"This god is Solomon the Wise. He must be skilled at slander and flattery. His power has always been 'wisdom,' not 'force.' He must lack the confidence to defeat the 'King,' which is why he came up with this delaying tactic, hoping to use the Seventh Day to investigate the 'King's' Authority!"
"'King,' your loyal knight, Lord Erica, advises you to kill Solomon the Wise here and now, leaving him no chance to use his greatest weapon!"
Erica knelt on one knee, clasped one hand over her chest, and shouted.
"No... No! Young lady knight, I didn't lie. Really, I didn't lie."
King Solomon waved his hands repeatedly. Somewhat flustered, he tried to approach Erica and explain everything to her.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!"
Erica's stern shout left King Solomon frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.
Erica seemed to shrink behind Roy as though Solomon were some huge piece of garbage. Only her delicate, pretty face showed. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she glared angrily at King Solomon. "'King,' the records say that Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, possessing a vast thousand-woman harem. The Bible's Book of Kings records that, besides Pharaoh's daughter, King Solomon also favored many foreign women: Moabite women, Ammonite women, Edomite women, Sidonian women, and Hittite women!"
"...Princess Alice's Word Spirit also said earlier that he was skilled in magic. He must have used magic to deceive countless young women, making all of them fall in love with him! Erica's purity can belong only to the 'King.' I beg you, 'King,' stand up for me and do not let Solomon defile me!"
King Solomon was completely stunned by Erica's words. He immediately wilted, muttering like a bitter old woman, "...That wasn't me. That wasn't me. Solomon merely acted according to the Lord's revelation. He was only doing what 'Solomon' was supposed to do."
"Hmph! You don't even dare acknowledge what you did, and you blame all those sins on the Lord. Then how do you explain the Queen of Sheba? The Old Testament clearly states that the Queen of Sheba fell in love with King Solomon at first sight. She developed feelings for him, and on her way home, she gave birth to his child. He let her return to her own country while she was pregnant with his child. Whether as a man or as a father, King Solomon was utterly unfit for the role!"
"...Furthermore, in his later years, King Solomon became extravagant and debauched, squandering everything without restraint. He even served many gods instead of worshiping Yahweh devotedly, as his father, King David, had done. This provoked the Lord's anger and caused his kingdom to split apart. If he could even betray the Lord he believed in, how can the words of such a faithless man be trusted? 'King,' please think this through!"
Every one of Erica's words stabbed into Solomon's heart. The wise king retreated again and again, and the hopeless expression on his face even made Roy wonder whether Solomon would commit suicide right there if Erica continued.
Solomon had no way to refute her, because all of it was recorded in the Old Testament. As the king whom God had bestowed upon humanity, a ruler who had received God's grace and thereby earned a wise reputation, he could be called God's most devout believer.
Roy looked at King Solomon with some pity. If everything Solomon said was true and he was truly an emotionless machine, then none of his actions had been his own intention. They had merely been what 'King Solomon' was supposed to do.
After all, Christianity's doctrine had already made it clear: if you could defeat God, then God must have allowed you to defeat Him; if you betrayed God, then God must have allowed you to betray Him; if demons existed in this world, then God must have allowed demons to appear.
The Lord was omniscient and omnipotent!
Thus, Solomon's entire life had been something God made him do.
Roy raised a hand to stop Erica from continuing her verbal assassination of King Solomon. He said, "...I deeply felt your loyalty, Lord Erica! I'm extremely happy about it. You were willing to advise me for my sake, and my heart is filled with joy. But, Lord Erica, you needn't say anything more. I understand everything perfectly!"
"'King'!"
Erica still wanted to say something, but when she saw the determination in Roy's expression, she finally sighed. "...I understand. I'll do as the 'King' wishes."
Erica glared at Solomon once more, then stepped back to stand one pace behind Roy. As a subject, she could offer advice to the 'King,' but she could not make decisions for him.
"King Solomon, you wish to live for seven days as a human, and I can agree to that! But there is one question I need to ask. Do you still possess the 'wisdom of God'?"
Roy asked the question.
King Solomon finally came to his senses and nodded. "...Although I've become human and gained human consciousness, I haven't abandoned the 'wisdom of God.' I simply don't want to use it. Humans should live like humans, rather than maintain ties with God."
"Then if you're willing to use the 'wisdom of God' to help me with something, I'll agree to your request and let you live as a human for seven days."
"You... are willing to believe me?"
Solomon asked in disbelief.
"Of course. People must have trust in one another. Since you're now a 'human,' I should place my hopes and trust in you."
Roy smiled and took two steps forward. He extended his hand toward Solomon. "...Roy Crowley. That's my name. For the next seven days, I'll be in your care, King Solomon!"
Looking at Roy's outstretched hand, King Solomon hurriedly extended both his own hands and clasped it. "...Yes, yes, this is how you shake hands, right? I didn't do it wrong, did I?"
His expression was nervous, but his face was filled with joy and emotion.
He was moved that others trusted him as a 'human.' He was moved that, as a 'human,' he could communicate with others. He was moved that he had finally become a 'human.'
He was no longer the 'King Solomon' who lacked all human emotions and lived only as a machine. He had become a Solomon with his own will, capable of laughing and crying as he pleased.
"Mr. Roy, although I don't wish to use the 'wisdom of God' again, I want to repay your trust. If you have any trouble, please come to me."
King Solomon spoke sincerely.
"Why did I agree to this? Why am I working here for you?"
King Solomon's screams echoed through a hotel in Jerusalem.
"King Solomon, as a symbol of wisdom and sagacity, you mustn't go back on your word. Since you agreed to it, you must follow through."
Inside the hotel room, Roy lazily reclined on a soft sofa. He held a glass of iced cola and drank through a straw, staring fixedly at King Solomon like an evil capitalist supervising his employees.
A large table stood in front of him, covered with piles of documents. King Solomon was writing furiously there. He had activated the 'wisdom of God,' drawing complex ritual diagrams on the magical materials and annotating them with the various mystical languages he knew.
"Didn't you call yourself King of Kings and King of Magic Solomon? Then completing this Great Magic for me should be easy for you."
Roy's tone was relaxed. He had no awareness whatsoever that he sounded like a foreman forcing workers to labor.
"No, I only said that casually. Besides, the magic you're asking me to complete is far too difficult. Even I can barely manage it. This has already reached the realm of true magic, hasn't it?"
King Solomon's head was buried in a pile of documents as he cried out in misery.
"Keep it up, Your Majesty King Solomon!"
Roy spoke heartlessly.
"Ugh... I hate hearing that the most. But setting that aside, why do I have to work from nine in the morning until nine at night every day, with only one hour of rest at noon and in the evening?"
King Solomon complained.
"Didn't you want to experience human life? This is what humans are like. This is a society of labor. Humans can't get something for nothing. You're eating my food, drinking my drinks, and living under my roof. I'm providing food and lodging, and you're even receiving a salary. What do you have to complain about?"
Roy spoke with righteous conviction.
"Don't lie to me, Roy! You make me work from nine in the morning until nine at night, and I have to work six days a week. That's illegal, isn't it? I already understand the modern world. Isn't a real job supposed to run from nine to five, with weekends off?"
"The Bible's Genesis says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God spent the first six days creating the various elements that make up all things, then rested on the Seventh Day. Even the Lord worked for six days and rested for one. What do you have to complain about? Could it be that, as Erica said, you've truly abandoned your faith and betrayed the Lord we both serve?"
Roy sat up straight and devoutly traced a cross before his chest.
"My faith is different from yours."
King Solomon argued back. He believed in Judaism, while Roy believed in Christianity.
"But our Lord is the same!"
"Uh..."
Roy's single sentence left King Solomon speechless.
"All right, get back to work. When you rest on the Seventh Day, I'll take you around Jerusalem for a proper tour. Although this is no longer the kingdom you once ruled, and not even the world you came from, some things are the same, aren't they?"
Roy stood up and walked over to Solomon, gently patting him on the shoulder.
That gentle tone touched King Solomon's heart as well.
"Besides, 996 is a blessing you earned!"
But Roy's next sentence made Solomon's already dark complexion turn even darker. Four.
Chapter Sixty-Three: Solomon, If Only You Were a Woman
Roy needed a technique that belonged exclusively to him, just as every powerful magician in the A Certain Magical Index World possessed a unique technique of their own. Aleister's Spirit Binding was one such example—a technique that, in theory, could unleash ten times the energy of the Big Bang when used against a Demon God.
Roy's Divine Right came from his understanding of the Biblical sections in The Book of 777. In a sense, this 'right hand' was an innate power rather than a technique. Although powerful, Roy vaguely sensed that this 'right hand' had limits.
If an innate ability had limits, then Roy needed to use acquired methods to make up for them and break through those limits. Divine Right represented the power of Genesis in the Old Testament, but Roy still needed to complete the power of Revelation in the New Testament. Only by combining the two powers could he possess the complete 'power of Christianity.'
Revelation recorded knowledge concerning the 'Beast' at the time of the Day of Judgment. What Roy needed to do now was create a technique that could cross over the symbol of the Beast—Human Evil—thereby completing the correspondence between Revelation and Genesis.
However, creating a technique capable of gathering all the 'Beasts' at a single point and crossing over them was unimaginably difficult. Even Aiwass might be unable to create it.
This technique was something Roy needed to complete as his own unique technique. He could not borrow another's hand; he could only perfect it through his own knowledge.
What Roy had asked Solomon to complete was merely the technique's most basic content, a vague framework. Roy still needed to perfect the overall structure himself once his knowledge was sufficient. Even so, this magical framework had already exhausted Solomon's wisdom. That alone showed how far the technique was from completion—and how powerful it would be once completed.
Inside the hotel in Jerusalem, Roy and Solomon engaged in an intense discussion. However, rather than a discussion, it was more accurate to call it Roy asking Solomon for guidance.
Solomon called himself the King of Magic, and he truly had not been lying. His attainments in magic were beyond imagination. Simply discussing magic with him benefited Roy immensely. Roy almost wished Solomon could do nothing but complete the magical framework and teach him knowledge all day, allowing him to absorb it like someone starving.
This wise king was very good at teaching people. Of course, that only applied to Solomon's 'wisdom of God,' not his 'human wisdom.' Unlike Aiwass, who merely gave Roy a 'math problem' and its solution before leaving him to figure it out himself, Solomon explained every step of the solution in exhaustive detail, allowing Roy to understand it easily.
"Phew... It's nine o'clock already. Let's end today's discussion here. You're off work now, King Solomon."
Roy came back to himself when his phone alarm rang. He let out a soft breath and reluctantly ended his discussion with Solomon.
If he told Solomon to work 996, then Solomon would work 996. Roy would not let him slack off for even a minute, but he also would not make him work a minute of overtime.
The magical knowledge Solomon possessed belonged to the Type-Moon setting and differed greatly from the magical knowledge of the Campione World. Type-Moon magic was closer to the study of concepts, a research system, while magic in the Campione World was more practical and mainly intended for combat. The fact that every powerful magician in that world was a knight showed what it valued.
Aiwass's magical knowledge belonged to the Toaru Majutsu no Index World. Roy was currently integrating the different knowledge systems of Type-Moon, the Toaru Majutsu no Index World, and the Campione World, thereby beginning to create his own magical system and complete his unique technique. He used the Bible and The Book of 777 as the theoretical foundation for integrating this knowledge, ensuring that his technique better conformed to the doctrines of Christianity.
"The ocean of knowledge is truly vast and boundless. Every world has its own strengths. Even the weaker worlds must possess unique treasures. It makes me look forward to traveling in the future, searching for the knowledge I need in different worlds and turning it into 'my technique.'"
Roy sighed and stretched. He shook his head to clear it, feeling somewhat drowsy. Studying with Solomon for ten consecutive hours had left him mentally exhausted.
"If I had studied this hard back then, I'd probably already be a doctor..."
Roy gave a self-mocking smile, ridiculing his former dislike of studying. He understood now: the fastest ladder for human advancement truly was 'learning.' Learning really could change one's life.
Roy then looked at King Solomon with a complicated expression and sighed. "...If only you were a girl. Just like King Arthur and the tyrant Nero are girls, if only you were a girl too. Then I could learn knowledge in a more convenient, efficient, and comfortable way."
As he spoke, Roy glanced behind Solomon.
King Solomon discreetly shifted backward, adjusting himself until his rear and the back of the chair formed a ninety-degree angle. Only then did he relax and say, "...'Sodom and Gomorrah's sins are grave; their outcry has reached Yahweh, and Yahweh will send two angels to destroy the city.'"
The words came from Genesis in the Bible. Solomon was using the allusion to tell Roy that his thoughts were dangerous.
Sodom and Gomorrah were open cities that did not forbid same-sex relations. The abundance of such acts angered God, who sent Michael and Gabriel to destroy them...
"Forget it. I'm not interested in men. Besides, I prefer fair skin, so I'm not interested in someone with skin as bronze as yours. Speaking of which, the Queen of Sheba probably had skin like yours, right? It seems we have different tastes. What a relief, what a relief. At least we won't end up fighting over women."
Roy spoke disdainfully.
Solomon gave an awkward smile. "...Ah, I'm actually terrible at dealing with women, and I've never been popular with them."
"What a joke! King Solomon, who had an Egyptian princess as his wife, a thousand beautiful women as his concubines, and queens from various countries as his lovers, says he has no luck with women and isn't good at dealing with them!"
"...Actually, I really would like to learn from you. How did you manage to keep such a huge harem harmonious? Was it some kind of magic?"
Roy snickered.
Solomon flushed red. After holding it in for a long while, he finally shouted, "...Those things were done by 'Solomon'! What do they have to do with me, Romani Archaman?"
"Romani Archaman?"
Roy paused, then said thoughtfully, "...You actually gave your human self a new name. 'Arch' refers to the Ark of the Covenant and Noah's Ark, and adding 'man' afterward means 'the holder of the Ark.' I thought you'd choose a name completely unrelated to your past, but in the end, you still took it from the Bible."
"Then, Mr. Romani..."
"Call me Roman."
King Solomon—or rather, Roman—cut Roy off. He smiled and said, "...Call me Roman. I like this name."
"Roman? You really converted to Christianity under my influence. That word refers to Catholicism. It looks like I'm perfectly suited to be a missionary. Making King Solomon of the Old Testament abandon Judaism and convert to Christianity is truly a miracle without precedent!"
Roy joked, then solemnly grasped Roman's hand. "...Dr. Roman, I'll continue asking you about magic over the next few days. I hope you won't hold anything back."
Roman gave a wry smile. "...That word means 'romantic.' I was using the Japanese I just learned, not English."
At that moment, Erica knocked on the door. "'King,' have you finished studying for today? I brought you a late-night snack. Oh, and I also brought the cake that King Solomon requested."
Before Roy could react, King Solomon, now using the name Roman, darted over like a rabbit and opened the door.
Chapter Sixty-Four: The Seventh Day
"Cake, cake! Strawberry cake!"
Excited, Roman opened the door at top speed, then shouted and cheered like a child about to be fed.
For him, although working ten hours a day was somewhat arduous, being able to sample modern delicacies from around the world during his breaks was enough to make him forget the misery of work.
Among all those foods, strawberry cake was his favorite.
"Please wait a moment, King Solomon! Let me first bring the 'King' food sufficient to replenish his nutrition and mental energy. The 'King' has studied all day and must be exhausted."
Erica glared at Roman, her tone filled with indescribable helplessness. Since Solomon had become a 'human,' both his temperament and his tastes had become childlike, making it difficult even for Erica to remain wary of him.
It wasn't only because Solomon's current bearing was utterly unlike that of a king, making him seem like someone who could be bullied at will. He was also genuinely teaching Roy magical knowledge with all his heart, leaving Erica unable to hold any real grievance against him.
If this is also Solomon's wisdom, then I can only accept my defeat.
Erica thought this, then pushed the food cart into the room, ignoring Roman's protest that he had also been working the entire time and was very tired.
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