"Alright, so we raced full speed to Kutha, but dragging a very unwilling Ishtar along took up most of the day."
Standing in the center of the plaza where Ritsuka had once died, Merlin wrapped up his summary.
"Ugh... To think we have to go back to that creepy place again. I'm the Goddess of Venus, you know..." Ishtar wore an uncharacteristically unmotivated expression.
While Mashu was explaining the lore to Ritsuka, Amber had also picked up on Ishtar's mythology.
So, she understood the goddess's reluctance to descend into the underworld. But... Ishtar was the only one present who knew the way. Without a guide, aimless wandering would just waste more time.
"I'll give you more Asterite as payment once this is done," she comforted.
"I'm not some poverty-stricken goddess who scrapes for every last bit of profit, you know." Now in possession of two-tenths of Babylon's treasury, Ishtar spoke with considerably more confidence. "Fine, fine. Since I've already agreed, I'll see it through without complaint."
Having said that, her gloomy expression turned serious. "But let me make this clear: only I, Ritsuka, Mashu, and Phoenix will be descending this time."
"Why is that?" Just as local gods knew nothing of South America, Quetzalcoatl's understanding of Mesopotamia was only surface-level.
"Because in the underworld, Divinity becomes a liability," Ishtar explained. "Weak Divinity remains weak, but strong Divinity becomes weakened. In the underworld, only Ereshkigal, as its mistress, holds absolute authority. What do you think happens if a god dies and falls there?"
Quetzalcoatl blinked. If you're dead, you're dead—what else is there to say?
Merlin, however, understood. "I see. The gods would probably scream, 'I refuse to accept I'm dead!' and throw a fit trying to escape the underworld. That would blur the line between life and death."
"Exactly." Ishtar nodded. "Even gods should remain in the underworld after death. So, the underworld has a system that neutralizes Divinity."
"Makes sense. But even so, Ishtar still managed to get out." Mashu looked at Ishtar with sparkling eyes, seemingly in admiration.
Ishtar's face darkened, her expression awkward. "Such innocent, straightforward bluntness... Is this the legendary 'pure airhead'? It's hard to even get angry..."
"Ah, I see." Quetzalcoatl finally nodded in understanding, once again grasping the differences in divine perspectives. She then smiled at Amber. "But Phoenix should be fine, right?"
"Given Phoenix's history, this land should recognize her Divinity. Yet, strangely, Phoenix has no Divinity at all." Ishtar didn't quite understand why either and could only sigh.
"It's really odd. It can't be that Phoenix doesn't acknowledge her own Divinity... right..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that might actually be the case.
No, it absolutely had to be the case.
In Mesopotamia, there was a path to godhood through divine right bestowed by humanity.
If Phoenix wished, she could become a god instantly. While such gods typically wouldn't possess very high Divinity, in most cases, having Divinity was still nobler than having none.
Divinity was a stepping stone to becoming a top-tier Servant.
It wasn't that lacking Divinity prevented one from becoming a top-tier Servant, but even if one did, Divinity still provided personal enhancements.
Ishtar looked helplessly at Amber. "To refuse becoming a 'god'... There should be limits to ignorance."
"Haha, that's exactly why I love Phoenix the most." Quetzalcoatl, however, preferred it this way. She loved humans more than gods. Achieving divine feats as a mortal was, in her eyes, truly radiant.
Huh? Really?
Amber was puzzled inwardly. She hadn't exactly accepted godhood, but she hadn't refused it either. Besides, being a god sounded kind of cool. If it came down to it, she probably wouldn't refuse...
Fu Hua: '...It might not be your fault.'
Amber: Hm?
Fu Hua: 'My impression of gods comes almost entirely from the Honkai. So, it's likely my body inherently rejects Divinity.'
Ah... now that you mention it, the Herrschers always called themselves messengers of God. And that God would naturally be the Honkai.
Herrscher of Sentience: 'Don't! I have no fondness for that nuisance called the Honkai. If you're going to say that, say it refers to the other Herrschers besides me!'
Amber: ...But thinking about it, was it only Sirin who called herself a messenger of God?
Herrscher of Sentience: 'I'm not sure. Who knows if the others called themselves that in secret? Besides me, Welt, and Seele, I think almost everyone else did, right?'
Amber: ...Sorry, I can't remember clearly...
If she herself couldn't remember clearly, the other two who shared her memories naturally weren't much clearer.
"Well, no time to waste. I wish you all a smooth journey," Merlin interrupted the chitchat.
"Yeah, at the very least, make sure the other three come back, Ishtar," Quetzalcoatl added with a nod.
"Hey, you, there is no 'very least' scenario here." Ishtar retorted, exasperated. "It's either we defeat her and all return, or we fail and all get imprisoned. Those are the only two outcomes. That's why we're having you two stay behind—as a contingency."
She continued, "From a safety perspective, it'd be best to leave Phoenix outside too. But considering I'll be nearly useless in a fight down there, and Mashu isn't exactly an offense-oriented Servant, we're bringing Phoenix to ensure we have enough firepower."
"But if things go south, it'll be up to you two. You'll need to negotiate with Ereshkigal to get Phoenix and the others back to the surface. In the worst case, call the three Servants from the Northern Wall, and Ana too."
"I see."
Merlin smiled. "It seems you've changed too, challenging a fight you believe you might lose. It seems even goddesses can grow after leaving their father's side."
"Say what you will!" Ishtar pouted irritably. "Alright! I'm opening the path to the underworld. If there's nothing else, step aside!"
"...Wait a moment."
Amber suddenly spoke up.
All eyes turned to her.
"If we desperately need combat power, I have a very capable helper on my side," Amber said.
"A powerful helper?" Ishtar was somewhat interested—who could this helper be at this point?—but didn't think much of it. Given Phoenix's humble nature, the extent of this 'powerful' was debatable.
So she replied casually, "Then call this helper over. It'll be good to have more people outside to facilitate a rescue if needed. By the way, what's their caliber? On par with Ana? Or Leonidas?"
"...It's Quetzalcoatl..."
"...Huh?" x5
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T/N: A Certain Scientific Railgun Fanfic Up!
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.