“This is ancient Uruk? It’s incredible…”
Escorted by Uruk’s soldiers, Shirou Emiya and Kurumi Tokisaki made their way down the broad main road toward the temple-like structure at the heart of the city, a building shaped somewhat like a pyramid.
It only looked like a temple. In truth, it was not used solely for priestly rites. It also served as Gilgamesh’s royal palace.
But that was not what caught their attention most.
“My, my… the city walls were already shocking enough, but somehow… when it comes to daily life, the people here don’t seem all that different from people in the modern world.”
Kurumi rarely let her curiosity show so openly, yet there was no hiding it now as she looked around. On what could only be called the city’s main artery, vendors of every kind hawked their wares while people drifted from stall to stall, buying whatever supplies they needed.
When they had first entered the city, they had also seen what looked like a hunting party returning from the distant forest, carrying slain Age of Gods phantasmal beasts along with all manner of medicinal herbs.
Out on the plains, farmers were hard at work as well. Vast stretches of land had been cleared and planted with crops.
To Shirou and Kurumi , this was a thriving city where people lived in peace and worked in contentment, brimming with life and vitality. It carried the unique customs and atmosphere of ancient Babylon—things they had never experienced for themselves.
“I’m starting to rethink my impression of that guy…”
Shirou scratched his head and let out an awkward laugh.
“Maybe he’s actually a decent king?”
But once the initial novelty wore off, Kurumi’s brow furrowed instead. Tilting her head, she lowered her voice and asked Shirou, “When we came to this world, the mission description said this was during King Gilgamesh’s youth—his tyrant phase, right?”
At that, Shirou also began to feel that something was off.
“That’s right. I came here ready to fight that guy all over again.”
“Then something’s strange.”
Kurumi looked at the smiling faces of the Uruk citizens passing by around them.
“If this really is that period, then how are there still so many people here who can smile? From what I know, a king’s power in the Age of Gods was terrifyingly absolute.”
“With a tyrant like that hanging over them, someone who could decide life and death—and the fate of the city-state itself—on a whim, how could they possibly smile?”
Shirou felt that something was wrong too, but he had no good explanation.
“Sigh…”
Seeing the look on his face, Kurumi shook her head.
“When we get there, just focus on opening the box. Don’t say anything unnecessary.”
“We’ll deal with whatever happens. Hopefully…”
Their eyes dropped to the treasure chest in Shirou’s hands.
“He’ll be interested in this.”
And so, in silence, they made their way through the streets and arrived at the temple at the center of the city.
There, they saw a veiled woman waiting for them at the entrance.
“Greetings, I am Siduri, priestess of this city.”
She gave them a formal Uruk greeting, and Kurumi and Shirou bowed in return.
“I am Kurumi Tokisaki.”
“My name is Shirou Emiya.”
After the brief exchange of greetings, Siduri led them into the temple.
“Um, Priestess Siduri, are we really just going in like this? We don’t need to do anything else?”
Shirou asked, tension beginning to creep into his voice.
“There is no need. Whatever the occasion, my king dislikes overly elaborate ceremony.”
Siduri answered with a smile, reassuring them with her gaze.
Compared to the long streets outside, the temple steps were not especially many. In less than three minutes, the three of them had reached the main hall.
This was also where Gilgamesh normally handled affairs of state.
Kurumi was fine, but Shirou’s feelings started getting complicated again.
“Calm down, Shirou, calm down. This isn’t the bastard you faced—the one who wanted to wipe out humanity.”
He muttered to himself, steadily forcing himself back under control, and little by little, resolve hardened in his eyes.
“My king, the foreigners from the Great Tang of the East have arrived.”
Siduri announced them from outside the hall.
A stern voice came from within.
“Bring them in.”
Siduri led them inside.
Holding the treasure chest, Shirou was the first to meet the gaze looking down at him from above. Seated upon the throne in the hall was a familiar face.
As expected. He looks a lot more serious and composed. So this really isn’t the same period as that gaudy bastard.
But the moment Gilgamesh saw Kurumi Tokisaki and Shirou Emiya, his expression went blank.
Under the puzzled gazes of Siduri and the two of them, that expression shifted again and again.
From stern to blank, from blank to startled, from startled to shocked, from shocked to relieved, and from relieved to utter nonchalance.
All of that happened in barely three seconds.
Gilgamesh no longer even bothered to sit upright. He leaned back on his throne with casual arrogance, crossed his legs, and propped them up on the desk.
Before the two of them could say a word, Gilgamesh spoke first.
“Hah. So you two are those scripture-seeking pilgrims.”
The instant they heard the words “scripture-seeking pilgrims,” Kurumi Tokisaki and Shirou Emiya’s eyes narrowed.
This Gilgamesh actually knew what “the Great Tang of the East” meant!
What kind of joke was this?
There was a gap of three thousand years here, wasn’t there?
Could it be that Gilgamesh already had Clairvoyance at this point in time?
Siduri frowned, and when she looked back at the two of them, her gaze had turned somewhat unfriendly as well.
Had they lied about something?
“No, King Gilgamesh.”
Kurumi remained fairly composed. Calmly, she said what she had to say.
“We truly did come to present a treasure. It is only that insignificant people like us lacked the standing to place such a treasure directly into your hands. In order for the king to receive it, we had no choice but to resort to this method and draw your attention.”
That immediately confirmed that they had lied about something, but it also established the image they wanted to present: loyal people willing to risk death itself for the king’s sake.
Unfortunately, Kurumi had very clearly failed to appeal to the original Gilgamesh’s tastes.
If this had really been the original Gilgamesh, he probably would have accepted the chest—and then sentenced them to death as a matter of course.
That could not be helped. The original Gilgamesh operated according to a logic ordinary people could never understand. The moment he realized they had lied, they would have been placed on the list of the condemned.
But they were fortunate.
The Gilgamesh before them would not do that.
“Oh?”
Gilgamesh drawled, looking at them with amused detachment.
“Very well. The treasure has been delivered. You may leave.”
“Uh…”
Kurumi’s lips twitched slightly. Shirou looked much the same.
He had been wrong. This golden bastard was still just as nasty.
And yet this really was a troublesome situation.
“Your Majesty, why not look at the treasure first?”
That was all Kurumi could say.
This is a fan translation of 我要往王之财宝里再加点东西 by 海绵宝宝宝宝 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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