Why only thirty percent?! Aaaaah!
In the northwest corner of Uruk, Ishtar sat aboard Maanna, the Boat of Heaven, staring at the already closed Gate of Babylon. She yanked wildly at her hair and rolled around in the clouds, feeling as if her heart were dripping blood.
But there was nothing she could do. It was her own fault for being careless and getting caught by that guy, letting him extort the lion's share from her.
Worse still, even the Golden Key Sword had fallen into his hands. The moment she received her fixed share, the automatic defense system activated by the Babylonian Treasury had thrown her out. She could only watch helplessly as the rest of the wealth fell into someone else's hands.
Stinking snake! Rotten bastard! Greedy ghost! Damn it!
Ishtar ground her pearly teeth, whimpering and muttering under her breath. Her hands tore and kneaded in frustration, and her unfortunate beloved pet, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, was squeezed round, flattened, and stretched like rubber into all sorts of twisted shapes. It could barely even scream, only staring tearfully at its heartless owner in the hope of awakening at least a shred of conscience in her.
No! This goddess is famous for taking things in, not giving them out! Since when did I let that guy rob me instead?
My thirty percent has already used up all my transport capacity. His seventy percent will definitely take a few trips. In other words, the Golden Key Sword will still be in his hands for a while!
Beneath the pitch-black night sky, Ishtar's ruby eyes shone brightly as she gazed toward the brightly lit embassy.
...
Meanwhile, inside the embassy, the rare gathering continued to chat and drink.
Just as Samael walked into the courtyard, a full cup of ale came flying toward him from the shadows around the corner.
"Got rid of that crazy woman?"
Under the flickering lamplight, Gilgamesh leaned lazily against a courtyard pillar and raised his cup in greeting.
"More or less."
The Ancient Serpent caught the cup in passing, took a light sip, then tossed the Golden Key Sword back to its original owner.
The King of Heroes activated the Golden Key Sword with casual ease and glanced at it indifferently. His brow lifted.
"You went to all that trouble to put on this show, and you only asked for thirty percent? Isn't that a little low? This King told you before. As one of Uruk's twin kings, you could have claimed half the authority over the wealth in the Babylonian Treasury."
"Thirty percent is enough. That's the reward you promised Ishtar back during the Three Storms."
"It was twenty-five percent. You were the one who haggled it down. And it was thirty percent of the mineral wealth..."
"She worked hard for all these years. Some interest is only fair, right? Giving up thirty percent won't hurt you."
Remembering the way Ishtar had grinned from ear to ear over a pile of cheap gems on the street, Samael could not help shaking his head helplessly.
"You misspoke. That's your thirty percent. In any case, you only asked for thirty percent of the Gate of Babylon's wealth on her behalf. This King isn't losing anything."
Gilgamesh replied irritably. Then his brow furrowed slightly, and he gave a faint, indifferent snort.
"Still, I should warn you, Samael. You spoil that madwoman far too much. Dealing with Ishtar is like taming a wild beast. You have to make her submit. Give her too many treats, and she'll only grow more insatiable."
In truth, not long after Ishtar ran off, Siduri had discovered the Golden Key Sword was missing thanks to Samael's warning.
Given that certain goddess's long record of misdeeds, along with her earlier suspicious movements, anyone in Uruk with a working brain could quickly identify the prime suspect.
Yet even after the gate key was stolen, Gilgamesh had continued drinking at his own unhurried pace.
That was because the King of Heroes, who knew a certain goddess all too well, had long since placed Earth Guardians inside the Gate of Babylon specifically to deal with intruders possessing Divinity. If Ishtar really charged in recklessly, not only would she fail to grab any money, she would probably have to crawl out covered in dust and humiliation.
What Gilgamesh had not expected, however, was that Samael would volunteer to retrieve the Golden Key Sword. Even more unexpectedly, a man who had never shown much concept of wealth or greed for it had actually demanded thirty percent of the Babylonian Treasury.
And that was not all. In order to let a certain foolish thief believe she had succeeded and swagger into the Gate of Babylon to steal, Samael had stalled for time by taking Ishtar shopping, while also asking Gilgamesh to use the opportunity to dismantle the defensive Magecraft inside the treasury so Ishtar could move the goods.
Samael clearly knew that woman's nature, yet he still indulged her selfish desires to this degree. The King of Heroes found it rather hard to understand.
"That's only a way to handle her, not the result I want. Call it spoiling her or indulging her if you like. It's rare for her to love something this much, and I happen to have those things, so giving them to her is fine."
Samael answered with a soft laugh, his eyes clear and gentle.
"As for her... she may be a little stupid, shameless, troublesome, and greedy, but to me, she's far more precious than that thirty percent of gems..."
"Forget it. That's your business. This King can't be bothered to care. You arrived just in time. Come drink a few more cups with me!"
The King of Heroes cast the topic aside in an instant, grabbed Samael, and pulled him inside to drink.
I'm... more precious than gems?
But neither of them noticed the pair of gem-like red eyes lowering in astonishment from the shadows beyond the wall. Looking at the colorful gems in her arms, some good and some poor, she suddenly found them dull. The things that had once seemed so wonderful no longer felt quite as dazzling or tempting.
...
Inside the house, after several rounds of wine, Samael felt the drunkenness rising. He declined anyone's company, stood, and went to the backyard to let the cold wind sober him up, staring absently at the dome wrapped in branch-like bands of light.
Inside the World Tree, everything was peaceful. Outside the World Tree, the world had probably already been turned upside down.
"You still like stuffing things away in your heart and secretly worrying over them. That's not a good habit."
Just as the Ancient Serpent was troubled by his thoughts, a tall figure approached from behind, and a teasing smile reached his ears.
"Kuku..."
Samael drew in his irritation and turned to look.
"Don't push yourself too hard. If you keep frowning like that, you won't be cute anymore. Be careful, or Big Sister might abandon you."
Quetzalcoatl, who always seemed full of sunlight and warmth, grinned and opened her arms, pulling the lonely man into her embrace. Like she had found an amusing plush toy, she rubbed her chin against him lightly.
Yet that secret joy of having him to herself lasted only a moment before the man, having calmed down, broke it.
"Big Sister, you came at the right time. There's something I want to ask you about. It has to do with the Maya..."
"What?"
Facing the little guy who had slipped out of her arms again, Quetzalcoatl crouched on the ground, somewhat discouraged and lacking enthusiasm.
"A place..."
Kukulkan abruptly raised her head. Her gaze stilled, and her aura instantly turned solemn and grave.
"You're... playing with fire?"
A quarter of an hour later, Quetzalcoatl and Samael walked back inside, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened.
Right. After the gathering, the real surprise should make its entrance too.
As Samael thought this, he looked around, then could not help tapping his forehead and asking helplessly, "Where's the Mother Goddess?"
"She should have gone to the sea of flowers. It's rare for the Mother Goddess to set foot on Mesopotamian soil again, and Lady Ere really wanted her to see the miracle born in the underworld. Of course, it was also to buy you some time."
Siduri, who was clearing the plates, answered meaningfully.
"All right, then. You all get ready first. I'll go find someone."
A gentle light flickered in Samael's eyes. After giving a few brief instructions, he stood and headed toward the old place.