My mother's love song

That's right.

Semiramis was not the real builder of the Hanging Gardens. Someone else was the real builder.

The Chaldeans of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which existed nearly 2,600 years ago.

He built many famous wonders throughout the ages, including the Tower of Babel, the Ishtar Gate, and the Great Wall of Media.

Nebuchadnezzar II, the great king who conquered many nations including Judea and ruled the prosperous city of Golden Babylon.

The king was the real builder of the Hanging Gardens, one of the seven wonders of the world, which was built to please his queen.

"The reason why I can't drive the garden... is it because the real owner of the garden appeared in this Holy Grail War!!!"

Semiramis narrowed her eyes slightly.

If that's the case, everything makes sense.

After all, he was just a false master of the garden, and all he owned was the shell of the garden.

However, the power and authority that drives the Sky Garden cannot be passed on to oneself by the Holy Grail without the permission of the true master of the garden.

The empress stood up from the throne.

"King Nebuchadnezzar must be killed as soon as possible... Shirou must not be allowed to know about this.

Even if my Noble Phantasm is [vain], this awareness and power are [real]...!"

Fortunately, Semiramis still possesses the power of Assassin.

“We just need to eliminate Servant Nebuchadnezzar on the black side before the final battle.

Well, it is possible that Red Saber is Nebuchadnezzar. That guy is very suspicious."

No...it'd better be like that, it'd better be Saber.

If Nebuchadnezzar manifested as a Rider or Berserker, he would undoubtedly be a top-tier Servant on par with Karna and Achilles.

The Noble Phantasms include the Hanging Gardens, the Babel Tower, the Feet of Clay, and the Gate of Babylon, a royal heroic spirit... just thinking about it makes me shudder!

"Anyway, send out a large number of pigeons to continue collecting intelligence."

The empress walked down the stairs to the throne in crisp high heels.

Then, she stopped as if she suddenly remembered something and narrowed her sharp eyes.

“By the way, it’s not just Nebuchadnezzar II.

The real owner of the Sky Garden could be the princess that the Golden King wants to please..."

……

……

……

"Ah sneeze!"

"What's wrong, Caster? Do you have a cold?"

On the plane in Bucharest, Romania, Ai Ge looked at Rod worriedly when he suddenly sneezed violently.

"No, it's nothing."

Rhode rubbed his nose and said, "Maybe the air conditioning on the plane is too cold. No problem, Servant won't get sick."

"I see. If you feel uncomfortable, please tell me at any time, Master~"

The maid in Aigever pulled down the sleeping mask on her face.

"Ah."

Rhodes held his chin with one hand and looked out at the sea of ​​clouds outside from the narrow window of the plane.

Speaking of which, two thousand six hundred years have passed.

The beautiful scene reflected in the emerald eyes brought back Caster's memories.

He closed his eyes and examined distant memories.

It is not Aleister Crowley, nor is it the modern boy Rhodes, but a person from a much longer time.

I thought of the mortal who had stood shoulder to shoulder with me in the sky, the Golden Queen of Babylon.

Chapter 346: The Vain Queen and the Melancholy Princess

"So it's here. Really... I had such a hard time looking for it, my beloved."

The woman who walked towards Rhodes with a smile on her face and crisp high heels was more noble and dazzling than all the gold, silver and jewelry in the world combined.

She has beautiful long black hair that flows to the ground and an impeccable and beautiful face.

There is not a trace of fat on her plump body, and her curves are provocative, full of the charm of a mature woman.

The fair skin is covered with countless gold and gems, but it does not look vulgar at all.

Standing in the magnificent palace, this charming woman exudes a royal temperament that is so luxurious that it makes people feel decadent.

She is none other than Nebuchadnezzar the Great, the legendary king who reigned over Western Asia 2600 years ago and was surrounded by numerous mysteries.

According to records, Nebuchadnezzar II was the last glimmer of the Mesopotamian civilization.

The New Babylonian Kingdom she ruled conquered most of Western Asia, destroyed Jerusalem and abducted all the citizens of the city, making the Jewish people their prisoners, and even invaded Egypt and captured its capital at one point.

The city of Babylon built by Nebuchadnezzar was a golden city as magnificent and prosperous as the realm of God, and it included many wonders such as the Tower of Babel, the Ishtar Gate, and the Hanging Gardens.

It is precisely because of her huge presence in military and construction that Mesopotamian mythology has completely influenced the world's mythological history and has been passed down to this day.

On the other hand, she is extensively recorded in the Old Testament and is described as an evil king.

She is an "instrument of sin" and a "king of ungodliness".

According to legend, Nebuchadnezzar the Great was so obsessed with his own achievements that he placed himself on an equal footing with God, so Jehovah punished him by turning him into a wild beast.

2000 years after Nebuchadnezzar's death, Europeans created the arrogant archangel Lucifer based on the legend of the King of Babylon. This is arguably the most successful fan-created character in human history.

And this Golden Queen of Babylon, the son of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, was exactly the woman whom Lot had deeply loved in the distant past.

Even in the eyes of Rhodes, who has walked through the long history of mankind, she is the most beautiful human being.

This aggressive, kind yet vicious embodiment of beauty that seems to trample everything in the world underfoot is just like a great goddess from the distant past.

In the 6th century BC, with the death of King Solomon, the Age of Gods came to an end.

The Golden Queen does not have the blood of God flowing through her veins. Apart from being the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar I, who conquered the Assyrian Empire, her powers are no different from those of a mortal.

But such a mortal wanted to recreate the glory of Mesopotamian mythology on this land. Rhodes found the queen's ambition very endearing.

That was why Rhodes became her princess and shared his Holy Grail with her.

"You still have such a sad expression as always, my beloved."

Nebuchadnezzar came up behind Lot and wrapped his soft, slender arms around his waist like a snake.

The two of them were touching each other's skin, standing on the top of the tower where they could see the whole of Babylon, gazing at the prosperous scene under the setting sun.

"Does being around me make you so unhappy? My dear, your expression breaks my heart."

The Golden Queen spoke sadly into the boy's ear.

"What can I do to make you smile?"

To King Nebuchadnezzar, Lot was everything.

For him I would give everything I have.

This was not because the boy possessed power beyond that of humans and gods, nor was it because of the blessing of the Holy Grail that the boy had given himself.

The Golden Queen's love for Rhodes is not material, but spiritual.

Rhodes was the first one to acknowledge his existence.

It was he who taught the Queen to follow her own desires, and it was he who stayed by the Queen's side and endured the malice of the world.

Only in his presence was Nebuchadnezzar truly Nebuchadnezzar.

For Rhodes, the Golden Queen could give up this extremely powerful country.

If he wanted to be king, the queen would give up her throne without hesitation.

After that, no matter what happened to him, he just wanted her to stay by his side.

If I could stay with him, I wouldn't mind being demoted to the lowest slave girl.

Nebuchadnezzar loved Lot so much.

But, why.

Why can't I convey my love to him properly? Why can't I make him happy?

The princess, who lived deep in the palace of Babylon, always had a melancholy expression on her face.

Although that expression was also very sad, Nebuchadnezzar wished he could see his smile.

The Queen had only seen that smile once, when she met him.

Brighter than the stars, more dazzling than gold.

She would do anything just to see that smile again.

Nebuchadnezzar tried every possible way to make the princess smile.

The armies of the New Babylonian Empire conquered everywhere and plundered gold and jewels as high as hills to decorate their palaces.

He married hundreds of girls from various countries in the name of taking concubines, but in fact they were all given to the princess by the queen.

Even so, Rhodes never smiled at him once.

The citizens called them privately

The queen of vanity. The princess of melancholy.

Alas...what a heartbreaking word, what a harsh pronunciation, it's like questioning my love for the princess!

All the citizens who said this were thrown into dungeons by the angry queen and kept company with the Jews.

The Queen actually knew that the princess's melancholy came from homesickness.

The hometown here is not a geographical term

The princess' hometown is Kamishiro.

An era that had completely died out with the death of Solomon hundreds of years ago.

All the people Rod had loved in the past were left behind in that era.

The queen longs, the queen hopes.

He gradually turned Babylon into a golden city, issued decrees, fought wars, and sometimes captured many people, but

It didn't happen.

I can't even make the only man I love smile.

Why?

Is there something missing? I have tried everything I could and done everything I could.

What is missing?

Is it because I, as a human being, have my limits that I cannot restore Babylon to the Age of Gods?

So, as a human being, what can I do to make my beloved smile...

Today, the Golden Queen who has everything is also troubled by this.

"Mmmmm... I'm so useless."

Nebuchadnezzar rubbed Rhodes' cheek with the tip of her delicate nose, and the boy felt a little itchy.

"That's not the case. I'm not unhappy. I'm just marveling at the magnificence of Babylon."

Hearing what the young man said, Nebuchadnezzar immediately showed a happy expression.

"Really? That's great if you think so.

Look, over there is the Ishtar Gate being built.”