According to preliminary statistics, the number of humans Rozen had transported back was approximately one hundred thousand.
This was by no means a small number.
This era was nothing like the future, where a single city could house tens of millions. Sumerian cities and states evolved from small village societies of just a few thousand people. Even Uruk—hailed as the largest fortress city in the world—had a peak population of roughly this size, perhaps even less.
Given that, it wasn't surprising that Uruk fell into chaos after suddenly receiving a full one hundred thousand new residents.
Especially since nobody knew why these people had appeared in Uruk so suddenly, where they came from, who they were, or what their current state was. To handle such a situation, from the king down to the lowliest servant, Uruk's entire workforce was likely running ragged.
On top of that, they had to consider whether there might be spies from the Three Goddess Alliance among them, if any magical traps or mechanisms had been left on their bodies, whether Uruk's barrier had been compromised to allow this many people to be transported in at once, and whether magical beasts might appear the next time.
All these problems and concerns made this influx of people an undeniably massive headache for Uruk.
And yet, while it was a massive headache—it was also a rare opportunity.
If all one hundred thousand of these people were capable and useful, then Uruk would receive a tremendous boost in both military and administrative manpower.
In other words, this could be a chance to strengthen Uruk and better prepare it to resist the Three Goddess Alliance.
With that in mind, Gilgamesh had no choice but to treat the matter with utmost seriousness.
He dared not let down his guard and instead tackled the problem with complete focus—eventually becoming completely buried in work.
Rozen's arrival finally allowed Gilgamesh to breathe a sigh of relief.
At the very least, someone was here to help shoulder the burden.
And, as someone who knew the truth—in fact, the very one who caused all this—Rozen was even more suited to cut through the red tape and get things moving.
For example, there was no need to inspect the barrier or investigate the cause of the spatial displacement.
Rozen was the culprit. He knew those issues didn't require resolution, and so he immediately canceled those tasks and reassigned the freed-up manpower to assist with headcounts and registration.
Even physical inspections were unnecessary. As the one who had transformed these beings back into humans, Rozen could personally guarantee there was nothing wrong with their bodies.
Eliminating these steps saved a tremendous amount of labor, reducing the problem to merely resolving housing, food, and clothing for the massive influx.
Gilgamesh had already proposed temporary emergency measures for these needs. Rozen only needed to supplement some parts and adjust manpower and workflows.
As a result, the chaos quickly subsided, with each reporting official receiving orders and hurrying off to implement them.
By the time Rozen finished addressing the issue, Gilgamesh had already heard the full story from Merlin.
"So that's how it is. The composite divinity Gorgon used the power of the Holy Grail to obtain the divinity and authority of Tiamat, thus becoming a goddess. So that's the true identity of the Goddess of Beasts," Gilgamesh said.
Now able to breathe a little easier, Gilgamesh had regained his composure, returning to sit upon his throne as he spoke with a deep breath.
"And we finally know the true name of the Goddess of the Jungle too—a chief deity from South America. A troublesome one indeed."
It seemed that even the legendary King of Heroes found it a headache to learn that one of the enemy deities was an actual chief god from an established mythology.
Merlin, on the other hand, remained quite optimistic.
"Although the true form of the Goddess of the Jungle is surprising, we've also confirmed the identity of the Goddess of Beasts. She is merely a Greek monster who borrowed the name and power of Tiamat. Troublesome, yes, but at least she's not the real Tiamat."
If it were the real Tiamat, things would have been far more difficult than even Quetzalcoatl.
The Goddess of Creation, Mother of All—such a being would be far more terrifying than even the primary gods of most mythologies.
Even so...
"Even so, she had to resort to capturing humans and using them as raw material to produce demonic beasts. That so-called composite divinity is laughable," Gilgamesh said mockingly.
"But in doing so, we rescued one hundred thousand humans while the enemy lost one hundred thousand beasts still in gestation. Their strength weakened, ours increased. That's the first real victory we've had in a long time."
Compared to the vast army of the Goddess of Beasts, Uruk's soldiers were already heavily outnumbered. If the enemy had added another hundred thousand beasts, the front lines would have faced unbearable pressure.
By removing that threat and returning with one hundred thousand new allies, Rozen had flipped the situation. To Gilgamesh, the gain was flawless.
Not to mention...
"We also discovered the whereabouts of the Holy Grail. I'd say this trip exceeded expectations—far more fruitful than originally planned."
A smile finally returned to Gilgamesh's face.
"Oh ho, if the king is this pleased, then it seems Rozen's reckless actions have turned out to be worthwhile," Merlin said playfully.
Rozen gave Merlin a sideways glance but didn't respond.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, turned his gaze upon Rozen, observing him closely.
"I didn't exactly lack expectations for you, but I never imagined your impact would be so great. It seems the 'last hope of humanity' isn't just a hollow title."
With those words, Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes.
"However, you appear to have paid a certain price for this, Chaldean."
Rozen's condition didn't escape Gilgamesh's perceptive gaze.
Of course, Gilgamesh said no more on the matter.
After all, he too had paid prices for the sake of their goals—as had Merlin, standing beside him.
He had long known that all three of them were not in peak condition.
The real issue was...
"This time, we've likely enraged the Goddess of Beasts completely. Especially that one who calls himself her child—I imagine he's on the brink of madness and could charge Uruk at any moment."
Gilgamesh said this in a tone that suggested he already foresaw it all. It was as if he had intimate knowledge of the so-called child of the Goddess of Beasts.
"Your Majesty…" Siduri looked on with a complex expression.
"No matter," Gilgamesh said with a wave of his hand. "I've long known this day would come."
He then turned to Rozen.
"You've done well. Go and rest now."
Gilgamesh didn't even ask what Rozen planned to do next—he simply made the decision for him.
Rozen didn't object.
He truly did need rest.
If he didn't rest soon, his nearly depleted mana wouldn't recover properly.
The rest could wait until tomorrow.
So thought Rozen.