Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Sister Ba, can you explain why?" she asked Ba with a puzzled look after Mashu returned.

“…You’ll be going to Uruk later. It’s best to keep this a secret from you for now,” Ba replied, initially seeming to be looking for some excuse. But seeing Ritsuka’s sincere gaze, she hesitated, ultimately only saying cryptically, “…Anyway, while monsters are enemies, it’s best not to kill them. If you absolutely must, at least don’t damage their heads… I can’t go into the reasons right now. But you’ll definitely know once you leave Uruk… no, once you reach Imanithic.”

"Is that so..." Ritsuka was a little disappointed—Tomoe's words contained many hints, but Ritsuka clearly didn't have enough information to combine these hints and draw conclusions at the moment—but she quickly recovered from her disappointment and returned to her energetic self.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about that, but…” She looked up, staring intently at Ba. “After we leave Uruk, you have to tell me, okay?”

Ba did not answer.

According to the agreement, she should leave when Ritsuka and her group enter the first city. However, if she agrees to this request, it means that she must disobey Flora's orders without taking advantage of any loopholes in Flora's words.

She didn't speak, and the entire team fell into an eerie silence.

Alice, in her bird form, tilted her head, unsurprised.

Her heart was wavering... not completely surrendered, but wavering nonetheless. Was it her 'moral principles' that sustained her, leading her to make this decision? Perhaps, but it didn't matter.

[After all, if Flora were betrayed by a Servant now… well, nothing would happen. She was already mentally prepared for betrayal. Seeing her subordinates defect to Fujimaru Ritsuka's side would at most cause her a slight pang of jealousy, but wouldn't affect her decisions in any way.]

After all, betrayal only carries weight when it comes from someone you deeply trust. She doesn't even trust me, who is wholeheartedly trying to help, so how could she possibly trust a servant who's only recently joined the sect? After all, the two of them haven't even shared any past dreams; to say their master-servant bond is deep is a joke.

So, will fate make her a deadly poison blade at the right time? Or...?

She buried the latter part of her thoughts deep within her mind, not even bothering to consider it. The first cycle had only just begun; even if it meant gathering intelligence and verifying her conjectures, there was no rush. After all, there would be plenty of time after this.

Alice then shook her feathers, swatting away Fou who was trying to sneak up on her once again, and continued to be her Liberian.

But time continues to pass.

For the remainder of their journey, the group encountered no new obstacles or more monsters. As the sun rose high in the sky, a vast and majestic complex of fortresses came into view of the Chaldean group.

Uruk is just around the corner.

Section 29, First Cycle, Chenwu (7-9 AM)

To be honest, watching others play RPGs while you can't even post comments is incredibly frustrating. Alice, however, doesn't care; she could easily watch an entire era of silent films here if she wanted. But she didn't come here in this avatar to watch silent films. Her true nature compels her to create some 'change'.

Change, Alice's change also means development, progress and optimization—and in fact, she has tried 'progress and optimization' many times.

Some conjectures were proven, while others were disproven. The disproven conjectures are best left unmentioned, but the proven ones are worth discussing.

No, there's really no need to explain. It was nothing more than a flamebird flapping its wings, trying to trigger a storm that would disrupt the world's order, but due to a few 'coincidental' ethereal turbulences, it was all for naught and even suffered some backlash, losing a lot of energy.

The loss wasn't significant, but it was a real headache. Even birds get headaches.

During this silent yet turbulent journey, a certain white-furred juvenile 'primate killer' ambushed Alice, the newly minted Liberi, at least fifteen times. It's unclear whether it truly observed something or simply had a personality clash with Alice. However, all fifteen attacks ended with the creature being soundly beaten to the ground, whimpering. This caused Mashu a pang of heartache, yet she felt utterly helpless.

The process was thus, and the conclusion is naturally clear. After that, Alice reduced the storm's magnitude from 'world destruction' to 'continent destruction', then to 'biological extinction', and only when she lowered it to 'nation and city destruction' did strange natural phenomena cease to occur to stop her. A storm of this magnitude was clearly well within Tomoe Gozen's or even some deity who 'might just happen to be passing by's control.

This world cannot produce natural or man-made disasters that would render an ordinary mortal like Fujimaru Ritsuka completely helpless and utterly annihilated. Using the reincarnated form to intervene might be an exception, but it would still encounter considerable resistance—having realized this, Alice took action to dispel the nascent 'nation-destroying and city-crushing' storm from its incubation stage. Simultaneously, she used her wing to deliver a heavy over-the-shoulder throw to Fou, who was attempting to ambush her again.

The round, chubby Fou was flattened by her shoving, looking like she'd just escaped from a Tom and Jerry movie set. But fantastical creatures don't really need to respect the laws of physics, so the little thing that Mashu had shoved into her 'chest first-aid kit' returned to its original shape and full of energy in a dozen seconds—these little incidents added a bit of color to this otherwise dull and silent journey. Although the travelers were completely unaware that they had already brushed with death dozens of times in their farcical fights.

"Pretty boring," Alice thought. Becoming a bird to beat up a dog wasn't very interesting. She personally preferred transforming into a mythical creature with many mouthparts and tentacles, its form resembling a mountain of mud. In that form, at least she could conduct experiments and complete engineering projects that were easier in a different form. Instead of being in her current bird form, needlessly confining a massive amount of energy within such a tiny body, only able to flap its wings and rely solely on computational power.

But since I've already made this decision, I'll just stick to this attitude for now. I should finish what I start... and why should I waste time thinking about this nonsense?

The Flame Bird tilted its head; this level of Dao erosion was still within its comprehension. Although there was a layer separating them, it was still a close encounter with the path of the sage. It wasn't surprising that its actions and thoughts would be slightly off as a result.

This might be considered a harbinger, or it might be a warning. The former refers to her as an individual, while the latter is an anomaly she spontaneously recognized. But whichever it is, she decided to put the matter to rest for the time being.

And so, Miss Alice once again returned to her quiet observation. While she was wasting her time on these pointless thoughts, the Chaldea group had already arrived at the gates of Uruk.

..............................

Uruk was a great city. A great city of the Age of Gods, even larger than Rome in the Second Singularity. The entire city was crudely and simply divided into inner and outer parts by thick city walls. The outer part was the residential area, where hundreds of thousands of Sumerians gathered in well-planned streets, busy with various jobs. The inner part of the city was the temple district, and at the very top of a giant pyramid-like earthen and stone structure was the royal palace of Uruk.

Many Sumerians, dressed in styles reminiscent of pre-Christian times and adorned with striped tattoos painted with dye, moved in and out of several open city gates. Some carried goods, ready to sell or trade; others hurried along, dressed in standardized attire and carrying out missions. Everyone appeared busy and spirited, while wagons laden with goods continuously departed from the city, heading to various places under Uruk's jurisdiction.

"Alright." Tomoe led Ritsuka and the others to a stop about a hundred meters from the city gate. This position was perfect for the guards to see them, and they would naturally go into the city to report—"My mission is complete, Ritsuka, you have now arrived in Uruk. Once you walk through the city gate, it will be time for me to leave."

Tomoe's tone was as gentle as ever, yet carried a hint of unquestionable authority. Although Alice could clearly perceive the wavering in her heart, she at least pretended well in front of Ritsuka and Mash.

“Tomoe-neechan…” Ritsuka hesitated for a moment, but the hesitation only lasted for a second. A genuine reluctance appeared on her face, quickly turning into understanding. She and Mash bowed to Tomoe, then thanked her with heartfelt gratitude.

"Thank you so much for your help on this journey, Sister Ba. You've worked so hard."

“No need.” Ba waved her hand, though she felt a greater unease within her, which she managed to suppress. “This is all I should do. It was my Lord who sent me here. If you wish, you can thank her when you come to Imanitik in the future.”

“That being said, it’s you, Tomoe, who’s always been by our side. Of course, we will also thank that goddess properly…” Ritsuka answered earnestly, while Mash, who was bowing beside her, suddenly remembered something she hadn’t paid much attention to before—in their previous conversation, Tomoe had been quite open about everything except the question about magical beasts. However, she had never mentioned the name of the goddess she served. Whether it was a coincidence or some strange reason, she didn’t know…

Mashu is a good child. Good children don't deliberately ask questions that might bother others.

Ritsuka is a good child, but along with her goodness comes the curiosity, or rather, the 'reckless' element, that is unique to humans. And what Mashu wants, she naturally wants too.

So she asked the question as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Ah... Sister Ba, you never seem to have mentioned the name of the goddess you serve. So, what should we call her when we go to Imanithia?" Ritsuka's beautiful eyes widened, and although her words were a little abrupt, they still gave off a coquettish feeling.

Ba was slightly taken aback. Then he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, this was my mistake. I should have told you my lord's name from the beginning." She smiled, shaking her head slightly with a hint of self-deprecation—there was nothing to hide, not to mention that Flora had specifically given her all the information she believed to be sufficient to answer her questions before she left. Even if there wasn't, there was no need to deliberately conceal such common knowledge.

Then she became serious.

“My master is the Old Order, an ancient deity from the same era as the Mother Goddess of Creation. She wields light and darkness, thunder and fire, and is the origin of Immanet, the goddess who holds the power of creation. And her name is—” Ba emphasized slightly, his expression becoming a little more serious.

"—Goddess, Mangotlund."

The words had barely left his lips when the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment, making it difficult to breathe. It was as if a pair of indifferent eyes had descended from afar, scrutinizing all living things on this land—a feeling that came and went quickly, almost like an illusion, difficult to discern. And then…

"What!? Mangtlund!?"—Olga Marie's exclamation came from the Chaldea communication channel, which had always maintained a low profile. The white-haired lady, who always maintained a composed demeanor, was almost physically exposed to Fujimaru and his group through the communication terminal!

"Are you telling the truth!? It really is that Mangotlund, that ancient god, that Mangotlund who is said to have existed before the end of the last era!?"

Tomoe frowned. When the person she was talking to was not Fujimaru, her loyalty to Flora returned to its proper place. She was about to get angry at this loud, secretive magician, but her heart softened when she saw Fujimaru standing to the side.

“You’re right, the magician of Chaldea.” Ba said calmly, but with a slight urgency, speaking into Ritsuka’s external communication terminal: “My lord’s name is indeed Mangtlund, the Lord of the Old Order. She sheltered the Imanithycs and ruled over the largest human settlement in the world besides Uruk. And I even feel that her territory is more suitable for the survival of mortals in this era than Gilgamesh’s Uruk…”

She instinctively took a half step back.

The next moment, a sword mark silently appeared where she had been standing!

“Senpai!” Mashu instinctively pulled Ritsuka behind her.

“I can’t pretend I didn’t hear what you said. Not only did the daughter of Kenjiro Nakahara betray King Gilgamesh, but she also spoke ill of him behind his back… This is not something a daughter of a samurai family should do.”

The group turned their heads, and following the direction from which the sword mark at Tomoe Gozen's feet began, a female samurai clad in light half-body armor appeared at the other end of the road. She was very young, yet she possessed many details that were familiar to the Wa clan. Ritsuka almost instinctively wanted to call out the name 'Minamoto no Yoshitsune.' However, before she could speak, Tomoe's hand was already on the hilt of her sword.

—A certain bystander flapped her wings, silently intensifying the already sweltering atmosphere. If the environment were more suitable, she might even bring out a bottle of soda and a bucket of soda to cheer on the two ladies who were inherently at odds. Unfortunately, the current setting simply wouldn't allow her to conjure up a sofa to watch the drama unfold.

“Niu Ruo.” The blade between her fingers was drawn half an inch from its sheath. She glanced at the sword marks at her feet. “Was this your own will, or King Gilgamesh’s?”

“His Majesty is benevolent and would naturally not care about such a small detail.” The samurai opposite her smiled, his upturned eyebrows slightly raised. “But I, Ushiwakamaru, cannot bear to see someone leave His Majesty’s side when the northern defenses are under pressure, leaving behind a mess for others to worry about, and then criticizing King Gilgamesh’s achievements afterwards.”

"Why did I leave? Don't you know anything about it?" Ba scoffed. "Or did I overestimate your emotional intelligence? Ah, well, after all, you're a general who could be driven to death by his own brother's petty tricks. It was my fault for having too high expectations of you."

"You talk as if you're so clever. Why didn't you use your ingenuity to save your husband during the battle of Minamoto no Yoshinaka's concubine, Imai Kenpei? Oh, you ran away when Yoshinaka was in a deadly situation. Just like when you fled the northern defense line at a crucial moment to join that goddess, you seem to have quite a knack for being as swift as the wind on the march." Ushiwakamaru retorted, her eyes filled with undisguised hostility towards Tomoe Gozen.

Alice recalled something: before the timeline reset and the princess summoned Han Yang, Enkidu's demon army had fought a fierce battle against the defenders at the northern border of Uruk. The result was that Amakusa Shiro was severely wounded, and over a thousand soldiers were lost. Therefore, it wasn't without reason that Tomoe, who had only been under Flora's command for a month, suffered such treatment at Ushiwakamaru's hands.

It was just misplaced anger, especially with someone she loved secretly stirring things up behind the scenes. After all, this was a change, a change that confirmed some of her suspicions. Whether this battle took place or not wouldn't affect Fujimaru, so naturally there was no additional force to interfere. And so she flapped her wings again, further disrupting the messages in the air that carried the emotions of both sides.

Her movements were discreet and natural, attracting neither attention nor the notice of any intellectuals. She gave Fujimaru a special look, indirectly keeping him in a state of bewilderment for a few more seconds, without directly interfering with this chosen one.

Ba's lips then pursed, and flames erupted from the longsword in its sheath.

Section 30, First Cycle, Sunset

"Please stop, you two."

Just as tensions were running high and a battle seemed imminent, a gentle yet spirited voice drifted from afar. Accompanied by a ritualistic spell, a tangible earthen wall rose from the ground, separating Tomoe and Ushiwakamaru on either side. The wall might not have been particularly sturdy, but it clearly demonstrated the stance and will of its inhabitant. While Tomoe felt a surge of anger, she ultimately managed to restrain herself somewhat.

'I'll cut your stupid neck in three strokes at most,' Ushiwakamaru sneered, his eyes clearly conveying this thought.

Tomoe merely gave her a dismissive glance. To her at that moment, killing a Servant like Ushiwakamaru, who wasn't even a first-rate Servant, wouldn't even require a second strike.

Their eyes met, then simultaneously looked away—the Flamebird, a bystander watching the spectacle, was slightly dissatisfied but could accept the outcome. She then released her interference, allowing the capacity for free thought to return to the minds of every living being present.

Only then did Ba completely suppress his anger and turn his gaze toward the speaker's location.

“High Priestess Siduri,” she said calmly, gazing at the newcomer.

“It’s been a while, General Ba.” — The speaker was dressed in a well-fitting priestly robe, with a graceful figure and a veil on her face. As she walked towards the group, she casually dispelled the effects of the earthen wall spell. Then she bowed slightly to Chaldea and the others.

Ushiwakamaru gave a soft snort and turned her head away. Although she still maintained a tough demeanor, a hint of regret was hidden between her brows—perhaps she realized at this moment that there was something wrong with her way of treating people. But due to her position and her age as a servant, she couldn't bring herself to back down, at least not at this moment.

—Ritsuka and the others, who had finally recovered from the chaos, quickly returned the greeting to the High Priest.

"Greetings, Chaldean stargazers. The King once mentioned you to me. Although there are some complex things I cannot understand for the time being, I can tell from your clothing that you come from a foreign land." High Priestess Siduri's smile was clearly conveyed even through her veil, and her tone seemed to have a calming effect—the unpleasant atmosphere in the air silently dissipated under her words.

“I am Siduri, the High Priestess of Uruk. The King has sent me to greet you all. If you don’t mind, please come with me into the city now.” She made a welcoming gesture. The previous, yet-to-be-formed conflict was thus subtly glossed over with a few words. Ritsuka opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but her words were sealed in her throat under the High Priestess’s gaze.

"Ah, um, okay—" Ritsuka was initially a little taken aback, but as she let out a heavy breath, she regained the capable demeanor befitting a Chaldea envoy. She pressed her hand to her chest and introduced herself and her companions to the High Priest.

"Greetings, High Priestess Siduri. I am Fujimaru Ritsuka, the messenger from Chaldea." She bowed slightly.

"I am Mash Kyrielight, your official Servant." Mash, standing beside her, also snapped out of her battle stance, removing the large shield and extra armor from her hands. She then bowed to Siduri.

"Are we going to see King Gilgamesh now?" Ritsuka hesitated slightly, seemingly still intending to say something about the matter between Ushiwakamaru and Tomoe Gozen. But in the end, she kept those words to herself and raised the question that she, as a Chaldean envoy, should focus on.

“Not now, we’ll have to wait a while.” Siduri shook her head slightly, her tone and expression unchanged. “I will temporarily house the two of you in the embassy that His Majesty had previously planned. Because the current King… is in a slightly inconvenient situation.”

"Inconvenient?" Mashu looked puzzled.

Fujimaru noticed something else—she looked at Tomoe, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "Tomoe-neechan..."

"I'm sorry, my mission is simply to escort you both to the first city you desire, nothing more. After this matter is settled, my lord may have other important matters to entrust to me, so when Ritsuka and Mash walk through the gates of Uruk, that will be the time for us to part." Tomoe's tone was as gentle as ever, but this time, she was clearly determined.

Ah, that's right. She'd made up her mind to leave this girl she had such a fondness for—she was now a servant of the goddess Mangoldrend, and it was only right that she serve the goddess wholeheartedly. Her previous wavering stemmed from a lingering weakness and a lack of acceptance of Mangoldrend deep within her. And Miss Ushiwakamaru had just reminded her of that through her actions.

Yes, if Ushiwakamaru hadn't suddenly appeared, and if he hadn't shown such aggressive hostility, she felt there was probably an 80% or higher chance she would have stayed, pretending the goddess's mission wasn't finished and thus remaining by the Chaldea Master's side. Furthermore, when the goddess's will clashed with Ritsuka's and the others, her stance might have wavered, even to the point of defecting. But all of this vanished because of Ushiwakamaru's actions.

—Perhaps she should express her gratitude to Ushiwakamaru. But thinking about it, such a gesture would be meaningless to both her and Ushiwakamaru.

So she added, "Besides, I don't think Uruk is a suitable place to host me right now."

“There will always be a room for you in Uruk, General Ba,” Siduri said calmly. “Although the King is now dead, I can still handle this kind of arrangement on my own.” As she spoke, she raised her hand and casually pointed out several runes in the air, creating a small, temporary soundproof barrier.

Ba did not answer.

The next moment, Dr. Roman's loud scream rang out from Chaldea's communication terminal.

"What!? King Gilgamesh is dead!?"—His tone was filled with disbelief.

“This is Dr. Roman…” Mashu weakly added after he finished shouting.

"Yes, the King is dead. Just a few ticks away... According to Imani, he died about half an hour ago. The cause of death was likely sudden exhaustion due to overworking his mind and spellcasting. This isn't uncommon, although the King doesn't seem to have any plans for high-intensity spellcasting recently. But I think there must be some considerations I'm unaware of..."