"Alright, back to business. Right now, you have two options."
Shamhat patted the dust off her long white dress, straightened her expression, and took the clay tablet from Ian's coiled tail. She began carving routes into it, marking each corresponding location.
"First, Kutha City. Your Master is the guardian deity there, so the compatibility is excellent."
"There's a temple dedicated to her in the city, and this land is the closest to the Underworld. The road is smooth, and it's easier to break through."
"Second, Mount Ebih—Mesopotamia's oldest sacred mountain. It connects heaven and earth, leading straight to the Underworld."
"But the downside is that the road's treacherous. Some ancient beings died there, and vengeful spirits linger. Even after thousands of years, their remnants are still troublesome."
"One misstep, and you'll be torn apart."
"As for the upside, the mountain is currently occupied by another goddess—hostile toward your Master. She probably won't be bored enough to meddle in your affairs."
Ian stared at the two exits marked on the tablet, deep in thought. After a moment, he looked up at Shamhat, eyes burning.
"Teacher, if I show up in Kutha with divine aura, what will happen with Ere-sama?"
"Hmm... chances are, you won't even get far before you're caught, leashed, and dragged back to the Underworld by your Master."
Then why would you even steer me toward the first option! Ian couldn't even bring himself to complain. Annoyed, he tapped his tail on the Mount Ebih side.
The ever-unbothered and well-read sacred prostitute nodded without a hint of guilt and began explaining the basics and taboos of crossing the Underworld as a living being.
Things like: "Don't look too clean or dazzling," "Mask your living scent," "No loud noises or emotional surges."
If you run into wandering Gallû Spirits, avoid them—otherwise they'll only swarm in greater numbers.
As Ian listened quietly, a crease formed between his brows.
He'd expected trouble escaping the Underworld, but not for it to be this complicated.
Fortunately, he'd been here long enough to carry the scent of the dead, so masking his passage shouldn't be too hard.
Just then, Shamhat seemed to remember something. She glanced at the ancient snake before her, a sly smile forming on her lips.
"Of course, if you're lucky enough to reach the surface and run into the goddess who rules Mount Ebih, I suggest you prepare a toll."
"She's got a greedy streak and a fondness for gems. But if you know how to play it, a weakness can be turned into leverage."
Ian gave a slight nod in agreement.
If you pay enough, even a desperate goddess might stoop to being a bodyguard.
If she still acts like she has pride and dignity, it just means you haven't paid her enough.
Pay more.
This wicked creature had clearly figured out the goddess's soft spot, which was why he'd been scouring the Underworld for burial treasures.
"Well, since you've decided, I don't have much else to say. I just wish you a smooth journey."
Shamhat waved lazily, clearly indifferent.
"You're not coming with me?"
"Does it not bother you that Enkidu is being used by someone?"
The ancient snake caught the hidden implication in his teacher's words. His eyes swiveled as he pressed on, continuing to tempt her.
After a short silence, Shamhat propped up her chin and quietly gazed at the serpent coiled before her.
"Samael-chan, let me ask you a few questions first: What's so wrong with just staying in the Underworld and waiting things out? Why do you have to run? I heard your Master treats you pretty well."
"If I stay, I can't do anything."
"This era is heading toward its end. Fate's already been sealed. And you think you can change that? You're overestimating yourself."
"Someone with a criminal record has no right to judge me."
The ancient snake flicked his tongue, taunting. Shamhat, caught off guard, stiffened slightly, then continued her questioning in a disgruntled tone.
"What exactly do you plan to do on the surface?"
"Change this so-called fate. Stop the Three Goddess Alliance from hunting."
"Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Shamhat looked at him in disbelief.
"Of course. You've defied the gods and fate yourself, haven't you?"
Ian's pupils gleamed as he replied flatly, not missing the chance to throw in a jab.
"Then... does your Master treat you badly?"
"It's precisely because Ereshkigal treats me too well... that I have to change all of this!"
Do you even realize that among the three goddesses, your Master is one of the ones hunting humans?
So out of gratitude, you're going to stand against the Three Goddess Alliance and cause them trouble?
Unlike those on the surface still guessing at the origins and nature of the Three Goddesses, the spirits in the Underworld had already pieced things together. Based on their death experiences and Ereshkigal's recent actions, they'd identified her as one of them.
Besides, the ruler of the Underworld hadn't exactly gone out of her way to hide it. Anyone paying attention could tell. It wasn't much of a secret.
Shamhat looked a bit dazed. Her gaze toward Ian turned increasingly strange.
This snake was going way further than she'd thought. Best to keep some distance from him in the future.
Still, Shamhat couldn't help but feel uneasy. She sighed and gave a reluctant reminder.
"After spending so long with her, you should know... she's not inherently malicious."
Ian paused for a moment, thinking, then slowly said,
"I know. She was born in darkness, but she longs for light. She loves all things beautiful."
"She loves this world... and the people of Mesopotamia!"
"But now she wants to use her authority to collect the souls of the living and the dead into Spear Cages—to protect them by locking them away."
"That's just another form of running from the problem."
"If Mesopotamia's earthly realm falls—if homes are lost and families are slaughtered—then what good is it for these undead to go on existing another hundred years?"
"They'd only spend that time steeped in regret and hatred, venting all their pain and blame on Ereshkigal."
"So if I don't stop her—if I let her keep heading down this path—she'll suffer even more in the end!"
"I can't let that love become a double-edged sword that wounds us both."
Shamhat stared at the ancient snake, taken aback by the weight behind his words. She was silent for a long time before finally regaining her composure, her expression unreadable.
"I'm honestly surprised... you're capable of saying something so reasonable."
"But why not try to talk her down?"
"You're the only living being in the Underworld. You mean more to her than you think. If even you abandon her, imagine how much that would hurt her."
But Ian shook his head firmly, eyes carrying an unspoken weight.
"Of course I tried. But words are ultimately hollow."
"Besides, the Three Goddess Alliance has already formed a pact. The third storm sweeping across Mesopotamia is already rising."
"It's like trying to reason with ants—we don't do that. Trying to change a god's mind using human or beast logic is just foolish."
The ancient snake fell silent for a beat. Then, as he recalled the threads tied to Tiamat, his gaze drifted toward the feverish temple at the center of the Underworld.
"Empathize not with the hateful."
"Celebrate not with the joyous."
"Extol not the one in pain."
"She has her choice, and I have mine."
"In the end, whose beliefs deserve to be followed? Deeds speak louder than words."
At that moment, Shamhat, who had been sitting cross-legged on the stone, stood up without warning. She muttered to herself, her expression shifting rapidly, until her eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at the small creature before her.
Instantly, Ian felt a chill crawl down his spine and bolted into a crack in the stone like lightning.