Salmon loved humans terribly. Enough to give them his power and enable them to live well. The country created by those who received that power is the Salmon Kingdom. That’s why it possesses power closest to the gods. Of course… since human greed is endless, the Salmon god abandoned us who tore each other apart and hated each other terribly. That is the story known externally.”

“Then it’s not true? If it’s not true, why didn’t they correct it? Many countries and people must already believe that.”

Silian slowly shook his head.

“The people of Salmon think they are gods. So they don’t care about the views of other countries.”

“I see.”

“The god with broken wings had to descend to earth. Even so, foolishly, our god Salmon loved humans to the end. Whenever humans needed it, he gave all his power without hesitation… He loved terribly the humans he first created, the humans he first loved. He was the true god we imagine, who loves humans too much, who would do anything for humans.”

That’s why he made such a bet with the creator who made him. Because he loved humans that much.

“In the end, Salmon was annihilated. He wanted to meet the Lowrick god, but Salmon had no strength left to find that place. After that, I know the Lowrick god abandoned the empire. The first place he shared his power after hearing Salmon’s words. But with Salmon gone, humans were not important to him. The Lowrick god tried to destroy the Salmon Kingdom that caused Salmon’s annihilation, but fearing Salmon might appear again, in any form, he ended up watching over the Salmon Kingdom. That’s the end of the myth.”

“Ah… It’s a very sad… farewell.”

“Yes. A sad farewell. There’s nothing written after that. The two gods who created the world for different reasons disappeared, and quite a long time passed without change after that. I told you last time. There’s a boring myth, a myth no one wanted to know. The Salmon god in that myth is very similar to you.”

Sesenia blinked her eyes slowly as if recalling what Silian had said then.

“Right. But what’s similar?”

“Terrible self-sacrifice.”

“Me? Why?”

“You said to protect your own safety, but in reality… you saved us. First of all, there’s no danger near you, and you’ve prepared many ways to guard against that danger.”

When Sesenia could not give any kind of answer and just blinked her eyes, Silian chuckled.

“Anyway, in the end, Salmon, who gave everything of himself, either just hid himself or completely disappeared, we can’t know for sure, but he became invisible after giving his last power to the Salmon royal family who kept asking for power. This is the truth that only the Salmon royal family can know. Although what the actual citizens of Salmon know and what the royal family knows are different, this is the conclusion.”

“Ah…”

“For quite a long time, efforts continued to find the Salmon god who had manifested and devoted himself to them, but those efforts did not bear fruit. Eventually, as time passed, the power given by the Salmon god gradually weakened, they say. But in this generation, a child was born with power as strong as when the Salmon god devoted himself.”

“Really?”

“That’s me.”

Suddenly, a smile spread across Silian’s face.

“Huh…?”

“Actually, I’m not sure. I just said ‘I see’ because they said so, I don’t know if my power is strong. It might just be talk. That’s how the story ended.”

The story of the myth, long if long and short if short, came to an end.

“I wonder if it’s true.”

“Hm?”

“Which one is true. Is your myth true, or my myth, or are they both false?”

“I don’t know which one is true. In the end, our side was praising the greatness of the Salmon god, and your myth, your history was praising the Lowrick god. But in the end, the essence is the same. It’s just saying the same thing differently, with a different appearance. So… they’re probably both true.”

It was such a correct statement. Was that why? Sesenia’s chest felt very tight.

“And Sesenia.”

“Yes?”

“That day. I thought about it. About what you said, that a god calls a god’s power. The myth of my country that had been buried in my memory for a moment came to mind that day. Perhaps… since Salmon, the source of our power, is Salmon born from Lowrick who is called the primordial god, their origin might be the same. Also, Lowrick always wandered looking for Salmon. So I wonder if Lowrick’s power is reacting there.”

“That’s…”

“It’s just a hypothesis, but I had that thought too.”

With those words, Silian made a voice that was barely audible.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Sesenia, whose thoughts had been momentarily distracted by thinking about the story of the myth, asked him belatedly, but Silian only smiled.

Sesenia frowned at him, and belatedly Silian opened his mouth with an “Ah” sound.

“I was so absorbed in the story that I forgot why I started this story.”

“Oh. Right.”

“That madness. That madness appears in the imperial royal family who can’t properly handle the power of the god.”

“Why does it appear?”

Even after hearing the whole story, Sesenia couldn’t easily infer.

“The Lowrick god, who lost the bet, gave his power to the imperial royal family. The strong power resembling a wolf. But no matter how hard he tried, the primordial evil deep in Lowrick god’s heart was an inevitable emotion. So that power reacts strongly to negative emotions.”

“Ah…”

“Also, while the Salmon god taught how to handle the god’s power over hundreds of years, it seems the Lowrick god didn’t understand humans who couldn’t handle his power. This is all hypothesis, but… ‘Evil’ was already vulnerable to emotions and could go berserk more easily. So it was even more burdensome. On top of that, the Lowrick god disappeared before they could fully learn that power”

“The madness… originated like that?”

“Yes. I think the power of the Salmon god is similar to a temple, and the power of the Lowrick god is similar to magic. Because they’re the same god’s power, but good and evil.”

Silian’s words were just hypotheses, but those hypotheses fit quite well.

“I see.”

“The strange thing is that not many of the imperial family members suffered from madness. Because that power weakened as we came to the present. But suddenly, that guy appeared like an oddball. Someone with such strong power of the imperial family, the power called madness.”

“Will that… be helpful?”

“In the end, both the empire and the kingdom were those who coveted the power of the gods. So it will help. If you can handle it well.”

Sesenia, who had been quietly listening to his story, nodded.

“Yes, it would be helpful.”

“Yeah.”

“He could even challenge the emperor, right?”

“Well. He’d have to handle that power well to become emperor. And does that guy want to become emperor?”

“I want him to. I want Teddy to become emperor.”

“Why such a guy? Someone who can’t even control his own power… Doesn’t the empire have a crown prince with quite a good background, and a prince you’re close to?”

Like the tower master had done, Silian also seemed to have finished all investigations about Sesenia as he spoke.

“But it has to be Teddy.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Shall I speak honestly, Silian?”

“Yes?”

“You told me. That I’m similar to your god. That my self-sacrifice is similar. But that’s wrong. Since it’s come to this, I’ll tell you everything. You knew Teddy’s identity from the beginning, and even if you know the truth, you won’t be able to run away from me anyway.”

It was Silian who was surprised by Sesenia’s firm words.

Sesenia, with a resolute expression, looked somewhat determined.

“So it’s scary. Am I already a caught fish?”

“That’s right. One that can never escape. So I’ll tell you. Saving you, saving you and Pepe wasn’t out of a heart like the Salmon god. It’s not sacrifice or anything like that. I saved you because you are ‘Salmon royalty’.”

His expression gradually hardened.

“You too are just a device I laid out in advance to use for my perfect card, to make that perfect card more perfect and solid to become royalty. And I too am just a perfect background for that card. A background that can be torn to pieces and ruined so that my card can become emperor.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because I deceived you.”

At those words, Silian got up from his seat and messed up Sesenia’s hair.

She thought he would be upset, but he was smiling instead.

Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Sesenia tilted her head.

“You never deceived me.”

“Huh…?”

“You never said from the beginning that you wouldn’t use me as Salmon royalty. What you promised was only protection for my sister. And you perfectly kept your promise with me. So it doesn’t matter. Even if you use me. Even if I get torn and split as your background. It’s okay. Because you’re already my benefactor.”