When Castorice stepped out of her room, Ana was already waiting by the door.
"You seem quite eager, Ana."
Castorice looked at Ana and chuckled softly.
"Not at all. I just don't want to stay in the city."
"Alright, alright."
Seeing this, Castorice didn't press further. She simply smiled and nodded, then set off for Kutha with Ana and Merlin.
At a normal pace, the journey from Uruk to Kutha would take a full day.
But none of the three present were ordinary. If not for Merlin slowing them down, Castorice and Ana could have reached Kutha in half a day.
Yet, precisely because they had brought Merlin along, it was nearly dusk by the time they arrived.
Along the way, they did encounter some ordinary people. After all, this was Ishtar's territory.
Even though Castorice and Ishtar seemed on good terms, gods were still gods—they had their quirks. So, the group made sure to enter Kutha only after confirming Ishtar wasn't around.
"It's almost nightfall... Let's set up camp here and wait till morning. Kutha isn't safe after dark."
From the cliff's edge, they could see the city below. Even before the sun fully set, Kutha was already shrouded in a gloomy haze, looking eerie from a distance.
"What's wrong with this place?" Ana frowned as she stared at the scene.
"It's close to the underworld. At night, spirits and vengeful ghosts emerge at dusk, slipping out from the realm of the dead. They despise the living—entering now would invite attack," Merlin explained.
"How do such things come to be?" Castorice asked, furrowing her brow as she gazed into the distance.
"They're born from the regrets of the dead. Some may cling to lingering attachments, while others have simply turned into monsters. In any case, the living prefer to avoid them," Merlin replied, shaking his head.
Hearing this, Castorice nodded and fell silent.
That night, once Merlin and Ana had fallen asleep, Castorice slipped away alone toward Kutha.
The city was enveloped in a chilling aura after dark. An ordinary person stepping into such a place would likely be overwhelmed, their very soul at risk of being dragged into the underworld.
For a mortal, being pulled into the realm of the dead would mean no return.
But Castorice had no such worries.
To these lost spirits, she was their natural bane.
There was no way these monsters could harm her.
"Where are you going?"
Just as Castorice was about to enter the city, Ana's voice came from behind.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to see Kutha at night. You know these spirits can't hurt me," Castorice replied lightly. Ana's senses were sharp—there was no sneaking away from her.
"...You're planning to purify them, aren't you? I saw the look in your eyes when Merlin spoke earlier. You... why do you always act on your own?" Ana's voice carried a note of displeasure.
"...Sorry, I just didn't want to disturb you," Castorice said, taken aback by Ana's stern tone.
"This is the Age of Gods. Acting alone is dangerous. No matter what, from now on, take me with you," Ana insisted.
"I understand."
Castorice nodded, then smiled at Ana, who began to fidget under her gaze.
"W-what is it?" Ana stammered, unable to bear the direct look.
"Ana, you're worried about me, aren't you? Thank you."
"Isn't it normal to worry about safety? After all... we're companions, right?" Ana turned her face away, her voice dropping to a murmur.
"Hmm?" Castorice tilted her head, not quite catching Ana's soft words.
"It's nothing!" Ana's voice suddenly shot up three octaves.
But in the dead silence of the night, the sound was far too loud.
Especially in such an unsafe environment.
Almost instantly, skeletal soldiers and wailing spirits began emerging from the shadows. Having struggled in the endless cold of the underworld, they now craved only the warmth and flesh of the living.
In Castorice's eyes, however, these beings were less threatening than the most ordinary magical beast.
"Rest now, please... just sleep peacefully."
Castorice gently reached out toward a nearby spirit, and in moments, it dissolved into pure soul essence, returning to the underworld.
When Castorice expanded her domain, the lingering souls stood as still as soldiers, awaiting her soothing touch.
But she soon realized the number of spirits was far beyond what she alone could handle.
Purifying them one by one would take centuries without rest—far too long, even for someone as compassionate as her.
Castorice wondered what had caused these souls to emerge in such numbers. If she could find the source, perhaps the solution would become clear.
Having reached this conclusion, she left Kutha. Purifying a handful of souls was meaningless when faced with an endless tide.
The next day, Castorice, Merlin, and Ana entered the city.
Though Gilgamesh had said the Tablet of Destinies was in Kutha, he hadn't specified its location. Finding it would be no easy task.
After some discussion, the three decided to split up.
Otherwise, they might not find it even by nightfall.
The city wasn't large, but searching it together wouldn't be efficient.
Since all three could defend themselves, they had little to fear from any daytime threats in the city.
After searching for a while, however, Castorice noticed something unusual.
There was a spot ahead where the energy felt distinctly wrong.
It was a boundary between the underworld and the living world.
If she was right, stepping into it would draw one's soul straight into the realm of the dead.
And there, right at that boundary, was something else.
The Tablet of Destinies—the very object of their quest.
Simply retrieving the tablet would be easy enough, but Castorice hesitated.
Should she enter the underworld now?
After all, her other half might be there. And perhaps she could even find Ereshkigal.
After only a moment's thought, she made her decision.
She would go.
Whatever happened, a trip to the underworld wouldn't be a loss. At the very least, she could confirm whether the Titan's Coreflame was there.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.