"————"
At that instant, in Chaldea's central control room, all sound vanished.
Everyone simply stared at Roman, their eyes filled with shock and horror.
"Solo…mon…?"
Mash and the gathered Servants were stunned on the spot.
"The first successful case of Chaldea's Heroic Spirit Summoning…?"
Olga Marie and the rest of Chaldea's staff also changed expression at once.
Up until now, many knew that Chaldea had three successful summoning cases.
Among them, the third successful case was Da Vinci, the second was Galahad, while the first had always remained shrouded in mystery. No one had ever seen that Servant, not even a record could be found—only the knowledge that such a being once existed.
Over time, everyone forgot, never searching again for the First.
But now, the identity of that first Servant was finally exposed—and it turned out he had already become human, and was none other than the Mage King, Solomon.
Yet Roman did not deny it. He simply remained silent.
Looking at him now, and recalling the strange anomaly during the Fifth Singularity, everyone was forced to believe it.
After all, the scale of mana that manifested at that time was absolutely impossible for a mere human to possess.
But if it were a Heroic Spirit—especially the Mage King—then it was another matter entirely.
Of all those present, only Da Vinci did not seem shocked. Instead, she sighed helplessly.
Evidently, Da Vinci had already known the truth.
Only Da Vinci in Chaldea knew Roman's true identity.
Roman was Solomon—the Magus King who had become human.
"Wait!" Olga Marie cried out, unable to accept it. "If this guy is Solomon, then what about the Solomon behind the Incineration of Humanity!?"
Indeed.
If Roman was Solomon, and had already manifested as human over a decade ago, then who was the Solomon responsible for the Incineration of Humanity?
Could it be…
"There are two Solomons!?"
Artoria [Alter] and Jeanne [Alter] both reacted explosively at the same time.
For this was something they had every right to speak about.
Had Artoria [Alter] not encountered her Lion King self in the Sixth Singularity?
And Jeanne [Alter]—though a counterfeit—was still another aspect of the Saint herself.
For Heroic Spirits, it was not strange at all for different aspects of the same being to manifest simultaneously.
For example, Elizabeth and Carmilla in the First Singularity.
For example, Anna and Gorgon in the Seventh.
By the same reasoning, this world could indeed hold both a Solomon reborn as a human and a Solomon orchestrating the Incineration of Humanity.
So naturally, everyone first thought of there being two Solomons.
However…
"No, it's not like that."
Rozen suddenly spoke.
"I think my brother and the Solomon now aren't the same being."
Saying this, Rozen recalled the scene he had seen carved upon the Tablet of Destinies.
Back then, the Solomon who appeared before him had said:
"Long ago, there was a king who possessed eyes that could see through past and future alike."
The one spoken of could only be Solomon.
Yet the figure had spoken as if describing a third party, using Solomon' s appearance while talking about Solomon.
No—not merely mentioning. He had even said:
"He saw through every tragedy from past to future. He held both the ability and the means to resolve them. And yet, he did nothing—he only smiled!"
That was his evaluation of Solomon.
"To behold so much suffering with his own eyes, and do nothing but smile—that demon, that man, can never be forgiven!"
That look of seething hatred as he spoke—Rozen remembered it vividly to this day.
Thus Rozen concluded: the Solomon of the Incineration might not be as simple as he appeared.
As for his identity, Rozen had a theory.
But speaking it aloud now would do no good.
For now, only one thing needed to be confirmed.
That Roman was indeed Solomon—nothing more.
"Am I wrong, brother?"
Rozen asked Roman directly.
The others also turned toward Roman, hoping the truth would come from his own mouth.
In that moment…
"Mm... What you said is basically correct."
The expression on Roman's face turned utterly into relief as he nodded, admitting it.
"In the past, I did indeed call myself 'Solomon.'"
With that admission, even though they had braced themselves, everyone's hearts shook at once.
For none of them had imagined that this lighthearted, self-effacing doctor could be the King of Magic.
But…
"To become human—that was my only, lifelong, unspoken wish as Solomon."
With a calm smile, Roman said this.
"I could not help it. I had never thought of myself as human, nor lived as one. Solomon's entire life was given to God, given to the throne—that was all of him."
As one born fated to be perfect, an omniscient and omnipotent king, Solomon never lived a human life. His days ended like those of a machine, fulfilling the role of a king, never knowing true freedom.
His power was given by God.
His status was ordained by heaven.
This king, who could achieve perfection in all things—magic, miracles, great deeds—never once experienced weakness, helplessness, or the life of an ordinary man, one without talent, who must struggle and strive toward a wish.
"Humans are imperfect. That's why they pursue perfection—for it lets them feel progress, satisfaction, fulfillment, and glory."
Roman pressed his hand against his chest.
"But Solomon was born perfect. Whether magic, miracle, or great endeavor, all were easily achieved. Tell me—what meaning does such a life hold?"
Thus Solomon never felt satisfaction, never felt fulfillment, and did not even know what true pride was.
"So, upon winning the Holy Grail War, before the omnipotent wish-granting device, Solomon made his one wish—to become human."
Not to possess flesh as a Servant, but to abandon all the powers of a Heroic Spirit and be reborn as a human completely unconnected to Solomon.
That was how Roman was born.
"Only, in the very last moment of losing my powers, I saw the future."
Roman's voice carried into everyone's ears.
"Saw the future?"
The group was dumbfounded.