Kuro opened the next chest. Then another. And another after that.
Each chest was filled with various types of high-quality gemstones that were even difficult to find in the modern era.
Their shimmering light reflected off the underground stone walls, making the entire corridor look like the treasure vault of a dragon from a fairy tale.
A brief silence filled the air. Ishtar's gaze slowly changed. The prideful aura of a goddess remained, but her eyes clearly struggled to tear themselves away from the pile of treasure.
Kuro observed her reaction with a faint smile.
"If Goddess Ishtar is kind enough to accept me as her disciple…" he said casually. "There's a possibility that gemstones like these will keep flowing in the future."
Silence.
A few seconds passed. Then Ishtar immediately moved closer.
"…Kuh."
She cleared her throat lightly while trying to maintain her proud expression.
However, her eyes kept drifting toward the gemstones without her noticing.
"Don't misunderstand, human." Her tone still tried to sound calm and dignified. "I am not the type of cheap goddess who can be bought with a few shiny stones."
Even as she said that, her right hand slowly picked up a ruby gemstone the size of a thumb from the chest.
The red glow immediately reflected beautifully in her eyes.
"…But." A brief pause. "As a generous goddess, I suppose it wouldn't be a problem to give you a little guidance."
Kuro smiled faintly as he watched Ishtar's clearly shifting attitude.
Meanwhile, Ishtar quickly closed her eyes before turning her face away and clearing her throat again, as if trying to salvage the last remains of her dignity that were slowly crumbling in front of the treasure pile.
"A-and your first task…" she said, still trying to sound haughty. "Make me a very delicious tea."
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, though her gaze still occasionally drifted back toward the chests without her realizing.
"You know the location of the kitchen as my disciple, don't you?"
A small cough escaped her lips once more before she continued in a calmer tone.
"After that, come back here."
The faint smile on Kuro's face did not disappear. He straightened his back, then raised his left hand to his chest before slightly bowing in an exaggeratedly respectful gesture.
"Yes, Ishtar-sensei."
The corner of Ishtar's eye twitched upon hearing the title.
But before she could complain, Kuro had already turned around and walked casually out of the corridor toward the kitchen.
A brief silence filled the underground area. Then slowly, one of Ishtar's eyes opened slightly.
Her gaze briefly followed Kuro's receding back before returning to the treasure chests in front of her. And then, a joyful smile slowly bloomed on her face.
"Hehe~"
Even the corner of her lips seemed slightly damp with a thin trace of drool that almost escaped unnoticed.
The multicolored gemstones reflected in her eyes like starlight, drawing the attention of a greedy dragon from ancient tales.
As a goddess who deeply loved jewels and luxury, Ishtar indeed possessed a strong obsession with treasure.
However, unlike Gilgamesh, who possessed the Golden Rule and absurd luck in acquiring wealth, Ishtar had no such thing.
Because of that, in many legends, she often acted selfishly, possessively, and even cruelly to obtain what she desired.
But now, things were slightly different. The vessel of Tohsaka Rin seemed to influence her more than she realized.
The good nature, shame, and human emotions more easily surfaced, though still covered by the pride of a goddess.
And it was precisely that combination that made her expression look so strange—proud and greedy, yet at the same time… quite readable.
***
In the kitchen, while preparing tea for Ishtar, Kuro briefly recalled how the goddess had manifested in this timeline.
The answer was actually quite simple.
The Holy Grail War had already been chaotic from the start due to the presence of Angra Mainyu.
The curse lingering within the Grail made the ritual system far more unstable than it should have been.
And his own existence only worsened that chaos.
As he poured hot water into a cup, Kuro's gaze narrowed slightly.
Two beings possessing the Gate of Babylon were one of the main causes.
In legend and ancient epics, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Ishtar was already filled with conflict, hatred, and lingering curses that remained part of their history.
Normally, when Gilgamesh or Enkidu manifested in the modern world as Heroic Spirits, echoes of Ishtar's existence would faintly react on the other side of the world.
But this time, the situation was different. Kuro's existence, carrying authority and a concept similar to the Gate of Babylon, created a far stronger resonance with the Epic of Gilgamesh.
As if the ancient story itself had been forcibly summoned into the modern world. And coincidentally, at the same time, Tohsaka Rin performed a catalyst-less summoning ritual.
For ordinary magi, such an action would be extremely risky. However, precisely because no fixed catalyst was used, the system instead searched for the being with the highest compatibility based on resonance at that moment.
From there, Ishtar found the perfect opening. Rin had extremely high compatibility as a vessel, spiritually and in wavelength.
So when resonance toward the Epic of Gilgamesh emerged due to the presence of two "Gate of Babylon" holders in the same era, Ishtar was automatically drawn to Rin's body and manifested.
"What is your name, human?"
Ishtar's voice suddenly came from behind just as Kuro slowly lifted the teapot.
Her tone was casual, yet still carried the pressure of a goddess accustomed to looking down on humans, as someone who had never once needed to see others as equals.
Behind Kuro, a Magecraft familiar shaped like a translucent owl hovered in the air.
Its body was faint like thin crystal, while its eyes emitted a soft red glow clearly serving as Ishtar's observation medium.
Kuro glanced briefly at the familiar before smiling faintly.
"Kuro Tokito."
He poured tea into a cup without haste. The warm aroma of tea leaves slowly filled the kitchen, blending with the morning light coming through the window.
"Why does the goddess suddenly ask for my name?"
His red eyes narrowed slightly in a teasing manner.
"Planning to form a Servant contract with me for extra mana supply?"
Crack!
In the next moment, the translucent owl shattered into mana particles.
"How insolent!" Ishtar's voice echoed more loudly from the corridor. "You are truly the most disrespectful human I've met this morning!"
Kuro remained calm as he lifted his teacup.
"This morning?"
"Of course this morning!" Ishtar sounded increasingly annoyed. "I've lived far longer than your short human lifespan!"
Kuro simply nodded slightly as if accepting the explanation.
But after a few seconds, Ishtar's voice returned again—this time slightly softer than before.
"A-and don't casually mention mana contracts with a goddess." A brief silence filled the kitchen. "If I were to form a contract with you, it would clearly be out of the goddess's generosity."
Upon hearing that, the corner of Kuro's lips lifted slightly again. But beneath his calm expression, his mind was already processing something far more troublesome.
Through Sha Naqba Imuru, he already understood Ishtar's current condition, as well as the various future possibilities if left unchecked.
As a Divine Spirit forced into the modern era using a human vessel, Ishtar's existence was still not fully stable.
She had manifested quite successfully through Tohsaka Rin's body, but her existential foundation was still too large to be supported by a modern human for long.
The main issue was mana. Even though Tohsaka Rin possessed exceptional Magic Circuit quality for a modern magus, her total energy was still far too small for a goddess-level existence.
With approximately five hundred OD capacity and a maximum output nearing one thousand, Rin could be considered a monster among magi.
But for Ishtar, that amount was merely a drop of water in an ocean.
Kuro slowly poured tea while thinking through possibilities that kept stacking in his mind like endless thin sheets.
Sooner or later, Ishtar would inevitably begin searching for ways to compensate for the lack of mana. And that was where the real problem began.
His red gaze narrowed slightly.
If left unchecked, the Divine Spirit would likely become increasingly wild in order to gather mana and restore her Divinity.
It was true that Rin Tohsaka's personality acted as a strong restraint. That was why Ishtar appeared far more human than in legend.
More easily embarrassed.
More easily irritated.
And occasionally still capable of rational thought.
But even so… Ishtar was still Ishtar.
A goddess known in many legends as a walking source of trouble.
She could destroy things unnecessarily, then create massive chaos from something originally simple—like a sudden summer storm born from a slight change in mood.
And if one day she gained enough mana and Divinity to act more freely, then global chaos might only be a matter of time.
Imagining that possibility, Kuro could only sigh lightly as he lifted his still-warm teacup.
"…Why am I surrounded by troublesome goddesses?"