"I'm not that fragile. As a Chrysos Heir who's walked this earth for millennia, my constitution is different from ordinary people's. Though I'm still human, I'm much stronger than most."
"Mmm... that's certainly true. An ordinary human couldn't accomplish what you've done."
Being able to make flowers bloom in the underworld... Castorice was clearly no ordinary person.
"May I sit beside you, Castorice?"
Ereshkigal gazed at Castorice with a smiling face, wanting to observe her up close.
"Of course. But please be careful not to touch my hands. Even though your current body is that of a goddess, something unpleasant could happen upon contact."
Ereshkigal looked at Castorice beside her, wanting to sit down yet feeling somewhat distant. She slowly shifted closer, narrowing the gap between them to an intimate proximity.
"I never thought... you'd actually be able to win me over as an ally. Or was it... love at first sight?"
Ereshkigal watched Castorice, wondering what was going through her mind.
"?"
Castorice looked at Ereshkigal with a puzzled expression.
"If you don't like her, why would you invite her to join your team?"
Ereshkigal asked curiously, "If I'm not mistaken, you prefer women, right? Whether it's that little girl with the Gorgon symbol or that young warrior maiden, they both hold you in high regard."
"If we're talking about orientation... I do indeed prefer girls. Actually... my existence shares certain similarities with all of you."
Castorice hesitated for a moment before speaking.
She very much wanted to reveal her true identity to Ereshkigal and Ana—including being someone from another world—but now didn't seem like the right opportunity.
"So, did you invite Ishtar to join because you have strong feelings for her?"
Ereshkigal's question circled back to the beginning.
Without even realizing it, Ereshkigal's reference to Ishtar had shifted to "her," inadvertently revealing her own identity.
But Castorice didn't point it out.
"No."
Castorice gently shook her head.
"If it were simply a matter of liking someone, there'd be no need for that. It's purely because Uruk needs such powerful combat strength right now."
"Besides... compared to Ishtar during the day, I prefer Ishtar at night. After all, I can sense a gentleness in the nighttime Ishtar that's absent during the day. I quite like that."
Castorice smiled softly as she looked at Ereshkigal.
"Mmm..."
Ereshkigal gazed at Castorice's serene smiling face, her own cheeks flushing slightly as her heartbeat quickened.
Is this a confession? After all these years, this might be the first time someone has confessed to me... So... I can actually be loved too?
"Are... are you joking? What I said earlier was just casual talk... about liking someone and all..."
Ereshkigal felt momentarily flustered, while Castorice simply watched her gently without speaking.
Still, Ereshkigal felt a thrill of surprise—Castorice wasn't afraid of her for being a goddess, and might even like her...
Wasn't this exactly what Ereshkigal had always yearned for?
That lonely heart of hers trembled faintly in that moment.
"So, you won't dislike me for being a goddess?"
Ereshkigal looked at Castorice, her eyes carrying a hint of shyness and anticipation.
"Of course not. I like you very much—regardless of whether you're human or goddess."
Castorice spoke words that sounded almost like a confession.
"...Never mind, time is limited. Let's return to our earlier topic."
Somewhat bashfully, Ereshkigal steered the conversation away, then said, "What are your thoughts on the Three Goddess Alliance?"
As she spoke, she picked up a twig and began doodling absently on the ground: "The Beast Goddess never intended to reconcile with you from the start. The Jungle Goddess... to be honest, I'm not too sure about her either—our cultural spheres are too different. The question lies with the third pillar—what are your thoughts about me?"
Ereshkigal looked at Castorice.
Just then, a faint glow appeared in the eastern sky—dawn would break soon.
"I cannot forgive Mesopotamia as it is now. I don't agree with humanity abandoning the gods, intending to create a world solely for themselves, because that path only leads to suffering."
The candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow on Ereshkigal's face, filling it with tenderness: "Humans cannot escape the fears of life and death. They want to accept reality as it is, but their intellect has grown too advanced."
"However, in the Age of Gods, this suffering can be mitigated, because here exist things beyond human understanding. They blame all unreasonable and cruel things on the gods, allowing themselves to live freely. I've always believed this way of existence to be good."
"Thus far, I've endured like this for thousands, tens of thousands of years. That's why I joined this alliance—to transform your human world into a world of both humans and gods."
Ereshkigal spoke calmly, then noticed Castorice watching her intently.
"Anyway, this is just my personal opinion..."
She said somewhat self-consciously.
"Once, someone posed a question to me: Why does life slumber?"
The light on the horizon grew brighter—dawn was approaching.
"How did you answer?"
Ereshkigal didn't understand what Castorice meant, but asked anyway.
"My thought was... because life needs rest. They need to recuperate, gather energy, and then face tomorrow. The humans of this world are no different."
Castorice gently shook her head.
"Humans can certainly depend on the gods, relying on divine guidance to muddle through their days. But that ultimately doesn't solve the real problems. The fears and unknowns remain—they're merely numbing themselves with the presence of gods."
"In my homeland, there exists a beautiful dream born from the void. To escape harsh reality, people would retreat into this dreamlike cradle to heal their wounds and pain."
"But... one day, humans must awaken from dreams and face tomorrow's difficulties. However, they might struggle to find the resolve, so they need a little push."
"In my view, the humans of this world are the same. During the Age of Gods, when humanity first emerged, they were tiny and helpless, relying solely on divine protection."
"The Age of Gods is like humanity's dream—with the gods' protection, humans only needed to follow where the gods led. But that was never humanity's own path."
"So, facing the fear of hunger, humans created farming tools. Facing the fear of death, they forged weapons. They cleared land and cultivated fires—that was the new era. Humans would protect their lives in their own ways, not merely by relying on the gods."
"But that's too cruel. Humanity has lost too much throughout this history."
Ereshkigal shook her head.
"But look—isn't present-day Uruk the fruit of human effort? They created such a prosperous city—their pride and joy."
"For humanity, the gods and the Divine Age represent an incredibly sweet dream. They may lose themselves in this beautiful dream, but sooner or later, they will awaken and use their own hands to carve out a new tomorrow."
"What about the gods? Should the gods simply be abandoned by humanity?"
Ereshkigal asked, somewhat confused.
"Of course not... Humans have their own path to walk, and so do the gods. There's no rigid rule that things must be a certain way. Without human dependence, the gods can pursue what they truly enjoy…"
"They can have hobbies too—like soaring through the skies, or keeping a small pet, or tenderly caring for plants and flowers."
Castorice looked at Ereshkigal and smiled.
"You really are different from ordinary people."
Castorice's words left Ereshkigal silent for a moment. Then, looking at the growing dawn light in the east, she said, "It's time for me to rest. Let's talk again next time. Good night."
Ereshkigal quickly stood up, preparing to leave.
But then she paused, turned back to look at Castorice, and revealed a beautiful smile: "Still, thank you for being willing to talk with me for so long... and... I quite like you too."
Having said this, her cheeks flushed crimson as she hurried away.
At that very moment, the sky brightened dramatically as a great sun slowly rose from beyond the mountains and seas.
Day had broken.
"...Was I just confessed to?"
Castorice watched Ereshkigal's retreating figure, the realization dawning on her belatedly.
--+--
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!
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