"I see... Tiamat, huh..."
After the group returned to the fortress for some rest and recovery, they quickly made their way back to Uruk and reported the true identity of the Beast Goddess to Gilgamesh.
Upon hearing the news, Gilgamesh pondered for a long while before speaking. "The true form of that Beast Goddess isn't Tiamat. It's Gorgon, correct?"
"Leonidas said the same thing," Ritsuka nodded in agreement.
"Celestial, how long can your attack keep that Beast Goddess incapacitated?"
Gilgamesh nodded, then turned his gaze to Amber.
"About three days," Amber replied.
That Sword God technique, though it didn't carry any added sword intent, was already her current limit. Such a strike would normally not just incapacitate a human Servant but sever their consciousness entirely. Yet, against a Divine Spirit Servant, it seemed somewhat insufficient.
"Three days, huh..."
Gilgamesh's brow furrowed deeply. For some reason, he had a feeling that 'it wasn't that simple.'
This wasn't some baseless guess, but a prophecy granted by his Clairvoyance.
He was certain that the moment hadn't been right to kill Gorgon. Moreover... Gorgon was absolutely not their greatest crisis at this time. For what was to come, Uruk needed more power and a grander strategy.
"I understand. Then, Chaldea, your next mission is to bring the goddess Ishtar under my command," Gilgamesh declared with a wave of his hand.
"Huh? Under your command... But..."
Ritsuka was stunned. Their Chaldean team didn't exactly have a great track record against Divine Spirits, did they?
Gilgamesh, of course, was well aware of this. His eyes flicked towards Amber.
This Phoenix Celestial was someone he had rather mixed feelings about. Her formidable power and her heart dedicated to protecting humanity were both qualities he greatly admired.
In these times, desperately lacking in martial might for deterrence, the Phoenix Celestial was his greatest trump card, his most useful piece on the board.
Most importantly! Unlike other Servants, the Phoenix Celestial didn't require him to supply her with mana. She was essentially a fully autonomous Servant, incredibly low-maintenance.
But... this particular piece had a mind of her own. She wasn't his subject, so he couldn't command her absolutely.
Holding such a powerful piece yet being unable to deploy it at will—it was downright maddening.
"But Lord Ishtar is, after all, the city god of Uruk. To move against Lord Ishtar..." Siduri looked at Gilgamesh with disapproval.
"Though our acquaintance has been brief, Ishtar is my friend," Amber added, reminding him. "I cannot use force against a friend."
"Right! And Ishtar is a goddess who can be reasoned with. If we resort to brute force..." After their several encounters, Ritsuka also found himself reluctant to fight Ishtar.
"No need to worry about my feelings on the matter. If all of you, who have personally interacted with Ishtar, believe this to be the case, then it likely is so."
Gilgamesh's expression remained unchanged. "There's no point now in listing that goddess's faults. Besides... when did I say anything about subjugating her?"
"Eh?" Siduri was taken aback.
"If we aren't subduing her, then how do we get the goddess to willingly join us?" Mashu was also puzzled.
"Using force to make her join is useless. Don't be fooled by her appearance; she is, after all, the pinnacle of Sumerian goddesses. Inanna refers to the Lady of Heaven." Gilgamesh explained further, "You are all aware of the current state of Ebih Mountain, correct?"
"The more that goddess is cornered, the more she displays a stubbornness that's better left untapped. But even someone like her has a weakness—"
He lightly raised his hand. A golden pool of light shimmered on the floor, from which rose a staggering assortment of gems and gold coins that left them speechless.
"This... this is?" Ritsuka stared dumbfounded at the overwhelming display of wealth.
Gilgamesh smiled. "That woman adores gems beyond measure. But here's the crux: while she loves gems, she utterly lacks the Golden Rule. She deeply loves jewels but has no affinity for acquiring them. She managed fine before with offerings from humans, but now, no one worships her anymore."
Amber understood this all too well.
Thinking of Ishtar's money-grubbing demeanor, she refrained from commenting.
"Fujimaru Ritsuka, I entrust to you thirty percent of the ore-type treasures from my vault. It will be your task to... bid for the goddess's allegiance." Gilgamesh revealed a subtle, knowing smile.
Having received their orders, Chaldea sprang into action. Amber, who held considerable fondness for Ishtar herself, decided to tag along directly.
With three Servants currently stationed at the Northern Wall, the situation wasn't particularly dire. In fact, with Gorgon incapacitated, they had gained some valuable breathing room.
Therefore, Gilgamesh saw no reason to stop Amber from leaving; otherwise, he wouldn't have the luxury of letting such a powerful asset wander about idly.
Ebih Mountain was a considerable distance from Uruk—twice the distance from Uruk to Kutha City, meaning a journey equivalent to three trips to Kutha.
The others could manage, but Fujimaru Ritsuka was merely human. Traveling that distance on foot would easily take two or three days.
Fortunately, Amber simply used her spiritual energy to lift everyone, along with the cart laden with treasure, and took to the skies. In just a short hour, they arrived at the foot of Ebih Mountain. After a brief walk, the temple Ishtar had built for herself came into view.
Amber had been here once before, so she pushed open the temple doors without ceremony and led the group inside.
Ishtar, seemingly aware of their arrival, was already seated on her main throne, posing as if she'd been waiting.
"So? Finished assaulting the Beast Goddess, and now I'm next, is that it?"
Despite her imposing, majestic posture, she somehow gave off an endearing sense of unease, as if sitting on pins and needles. Amber couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny! You've really gone and joined forces with that King of Uruk now, haven't you? Fallen right in with him!" Seeing Amber laugh only flustered Ishtar further, and she hammered on the armrest of her divine throne.
"That King of Uruk must be absolutely thrilled! He loses his key Servants, then immediately acquires a new ace up his sleeve. I know that smug, petty look of his all too well!"
"I just came because I wanted to see you."
Amber hadn't expected Ishtar's imagination to run quite this wild, and she quickly cut her off.
"W-wanted to see me... You could have just stayed here in the first place..." Ishtar, caught off guard by Amber's words, stammered for a moment before retorting.
"While it may be impious to interrupt the goddess's pleasantries, could you perhaps hear us out first?" Merlin interjected with a smile.
"If you know it's impious, then don't do it in the first place," Ishtar shot back without an ounce of mercy.
"My, my..."
Realizing the poor impression he'd likely made before, Merlin glanced towards Ritsuka.
Ritsuka nodded, then pulled back the cloth that had been covering the cart behind them.
Ishtar, who had been ready to fire off another sarcastic remark like 'Sending someone else to talk is useless, you're all just Gilgamesh's lackeys,' found her words dying in her throat. Her eyes went wide, utterly dazzled by the pile of gems that suddenly illuminated the dim hall.
Th-this many gems?
--+--
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.