The group nodded.
"The tall goddess who looks like the sun, and the one with black hair in the revealing clothes, right? They're the ones left."
"Hmph. A good memory. Those are the remnants of the 'Three Goddess Alliance.' Ishtar, the disgrace of our Uruk who lives in lonely isolation on Mount Ebih. And Quetzalcoatl, whom the club members identified. —The former is a nuisance, but the latter is troublesome. She is the most rational of the goddesses, and the strongest. —From what I saw, she withdrew after witnessing the threat of Marduk."
"No," the Hero King corrected. "She made a pact with Rikka. A pact in the form of a 'Duel.' —I believe our roles are quite clear now."
Seeing the Hero King's confident smirk, the Wise King nodded deeply.
"I see. —By the way, what was that Master's motto again?"
The Wise King pointed at Rikka. Siduri answered: "'If there's a will, I can even become friends with a God'... —Wait, you don't mean!"
"Indeed! The enemy consists of 'Goddesses,' and we have a Master who specializes in weaving intimate bonds with the divine. —I don't need to say more!"
—"I see! That's our Master's specialty!"
Everyone's eyes turned to Rikka.
"?, ?"
"Be honored, Chaldeans! I charge you with the task of handling the remnants of the Three Goddess Alliance! Ishtar to the North! Quetzalcoatl to the South! And the Goddess of Vengeance who refuses to stay dead! Take their heads—or their hearts—magnificently!"
Rikka blinked, processed the order for a few seconds, and then slammed her fist into her palm.
"So we're... Goodwill Ambassadors! We have to find a way to make peace and understand the Goddesses!"
Rikka's response was powerful and certain. "Understood, Wise King! Leave the Goddesses to us! That's... that's just how we fight!"
The Hero King nodded with satisfaction, while the Wise King began to laugh, unable to contain his amusement.
"BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! To understand! You speak of 'understanding' a God?! A human, understanding the divine?! To forge a reconciliation, a peace, with the incarnations of threat and irrationality?! HAHAHA!! A masterpiece! This is far too entertaining! To overturn my expectations so easily... you truly have guts! So this is the Master who summoned Me!! —Siduri!"
"Yes, Majesty!"
"Ensure their well-being! Before I judge Chaldea's skill, give them a base of operations and let them taste what it means to live in my Uruk! It is the perfect chance to provide them with whatever they lack!"
The Wise King looked at Air and the Hero King, speaking with a touch of pride.
『If you are to join hands with us—if you are to save something—you must first know the value of what you wish to protect. To protect something without knowing its name or its worth is nothing but hollow talk, the words of a hypocrite. —Air. Savor this Uruk for a month. Feel the lives of the people and the preciousness of existence with your own skin. —Only then shall we grasp the future of Uruk together. ...There will surely be something for you to gain in the life you have begun to lead.』
The Wise King had ordered Air to experience "Daily Life." To add moisture to the days that had been nothing but battle after battle for the Human Order.
『The time you spend in this Uruk... will surely become your strength.』
—"Th-Thank you very much, Wise King!" Air bowed deeply, moved by the King's consideration.
"BUHAHAHAHA!! Are you her father now?! Talk about over-protective! And this is coming from the version of me so stingy he only has a golden gauntlet on his right arm!"
『Ngh... You dare bring that up without hesitation! I have taken this form because I must fight by gathering every resource in Uruk—unlike you! It is not enough for me alone to be strong! I must protect the land, grow the crops, and overcome this trial with everyone! And Air—I simply haven't shown my true power yet. When you witness my full strength, you will be filled with nothing but awe and respect!』
The Hero King snorted. "I believe she saw the full extent of your power back in the Fourth Singularity, didn't she?"
『ENOUGH! BE SILENT! I'm telling you, my true power is even more incredible! Besides—you! You've been acting with such infuriating freedom! How dare you clear the trials we were struggling with so easily! And furthermore—』
The Wise King leaned his head on his hand and asked a serious question.
"I have one thing I must ask. —Regarding your battleship, Marduk."
He had been questioning its utility and the logic of its deployment.
"I saw that you imbued that machine with the Authority of the Great God. I recognize your tactic of defining Chaldea as a 'City' and the battleship as a 'Divine Body' to use as a vessel. —But why go to such lengths? That is not something one summons just to deal with Three Goddesses, nor is it a rank that can be called upon lightly. —Answer me, my foolish self. Do not try to evade the question."
He looked the Hero King straight in the eyes.
"For what purpose did you manifest that Great God?"
Without a shred of hesitation, the Supreme King answered.
"BUHAHAHAHA!! To ask such a foolish question at this stage! —We seek only the perfect conclusion! We shall leave not a single seed of calamity behind! —The Three Goddesses are a mere opening act! —I only have eyes for the head of the General!"
The Hero King's gaze was sharpened, aimed at a single target.
"The self-destruction mechanism of humanity! The evil born of man, to be destroyed by man! The Beast of Calamity, the Primordial Sin sleeping in the Great Ocean—Beast II! Tiamat is the one we must truly annihilate!!"
—"The Evil of Humanity... Tiamat..."
（...Yes. That is our true enemy, Air.）
The true enemy was identified. From here, the battle shifted to a total mobilization of all Mesopotamia. The end of childhood was fast approaching.
The Chaldea Embassy
"This is our house now!"
"It's amazing! Our own base...!"
"Your daily needs are guaranteed here. —Is this acceptable, King Gilgamesh? To not use the Ziggurat as your base..."
~
『I shall permit Air to move freely in Uruk. —However, she must hide her appearance and keep her identity a secret. Do not worry. I shall entrust her with my personal seal as proof of her status. She will find work without issue.』
—"Th-Thank you very much!"
（A disguise, huh? I guess it's unavoidable. If Air showed her face, Uruk would be hit by a beauty-induced earthquake. Freedom of movement would be impossible. —It might be a bit stifling, but can you bear it?）
—"Of course! My first time exploring a city! That happiness alone is enough! Okay, Fou! Let's do our best at work!"
"A cautious move. I have no objections. The Princess's true form is not to be revealed except upon a fitting stage. —You understand that, my wise self?"
『Naturally, my foolish self. —In my mind's eye, I can already see the stage fitting for Air's grand debut.』
—"A fitting... stage?"
"Just our talk. —For now, believe in us and endure this limited freedom, Air."
—"I've never once doubted the King! Wise King, Hero King! I'm in your hands!"
（—Free movement, huh? Then... I'll have to go with her.）
—"Fou?"
~~
"One month starting tomorrow. —It looks like it'll be a fun stay, doesn't it?"
"...He really is a King in a good mood, isn't he? I expected him to be a tyrant who'd scream about how insulting it is to be invited to a cheap inn like this..."
"Haha, I wonder who that tyrant could be. What a troublesome fellow."
"Do you have a mirror? Hey, everyone! It's Merlin! Sorry I'm late, I spent the last half-day cleaning—!"
（MERLIN-MUST-DIE-VIOLENTLY-FOOOOUUUU!!!）
"A HUNDRED-FOLD KICK—?!"
—"Merlin-san!! You're here!"
"...Nice shot, little beast. ...I am Ana. It is a pleasure."
"...Are you... afraid of humans?"
"—...I am afraid of you. ...Please do not come near me."
"G-G-G-GAAAAAHHH!!!"
"Senpai has died!"
『Hold it together, Rikka!』
"Welcome, everyone! I am Tomoe Gozen. Please, call me Tomoe. I shall serve as the landlady to support your lives here. I will be accompanying you."
（A true Yamato Nadeshiko! He actually called such a wonderful person!）
"Oh, everyone has gathered. My name is Ushiwakamaru. It is a pleasure. If you have need of any heads, please let me know!"
"I am Musashibo Benkei. I attend to Lady Ushiwakamaru. If you wish to hear her 'Oh, I see...' style heroic tales, please come to me."
"Rikka-dono, please ignore that ornament. I keep him around to deflect arrows, but the opportunity rarely arises."
"U-Understood."
"...Tomoe-san? Is something wrong with Ushiwakamaru-san?"
"—No. The ones I hate are Yoshitsune and Yoritomo. ...If she does not claim those names, it would be foolish to bring conflict here. ...We are in the same boat. For now, we work for the King."
"...Yes. Let's do our best!"
"AND I AM LEONIDAS! The Demonic Beast Front has ended in a grand reversal, BUT! The battle is not over! We must prepare for emergencies! We must master both muscle and calculation!"
"I am Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. I handle missionary work and confessions. If you are ever troubled... Oh, you already know? My apologies."
"...Fuuma Kotaro. I handle scouting, medical aid, and farming. Um... nice to meet you."
"The last one is Ibaraki-douji, who is currently roaming free in the mountains, but you'll meet her soon enough. Now then, everyone—as the 'Chaldea Embassy' handyman service, let's make a name for ourselves!"
""""""""OOOHHH!!!""""""""
『Quite a crowd! This is going to be fun, Rikka-ku... wait, where are Merlin and Gil?』
"...They went to their rooms."
The Hero King's Room
"So, the first taste of freedom begins tomorrow... Any anxieties, Air?"
—"None! And my disguise technique is already perfect, Hero King!"
"? My wise self's attire can deflect most magecraft, but... do you have something else?"
—"I certainly do!"
『The Lion's Mask』
—"With this!"
『The Pure White Cloak』
—"And this... I'm ready!"
"..."
—"Behold! The handyman who scours Uruk! MASQUE DE LAMASSU~~!! —Well? Well? Does it suit me?!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Good! You've used your head well! The Lion King sent quite a stylish gift! But Air—a Lamassu has the face of a human."
—"—Eh?!"
Merlin's Room
"The time has finally come for Princess Gilgashana to touch the outside world. Are you ready for your role as her guardian, Cath Palug?"
（Don't call me Cath Palug. I am Fou. —Of course I'm ready. But Air can't reveal her face. So I will serve as her attendant. To that end—）
"W-Wait, what?! You... that form—?!"
Standing there was a stunning woman in her early twenties, with pale violet hair and beautiful blue eyes. She possessed a mystical, calm aura and a lithe, alluring figure—a female version of Merlin himself.
"In this form, any rude stares will be directed at me. No one will suspect the masked Air is actually a Princess. I'm borrowing your other-world appearance. As a decoy!"
"You devil, Cath Palug! Are you going trans-sexual on me?! How sly! Truly sly! You're planning to make a name for yourself as the Princess's magus! You're a male, aren't you?! ...On a side note, can I get a photo?"
（The 'Violent Heroine' is the type of person I hate most. I'll hold back on the retaliation... but don't get cocky, you piece of trash. Or shall I start spreading rumors about a succubus's weaknesses?）
"Hearing that from someone with that face... it actually does something for me!!"
（Whatever, I don't care about you. —I wonder if Air will recognize me? I'm so excited!）
Mount Ebih
"...What is this?"
『Satanic Mapo Tofu of Lucifer』
"A commemorative offering for Lady Ishtar. Please, enjoy."
"Enjoy? Is this even food?! My body is screaming at me to run away!"
"My, my... Lady Ishtar, are you going to ignore the faith and the offerings of those who believe in you? If you do, you might incur the wrath of the god Marduk and be easily destroyed..."
"Gugigigi... Nggghhh...! That Goldie! That jerk! To call out 'Big Brother Marduk' is just playing dirty—!!!!"
...Aaaaaannngyaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!
『Ishtar, fainted and near death after eating the Mapo.』
"...You're such an idiot. There's no way Siduri could have come to Mount Ebih alone."
『Siduri, transforming back into Enkidu.』
"I'll have her sleep for a while. I want Uruk to be peaceful for a bit. —I should take a photo. I hope Fou likes it."
『The Mapo.』
"... (Munch, munch)"
"Yeah. This works great as nitro fuel. Delicious!"
-------------------------------
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