"A foe on the level of a chief deity... no matter how you look at it, that's troublesome. How troublesome," Castorice muttered under her breath.
Upon his throne, Gilgamesh stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Last night, Castorice had brought Ishtar back to Uruk.
Then, early this very morning, just moments ago, the goddess of the jungle had revealed her true form: Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity of South America.
The enemy had shattered the southern gate, slaughtered a hundred soldiers with absolute force, and then swaggered out of Uruk without a care.
"An enemy of this caliber basically eliminates any possibility of a direct victory," Ishtar remarked, perched elegantly on her celestial boat.
She smoothed her flawless chin, her pure white legs crossed, one calf swinging idly in the air.
"A chief deity-level existence, even if she doesn't belong to this era—judging by the power she displayed, our chances of defeating her with our current combat strength are minuscule."
"Hey, why not have Castorice go and propose to her?" Merlin piped up, suddenly struck by what was clearly a terrible idea. "Didn't she say just now that she's taken a liking to Castorice?"
During their brief earlier clash, the feathered serpent goddess had indeed shown considerable fondness for Castorice. She seemed to have a particular soft spot for kind-hearted individuals, and Castorice certainly fit the bill.
Although, that hadn't stopped her from landing a solid kick on the girl.
But then again, it made sense.
Someone like Castorice, who'd risk her life to save others, was probably the type Quetzalcoatl would favor most.
"Yikes... I take it back. I take it back!" The instant the words left Merlin's mouth, he felt three pairs of eyes sharp as blades land on him. A chill shot down his spine, and he immediately backed down.
"Oh? How amusing." A look of sheer entertainment flashed in Gilgamesh's eyes as he watched the reactions of Ishtar and the others.
However, the fact that this goddess wasn't from their era, yet was displaying such peak strength, indicated that she must have established a temple and possessed a symbolic anchor.
Realizing this, Gilgamesh swiftly dispatched Castorice and her companions to Eridu, much like some quest-giving elder. Their mission: destroy Quetzalcoatl's anchor, defeat her, and retrieve the Axe of Marduk.
Night fell, and Castorice was on watch again.
Perhaps because they had entered the forest, the air held a trace of cool freshness. Compared to other places, the temperature here at night was noticeably lower.
A gentle breeze, carrying a hint of chill, tousled a stray lock of Castorice's hair. Bathed in moonlight beside the campfire, she resembled the legendary moon goddess herself.
Soft footsteps sounded from behind. Castorice didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Ever since Ishtar had become their ally, Ereshkigal would appear almost every night, seizing any chance to talk with Castorice.
If Ana knew that she had to guard not just against the dog-like enthusiasm of Ushiwakamaru, but also against Ereshkigal—this sneaky little thief—who knows if she'd just explode.
She was the first to meet Castorice, yet everyone else seemed to be making faster progress.
"Here." Ereshkigal walked up to Castorice and placed a cup of warm tea before her.
Castorice had heard faint noises from behind earlier; it turned out Ereshkigal had been preparing this.
"Thank you."
The night carried a slight chill, and the warm tea would help ward off the cold.
Accepting the cup, Castorice scooted over, making space for Ereshkigal to sit down.
However, while Ereshkigal had thought to bring Castorice tea to dispel the cold, she'd forgotten that Ishtar's attire offered little protection against the chill.
A sudden sneeze escaped her.
Perhaps because her body relaxes when she sneezes, in that instant, Ereshkigal reverted to her original appearance: a head of gorgeous, dazzling golden hair, complemented by a dark red shawl and attire.
Noble, yet with a touch of adorable charm.
Seeing this, Castorice said nothing. She simply offered the tea she had just sipped to Ereshkigal.
"Have some. It'll warm you up. You don't mind that I've already drunk from it, do you?"
A faint smile graced Castorice's lips as she tilted her head to look at Ereshkigal.
"O-of course I don't mind..." Taking the warm tea, a blush spread across Ereshkigal's cheeks. She lifted the cup and took a small sip.
A comforting warmth flowed down her throat, seeping into her heart.
Whether intentional or not, her lips touched the exact spot where Castorice had just drunk from.
"I came here to give you a warning," Ereshkigal said, her expression turning serious.
"Quetzalcoatl is a goddess of good, standing at the very pinnacle of benevolence. That means a truly good person can never defeat her. Only malevolence can harm her. So, don't count on me being able to intervene."
Hearing this, Castorice felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Was this some kind of Servant Pokémon game?
Since when did attribute counters apply here?
But this trait of Quetzalcoatl's was indeed troublesome.
Although, as someone from outside this world, the ability probably wouldn't affect her, it also meant she would have no backup.
Whether it was Ana, Ishtar, or even Ereshkigal beside her—despite their varied abilities—they were, without a doubt, all good people.
That meant none of them could defeat the feathered serpent goddess. The only one who could was Castorice herself.
"I understand. But still, thank you. Thank you for telling me this. I'd expect nothing less from you, Lady Goddess."
Castorice gently placed a hand over her chest and nodded in gratitude.
She only remembered the broad strokes of the story; she had genuinely forgotten this detail. If Ereshkigal hadn't reminded them, they would have surely suffered for it later.
"Of course!" Hearing Castorice's praise, Ereshkigal puffed out her chest proudly, placing a hand over her heart. "I am the most virtuous, the cleverest goddess in all of Mesopotamia!"
"But still, you're truly kind. Going out of your way to come and tell me this."
Under Castorice's sincere gaze, Ereshkigal felt a little shy.
"Well... you see, I was assigned my duties right from birth. I've always been confined to the temple, never truly free... A friend I can sit and talk with normally like this—you're the first. So, I don't want you to get hurt."
Fidgeting with a strand of her hair, Ereshkigal spoke, her cheeks flushed. Though in the darkness, it wasn't so obvious.
Ereshkigal's world was vast—she possessed an entire underworld, reigning as its goddess. Yet her world was also small. The underworld was familiar, yet it felt so cold to her.
It wasn't until Castorice appeared—first drawn by her unique aura, then learning that she had planted flowers in the underworld—that her feelings shifted from gratitude to the concern of a friend, now tinged with another, subtler emotion...
"Actually... I'm somewhat similar," Castorice said softly.
"From the moment I was born, I've borne the blessing of death. This power was never a gift to me. People respected me, feared me, kept their distance. These cold hands of mine... they had never properly touched life until I came to this world. You... you are also an important friend to me."
Hearing Castorice's words, Ereshkigal's first reaction wasn't anything else—it was pure joy.
Because she understood from Castorice's words that she was the first person to have ever touched Castorice's hands.
She knew it might not signify anything grand, but Ereshkigal couldn't help the waves of happiness that washed over her.
Hehe, Castorice's first... belongs to me.
--+--
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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If you guys wanna check it out.