With noticeably lighter steps, Merlin led the way through the rugged wilderness of the outskirts.
Inevitably, they encountered quite a few wandering magical beasts along the path.
Mashu had initially intended to step forward and deal with them herself, but each time, Amber cleared them away with incredible speed before she could even act.
"Legend has it that the Phoenix Celestial shelters Shenzhou, subduing demons and vanquishing monsters. While the entire world is trapped in calamity, only the land of Shenzhou remains a place of peace and prosperity," Merlin explained to Ritsuka and Mashu, watching the figure who effortlessly kept the magical beasts at bay.
"So amazing..." the two younger ones couldn't help but marvel, their eyes shining.
"Not only that, but the majority of Shenzhou's martial arts evolved from observing the Celestial's demon-subduing forms. Even the techniques for utilizing Qi were passed down by the Celestial."
"Those are just stories twisted through retelling, no need to take them seriously," Amber said, returning to the group.
Fu Hua had never taught anyone else how to utilize Honkai energy, or Qi. The only ones she had ever taught were her seven disciples.
The two wisely refrained from asking 'which parts are true and which are false,' instead gazing at her with even more admiration.
Ana, however, silently tugged at the brim of her hood and quietly put a little more distance between herself and Amber.
Amber felt somewhat embarrassed by their admiring looks. Thankfully, the navigation system helped her manage her expression.
She didn't intend to rely completely on the navigation system, however. That wouldn't be a good thing.
In fact, during this journey of clearing the magical beasts, as the navigation system repeatedly guided her to use True Qi, Amber had actually started to get a bit of a handle on this body's power and the application of Qi.
To be honest, the Taixu Sword Qi wasn't something easy to learn, especially the Sword Heart required for the foundational stages.
While Sword Heart was considered the foundation, the five facets of Taixu Sword Qi weren't strictly sequential; they were equal and mutually reinforcing. Among them, the Heart facet could be considered the most difficult, second only to the Spirit facet.
Unlike conventional techniques, Taixu Sword Qi didn't draw upon the Honkai energy within one's body, but rather summoned the omnipresent Honkai energy from the outside world.
Therefore, the Sword Heart, which determined how much Honkai energy one could summon, was naturally of paramount importance.
Not storing Honkai energy within the body was a habit that went against instinct, one that had to be cultivated from childhood. This was also why it was said to be harder to start learning at an older age.
Fortunately, that wasn't something Amber needed to worry about.
With Amber efficiently clearing the obstacles on the road, their journey was unexpectedly smooth and straightforward. They caught sight of the outline of Uruk just past noon, much earlier than the anticipated dusk arrival.
Several guards were inspecting people entering at the city gate. Noticing Merlin, one of the guards immediately jogged over.
"Are you the envoys mentioned by Lady Siduri? May I see your seal?"
Merlin produced a hollowed-out piece of redwood with a pattern stamped on it from his pocket. "As you can see, this is a token temporarily entrusted to me by the temple. I wish to bring them into the city for refuge. Are there any procedures we need to complete?"
"Welcome to Uruk! You must be weary from your long journey!" the soldier greeted them with a robust voice, then continued, "As for refugees, you can go to Nutra's shop in the West Market. We've been informed that the second-floor warehouse is open for your use."
With the guard's permission, they entered the city without any trouble.
Ritsuka, Mashu, and even Amber had assumed that in this apocalyptic situation, Uruk would be filled with misery and lamentation, or perhaps chaotic and lawless. After all, it was normal for people to despair and act irrationally under the fear of the end times.
Yet the orderly flow of pedestrians and the vibrant, life-filled calls of the vendors demonstrated a city that had not lost its fighting spirit under the heavy pressure of the impending doom.
"This is..." Ritsuka couldn't help but gasp in amazement at the scene before him.
"Indeed, this is the current state of humanity's oldest fortress city, Uruk," Merlin said with a smile.
"Seeing a scene like this, it's hard to imagine the king here being an ordinary tyrant," Amber couldn't resist remarking.
Ritsuka and Mashu nodded in agreement, then looked questioningly at Merlin.
Merlin raised an eyebrow mischievously, as if his prank had succeeded.
"Haha, well, the current King is already in his wise ruler phase, after having retrieved the Elixir of Immortality. He's fair in reward and punishment and possesses exceptional leadership. While the people's inherent resilience plays a part, such a scene wouldn't be possible without the King's guidance."
"What fills this city isn't the will of despair, but the drive to survive," Romani remarked with feeling.
Although they had arrived in Uruk ahead of schedule, Chaldea was eager to learn about the current situation and any news of the Holy Grail.
Without delay, they proceeded directly to the Ziggurat, the building where King Gilgamesh handled governmental affairs and also resided.
Led by Merlin, or more accurately, under the authority of the seal provided by Siduri, they passed unimpeded all the way to the throne hall.
But before they could even enter, they heard a voice, authoritative yet composed: "The fresher the intelligence from the front lines, the better. The speed of updating intelligence must not slacken. Immediately change the secretary's clay tablet production interval to once per hour. Next."
"The transport of supplies from Eresh is delayed. Magical beasts are nesting on the streets..."
"Dispatch twenty soldiers from the East Gate barracks to drive out the magical beasts. Field command goes to Larsa."
"Understood!"
"Speaking of which, I heard Tabado's daughter has given birth. Send a priestess over, and bring her some nutritious fruits. Also, recall Tabado from the Northern Wall and grant him three days of leave. Seeing his grandchild's face should reinvigorate him."
He was so busy. Matters came one after another, leaving no gap to interrupt or disturb.
Ritsuka swallowed hard, hesitating about whether to step forward.
"Trying to read the mood won't work with that King," Merlin said, seeing his hesitation. He grabbed Ritsuka's wrist and pulled him before the throne.
"King Gilgamesh, the magus Merlin has returned with the guests. Though I can see at a glance you are very busy, the good news I bring should hopefully excuse this impertinence."
"Your efforts are appreciated. The King is also pleased," Siduri spoke. "And the results? Did you retrieve the Tablet of Destinies?"
"Regrettably, that was also a dead end. If the King remembered where he left it, we wouldn't have to search so strenuously," Merlin shrugged.
During their exchange, Gilgamesh did not speak, nor did he even look at Merlin. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on Amber.
And Amber met his eyes naturally.
"Enough. I have grasped the general situation," Gilgamesh suddenly interrupted Siduri and Merlin's discussion.
Propping himself up with his right hand, he rose from his throne.
"This king is currently exceedingly busy. I have no time for conversation to ascertain your capabilities. Therefore, we shall determine your worth directly through combat."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.