Multiverse's Holy Right

It wasn't that Roy was overly cautious, nor was it a Campione's inherent distrust of Heretic Gods. Rather, Solomon was historically renowned for his "wisdom," and words from such a man inevitably aroused suspicion.

That was precisely Roy's current state of mind.

"So my words are that untrustworthy?"

The King Solomon before him suddenly wore a troubled expression, even his dignified and solemn face twisting into something resembling grievance.

"To demonstrate my sincerity, I will cease resisting. But I hope you will hear me out."

As he spoke, King Solomon slowly released Roy's fist and even dispersed his magical energy.

Seeing this, Roy hesitated before taking a step back to guard against a potential ambush. Only then did he carefully scrutinize the king before him.

When Solomon had first been summoned, Roy had only given a cursory glance at his attire and features before immediately engaging him as a Heretic God. It was only now that Roy took the time to thoroughly examine the man.

And then, surprise flashed in Roy's eyes—because he finally recognized which version of King Solomon stood before him.

'The Solomon from Fate/Grand Order? The new world my right hand connected to is the Type-Moon universe?'

Roy dredged up memories from sixteen years ago. Since the game was quite popular, he had given it a try. As a somewhat professional photographer who took pictures of cosplayers, he could be considered a normie, but he also had to be an otaku. If he wasn't familiar with certain anime or game characters, the photos he took would lack the proper atmosphere and essence—something absolutely unacceptable for a photographer.

Roy never held the arrogance of so-called "people from the real world." In fact, he deeply questioned what kind of world this so-called reality he lived in truly was. After crossing into the world of A Certain Magical Index, personally learning magic, and touching the tangible reality of that world with his own hands, he knew none of it was false. These people weren't just fictional anime characters or NPCs—they were living, breathing individuals with their own thoughts and emotions.

'If it's that Solomon, he should be trustworthy...'

Roy still harbored a sliver of doubt. He wasn't exactly a fanboy and didn't know all the intricate details of the lore. In this real world, he had to remain vigilant. Blindly trusting someone based on so-called memory and preconceptions would be falling into the trap of empiricism.

"This is... the feeling of being human."

A look of joy appeared on King Solomon's solemn and majestic face. He seemed to be smiling, but it was an awkward smile, as if he had never smiled before in his life.

In fact, Roy thought it looked more like crying than smiling.

"My apologies, my apologies. I've never experienced what it means to be 'human' before, so this might come across as rather rude."

King Solomon was nothing like a Heretic God who would oppose a Campione. He scratched his head, his smile tinged with a hint of bashfulness and embarrassment. All his imposing aura had vanished, and he seemed to have become entirely frivolous. Faced with such a lackadaisical figure, even Roy found it hard to muster much hostility.

"You... aren't human? As King Solomon, weren't you the third monarch of the ancient Jewish kingdom, a king renowned throughout the world?"

Roy stared at the almost reversed version of King Solomon before him. He was completely different from the majestic figure who had just been summoned—as if he had transformed from a "king" into an "ordinary person."

"Ah, I'd rather not discuss this topic, but since I have a request for you and you've brought it up, I suppose there's no harm in explaining. The one called King Solomon isn't a person. He is a born 'king,' a 'void' with nothing. His existence was merely that of a pre-programmed machine, a symbol meant to fulfill his ordained purpose. He was just the final bridge between gods and humans."

"...King Solomon received divine gifts, ruled the nation, established laws, and was revered and loved by the people. Then, after completing his task, he quietly awaited death, returning the divine blessings to the heavens. That was the mission of the one called King Solomon—nothing more. Everything simply followed a preordained script, devoid of Solomon's own will, for he lacked humanity."

The king before him exuded a pessimistic air—not because he was lamenting his own life, but simply because he was a pessimist by nature.

Roy recalled the words Alice had chanted during her invocation: "He has no emotions within, being nothing more than an inhuman entity stripped of human empathy and freedom."

At this moment, Roy finally understood what Solomon truly was. He was indeed not human, merely a mechanism connecting gods and men—a pre-programmed robot whose sole purpose was to lead Israel to prosperity before its division, becoming part of the Old Testament.

To put it bluntly, he was nothing more than a 'king' bestowed upon humanity by God to demonstrate divine authority.

With this realization, Roy's gaze toward Solomon shifted. There was no pity in his eyes, for he knew pity to be the cruelest wound one could inflict. He merely sighed, "...How unfortunate you are."

"Your words only deepen my discomfort. Is this what discomfort feels like? This is an emotion I've never experienced before, so I cannot be certain."

The king before him hesitated, still perplexed by these newfound human emotions.

Then, glancing between Roy and the space behind him, he spoke: "...This is neither my original world nor any parallel dimension. How extraordinary—to think other worlds exist beyond our own. My current state is called a Heretic God? Then was it you who summoned me here, or the presence behind you?"

"You can see Aiwass?"

Roy asked in astonishment. Solomon was the first person Roy had encountered who could perceive Aiwass's existence—something even Pandora couldn't accomplish.

"If by Aiwass you mean that angelic presence behind you."

King Solomon's tone carried a hint of restraint, as though gradually acclimating to the full spectrum of human emotions.

"Not only can you see Aiwass, but as someone from another world, you immediately understood your identity as a Heretic God upon arrival. This is truly remarkable—is this what they call 'the Wisdom of Solomon'?"

Roy marveled. The summoning ritual for Heretic Gods wouldn't have imparted knowledge of this world to this foreign Solomon. These were insights the king had discerned himself. To comprehend everything instantly upon arriving in an alien world—this being truly lived up to his title as 'Solomon the Wise.'

"You flatter me too much. The Wisdom of Solomon was merely a gift from the Lord—it never belonged to Solomon himself. Moreover, I'm perplexed as to why I've gained 'humanity.'"

The Solomon before them spoke earnestly, readily admitting that his wisdom wasn't his own but God's. He was merely a vessel for divine wisdom and revelation, which made him a great king.

This aligned perfectly with biblical accounts—Solomon led Israel to prosperity because God willed it so.

After studying him for a long moment, Roy sighed deeply, "...Now I'm certain. The Wisdom of Solomon was indeed divine wisdom, not human wisdom."

"...As for why you possess 'humanity,' I can probably guess. The so-called Heretic Gods are deities from myths stripped of their constraints, transcending and distorting their mythological significance to descend upon the earth. For example, a benevolent god who protects the people might become malevolent after being distorted."

"And since you said King Solomon was a machine without 'humanity,' the summoning ritual of the Heretic Gods must have distorted his mythological concept as well. This allowed you to break free from the shackles of myth and become 'human.'"

Roy explained it this way, then fell into deep contemplation.

The authority obtained by a Campione after slaying a Heretic God is uncontrollable. If Roy were to kill the King Solomon before him now, gaining the 'wisdom of a god' would be one thing—but what if he ended up with the 'wisdom of a man' instead? Would that actually make him dumber?

From Roy's perspective, this version of King Solomon, when acting as a human, showed no trace of a king's bearing in his speech and demeanor. Calling him a good-for-nothing wouldn't be an exaggeration.

What if killing him ended up infecting Roy with that uselessness?

As Roy hesitated, Solomon spoke in a pleading tone: "...Sir Roy, I have an impertinent request. I know the destiny of Campiones and Heretic Gods, and I understand my inevitable fate as someone from another world. But I beg you—allow me to live as a 'human' in this world for seven days. Just seven days! Please, kill me after those seven days have passed!"

***

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