"That's right, I am Ereshkigal, mistress of the Underworld. Surprised that I made my entrance this way? You should be grateful to me, or that awful goddess would definitely be bullying you right now..."
When Lan Ze remained silent for a long while, Ereshkigal immediately snapped in embarrassment. "More importantly, why did you suddenly go quiet?! Were you disappointed to see me?!"
"No, I was just wondering how you appeared here... Didn't you go to the world I was in back then?" Lan Ze asked.
"I did, but afterward, I realized I seemed to have the ability to return to this world. But once I got to the Underworld, I had no idea how to find you. And during those days, it was like you had completely vanished..." As Ereshkigal spoke, her shoulders drooped helplessly.
"Then just now, I thought I'd use this body to see whether I could find you, but I never expected..."
"You never expected... that I would happen to be in the temple?"
Ereshkigal nodded. "Why were you in Ishtar's temple?"
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Lan Ze felt that the Goddess of the Underworld's clear, beautiful eyes had suddenly darkened considerably, their light fading away.
Alarm bells rang in Lan Ze's head. He sighed. "Goddess Ishtar made me her Divine Messenger and signed a contract with me."
"Why didn't you refuse her?" Ereshkigal lightly bit her lip, clearly displeased.
Lan Ze sighed helplessly again. "She said that if I refused, she'd curse me to have no descendants and stay single until I died."
There was nothing wrong with that reasoning. When gods fought, mortals suffered. He was just a minor figure and truly had no way around it.
Ereshkigal muttered, "That really does sound like something she would do."
No one knew better than she did how domineering Ishtar could be.
Nor was Ereshkigal surprised that, after learning Lan Ze was the Goddess of the Underworld's Divine Messenger, Ishtar would try to take him away.
Back then, Ishtar had coveted the position of ruler of the Underworld. She had put on a full set of divine gear and gone to have a Father-Son Duel SOLO with Ereshkigal.
After passing through the Seven Gates of the Underworld, however, Ereshkigal stripped her of every piece of divine gear. Ishtar was beaten badly, then detained in the Underworld for a long time. It was the greatest disgrace of proud Ishtar's life, so it was only natural that she would want to oppose and target Ereshkigal.
"So you signed a contract with her?"
Ereshkigal quickly set aside her thoughts, concern filling her eyes. "Are you all right? She didn't bully you, did she?"
As she spoke, she carefully examined Lan Ze, as though checking him for injuries.
Lan Ze shook his head. "I'm fine. Ishtar hasn't done anything to me yet."
"Looks like she wants to maintain a good image in front of you..."
After murmuring to herself, Ereshkigal raised her head.
"Then break your contract with her now and become my Divine Messenger again."
Lan Ze said awkwardly, "Uh... I can't do that."
The atmosphere instantly froze.
"So you're choosing that goddess?" Ereshkigal's gaze darkened further, and she seemed somewhat hurt.
"No... It's a long story—"
"If you don't mind, allow me to explain."
At that moment, a bright voice came from outside the side hall. Ereshkigal raised her head toward the entrance, where a white-haired man stood smiling before the doors. His smile was as brilliant as sunlight, giving him a very approachable air.
He wore a mage's robe, had a rather handsome face and white hair, and held a staff in his hand as he smiled.
He looked like a caster... at least on the surface.
Compared to standing at a distance and chanting spells, this man was more accustomed to using a sword.
These days, a caster without some close-combat ability would be too embarrassed to call himself a caster.
"Who are you?" Ereshkigal frowned.
"Greetings, Goddess. I am Britain's Court Mage. You may call me Merlin." Merlin gave a respectful bow. "I came to explain the reason behind all this, and incidentally..."
He lifted his deep eyes, turned his gaze toward Lan Ze, and smiled faintly. "I would like Mr. Lan Ze to return to Uruk with me. As for the reason... I believe you will understand once you return with me."
"By the way, what did it feel like after you left this world?" Lan Ze turned and asked.
"Hmm..." Ereshkigal cooperatively rested a hand against her chin and pondered for a moment. "It was quite amazing, I suppose. I saw many square-shaped buildings, all built incredibly high. I was just about to turn the underground there into the Underworld—"
"Um... am I being ignored? Have I been isolated?" Merlin's smile became somewhat strained.
Ereshkigal glanced at Merlin. "If you have something to say, then say it."
"It's like this." Merlin regained his usual smile. "Mr. Lan Ze, do you remember what happened a few days ago?"
"What are you referring to?" Lan Ze asked in confusion.
"The matter of entering Tiamat's Dreamscape..."
Lan Ze froze slightly, then said strangely, "Don't tell me that was your doing?"
"I merely helped things along," Merlin said with a faint smile. "Not everyone gets the chance to enter that mother's Dreamscape. After discovering that you could enter Tiamat's Dreamscape, I did everything I could to make you fall into a deeper sleep, preventing outside factors from waking or disturbing you."
Lan Ze suddenly understood.
He had wondered why, after entering Mother of All's Dreamscape, he could sleep for three days without waking. He had assumed it was just part of the setting, but it turned out Merlin had been behind it.
Ishtar had said at the time that some white-haired mage had been dancing around him. That must have been Merlin casting his spell.
As for why he had to dance... Lan Ze could only assume it was Merlin's strange hobby.
"Wait, what are you two even talking about?!" Ereshkigal interrupted. "What mother's Dreamscape?"
"The young man beside you entered the Dreamscape of the god Tiamat not long ago," Merlin said with a smile.
"Oh... Mm..." Ereshkigal nodded blankly, then her eyes slowly widened.
"Ah?!"
She abruptly turned toward Lan Ze, as if trying to confirm whether it was true.
Lan Ze gave her an affirmative answer. "That's why I said I can't sign a contract with you again..."
Ereshkigal still found it hard to believe. "Isn't Mother in that world...?"
Merlin slowly shook his head. "No. She is currently on the land of Mesopotamia and is asleep. But don't worry, I have already woven a Dreamscape for her. She will not awaken."
"That's not right," Lan Ze suddenly said. "She will awaken."
The instant those words fell, both of the others stiffened sharply.
Merlin's calm smile froze in an instant as well.
"Mr. Lan Ze... are you serious?" He slowly raised his head to look at Lan Ze.
"Don't you have Clairvoyance?" Lan Ze asked.
"Clairvoyance isn't omnipotent. Besides, my Clairvoyance can only observe the present, then infer the future from current information." Merlin sighed. "It has its limitations."
"Are you serious about what you just said?" Merlin asked again.
Lan Ze nodded firmly.
Merlin fell silent, contemplation evident in his eyes.
Lan Ze continued, "Since you didn't come for this matter, what did you want from me?"
He had thought Merlin had specifically come to find him because his involvement had altered the future and Merlin had deduced all of this. But apparently, that was not the case.
Merlin snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "It isn't that I wanted to see you. That king wanted to see you."
"Gilgamesh wants to see me?"
Lan Ze repeated it, feeling confused.
Was he trying to throw him into prison?
...But Gilgamesh should not have the time to deal with such a trivial matter right now, should he?
After all, he ought to be busy resisting the Beast Goddess outside.
"Yes, he asked me to invite you." Merlin nodded with a smile, though he looked every bit like a shady merchant.
Ereshkigal stepped in front of Lan Ze and warily stared at Merlin. "If it were anyone else, I would not care, but he is my Divine Messenger. I will not let him return with you."
"Ereshkigal..." Lan Ze looked at the Goddess of the Underworld's figure with gratitude.
This girl truly was adorable. She was a little tsundere, but she was kind at heart.
Noticing Lan Ze's moved gaze, Ereshkigal blushed and hurriedly added, "D-Don't misunderstand! I'm only helping you because you're my Divine Messenger!"
"Even so, thank you."
After Lan Ze thanked her without hesitation, the Goddess of the Underworld, after a brief moment of embarrassment, crossed her arms and huffed proudly. "...Now you know how good I am to you, right?"
"I know, I know. Ereshkigal is the best in the world." Lan Ze nodded.
Ereshkigal shot Lan Ze an embarrassed, irritated glance.
For some reason, she always felt that Lan Ze was teasing her.
At that moment, Merlin smiled and said, "Goddess, please do not worry. I do not believe the king intends to punish him over the incident of stealing from the treasury last time. After all, that king has surely guessed why Lan Ze would suddenly go and rob his treasury."
Ishtar's name was extremely well-known in Uruk. As her Divine Messenger, Lan Ze's actions would surely be influenced by Ishtar.
After pondering for a moment, Lan Ze nodded. "I'll return with you."
He knew how terrifying Tiamat's overwhelming power would be after her descent. If he wanted to rewrite that near-total annihilation ending, he absolutely could not rely on himself alone.
Others had to understand this as well.
"Your cooperation is a tremendous help, Mr. Lan Ze." Merlin immediately smiled and clapped his hands, then turned to Ereshkigal.
"Goddess, if you do not mind, would you accompany us?"
Ereshkigal hesitated for a moment and muttered, "I can, but I cannot guarantee whether that goddess will make a huge fuss later."
Though she murmured this to herself, she ultimately agreed to Merlin's invitation and let out a soft sigh.
After all, she was somewhat worried about leaving Lan Ze alone in Uruk.
Divine Tower, King's Hall.
When Lan Ze and Ereshkigal arrived at the hall with Merlin, they saw Gilgamesh arranging for soldiers to resist the beasts.
The king looked extremely busy at the moment. Uruk's soldiers would enter the hall from time to time to report on the situation, and Gilgamesh would immediately issue new orders.
The almost congealed atmosphere made everyone feel solemn.
"My king, I have brought Lan Ze back," Merlin said.
It was nearly impossible to wait here for Gilgamesh to finish all his work. Even if they waited until the next day, they would still find Gilgamesh hard at work.
Gilgamesh slightly raised a hand and handed the clay tablet in his grasp to Siduri, then instructed the surrounding soldiers to withdraw for the moment.
Only then did he turn his attention to Lan Ze. His crimson eyes, like a serpent's, carried an authority that no one dared meet directly.
"Oh? Not only Lan Ze, but you even brought that goddess back? Your performance truly surprises me, Merlin."
Merlin shook his head with a smile. "She came willingly."
"Willingly?" Gilgamesh's eyes showed a hint of surprise. "For this human? How unexpected..."
"That's because he is my Divine Messenger!" Ereshkigal loudly defended herself, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
Gilgamesh laughed without restraint. "Your explanation was far too hasty, which only makes it easier to misunderstand. Useless goddess... no, you seem to be..."
Gilgamesh's voice paused, and he did not expose her.
Ereshkigal let out a soft whimper, tightly clutching the fabric of her skirt as she lowered her face slightly. It almost seemed as if steam were rising from her head, as though she might explode at any moment.
Merlin hurriedly interrupted the increasingly dangerous atmosphere. "My king, Mr. Lan Ze mentioned something very important on the way here."
"Something important?" Gilgamesh turned his gaze to Merlin.
Merlin looked around, walked several steps to Gilgamesh's side, and whispered something.
The more Gilgamesh listened, the deeper his frown became. At last, after a moment of silence, he asked, "Is what you said true?"
Merlin nodded without hesitation. "If what we must face in the end is not the Beast Goddess outside, but... the Creation Mother Goddess, my king, have you prepared a response?"
Gilgamesh did not answer. Instead, he looked directly at Lan Ze. "I saw you a few days ago. At the time, you and that useless goddess were coveting my treasury."
"My sincerest apologies. We left rather hastily and did not have the chance to say hello," Lan Ze said humbly.
Before you continue