To Become a King and a Magician 701-705

Title: She’s a Blonde Older Sister Who Loves Wrestling!

Under Jaguar Man’s guidance, the trio swiftly traversed the dense forest filled with rare plants and arrived at an open area that could be called a plaza.

In the plaza stood stone pillars carved with mysterious symbols and inscriptions, arranged like two rows supporting a temple dome.

At the innermost part stood a stone pyramid-shaped building with a large circular disc at its peak, and beside it, for some reason, an enormous war axe was planted in the ground.

Tomoe’s gaze immediately locked onto the weapon: “What’s that?”

“The Hand Axe of Marduk. Legend says it’s the axe used by the God Marduk to slay the Goddess Tiamat… It’s about forty meters long. Truly massive.”

According to the original storyline, this giant hand axe would later be key to defeating Gorgon, thrown by Quetzalcoatl to destroy Gorgon’s Blood Temple in a single strike.

In the final days of the Age of the Gods, temples were essential for gods to wield their powers more effectively. For deities, their personal temples offered various benefits, from gathering Mana to amplifying strength.

Thus, after the Blood Temple was destroyed, Gorgon’s weakened power finally gave a chance for her defeat.

However, they might not need it now. Even without the Hand Axe of Marduk, Naoki was confident he could completely crush Gorgon.

(Speaking of Gorgon… It seems I’ve never met Anna. Merlin didn’t mention her either. Could she still be wandering in the Cedar Forest?)

Anna—young Medusa—appeared because Gorgon was summoned. She was a Servant born to defeat Gorgon and played a significant role in that process.

(I’ll find time to check the Cedar Forest, but for now, let’s focus—)

“Gaaak—!”

At that moment, a shrill cry suddenly echoed from the air. The three looked up to see a massive Pterosaurus swooping down toward them at high speed. Its sharp beak seemed poised to pierce their bodies!

*BAM!*

Naoki leaped in place, delivering a spinning kick that instantly sent the Pterosaurus hurtling back into the sky.

“The Wind God Pterosaurus… Quetzalcoatl’s familiar.”

The Wind God Pterosaurus, or Quetzalcoatlus, was the largest flying creature ever discovered, possibly the largest flying animal ever. Its wingspan could reach twelve meters, comparable to a small airplane.

It lived in the late Cretaceous Period, 60 million years ago. Its name came from the feathered Wind God.

In other words, their opponent was a species from 60 million years ago, clearly surpassing the level of a Phantasmal Species and possibly even a Divine Beast.

“Its appearance here means… She’s finally ready to come out?”

“Maravilloso (Marvelous!)”

A loud cheer suddenly rang out from atop the temple.

In Naoki’s perception, the figure that had been hiding behind the large circular disc at the temple’s peak finally appeared before them with that exclamation.

It was a woman with foreign blonde hair. She wore attire resembling an ancient priestess or shaman, with an aura tied to the forest. In her hand, she held a heavy broadsword. She looked like a warm, approachable older sister from a foreign land, exuding a sense of familiarity.

Yet Naoki and Tomoe could feel a threatening aura radiating from her at all times.

Even Tomoe felt an unbearable urge to kneel just by meeting her gaze.

The pressure of a Main God-tier Divine Spirit wasn’t something an ordinary Servant from a far-eastern island nation like her could withstand.

Realizing this, Naoki placed his hand on Tomoe’s shoulder. The suffocating pressure instantly vanished without a trace. Tomoe took a deep breath, her legs suddenly going weak.

Quickly supporting Tomoe, Naoki handed her to Jaguar Man: “Please look after Tomoe for a bit, Jaguar Man—if you dare act up, I’ll freeze you, then turn you into a filthy mop and toss you into the sewer.”

“Why am I being threatened when I didn’t say anything?! You’re scarier than Kukulkan!”

Jaguar Man’s tears nearly fell. If she had known, she wouldn’t have fought these two earlier. Not only was she bullied by Kukulkan, but now she was being bullied by this ruthless man. How painful!

Even so, Jaguar Man quickly took Tomoe away from the temple area.

After ensuring the two were safe, Naoki walked alone to the base of the magnificent Sun Temple, looking up at the Goddess standing at its peak: “Giving such intense pressure right at the start is quite a unique greeting.”

“But it didn’t affect you at all! Not only that, you protected that half-breed over there. That’s a very manly act!” Quetzalcoatl smiled brightly.

Naoki raised an eyebrow: “It’s an honor to be praised like that by the South American Main Sun God, but to me, it’s just what should be done.”

“Hmm hmm, that kind of thinking is great too—So, Planet’s Tendril, what’s your purpose for coming to my temple?”

Quetzalcoatl saw through Naoki’s true identity at a glance.

However, Naoki had no intention of hiding it. Being seen through by a Main God was only natural.

“You can’t have been sent by the Planet itself to fight me, right?”

“No. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be me here, but some other Justice Colleagues. My purity in that regard isn’t enough—after all, I’m not a part-time Counter Force worker.”

Naoki shrugged, then clasped his hands in front of his chest: “Quetzalcoatl, I came here for just one thing—Can I ask you to help Uruk fight the Magical Beast Goddess?”

“…”

The overly straightforward reason left Quetzalcoatl momentarily unsure how to respond. Rubbing her forehead in confusion, she said: “Hmm~~~ That reason is truly beyond my expectations. Let me ask, you know I’m a member of the Three Goddess Alliance, right?”

“Of course.”

“Knowing that, you still hope that I, an ‘enemy,’ would become your ‘ally,’ an ally of Uruk?”

“Yes.” Naoki smiled. “Also, there’s one thing you got wrong, Quetzalcoatl. To me, you’re not an ‘enemy of humanity.’”

“After all—You’re a compassionate and intelligent Goddess who deeply loves humans and guides them toward prosperity, aren’t you?”

-

Title: The Invitation

Quetzalcoatl is a benevolent God.

A Cultural God who leads humanity toward prosperity, a Human King who once manifested, her existence is dedicated to ensuring humanity’s survival—in broad terms, she is that kind of Goddess.

Thus, among the Three Goddess Alliance, regardless of the other two Goddesses, Quetzalcoatl could never truly be an “enemy” of humanity in the truest sense.

However, in the current situation, she is indeed on the side opposing humanity.

This is also rooted in her divine nature, or more precisely, the nature of South American Gods.

Although they are all Gods existing on the same Planet, South American Gods, like the Greek Machine Gods, are not Gods born independently on Earth but alien Gods who landed on Earth from outer space.

To be more precise, South American Gods are a kind of alien bacteria, their nature akin to microorganisms. Their life activity manifests by attaching to human bodies, bringing challenges like diseases.

By presenting various trials to humans, they make them stronger, even forcing them to evolve, advancing the overall development of humanity.

In short, the divine nature of South American Gods is something like that.

And as the Main God of the South American Gods, as well as the pinnacle of benevolent Gods among them, Quetzalcoatl is also preparing to embody this divine nature in the Mesopotamian plains.

“Through harsh battles to weed out the weak humans and nurture the strong ones, for the sake of a better survival for humanity.”

“That’s your goal, isn’t it, Quetzalcoatl?” Naoki directly stated the purpose of the Goddess before him. “Just like a mother who wants to see her child grow, so she deliberately sets cruel trials for them.”

“Alala~~~ Being called a ‘mother’ is truly a heartwarming compliment. But if you had to choose, it’s better to call me ‘big sister,’ since the eldest sister is like a mother.”

Quetzalcoatl laughed, then dropped her smile and said seriously: “Yes, you’re right. Even though this is our first meeting, you know so much. It feels like you’ve completely seen through me, as if I have no secrets at all in front of you.”

“Because I once touched the Root and gained a lot of knowledge from it, including the entire process of the Human Order Incineration—I know all about the affairs of your Three Goddess Alliance.”

“The Root… You’ve been there?”

“Just by chance, not exactly a pleasant memory.” Naoki smiled. “Back to the main point, I don’t think your approach is wrong. In a certain sense, I’m doing something almost similar to you. However—your method won’t ensure humanity’s survival.”

The Human Order Incineration process was already 90% complete when human history was burned and Singularities emerged. The seven remaining Singularities were merely the final cleanup. Even if they traversed all seven Singularities, if they couldn’t defeat Solomon in the Final Singularity, the Human Order Incineration wouldn’t end.

“There’s only one way to ensure humanity’s continued survival.”

“Traverse the seven Singularities, reach the Final Singularity, and defeat the Magecraft King Solomon.”

“That’s the only way to save humanity.”

As he said this, Naoki extended his hand toward Quetzalcoatl: “And now, we at Chaldea are only two steps away from that goal. We just need to defeat the greatest enemy in this Singularity to take one more step forward.”

“For that, I need your strength, Quetzalcoatl.”

Quetzalcoatl found the fairy before her very strange. He asked for help from her, an enemy, without hesitation. Though he said he had knowledge about her from touching the Root, in reality, this was their first meeting—they were still strangers.

Yet, she inexplicably felt great trust in him.

Was it because he believed in her benevolent nature as a good God? Or because he trusted the Root’s knowledge he mentioned?

Perhaps both.

And somewhat embarrassingly, everything Naoki said was true. Quetzalcoatl had never truly intended to destroy humanity. She joined the Three Goddess Alliance only to ensure humanity’s future survival, playing the role of a villain.

She hadn’t planned to tell anyone this, but now that it was bluntly revealed by someone else, there was a slight sense of shame from having her innermost secret mercilessly exposed.

After a moment of silence, Quetzalcoatl asked: “You mentioned the greatest enemy in this Singularity… Do you know who humanity’s true enemy is in this Singularity?”

“Yes, of course.” Naoki nodded slightly. “The Magical Beast Goddess, Tiamat. Not the one attacking Uruk now, but the true Creator Mother Goddess, the Mother of all life, Goddess Tiamat. She is the greatest enemy in this Singularity.”

“Then you should know she’s not an entity that can be defeated easily.” Quetzalcoatl said. “No, in fact, there’s no possibility of defeating the Mother. This Singularity, from the very beginning—”

“I will defeat her.”

Naoki suddenly interrupted Quetzalcoatl.

“No, more accurately, ‘we’ will defeat her. As the Holy Sword User of the Stars chosen by the World, I can swear on the Holy Sword in my hand.”

A radiant Holy Sword appeared in Naoki’s hand, its dazzling holy light causing Quetzalcoatl to squint slightly.

The Holy Sword of the Stars that saves the world.

A golden blade strong enough to repel any evil.

“I recall that should be the Noble Phantasm of the Knight King of Britain.”

“Yes, but that’s in the past. King Arthur has gone to eternal rest in Avalon. Now the Holy Sword has been passed to my hands—I am the Third-Generation Holy Sword User.”

Third Generation?

The First-Generation Holy Sword User of the Stars defeated the White Titan, the Second-Generation Holy Sword User of the Stars defeated the Demon Dragon Vortigern, and now the Third-Generation Holy Sword User of the Stars was preparing to defeat the Creator Mother Goddess?

*BAM!*

Placing her serrated sword on her shoulder and smashing the stone steps beneath her, Quetzalcoatl grinned with an almost terrifying smile, leaping from her perch, spinning several times in the air before landing on the open ground behind Naoki.

“You’ve got some serious guts. This Big Sister really likes brave youths like you. But courage and recklessness are sometimes the same. If you try to challenge Goddess Tiamat with insufficient strength, it’ll only lead to a dead end.”

“So—If you want me to be your ally, at least let me see what kind of power the current Holy Sword User possesses!”

-

Title: Fill My Stomach Before Coming to Fight

As mentioned earlier, Quetzalcoatl is a benevolent God.

But she is not merely a benevolent God; she also holds various other divine roles: God of Culture, God of the Sun, God of Wind, God of Rain, God of the Serpent, Goddess of Venus... As one of the pinnacle South American Gods, Quetzalcoatl commands multiple divine roles and possesses a wide array of authorities.

Among them, she also holds the role of God of War, and in mythology, she is known as the Maya Conqueror King, displaying a brutal and ferocious side.

Now, she was showing this side to Naoki.

If Naoki wanted to gain her strength, he had to subdue her with even greater power.

If he couldn’t even defeat her, there was no hope of defeating the Creator Mother Goddess.

“Alright, that works too.” Naoki stretched his arms and legs.

“I never thought I could convince you with just words. Since we’re both warriors, the most straightforward way to settle things is naturally to knock the other side down. Simple and brutal, right?”

“You get it. Looks like you’re not exactly a good boy~~~”

“I never said I was a good boy.” Naoki swung his Holy Sword. “By the way, let me confirm again—if I win this duel, you’ll help me fight Goddess Tiamat, correct?”

Quetzalcoatl nodded: “Yes, that’s right. But if you want me to help against Gorgon, that’s not possible. I can’t break the Three Goddess Alliance contract.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take care of that too. I’ll deal with all the members of the Three Goddess Alliance one by one.”

“You’re really greedy and confident.” Quetzalcoatl smiled. “So, are you ready?”

“Do you even need to ask—”

Before he could finish, accompanied by a storm-like surge of Mana, Naoki shot toward Quetzalcoatl. A straightforward punch filled with immense Mana struck her chest directly!

*BANG!*

A deafening explosion like an earthquake rang out. Quetzalcoatl’s figure bent into an acute angle from the blow, shooting off like a falling star into the distance!

(So fast!)

The thought flashed through Quetzalcoatl’s mind. She hadn’t expected Naoki’s speed to be so great that she could barely track him. She only caught a glimpse of a residual shadow before her body was struck!

Fairies adjust their strength according to their opponent’s power, stabilizing it at a level sufficient for a dominating battle.

Quetzalcoatl knew this, but it was her first time experiencing it directly.

*CHIIIRRR!*

Lightning suddenly tore through space. Before Quetzalcoatl, still airborne, could land, Naoki transformed into a bolt of lightning and chased after her like a shadow. The two, who had been separated for less than half a second, met again at close range!

Then, in another blink, they separated again!

*BAM!*

A kick wrapped in ferocious lightning struck Quetzalcoatl’s head with speed and force, forcibly altering her flight path and sending her crashing into the depths of the dense forest below!

*BOOM!*

A massive crater formed where Quetzalcoatl landed, creating an open clearing. The shockwave from the impact leveled the surrounding forest vegetation.

(That was a powerful attack. It almost shattered my consciousness… But!)

*BOOOM!*

Brandishing her serrated sword to sweep away the dust with a storm, Quetzalcoatl stood in the crater, gazing at Naoki with a face full of joy, and unleashed a full-powered slash through the air!

*POFF!*

The authority of the God of Wind and the authority of the God of the Sun activated simultaneously. Scorching solar flames and a raging storm combined into a slash that shot toward Naoki at godlike speed!

This was a serious attack from a South American Main God.

Even for a fairy, taking this would surely cause significant damage.

But Naoki did this—

*CRUSH-BANG!*

He shattered the slash, along with the space itself, with a single kick!

Imaginary Manifestation: Space Destruction

It was, in simple terms, a highly weakened version of a dimension-reducing attack. With Imaginary Manifestation, if he began preparing when Quetzalcoatl launched her slash, he could pull this off with effort.

Quetzalcoatl’s expression froze for a moment. She knew her attack wasn’t likely to succeed, but she hadn’t expected it to be neutralized in this way.

(He’s really planning to crush me head-on with the most direct force.)

(Crush you head-on with the most direct force!)

The same thought crossed both their minds simultaneously.

Naoki knew that to defeat the benevolent God before him, using cunning might be one way—for example, destroying Quetzalcoatl’s Sun Temple to weaken her power, then attacking when he had the upper hand.

But… that was the way of the weak.

The weak need to rely on cunning, strategy, and various forms of assistance to defeat the strong.

And now that he was the strong one, he didn’t need to hide. Just use full power to crush her head-on!

“Put in more effort! Didn’t you eat!?” He could do it!

Quetzalcoatl could see that.

“Great! That’s the spirit to make it exciting!”

Completely abandoning her benevolent God side, Quetzalcoatl, now fully embodying the God of War and Conqueror King, chose the same approach as Naoki.

Her pride as a God wouldn’t allow her to not meet the warrior’s challenge before her with the utmost respect!

*CLANG!*

The Holy Sword and the serrated sword clashed fiercely, and the erupting shockwave spread through the dense forest once again!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

In the city of Ur within the dense forest.

Jaguar Man, who had brought Tomoe here, suddenly trembled violently several times after hearing the deafening roars from deep within the forest, her tail standing straight up.

“This tremor is…”

“Kukulkan and that guy have started fighting!”

Jaguar Man’s explanation made Tomoe’s face grow even grimmer.

(He’s already started fighting the Forest Goddess? Natsukawa-sama…)

Since it had come to this, stopping him might be impossible, especially since Tomoe knew full well that she, who couldn’t even withstand the Goddess’s pressure, had no right to join the battle.

Though deeply reluctant, she could only entrust the matter of the Forest Goddess entirely to Naoki.

(Tomoe will pray for you here. Please return victorious and safe, Natsukawa-sama.)

*RUMBLE!*

Another earth-shaking roar erupted, as if two wild beasts were rampaging through the dense forest.

-

Title: Turning Gudako into a Dress-Up Doll

Guests from Chaldea ventured into the dense forest, fought the Forest Goddess, and secured a promise that her side would not attack Uruk.

Just a few days after Naoki and Tomoe returned from the dense forest, rumors like this spread throughout Uruk.

And naturally, Uruk, which had suffered under the Three Goddess Alliance for half a year, erupted in excitement.

More precisely, their spirits were ignited.

Currently, Uruk was already expending all its strength to fend off one Magical Beast Goddess and had no spare forces to confront the other two Goddesses. If they attacked now, Uruk would surely be unable to hold out.

But in the midst of this precarious situation, where collapse could come at any moment, guests from a distant foreign land had given them breathing room, resolving a major problem for them.

“People out there are saying the Department Head is a hero who saved Uruk.”

At the Chaldea Embassy, Ritsuka, who had just completed a mission and was resting while drinking tea at a wooden table, smiled at Naoki, who was lounging by the window.

“Doing something that big on your second day in Uruk—at least let us know beforehand. The Department Head is really the type to do shocking things without realizing it.”

“I was just idling around here anyway.” Naoki said, resting his hands behind his head. “Besides, I couldn’t call you guys. You were all immersed in your part-time work life at the time, weren’t you? I’ve seen you these past few days, completely caught up in Uruk’s construction.”

“Because it turned out to be really interesting, and by getting directly involved like this, we’re feeling more and more how vibrant Uruk is—right, Mash?”

Sitting beside Ritsuka, Mash smiled and nodded: “Yes. It’s truly a very lively city. The residents are so friendly and have a strong will to keep living. It’s beautiful.”

They genuinely loved Uruk.

Naoki smiled: “So, since you guys are so eager to stay in Uruk, how could I bear to drag you away? Think of it as us handling our respective tasks. You take care of Uruk’s internal affairs, and I handle Uruk’s external affairs. Nice division of labor, right?”

Though he said that, Naoki knew what was on their minds.

“But even I have my limits. There might come a time in the future when I’ll need your help. I’ll bring you along when that time comes.”

“Really? Then we’ll hold you to your word, Department Head—you can’t lie.”

“Not to brag, but I’ve never lied to anyone.”

If anything, Naoki was the one who got tricked. The cunning women back home often set various traps for him to fulfill their dark, hidden schemes.

In a different sense, of course.

At that moment, Mash suddenly spoke up: “To make Big Brother say he needs help… Is it really that powerful an enemy? A Goddess from the Three Goddess Alliance? Even someone as strong as Big Brother can’t completely defeat her?”

“Yeah, she’s very strong. At the very least, if Mash fought her one-on-one, you’d definitely get beaten so badly I wouldn’t recognize you.” Naoki teased.

“But rather than saying I can’t completely defeat her, it’s more accurate to say I can’t control her to the precise degree needed to defeat her.”

“What does that mean… The Department Head can actually defeat the Goddess in the dense forest?” Ritsuka frowned in confusion. “Then why didn’t you just defeat her? Wouldn’t that cleanly eliminate one enemy?”

Naoki shook his head: “The risk is too great. While I could defeat Quetzalcoatl if I used my full power, I wouldn’t be able to pay attention to the surroundings. There are quite a few humans in the dense forest. Plus, our battle movements might attract the other Goddesses. If I got ganged up on, that’d be a problem.”

【But Natsukawa, you could totally kill that Goddess, right?】

Roman’s voice came from Ritsuka’s wrist.

【Or do your Mystic Eyes not work on Main God-tier enemies?】

Mystic Eyes?

Ritsuka and Mash looked at Naoki’s eyes, framed by glasses, in shock.

“The Department Head has Mystic Eyes?”

“I didn’t know either…”

Naoki adjusted his glasses (Mystic Eye Killers): “Because there was no need to explain. Besides, if I use my Mystic Eyes, it means the opponent is a target I have to kill no matter what. For example, I’d definitely use them against Goetia later, but Quetzalcoatl isn’t that kind of target.”

“I quite like cheerful, open, and enthusiastic Onee-sans like her. I wouldn’t think of turning her into a mindless slave who only obeys my commands.”

Seeing the man before them say such unsettling things with a fresh and bright expression, Ritsuka, Mash, and even the Chaldea staff felt a bit helpless.

Given the situation, something like that could indeed happen.

After a soft sigh, Ritsuka asked: “By the way, what exactly is the effect of the Department Head’s Mystic Eyes? It sounds really dangerous, with all that talk of slaves… Could it be Mind-Control Mystic Eyes?”

Over the five-plus months when Naoki was absent, Ritsuka had been catching up on Magecraft knowledge under Olga Marie’s guidance, naturally including information about Mystic Eyes—and eagerly listening to Marie recount her childhood visit to the Rail Zeppelin.

Naoki thought for a moment: “Hmm… Forget it, I’ll tell you. After all, we’re all on the same side.”

“There are two sets of personal information about me at Chaldea. One is the simplest, accessible to anyone. Of course, aside from my name, gender, age, and origin, almost everything in it is fake.”

“The other set, marked for Department Head eyes only, is the real one. The fact that I have Mystic Eyes is recorded there too.”

“But actually, that part is fake as well.”

In that file, Naoki was listed as having Binding Mystic Eyes, with a Mystic Eye rank of only Noble Color.

“However, my real Mystic Eyes are Soul Eater Mystic Eyes, capable of eroding souls. Anyone whose soul is eroded by my Mystic Eyes, from body to soul, will permanently become my slave, and even I can’t reverse it. Their classification is currently Jewel-rank.”

Naoki’s explanation was simple, but Ritsuka, Mash, and the Chaldea staff listening all broke out in a cold sweat.

Jewel-rank Soul Eater Mystic Eyes.

No one had ever imagined Naoki was hiding such a trump card.

“Department Head, you’re seriously super dangerous—dangerous in every way. I’m not going to end up as your slave one day, am I?”

“If that happens, I’ll definitely make you wear an 18+ game Heroine maid outfit right away to warm my bench!”

Before Naoki could finish, Ritsuka, her face flushed red, threw a cup at him.

“Department Head, you pervert!”

Saying that, Ritsuka stormed out of the embassy in a huff, with Mash quickly following her with a worried expression.

Returning the cup, now frozen into ice, to the table, Naoki let out a soft sigh: “So full of energy. I actually quite like spirited girls like her… Hmm? Who’s that?”

In Naoki’s line of sight, a figure who should have been elsewhere suddenly appeared, walking toward the embassy.

It was Siduri, Gilgamesh’s assistant and the High Priestess of Uruk.

(If Siduri’s here… is Gilgamesh looking for me?)

-

Title: The Boys’ Club

At the Ziggurat.

As Naoki had suspected, Siduri left the Ziggurat to find him because Gilgamesh had business that required his attention.

Naoki entered the Ziggurat just as the overworked King had finished handling a batch of state affairs.

“Oh, you’ve arrived, Holy Sword Bearer.”

Seeing Naoki’s arrival, Gilgamesh’s expression lightened slightly: “The last time we met was when you returned from the dense forest. It’s been a while since we last spoke.”

Naoki had returned from the dense forest about five days ago.

“Regarding the non-aggression pact between you and the Forest Goddess, though it was mentioned before, I must thank you, Holy Sword Bearer. You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s just part of the job. Consider it repayment for the food and lodging I’ve received here.” Naoki laughed. “So, what’s the reason you specifically sent Miss Siduri to fetch me? You’re not going to ask me to go behead the Magical Beast Goddess right away, are you?”

Gilgamesh chuckled: “Hah, if this King said that, you’d probably carry it out without hesitation, and frankly, you’re very likely capable of doing it.”

“Well, let’s put that aside for now. Though I’d love for you to do it, Enkidu is there too. Even you would struggle against two enemies at once. Sending you to do something like that now would just waste your time and energy.”

“This time, what I’m asking you to do is something else—go to the city of Kutha and retrieve this King’s Tablets of Destiny.”

The Tablets of Destiny.

They were the future seen through Gilgamesh’s hazy Clairvoyance, recorded unconsciously during his journey back from the Underworld to Uruk, before he became the Magecraft King.

Since it wasn’t particularly vital information, Gilgamesh hadn’t bothered to search for them after losing them, and he himself no longer remembered that future.

“Originally, this King entrusted this task to Merlin, but he hasn’t found them. Now I’m assigning it to both of you to handle together. With your abilities, you should be able to complete it in a single day.”

“If things go smoothly, but after going to Kutha, it might not be that simple.” Naoki laughed. “If I recall correctly, that place is now Ishtar’s territory. At first glance, I might get along with her thanks to my connection with her vessel, but in reality, Ishtar is the one dominating that body.”

“As King Gilgamesh knows, she’s a very spoiled and arrogant Goddess. She’s likely to obstruct us and cause all sorts of unpredictable situations.”

“Mhm mhm, in that case, I’ll give you a more generous three days.”

Having experienced Ishtar’s torment himself, Gilgamesh fully understood Naoki’s concerns. That foolish Goddess would undoubtedly create countless problems for anyone entering her territory. She was practically a walking trouble-making machine.

“Find Merlin yourself; this King doesn’t know where he is. Also, though it’s a bit of a detour, you need to stop by the Persian Gulf to investigate the water quality and bring back some seawater you collect there.”

Investigate the water quality in the Persian Gulf?

“That’s almost in the opposite direction.”

“That’s why this King said it’s a detour. Now that you know, hurry up and go. There’s the next batch of state affairs I need to deal with.”

How unreasonable.

Even though he had returned from the Underworld and become a Wise King, at his core, he was still a heartless tyrant.

(But… investigating the Persian Gulf’s water quality? That’s to check on Goddess Tiamat’s situation. Right now, Tiamat should be sleeping beneath the Gulf’s surface due to the dream woven by Merlin and Merry together.)

Once Gorgon is defeated later, Tiamat will awaken due to the stimulation of death.

(I need to tell Merlin and Merry to end that dream before that happens.)

If the dream is forcibly broken, Merlin, as a Servant, might be fine—he’d just need to escape from Avalon again. But Merry came as her true self. In that situation, she would surely be severely injured.

Naoki didn’t want to see his wife in that state, so he had to ask Merry and Merlin to prepare to end the dream.

At worst, he’d have to tire himself out fighting two Goddesses in quick succession.

Leaving the Ziggurat, Naoki looked at the massive halo of light in the sky and sighed softly: “For now, I need to find Merlin first. I don’t know where he’s wandered off to… Let me sense his presence.”

Closing his eyes and calming his mind to extend his senses, Naoki quickly located that carefree figure within Uruk.

However—

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

A single spatial shift brought him near Uruk’s Entertainment House. Seeing Merlin, who had just been thrown out of the place, Naoki rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“You’re really taking it easy, Merlin. You have time to seek out this kind of fun—I’m going to tell Lia about this.”

“EEHHH!? Natsukawa!?”

Merlin, who had just gotten up from the ground, quickly clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture: “Please let me off this time! If you tell Lia, she’ll definitely hang me outside the Avalon Tower to dry for days!”

“Isn’t that perfect?”

“It’s not good at all!”

After protesting loudly, Merlin patted his backside: “By the way, why did you suddenly show up here, Natsukawa? You’ve got those two women at home—do you still need to smell the wildflowers outside?”

“If I did that, don’t expect to see me tomorrow.” Naoki gave him a sidelong glance. “Gilgamesh told me to go to Kutha with you to find the Tablets of Destiny.”

“Eh? The Tablets of Destiny are in Kutha?”

Merlin was slightly surprised: “Before, the King said they were in the dense forest to the west. Now he’s saying Kutha. I really hope this isn’t another wild goose chase.”

“Relax, it won’t be a waste of time. With me, the round trip will be quick.”

After saying that, Naoki grabbed Merlin’s arm, preparing to teleport directly near the city walls.

But Merlin stopped him.

“Don’t keep zipping around like that—it’s no fun.”

“Eh? No teleporting… You want to walk?”

Merlin smiled and nodded: “The girls in there just said my stamina is terrible, which is an insult to their devotion, so I’m planning to exercise now.”

“I doubt the physique you’ve developed over thousands of years of lounging can be fixed just by walking.”

“You can still train stamina!” Merlin declared. “Besides, I have some things I want to talk about with you, like about my other self and about Lia.”

“Think of it as a simple trip. We’ll walk slowly and chat along the way—If the girls have their Ladies’ Club, then we guys should have our Boys’ Club, right?”

Boys’ Club?

Naoki pointed at himself, then at Merlin: “You, a thousand-year-old incubus, and me, a fairy pushing forty… It’s more like a Geezer’s Club.”

“Keeping a young heart is enough~”