The next morning.
After parting with Ishtar at the Persian Gulf in the early hours, Naoki returned to Uruk with a cart full of water jars prepared by the people at the observation post.
Perhaps Gilgamesh had mentioned it, as upon arriving in Uruk, Naoki immediately met his liaison, who had been waiting for a while. After handing over the water jars and the donkey cart, he headed straight to the Ziggurat.
He had been away from Uruk for about five days. As usual, the Ziggurat was bustling with people coming and going: soldiers, ministers, priests… Every time Gilgamesh issued an order, many left the Ziggurat, and soon after, others entered to await the next command.
This had been the norm since the establishment of the Demon Beast Defense Line.
Naoki didn't interrupt Gilgamesh's work. Compared to the report he needed to deliver, maintaining the stability of the Demon Beast Front Line was currently the top priority.
"Good, that's enough for now. Siduri, hand this list to the logistics department and ensure it reaches the Northern Wall by tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Naoki leaned against the Ziggurat's wall and waited for over an hour, Gilgamesh handed a clay tablet—the last one for the time being—to Siduri, then massaged the bridge of his nose.
It was his eighth day working through the night. The last time he rested was two days ago. Though he was the Wedge of Heaven, two-thirds divine, such heavy work was truly pushing him to his limits. Moreover, maintaining the protective shield over Uruk and manifesting five Servants was an enormous Mana drain.
Just as he finished his last task, Gilgamesh's head slumped heavily, unable to hold up any longer.
"Ugh… a bit tired? It's been a bit much these past few days…"
"Rather than a bit much, you're overworking yourself to death."
Taking advantage of this brief break, Naoki approached Gilgamesh: "If you keep this up, you could die from exhaustion. For Uruk's sake, take half a day to sleep once in a while. The current battle situation gives you that leeway."
The reality was as Naoki said. The Demon Beast Front Line, which previously could only be held at a stalemate through Gilgamesh's grueling efforts, was now gaining a slight advantage against the Demon Beasts thanks to the addition of new combat forces.
For defense, there were Leonidas I, Oda Nobunaga, and Dingir. For active assaults to save other cities, there were Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, Tomoe, and also Hinako and Xiang Yu—especially the latter.
Originally, Xiang Yu was created as a war machine to conquer the world, and now his power could be fully utilized on the Demon Beast Front Line, significantly reducing the pressure there.
Thanks to this, the morale of Uruk's soldiers had skyrocketed to unprecedented heights, and everyone could see a glimmer of victory on the horizon.
Gilgamesh let out a soft sigh: "If the enemy were only the Magical Beast Goddess, then yes, I could take half a day to rest as you suggest. But you know who our greatest enemy is. The preparations we have are still far from enough."
"Firepower deficiency syndrome, huh… But you're right. If it's Goddess Tiamat, no amount of preparation will ever be enough."
"If you already know, don't say things out of place—Have you completed all the tasks I gave you?"
Naoki nodded: "The Tablet of Destiny has been brought back by Merlin, right? As for the Persian Gulf water quality inspection, I've already handed it over to the soldiers."
"Hmm, good work. Go see Siduri later to collect your reward. Anything else? If not, I still have state affairs to attend to."
"There are two more things I'd like to report."
Gilgamesh, who was about to pick up another stone tablet, paused: "What?"
"First, about the Three Goddess Alliance. Merlin should have already told you. After parting with him, I went to the Underworld, and there I met the final pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance—Ereshkigal."
(The final pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance… True, that foolish Goddess never called herself that.)
For Gilgamesh, this was unexpected but reasonable information.
"For certain reasons, I negotiated with Ereshkigal. I mainly explained about Goddess Tiamat and her actions."
"Hoo… Don't tell me that after the Forest Goddess, you've managed to secure another peace agreement with the Underworld Goddess for me?"
Naoki smiled and shook his head: "Not quite, only halfway. Ereshkigal doesn't trust my words, but if Goddess Tiamat truly appears, she promised to lend us her aid."
"A promise of aid from the Underworld Goddess… Huhahahahahahahahaha!"
Gilgamesh suddenly burst into hearty laughter, slamming both hands on the armrests of his throne: "Excellent! Remarkable! Holy Sword Bearer! You truly know how to bring me unexpected surprises! Hahahahaha!"
Though Uruk's situation was gradually improving, bad news still outweighed the good. At the very least, it had been a long time since Gilgamesh heard such perfect good news. The last time he laughed so freely was when Naoki reported about the Forest Goddess.
And now, Quetzalcoatl and Ereshkigal, two of the Three Goddess Alliance, had temporarily ceased to be threats through Naoki's efforts and might even become potential allies in the future.
This was truly exceptional good news.
After laughing heartily for a while, Gilgamesh gradually calmed down: "Ouch, ouch, you've done splendidly, Holy Sword Bearer. Your extraordinary abilities make me want to keep you in Uruk. Are you interested in becoming the Supreme Commander of Uruk?"
"No need for that. After all, I come from the future. I'll have to leave once this Singularity ends. I can't stay. I appreciate your kind intentions, though."
"Hmm, fair point. I was careless."
"That's what happens when you're delirious from daily overtime. Go sleep for a bit later, you workaholic."
"It's not your place to manage my schedule. I know my own limits." Gilgamesh laughed. "So, what's the other thing? You said you had two things to report, right? What's the second one?"
"I encountered Enkidu. While inspecting the water quality at the Persian Gulf, I ran into Enkidu, who was there for some reason."
"Is that so?"
The smile on Gilgamesh's face vanished instantly. After a brief silence, he responded flatly: "And the outcome? You fought, didn't you? Don't tell me you got beaten back."
"No, you could say I won. Thirty percent of his soul was eroded by my Mystic Eyes, but Enkidu fled before the erosion was complete."
"..."
Gilgamesh's expression grew even more serious.