The Alan intel is one real juicy piece that shifts my view of the two factions' relations for sure
Either Gatastate and Vania are at odds, or it was just sheer coincidence that their recent activities took place in nearly the same locations. Also with the talk of Noo being unlikely to survive, what are the chances the Nihtlings were referring to Miki? Unless Noo is hiding some kind of serious injury or deficiency, her power levels don't make sense in regards to the comparison with the "Hunter," who is likely Alex or Tracy.
Now, "illusion of choice" is admittedly not the best way to word it on my part, but what I'm trying to get at is how despite the different ways Dilan/the player can view the same timeframe, the end result ultimately doesn't change. That said, I agree choice does matter in the sense that it can tie what Dilan "wants to see most" to be in line with the player's view of his personality.
On top of Minder, there's sure been an uptick in mentions of pacts between Deities and mortals lately. The _____'s Shrine event is surprisingly old, but there's the connection between it and the Unknown Messenger who bore the Unending Book. Both events even share the same bgm, to boot. Minder himself might not be a messenger, but Letterman definitely is, so one has to wonder if the enshrined _____ Deity has anything to do with Purplehead or is something else entirely.
Minder's bit about binaries and freedom were the only parts of his riddles I somewhat got ngl, even then I can't see much beyond Dilan/Nalid being a tool to others. One thing that may turn out noteworthy though: if Dilan and Nalid are indeed the "you two" he refers to, would that make them true friends to each other, trying to save one another, the way Letterman and Minder have?