"We meet again, Ereshkigal."
Facing the other's terrifying form, Castorice dipped into a soft, graceful curtsy—her posture impeccable.
"You dare show yourself before me again? Did my words mean nothing to you?"
Though inwardly thrilled, Ereshkigal let out a cold humph as she regarded Castorice.
"Of course not. Every word you spoke, I've kept close to my heart. But… I have a reason I must be here."
Every word?
Hearing that, the Ereshkigal hiding within felt a wave of bashfulness.
Her tone softened just a little.
"I'll allow you to state your reason. If you can convince me, I'll permit you and yours to leave the underworld alive."
She spoke with deliberate calm.
For some reason, that line about 'leaving the underworld alive' reminded Castorice of a certain thunder god. Would Ereshkigal, too, strike her down the moment she tried to depart?
"People say you are a wicked goddess, that you imprison souls at will and torment them for millennia. But ever since my last visit here, I've realized… this place is nothing like the tales."
Castorice shook her head gently, her voice even.
"Different how? Are there more souls trapped in these spear-cages than you imagined?"
Ereshkigal snorted coldly.
"Yes. But what's even more different is that I've come to understand the nature of this world. Though this is the underworld, it offers no true refuge for souls."
"Legends say the underworld is where the dead reside, yet this one… is so barren, so desolate, that souls cannot truly survive here. Merely existing in this place, they slowly fade… or turn into vengeful spirits."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Ereshkigal furrowed her brow slightly, not understanding Castorice's point.
"These spear-cages… they seem cruel, meant only to imprison souls. But in this bitter, cold underworld, they've become shelters. Only here can these souls exist in peace, rather than dissolve into nothing."
"Wait, so that's what those cages are for? I thought they were just glorified street lamps, honestly… No wonder we never see any souls outside them in the underworld… So Ereshkigal has been protecting all of them…"
Ishtar's eyes widened in sudden understanding. Her gaze toward the souls held in the spear-cages shifted—no longer pity, but relief.
'If not for Ereshkigal, you'd all have faded away by now…'
She murmured inwardly.
"And what of it? It's only so these souls can remain forever under my dominion."
Seeing the stunned looks on Ishtar and the others after Castorice's explanation, Ereshkigal grew visibly flustered and quickly added defensively.
"Then… how do you explain that carefully tended flower field I saw on my way here? You know its purpose better than I."
"Merely to add a little color to this dull realm. Is that so strange?"
She continued to evade.
"Hold on—I'd almost forgotten to ask. What's with that flower field? I didn't see it last time I was here."
Ishtar suddenly cut in, turning a questioning gaze toward Ereshkigal.
She knew Ereshkigal well—if flowers could bloom here, she would have made it happen long ago. Over the years, Ereshkigal had tried countless times.
"It was my doing. In my homeland, the underworld blooms with countless flowers of the dead. When I arrived here and saw this barren landscape, I felt something was missing… so I took it upon myself to cultivate them here."
Castorice briefly recounted her previous visit to the underworld.
"So it really was you! You really planted all those flowers?"
Ereshkigal's eyes widened, suddenly gazing at Castorice with barely contained emotion.
She had suspected it was Castorice's doing, but after the girl left the underworld, Ereshkigal never asked.
Even while borrowing Ishtar's body to speak with her, she avoided the topic to keep her identity hidden.
"I simply felt this world needed a field of flowers, that's all. The underworld is so vast… if only souls dwell here, wouldn't it be too monotonous?"
Castorice smiled gently, her eyes resting on Ereshkigal.
"So… you pitied me? You planted those flowers because you feared I'd be lonely? Yes… for millennia, it's been only me in this vast underworld, accompanied by souls without consciousness…"
Ereshkigal's tone was difficult to read.
"No. Nothing I've done was out of pity. All of this stems from your choices—I would never judge you for them."
"And… to me, while death must be treated with solemnity, it isn't something to fear. Everything you've done here is by your will. I would never presume to judge that."
Castorice shook her head softly, then slowly stepped closer to Ereshkigal.
"Those flowers… I planted them here only because I wished to see them bloom in the underworld. Their purpose was never pity—it was to complement."
"Complement?"
Ereshkigal looked at Castorice, puzzled.
"Yes. Even the most vibrant flowers need green leaves to set them off. The underworld is no exception."
"But there are no flowers here. Nothing to complement."
Ereshkigal shook her head.
"That's not true. At the heart of this realm, the most beautiful flower of the underworld has long since blossomed."
As she spoke, Castorice gently took Ereshkigal's hand.
Beneath that fearsome skeletal exterior lay not a bone-chilling cold, but a warmth that belonged only to a young girl.
"Well now. It seems I've underestimated Castorice."
Hearing her words, Gilgamesh let out a low sound of admiration.
He had thought the girl's greatest strength lay in her combat prowess—he never expected her to be this skilled in other areas.
Anyone could see it: the moment Castorice spoke those words, Ereshkigal's heart trembled deeply.
"Thank you… Thank you for all your help, and for talking with me every night. If not for you, I might have faced many more troubles."
"So… you knew all along? Since when?"
The armor of flesh and bone shattered and fell away at that moment. As the fearsome exterior dissolved, Ereshkigal's true form was revealed to all.
Golden hair as dazzling as the sun, a noble and breathtaking beauty—the contrast with her previous skeletal form could not have been greater.
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T/N: Idk why i didn't say this earlier, but I actually haven't played to Amphoreus. Got stuck at penacony and never touched the game again, so idk much about Amphoreus, so if the terminology is wrong, just tell me.
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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.