Chapter 473

As she said this, Tomoe Gozen sighed, then waved and smiled at the citizens who greeted her.

"Welcome back, Lord Shirou, Tomoe Gozen. You must be tired from your business trip... The King has been waiting for you for quite some time."

As soon as he stepped into the audience chamber, the high priest Siduri, who was standing below the throne, quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"The news that the two commanders who defeated the Magical Beast — the Kitabir the Sage —reached Uruk last night."

It's likely that the death of the Scorpion Man caused the battlefield situation to reverse yesterday, so Gilgamesh deduced from the front lines that Shirou had already completed his mission.

Siduri smiled broadly and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I am truly happy for you."

We absolutely must celebrate tonight! By the way, Your Majesty, how about you personally grace the Heroic Spirit' Dormitory tonight?

"Hmph, it's only natural that this guy could do something like that... I'm not that happy about it, and I don't intend to join your victory celebration!"

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. "More important than that, Shirou, is there something else you want to report?"

Shirou nodded.

There are two things I need to report.

First, there was the Creator Goddess he encountered in his dream.

If the rumors are true, then the Mesopotamia Creator Goddess—

The goddess Tiamat is one of the pillars of the "Three Goddess Alliance," the northern goddess who gave birth to hundreds of thousands of Magical Beasts.

"Your mother appeared in your dream? Could it be Merlin's doing?"

Gilgamesh on his throne.

Shirou and this guy have had a long-standing friendship.

Therefore, Shirou did not miss the fact that Gilgamesh was hiding something.

The King of Uruk seemed unwilling to discuss this topic in public.

Shirou understood and didn't continue the topic.

The second thing to report is about the young man who called himself Enkidu, whom he and Tomoe Gozen encountered in the forest.

Shirou had already confirmed with the citizens on his way to the temple.

Long green hair, a white robe, and androgynous beauty, with a fighting style similar to that of the King of Heroes.

They had undoubtedly encountered the king's closest friend himself.

"You encountered Enkidu, who should have been dead?"

Moreover, the other party is actually a powerful force commanding hundreds of thousands of Magical Beasts, attempting to kill you all?

Siduri stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Shirou, it's not that I don't believe you, but this is impossible..."

When Siduri, the High Priestess of Uruk, was still a little girl, she witnessed the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

He was both a friend of the king and a warrior equal to the king.

By bravely admonishing Gilgamesh, who was still a tyrant at the time, the king, who was destined to be alone until his death, experienced the joy of talking with others.

Although Enkidu stubbornly sees himself as a prop and is strict with himself, Siduri sees him as just a gentle and kind person.

Enkidu, in his current state, would never contemptuously refer to humans as "discardable trash."

"It must be an imposter using Enkidu's name..."

"Ah, I think so too—I just don't know what Gilgamesh thinks."

Everyone turned to look at the person who had been silent since earlier.

Surprisingly, Gilgamesh's reaction was unusually indifferent.

"Someone Enkidu has appeared?"

He said without changing his expression, "I see. Well, it's not impossible."

Is that all?

Siduri was utterly astonished.

The king's tone was neither angry nor sad, leaving even the high priest who had been by his side for over a decade unable to decipher it.

However, it was a great help to Shirou.

It would be troublesome if he forgot his duty as king simply because he heard the name Enkidu.

Shirou was counting on him to squat on the throne every day, working overtime to complete the King's work.

"Anyway, I'll continue investigating Enkidu's matter. You just stay there and be a good King of Uruk."

"Idiot! Are you trying to teach me how to do things?!"

Gilgamesh snorted coldly and drove Shirou out of the Divine Tower.

I'm back in my dorm room after a long time.

Shirou thought he could finally get some rest, but little did he know that this was just the beginning of a disaster.

Why are you here?

"This is my home, why can't I stay here?"

"From today onwards, this house belongs to me and my lord. Please leave immediately!"

"Huh? You're being so unreasonable!"

In the dormitory corridor, Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru glared at each other, neither willing to back down, and both even placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

The air was thick with tension, and even the curtains at the end of the corridor were fluttering in the wind.

As soon as Shirou got close, he felt the two murderous auras almost colliding and sparking in the air.

Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru – Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune served different lords.

Tomoe Gozen's husband, Kiso Yoshinaka, was a cousin of Minamoto no Yoshitsune's half-brother, Minamoto no Yoritomo.

In the first year of the Genryaku era, Minamoto no Yoshitsune Kiso Yoshinaka.

Yoshitsune's pursuit routed Yoshinaka's army, a move that sealed the final victory in the war.

Tomoe Gozen's husband also died in that battle, but she escaped and survived as one of the people accompanying her.

For Tomoe Gozen, Ushiwakamaru was someone she could never forgive.

Kiso Yoshinaka said that he raised an army for the sake of peace and prosperity—that person threw himself into the battlefield so that the people could live a peaceful life.

Ushiwakamaru himself had no feelings about the war.

She's simply a genius.

As a genius wielding a blade and slaying enemies, he was practically a puppet being manipulated.

Tomoe Gozen cannot accept that outcome. Why did a doll like you have to win?

"Anyway... you only accepted the summons because you enjoyed beheading Magical Beast, right?"

That's all.

Shirou stood in front of Tomoe Gozen.

"You've gone too far... Ushiwakamaru, like us, is fighting to protect this era."

"My lord..."

Tomoe Gozen bit her lip.

She glared resentfully at Ushiwakamaru, then turned and went back to her room without looking back.

"I'm sorry, Ushiwakamaru..."

Shirou said apologetically, "As you can see, Tomoe Gozen's Spirit Origin was slightly affected during the battle with the Scorpion Man. Please don't take what I just said to heart."

"Yeah, I can understand how she feels... but I didn't expect to be disliked like this, it's a little frustrating."

Shirou narrowed one eye as he looked at the deeply frustrated girl.

"For this Ushiwakamaru, I've prepared a sumptuous meal especially for tonight—"

"Huh? Really, Shirou!"

Upon hearing about delicious food, Ushiwakamaru's eyes immediately lit up.

She was probably the person Uruk missed the most during the two days Shirou was away.

Today, Ushiwakamaru deeply understands the impact of diet quality on work motivation.

"Please look forward to tonight."

"Okay! I will! I'll head out to work now, okay?"

Behind Ushiwakamaru, it seemed as if an invisible, furry tail was wagging violently.

Be careful on the road.

Shirou smiled as he watched Ushiwakamaru and Musashibō Benkei leave the dormitory.

She's still just a child at heart; food is all it takes to make her happy.

As for Tomoe Gozen...

Then I'll consult with Miss Siduri about what gifts are suitable for young women on the market.

With that thought in mind, Shirou put on his apron and went into the kitchen.

Three nights after Shirou returned to Uruk, Siduri brought him a new S-rank request.

"Heading to the Underworld to investigate Enkidu's remains... By the way, what are you doing here?"

Shirou looked speechlessly at Gilgamesh had secretly slipped out of the Divine Tower and was enjoying a hearty meal of roasted lamb chops.

--

Volume 7: Chapter 308, Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld

Siduri dutifully shows up at the Heroic Spirit Dormitory every night, but tonight she's brought another mysterious guest with her.

"Awoo awoo awoo... The lamb from Uruk is still so delicious and juicy."

Gilgamesh sat with his legs crossed in the middle of the dining hall, devouring his dinner with gusto, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

"I only caught a whiff of something unusual while patrolling the streets at night, so I came here specifically to take a look."

"Hmph, I didn't expect it to be you guys hosting a barbecue party."

The high priest, a beaming smile on his face, stood behind him and said, "Shirou has used a special cooking method, making the seasoning even more flavorful than before. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

"Stop asking questions you already know the answer to, Siduri! Can't you read my expression?"

Ah, really—it certainly looks as delicious as the rumors say.

It's even regrettable that Uruk's culinary practices remain far too primitive and barbaric...

The food this fellow has prepared has surpassed the foresight of my all-seeing eyes.

Hmph... But in the end, it's just that the food is delicious! Ugh!

Gilgamesh grumbled indignantly, his fingers and mouth never stopping.

Even the king, who takes it for granted that his country is the most excellent and advanced in Human History, has to lower his proud head in the face of Shirou's modern cuisine.

Seeing him like this, Tomoe Gozen, Ushiwakamaru, Musashibō Benkei, and King Leonidas, who had returned from the front lines, couldn't help but smile.

"Oh my god, that King Gilgamesh actually admitted defeat! Is the world going to end tomorrow, Lord Ushiwakamaru?!"

"Don't say such unlucky things, you idiot monk!"