This was the "lock" connecting mortals and gods.
The rules of this world were even crueller than Gawain had imagined.
Now, he finally understood why Melita had shown such pain, as though on the verge of losing control, whenever she revealed secrets about the Counter Tide and the gods to him. He understood the true mechanism behind it—he had once thought it was merely a punishment the dragons' god imposed upon every dragon, but now he realized that even the lofty Dragon God was nothing more than a prisoner of this system.
Gods were chains, prisoners, and even executioners all at once, while the entire "prison" had been forged from mortals' own faith.
Seeing Gawain lost in thought and silent for a long while, the Dragon God asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"
"I was just thinking of Melita—she told me some ancient things, and only now do I realize how great a risk she took at the time."
"Ah, Melita... she was a child who left a deep impression on me," the Dragon God said with a nod. "It is difficult to see such complex qualities in a relatively young dragon—she retained a vigorous curiosity, possessed great creativity, loved action and exploration, grew up in the Eternal Cradle, yet was as vibrant as the beings 'outside'... The Council was an ancient and closed organization, yet such changes appeared among its younger members. It truly was... interesting."
A young and ambitious member emerging from the ancient, closed Council...
Yet Gawain suddenly thought of Melita's origins. She and her "colleagues" had all been born in factories and laboratories, employees custom-made by corporations.
He gathered his slightly wandering thoughts and brought the subject back to the Counter Tide Empire. "Then after the Counter Tide Empire, the dragons never again interfered in