It seemed they were here to make trouble...
Castorice quickly stopped Merlin, who was about to retort beside her.
She really didn't want to get into a pointless fight with Ishtar. Besides, when it came to girls, a little appeasement usually did the trick—and that applied even to goddesses.
Seeing the situation, Castorice stepped forward.
"Castorice, I'm disappointed. I never expected you to come here behind my back. And here I thought you were a decent follower—I was even planning to look after you in the future."
Ishtar looked at Castorice, her eyes filled with genuine disappointment.
You, with those thick eyebrows and big eyes—you're in on this too, teaming up with the others to trick me!
So frustrating! Un-believable!
"That's not it, Ishtar. The reason I kept it from you was because I wanted to give you a surprise."
Castorice gazed sincerely at Ishtar as she spoke.
"A surprise? Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Did you really believe I'd be as easy to fool as some human girl? The price for deceiving a goddess is steep!"
Ishtar's tone was sharp.
"Don't imagine I'll forgive you. I, Ishtar, would sooner fall from the sky into the underworld than forgive you today!"
"Is that so? It seems I overestimated our relationship. I truly thought we were friends."
A well-timed expression of sorrow crossed Castorice's face.
Watching her, Ishtar struggled inwardly for a moment, then let out a cold "Hmph!" and turned away.
"To be honest, King Gilgamesh didn't originally send me. He only tasked Merlin with finding the Tablet of Destinies. I asked to come along."
Castorice looked at Ishtar, her eyes full of melancholy.
"Hmph! So you went out of your way to come here and anger me, even though it had nothing to do with you?"
Ishtar grew even angrier at Castorice's words.
"N-No, that's not it…"
Castorice shook her head gently and placed her right hand over her chest.
"It's been so long since we last met in Uruk. I've been wanting to see you again, to behold your radiance. You like gems, don't you?"
As she spoke, Castorice produced a large, heavy bag of gems—another one of her accumulations over the centuries.
It wasn't as if she had much use for them anyway.
"I've been collecting these gems all this time, hoping to give them to you. But I never had the chance to see you. That's why I came with Merlin—I thought I might run into you here. But then the owner of the pasture told me our timing was off, that you weren't in your territory right now."
Noticing the flicker of hesitation on Ishtar's face, Castorice pressed on:
"I thought I wouldn't get to see you this time. Honestly, when I saw you earlier, I was so happy. But if you'd rather not see me, then I'll just go."
She let her sadness show and made as if to leave.
Merlin, watching Ishtar's expression, sighed softly.
"Ah, how tragic. Castorice risked angering King Gilgamesh just to see you. With her valuable abilities, she'd be far more useful on the battlefield. The king wasn't pleased about this at all."
"Yeah, yeah… So pitiful, Castorice," Ana chimed in flatly, catching on belatedly.
For a moment, faced with Castorice's sorrowful expression, Ishtar felt as though she'd committed some grave sin.
This child went through all this trouble, joyfully gathering gems to give to me, and here I am, saying such things...
I'm the worst!
Ishtar suddenly felt like slapping herself twice.
Then it hit her—oh right, she wasn't even human...
"Mmm..."
She stared at Castorice, her inner conflict growing more evident.
"Alright, alright! Wipe that look off your face. I'll let it slide this time. But don't any of you dare trespass into my territory again, or I'll make you regret it! Well… except for Castorice. Since you revere me so faithfully, I grant you the privilege of an audience with me anytime!"
After shooting an annoyed glance at Merlin, Ishtar turned a much softer gaze toward Castorice.
If Gilgamesh had witnessed this, he'd have thought he was seeing things—since when did this woman act so… human?
Could that face of hers even make an expression that wasn't arrogant or domineering?
"Thank you, Ishtar. Thank you for understanding. These gems are my gift to you—please accept them."
As she spoke, Castorice deliberately loosened the bag's opening.
At first, Ishtar paid it little mind, casually taking the bag and giving it a perfunctory glance.
But then sunlight streamed into the bag, and the gems inside burst into a dazzling, kaleidoscopic glow.
At a single glance, she could tell—these were top-tier gems, perfect for casting magecraft!
What's blinding me? It's so bright!
Instantly, everything else vanished from Ishtar's sight.
She had always loved gems, but she lacked the Golden Rule to match that love.
In the past, the people of Uruk offered them as tribute, but those days were over. As a result, Ishtar was still somewhat gem-starved.
This hefty bag of gems from Castorice was an irresistible temptation.
And just like that, Ishtar found Castorice more and more pleasing to the eye.
"Mmm, not bad, not bad. I accept your heartfelt gift. I grant you the special privilege of visiting me anytime!"
With just a few well-chosen words, Castorice had Ishtar beaming with delight. Merlin watched in awe—was this some kind of special charm Castorice had against women?
Now that he thought about it, Ana seemed quite fond of Castorice too... and then there was Ushiwakamaru. They'd barely interacted, yet she was unusually warm toward Castorice when they set out today...
Absolutely terrifying!
Are you some kind of queen of winning over women or what?
But just as Castorice was about to speak again, dark clouds gathered in the sky, blotting out the sun. Night had fallen.
In that instant, Ishtar's eyes grew heavy-lidded. When she looked up again, her demeanor had completely shifted.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
It was Ereshkigal now looking at Castorice, a graceful smile gracing her lips—the same face, yet somehow more elegant and endearing than when Ishtar wore it.
Was it all in the aura she carried?
Like how different people could wear the same costume and come off as either a goofball or a refined older sister.
Since it was already late, Castorice and Ereshkigal didn't talk much. Instead, she left with Merlin and the others, leaving Ereshkigal standing alone.
But before long, Ereshkigal noticed something unusual.
By this hour, spirits should have already begun to appear—so why was it so quiet tonight?
Puzzled, she made her way toward the boundary between the underworld and the living realm.
And there… her eyes widened in disbelief.
There, at the entrance to the underworld, a field of flowers was in full bloom.
A gentle breeze stirred, and the blossoms swayed softly in the desolate landscape.
Here, in this barren realm where nothing should grow, a miraculous flower garden now flourished.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.