Night had fallen.
Lying on the rooftop, the Tarnished gazed at the shooting stars streaking across the sky, a faint sense of emotion stirring within him.
How long had it been since he had looked up at the heavens so seriously?
It felt like a very long time.
In the past, every time he watched the night sky, it had only been to determine whether a meteor would fall upon the Eternal City of Nokron. Rarely had he paused to appreciate the sky's unique beauty and mystery.
For a period of time, he had even hated the stars.
Only now did he realize how beautiful the night sky truly was—like the false firmament frozen forever above the Eternal City.
Not long ago, Gilgamesh had fought the Chaldea duo and Anna.
The victor, naturally, had been Gilgamesh.
Still, the Tarnished had to admit that the King of Uruk truly possessed impressive strength. To face three opponents with nothing but a golden axe was no small feat.
Although Ritsuka Fujimaru had essentially served as a bystander.
However, the aura radiating from Anna had undeniably been that of a genuine deity. For some unknown reason, her power seemed to be suppressed.
Perhaps that was part of the deal she had made with Merlin.
After the livestream ended, another matter had also been settled—the transfer of Quetzalcoatl's Servant contract.
The magical energy supply had been handed over to Ritsuka Fujimaru.
To be honest, the Tarnished had wanted to do that for a long time.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, Ritsuka Fujimaru was a proper Master, far more reliable than someone like him.
At the very least, under Ritsuka's command, Quetzalcoatl would be able to unleash her full strength.
When Quetzalcoatl learned that he would soon be leaving, she removed the crown from her head and handed it to him as a farewell gift.
According to her, it wasn't something she had brought when she descended—it was something she had personally woven.
She had also said something rather strange.
"Do your best, my adorable little Master. Perhaps we will never meet again, but I look forward to seeing you in that other world achieve a bold victory that earns thunderous applause from the audience."
And before he could respond, she had given him a big hug as a parting gesture.
It could be said that in his long life, aside from Fia, she was the first person who had ever taken the initiative to embrace him.
Soft.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Without her crown, Quetzalcoatl seemed less eccentric and more refined—like a gentle older sister from next door.
That was, of course, if one ignored the terrifying expression she made whenever she interacted with the Jaguar Warrior, as if she were about to devour a child.
Tap.
Just as he was enjoying the quiet night and waiting for Gilgamesh to arrive, a faint landing sound suddenly echoed behind him.
Slowly tilting his head back, he saw a pair of slender legs tightly wrapped in white stockings come into view.
"Oh, it's you, Anna. What brings you here so late?"
"…"
Anna did not reply.
She simply tugged down her hood and quietly walked to the edge of the roof before sitting down.
Her legs dangled in the air, gently swaying back and forth.
To be honest, Anna looked incredibly adorable like this.
She was always pulling her hood down to hide her shyness.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?"
Her voice suddenly sounded—light and delicate, with a trace of childish softness.
"Yes. I've already finished what I needed to do here, so it's time to go. Someone is waiting for me back there."
He slowly sat up and moved beside her.
"Is that so… But I still haven't repaid your kindness…"
Anna's voice grew softer and softer until it became nearly inaudible.
As a result, he didn't hear it at all.
"May I ask you something, Miss Anna? Do you hate humans?"
"Mm…"
The girl nodded so faintly that it was almost impossible to notice.
"But I hate Merlin even more."
"Is that so?"
He chuckled softly.
"I completely agree about disliking Merlin. But hating humans… is that really the case? Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I feel like you don't actually hate humans, Anna. You're afraid of them."
He glanced at her discreetly before continuing.
"Although I understand the saying 'Do not advise kindness without experiencing another person's suffering,' I still want to say something."
"Miss Anna, try accepting the kindness of those around you from time to time. Like the guard we met before entering the city—you handled that well, didn't you?"
"When you accepted the cookie, the smile you showed was very cute."
"…"
Anna didn't respond.
Instead, she pulled her hood even lower, as if trying to hide her entire face inside it.
She even seemed to shrink slightly.
Seeing her shy appearance, he had the sudden urge to pull her into a hug and rub her head affectionately.
Of course, he merely thought about it.
Then something suddenly occurred to him.
"How about this, Anna? I'll give you a gift. Consider it a farewell present."
"…A farewell gift?"
The girl looked confused.
Normally, she should have been the one giving a farewell gift.
But he ignored her confusion and took a crystal from his backpack.
The crystal emitted a faint golden glow.
"Here. This is for you."
Anna stared at the crystal in her hands, her small eyes shining brightly.
"…It's beautiful."
It was the first time she had seen something so beautiful.
It was incredibly pure, and she could even feel a faint warmth emanating from within.
"This is a specialty from my homeland—Mimic Grace. Whenever I feel lost, I crush it in my hand, and the light inside guides me on what I should do next."
"If you ever feel lost in the future, Anna, crush the crystal. The light will guide you toward a path that leads to brightness."
Of course, the direction it pointed to would always be where the Great Runes were located.
But as a way to comfort oneself, it was more than sufficient.
"…"
Anna remained silent for a long moment.
Her expression grew more complicated.
"…Doesn't that mean I owe you even more now…"
Yet she held the golden crystal in her palm like a precious treasure.
"…But… thank you."
Tap… tap… tap…
At that moment, footsteps sounded again.
This time they came from the road below.
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
"Oh, Gilgamesh. You're here."
"Lower your voice. This king slipped out secretly. What if Siduri hears you?"
"Fair enough."
He had assumed Gilgamesh would remain busy until deep into the night.
Unexpectedly, the king had slipped out early.
Truly worthy of being the oldest master of sneaking away.
"Miss Anna, I have something to discuss with Gilgamesh—"
When he turned his head, he discovered that Anna had already left.
Only a faint, gentle fragrance lingered in the air.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"What a shy child…"
"So, what is it that you wished to discuss with this king?"
Inside the room, the Tarnished and Gilgamesh sat across from one another at a table.
Under the flickering lamplight, the Tarnished took three weapons from his backpack and placed them on the table.
Seeing the weapons that nearly filled the entire tabletop, Gilgamesh frowned slightly.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Nothing complicated. This black sword carries fragments of Death. This greatsword was once used to hunt gods. And this spear was designed to slay serpents."
"I wish to exchange these three weapons for Marduk's Axe."
He pushed the weapons toward Gilgamesh and continued.
"I know quite a bit about Tiamat now. Quetzalcoatl also told me that Gorgon isn't actually Tiamat."
"If that's the case, these three weapons should provide far more help than that so-called axe."
Indeed, just as he said, the practical value of these weapons far exceeded Marduk's Axe.
The axe itself was simply too massive.
In all of Uruk, the only one who could probably wield it was the Feathered Serpent God.
As for whether the Tarnished was lying, Gilgamesh did not even consider the possibility.
If the man had truly wanted to take the axe for himself, he could have simply teleported away.
There was no need for such elaborate theatrics.
"…Hmm."
Gilgamesh pondered for a moment before raising his head and staring at the Tarnished with a serious expression.
"Why are you helping this king… and helping Uruk?"
"Helping? I wouldn't call it that. It's just a simple exchange of equal value."
He spread his hands casually and closed one eye in a playful manner.
"If anything, I'm the one making a profit. Three weapons for such a massive 'axe,' right, Mr. Gilgamesh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Seeing that smile, Gilgamesh suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Indeed, that is true."
But the laughter came quickly and faded just as quickly.
Gilgamesh's expression soon returned to seriousness.
"Nevertheless, I must thank you for your assistance, Tarnished."
Seeing the proud king thank someone so sincerely for the first time, the Tarnished paused briefly before smiling.
"No. Perhaps someday I'll need your help instead, diligent king."
"Hahaha! You truly are interesting! Hahahaha!"
Gilgamesh laughed loudly again before suddenly falling silent.
He turned his gaze toward the night sky outside the window.
"It is still early. Come—have a drink with this king."
Without waiting for a response, golden ripples appeared above his palm.
The weapons on the table vanished instantly.
In their place appeared a massive golden cup from Uruk, filled with a golden liquid.
Holding the cup, Gilgamesh took a large gulp before placing it in front of the Tarnished.
This man truly loved gold.
His gauntlets, accessories, shoes—even his weapons and cups were golden.
If he ever visited the Lands Between and saw the Erdtree, would he laugh himself unconscious?
The thought flashed through the Tarnished's mind.
"Try it, traveler from another world. This is a specialty of Uruk—barley beer."
"Is that so? Then I'll have to taste it properly."
Without worrying about whether Gilgamesh had already drunk from it, he picked up the cup and drained it in a single gulp.
The rich aroma of malt slid down his throat and spread warmly through his stomach.
It felt as though the mellow liquor seeped into his very bones.
His entire body warmed instantly.
It had to be said—this feeling was incredible.
And it was something that could never be found in the Lands Between.
What he didn't know, however, was that this was Uruk's highest honor.
Drinking from the same cup as the king.
It meant that Gilgamesh had completely acknowledged him.
Thus, when Gilgamesh saw how naturally the Tarnished had accepted the gesture without hesitation—
A gentle smile appeared on the king's face.
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