Above ground, on a worn dirt road, Ishtar, freshly emerged from the underworld, gazed in surprise at the dilapidated city before her.
"This is Kur, the city Ereshkigal protects?"
She blinked, turning to Roy with a puzzled expression.
The entire ochre city had become a ghost town.
Ruins scarred by beast attacks littered the landscape, crumbling walls, weed-choked streets, scattered farming tools and weapons. Even the city's great gate lay in fragments, strewn across the ground from some unknown assault.
"Since it sits above the underworld, it must be."
"You fell straight into the underworld before, so you didn't get a good look at the city."
Roy casually dispatched a gray beast lurking on a rooftop, then turned to Ishtar. "Not every city can withstand beast attacks like Uruk can."
"See? As expected of the city under my protection. No city Ereshkigal guards could compare."
Ishtar stood beside him, tossing her hair confidently, her face brimming with pride.
As if she had personally defended Uruk.
"…"
"Wasn't it Gilgamesh who built the Demonic Front to protect Uruk? What does that have to do with you? You haven't been back in ages." Roy retorted.
"Eh…?! No way! Uruk's held on this long under my radiant protection. How could it not involve me? I bet that damn Gilgamesh is spreading rumors about me again, isn't he?"
Her lie exposed, Ishtar promptly shifted the blame to Gilgamesh.
"…"
Roy's expression remained calm.
So, telling the truth was now "spreading rumors"?
He'd grown accustomed to this useless goddess's stubbornness and quirky personality.
Having no interest in arguing with an Aqua-level intellect, he let her words slide and dropped the topic.
"By the way, why are we still here? We've already found Ereshkigal. Shouldn't we head straight to the Goddess of Magical Beast's territory to gather intel? Why are we wandering around this empty city of Kur?"
"…To find something important. If I remember correctly, it should be here in Kur."
"Something important… some incredible treasure?"
Ishtar's eyes lit up, her greed surfacing as she asked eagerly.
"It's significant, but not in the way you think. It's Gilgamesh's lost Tablet of Destinies, not jewels, so it's useless to you."
Noticing her gleaming eyes, Roy shook his head helplessly and told her about the Tablet of Destinies to prevent the greedy goddess from getting any ideas.
"Tch, so it's just that gold-glitter's tablet… How's that a treasure?"
As expected, upon hearing it was the Tablet of Destinies, Ishtar's eyes dimmed, her interest vanishing instantly.
"No, its value can't be measured in gold. It holds critical information about the final battle and the future. I need to find it for Gilgamesh before the decisive fight."
"But… since Gilgamesh wrote it himself, even if it's lost, he'd remember its contents, right? It's just a record of the future he saw with the Clairvoyance Enki granted him. He's not so forgetful he'd lose track of his own writing, is he?"
Ishtar asked, puzzled. Though she clashed with Gilgamesh, she knew his capabilities.
Something as absurd as losing a critical item and forgetting its contents didn't seem like him.
Indeed, as Ishtar said.
As one of three Caster with Grand qualifications, King Gilgamesh possessed EX-rank Clairvoyance, able to see the future.
The "Tablet of Destinies" was a record of future visions he glimpsed unintentionally. According to Gilgamesh, he'd been half-asleep, jotting down the dream's contents onto the tablet, then forgot about it and lost the tablet itself.
So, he'd tasked Merlin, who also had Clairvoyance, to scour Mesopotamia for this vital lost tablet.
Of course, Ishtar, knowing the full story, couldn't help but quip, "Gilgamesh, you were writing a diary in your sleep?"
Though embarrassed by this blunder, Gilgamesh brushed it off with a boisterous laugh.
Roy vaguely recalled the Tablet of Destinies was in Ereshkigal's domain, so he planned to search Kur before leaving.
If found, he'd return it to Uruk, boosting their chances in the final battle.
However…
"So, this tablet's super important to Gilgamesh, huh?"
"Exactly. Why, Ishtar?"
Roy glanced at her odd expression.
"Heh heh heh… So, if I find it, I can make Gilgamesh pay a fortune in gold and jewels to get it back. Then…"
"Ow!"
Before she could finish, Roy delivered a swift chop to her head.
He scolded her wearily, "Stop with the nonsense. This is a critical moment, don't mess around."
Roy admitted he'd underestimated Ishtar.
This useless goddess had concocted a bizarre plan to hold the Tablet of Destinies hostage for ransom from Gilgamesh.
If that happened, he wasn't sure if she'd get her ransom, but Uruk would surely descend into chaos again.
For safety and stability, he resolved to keep Gilgamesh and Ishtar apart until the final battle.
…Hm?
What's that?!
"So, let's hurry-"
Before Ishtar could finish, Roy shoved her aside.
"What are you-"
This wasn't a playful push, Roy had flung her with force.
Tumbling through the air, Ishtar was stunned but quickly summoned Maanna to catch herself.
Furious at being tossed, she glared at Roy below. Even if he was her Master, treating her like this repeatedly was too much…
Her angry gaze locked onto him, then froze.
At the alley's intersection where Roy stood, a mass of dark shadows seemed to come alive, emanating a chilling aura of death.
In the shadows stood a black-robed beggar leaning against the wall.
Though clearly in her line of sight, Ishtar hadn't sensed his presence at all.
The tall beggar blended seamlessly with the shadows beneath him.
Noticing Roy's gaze, the beggar slightly raised his head, revealing an aged, stern face. His old eyes, far from cloudy, gleamed like sharp blades, sizing Roy up.
The gaze made Roy instinctively raise his hand, fingers forming a finger-gun aimed at the source of death, his body shifting into a defensive stance.
The old beggar said nothing, merely shaking his head. He lifted his tattered bowl, leaned on his cane, and walked into the dark alley, vanishing without a trace.
"Grand Assassin, King Hassan…"
Only after the old man left did Roy slowly lower his hand.
At the spot where the beggar had stood, an ancient, unique tablet lay quietly before Roy.
***
Hi guys, I hope you're all doing well! I want to share that I'm currently working on a new project related to Lord of Mysteries.
If you're interested, feel free to visit my profile and start reading. Below is a brief summary:
[Lord of Mysteries: Incarnation of Chaos]
Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone from a Lovecraftian world got isekai'd into another world built on Lovecraftian themes? Well, it's absolute chaos.
Meet Alaric, a human(questionably) survivor of the madness and chaos caused by a certain crawling chaos, who, thanks to the kindness of a certain bubble daddy, got isekai'd into the "fake it till you make it" world.
What will he do in this strange new world? Climb the ladder of power to become that impossible god unless you're just a pawn of a certain russian priest or a certain goth mommy?
Or become a cheshire cat, leaping onto the 4D chessboard to disrupt the schemes and mind games of these bizarre folks?
For Alaric, it's not a tough choice. But before he picks either path, he must, of course, uphold the time-honored tradition of isekai'd victims(questionably) that forms the foundation of this world.
What's that tradition?
Keeping a diary.
---
[Alaric's Transmigration Diary]
[Day 1: I encountered Amon. Used a special technique to summon a projection of the Ancient Sun God, who personally delivered a heavy slap to Amon. Hope Amon appreciates this weighty paternal affection.]
[Day 2: I received an invitation from the Aurora Order. Told them I want it all... looks, brains, and combat prowess... and invited them to join my newly founded Joker Club.]
[Day 3: I met Leonard and acknowledged Gramps Pallez. Declined Leonard's enthusiastic suggestion for the old man to move in with me, as I'd rather not have a old man critiquing my every move, even in private moments.]
[Day 4: I told Klein I plan to pray to a deity named The Fool. Watched his eyes widen in shock and kindly offered him some eye drops.]
[Day 5: I listened to Medici perform a two-hour comedy routine. Suggested he go professional and invited him to share a meal.]
.
.
.
[Day 666: I fully absorbed a certain crawling chaos fragment within me. From now on, I am the Fifth Pillar.]