Outside, Anka hoped that the two young men would talk about the legend and finally satisfy her curiosity.
She was disappointed. They never mentioned it. Not once.
They stood together, admiring the view of the sea and briefly discussing their departure the following day. It was as if the performance had never happened.
[They will never talk about this. Neither will anyone else on this ship.]
"Why? You said this legend was important. So why is everyone acting as if it never happened?"
If I remember correctly, we have a rule against speaking aloud about anything related to the gods. Is that why no one is talking about it now?
[Anka, let me explain now that you have at least a glimpse of what these legends are.]
[First of all, a legend is a past event that happened. But its content touches upon a forbidden subject. The gods.]
So I was right.
"Gods? Do aliens even have religions? That's an unexpected discovery."
What is an 'alien'? Is it a kind of human, or a species I don't know about?
[Anka, it isn't a religion. Gods are not what you imagine them to be. They are guardians, but they are also the source of certain concepts and energies. Usually, when someone prays to a god, they are asking for something or attempting to make a deal.]
"How is that not a religion?"
What is a religion? Is that a human concept?
Anka stood quietly behind her dragon master, trying to pay attention to both her surroundings and the conversation inside her mind.
It was difficult to serve someone properly while carrying on an entire conversation in her head.
[Anka, praying to a god is dangerous. It depends on the god, but usually, the price for a request is extremely high. Such deals are not common. No one does this as casually as people once did on your planet.]
"Oh… I see. And these legends are forbidden because they describe the actions of gods in the past?"
[Kind of. A legend can be dangerous, and it can possess power. Such legends are known as silver legends. There are only fifteen silver legends. Mane is one of them.
This particular legend tells the story of the rise and fall of the god of Life and the goddess of Death. It is an ancient legend that has continued to grow throughout the centuries.]
A silver legend grows?
Besides the God of Fire, I never knew there were other gods.
"How can a legend keep growing? Is information added to it?"
Outside, the human servants followed their masters as they began traveling across the ship in search of a particular spot to rest.
[Yes. These legends have another unusual characteristic. They are not finished.]
[The story describes events from the past, but their conclusion has never truly happened.]
[The gods described in them are still alive.]
"So these fifteen legends are stories about gods. They describe past events, and the stories continue to gain information…"
"But why are they dangerous? Where does the power come from?"
Hmm… I want to know that too…
[Anka, legends are dangerous because if you try to alter their content, you will die instantly. The same applies if you hear a distorted version of one.]
[Both the person who tells the false version and the person who accepts it will die.]
[It is a law of the universe. Information concerning the gods cannot be falsified or manipulated.]
So… if I read something about the gods, that means it is true.
"That means people would hesitate to speak about these legends because they could accidentally change some information and die? Is that why they're forbidden?"
[Yes. Every creature has the impulse to embellish stories—to make them sound more impressive, more powerful, more dramatic.
With ordinary stories, that doesn't matter. With a silver legend, it can kill you instantly. And, of course, there is another reason.]
I think the races are involved for that reason.
After watching the play, I can understand why a phoenix would be ashamed to know this story.
Our rise to power was… incredibly dark.
It's no surprise that they don't want this story to become widely known.
[As the legend has told so far, the dragons, fenixes, angels and demons rose against their creators.]
[The rise of these races was built upon those dark events. They don't want everyone to know about it.]
Anka was interrupted when another guest approached the table. She quickly arranged a place for him.
The newcomer was a phoenix whose appearance resembled that of a refined gentleman. His eyes carried a deep, almost thoughtful gaze.
Oh… hello, Uncle. I forgot you were here.
Zero continued only after Anka was free to stand quietly in the background.
[Nowadays, only the heads of each race know about the existence of the gods, along with a few ancient beings. Younger generations and weaker races know nothing about them.]
[That is why the Alocanai Council forbids silver legends from being publicly performed or spread. They would reveal the existence of the gods.]
"Why? And are the gods okay with that?"
[I don't know. That part is something I came to understand through my own years of existence, not through my database. The Alpha System blocks information regarding the gods as well.]
"I understand. Thank you, Zero. You're amazing for telling me all of this."
[I am happy to help you.]
These two started talking about the past few days and their missions.
Csendez slowly lost interest in their conversation and instead focused on the table not far away.
Fahim and Tenin exchanged a few words with the phoenix, mostly about the journey and the events aboard the ship.
Nothing particularly important. Yet throughout the conversation, the phoenix kept glancing toward Anka. His eyes carried a strange confusion.
Tenin noticed. A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Ohhh… has our Mister Dezz been captivated by the beauty of our human servant?"
The phoenix startled slightly before looking at Anka again.
"She is really a human?" he asked carefully.
Fahim, who had mostly remained silent until then, finally answered.
"Yes. She only happens to resemble someone else."
Everyone at the table knew who he was referring to.
"So you met my niece?" the phoenix asked. "She is doing well?"
The question sounded casual. Almost too casual.
Tenin immediately turned it into a performance. "Of course! Your niece is our classmate. We're in the same class." He leaned forward enthusiastically. "And she's number one in the entire school. She's amazing!"
The moment Dezz heard that they were in the same class, his expression changed, and when he heard her ranking… he froze.
"She…" His eyes widened. "She is number one?" His voice had lost all its previous indifference. "Are you sure?"
The reaction lasted only a moment. Dezz quickly composed himself. But both young men had already noticed. He immediately tried to recover his casual expression.
"Sorry. I was just shocked. Our little Csendy used to be so weak and slow at everything…" He gave a small laugh. "And now she's first? What news. Is she doing well?"
Fahim answered this time. "We don't know. We left the Academy after the first day to come here." He paused. "But her presence in our class is certainly valuable."
Csendez listened in silence.
Something inside her suddenly felt lighter. Then came that familiar sensation. A strong pull. Her vision blurred. The world around her began to fade.
Today's dream was coming to an end.
.......
Sunlight passed through the window of Csendez's bedroom. She slowly opened her eyes. Her expression was unhappy. But after a moment, she released a quiet sigh.
I can't be angry. At least I saw the beginning of the legend.
She stared at the ceiling.
I'll find a way to discover the continuation.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
That was a good dream.