"What?! Are you serious?!!"
"Sorry, Lady Ishtar, but even you can't joke about something like this. If it's true, the world might really…"
In Uruk's divine tower, Gilgamesh frowned after hearing Ishtar's report.
His composure cracked upon learning the Demon God Pillars were unsealing Tiamat, prompting urgent questions while he inwardly cursed, "Those damned beasts, when their beast hordes failed, they resorted to this? I underestimated their cunning."
Even Siduri, standing nearby, felt dizzy and anxious hearing that Tiamat, the Mother of Genesis from the Song of Creation, was returning as Uruk's enemy.
Despite Uruk's victories over countless foes and trials, the revelation that their final adversary was Tiamat, the great Mother of Genesis who birthed the Sumerian gods, a creator deity of Mesopotamian myth, left her stunned, prompting rare questions to her mistress, Ishtar.
Deep down, she hoped this was just Ishtar's usual jest.
Sadly, Ishtar was serious this time.
"Hey, you gold-glitter! What are you still doubting? Hurry up and send troops to storm the enemy's base! If the Mother of Genesis fully awakens, we're doomed!"
"And you, Siduri! Even you're doubting my words now?!"
Seeing Gilgamesh deep in thought and Siduri's worried expression, Ishtar grew impatient.
She'd finally done something serious, fulfilling her divine duties for the world's safety, only to face Gilgamesh's interrogation in her own tower, and worse, Siduri's doubt.
Was her reputation that bad?
Ignoring Ishtar's darkening mood, Gilgamesh remained silent on his throne.
"…"
He held back half a thought: "It's because it's you, Ishtar, that I'm skeptical. Your knack for causing chaos and trouble is unrivaled, even among the Sumerian pantheon."
But given the gravity of the situation, blunt truth might provoke this fragile, useless goddess, complicating things further.
So, Gilgamesh fixed her with a serious look and asked, "Ishtar, where did you get this intel? Is your source reliable?"
"Argh! You idiot, gold-glitter! It's from my Master, Roy, who calls himself Ur's king. We uncovered critical intel in the Blood Fort Andromeda, and he sent me to find you."
"You damned gold-glitter, stop wasting time and send troops to attack!!"
Ishtar's expression bordered on frantic.
She'd raced to Uruk on Maanna at top speed, only to be met with no welcome, just Gilgamesh's endless questions.
This blatant doubt was nearly humiliating… How could she mess up something this important? How little did they trust her?
Treated this way, Ishtar was on the verge of snapping. If not for Roy's instructions, she'd probably have started a brawl with Gilgamesh in the tower.
"Oh? You mean my little-… I mean, my Master was with you, right, Ishtar?"
Just as Ishtar's temper neared explosion, the Servants urgently summoned by Gilgamesh arrived.
"Master? Huh, you're…"
Ishtar's attention shifted to the energetic voice behind her.
Turning, she saw Quetzalcoatl striding in briskly.
"That jungle goddess? You're in Uruk too?"
"Oh? Didn't Master tell you we moved from Ur to Uruk?"
"Uh… he might've mentioned being Ur's acting king…"
Ishtar pondered briefly but soon shook her head, dismissing it.
"But that's not the point! Get this gold-glitter to help!"
"Huh?" Quetzalcoatl, just summoned by Gilgamesh, was clearly confused by the situation.
Seeing Ishtar yelling again, Gilgamesh sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want to act, but launching an assault involved too many factors.
He believed much of Ishtar's vague report but distrusted the details entirely.
Her exaggerated tale, rescuing a endangered Roy near Kur, heroically leading him into the underworld, finding Ereshkigal, defeating her together, recruiting her as an ally, and Roy begging for her divine protection for Uruk, was too absurd to take seriously.
He knew Roy had visited the underworld, as Uruk's sleeping citizens issue, which he'd sent agents to handle, was resolved swiftly.
Someone had clearly gone to the underworld and retrieved those souls from Ereshkigal.
But the rest? Gilgamesh figured Ishtar was more likely the one needing rescue and causing trouble.
Looking at her calmly, he said, "You useless fool! You think I don't want to strike immediately? Listen to the nonsense you just spewed! How can I trust that? How much did you fabricate?"
"F-Fabricate?"
Ishtar froze, nervously poking her fingers together, mumbling guiltily, "I didn't… just a bit of artistic embellishment…"
"No art, all embellishment…"
Gilgamesh rubbed his temples.
The matter was critical, ignoring it wasn't an option, but Ishtar's intel was too unreliable to act on confidently. The safest move was sending Servants to scout.
But the time that would take…
They couldn't afford it.
"Right, Ishtar. Did he give you anything to verify himself or the intel?"
"Something? Oh, you're right, he did…"
At Gilgamesh's words, Ishtar paused, reached into her four-dimensional chest wrap, and, under astonished gazes, pulled out a thick yellow tablet and a mirror.
This was…
"The Tablet of Destinies!!"
Gilgamesh's eyes lit up. As its owner, he couldn't mistake it.
Especially since he'd sent agents scouring the Mesopotamian plains for it.
"You fool, how's this in your hands? If you had this proof, why didn't you show it sooner?"
Gilgamesh demanded the tablet back, questioning her.
"Wasting my time."
Ishtar had no interest in the "dirty footrest" Tablet.
She handed it over easily.
As for why…
"I forgot…"
Riled up by Gilgamesh's initial confrontation and nearly thrown out of the tower, Ishtar had been too angry to remember the tablet, distracted by bickering with him.
"…"
"You've truly opened my eyes, Ishtar."
Gilgamesh covered his face, out of words for this useless goddess.
To prevent further blunders, he cautiously asked, "Just the tablet? Did he mention any plans or leave communication means? If so, hand them over. Stop wasting time, you worthless goddess!"
With an awkward smile, Ishtar obediently fished the underworld mirror Roy gave her from her chest wrap and presented it to Gilgamesh.
"Uh… there might be something else…"
"An underworld mirror? Oh? He even got this, seems he's on good terms with Ereshkigal."
Toying with the dark gold mirror, Gilgamesh mused, annoyed at this fool wasting so much time.
Ignoring Ishtar below, he infused mana into the mirror to activate it, preparing to contact its counterpart.
A strange mana fluctuation rippled.
A faint silhouette emerged on the dark gold mirror's obsidian-like surface.
Two figures appeared.
One was a black-haired youth sitting by a fire with Tezcatlipoca, discussing something.
The other, back to the group, was a blonde figure diligently wielding a small shovel, Ereshkigal, as Gilgamesh recognized.
Curious about her oblivious, hard-working demeanor, he wondered, "What's she doing?"
But upon closer inspection of her actions, his expression stiffened.
If he wasn't mistaken, she was relocating the Underworld…
But the direction seemed… off?
He glanced at his feet, his face darkening as an unpleasant possibility dawned.
"…No way?"
***
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.]