[I cannot ignore it…]
[I cannot forgive it…]
[The evil deeds of that king…]
[The cruelty of that king…]
[That demon who looks upon countless sorrows yet does nothing but smile.]
...
─Scenes flashed past rapidly, like slides on a projector.
─Humanity's stagnation, humanity's tragedies, humanity's lamentations.
No matter the age…
No matter the nation…
Human tragedy fills the world.
Those who kill their parents; those killed by their own children.
Those ignorant of love; those who cast love aside.
Those who lament betrayal; those who survive through betrayal.
Those who never knew family; those who abandoned family.
Those who lost their fortunes; those killed by their wealth.
Those who know nothing of affection; those who sneer at affection.
Those who seek success; those who resent success.
Those who guard their faith; those who despise faith.
Those who cherish their kin, disdain others, pursue wisdom, spread ignorance, foster resentment—restlessness, misunderstanding, preference, discrimination, persecution, pity, compassion.
How ugly and pitiful humans are.
But ordinary people are fine like this.
Humans aren't omnipotent. Everyone swallows pain, committing contradictions even as they struggle to survive.
However, an omnipotent king is different. He has the power and means to solve these problems.
A king possessing clairvoyance, seeing clearly into past and future, grasping every sorrow and tragedy in the world—yet in the end does nothing.
A king who simply smiles. It would be fine if he were unaware, but even after learning everything, he still only smiles.
"You know all this, yet you feel nothing?! Don't you want to correct these tragedies?!"
In response to my accusation, the king replied:
"Hmm… not particularly, I suppose? I haven't really thought about it much."
...
─This man.
All of us shared the same thought.
─Unforgivable!
...
Record our indignation here.
Leave behind a path for those who follow in the future.
Build the Temple.
Overlap the rings of light.
To destroy that being, we will need all resources.
To forget that being, we will need all time.
─Seek the path to the Final Singularity.
There lies the Throne of the Mage King.
That realm's name is Solomon.
The endpoint of endings, the altar within the whirlpool of time, will lead to our original hope─
...
"King… King…"
A gentle female voice seemed to drift from afar.
"King!"
"Siduri?"
Ophis opened her eyes, meeting Siduri's concerned gaze.
"King, are you alright? If necessary, we can arrange immediate rest. Your health is Uruk's greatest treasure and cannot be compromised."
Seems I drifted away for a bit too long…
Ophis lightly shook her head.
"No matter. Continue your report."
"Yes… please let me know immediately if anything feels amiss. Here's the brothel's complaint report, issues in the eastern market, and several disputes over goods exchanges…"
Ophis suddenly felt the urge to object.
Why does a king like me handle tasks more suited to a village chief?
Rubbing her brow, Ophis raised a hand to pause Siduri.
"Put those aside for now. I'll handle them later. What's the status at the northern wall?"
"Thanks to Jeanne's command and the valiant efforts of the others, the frontline remains stable. However, recently we've observed some unusual occurrences."
Siduri frowned, clearly troubled.
"Hm?"
"As the King knows, the northern wall's defense isn't flawless. Flying or wall-climbing beasts occasionally breach it. We have countermeasures, but sometimes they still succeed in attacking civilians."
"That's inevitable. What's strange about it?"
Ophis's eyes narrowed slightly, as if already anticipating Siduri's next words.
"The beasts rarely kill their victims on-site. Instead, they abduct them alive, taking them beyond the northern wall. Given their habits, even if some prefer live prey, it's unlikely all would act the same. Yet, whenever possible, they always—"
"Siduri."
The chief priestess was abruptly cut off by Ophis.
"It's best you don't investigate this."
"Y-yes!"
Meeting Ophis's meaningful gaze directly, Siduri instinctively dropped the subject, bowing respectfully.
"Then no other issues remain. With your permission, I'll take my leave."
"Mm."
Once Siduri had gone, Ophis let out a quiet sigh in the now-empty temple.
"Oh? What's this? Sighing to yourself all alone? That doesn't sound like something you'd normally do."
Or rather—the temple shouldn't have had anyone else inside.
Wearing a black dress and a pale red cloak, a blonde girl entered casually, completely ignoring the sanctity of the place no one should have been able to breach.
"Ereshkigal… why have you come?"
Ophis didn't seem particularly surprised at the goddess's appearance but asked anyway.
"You didn't show up at the usual spot today, so I decided to come to you instead."
Ereshkigal giggled softly behind her hand and settled into a random seat nearby.
"I don't recall being obligated to appear anywhere at any time."
"I know, so I came here myself."
"..."
Ophis decided against arguing with a goddess whose thoughts she could never fully grasp.
"You still haven't answered my question—did something happen?"
"No… nothing much."
After a moment's consideration, Ophis chose her words carefully.
"It's just that I had a slightly sorrowful dream."
"Is that so?"
Ereshkigal didn't press further, brushing it aside with a smile.
"If it was just a dream, that's good."
"Indeed…"
Ophis gazed at the starry sky beyond the temple window.
"If only it were just a dream."
"Never mind that—tell me about the current battle conditions…"
...
"I see… beasts kidnapping the living, huh…"
Ereshkigal's voice carried a note of melancholy, her eyes dimming slightly.
Ophis sighed inwardly.
This had been happening for months now—why was she telling this goddess everything anyway?
Her speech had become smoother lately, but if she kept talking this much, she'd ruin her image sooner or later.
Still… having someone to confide in wasn't entirely unpleasant.
Before that, though, there was another issue.
"Ereshkigal."
"...Why does hearing my full name sound so awkward? Just call me Eresh."
"Then, Eresh, about those unexplained deaths among Uruk's citizens lately…"
At Ophis's words, Ereshkigal's expression turned faintly strained.
"Ah… no… there are various reasons for those…"
Eventually, under Ophis's steady gaze, Ereshkigal sighed in defeat and grew serious.
"I suppose I should make it clear after all. Though you and I can talk like this now, my goals and convictions have never changed. Didn't I say it clearly from the start? If you want to stop me, you'll need the resolve to destroy everything I am. Until now, I've only kept contact with you out of personal interest. That will continue until that interest fades. So, if you wish to kill me—feel free anytime."
"Is that so?"
Ophis showed no surprise, only a faint smile.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Ah, terribly sorry for interrupting—is King Ophis here?"
An uninvited voice cut in.
"Tch…"
Spotting Merlin suddenly appearing in the surveillance projection, Ereshkigal clicked her tongue.
"Let's call it a day. Dawn's almost here anyway."
Leaving those words behind, Ereshkigal vanished into the shadows.
"Merlin, what is it?"
"Oh, I found something interesting. Requesting permission to head out—is that alright?"
"...Very well."
Without asking for details, Ophis granted permission.
As Merlin disappeared, she turned her gaze once more to the sky.
Those stalled gears are beginning to move again…
---
T/N: TIME FOR CHALDEA??
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