Chapter 22: When in Doubt, Act Cute
Early the next morning, Shirou and his group headed to the Ziggurat.
"The next task I have for you is to find the Tablet of Destiny," Gilgamesh stated from his throne.
"The Tablet of Destiny? Does that mean you've remembered where you left it?" Gudako asked.
"It is the tablet I recorded in the city of Kutha while on my way back to Uruk from the Underworld," Gilgamesh recalled.
"So it wasn't in the western forest at all. Merlin went there for nothing," Mash remarked dryly.
Siduri, holding a clay tablet, spoke up. "Kutha is currently within the sphere of influence of the Goddess Ishtar."
"Ishtar, huh..." Shirou raised an eyebrow.
"Well, we were going to end up fighting that woman sooner or later anyway, so this saves us quite a bit of trouble," Gilgamesh said. "Then, I entrust this mission to you."
"Yes!" Gudako and Mash replied in unison.
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While preparing the necessary supplies for the journey to Kutha, Merlin explained the information they had regarding the city.
"Kutha was destroyed without any warning after the 'Three Goddess Alliance' appeared."
"Destroyed?" Gudako exclaimed.
"Yes. One day, all communication with Kutha was suddenly severed. When Leonidas led a squad to the scene, they found nothing but deathly silence," Merlin said, his expression turning serious. "There were no bloodstains, no signs of struggle. All the citizens seemed as if they had fallen asleep, and they had all stopped breathing. That was the state of the entire city."
"Why would something like that happen?" Gudako asked.
"The cause is currently unclear, but since that day, Kutha has been regarded as a cursed land, a wasteland that no one dares to approach," Merlin answered.
After gathering their supplies, the four of them returned to their lodging. Ushiwakamaru and Leonidas I were resting there.
"Oh, you're back. What did King Gilgamesh have to say to you?" Ushiwakamaru asked upon seeing Gudako and Mash carrying boxes in their arms.
"The next mission is for us to search for the Tablet of Destiny," Gudako replied.
"The reward is 20 pieces of Priestess Silver!" Mash added.
Hearing Mash's voice, Ana immediately looked up, staring at her in surprise.
"20 pieces?! With that much money, I could fill the embassy with flowers!" Ana said, becoming rather excited. "I'll go get ready right away, please wait a moment!"
With that, she trotted off toward her room upstairs.
"She's really impatient, isn't she?" Merlin sighed, sounding like an old father.
Ushiwakamaru, sitting at the table, spoke with a hint of longing. "A mission that lets you travel while you're at it... I'm envious. Although I would love to go along as well..."
"That won't do, Lady Ushiwakamaru, we have to..." Musashibo Benkei quickly began, but was interrupted by Ushiwakamaru.
"There's no need to tell everyone," Ushiwakamaru said, looking back at the group. "Because we must rush back to the North Wall; there are still some matters to attend to there..."
"I see. Actually, I also hoped that we could travel together sometime," Mash said with a touch of regret.
"Haha, there will definitely be a chance in the future. At that time, I hope Shirou will be able to join us too~" Ushiwakamaru said, looking at Shirou.
At the beginning, because Shirou and Gudako looked so much alike, Ushiwakamaru had assumed they were siblings. Even after she learned that wasn't the case, she had always nearly called them by the same surname out of habit, eventually adopting the custom of addressing them simply by their first names.
"We'll see when the time comes," Shirou replied.
"Um..." Ushiwakamaru hesitated and opened her mouth again, wanting to say something to Shirou.
"I'm ready!"
Ana's voice suddenly rang out from the top of the stairs. Ana appeared before everyone, already having shouldered her pack. Seeing her carrying luggage that far exceeded her small frame, the group burst into laughter, and the living room was suddenly filled with a lively, happy atmosphere.
Early the next morning, the four of them set off on their journey to the city of Kutha, heading toward the horizon.
The weather today was exceptionally fine. Furthermore, the vast, golden wheat fields they passed along the way gave one the feeling of being immersed in a golden ocean. The breeze blowing by was delightfully cool, putting everyone in a much better mood.
"This is wonderful! This time we don't have to endure insects and the sweltering jungle!" Merlin ran through the wheat fields, waving his staff like a wild horse that had broken its tether.
By midday, they finally entered Ishtar's territory. At this point, the group discovered that large swaths of the land here had become pitted and scarred, as if they had been ravaged by artillery fire.
"Wow... what happened here? To think it would turn out like this..." Gudako's eyes widened as she looked at the scene.
"It must be Ishtar's doing," Shirou said, recalling the image of that goddess firing beams of light from her fingers.
"Look over there!" Mash suddenly pointed in one direction.
Inside one of the craters, a middle-aged man and a child were leading a few sheep upward. It appeared that this place used to be a pasture, but now even the grass had been blasted away, and there were giant craters everywhere, making it impossible to graze sheep.
"Um..." Gudako walked forward and asked the two who were struggling to pull the sheep, "Could you use some help?"
"If you would, then thank you!" the middle-aged man said, immediately expressing his gratitude.
After helping them pull the sheep up from the crater, the man sat on a rock to rest for a moment.
"Why did this place turn out like this?" Seizing the opportunity, Gudako asked the man.
"Sigh, it's a natural disaster," the man said, helplessly wiping the sweat from his face.
"A natural disaster?" Mash looked at the man, puzzled. "Could it really be the Goddess Ishtar?"
"Yes, it is Goddess Ishtar," the man sighed. "Sigh... the goddess has been far too reckless this year; she destroyed the Demonic Beasts and the land right along with them."
"And she even looted all the gems from our house, saying things like, 'I'll let you off this time.' It's a good thing we survived," the man said, putting on a pained expression the moment he recalled the past.
"She certainly lives up to her reputation," Shirou said, raising an eyebrow.
After merging with Rin, this goddess wasn't just a textbook tsundere; she had even inherited Rin's love for gems.
"Well then, mister, we'll be heading off now!" Gudako waved goodbye to the man.
"Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you all. I wish you a pleasant day," the man said with a smile, waving back at them.
In the afternoon, the group arrived at the city of Kutha.
The city was like a model—completely devoid of life. There were no flames, no smoke, no noise; there was nothing. All that remained was the whistling sound of the wind passing through houses and alleys.
Merlin spoke to the group: "Alright, although this city isn't large, the search area for the target tablet is still a bit broad. Fortunately, the Demonic Beasts do not enter Kutha, so let's split up to look for it for the time being."
"Um, I am Senpai's Servant; I shouldn't be separated from my Master..." Mash looked toward Gudako.
"It's okay, Mash. If we take too much time, it will be hard to find once it gets dark." Gudako said with a smile, "Besides, I have Fou with me, so it's fine."
"Yes, don't let this little guy's appearance fool you; he's quite useful in a crisis," Merlin added.
"Alright then," Mash finally compromised.
"Can't you use a Command Spell to summon her directly?" Shirou suddenly asked. "Surely your Command Spells are capable of that?"
"Eh?" Gudako paused. She then suddenly realized it, slapped her forehead, and stuck out her tongue. "Oh my, I completely forgot. Ehe~!"
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