Chapter 723: Ding, The Wise King Issues a Main Quest!
[Don't]
[Don't go]
[Stop]
[Leaving]
[Again, from my side]
[Don't leave me again]
"This is..."
In the haze of his dream, Fujimaru saw an endless black whirlpool, spinning silently, obscuring his vision, the sky, and the entire earth. Gazing into the depths of the vortex, he could faintly discern a blurred silhouette.
A song rose from the abyss below, ethereal and desolate.
[Come back... come back... return to me once more]
[Once more... once more]
[No... don't]
[Never again... never again]
[Love·Me·Again]
"Haah... ah!"
With a sharp gasp, Fujimaru struggled awake from the dream. He felt a suffocating sensation, as if drowning, the whispers pressing down on him like an immense weight, making his chest tighten. He couldn't help but gasp for air, unsure whether it was due to lack of oxygen or choked sobs.
In his freshly awakened mind, only one phrase echoed persistently.
"How... sorrowful."
The boy raised his hand to cover his face, but as his arm moved, he suddenly felt his fingers brush against smooth, delicate skin. Immediately after, a soft, startled gasp sounded by his ear.
In shock, Fujimaru fully regained his senses. His eyes widened, and in the suddenly brightened view before him, the stars of antiquity glittered in the sky. Even the bands of light symbolizing destruction had quieted, transforming into serene yet magnificent rings, silently overlooking the slumbering world.
Azure-blue hair cascaded like flowing water, trickling down from her neck, over her back, and finally resting at her waist. Miss Tia, with her verdant twin horns, lowered her head slightly. Her cross-shaped pupils were as pure as glass, and her legs served as Fujimaru's pillow. Her small hand gently smoothed the furrowed brows of the boy, her affection utterly unguarded.
Her appearance was both that of an innocent maiden untouched by the world and a mother pouring boundless love upon her child.
When did I...? Ah, right. I must have fallen asleep at the end of the banquet from sheer exhaustion.
He faintly recalled someone carrying him back to his room with great effort.
"...Miss Tia." Under the tenderness of her lap pillow, Fujimaru remained dazed for a long while before regaining his voice. "Thank you for your trouble."
Propping himself up on his elbows, he tried to sit up, but the motherly girl pouted in dissatisfaction. With a single delicate finger, she lightly tapped Fujimaru's forehead, and he found himself helplessly lying back down.
"You're too well-behaved. Mother is a little worried," Miss Tia whispered into Fujimaru's ear. "You can afford to be a bit more spoiled, you know. I'll help you."
"But..." Fujimaru closed his eyes. "We only met today, didn't we? Have we already grown this close?"
In response, Miss Tia let out a soft laugh.
"Because I... have always been... your mother."
The girl spoke with such natural, childlike conviction that Fujimaru was momentarily stunned before he, too, laughed helplessly.
What a strange person, he thought.
Though she was a girl he'd only just met, there was an inexplicable air about her—one that made heroes, mortals, and even inhuman spirits instinctively lower their guard and feel an urge to rely on her.
So in the Age of Gods... in Uruk, there existed such a miraculous girl.
As his mind gradually relaxed, drowsiness crept over him once more. Fujimaru yawned, feeling for the first time since the Human Order restoration journey began a weariness that made him want to think of nothing and do nothing. "Then... I'll leave it to you."
"Mhm, mhm!" Miss Tia looked delighted. "Leave it to Mama, okay? Should I... sing for you?"
There was no response. Fujimaru had already closed his eyes in the rare peace he'd found, but Miss Tia didn't mind. With a gentle smile, she began humming an ancient melody.
"Ah... ah~~ ah—"
The song transformed into a deer in the woods, into birds soaring across the sky, into stars quietly gazing down... until even light and shadow lost their forms. Only the unidentified Shield-class card in Fujimaru's belt pouch flickered faintly.
As if possessing a will of its own, it watched over the origin woman and the child of humanity nestled together in the cradle of chaos, drifting into deep slumber.
As for what happened the next morning—how a certain mother, eyes brimming with tears, demanded to be carried by the young man who came looking for her because her legs had gone numb, only to be lectured while being hugged all the way back to the infirmary... well, that was another story.
"Good morning, Mr. Merlin!"
"Oh, good morning, Fujimaru... You seem especially lively today."
"Hehe, do I?"
The boy smiled as he walked with the white-haired sage down streets fragrant with the smell of breakfast, stepping into the grand palace that had been fully restored.
The moment they entered, an impatient voice barked at them.
"You're late, you mongrels. Making this king waste his time waiting is a capital offense."
That said, the face of the Wise King showed no signs of actual anger—it was more like a routine greeting. Leaning back on his throne, he cast a careless glance at Fujimaru and Merlin.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and come here to receive this king's supreme decree!"
Fujimaru and Merlin exchanged a look before stepping forward. "Yes!"
On the second day of Chaldea's arrival at the Seventh Singularity, the weather was clear, with a gentle breeze.
The Wise King of Uruk once again summoned Fujimaru Ritsuka, the last Master of humanity.
————
"That concludes today's report. Instead of shearing wool, we ended up subjugating nearby demonic beasts."
"Is that so? How dull. What is it, Chief Priest? Don't stop reporting—continue."
"...Traces of summoning magecraft at Inanna's altar? As expected. Question the servants who were present. A ritual of that scale would have required clearing out outsiders beforehand—someone must have been suddenly granted leave. Start investigating from there."
"Then there's what happened in the evening. We were supposed to help make sweets, but somehow it turned into the Uruk Sweets King Championship..."
"...How did it come to that? The chain of causality is impossible to follow. Hmph, what about the next soldier? Don't waste time!"
"Tch, even the Poison Dragon Bahamut has appeared... By my command! Dispatch an additional two hundred bundles of firewood to the Northern Wall. Boil all tableware and important utensils thoroughly for sterilization!"
"Then, Your Majesty, there is also the report regarding the underground caverns."
"Your Majesty, here is yesterday's production report from the armory and the approval request for mineral resource extraction in the cedar forest..."
"Urgent news! Bodies suspected to be refugees from southern Ur City were discovered on the road. The clay tablet they were clutching has faded writing that scholars cannot decipher. We request Your Majesty to open the treasury to assist in research..."
"..."
"King Gilgamesh?" The high priestess suddenly spoke up, "The reports aren't finished yet. Could you focus a little?"
"Hmm? Ah, I was listening to the reports, Siduri! It's about the settlement issue, right? How dare you interrupt at the most exciting part!"
The Wise King struck the armrest as if venting his displeasure: "Take the Girdle of Nisaba from my treasury and bestow it upon her! For the high priestess of Eresh City, this is already extravagant!"
Like an assembly line in a factory, as the Wise King's words continued, soldier after soldier carried out clay-carved products from the palace, bearing the fruits of labor and wisdom as they rushed to various parts of the city, bringing guidance to the people and patching up every minor deficiency.
During the morning assembly, Fujimaru stole a glance upward and noticed the king sitting straight on his throne unconsciously swallowing, his Adam's apple bobbing. Though his eyes seemed to flicker between clarity and haze, the decrees that came from his merciless mouth were astonishingly precise.
Finally, as the morning assembly bell tolled, the endless work encountered a brief pause. Gilgamesh massaged his temples before immediately turning his gaze to the long-waiting youth.
"Fujimaru of Chaldea, I have received your response. Though your achievements are still few, many favorable reviews from Uruk's citizens have reached my ears."
Without unnecessary words, the Wise King stated directly: "In that case, I shall grant you permission to operate outside Uruk. Go and show your capabilities."
Though he had anticipated this, when Gilgamesh made the announcement, Fujimaru couldn't help but smile: "Then—"
"This is a royal decree spoken by my own lips!"
Raising his golden gauntlet, Gilgamesh radiated regal majesty: "Proceed immediately to the southern forest to investigate the current situation in Ur City, the reason for the investigation team's disappearance—and the whereabouts of the divine axe Marduk!"
Trust those you employ, employ those you trust—at this moment, the king who had transformed from tyrant to sage perfectly embodied this principle:
"As for your companion, I'll have that cook Sakatsuki accompany you!"
"Feel reassured, mongrel—this is currently the strongest combat force Uruk can dispatch!"