"Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked.
I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings."
Romani Archaman awoke from an old dream to find a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee placed at his station.
"Shiomi... Did I fall asleep?"
He spotted Shiomi casually leaning against the table, flipping through a book.
"Marie said everyone should rest for two hours before we begin the final operation at the Temple of the King of Magecraft," Shiomi said. "I came to the control room to see if anyone was still working and ran into you."
"Haha... I just couldn't relax. Staying here feels more reassuring," Romani said, smiling helplessly. "Rest is rest, no matter where you do it, right?"
He picked up the coffee and gestured to Shiomi in thanks.
"Is that so."
"So, what are you reading? If you're reading, wouldn't a more comfortable place be better?" Romani took a sip. The temperature was perfect.
With milk and sugar, it had a balanced sweet-bitter taste.
"First Kings, chapter three," Shiomi replied calmly.
Romani nearly choked on his coffee.
He had just had a dream—not his own, but Solomon's. A dream of hearing the voice of God and asking for wisdom.
The opening of First Kings recounts this exact story.
Though it had little to do with current reality, Romani wasn't particularly surprised.
"Why are you reading that here? Don't tell me the dream I just had was because you were reading it aloud," he said with a nervous laugh.
"No, I didn't make a sound. It's rude to disturb someone while they're sleeping," Shiomi replied, raising an eyebrow.
"...Alright." Romani trusted Shiomi.
Although his relationships were complicated, in all other aspects—especially in how he treated people—he was unquestionably admirable.
"So why go back to scripture again?" Romani figured Shiomi was unsettled by the upcoming battle and turned to theology for comfort.
Shiomi closed the book. "No, I was just reminded of what happened in Uruk. I came across Gilgamesh's Tablet of Destinies and saw what was written on it."
"About Solomon?"
"About why the man who called himself Solomon carried out the Incineration of Humanity." Shiomi looked at him. "Tell me—if Solomon had seen all the suffering in the world, and someone asked him how he felt about it, how do you think he'd respond?"
Romani rubbed his chin. "Hmm... He might say something like, 'No, no. I don't feel anything.' After all—"
Shiomi raised his hand, indicating that wasn't the point.
"The tablet's contents align," he said. "But they're told from an observer's perspective."
"An observer?" Romani asked, intrigued.
Shiomi had never shared anything from the Tablet of Destinies. Romani had guessed it was too closely tied to Solomon to risk leaking.
"Sounds like it could be a retainer or servant," Shiomi said, looking at him.
"Probably. I didn't have any leads at first, but Kingu's appearance in Uruk gave me a useful point of reference," Romani said. "Maybe something similar happened here. Or maybe what happened here enabled Kingu to appear like that in the first place."
"That's just your personal take," Shiomi said with a wry smile. "What I'm about to say might sound worse."
"Eh?" Romani felt a twinge of unease.
"The tablet describes a being who granted something nearly identical to Solomon's gift to one of his disgruntled subjects," Shiomi said.
Romani nearly dropped his coffee. "What did you say?"
"That's why I was reading First Kings." Shiomi set the book down. "If that's true, then even if the Incineration of Humanity was carried out by the man calling himself the King of Magecraft, I'm afraid..."
"No, that's impossible. How could that be?" Romani said, holding his forehead.
"Even if he became human, don't try to understand this with human logic," Shiomi said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just telling you—the Incineration of Humanity may have shifted at some point. It might no longer be solely that man's doing."
Of course, even Shiomi felt that "shifted" wasn't quite the right word...
The Incineration of Humanity was completed just as the King of Magecraft had intended, allowing him to rewrite the planet's history from the ground up according to his own vision.
But during the process, there were certain things—obvious and seemingly insignificant—that still found their way in.
"If... Solomon had received a revelation..." Romani looked at the data on the screen. "I..."
"A loyal servant of God, or a human being. Which would you choose to be?" Shiomi asked suddenly.
To Romani, it wasn't even a question. "A human, of course."
"And what if becoming human, saving the world, and reclaiming humanity's rightful future... leads you to betray the very faith you once held dear?"
"...So that's why you came to talk to me?" Romani suddenly understood and gave a wry smile.
"I just came to let you know that such a choice might present itself one day. I'm not here to demand an answer—"
"Fou—?"
Before he could finish, Fou's voice called out nearby.
Fou darted into the control room and leapt onto Romani's desk.
"When did you sneak in? Were you listening to us?" Romani asked.
"Fou—" Fou nodded.
"I used to be able to understand him, more or less... Now, not at all," Romani muttered. He set down his coffee, picked up Fou, and turned to Shiomi. "No one else is here, so I'll just tell you—this little guy is actually—"
"No need. I already know." Shiomi raised a hand. "The essence of a 'beast' is human love. As long as they love humanity like a mother does, and don't harm us, I don't care what they are or where they go."
He stood up from the table.
"Now that sounds like something the 'Child of Tiamat' would say," Romani said with a chuckle.
"Just putting on a show." Shiomi shrugged with a small smile, then headed out of the control room. "I won't disturb your rest, Doctor."
Romani picked up the book, turned to the page Shiomi had been reading, glanced over it, then closed it again.
Then he sat there with his coffee, locked in a staring match with Fou.