“In the forgotten age of gods... a being higher than the five supreme gods?”

[Indeed. If it can interfere with the divine domain, it must be an existence higher than them. And that, even I cannot grasp. What kind of being could it be?]

A being so lofty that even the Dragonkin couldn’t fathom it.

Could Ulthultus possibly know about this existence? After all, he was the one who’d mentioned it first.

[No, he wouldn’t know. He must have made a similar misunderstanding to mine.]

“Then about that black thing—”

[At this point, I do not know.]

At the Dragonkin’s firm answer, Alon fell silent for a moment, then shrugged.

“It feels like the more I try to solve mysteries, the deeper they get.”

[From your perspective, that’s understandable.]

Alon sighed and decided to set the topic aside, choosing to ask something else.

There were still many things he wanted to know.

“Let’s go over the rest first.”

With that, Alon began recounting everything that had happened, one by one.

A short while later—

[......It seems more happened than I thought.]

“As you heard.”

Over the course of about thirty minutes, Alon told the Dragonkin everything he needed to say.

First, his meeting with Duke Komalon and the True Mage magic he’d mentioned.

Second, the information that the “black things” would soon rise again.

Lastly, the story of the golden dragon, Lainisius.

The Dragonkin stayed silent, occasionally flicking its long tail. When it finally finished organizing its thoughts, it began to speak.

[First of all, I was unaware of what that sealed dragon said about those entities.]

“Is that so?”

[Yes. From the start, my understanding was somewhat different. In any case, even if those entities went through such a process to ascend, it would be meaningless for the gods to remain silent.]

“Can you reveal it now?”

[I can only tell you the prologue to what you already know, but if it is necessary, I will.]

When Alon nodded at once, the Dragonkin fell quiet for a moment, then spoke slowly.

[It’s not a particularly exciting story. From your perspective, it’s nothing more than an old tale.]

Its voice sounded like it was reaching for a distant memory.

[In the past—what you call the forgotten age of gods—this world was literally one where gods and humans coexisted. Humans worshiped the gods, and the gods granted blessings in return for faith.]

[Many things were different then. Instead of “nations,” territories were divided under the names of gods. Wizards were called True Mages. And there was only one human nation. If I recall correctly, it was a country founded by someone named Palahon.]

The Dragonkin stared intently at Alon.

[Anyway, that was the kind of world it was. A world where gods existed, and different races, including humans, offered faith to those gods—while True Mages like you could imprint their laws onto the world.]

Murmuring as if reminiscing, the Dragonkin continued.

[To be honest, that world couldn’t be called peaceful, not even as an empty phrase. Problems arose daily. Still, it wasn’t an era of constant warfare—at least, not until they appeared.]

“......The black things.”

[Yes. Them.]

The Dragonkin’s blue eyes narrowed into a frown.

[They appeared out of nowhere and began slaughtering every living being they saw—gods, humans, other races, True Mages. All of them, without exception.]

“......Did they have a purpose?”

[No. There was no purpose. Or perhaps there was, but we had no way of knowing. From the start, they had no intention of communicating with us.]

For a moment, the air changed.

[Many gods rose to fight them. Some fought alone, others formed alliances. They took up weapons to slay those unknown beings. And the result is what you see now.]

“......They lost?”

[It wasn’t just a loss. Most of the gods who rose to deal with the black things were annihilated.]

A powerless voice hung in the air.

[Normally, gods do not perish so easily. Even if they fall, they can revive within days—or, at most, decades—as long as they have faith.]

[But the gods who fell back then... most of them vanished entirely.]

“......Is there a reason for that?”

[It’s simple. Their names were taken.]

The loss of their names.

[For gods, names are crucial. No—more than just names, every element that constitutes a god is vital. But if even one of those elements is taken away, a god cannot maintain its form.]

“......”

[Some had their names stolen. Others had their bodies, their minds, or their honor taken. And so they were annihilated. I was no exception.]

A self-deprecating smile crossed its face.

[I lost my name, and I narrowly avoided annihilation by sealing myself in my own temple at the last moment.]

It must have been a final, desperate act.

An incomplete but necessary measure to keep living.

“Then did other gods survive in the same way?”

[That, I do not know either. I sealed myself around the time the war had just begun. However, the gods who have survived to this point are those who were extremely powerful in the old era.]

“Why is that?”

[Because they managed to survive even after losing their names. Isn’t that obvious?]

In any case—

[In conclusion, the gods were defeated by those entities. They were even stripped of their positions as “gods.”]

“......Usurped.”

This was—

[Yes. Usurpation. We, who were once the gods of this continent, are now called Outer Gods, while they are revered and feared as the “Five Great Sins.”]

Thus, the “origin story” of the Five Great Sins was revealed.

“I have a question.”

[What is it?]

As Alon listened in silence, a thought suddenly struck him.

“Why did the Five Great Sins steal your names and usurp the gods’ positions?”

[Well, I only learned this after awakening from my seal, but if I had to speculate... it may have been to make us forgotten.]

“......Make you forgotten?”

[It is only speculation.]

“Even so, I want to hear it.”

[When I awakened, the original gods were gone, and the True Mages’ legacy had been severed. And according to what you’ve said, the dragons were slaughtered completely and reduced to mere mythical beings.]

The Dragonkin’s voice stayed calm.

[......I understand that the era ended with the deaths of the gods, the True Mages, and the dragons. But there are too many unresolved issues to accept it as that simple.]

“..... Are you referring to the usurpation of the gods’ positions?”

[Not only that. The same goes for the magic of the True Mages. Even if they all died, their lineage should have continued to some extent. Yet look around. Is there any other True Mage in this world besides you?]

“......There isn’t.”

[Exactly. That’s what I mean. Something is off. Even if the gods perished, the information about them shouldn’t have vanished. And even if the True Mages died, there’s no reason their laws and research should have disappeared.] 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Even if the True Mages failed to leave behind an imprint of their will, it still didn’t explain everything.

With a firm, resolute tone, the Dragonkin declared,

[This world has lost all its information—about the dragons, the gods, and the True Mages. It’s as if—]

The Dragonkin exhaled heavily.

[It was all fabricated.]

*****

On the way back from the ruins.

[Meow—]

Watching the small black creature cling to Seolrang’s hand and “fly” in real time, Alon calmly sorted through what he and the Dragonkin had discussed afterward.

No—there wasn’t much to sort through.

Most of it had been speculation.

‘......Well, sealing yourself during a war can’t be helped.’

In the end, Alon walked away from the conversation with two clear truths.

First, although the exact motive was unknown, the Five Great Sins had usurped the gods’ positions and tried to erase all traces of the old era.

Second, it explained why Duke Komalon had called himself a half-finished mage.

‘So the technique involves imprinting the will.’

Alon recalled the Dragonkin’s explanation of True Mages.

[True Mages each have their own unique manifestation. As I mentioned before, that manifestation is only possible when there is an imprint of will.]

[The technique is the next stage of that manifestation. It involves engraving laws and will onto a mana core, unifying with those laws. Only then do True Mages confidently call themselves True Mages.]

[You’ll learn more about it three months from now, when the item you [N O V E L I G H T] entrusted to me is ready.]

“......So that’s why he called himself a half-finished mage.”

Once he understood Duke Komalon’s meaning, Alon let out a deep sigh without realizing it.

He’d learned some things, but plenty of questions remained.

Why did the black entities want to erase the past?

Considering the story of the golden dragon, Kylas was clearly a True Mage—so why did he appear as an Outer God?

Questions swirled in his mind, making it hard to think straight.

But Alon decided to set them aside for now and refocus on what mattered most.

‘Right now, the top priority is stopping the Five Great Sins.’

For him, there was ultimately only one truly important task:

Stop the Five Great Sins and live a peaceful life as a noble.

Beyond that, he had a secondary goal—digging deeper into magic.

At first, magic had been something he learned purely for survival, but it had become indispensable to his life.

In this world, it was the only thing that sparked his curiosity and his desire to improve.

So—

‘......First, I need to do the preliminary work to deal with those abominations. And when the original story begins, I’ll briefly join forces with the protagonist to obtain that item. With it, I should be able to meet Kylas.’

As he organized his plans again, Alon looked up at the sun, slowly climbing in the sky.

—In the middle of a scorching desert.

“Greetings, Marquis. His Majesty the King wishes to see you.”

“Me, you say?”

“Yes. He also requested that Lady Seolrang accompany you.”

Having returned to the Colony, Alon was unexpectedly summoned by the King.

“Master, what do you want to do?”

Still puzzled as to why Carmaxes III was calling for him, Alon asked anyway.

“When should I go?”

“You may depart immediately, if you wish.”

“......Then let’s go right now.”

He accepted the King’s invitation.

Of course, he wanted a moment to rest and collect his thoughts, but it was common courtesy not to refuse a royal summons.

He boarded the prepared carriage and headed for the Royal Castle of the Colony. Soon, he was walking the lavish interior corridors, just as he had before.

A short while later—

Just as he was nearing the banquet hall where Carmaxes awaited, he ran into a man.

A man who was staring intently at him.

“?”

Feeling the stare, Alon instinctively turned to meet his eyes—and a moment later, he realized who it was.

‘Karan?’

Karan, the current prince of the Colony and the sixth king who would eventually succeed Carmaxes V in the story.

He was staring fixedly at Alon,

his expression plainly radiating displeasure.

Just as Alon began to wonder what that look meant—

Seolrang, who had been watching Karan as well, narrowed her eyes.

However, a moment later—

In the end, Alon got past the encounter without incident.

Though he looked as if he’d been waiting for this moment, Karan soon turned away and went on his way.

“Marquis, do you happen to know that gentleman?”

“I don’t.”

“Then why was he glaring at you like—uh, I mean, why was he looking at you so intently?”

Evan corrected himself quickly after glancing around and noticing the nearby guards.

“I have no idea, either.”

Naturally, Alon didn’t know.

He knew of Karan from playing Psychedelia, but this was the first time they’d met face-to-face.

Sure, Karan might have heard rumors and read reports about him, but even accounting for that, the hostility felt strange.

Alon tilted his head, briefly puzzled.

Soon after, he entered the banquet.

“Greetings, Marquis!”

“?”

The moment he stepped into the banquet hall, he saw a man bowing deeply to him, which left him momentarily bewildered.

But then he marveled inwardly.

“......It’s been a while, Prince.”

“Yes!”

The handsome man bowing before him—

Alon realized it was none other than the second prince, Karsem, who half a year ago had been ridiculed as a walking pig, chubby and covered in soot.

“???”

Countless question marks seemed to float over Alon’s head.