The Cloud-Raised Brave Man's Travels

Tachibana's eyebrows twitched as she watched the two flirting even as they ran. If she remembered correctly, she, with the system, was Koya's official partner, right? Why had this guy raped Ishtar and Ereshkigal after coming to Uruk, but not her? She longed for a sweet love, too! Although Koya was undeniably a bit of a jerk, she didn't care! So why didn't he jerk her off?

"Well... everyone, we're almost there. Just to be clear, even with me leading you, you still need to follow the rules when you head to the deepest part of the underworld. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to expel you all from the underworld. Without me, you'll be forcibly detained there, awaiting death."

"Oh, I see!"

"Oh right, Koya, I built a palace for you in the deepest part of the underworld. Let's go and see it together and see if you like it!"

"Okay."

With Ereshkigal, the Lord of the Underworld, personally opening the backdoor, Koya naturally didn't need to force his way in like he had last time. After arriving in Kusa, Ereshkigal simply took out her weapon and tapped it lightly on the ground, and in the blink of an eye, they were in the Underworld.

"Welcome to my underworld. Don't worry, I will protect you no matter what happens. There is only one thing you need to remember: the underworld has seven doors. You must never lie behind any of them. This is the only rule of the underworld for you."

"Oh, I see!"

Koya followed Elle on the road to the underworld, and they all looked around curiously. Although this was the second time Koya and Tachibana had gone to the underworld, they were in too much of a hurry last time and didn't see anything at all. This time, their curiosity was greatly satisfied.

But the underworld wasn't anything to see. It was pitch black all around, with no distant scenery visible at all, and the only thing close up was a winding road that stretched as far as the eye could see...

The only sight that aroused everyone's curiosity was probably the cage beside the road and the soul inside that emitted a blue glow.

"These are the souls of the dead in Mesopotamia. I've woven these gun cages into homes for them. Don't you think they look good?"

"Ailei, you have this skill? That's amazing!"

"Hehe, Koya, I love hearing your praise. Weaving these gun cages is actually quite troublesome, especially since the Mother Goddess of Warcraft has descended. So many people die every day. I have to secretly dig the underworld towards Uruk while weaving the gun cages. It's really tiring."

"Speaking of which, Miss Elle, has anyone ever walked out of the underworld?"

"Yes, Ishtar and Gilgamesh both visited the underworld and left."

At this point, Elle suddenly became interested. She happily told these people the story of Ishtar's descent into the underworld. Sure enough, when dealing with Ishtar, Elle's desire to attack would be infinitely magnified, just like when she talked about Ishtar's dark history now, her mood was obviously much higher.

"After conquering Mount Ebifu, Ishtar felt she was the strongest in the world, believing there was nothing she couldn't do. With this in mind, she triumphantly challenged the Underworld. Of course, I defeated her completely, and An came to redeem her."

Elle actually hasn't said the details yet. Ishtar's seven powers were taken away by her, and Ishtar was brought to her naked. Elle then used a gun to stab her like a hornet's nest. Finally, An pleaded with her and Elle sent this guy who offended the underworld out of the underworld.

"Okay, we're here! This is the first major gate!"

[Answer~Answer~ O living being who has fallen into the underworld—]

"The questions and answers at the gate are all binary options. If you answer incorrectly, you will be stripped of one of your powers. The gate to the underworld will use these questions to judge the good and evil of your soul. It is a fair and just gate of judgment. There are seven questions in total to reach the deepest part of my palace, so Koya must answer them carefully!"

"Man utterly grieved with sin, Koya Constantine, answer my question. The definition of beauty varies from person to person, but within this lies absolute beauty. So, answer this question: in your eyes, which is more beautiful, Ereshkigal or Ishtar?"

"Ailei? Why is the sound coming from this door exactly the same as yours?"

"I, I don't know~~ Ailei doesn't know anything, Koya should answer the question quickly! You must, you must answer seriously!"

Koya, Tachibana, and Mashu behind him all looked at Elly with indescribable expressions. They said nothing, yet it seemed as if they had said everything...

"Look at what I'm doing, Koya, answer quickly!"

"In my heart, Ishtar and Ereshkigal are both absolutely beautiful. One is as dazzling as a gem, and the other is as beautiful as a flower. Both are extremely beautiful in my heart."

"Wow, Koya is indeed the one trying to get away with it in such a situation. What a scumbag!"

"Senior, it's better to shut up now. Didn't you see that Miss Ai Lei was already shaken just now?"

Koya looked at the two smiling girls who were deliberately trying to make trouble for him and his face darkened. Ai Lei was obviously about to be fooled, so why are you two making trouble?

[No, don't give such a foul answer! Choose one of two, choose one! Only one of two is allowed! You scumbag Koya!]

"Well, the answer is Ereshkigal."

【Hmm, (o゜▽゜)o☆[BINGO!]! Correct answer! 】

The stone door standing before Koya and the others slowly opened, and Ailei smiled and led the three of them to the next door.

"Answer me, answer me! In your opinion, who is more suitable to be my wife, Ishtar or Ereshkigal?"

“Ereshkigal—”

As expected, the next few doors still required a choice between Elle and Ishtar, and the answer was Elle only. At the third door, Koya chose Ishtar, and the result was that the door was silent for five minutes and then asked the same question again. The door would only open if Elle answered.

In this way, the four of them passed through six gates and stopped before the seventh gate. This was the final roadblock to Ereshkigal's palace.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha."

"Is this laughter—King Gilgamesh?"

"Thank you for coming to greet me."

"Oh, yes, we originally came here to look for King Gilgamesh."

"Ahhh, alright. Now that you and your people have been found, Tachibana, go back. In the name of the Mistress of the Underworld, I acknowledge that you can return to the surface. That's it!"

"Eh eh eh?"

Fujimaru Tachibana, Mashu and Gilgamesh were sent back to the ground without any movement by Ereki's power. In the end, Gilgamesh watched this scene with great interest.

The selfless Lord of the Underworld seems to have finally found what she longed for.

"Okay, Koya, come on, there's one last question!"

Chapter 173: The First Wife

In front of the seventh door, only Ailei and Koya were left in the underworld. At this moment, Ailei pushed Koya to the front of the door with a red face.

[Ahem. Ahem. Answer, answer. This is the last question you will answer, so please answer it seriously. No lies...]

"I know, I will definitely answer seriously."

"Well, actually, it's okay to lie, but you have to give me a satisfactory answer, okay?"

"go ahead."

Koya was also very curious. What was the last question that Ailei wanted to answer that made her so cautious? And you really don't want to pretend anymore. Why is the sound of the stone door getting clearer and clearer?

[Then, one last question—Koya Constantine, are you willing to marry Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld? Yes or Yes?]

“Is there a difference between your two answers?”

Koya turned his head and looked at Ailei with amusement. At this moment, Ailei's face was flushed with shyness, and she wished she could turn into an ostrich and bury her head in the soil of the underworld. When she heard Koya's question, she just forced herself to speak in a voice as small as a mosquito.

"Long-winded."

【Hurry up and answer! 】

"I do. I'm willing to marry Ailei!"

"Ah~~~"

Ailei really understood. After hearing Koya's answer, the smile on her face bloomed like a flower -

[(o゜▽゜)o☆Hehehe~~~ Then, let’s keep going~~~]

"Didn't you say you would take me to see the castle? Let's keep going."

"Uh huh huh!!!"

The underworld shouldn't have anything associated with beauty, for the Queen of the Underworld loathes herself. While she fulfills her duties according to her mission, she takes no pride in them. Rather, she possesses the most inferiority complex in this gloomy underworld. She despises her own existence, believing that humans loathe her, the embodiment of death. Beauty shouldn't exist in the gloomy underworld, for that is wrong.

When Ishtar descended into the underworld, she was jealous of her sister. Why did she enjoy unlimited favors from birth while she was born into the underworld and experienced endless darkness and work? So she tortured Ishtar as much as possible when she descended into the underworld, and finally cursed her before she left. But after this, she became even more gloomy, because she realized that her revenge was meaningless. Ishtar was still the mistress of the sky favored by the gods, while she was still a maggot in the underworld.

Now Ai Lei's character has been determined: paranoid, inferior, and eager for recognition. This kind of woman is actually very difficult to conquer, because she insists on a step-by-step approach. Only by breaking her inner barriers can you get her recognition, but the most troublesome thing is that people like Ai Lei will even avoid contact with others, so the first step must be to make her interested in you.

Koya took a shortcut. He unreasonably attacked Ellie from the inside out, completely forgetting the Heart Barrier. It could only be said that their first meeting was too coincidental, and Ellie misunderstood Koya's relationship with Ishtar, causing the attack progress to skyrocket from zero to 100%...

"Koya, do you like this palace?"

"very beautiful."

In the deepest part of the underworld, on a square that should have been empty, a magnificent castle stands. Elle is certainly not poor. Although humans fear death, their offerings to the God of Death may be second only to the God of Fertility among all gods. It's just that Elle has never cared about these things and has thrown them away casually in various corners of the underworld. But now she has something she cares about, and this magnificent castle stands here.

"Alright, alright, I've done what I needed you to do, so go back. Remember to fear death. If you abuse your bodies again, I will drag you into the underworld."

"Thank you, Lord Ereshkigal, for your mercy."

Around the castle, some blue souls dissipated at this moment. Like King Gilgamesh, they also returned from the underworld.

"Which ones?"

"They are the souls of the Kusa people. I dragged them into the underworld when I was still in the Three Goddesses Alliance. But now that Koya is here, I won't worry about the peace of the underworld. I will protect Uruk with you, and they can return naturally. However, according to the rules of the underworld, they also need some trials, so I simply let them help us build the castle. Souls in the underworld are tireless, and with the help of some other souls, the castle was quickly built."

"So...what should we do next?"

"Didn't you just agree..."

"Oh~~"

Koya and Elle's wedding took place in their castle. In those days, weddings weren't complicated rituals; generally, they simply required informing both parties' parents. Koya and Elle performed the ceremony in the main hall, declaring their wishes to Elle's father, An, and the ceremony concluded. While Koya felt the decision was a bit hasty, since Elle preferred it, it was fine.

At this point, Koya's first wife was completely confirmed. Although Elle was a latecomer, her talent for sneaking away was maxed out. She first sneaked away from Ishtar, and now she has sneaked away ahead of all the girls who have a relationship with Koya. This identity of the first wife will definitely make Hestia jump for a while after returning to Orario.

"Um, Koya, what should we do next?"

"Hmm~Where is the bedroom in this castle?"

"Well……"

On the other side, Gilgamesh returned to the ziggurat. The trip to the underworld that day did not cause any accidents in Uruk. Siduri and Quetzal handled the government affairs perfectly. After returning to the throne, Gilgamesh even had some free time.

"My king, I'm so glad you returned safely!"

"This is my third time in the underworld. Siduri, you should be used to it. Okay, when will the Gorgon attack come?"

"the day after tomorrow."

"Hmm...are all the preparations done?"

"Yes, the new generation of magic cannons has been shipped to the front line."

"No matter how much work is piled up, just bring it all to me."

"Miss Quetzal has assisted me in handling most of the government affairs over the past two days. Your Majesty, you may rest for a while."

"Hmph, Siduri, you're actually helping me handle government affairs. You're getting bolder and bolder. Please step aside. Since you say so, I'll rest for a while. Call me if there's anything important."

"Yes!"

After Siduri left, Gilgamesh walked out of the secret room of the ziggurat. He sat on his throne and looked through the ziggurat towards the distant north.

"As expected, it's not there, Jin-gu... Haha, this is such a ridiculous fact."

Before Koya and the others arrived, Gilgamesh had taken a special look around a certain part of the underworld. After Enkidu's death, his soul was supposed to have gone to Hades. Because of his special status, Ere even helped him weave a special gun cage. But when Gilgamesh found the gun cage, it was destroyed and Enkidu's soul was missing...

·Dividing line·

The next day, Koya, still remembering the decisive battle with the Gorgon, didn't indulge in the gentle pleasures of the moment. After a brief conversation, he brought Ellie to Uruk. The sun hadn't yet risen, and Tachibana and the others were resting in the embassy. Koya didn't want to disturb them, so he took Ellie to Ishtar's temple. As expected, Ishtar wouldn't stay at the Chaldean embassy while Koya was away. She was currently sitting on the throne in the temple, counting gems.

"Come back."

Seeing Koya's figure, Ishtar quickly put the gem into the spirit space, then floated over and wanted to give Koya a big hug.

"Stop Ishtar~~ Koya is my husband now, you can't hug him!"

"He's obviously mine! Ereshkigal, what are you doing?! I didn't pursue the matter of you stealing Koya, and now you're challenging me! Let's fight!"

Ishtar, already furious after serving as Gilgamesh's symbol for a day, was furious when she saw Erei shielding Koya with her arms outstretched. Tachibana and the others had arrived in Uruk hours before Koya, so Erei must have slipped away during that time. She hadn't even bothered to find out about her, and now she'd gotten to her first! This was so humiliating!

"Hehe, Koya and I have already held our wedding in the underworld! Now I am her legitimate wife~~ Even if you want to come in, call me sister first to make me happy~~"

No, I can't let Elle continue. Ishtar is clearly about to explode. If she keeps going on, we're going to have a rough night. Koya quickly put a stop to their quarrel, dragging them into a room in the temple, then giving them a beating. Koya learned this solution from Hestia, who was jealous. After several Shura Fields, Koya knew one thing: he had to stop the Shura Field before it unfolded!

"Ugh! You two are bullying me! It was obviously me who started it all, whether it was meeting Koya or marrying him, it was all me who started it all. Why, why did Ailei sneak out on me the first time, and she sneaked out on me when I got married! Are you still my sister? How can I have a sister like you?"

"Ahahaha, sorry..."

After the rod that went straight to her heart was inserted into her body, Ishtar finally spoke out her true feelings. She complained to Koya and Ailei in a wronged manner. Obviously, everything belonged to her, Ishtar, before, but why was she always one step slower than Ailei when it came to men? She was not willing to accept this!

"I, I want to be the first to get pregnant with Koya's child! I definitely won't lose this time! My body is still that of that young girl, so I have a better chance of winning than you! Ailei, just wait for my child to be born and feel sad while you touch your still belly!"

Ishtar's desire to win is being used in strange ways...

·Dividing line·

The next morning, Koya brought Ishtar and Elei to the tower. This time, the lineup in the tower was the most complete, because the decisive battle with Gorgon, or rather, with Tiamat behind Gorgon, had finally arrived.

Now Gorgon can no longer cause any trouble. Two of the three goddesses have already defected. The only thing worth noting is the monsters under Gorgon's command. Their individual strength is indeed not strong, but when they gather together, they are a force that cannot be underestimated.