Where Did Aqua Come From? (Continued)

"Ha?!"

Upon hearing Barbatos's words, Ishtar's eyes widened suddenly, her face hardening with a serious, competitive expression. She pointed forcefully at the jewelry on her arm, "Are you two blind? Look closely at these gems, bigger than your eyes! How dare you say I'm desperate for money?!"

So that's the crux of the problem?

Rovey helplessly rubbed his forehead.

Speechless at this guy's thought process and the Demon God Pillars's ability to stir up trouble, he said, "Stop arguing... You two come back first, and you, Ishtar, we're not here to fight you."

"Humans! This isn't about arguing; it's about correcting something extremely important! How dare you say I'm poor?!"

Ishtar stared intently at the group below, and at that moment, the bowstring of the Bow of Heaven beneath her feet was drawn back, a dark purple beam of light brewing within it.

Already angered by the loss of her sacred bull, and then berated by Gilgamesh in Uruk, she returned to find her home occupied by a black goddess from elsewhere and a group of fleeing humans. So, in an attempt to reclaim her temple, she fought them, only to be humiliated by her defeat. She could only squat, disheveled and exhausted, near the altar halfway up the mountain, weeping and venting her frustration while recovering her divine power.

After experiencing so many upsetting things, Ishtar was already extremely upset, and now two random people were jumping out to accuse her of being poor.

—Is she poor?!

She's the goddess of wealth! How could I possibly be poor? Her palace is overflowing with gold...

Although the palace is gone, and the gold is gone too.

In short, Ishtar swears this isn't over yet—that damned foreign goddess!

"How dare they use violence in front of the king! That's incredibly arrogant!"

"Barbatos! Fuck her!"

Seeing that this useless goddess was still so arrogant, Lev and Barbatos, the two lackeys, could no longer tolerate it. The two immediately decided to use their ultimate forms to bring this useless goddess floating in the sky down.

"Come on, watch me raze you and Mount Ebih to the ground!"

Ishtar, not to be outdone, raised her finger, ready to blast the entire mountain through; she figured if it meant no one would have an easy time today.

However, just as they were about to act recklessly, Rovey instantly kicked Barbatos and Lev, the two troublemakers who had caused him trouble, aside. He then waved to Ishtar in the sky, signaling her to come down first, as he was not there to fight.

Ishtar, still furious, had no intention of stopping. After all, as a goddess, she was undoubtedly capricious, and her anger could not be quelled by words alone. It should be known that every time she lost her temper, it was a disaster for Mesopotamia.

The Bull of Heaven, Mount Ebih, Enkidu's death were all caused by her. Therefore, Ishtar wanted to tell these mortals the consequences of angering the goddess: they would all be sent to Ereshkigal to be imprisoned forever.

Logically speaking, that should be the case, but—

Having anticipated this situation, Rovey reached out and ripped off the white cloth covering the carriage on the back of the Sphinx. Instantly, several bright, dazzling rays of light burst forth on the mountainside, causing Ishtar to cover her eyes.

"What is this... what is obstructing my vision?!"

"It is wealth."

Rovey picked up a gemstone larger than a rock and hurled it at Ishtar.

The next moment, Ishtar, who had been so aggressive, fell straight down from mid-air. Even just before she fell, she was still tightly clutching the gem that Rovey had thrown at her, and she didn't let go until she hit the ground. She truly made a fool of herself.

Bang!

Not long after the farce, at the altar of the Lady of Heaven.

Blinded by wealth, the goddess Ishtar looked at Rovey with a hesitant expression. Then, she slightly raised her hand, extending her slender finger to point to the gold and silver jewels in the chariot pulled by the Sand Sphinx. Suppressing her voice, she asked him, "These... these... are all these offered to me?"

Anna is not good at socializing, and Merry has a spectator attitude, so after excluding the two brainless Demon God Pillars, the task of socializing naturally fell to Rovey.

In response to Ishtar's question, he nodded and said, "Yes, Mistress of Heaven, Ishtar. These are indeed intended for you."

"I see!"

Upon hearing this, Ishtar's eyes immediately flashed with a bright golden light. She darted forward and leaped directly to the side of the Sand Sphinx. She reached out, grabbed a handful of gems, and scattered them around her ears. The melodious "clinking" sound filled her with delight.

Because of the brilliance of this wealth, she completely forgot about the humiliating scene she had been scorned by the Demon God Pillars and the home run she had been hit by a gem by Rovey. Now, all she could see were the Gilgamesh, beautiful gems.

After indulging in self-admiration over the gold for a while, Ishtar suddenly remembered that Rovey was watching beside her. Realizing the situation was somewhat inappropriate, she quickly coughed a few times, regained her serious demeanor, and then said with great authority, "I have received your sacrifice to me, and I am very satisfied! Humans, be proud!"

After saying that, Ishtar turned around, pounced on the treasures, her eyes Gilgamesh, and made a cute "meow~" sound.

Seeing Ishtar in this state, Rovey smiled slightly, and sighed, "This goddess is still as embarrassing as ever." Then he coughed lightly.

"Cough cough..."

This was meant to remind Ishtar that now that he had taken all the benefits, it was time for him to get back to work.

"Huh?"

Hearing Rovey's cough, Ishtar, who was still swimming in the gold, turned around and looked at Rovey, who had been staring at her, and asked in confusion, "I have already accepted your sacrifices, why aren't you leaving?"

In her view, accepting the wealth of mortals was the greatest favor she could bestow upon them, so she never even considered fulfilling her duties.

"..."

Seeing this, Rovey frowned and reminded him, "You seem to have forgotten something, God Ishtar."

"What did I forget? Oh! Right, there's this ceremony!"

Upon hearing Rovey's reminder, Ishtar pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. She floated back to Rovey, stretched her fair, delicate feet directly in front of his face, and said with immense pride, "Lick them, mortal, this is the blessing and gift of the Mistress of Heaven to you."

"—?!"

Upon hearing this, Rovey's face darkened instantly, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He truly hadn't expected Ishtar to dare play this trick on him. The Demon God Pillars behind him, hearing that this useless goddess actually wanted the king to lick her feet, was even more indignant. If it weren't for Merry holding them back, they would have definitely told Ishtar why the flowers were so red today.

"Call..."

Not only the two of them, but even Rovey subconsciously wanted to drag this unreliable guy down and beat him up. However, considering that a normal person shouldn't argue with an idiot, and that this guy even had Rin Tohsaka's face that made people want to laugh just by looking at him, he felt that he should make his point clearer.

He then disdainfully slapped away Ishtar's outstretched foot, and looking into Ishtar eyes with a puzzled expression, he said, "Great... cough cough, no, I really can't be great... Anyway, Goddess Ishtar, we're not here to ask for blessings, but to buy the Holy Grail from you, the Demon God King, and to hire you as the guardian deity of Uruk. King Gilgamesh desperately needs your help right now."

After saying those words that almost made him burst out laughing, Rovey's expression and tone finally returned to calm.

"Ha?!"

Ishtar paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and widened her eyes, asking, "So you're using these treasures because you want my Holy Grail, and you're trying to bribe me to help you fight the Beast Goddess and Mother?"

"That's exactly right..."

Before Rovey could finish speaking, Ishtar quickly shook her head and objected, "That won't do. I won't betray my mother."

Just as King Gilgamesh said.

Seeing this, Rovey knew the price offered wasn't enough to make Ishtar risk her life for him. So he raised two fingers again and said, "Don't worry, this is just a deposit. Gilgamesh said he won't let you suffer a loss for nothing. After it's all done, he'll give you twenty percent of the wealth from the Gate of Babylon!"

"You, you... what did you say? He said he could give me 20% of the Noble Phantasm's wealth?"

Sure enough, Ishtar's eyes practically lit up when she heard the amount Rovey offered, and she kept muttering to herself, "Wow, so much..."

Seeing the guy's hesitant look, Rovey knew that the "useless goddess" and Rin Tohsaka had indeed combined the attributes of poverty and shamefulness.

King Gilgamesh's assessment of her was entirely accurate—'That monstrous goddess is an evil deity, greedy enough to desire beauty and possess all treasures, yet she herself is utterly incompatible with the Golden Rule of obtaining wealth. Given enough treasure, that monstrous goddess will abandon her divine dignity and become a mere tool. She is the easiest goddess to conquer in the entire Singularity; I entrust her to you.'

Ishtar was exactly as I remembered; she hadn't changed a single bit.

In that case, you can start thinking about the next target.

Oh right, he doesn't seem to have asked where Lily is yet.

Just as Rovey was about to ask about Artoria's location, Ishtar, who had been looking excited, suddenly became conflicted. She glanced longingly at the cartload of wealth before her, then at Rovey, and said with feigned modesty, "No, no... This goddess is not as cheap as you think. A mere 20% isn't enough to buy the Holy Grail, and with my help too..."

"Huh?"

Seeing Ishtar's sudden refusal, Rovey couldn't help but feel a little strange, and began to wonder if it was because he had taken 20% of it, resulting in giving her too little?

That's impossible... Given her personality, Issei chance of being wrong is more than enough; after all, the Holy Grail is useless to her anyway. And according to Siduri, Ishtar has long wanted to return to Uruk, but because Gilgamesh and she don't get along, she's too ashamed to go back. Now that I'm offering her money and a way out, what reason does she have to refuse?

So Rovey looked suspiciously at Ishtar, who looked guilty. He noticed that the girl was obviously hiding something, but before he could ask, Lev, who was standing next to him, suddenly remembered when he heard about the Holy Grail.

"Your Majesty, if the Holy Grail was given to her by Goetia, then it should be here."

Lev hurriedly took out the Holy Grail that he and Barbatos had used as a teleportation point and offered it up.

This is the Holy Grail he took from the Ishtar Palace. He originally intended to give it to Rovey along with the Ten Commandments back in Uruk, but that bastard Barbatos suddenly appeared, causing him to completely forget about such an important matter. Now that he sees it in need, he hastily offers it up.

"Ah! That's my Holy Grail!!"

Seeing the familiar Holy Grail in Lev's hand, Ishtar's eyes lit up, and she rushed forward to take the Holy Grail back.

Having fought for so long against the black goddess who had seized her temple, Ishtar still believed that her Holy Grail had been taken by her. That's why she was so conflicted when Rovey offered to buy the Holy Grail, and ultimately refused. After all, if mortals knew that she, as a goddess, had not only lost the important Holy Grail, but also had her home taken over, it would be incredibly humiliating. Would she have any dignity left?

Seeing her Holy Grail reappear here, Ishtar's face immediately lit up with joy. She couldn't wait to take it back and launch another attack on the guy on the mountaintop.

Only...

Seeing Ishtar charge forward, Anna gripped her scythe tightly, becoming wary. This girl looks like she intends to attack the Holy Grail!

Just as Anna gripped the scythe, a slender, pale hand blocked her way.

Anna looked up and saw Rovey looking at Ishtar's profile. He raised his hands, which were adorned with gold rings, and then squinted at Ishtar, saying, "Taking things by force is not something a goddess should do."

"Hmph. To defy the mistress of heaven is a very foolish thing. Besides, I didn't steal it by force! This was the Holy Grail I lost in the first place; I was just returning it to its rightful owner... Wait, your auras seem somewhat familiar!"

Because they were too far apart and she hadn't had a chance to properly sense their presence, she hadn't noticed. Now, Ishtar looked at Rovey, Lev, and Barbatos, and suddenly felt that their auras were somewhat familiar. After thinking carefully, she remembered that the guy who gave her the Holy Grail was wearing ten abstinence rings, and possessed this powerful aura from a different pantheon. She couldn't help but scrutinize them closely, then pointed at Rovey, Lev, and Barbatos and asked, "You, you are the Magic King?"

"Finally recognized you? The useless goddess!"

Lev immediately stepped forward and berated her, then respectfully suggested to Rovey, "Your Majesty, since the Holy Grail you needed has been retrieved, this useless goddess is no longer of any use. Why don't we just settle things here?"

Barbatos: "Me too."

The two Demon God Pillars had long since lost patience with this useless goddess who, since her appearance, still couldn't grasp the situation and even made Rovey lick her feet.

"Hey! What... what are you doing?!"

Ishtar's expression changed. After realizing that the person in front of her was no ordinary person, she was no longer as confident as before. She even lost the idea of taking back the Holy Grail, since she might get another beating.

"Now that the Holy Grail has been solved..."

However, Rovey was not in the mood to continue fooling around with her. Instead, he silently lowered one of the two fingers he had raised and proposed again, "Do you still want to cooperate with us, Ishtar? After it's done, I can give you Issei the wealth of the Gate of Babylon."

Ishtar asked, "Huh? Why is it Issei? Didn't you just say 20%?!"

"Because you lost the Holy Grail," Rovey replied calmly.

"I'll think about that some more..."

"0.9%"

Ishtar: "Why is it still decreasing!?"

"Thinking also counts as time, 0.8% of it. My patience is limited."

How could you do this?!

"0.7%".

"0.6%"

"Enough! Stop!!"

Listening to Rovey's relentless countdown, Ishtar felt her heart bleeding. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and hurriedly shouted, "Okay, okay! I agree, I'll do it, alright? Issei!!"

"Then it's a pleasure to cooperate."

With a smile on his face, Rovey casually tossed the entire cart of treasure behind him to her, and the humiliated goddess predictably pounced on it, embracing her wealth once more.

"Oh, right, I have one more condition before we set off."

As Ishtar picked up the treasure from the ground, she suddenly spoke to Rovey.

Lev: "How dare you! You still dare to make conditions?!"

Rafe Lev lackey, once again stepped forward to protect his master, intending to teach her a lesson. However, Rovey stopped him and instead asked Ishtar a question.

"What are the conditions?"

"It's...it's...that..." Ishtar hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Rovey in front of her, and thought of the black figure that had driven her from the mountaintop to the mountainside. She took a deep breath and then shouted in despair, "My home, my home has been taken away by a black goddess! If you help me take it back, I will work for you wholeheartedly!"

"A black goddess?"

"Yes, the goddess who was black, had big breasts, and was holding a red spear, was the one who drove me here."

Upon hearing this description, Rovey's eyes lit up. He then glanced at Merry behind him, who smiled and nodded.

He then looked at Ishtar with a smile and extended his palm, "No problem, then it's a pleasure to cooperate with you, Ishtar."

"You mere human want to shake my hand... Fine, fine, I'll shake your hand then."

When Ishtar reached out her hand to Rovey, she was about to refuse as usual, but seeing Lev and Barbatos sharpening their knives, she reluctantly took their hands. Suddenly, the dark red Command Seal on the back of Rovey's hand flashed with light.

—The contract is established.

Ishtar withdrew her hand, realizing the contract was complete. She sighed helplessly, then glanced at the mountain peak and thought to herself.