Sweet Enough to Hurt
"These are iris seeds collected near Mount Epiph. Once they bloom, they will surely be more vibrant and softer than those stones..."
"We found a rose Chinese Rose on the outskirts of Kusa; its fragrance is rich and can linger on clothes for a long time..."
"Fir Forest grows near the cedar forest. After it ripens, you can eat it; it has a sweet and sour taste, quite delicious..."
"The roses at the Uruk flower shop are famous. My mother-in-law, who runs the shop, asked me for different types of roses, all of which were carefully cultivated and selected..."
"Furthermore, Eridu have experienced environmental changes, with many exotic species found there, such as marigolds, South American daffodils, and orchids..."
Ereshkigal opened the pocket and stared blankly at the colorful flower seeds that had fallen into it, imagining in her mind the beautiful scene of them taking root, sprouting green leaves, and blooming.
The ancient serpent that brought these things had its eyes sparkling as it explained with great interest the origin of each seed, its habitat, and the local customs and traditions associated with it.
Even speaking of things getting popular.
Fir Forest wild rice, Kusa ale, Uruk butter cake and lamb chops, Eridu date porridge, and Ur sea buckthorn juice all fall within the scope of Samael's description...
Ultimately, it even encompassed the entirety of the local life, including pottery making, metallurgy, animal husbandry, and wedding customs in various regions.
She knew very little about the God of the Underworld on earth, and her eyes were filled with longing and admiration. Her pretty face lit up with excitement.
Yes...
The region that Samael traveled through was called Mesopotamia;
The script he encountered was Sumer;
The air he breathes comes from the free sky and the solid earth;
There, you can feel the warmth of the sun, smell the fragrance of flowers and grass, experience the flowing river, and feel the gentle breeze.
These are all things I once longed for, things I once envied...
And the snake he once adopted is now trying to bring her the beauty of the earth.
All our efforts stem from a seemingly absurd promise.
"You did all this for me?"
"Well, although we brought Merlin along, his illusion magic is ultimately fake, so it doesn't really count..."
"I promised you that no matter what, I would find a way to make the most beautiful flowers bloom in the underworld!"
Samael's eyes were clear, and his face was gentle and devout.
"But all I can give to Ereshkigal are these flowers..."
Then, the ancient serpent looked up at the dark dome, then lowered its eyelids, its voice gradually lowering in a slightly melancholic and nostalgic tone.
"Mesopotamia is no longer what it used to be."
"Mount Epiph has been ravaged, barren and desolate, with no greenery left to cover the rocks..."
"Kusa has become a dead city, the taverns are no longer open, and the temple Chinese Rose have long since withered..."
"The Fir Forest is teeming with monsters, and the river is littered with human corpses..."
"Ur and Eridu are surrounded by rainforest, with hardly any date palms or sea buckthorn trees to be seen, and no one dares to go out and pick these fruits..."
Ereshkigal gripped the edge of the pocket tightly with her fingers, her hand trembled, and her face darkened. She bit her lower lip, wanting to speak several times, but remained silent.
The gods are high above, possessing innate authority; they can stir up waves at will and arbitrarily ravage the earth.
Human beings have evolved over millions of years to create a tiny bit of beauty, which is quickly shattered and scattered like glass on the ground.
Whether it's Ishtar or the Three Goddesses, they are undoubtedly destroyers.
A profound sense of guilt overwhelmed this God of the Underworld, who wanted to protect Sumer civilization and preserve human souls.
Samael picked up a glistening pomegranate seed and couldn't help but sigh.
"These things, however beautiful, are merely inanimate objects with superficial beauty. Human civilization is the most magnificent and eternal flower of the Mesopotamian world..."
"Ereshkigal, you taught me to recognize these beauties, and taught me to yearn for the beauty of the earth, so you must feel the same way, right?"
As it pondered, the ancient serpent looked at the God of the Underworld with a slightly expectant gaze.
"Um..."
Unable to face that intense and pure gaze, Ereshkigal turned her head away, burying her face in her hands and letting out a barely audible nasal sound.
Immediately, upon receiving a response, Samael nodded with relief, gently grasped Ereshkigal's wrist, and became more serious than ever before.
"I know you will definitely be willing to protect the Sumer script and the Sumer people!"
"Me too!"
"In the past six months, I have traveled all over Mesopotamia and have fallen in love with this land and its people!"
"I helped them fight off monsters, defend Uruk, and even persuaded the Feathered Serpent God Kukulkan to join the human side!"
These impassioned speeches, though only a few sentences long, are epic tales of heroism filled with thrills and struggles.
"King Gilgamesh wanted to reward me several times, but I refused each time."
Then, the ancient serpent glanced back at Merlin, Anna, King Gilgamesh, Ishtar, and the other figures accompanying him.
The Heroic King nodded readily at this undeniable fact and said no more.
Samael turned and stared at the woman before him, his emotions somber and his tone solemn.
"Because this honor should not belong to me alone!"
"No one knows better than me what sacrifices Ereshkigal made to protect the souls of those warriors!"
"To keep them rational and able to endure loneliness, we painstakingly crafted Spear Cage..."
"To prevent the monsters from attacking Kusa, I had no choice but to bear the infamy and use the power of death to protect the city as a death trap..."
"In order to continue the Sumer script, they willingly endured the misunderstandings and curses of the world, joined the Three Goddesses Alliance, hoping to seize Uruk first and bring Mesopotamia under their protection..."
"Even though you are in the darkness, you have done more for them than someone like me who walks in the sunlight!"
It knows all of this?!
The goddess, whose thoughts and pretenses were constantly exposed, buried her head in her hands, her face flushed, and looked completely at a loss.
"Please lift your head! Stand tall!"
"This is not a misdeed that should be hidden, nor is it something to be ashamed of or ashamed of; rather, it is something to be praised and glorified!"
Samael patted her shoulder and lifted her chin. Zheng met her gaze, his voice leaving no room for doubt.
The goddess subconsciously tensed her back, but her gaze remained somewhat evasive and bewildered.
"For millennia, you have endured solitude, diligently fulfilling your duties as a goddess and maintaining the operation of the Netherworld!"
"For millions of years, you have had no happiness, sorrow, joy, or even friends of your own, yet you are still willing to create light for the underworld and preserve reason for souls!"
"For thousands of years, humanity has blamed itself for every epidemic and death, allowing them to let go of their burdens and move forward better!"
"What you've done—doesn't it deserve a word of affirmation? Doesn't it deserve a word of praise?!"
"You are more qualified than I to stand before the Royal Palace Divine Tower!"
"You deserve to enjoy the sunshine, the cheers, and the praise even more than I do!"
The crowd, standing still, couldn't help but fall into deep thought amidst this resounding question.
Even the most arrogant and merciless King Gilgamesh fell silent for a long time.
It turns out that this painful duty is not just torture; some people find happiness in it.
It turns out that this act of goodwill towards the world is truly Human Order.
Ereshkigal had lost her timidity and inferiority complex at some point.
That inexplicable surge of courage allowed her to reveal her identity as a woman from the underworld, calmly observing each visitor and sensing a profound respect from their silence.
At this moment, two traces of salty, wet flesh slid into their lips and teeth.
She subconsciously raised her fingers and gently wiped her cheek, her eyes gazing at the glistening liquid on the back of her hand, lost in thought.
I was actually crying...
Mingming should be happy...
Ereshkigal- chan will work hard today too. jpg