"My King, although saying this might displease you, the outcome of your battle with that man named Ryuya... was his victory."
Seeing Gilgamesh's confused expression, Siduri, who understood her king well, instantly grasped what she was thinking.
"Ryuya won? This king... lost?"
Her exquisite face, devoid of its usual illusion magic, stared blankly at the Uruk's chief priestess upon hearing her words. An unprecedented feeling stirred within Gilgamesh's heart.
"This king lost? This king actually lost... This king truly lost..."
She seemed unable to believe the reality she witnessed, but Siduri wouldn't lie to her. Recalling that she indeed lost consciousness during the final clash, Gilgamesh smiled… a rare sight.
It wasn't her past arrogant smile, nor a wild laugh, nor a bitter one.
It was a natural smile, a hearty laugh. Even Siduri could feel the king's genuine joy. Gilgamesh was truly happy, delighted.
"My King, while I fully appreciate your happiness, shouldn't you change your clothes first and then meet with Ryuya-san?"
Knowing the immense pressure Gilgamesh carried inside, Siduri felt the king might undergo some changes.
"Huh? Meet him? He's in the palace?"
"Yes. He brought your severely injured self back and then also fell unconscious."
Seeing Gilgamesh's thoughtful face, Siduri's voice softened, "Uncertain of your stance towards him, I did not treat him as an enemy but as an honored guest."
"Enough. Say no more, Siduri." Raising a hand to indicate she wasn't angry, the female Gilgamesh stood up, adjusted her collar, and moved her arms, "Ryuya is not this king's enemy, but this king's honored guest. You did well, Siduri."
As the illusion magic once again enveloped Gilgamesh, the most ancient female Gil cleared her throat, restoring the handsome male appearance and voice.
"Let's go, Siduri. This king shall entertain this king's honored guest."
Her figure walking ahead was quite dashing, the body of the most ancient king displaying an unusual liveliness.
Meanwhile, in Uruk's palace hall.
Thanks to the Sun-Crowned King and The Eternal Nation bonuses, Ryuya's condition was largely due to exhaustion. With his current physical prowess, while such injuries wouldn't heal completely in a day, they weren't a major issue either.
After eating plenty and drinking various potions provided by Siduri, he was now sitting in the palace hall, watching the performances of the dancing girls.
'Tsk tsk... As expected of the dawn of the Age of Gods. Even if the tools and conveniences aren't as advanced as in later eras, life is quite comfortable with the support of mana.'
There were no signs of primitive productivity. The Uruk Ryuya saw was quite advanced. The existence of magecraft solved most problems.
The remaining minor issues were handled by other races: skilled Dwarves crafting tools, Elves singing and dancing, forest fairies tending to plants...
Sipping fine wine while watching the alluring performances, he had occasionally relaxed this way during his time as the Sun-Crowned King.
However, Morgan and the others were prone to jealousy, often leading to him, Morgan, and Merlin retiring to his chambers for... other activities.
"Hey, Ryuya."
Interrupting Ryuya's reminiscence, the proud golden figure emerged from the palace corridor. With Siduri attending beside her, the numerous dancing girls knelt in salute to their king.
"Yo, Gil, you're awake."
His greeting to Gilgamesh was casual. Ryuya had already confirmed the true intentions of this most ancient King of Heroes through their exchanged blows. She was definitely not some tyrannical despot, evident from the state of Uruk's citizens and Siduri herself.
"Hmm, this king is awake. But Ryuya, what are you doing?"
As the female Gilgamesh, she naturally had no interest in the dancing girls' performances. She simply watched Ryuya silently, noting that these girls were usually part of the formal reception for envoys from other races visiting Uruk, so why were they all out today?
"What am I doing? Watching them dance."
Raising an eyebrow, Ryuya smiled, giving a look that all men would understand, "Speaking of which, Gil, you know how to enjoy yourself. These girls are quite skilled dancers."
"Oh really?"
A death glare fixed on Ryuya. For some reason, his behavior sparked an inexplicable anger within her. Gilgamesh rarely remained silent with a darkened face.
Unaware that he was tap-dancing on the female Gilgamesh's sensitive nerves, Ryuya mistakenly thought Gilgamesh's injuries still bothered her.
He stood up proactively, pulled Gilgamesh to sit beside him in a few steps, and said grandly to the dancers, "Don't just stand there! Keep the music playing! Keep the dance going!"
SNAP!
Watching Ryuya's 'wanton' behavior, a certain string in the mind of the most ancient king... finally snapped!
…
[In the days following your arrival in Uruk, your relationship with the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, quickly turned friendly. Learning that the King of Heroes' recent arrogance and pride were merely an act for the gods, you heard more from him about the gods' intentions towards humanity.]
[Diamond, Gold, Silver, Iron… if the world's eras were ranked, this was the hierarchy established by the gods.]
[The Diamond Age represented Tiamat's era, the most ancient time when only gods existed. Then, the gods exiled Tiamat, Anu abdicated, and Marduk became King of Gods, marking the arrival of the Golden Age.]
[After that, the existence of humans and other races were merely tools created to serve the gods. Over time, the gods cared little for the life or death of these tools.]
[What they cared about was triggering the tide of the Golden Age, then transitioning the entire world into the Silver Age. The wars and conflicts in the human world during this period were clearly detrimental to their plans. Gilgamesh was created for this purpose.]
[Sensing something sinister in this plan of the gods, you recalled the fall of Britain. That feeling of being targeted by the world, by fate, made you feel once again that this era was far from simple.]
[Beginning to collaborate closely with Gilgamesh, you decided that regardless of what the enemy planned, the first step was to build a prosperous Uruk.]
[And to make yourself stronger!]