Mesopotamia—the name given by the ancient Greeks to the land between the two rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris.
Here, the Sumerians established numerous city-states along these rivers.
On the right bank of the lower Euphrates in the south stood a city.
Its name was Uruk.
Today, within the palace of this city, nearly all members of the two ruling institutions had gathered.
A grand banquet was to be held—the coronation ceremony of the new king.
Though many wore expressions of respect toward the new king, traces of disdain and indifference could still be glimpsed in their eyes.
Some of higher status even cast condescending glances.
Though he was king, his authority was far from absolute. The monarchy was constrained and checked by the two ruling institutions—the Council of Elders and the Assembly of Citizens.
Thus, if the king clashed with these institutions, he would be reduced to a mere puppet.
"Hmph!"
A member of the Council of Elders let out a soft snort before casually beginning to eat.
The king had yet to deliver his speech, yet this elder showed no respect by starting first.
This elder was one who held the king in contempt.
His behavior naturally drew the king's gaze—not a sharp glare, but one of resignation and helplessness.
Following this elder's lead, the others also took their seats and began the feast.
To most, the king before them was no cause for concern—a child barely over ten years old, hardly worth vigilance.
The current king seemed both excited and bewildered by his sudden ascension, nothing more than a naive brat.
"This king proposes a toast to all!"
The young king's voice rang out with forced bravado. Though many raised their cups in response, their attitudes were perfunctory at best.
Then, the young king lifted a wine jar and drank deeply, as if to prove his maturity.
Yet a closer look would reveal he hadn't swallowed a drop—merely wasting the wine.
Of course, no one paid attention to this detail. No one took him seriously.
As the banquet continued, the guests drank recklessly, some even using intoxication as an excuse to voice cutting remarks.
"Is this our king?"
"Pathetic."
"At his age, I was already..."
Then, someone noticed the figure on the throne had fallen asleep.
A derisive chuckle escaped them.
Passing out after so little drink?
What a useless brat. He had much to learn from them.
"Hmm? This scent—"
A one-eyed man in his forties, who had been voraciously eating meat, suddenly furrowed his brow.
The taste of the meat he was chewing had abruptly turned strange—numbing, astringent, and impossible to swallow.
Then, his throat became dry and scorching, as if being roasted by fire, making it hard to breathe. Soon after, intense nausea overwhelmed him, and he felt the urge to vomit.
He tried to stand up, only to find his limbs behaving abnormally—suddenly wracked with pain, and the agony only grew more excruciating.
"Ugh... h-help—!"
His throat produced only incoherent sounds, burning as if on fire.
His entire body ached, the pain unbearable, as if he were being torn apart.
Then, his body collapsed to the ground.
"Blegh—!"
He vomited violently.
To those around him, his behavior didn't immediately seem unusual. Some even teased him for being unable to hold his liquor and vomiting so quickly.
"What's this? You're usually—huh?"
The jeering stopped abruptly as their expressions twisted in shock. The collapsed man was now foaming at the mouth, his entire body convulsing, his eyes rolling back.
Was this really just drunken stupor?
Then, another person fell, displaying the same symptoms.
Thud—thud, thud—
One after another, bodies collapsed, knocking over tables and chairs in the process.
The sight instantly drained the color from the faces of those still unaffected at the banquet.
"Is this... a curse?"
"Quick—go get Lord Aner!"
Lord Aner was the high priest of the temple, the mediator between the people and the gods—a figure of immense authority and reverence.
In truth, those present might disrespect their young king, but none would dare show disrespect to Lord Aner.
Normally, the ruler of the kingdom would also serve as the temple's high priest.
But the current king was too young, so the position had temporarily been entrusted to the more esteemed Lord Aner.
In a way, Lord Aner was the true ruler of Uruk at the moment.
Yet before Lord Aner could even arrive, over half the banquet attendees had already stopped breathing, their hearts ceasing to beat.
The terror this invoked sent everyone fleeing the scene, terrified that they might be the next victim of this unknown curse.
At this moment, the frail young king seated on the throne finally stirred.
His complexion was healthy, showing no signs of being cursed.
As he opened his eyes and took in the scene before him, he merely blinked in mild surprise before yawning lazily.
He wasn't the least bit frightened by what he saw—as if this had all gone exactly as expected.
And indeed, it had. Because the mastermind behind this tragedy was none other than himself.
The corners of his lips curled slightly as he cast a mocking gaze—one that didn't belong on a child his age.
So, had these people truly been cursed?
Not at all. They had simply ingested the processed red orpiment powder he had mixed into their drinks.
In simpler terms, they had died of arsenic poisoning.
Good. Now, let's see how the system would evaluate this incident.
[Current Progress: 65%]
Oh? It was only at 55% before. A sudden 10% increase?
In his vision, a card shimmering with faint golden light appeared.
This seemingly petrified card was now 65% restored.
This was a card printed with a character—a golden-haired, crimson-eyed youth!
This was an unruly king, a sovereign who believed himself supreme above all in heaven and earth.
A king who harbored utter disdain for the gods!
Yes, the figure depicted was none other than the King of Heroes!
Gilgamesh, the one who possessed the Chains of Heaven, Enkidu.
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New fic!!!
I have read 20 chapters, and it seems interesting enough for now. And I've also removed all the poison so that you can enjoy this fic.
The usual update schedule will be 7 chaps/week.
100 PS = 1 Bonus Chapter
1 5 Star Review = 1 Bonus Chapter