Having successfully 'sent Ziusudra away,' Rovi stood where he was and thought for a moment. He did not immediately set off after him.
He wanted Ziusudra to leave first.
So they would avoid crossing paths.
To minimize the impact—of course, Rovi had no intention of returning to his residence either, lest Enkidu 'pester' him into getting hurt.
So he found an inn in the city and stayed there.
He rested for the night.
The next day, while the sky was still dim before dawn, he naturally woke up.
Ever since coming to this world, Rovi had kept strict control over his daily routine so that he could find the best way to die at the most suitable moment.
Over time, it had become a habit of self-discipline.
Although he no longer truly needed sleep, because of that habit, Rovi still made sure to fall asleep at an appropriate time.
When the time came, his eyes naturally opened, and he got up.
After washing up and tidying himself, he headed out.
The predawn wind carried the chill accumulated through the night. Rovi yawned, patted the linen robe he wore, and slowly walked down the broad, empty streets.
At this hour in Uruk—or rather, during ordinary days without festivals or celebrations—it was rare to see anyone around.
The lamps were dim, and the daylight hazy.
Rovi paused, turned to glance at the only brightly lit place at the highest point—the royal palace where Gilgamesh resided—then shook his head and walked away.
Amid the sweeping wind and sand, he approached his first destination: a small city-state dependent on the Akkadian City-State Kingdom.
Of course, during this process, Rovi also retrieved from Gilgamesh's King's Treasure the seal representing the King of Uruk.
He inspected it very carefully, then forcibly suppressed the urge to stamp everything he saw before putting it away.
The King's Seal possessed special power.
Whenever some major matter required judgment, Gilgamesh would take out this seal and stamp it as authorization.
Although Rovi often bickered with Gilgamesh, he did not want future legends to contain strange rumors.
For example: "Amid his busy schedule, Gilgamesh personally stamped his approval for a sow to give birth," which might even evolve into something like, "What should you do when a sow is in heat? Go find Golden Flash in Mesopotamia."
Though that was actually pretty funny... Damn it, he was getting more and more tempted...
Rovi took a deep breath and fought the urge to toss the seal back into the rippling Gate of Babylon.
Then he looked ahead again.
The endless yellow sands stretched onward. The once-hazy daylight had become brilliantly bright, and Rovi had already traveled some distance from Uruk City-State. He was heading north, drawing ever closer to that small city-state.
But before he got close, Rovi sensed something strange.
The road... seemed a little too quiet?
He stopped and looked around. Sunlight spread across the wilderness; yellow earth crisscrossed beneath grass and vegetation, yet there was nothing else unusual.
Rovi pondered for a moment and decided to find someone to ask.
Rovi was planning to 'get killed,' after all.
So he had to find the right pit before jumping into it himself, didn't he?
Thus, he closed his eyes, expanded his senses, and found traces of human presence in the nearest direction.
"You're heading up ahead?" They were several merchants pulling donkey carts laden with goods. Seeing the dust-covered Rovi approach to ask about the road ahead, they did not think much of it.
Countless merchants like them traveled this road every day, and there were even more lone travelers like Rovi, whose noble origins were obvious at a glance.
As long as people did not start fighting the moment they met, there was not much danger under the witness of the gods.
"Yes, I'm going to the city-state ahead..."
Rovi named another city-state.
It was a nearby yet entirely different place from the one he had mentioned yesterday when sending Ziusudra away.
They were both on the same road.
"Then I'd advise you not to go." The lead merchant wore a white headscarf, his coarse face covered by a thick brown beard that trembled as he spoke. "Over there, lots of people are fleeing!"
"Fleeing—?" Rovi looked confused.
But his heart sank.
He had a bad feeling... That guy hadn't gone and pulled something, had he...?
"Yes, fleeing!" The merchant nodded, fear showing on his face. "People died over there."
"A great many people died... They say all the nobles in the inner city are dead, and ghostly blue flames are burning everywhere... The nobles dying is nothing much. Those nobles have always thrown their weight around, and we've suffered plenty of humiliation from them."
"But they say... someone saw the 'murderer'—a figure in armor like a demon's, carrying a greatsword."
"They heard him say: 'The rulers of this city have exhausted their mandate of heaven.'"
"'They shall honor the name of Rovi, Sage of Uruk: for this city, I shall toll the death knell!'"
Fuck!
How could Rovi not know what had happened?
He had told Ziusudra to go to that small city-state and 'scout the way' for him, and had specifically told him to be 'discreet.'
This was your idea of being discreet, old man...?
And you even used his name?
No!
Rovi felt that he had to stop this.
At this rate, his fearsome reputation would probably spread through every nation. By then, let alone attacking him, the ruling class of any city he entered might just kneel before him!
After bidding the merchants farewell, Rovi hurried without pause toward that city-state...
A moment later.
It was still morning.
Mist from the Euphrates River permeated the area.
From afar, Rovi could see a city-state built beside the river, shimmering beneath the sun like rippling waves.
Yet besides the rising sun, specks of ghostly blue light flickered there as well.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Majestic bell chimes echoed out, like an ancient roar from the beginning of time.
Rovi quickened his pace.
He could sense that someone was still alive. As long as he saved that person from Ziusudra, then forcefully explained that this incident had nothing to do with him, he should be able to minimize the damage to his 'reputation'...
However, Rovi had ultimately arrived one step too late.
Within the palace, sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating dust floating in the air. There was no blood, and no wounds either, yet the person lying on the ground no longer made a sound.
Rovi stopped at the doorway and looked at the towering figure holding a greatsword.
"Where there is life, there is death. Where there is death, there is life."
"The bells of fate ring out at the moment of ending. None can stop them—"
Amid the ghostly blue flames, the figure cloaked in a cape, clad in heavy armor, and wearing a pale mask with a pair of protruding horns raised his greatsword and brought it down upon the last person.
"No, leave me some... Leave someone..." Rovi opened his mouth, but before his voice could reach the other man's ears, the greatsword had already fallen, severing the final person's thread of fate.
Ziusudra looked over.
Rovi: "..."
Destroying a nation alone... This was your way of protecting me?
Sneaking in so thoroughly that you killed every witness!?
"Precisely."
Ziusudra spoke with complete confidence. "To guard against everything is to guard against nothing. Thus, guarding against nothing is the finest defense!"
"From this day onward, your might shall shake all the nations of the northern lands."
"Who would dare touch you?"
Was he moved?
Who the fuck would dare touch him!?
Before you continue