang completely away from the counter.
Arthur sighed upon hearing this. After all, he already knew the conditions and guidelines to become a Divine being.
First of all, the terms "deify" and "divinize" are not the same nowadays. When an ordinary human is deified, they become a minor deity—that is, they gain a measure of divine power but do not obtain the eternal seed, the gift of immortality.
While a Divine can reincarnate as many times as they wish, a minor deity can only reincarnate up to three times before their divine energy is exhausted and their soul reverts to mere mortal status.
So then, how can a minor deity become a full Divine?
That was the question Arthur repeated in his head every five seconds. But now, here was the answer, right before his eyes: Da'at University.
But, as always, Arthur sensed that it wasn't going to be as simple as it appeared. Merely graduating from the academy and then entering the university—he doubted even that would be so straightforward.
Because even getting into a normal university wasn't easy. Arthur had seen it firsthand: people had to be impeccable, their behavior faultless and their grades pristine, all in order to outshine everyone else and land that coveted scholarship.
"And how can I enter Da'at University?" Arthur asked, narrowing his eyes as he placed his hand on his chin.
Seshat adjusted her glasses for what felt like the umpteenth time before speaking.
"For a mortal like you, I think it's going to be very difficult," she said with a smile as she looked at Arthur. "But not impossible."
"Is that so?"
Seshat nodded her head.
"It is. First, you need to at least reach the level of a minor deity—that would be your first step." She crouched one last time to stack the final book atop the counter. "After that, everything is as normal as it gets for you mortals. Besides, the gods use the same system as you." She cleared her throat. "A strong academic performance as well as a good social standing will be key. There's also another thing—though I consider it nearly impossible for you."
Arthur looked at the goddess with clear interest in his eyes.
"Go on."
"Winning the Trophaedrum."
"The Trophaedrum?" Arthur echoed, arching both eyebrows.
"It's a tournament where gods fight to determine who is the most powerful of the year. In that tournament, Odin, Thor, Hercules, Zeus…" Seshat blushed slightly. "...and, um, even Mr. Anubis." She gave the counter a small tap. "In short, a wide array of mighty gods participate."
Arthur stared at Seshat; a nervous grimace overtook his face as he imagined the countless times he might be used—and treated like a ragdoll—by the gods.
"I'd better focus on academics."
"Isn't that so?" Seshat said with a teasing smile.
Arthur didn't quite react to the provocation, though he almost felt like scolding Seshat in return.
In his mind, another doubt flickered to life. After all, this was an academy—it had the look and study system of an academy.
Arthur glanced at the three long rows of books on the counter and concluded that the studies here were indeed a bit tougher than what one might expect at a normal academy.
"Seshat, has any god ever repeated a year?"
Seshat regarded Arthur with a somber, tired expression.
"Yes, there is one…"
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Yes—and who is it?"
"Well, that is—"
Suddenly, the wall behind Seshat shattered into pieces, and a shower of debris flew toward both Arthur and her.
The goddess's reaction was so swift that before the debris could reach her, she had already shielded Arthur, desperately trying to protect him from the impending stone rain.
Arthur's eyes widened as he barely processed the sudden event—chunks of the massive sand wall hurtled at full speed in their direction.
He didn't know about Seshat's plan, but he probably wasn't going to mention it.
Then, his eyes suddenly lit up, and a few words surged through his mind as if they were a long-forgotten memory.
"Stop." He commanded, almost as if issuing an order.
At the mere sound of that word, the stones and dust halted in midair, almost as though time itself had frozen for a moment. It hadn't truly stopped, but Seshat continued trembling by his side, clinging to him.
Noticing that she had not been harmed, the goddess slowly opened her eyes, gazing in astonishment at the extraordinary scene.
She looked at Arthur in wonder, then locked eyes with him. "A blessing…" she murmured, astonished. "No wonder you managed to enter Da'at…"
However, the goddess didn't have much time to dwell on the moment. From the cloud of dust emerged a figure bearing down swiftly, landing on the counter right in front of them.
"DESTRUCTION!!!!!!"
Seshat stared in horror at the figure.
"Arthur, here is the one you were asking about."
Arthur did not react immediately—he simply stared at the grotesque form before him.
A tall man loomed over them—muscular and imposing, reminiscent of a Navy soldier. In fact, to compare him to a single Navy soldier would be an understatement; it would require combining four of them.
That figure was like a living tank, ferocious and almost animalistic. Clad only in the trousers of the academy uniform, with long, pointed white hair bristling wildly from his own roar, he bore an expression of pure delight—as though he genuinely reveled in having destroyed that wall.
"Who is he, Seshat?"
"He is Destruction incarnate—the very embodiment of wildness. The one who defeated Hercules with nothing but his bare hands." Seshat swallowed hard. "He is Enkidú."