“We’re here to save the world!”
The moment those words left his mouth, the room went still.
Siduri looked at them as though they were insane, while Gilgamesh showed little reaction.
Shirou Emiya stared tensely at Gilgamesh, hoping to catch some hint of emotion he could use to his advantage.
But he could read nothing at all. Just as Gilgamesh’s ever-shifting moods suggested, this king was not someone who could be judged by common sense.
And as absurd as what he had just said sounded, it was the truth.
“King Gilgamesh, this place… is about to become a living hell.”
Kurumi Tokisaki spoke as well.
Only then did Gilgamesh’s expression finally change.
He frowned at the two of them, looking as though he might fly into a rage again.
Shirou tensed up. Mana even began to gather in his hands, only for Kurumi to press them down at once.
She shot a glare at the boy, who had been inexplicably on edge from the moment they entered the temple.
“I told you already…”
Then, without warning, a voice thick with anger rang out.
It was Gilgamesh’s.
And with it came a merciless volley of Noble Phantasms!
As the treasures slammed savagely into the floor, the impatient voice of the golden king followed after them.
“Stop wasting my time and say something worth hearing!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The temple shook once more. Siduri looked at the nearly ruined main hall, clearly wanting to say something and yet holding it back.
The guards layered around the place outside were much the same.
As for the two being targeted, they had no time to think about any of that. They could only split up and scramble low across the floor like monkeys, dodging for their lives. Kurumi Tokisaki could not use her full power for certain reasons, while Shirou Emiya simply did not want to reveal his fighting style in front of Gilgamesh.
Reveal what? Projection Magecraft?
Thinking of the way the modern Gilgamesh had looked at him with such loathing, Shirou could hardly put his feelings into words.
But now they finally understood.
Trying to bargain with this king was impossible.
“Lostbelt! It’s a Lostbelt!”
They had originally planned to reveal that only after securing a certain amount of leverage in the negotiations, but now they could only hate how slowly their mouths were moving.
If they did not speak fast, they would die!
“The Counter Force has detected a Lostbelt King maliciously invading other worldlines! We are Counter Guardians sent by the Counter Force!”
Shirou Emiya shouted while desperately dodging the incoming Noble Phantasms.
“Oh? After wasting so much of my time, you’ve finally decided to say something useful? So you do understand you’re in no position to hold anything back.”
A dangerous look appeared in Gilgamesh’s eyes. Even he, after crossing over here, was beginning to lose patience. If it had been the tyrant he once was, they would have been cut to pieces long ago.
“Speak. You have three minutes.”
Gilgamesh cut off the barrage, but the mouths of the Gate of Babylon remained fixed on them, not wavering an inch.
“Haa…”
At last, the two of them had the slightest room to breathe. Dropping any pretense of concealment, they hurriedly spilled everything they knew.
“Your identities. Start there.”
“We were originally people from different worldlines. We were chosen by the Counter Force as Counter Guardians, and our mission is to eliminate threats that could endanger healthy worldlines.”
“The invasion. Explain it.”
“It generally refers to an individual lifeform from one world entering another without the Counter Force’s permission. A Lostbelt King, however, is even more dangerous.”
“So. Which Lostbelt King intends to trespass into my worldline, and when will the invasion begin?”
“The Divine King Ramesses II. His full descent will occur in one year. His subordinates will descend in three days.”
“There. See? Was that really so hard?”
Gilgamesh arched a brow, and at last the Gate of Babylon withdrew.
Kurumi Tokisaki and Shirou Emiya both let out long breaths of relief.
“Honestly. You could have said all that from the beginning, yet you insisted on dragging this out.”
With his arms folded across his chest, Gilgamesh rose and faced them.
“Throw them in the dungeon for now. I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
Shirou Emiya blanked.
“Shouldn’t we be discussing how to resist the Lostbelt King Ramesses II right now? That Pharaoh has integrated the power of an entire planet!”
“Nonsense!”
Gilgamesh shot back without hesitation.
“What do I care what he’s integrated? It’s time to eat.”
“Huh?!”
“Huh?!”
“Hmph. What are the guards outside standing around for? Seize them and throw them in prison!”
Gilgamesh turned and started to leave.
“Oh, right.”
He glanced back once at the two of them as they were being restrained, his tone steeped in mockery and warning.
“See that I do not learn you lied to me, and do not even think of running. Because…”
“My patience is not without limits.”
…
As Gilgamesh headed off to eat, his mood was visibly better.
Behind him, however, Siduri looked as though she wanted to speak, her expression complicated.
“Siduri, if you have something to say, say it. There is no need to hold your tongue.”
Prompted by Gilgamesh, Siduri finally voiced her thoughts, though distrust still colored her tone.
“My king, I do not believe they can be trusted.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
Siduri looked up at the twilight sky, now reduced to a narrow slit of dusk as the darkness deepened, then lowered her gaze back to the temple.
“The idea that there are other worlds beyond this one is simply unheard of. Even the gods have never spoken of such a thing, have they?”
“Hah. Given the nature of gods, they may well have heard of it.”
“What?!”
Amid Gilgamesh’s laughter, Siduri found herself utterly unable to make sense of it.
Night had fully fallen, and to Siduri, the king she had watched since childhood was becoming harder and harder to read.
“Siduri, what they said is true.”
Of course it was true.
Gilgamesh could feel which Noble Phantasms within the Gate of Babylon resonated with him, and among them were those that could discern lies. The moment those two began speaking, he already knew they were telling the truth.
“…”
Even someone as wise as Siduri did not know what to say.
For the first time, she felt language itself had failed her. Nothing in her memory could quite describe what she was feeling now.
“I know, Siduri. I know.”
The king’s hand suddenly came to rest on Siduri’s shoulder.
“Anyone would be at a loss hearing something like this for the first time. And for you, that confusion will only be temporary.”
Yes. Having followed Gilgamesh since childhood, assisted him all this time, and even held up all of Uruk alone for the many years after Enkidu’s death while Gilgamesh searched for the herb of immortality, her strength of character was enough to earn anyone’s admiration.
Give her a little time—not much—and Siduri would surely recover, then carry out her duties with her usual calm.
“So do what you must.”
Gilgamesh’s expression remained calm and undisturbed, as though the disaster he had just confirmed with his own lips were nothing more than a passing shower.
“Leave the rest to me.”
“But…”
“Be at ease!”
He smiled—a wild, overbearing smile.
“It would be one thing if I did not know who was coming. Then I might at least grant an unknown enemy a measure of caution. But now that I know exactly who intends to stir up trouble in Uruk…”
“No matter how strong the enemy may be, I, the king, will surpass them with ease!”
As he spoke, he felt the subtle shift in his state of mind. In that moment, he completely accepted the self-designation of “I, the king.”
Gilgamesh brought up the system interface, visible to no one but himself.
And in his heart, he said:
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
Redeem! Single-use, one-minute [Gate of Babylon]!
T/N: wowza what is he gonna do with 10 gate of babylons is he gonna stuff everything into his own gate also hehehehe yes become more like gil!
also rameseseseseses II hmmmm BUT AS A LOSTBELT KING??
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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