Gilgamesh stepped forward through the crowd, showing no sign of restraint even in the presence of the many statues representing the gods.
Instead, his gaze flicked twice toward Meilin, who stood before the statue of the sky-king god, Anu.
Being stared at by Gilgamesh made Meilin feel awkward and a bit insulted. Why?
His height was only 158 cm, while Gilgamesh easily surpassed 180 cm, making him feel like a tiny pebble beside a golden boulder.
(The height was inspired by the author's closest person :v)
The situation was indeed awkward, but when Gilgamesh glanced down to observe the reaction of the person below him, the calm heart of the half-god/half-man king suddenly thumped wildly.
The "girl" in his field of vision (Meilin, who still hadn't revealed his gender)
Her long hair flowed with the gentle breeze as she observed the crowd calmly. Just by standing there, she made people feel how beautiful the world could be. With just one more look, all the messy thoughts in one's heart vanished. Those noisy distractions felt childish and foolish before her.
Especially when Gilgamesh looked into hee eyes.
How beautiful those eyes were! Clear and radiant like still water untouched by wind. When their gazes met, the world fell silent. Her cherry-pink lips parted slightly, and her voice—clear and melodious like a nightingale's song—rippled through Gilgamesh's ears.
"Your Majesty, how are you???"
Gilgamesh froze for a moment, stunned. The little fairy blinked, looking somewhat confused.
"Your Majesty?"
As if waking from a dream, Gilgamesh's ears turned even redder, and he stammered.
"Is the High Priest different this year? Hmph, good. Far better than that stubborn old man—make sure you give me something new to look forward to!"
The King of Uruk was arrogant as always.
But this time, everyone attending the offering ceremony was stunned. Normally, their king would use humiliating words like "stray dog," "filthy peasant," or worse.
But today? Nothing.
You could even clearly see Gilgamesh's ears glowing red!
Basu, seeing all this, could only sigh. His granddaughter's charm had caused another sensation.
Meilin: ???
If I'm using question marks, that means you're the one who's wrong!!!
Impossible. Was the blessing of that annoying goddess really THIS powerful?!
This was the Hero King! A king who was 1/3 human and 2/3 god! The pioneer of humanity's rebellion against the gods! A wise ruler in his later years!
Sure, the version before him now was a rebellious, tyrannical teenage Gilgamesh, but still—
He's the Hero King!
Where's your tyrannical arrogance, huh?!
Why are you acting like someone who just saw a woman so beautiful she shouldn't exist in the mortal realm?!
I refuse to believe he's actually captivated by me!
Meilin screamed internally, but his expression remained calm to preserve his image.
Gilgamesh desperately tried to steady himself.
'This woman… what… what is this?!'
It was impossible for such a woman to exist. As if GOD Himself crafted her with care and perfection.
In all Gilgamesh's life, he had met many beautiful women, but this was the first time he was unable to look away.
Meilin, who had resolved to risk death, was not an ordinary person.
Though it wasn't yet time to hand over the stone tablet, for Meilin this was the perfect opportunity to provoke him.
Building immense hatred could not be done in a single moment.
He needed Gilgamesh to despise him so much he'd want to kill him!!!
Therefore, Lo Wei decided to leave him with a strong, negative first impression.
This was the moment.
"Trust me—you'll 'enjoy' it," Meilin answered with a gentle smile, his voice echoing slightly. It sounded soft and peaceful, yet carried a strange undertone of sarcasm.
"You bastard, did I give you permission to speak?" Gilgamesh's red eyes narrowed, and he sneered suddenly.
Many priests, servants, and guards nearby gasped.
No one expected Meilin to respond so casually to the king.
If Gilgamesh became enraged… the consequences would be unimaginable!
But to everyone's shock, although Gilgamesh smiled coldly, he showed no signs of erupting in fury…
No, Gilgamesh had no intention of getting angry at all—in fact, he was looking forward to what this priest would do next.
The beautiful young priest… was simply too interesting.
Gilgamesh felt it. His Clairvoyance saw it.
This perfect "woman" was clearly awaiting something terrible to happen during the ritual!
Meilin, meanwhile, was confused as to why the king remained so calm.
Even though he had read the Type-Moon series before transmigrating and knew Gilgamesh's general personality, he still couldn't fully grasp the flow of the king's emotions.
Or maybe there was no pattern at all—Gilgamesh was the embodiment of "unpredictable egoism."
(You fool, he's just mesmerized by you!)
Unable to figure out the answer, Meilin decided not to think about it.
He simply strengthened his resolve to reach the simulator's ending and obtain the new trait.
With that power, wouldn't Gilgamesh be able to see exactly what he was thinking?
Returning to the present, facing Gilgamesh's cold, mocking questioning, Meilin merely smiled softly and didn't reply.
"Hmph, not talking now? Is that all a priest can do?"
Gilgamesh sounded disappointed. "Then kneel before my glorious majesty and accept my greatness—by becoming this king's concubine!"
"..."
How could someone say that without a trace of shame?!
Meilin struggled to keep his expression calm.
Unnoticed by others, Gilgamesh glanced sideways at Meilin, his red eyes gleaming like a serpent eyeing prey.
He was enjoying Meilin's reactions.
"Your Majesty, the time has come," a servant reminded him.
Indeed, it was time for the grand ritual dedicated to all the gods.
Meilin glanced at the sky. It was noon, the hour when the gods were said to reach their highest point over Mesopotamia with the blazing sun.
Holding the sacrifice ritual at this time was the best way to show humanity's reverence.
It was time for the High Priest—Meilin—to begin.
"For the divine and exalted gods above," Meilin proclaimed loudly, choosing eloquent words like a later-era presenter, "we, the countless people of Uruk, offer our sincerest gratitude and prayers…"
The old priest listened, then glanced at Gilgamesh—who was leaning against a stone pillar with an expression full of contempt for the gods—and felt so touched that he nearly burst into tears.
The contrast between the two was stark.
Both were geniuses.
Though Meilin didn't have Gilgamesh's strength or wisdom, he was considered the second most gifted youth in Uruk—right after Gilgamesh.
No—if we're talking magical talent and comprehension, Meilin might actually be first!
The difference wasn't huge, and though Meilin wasn't obedient, he at least preserved some sense of reverence.
This made the old man, who had thought Uruk would eventually be abandoned and destroyed by the gods because of Gilgamesh's recklessness, feel that the city was saved once again.
But soon, his smile faded.
Once Meilin finished his speech, the priests before each statue began dancing.
Fire rose quickly, consuming the offerings, and smoke drifted toward the realm of the gods.
Next—
The most important part: Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, would read the prayer of reverence.
As the ruler of the city-state, he was the central figure of the festival.
In a primitive city-state, religion and politics were intertwined.
The king was the highest priest, the closest one to the gods. The high priests under him were effectively his assistants.
The stone tablet Meilin held—carved by his own hands—was prepared for this purpose.
He stepped forward to give it to Gilgamesh.
May this ceremony become the oldest and most memorable deathbed story in history!
"Your Majesty, please read the final prayer."
Under the vigilant gazes of everyone, Meilin lifted his long linen robe, letting his gentle and elegant aura spread through the hall, and offered the mud tablet to the blond king leaning on the stone pillar.
Gilgamesh seemed reluctant, but he still reached out and took it.
If not for the priest before him, he'd never touch something used to honor the gods.
"How dare you force me, the great king, to recite disgusting words for those worthless bastards! Under normal circumstances, such an offense against this great and noble king should be punishable by death a thousand times!"
Even now, the king clung to his pride.
In truth, Gilgamesh—who openly despised the gods—was present not out of respect.
It was only because of his mother—who held a place among the gods: Ninsun, the all-knowing goddess, daughter of Anu, the sky-king god.
This famous king was born of a union between a mortal ruler and a goddess.
Though he carried human blood, he possessed divine power and wisdom.
This bond was unbreakable.
It was the last thread connecting the rebellious king to the gods above.
But that thread was fragile.
Now that the gods could no longer descend and Gilgamesh hadn't seen his mother in ages, the thread could snap at any moment.
For now, though, he could still endure it.
To be continued ~
[This is the first episode of his journey in ancient Mesopotamia!
Wait for the continuation, okay~]