"Though they are the ravings of a stray dog, this king will grudgingly acknowledge your idea!"
After Rovi voiced his thoughts, Gilgamesh pondered for a moment before giving his assessment.
His words seemed rather harsh.
Yet his face was brimming with delight.
He looked eager to give it a try.
It had to be said that the plan Rovi proposed suited the King of Heroes' way of thinking better. Simply weathering a crisis had never been something he enjoyed.
If it were not impossible, who would want to spend every day being watched by that bunch of self-proclaimed lofty beings?
"This king looks forward to the reactions of those fools! Hmphahaha!" His Demonic Nature laugh rang out again.
"Whatever Rovi wants to do, I will support him." Little En looked gentle and obedient.
She would never oppose the actions of her "friend." Instead, she would do everything in her power to fulfill his wishes.
"Officer Rovi's proposal... is indeed worth trying." Siduri, too, responded after a moment of thought. Compared to Gilgamesh, who cared only about satisfying himself, this young woman who oversaw every matter, great and small, within Uruk clearly considered much more.
Yet in the end, there was no room for rebuttal—of course, that did not mean Rovi's idea was truly without flaws. Theory was only theory. To put it into practice would require enormous preparation.
For example—
"How... do we make the other nations feel the crisis?" Siduri raised the most crucial question.
The Bull of Heaven and Humbaba had appeared at Uruk's borders. Their likely route of action afterward would probably only be to attack the royal city from the east and west.
The pressure they brought was immense, and the threat even greater, but it was directed solely at Uruk.
They would not have much impact on the other nations of the Mesopotamian Plain.
But then again—
"The gods released the strongest divine beast and the strongest magical beast, claiming they only intended to punish us, but... who would believe that?" Rovi could not help laughing as he spoke.
Gods had never cared about humanity.
Just as humans did not care what livestock thought.
So-called verbal promises had always been false. Even during the flourishing age of the gods long ago, the gods had committed no small number of betrayals.
Gods had faith, but that was because of their power, not because they kept their word.
The gods had long since spent all their credibility.
The nations would find it difficult to fully trust the gods' words. Even if their kings and priests clung to a lucky hope and were willing to believe them, what about the common people?
If possible, no one wanted to entrust their life to the gods' fickle and intangible moods.
"I understand what Rovi means!" Siduri was still stunned and had not yet reacted, but Enkidu spoke first. She brushed aside her smooth emerald-green hair by her ear, her moist red lips enunciating clearly. "No matter what the gods say, as long as we let the other nations know of the coming danger posed by the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba—or rather, make them believe it—then that will be enough."
In other words, public opinion.
Public sentiment was like water, but once it boiled, it could turn falsehood into truth.
Enkidu truly lived up to being a Divine Construct. At least when it came to innate intelligence, she was beyond reproach.
And once she understood, Gilgamesh naturally grasped it at once as well.
There was no longer any need for Rovi to lead what came next.
"Worthy of being this king's friend!" After boasting as an opening, the golden-haired King of Heroes glanced at Siduri. "If this king remembers correctly, there are always many merchants from various nations within Uruk, are there not?"
"Yes, my king."
Uruk was the largest city-state and kingdom in Mesopotamia, the most developed region. Free citizens from nations far and wide came here to exchange goods and transport them back to their own lands, creating prosperous commerce.
And merchants pursued profit.
Give them enough benefit, and they would do anything.
"Give those merchants a sum of money, and have them do one thing for this king!" Gilgamesh waved his hand. "As they travel and trade, have them spread the news—"
"Say that the gods have grown weary of humanity's existence, that they will send down trials from heaven and earth, a punishment sufficient to destroy mankind."
"And that to survive this trial, everyone must unite around the strongest nation!"
It was still in the name of the gods.
Though he disdained those beings, when Gilgamesh became serious, he never minded borrowing their influence. He also had to admit that in this late era when the Age of Gods still lingered, humanity generally still worshipped the gods.
Thus, this was the most suitable method, and the one most likely to prove effective.
"Yes, my king." Siduri froze briefly, then bowed. "I will see to it at once!"
The young officer hurried away, knowing this was a matter of immense importance.
First, exert pressure through public opinion.
Then build momentum—
"In the name of the gods... dragging the gods into the dust? Hmphahaha, this king truly looks forward to the faces those fools will make then!"
For some reason, Gilgamesh suddenly felt exceptionally pleased.
Rovi was calculating quietly as well.
Uniting the nations would require showing sincerity, would it not?
When the time came, he might be able to take on an assignment to visit a hostile nation... and deliberately provoke that enemy nation into assassinating him.
That way, once he died, Gilgamesh would have a better chance to declare war on that nation, display his strength, and intimidate the surrounding countries that refused to submit.
To devote himself wholly, until death.
If he could successfully disable the Underworld Goddess's blessing afterward, Rovi might not be without a chance.
Though this "death" would perhaps be intercepted by Ereshkigal upon reaching the underworld... no, rather, the chance of being intercepted was close to one hundred percent.
But Rovi still wanted to try.
He claimed he wanted to accomplish great things and court a spectacular death, but Rovi had no intention of giving up any opportunity that might arise in between.
The king, the sage, and the Divine Construct together devised a plan within the chamber to confront the punishment sent down by the gods.
The king ordered merchants to come and go, carrying the sage's words.
Heaven and earth were about to collapse; a disaster like the ancient Nabinstein Flood that drowned the land was coming once more.
The king wanted everyone to unite.
The sage wanted everyone to take up weapons.
The Divine Construct would stand with them as well.
Rustle, rustle.
Across the dusty wilderness, someone trudged forward. His withered body was concealed beneath a tattered black robe, yet he did not look frail. Instead, he possessed a sense of hardened strength.
He raised his head, revealing a face covered in black beard and hair.
Behind him lay a dark, profound tear in space, a rift leading to the underworld's shadowed valleys.
The old man who called himself Ziusudra listened to the distant news borne on the wind.
"Disaster is about to arrive..."
"One of the Primordial Trio without destiny may be the key."
"This old man should go meet him."
He exhaled, lowered his head again, and slowly walked onward.
His steps fell amid the yellow earth and dust, leaving behind one black footprint after another. As though death itself had passed by, all life around him instantly withered.
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