There was no rush to summon Tiamat. Nearly all of Mesopotamia's top combatants had already rallied to their side, creating a force far more formidable than in the original narrative. Before proceeding, they needed to prepare to repel the Lahmu's assault and halt the Primordial Sea's encroaching tide.
"If we need to evacuate the commoners, Ebihu Mountain would be a good choice," Siduri suggested. "The terrain is high, and now that the gods have departed, the Temple could serve as a temporary shelter. However..."
Jiang You knew what Siduri was getting at. Because Gudako had investigated Ur before Jiang You's arrival and then directly intervened in his main quest to besiege the city, her connection with Ishtar had been severed, explaining why Ishtar hadn't appeared.
"You mean that capricious Goddess, right?" Jiang You asked.
Given Ishtar-Rin's personality, Jiang You was confident she would agree, as long as she received some treasure. She might even pocket a cut for herself. The wealth provided by that cheap Master was likely less than what Goldie dropped through the cracks of his fingers.
"Don't worry," Jiang You assured them. "She's a bit different from the Ishtar you remember. She's actually quite reasonable now."
Siduri looked puzzled. The words "Ishtar" and "reasonable" simply didn't belong in the same sentence.
"It's because of her current vessel," Jiang You explained.
Jiang You offered a brief explanation. "Just leave the persuasion to me. If all else fails, I can resort to 'physical persuasion' or 'Duel persuasion.' I guarantee the mission's success."
"With your word, victory is as good as assured."
Siduri wasn't simply flattering him. While Jiang You's personal strength was quite ordinary—likely at the bottom tier among all Heroes—he could also be considered the strongest. He had defeated both the King of Heroes and Quetzalcoatl, so Ishtar's defeat wouldn't be surprising either.
"I'll inform the King... and request funding from the Finance Minister. May you achieve swift success."
"Just keep calling him 'King.' After all, once this is over, the Faerie Realm will cease to exist, and he'll still be the King of Uruk. Hearing you all address him like that feels so awkward."
Jiang You didn't mind either way. He wasn't here to play lord and manage territories. He hadn't even glanced at Medea's shop simulation game, let alone tracked whether it was profitable or losing money.
"Thank you..."
Though Jiang You had been playing around, the end result was still positive. Siduri still respected him. After repeated expressions of gratitude, she excused herself to request funds from Gilgamesh.
-
"Turns out being a queen isn't such a big deal after all."
As a "puppet," Fairy Tristan stretched languidly on the throne, the stone seat completely covered in the fur of some unknown creature, elevating its comfort to an entirely new level. "Why exhaust yourself, Mother? Surely such tasks could be delegated to subordinates."
"Because she refuses to delegate, or rather, she's incapable of delegating."
Jiang You placed all the clay tablets Siduri had handed him into Fairy Tristan's hands. Stacked higher than her own height, she struggled to maintain her balance and prevent the stone tablets from toppling over.
"Have you ever considered what precious treasures you fairies truly are? Among Morgan's named retainers, only the other two members of the Three Fairy Knights and the Lord of Oxford are slightly more capable. Moreover, Uruk's current situation is unique—a state of near-apocalypse—so everything can be simplified."
Jiang You watched as Fairy Tristan carefully set the clay tablets on the ground before nodding. "Even so, the workload remains immense. Otherwise, why do you think the King of Heroes died of exhaustion? Remember, Uruk is a tiny realm compared to Morgan's dominion over all of Britain... or half of it, at least?"
"Do you have a grievance against this King's Uruk?!"
Gilgamesh had been summoned by Siduri and overheard Jiang You's criticism from afar. Though Jiang You spoke the truth, as the King of Heroes, he couldn't tolerate such disrespect!
Hearing Jiang You's words, Fairy Tristan's expression shifted. She meticulously read through the clay tablets one by one. These tablets were absurdly thick compared to paper, yet they contained a wealth of information covering everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation—aspects she had never paid attention to before. "No wonder Mother placed such high expectations on me... and never had time for me. So that's how it was?"
"Looks like you've grown a bit too, huh?" Jiang You gently patted Fairy Tristan's head. "I thought you'd just say, 'Why not just kill them all?'"
Fairy Tristan slapped his hand away, indignant. "What kind of fairy do you take me for?! Even I've thought about easing Mother's burdens, you know! But she always told me I wasn't killing ruthlessly enough..."
Fairy Tristan's obedience to Morgan was roughly 200%—this child's twisted upbringing was undoubtedly Morgan's fault. Jiang You really needed to have a serious talk with her about this when he had the chance.
"You'll stay here and properly learn the qualities required of a ruler," Jiang You said.
He didn't fully understand what a ruler needed to do, but there were plenty of former kings among the Heroic Spirits. Here was a ready-made example.
"Gilgamesh, I entrust you with teaching her how to be a proper ruler."
"Why should This King teach this bloodstained wretch?" Gilgamesh could sense the intense stench of blood emanating from Fairy Tristan. Among anti-heroes, her aura was exceptionally vile.
"If This King isn't mistaken, this one's a villain!"
"You're right, but you weren't exactly a saint in your youth either," Jiang You retorted. "You had the chance to become a Wise King—why not give her the same opportunity?"
If any other Heroic Spirit refused, Jiang You wouldn't force them. But this was Gilgamesh—the Gilgamesh of his youth, who would casually plunge others into the Abyss for momentary amusement.
"Moreover, the loser has no right to make demands."
"Hmph!"
Gilgamesh didn't object. In fact, Jiang You's bluntness only piqued his interest further.
"Then this King shall condescend to teach this creature a few superficial skills. My knowledge is far beyond her capacity to easily grasp!"
"Jiang You, do I really have to learn this from this arrogant fool?"
Fairy Tristan hadn't witnessed any impressive feats from Gilgamesh here, so she doubted his capabilities.
"He doesn't exactly look capable."
"How dare you question this King?!"
Gilgamesh would not tolerate anyone doubting his abilities. He immediately opened the Gate of Babylon, from which countless clay tablets cascaded forth.
"Let this King show you what it means to be a Wise King!"
Jiang You picked up a tablet and examined it. "This is basically a reference book from later ages," he remarked. "Your Gate of Babylon has airplanes—couldn't you adjust these to paper format?"
Gilgamesh snorted again and turned his head away.
Well, this guy was just trying to make things difficult for Fairy Tristan. Let's hope those two don't start fighting right away.