With black hair and eyes, dressed in green Sumerian robes and wearing a white veil, the gentle yet intelligent Head Priestess Siduri saw that Gilgamesh was in high spirits. Resigned, she accepted the wine cup, lifted her veil, and drank with the king.
But the wine did little to ease Siduri's unease. Unable to hold back, she addressed the king on the throne.
"My king, what exactly has you in such a cheerful mood?"
The King of Heroes smiled mysteriously and casually tossed the clay tablet he had been toying with into her hands.
Caught off guard, Siduri fumbled to catch it, startled and almost dropping it. This king was always so unpredictable, so dismissive of convention.
Placing a hand over her chest to steady her pounding heart, she muttered to herself before turning her gaze to the clay tablet.
Still, confusion filled her eyes as she looked up.
"My king, this clay tablet…"
"It's a casual note I glimpsed in a half-dream during my return from Kutha, where I sought the Elixir of Immortality. It records Uruk's destiny."
"I found it amusing, so I brought it back with me after I woke."
The Tablet of Destinies?!
Siduri's expression shifted instantly to one of shock and suspicion. She turned the clay tablet over again and again, even brushing her fingertips across its surface—but the more she examined it, the more baffled she became.
After a long silence, the priestess finally spoke, her tone hesitant and her expression odd.
"But, my king… this is blank."
The clay tablet she held aloft had a slightly uneven surface, but no writing remained—any previous markings appeared to have been forcibly erased.
Gilgamesh drained his wine in one gulp and smiled with deep meaning.
"That's what makes it amusing!"
Siduri blinked, clearly not following his line of thought.
Gilgamesh leaned lazily against the back of his throne, chin resting in one hand.
"Once, the future I foresaw was like stagnant water—its shape long fixed, rotting and dull inside…"
"But now, the great river of fate has strayed from its expected course. Anything can happen!"
He paused, then cast a meaningful glance at the priestess below.
"You should be glad, Siduri…"
"Only with a blank slate can we write the most beautiful poetry."
But Siduri, unable to see into the wisdom of the future, remained lost.
Still, seeing the king so genuinely joyful brought a rare smile to her lips.
Ever since that beautiful green-haired man had passed, it had been rare to see such a pure smile from him.
Rumors of the Herb of Immortality being devoured by a serpent, and the king's dream of eternal life shattering, had left Siduri deeply concerned about his condition.
Yet, to her surprise, ever since his return from Kutha, his spirits had only improved—so much so that he now sought her out for drinks.
Whether it was the Tablet of Destinies or a future brimming with possibilities, none of it really mattered.
As long as the king was happy—still wise, still leading his people—everything else was secondary.
"Ahaha, joy! Pure joy!"
"If it weren't for the pressure from outside, I'd declare a citywide holiday for all of Uruk and let everyone celebrate!"
After another hearty swig, Gilgamesh casually tossed his goblet into the golden vortex behind him. Then he straightened up and summoned the guards waiting outside the doors.
The priests entered in turn, presenting baskets of clay tablets to the King of Heroes. As Gilgamesh browsed the reports, they gave brief summaries.
"My king, the sea level in the southern Persian Gulf has risen sharply. The waters of the Two Rivers are showing signs of salinization…"
"In the Cedar Forest to the northwest, large numbers of Magical Beasts have broken through the northern plateau's defenses, formed clusters in Babylon, and begun nesting…"
"In the eastern city of Kutha, a plague is spreading. So far, 127 citizens have died of weakness. The Astrology Tower suspects contamination in the soil or water. We're organizing evacuations for the survivors…"
"In the southwest, the rainforest is growing abnormally fast, spreading in all directions. It's even split the banks of the Euphrates into completely different landscapes."
"Eridu has fallen. No one has made it out alive…"
"Also, scouts report sightings of stray Magical Beasts along the roads."
"And the shaman's unsanctioned summoning of divine spirits has backfired."
"The goddess Ishtar, now possessing a human vessel, has not protected Uruk—instead, she's rampaging through the land, looting treasures. Some herders hit by her attacks have suffered heavy losses."
Gilgamesh swiftly scanned the cuneiform on the tablets, his sharp brows rising slightly.
"Tsk, tsk. Chaos in all four directions…"
"Even the skies, the earth, the forests, and the seas have become enemies, squeezing humanity's last sanctuary..."
"How thrilling."
Siduri, hearing this wildly inappropriate remark, coughed softly, breaking the king's euphoric spell.
"Alright, this carries my seal—follow it to the letter!"
"Humanity isn't that fragile!"
"Whether it's the southern rainforest, the flooding Persian Gulf, or even the plague in Kutha, the threat they pose is still limited."
"The Magical Beasts spilling out of the Cedar Forest are the real problem—highly mobile and extremely dangerous. Taking care of them is the top priority."
"So, immediately mobilize manpower and provisions from Nippur, Kazallu, Sippar, Kish, and Ur. I intend to build a fortress along the northern wall to repel the invasion of the Magical Beasts!"
Gilgamesh gave his orders calmly and methodically. The tension that had gripped the hall began to ease.
Then, as he announced his final decision, a flicker of amusement glinted in his eyes, as though something entertaining had just crossed his mind. He spoke slowly.
"We'll call it... the Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia!"
...
Once the priests had taken their assignments and withdrawn with heavy thoughts, Siduri hesitated for a moment before stepping forward with a clay tablet in hand, her voice hushed with concern.
"My king, during the shrine maiden's spirit summoning, she received a revelation."
"It seems that three goddesses are forming an alliance, unleashing disasters, hunting down humanity, and seeking to wipe out this age entirely—to become the eternal rulers of this land..."
Gilgamesh accepted the clay tablet and glanced over the writing without much interest, showing no real surprise.
"I'd thought that after everything that happened, they might've changed their tune. But no—they're still playing the same old game?"
Siduri's expression shifted. Clearly, she'd picked up on the hidden implication in his words.
"My king, do you know the true identities and intentions of the Three Goddesses?"
Gilgamesh looked up thoughtfully, then casually shattered her hopeful assumptions.
"Perhaps I once did..."
"But now, the Rift in the Sky has been sealed. The distortion of humanity in Babylon is no more. Those meddling do-gooders from Chaldea are unlikely to appear."
"Tch... everything's changed. No one can see the future clearly in these shifting tides."
"Not even me."
Siduri's face dimmed, her expression clouded with disappointment and anxiety.
Without the wise king's clairvoyance and foresight, she lacked the confidence that Uruk could endure what was coming.
But in the darkness, the King of Heroes let out a cold, quiet laugh.
To clearly see fate—was that truly a blessing from the heavens?
Fools.
If the outcome is predetermined, then no matter how fiercely you struggle, nothing will ever change.
The clearer you see, the tighter the chains bind—until they choke the puppet trapped within.
Take, for example, that so-called future king. He claims to possess boundless wisdom, to see through the joys and sorrows of the world, to have the power to solve everything. Yet he does nothing.
A pitiful fool.
I am not like him!
This time, I will write the answer myself—on a blank Tablet of Destinies.
An answer that belongs to me and no one else!
Unseen, Gilgamesh's fists clenched behind his back. His burning gaze pierced into the endless void.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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