Chapter 52: Gilgamesh Side Story - Before Chaldea Arrives-

Uruk was in an uproar.

It was because King Gilgamesh, upon her return, had foreseen the destruction of Uruk.

Having returned enlightened from her quest for immortality, she was wiser and more composed than anyone.

She said that those who wished to leave could do so, but the citizens of Uruk remained loyal to their returned king.

While waiting for the mages who would arrive in six months, the citizens spent each day full of vigor.

Along with a major overhaul of the city, King Gilgamesh summoned Heroic Spirits to aid her.

Britain's greatest magus, Merlin; the legendary Spartan king, Leonidas I; Ushiwakamaru, of the legend of the eight-boat leap....

Considering the nationality of the coming mages, there were many Japanese Heroic Spirits, but among them, one disparate Heroic Spirit was mixed in.

Seeing him, Merlin approached Gilgamesh with a smile and said this.

“Even the King of Heroes can’t forget her first love….”

The rest of his words could not be confirmed as he was sent flying high into the sky.

But one thing was certain, 

He was very much to the King's liking.

“My mouth is bored. Go and peel me some fruit.”

“Alright… But Gilgamesh, shouldn't I be doing some work too?”

“Have I not given you the mission of peeling fruit?”

Even as she scanned through the tower of clay tablets so fast her hands left afterimages, her gaze was fixed on one man.

That gaze was incredibly warm, but to the one receiving it, it felt nothing but chilly.

“Do you wish to go outside the ramparts and fight the demonic beasts?”

“I think I should…?”

A feeble voice, lacking conviction. Soon, the king's roar echoed through the palace.

“You fool! Do you think a whelp like you, summoned as a Heroic Spirit, can fully wield the power you had in life! Know your place!”

“Isn't that usually the case for Heroic Spirits?”

“Wrong. Tsk. Why do you not understand that your hands exist not to hold a weapon, but to feed me fruit!”

The palace handmaidens momentarily froze in their tracks.

Did the king just say something incredibly romantic?

“What are you all doing! If you don't want to become food for the demonic beasts, then work, work!”

At another burst of the king's wrath, the handmaidens resumed their duties.

Somehow, they felt that an interesting spectacle had been added to their otherwise tiresome work.

 

I was kicked out to the kitchen.

As I stood there blankly, a handmaiden approached and handed me a plate.

On it were neatly arranged fruits, including apples cut into rabbit shapes, pears, and bananas.

“Here. A fork. You can use this to feed the king.”

“...Pardon?”

“Surely you weren't thinking of peeling the fruit yourself? The day a person of your stature holds a paring knife, we would all be in big trouble. If you would just silently accept the fruit plate, it would make all of us happy.”

Under that pressure, I found myself nodding my head.

Just as she said, it seemed Gilgamesh had no expectation of me peeling fruit.

Seeing me standing there dumbly holding the plate of fruit, she told me to come closer to the throne.

“Like this?”

“Sit on my lap.”

At Gilgamesh's action of patting her knees, I thought, 'Ah, that's a bit much.'

She looked quite displeased, but contrary to my expectations, she didn't scold me.

Awkward. So awkward.

“...I'm hungry.”

A Gilgamesh this docile is not Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh is more arrogant. She either secretly concocts wicked schemes, ignores the opinions of others to assert her own, or else she draws a sword.

Therefore, there was no reason for her to shrink like a rain-soaked puppy just because I refused her suggestion.

Just as my image of Gilgamesh's character began to crumble, she spoke.

“If you do not wish to, then go. I will not hold you back. However, just do not fight.”

“...Are you really Gilgamesh?”

All the handmaidens in the palace were glancing our way.

Gilgamesh's eyes widened.

“...What did you say?”

“No, I mean, there's no way Gilgamesh would be this kind to me…?”

I was the one who wanted to ask Gilgamesh, who wore a dazed expression as if she found it absurd.

What's with you?

“Shall I explain that for you!”

“Merlin, you shouldn't have been able to put Tiamat to sleep yet. Why are you back already?”

“Because I haven't said I'll do it yet. I'll be borrowing this first love for a moment! See you later, Your Majesty!”

The magus who had been sent flying high into the sky earlier returned and took me away.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the city of Uruk. The palace was far in the distance.

“...Who are you?”

“I am Merlin, the Magus of Flowers. You should already know my name, shouldn't you?”

“I know it, but I'm asking what you think you're doing.”

With an expression that was nothing but mischievous, he stared at me.

There was something about his gaze that got under my skin, and my mood soured instantly.

“Heeh… I see. It seems the king took great care in summoning you. A Beast calls to a Beast, but if you remove the conditions for apotheosis, you can maintain a safe state. Perfect logic. Mm!”

“Could you speak plainly? Stop talking in a way only you can understand.”

“There's no need to be so sensitive. You are safe, and King Gilgamesh is trying everything in her power to win your favor. That's all you need to know!”

Our relationship in life ended with a curse.

She did desire me, but it wasn't an affectionate feeling that could be called love.

At least, that's how it seemed to me.

Why then would Gilgamesh try to win my favor?

“Ah, wait~ The one who was subjugated was Humbaba, not Marduk, I see. And without the Grail's knowledge backup, you wouldn't know why Gilgamesh is so anxious.”

Merlin cleared his throat a few times, then explained in an infuriatingly pleasant voice.

He told me what had happened to 'me', who had been turned into a monster, while Ereshkigal had taken my soul to the Underworld.

A monster that could not be called 'me'.

But the way the monster was subjugated was something I could not look upon favorably.

“Did Gilgamesh really do that?”

“If I had told a lie, would not the king's treasures have come to kill me?”

It was a story that was hard to believe.

But Merlin didn't seem to be lying.

I'm confused.

“I don't understand why you're telling me this. Am I not a Servant summoned to help Gilgamesh? What will you do if I develop a grudge against her?”

“It seems a further explanation is needed.”

Merlin glanced back at the royal palace once.

It seemed as if he was communicating with Gilgamesh. I couldn't make out anything.

As if there was some kind of understanding between great magi, he nodded his head a few times and then looked back at me.

“The king wants to apologize to you. And I want to help with that a little.”

“...There is nothing to apologize for. She deceived me, and I was furious. She cursed and killed me. That's the end of it, isn't it?”

Gilgamesh is an ambiguous person to me.

She certainly made me stronger. 

She made me a Sage-King, helped me build my achievements to elevate my divinity, and freed me from the goddess's curse.

But at the same time, she deceived me.

She treated me like an object, and in the end, she showered me with curses, leading me to a miserable fate.

The beginning and end of the Sage-King Marduk was Gilgamesh.

Therefore, I had no intention of taking revenge on her, nor did I intend to return to her side.

I simply stayed in the Cedar Mountain and enjoyed the rest of my life with Enkidu.

“You called it a first love, but Gilgamesh doesn't seem like the type of person to feel love.”

“That's a very arrogant statement.”

Merlin thrust his face forward.

His inhuman expression sent a shiver down my spine. This magus has no emotions.

But he spoke of emotions.

Paradoxically, it was because he was a being without emotion that he was so engrossed in them.

“Emotions are not something that can be so easily judged. Moreover, there is no being in this world who can be certain of another's feelings.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“That she really liked you. She just misunderstood her own feelings and didn't know how to approach you.”

Merlin tapped my chest with his finger.

Gilgamesh's face appeared before my eyes.

This… is how Gilgamesh looked right before I left Uruk. 

At the time, her head was bowed and her long hair covered her face, so I couldn't see her expression.

“Look closely. It should feel familiar, don't you think?”

The face of Gilgamesh that Merlin showed me through his magic was indeed familiar.

It was all the more awkward because it wasn't unfamiliar.

The Gilgamesh I know doesn't make lonely or sad faces.

“Doesn't seem like the Gilgamesh you knew, does she?”

“...You're right.”

Then, is it really true?

Gilgamesh liked me?

But why? There's no reason for her to like me.

“It would be best for you to ask her that directly. His Majesty told me not to say… Shall we head back now!”

Merlin raised his staff. 

A small magic circle appeared beneath my feet. My body slowly began to float.

I was too confused. I couldn't go see Gilgamesh now.

I didn't know what kind of face, what kind of expression to wear when I faced her.

My head hurts.

As if making an excuse, I shouted at Merlin.

“That doesn't justify what she did.”

“That's true. I'm not saying you're the bad guy. As you know, Gilgamesh isn't exactly a good person.”

Merlin waved his hand.

“Still, you can look back at her at least once, right? I hope you two get along and create lots and lots of interesting emotions!”

Just as I thought my vision was being dyed with light, Gilgamesh appeared before my eyes.

No, it was I who had appeared before her. I had returned to the palace.

Gilgamesh, sitting on the throne and handling her official duties, was still the same, and the tower of clay tablets, far from shrinking, had grown even taller by another layer.

The fruit plate was placed on a small table.

As I stood there blankly, Gilgamesh spoke without meeting my eyes.

“You heard everything, I presume?”

“...Yeah. I heard all the important parts.”

“………I see.”

Awkward.

I was not a fan of this kind of silence.

I would rather Gilgamesh get angry or kick me out.

She chose neither, simply continuing to work in silence.

“Gilgamesh?”

“I am listening.”

She's not ignoring me.

“Uhm…."

“What is it.”

Somehow, Gilgamesh seemed quite impatient.

To think she would ask back before I even finished my sentence.

If I were to assume that Gilgamesh was a more ordinary girl than I thought,

Is she embarrassed right now?

“Are you embarrassed?”

“....”

Gilgamesh remained silent.

I cautiously approached the throne. She hid her face with a clay tablet.

I began to suspect that this too might be part of a plan.

This was the thorough Gilgamesh. It wasn't easy to change my impression of her with just a few words from Merlin.

“Gilgamesh?”

“Stop calling my name. If you have something to say, then say it.”

“I already asked if you were embarrassed.”

The palace doors opened, and the handmaidens began to file out with hurried steps.

Their faces were full of interest, and the end of their gazes was, of course, on Gilgamesh.

Everyone went outside, and the two of us were left alone.

Only then did Gilgamesh put down the clay tablet. And she let out a big sigh.

“...I'm sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I said, I am sorry.”

Not only was it surprising that Gilgamesh apologized, but it was even more surprising that she didn't get angry when I asked her to repeat herself.

It was a series of surprises.

Is this also Merlin's illusion?

“This is not the magus's trickery. My… No. My true feelings.”

Gilgamesh rose from her throne and approached me.

Her face was somehow lacking in confidence.

“I will not be shameless enough to ask for your forgiveness. You have the right to resent me.”

She clung to me as if pleading. Her golden blonde hair fluttered.

The dizzying fragrance was intoxicating.

I was struck anew by how truly beautiful she was.

There was a reason why Ishtar, despite being a woman herself, had pursued her.

“Just… stay by my side. For the time we have left, I hope you will not leave me to be lonely.”

“Gilgamesh? …I think something is touching me?”

Gilgamesh's confidence was pressing against my abdomen.

I now know that they didn't have women's underwear in ancient Sumer.

She embraced me. There was no strength in her arms at all, as if she would be blown away by the wind.

She was leaving the choice to me.

She would be happy if I accepted. 

She would understand if I pushed her away.

Gilgamesh, who had always acted only according to her own will, now felt like an ordinary girl.

Gilgamesh rubbed her face against me like a child seeking comfort.

“...This feels a bit awkward.”

“I find it awkward as well. So please decide quickly.”

Warmth is good.

The warmth of a person is warmer than anything else.

But can I trust her?

Won't it be difficult to go back to how things were?

I hesitated. Gilgamesh silently waited for my answer.

“This isn't part of a plan, is it….”

“...Are you going to keep doing that?”

Huh?

“That tone just now….”

“Pay it no mind.”
 
No, that tone just now was really....

Gilgamesh covered my mouth.

And then she threw me to the floor.

“I am pressed for time. Because of you, I have wasted over thirty minutes, so from now on, I cannot afford to waste a single minute more. Siduri!”

“Yes, King Gilgamesh.”

“Take this man away. I am busy.”

Siduri smiled and helped me to my feet. 

By the way, it's been a long time since I've seen her face. I was glad to see her.

She bowed her head slightly in greeting, then whispered in my ear.

“You know what to do, right?”

As if it were a complete mistake, Siduri pushed me towards Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh, who was picking up a clay tablet in a clumsy posture, was knocked backwards by my suddenly added weight.

I caught her just before she fell.

And held Gilgamesh in my arms.

Her hesitant arms soon wrapped around my waist.

“...What is it. I am busy.”

“Then you'd better push me away quickly and get to work.”

“You fool! Where do you think you're going! Can't you hold me a little longer!”

Yes. This is Gilgamesh.

A laugh escaped me.

How much better it would have been if she had been this honest from the start.

“Gilgamesh. It would have been better if you were like this from the beginning. Why did you take such a long way around?”

“Even I am not skilled in all things. There are things I am less adept at.”

“Right. I suppose so.”

“If you understand, then just a little longer… let me stay like this.”

I felt an incredible sense of nostalgia.

My chest, where Gilgamesh had buried her head, was gradually getting wet.

“I'm sorry. Really….”

For her sake, I decided to keep my mouth shut.