"Alaric, your actions are simply too fast. Let's launch the final decisive battle against Gorgon after a month. For now, go and resolve the issues with the other two goddesses first."
Gilgamesh gazed at Alaric. The power of that heavenly strike of divine judgment was something even Gilgamesh couldn't ignore. Precisely because of this, he couldn't allow Alaric to deal with Gorgon so quickly.
Uruk wasn't ready yet. At least a month was needed to speed up their preparations.
Hearing this, Alaric fell silent.
Wasn't it enough to simply deal with Gorgon and recover the Holy Grail from within Kingu? The only uncontrollable disaster was Tiamat, but Tiamat was currently bound by the cradle constructed by Merlin. Could it be that Tiamat was destined to break free? Realizing this, Alaric immediately thought of Gilgamesh's Clairvoyance, the magical eyes capable of seeing into the future.
"Is he preparing for the future...?"
With this thought, Alaric came to understand Gilgamesh's intentions. Why would someone like Gilgamesh, who could deal with the Alliance of Three Goddesses on his own, adopt such a drawn-out strategy? It was all for the sake of preserving civilization.
Gilgamesh would never choose a path that ended in total annihilation.
With admiration in his heart, Alaric nodded in agreement with Gilgamesh's words. After all, it didn't conflict with his plans, and he could easily accept it.
"Then, I look forward to hearing good news from you, King Gilgamesh. I will leave Gorgon untouched for now—"
Alaric smiled and said, "Besides, it seems we currently have no way to kill Gorgon, as no one can hold back Kingu."
Expecting Fujimaru and the seven Servants to hold back Kingu seemed unlikely to Alaric. However, sending Fujimaru and Ana to defeat Gorgon might be feasible.
That said, the odds weren't great. The defensive capabilities of the Blood Temple were far too formidable. Surviving in the aftermath of Alaric's divine judgment and Kingu's Noble Phantasm was already a feat beyond what Fujimaru could achieve at this stage.
Thinking about this, Alaric suddenly asked, "King Gilgamesh, what about the goddess Ishtar? How should we deal with her?"
As the last goddess outside of the Alliance of Three Goddesses, Ishtar, the mistress of the heavens, was an excellent ally to recruit. This was especially evident during the recent battle at the northern wall.
It was only after returning to the northern wall that Alaric learned why Ishtar had stepped in to help him—
Merlin had made some secret agreement with Ishtar. The exact terms were unknown even to Fujimaru and the others, but Alaric vaguely felt that he had been used as a bargaining chip.
This, however, was a minor issue. What mattered to Alaric was that this event revealed the possibility of recruiting Ishtar.
As for how to recruit her, Alaric trusted that the golden king sitting on the throne already had an answer.
As the person most familiar with the goddess Ishtar, Gilgamesh surely had a plan to bring her to their side.
"Ishtar, huh—"
Upon hearing Alaric's inquiry about Ishtar, Gilgamesh set aside the clay tablet in his hand, pondered briefly, and then said, "I already have a plan for Ishtar. I'll leave her to Fujimaru and her group to handle."
Alaric's actions were indeed swift. With the aid of the Heavenly vessel, traveling to and from Mesopotamia in a single day was a trivial matter. This forced Gilgamesh to hasten his plans to ensure that progress could keep up with Alaric's speed.
This efficiency earned Gilgamesh's admiration. Alaric had a clear understanding of his desires and values, and he could execute them to perfection.
Hearing Gilgamesh's reply, Alaric immediately understood and, for some reason, felt relieved.
"At last, others can take on some of the work."
"Let's first resolve the issues with Quetzalcoatl and Ereshkigal—"
Having experienced battles against Kingu and Gorgon, Alaric now fully understood the gap in strength between them. With the plan for Ishtar settled, he finally had the time to deal with the remaining two goddesses.
After discussing further with Gilgamesh, Alaric left the Ziggurat and returned to the inn, finding no sign of anyone else there.
It was now the second day after the battle with Kingu and Gorgon. Following the migration of Nippur, Ushiwakamaru and the other Servants had stayed to guard the northern wall and had not returned to Uruk.
Meanwhile, Fujimaru and her team resumed the tasks assigned to them by Gilgamesh. Even Ana had joined in to assist with the work. Alaric didn't seek out Fujimaru Ritsuka or Mash, instead staying quietly at the inn, like a child left behind, until nightfall, when Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash returned with ingredients in their arms and finally noticed him.
"Sir Alaric!"
"How was your day?"
The cheerful laughter of the two girls and Ana's faint greeting swept away the silence of the inn, bringing Alaric out of his contemplation.
"Surprisingly good."
Alaric smiled as he stood up, took the ingredients from Fujimaru's hands, and headed to the kitchen with Mash and Fujimaru to prepare the food. Ana, meanwhile, stood to the side, unsure of what to do.
Noticing this, Alaric pulled Anna along to help with the preparations.
With years of experience in archaeology and wilderness survival, Alaric had learned to cook a variety of dishes—practically a master of daily life.
After a few dozen minutes, when the final dish was placed on the table, a certain someone appeared at the dining table as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"A wild Merlin has appeared!"
Mash exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm not wild!"
Watching this scene, Alaric suddenly felt as if he were back in Camelot.
That half-year spent with Mordred and the others had been the most relaxing time of Alaric's life.
"Sir Alaric, aren't you going to eat?"
Mash curiously looked at the absent-minded Alaric, her casual remark snapping him out of his memories.
Looking at Mash's gentle, smiling face, Alaric smiled back and said, "I was just thinking about something happy."
...
The time spent with Fujimaru and Mash seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
At the third sunset, having finished his contemplation, Alaric set off.
His destination: the verdant forest where Quetzalcoatl resided!
A black comet streaked across the expansive forest, soaring over Uruk in an instant and heading straight for Eridu, where Quetzalcoatl's Temple of the Sun was located.
But he was intercepted by a flash of yellow lightning!
"Roar!!"
Jaguar Man suddenly leaped out, swinging her massive claws in an attempt to strike Alaric from the sky!
However, Alaric was no longer the same as before. The moment he saw Jaguar Man, he halted the heavenly vessel's operation and delivered a punch imbued with enormous magical power. With godlike speed, it struck Jaguar Man square in her abdomen!
Boom!
The very atmosphere seemed to tremble. In an instant, Jaguar Man was sent flying like a bolt of lightning, vanishing from the vast forest.
Landing on the ground, Alaric finally came face-to-face, after many days, with Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent Goddess.