The Sage, for any race that believes in any god, is an incomparably divine being. They are the spokesmen of the gods in this world...... Sometimes it's even God.

Legend has it that the gods were once able to walk freely, but they were also full of contradictions like humans, and their power was so great that a small dispute could destroy an entire continent. After the world had been destroyed three times before it was fully created, the gods finally came together and made a rule that even they had to follow - they could no longer enter the world completely, but could only communicate their will through a creation that already existed.

Many have heard the whispers of the gods, but only the holies, the most powerful, and selfless beings can contain the glory of the gods in their bodies, and the one who is called the "Holy One" is God Himself.

But legends are often far from the truth.

The dragons believed that the gods could not fully enter the world because the world rejected them - and they still managed to infiltrate it, trying to make everything the way they wanted it to be...... In ancient times, the gods were keen to create creatures and races, believing that they could control the world with their creations. But even the smallest life has its own soul once it is created, and free will instinctively resists the fate of being controlled. It was only after the giants rebelled for their own survival that the gods became more cautious. They learned to trade tricks and petty boons for the most loyal followers, priests and paladins, in the eyes of the dragons. However, the exchange of piety for honor and power is not much different from the adventurers who exchange power for wealth.

But the Sage ...... The Sages are completely different.

"The Sage gives his all...... Do you know how many of the so-called 'Sages' have ended up either crazy or stupid, locked up in the depths of the temple for the rest of their lives until they died?! The power of the gods is still beyond the reach of any living being, if Nyo does come to you one day...... Ed, that will destroy your soul in an instant!!"

Eth roared in Ed's ear, his hands on his shoulders trembling slightly—why hadn't he noticed it sooner?the whispers of a fever, the miracle of bringing Borena back from the dead, the prophecy of a dream, the madness of running to jump into the river in the middle of the night...... He unknowingly let his friend fall into such a conspiracy!

"Wait...... Wait......" Ed was dazzled by his yell. His ears were ringing, but he was still trying to digest the unbelievable "facts" he had just heard.

At this moment, he was deeply aware that he and Iss really belonged to two completely different races...... Even as a sage, he was not very religious, but he could not accept the gods in the eyes of the dragon in any way—powerful and vile. Ruthless and cunning. Human civilization for thousands of years has been largely based on faith in the gods, so how can that solid pedestal be a false lie?

"How can you be sure that what you hear must be true?" he blurted out without thinking.

"Because I'm not 'heard', I 'remember'!" Is's voice was as loud as if it was about to hammer every word deep into Ed's head, "I see it with my own eyes...... My ancestors saw the coming of the so-called 'gods' with their own eyes......"

Thousands of years ago. The dragons unite for the last time. They want to take back the world that belonged to them. Even the only time in long history that the elves and dwarves joined forces to resist was crushed in a short time. But the decisive battle was on the walls of Alamit, and the four gods Omer, the god of war, Kofen, and Nior, the god of water, descended on the "sage" of their choice at the same time. Countless dragons fell from the sky......

With the unwillingness to retreat shortly after, one of the ancestors of Is. The ice dragon Zefonaia found two uninvited guests in the valley where he was hiding—a tall, muscular young human, dragging a blonde elf girl, and rushing into the valley in a panic, as if hiding from something. They would have died under the claws of the ice dragon, which still harbored a grudge - and might forever be resentful, and became its less favorite food, but Zephnaia was surprised to recognize the elven girl. On the walls of Alamit, her delicate countenance, her watery eyes, once full of divine majesty, sacrosanct...... It was the Sage of the water god Nyo.

But the former sage looked dull, his eyes were empty, he couldn't speak, he couldn't dodge, he was dragged behind by the young man like a soulless puppet, and he was protected in his arms.

That piqued Zephnaia's curiosity. In exchange for their lives, the ice dragon learns their story - the tragedy of Acton and Kama, a pair of unblessed lovers who cross races. During the Battle of Alamit, the elf Kama unexpectedly became the Sage of the Water God, and since then, Acton has never been allowed to approach the temple where Kama is located. The young man refused to give up, and at last found an opportunity to sneak into the temple, only to find his once lively and laughing lover sitting alone in front of a small pool of water, and could not even recognize his face.

Great deity...... Took away the soul of his lover.

Acton escaped from the temple with Kama. He is more than willing to pour out his anger and resentment against the gods to a dragon, whether it is a human, an elf, a dwarf, or even an orc...... Of all the races that believe in the gods, not a single one will believe his story.

Zephnaia didn't eat them—but he didn't let them go either. Nothing proves the hypocrisy of the gods like them, and the dragons will need them if they still want to win this war.

But it underestimated the human who seemed to have only one muscle. It didn't take long for Arcaton to successfully escape with Karma again, never to be seen again.

Thankfully, Kama wasn't the only sage.

Zephnaia soon learned that Kama was not the only "sage" who had not appeared in front of anyone since the battle of Alama - all the sages of that day were hidden in the depths of the temple and no one could see them. A few dragons with the same reluctance took on human form and blew true rumors into the city of elves and humans. The dwarven pits deep in the mountains...... But the Sage of Ethel, the god of war, reappeared and killed a blue dragon in the form of an elf in public, attributing all doubts to the dragon's conspiracy.

Since then, no one has asked the "sages" who have never shown up again. Thousands of years later. No one even remembered that little episode, as if it were not enough to mention, and even the dragon's final battle had long been forgotten.

But Isz remembered that the dragon's memories had been passed down from generation to generation, far more real than the history carved into the rocks and written on paper.

Ed clutched at his hair, in no mood to bother with his excessively high hairline.

Is, of course, wouldn't lie to him—but he still couldn't believe it.

"But Felicity ...... Felicity is good. He looked up in bewilderment—Iss was already half a head taller than him......

"Maybe it was her good fortune that Ni'o never really befell her...... But didn't Eren say that no one had stabbed her except Sean for more than half a year?, there must be something wrong with that!" Iss growled angrily.

"I've seen it!" Ed's eyes widened. "She saved me, don't you remember? We even talked for a long time......"

"Didn't you say that Felicity traded his life for saving Borena?" asked Is. immediately.

"Uh...... I didn't see Felicity alive. But it was her soul, and she wasn't destroyed......"

"You hadn't seen her before that, how did you know it was Felicity!" Iss let go of him and began to walk around in a distraught and angry manner. "It's definitely a scam...... Even if you can only save Borena with a life exchange. Why does she have to risk her own life! Wouldn't she just find someone......"

Ed was dumbfounded, and a wave of anger came to him. He had always thought that Isis was different...... But as a result, for a dragon, is the life of anyone other than the one he cares about worthless?

"Of course not!" he shouted at Is, his tone sharper than ever, "Anyone's life counts...... Not even a Sage has the right to take one from another in order to save the other!!"

"Then her own life is not her own life?!" Iss roared back with no sarcasm, more anger and worry, "Have you ever thought that Felicity would probably have died a long time ago?" All of this is just to trick you into saying 'I promise'?! Without your permission, not even God can take possession of your body at will...... And you're so stupid to give it with both hands! I would have ...... if I had known."

"I'm not stupid enough to be that bad!!" Ed finally retorted with a snap of his breath. "You don't know Felicity at all...... Don't question her like that again!"

He was used to being made fun of, and he understood that Is's anger was more due to concern for him, but he couldn't accept anyone's sacrifice of such an insult to Felicity! he wouldn't believe what she had done for him, her bright smile and gentle advice, her trust and expectation of him were only deception...... That's impossible!

As if not expecting his sudden outburst of anger, Iss was slightly startled, but quickly strode up to him and grabbed his wrist.

"Come with me out of this place!" he said, his tone non-negotiable.

Ed gritted his teeth and struggled to break away from him.

"It's not a place. He stared into Is's eyes and told him solemnly, word for word, "This is the temple of Collins, the temple of the god of water...... My Temple. If you don't like it, you can leave, but I'll stay here and do everything I have to do!"

Is's eyes widened in disbelief in a somewhat dazed expression.

His hurt eyes made Ed soften immediately.

"You said you believed me...... You've said I've always made the right choice, trust me again, Is......" he pleaded in a low voice.

"Then maybe I'm wrong. Iss stepped back and threw him stiffly, "You don't know what you're doing!"

Ed breathed as his anger burned again, and he burst out with resentment and grievances: "You also said that we are friends no matter what...... If I don't leave, will even that sentence become 'wrong'?!"

Isis looked at him quietly, without a trace of blood on his pale face.

The suffocating silence seemed to last until the end of time—and Eth jerked away, leaving Ed alone in the empty hall, desperately trying to suppress the heat that was about to gush out of his eyes, trying not to look at Is's back in the distance.

He didn't give him an answer......

――Will he still give him an answer?.

(To be continued......)