As Gilgamesh and Fujimaru Ritsuka conversed, a soldier rushed in, reporting that someone was flying towards the temple. It was Ishtar, one of the three great goddesses.
"That idiot again? Truly a fool who never learns!" Gilgamesh snorted, showing no regard for Ishtar, as if it were a common occurrence.
"What did you say!"
Ishtar descended from the sky, shattering the temple ceiling with her mount, Maanna. She glared angrily at Gilgamesh, then noticed the Chaldean members beside him.
"Hello… we meet again…" Fujimaru Ritsuka greeted awkwardly.
Ishtar approached. "Step aside. I'm looking for that flashy golden king over there."
"Flashy golden king" was naturally Gilgamesh's nickname. It was given by Ishtar because Gilgamesh's armor was entirely gold, and his Gate of Babylon also shimmered with golden light.
"To think you'd worry about someone else, how rare!" Gilgamesh teased Ishtar, seeing her move Fujimaru Ritsuka aside. Such an action was truly unusual.
"Ah… no… impossible, how could I care about others? I only care about Uruk. Ah, but then again, Uruk doesn't belong to me, so why should I care what happens to Uruk…" Ishtar became tsundere again, quickly turning to explain to Fujimaru Ritsuka. However, everyone could see that Ishtar was speaking against her true feelings.
The situation became awkward. Ishtar, blushing furiously, hardened her heart and fired a magic projectile directly at Gilgamesh, but Mashu blocked it with her shield.
Simultaneously, Anna attacked Ishtar with her scythe, but Maanna intercepted it. Ishtar seized the opportunity to kick Anna away, and Anna, using the close contact, ensnared Ishtar's hands with her chains.
Mashu charged forward with her shield, only to be entangled by Ishtar's skillful maneuver, which wrapped the chains around Mashu's feet. Mashu lost her balance and fell to the ground.
As for Li Xing, he had stealthily approached Maanna. He touched it with his hand, instantly analyzing its structural properties.
Ishtar, about to fire another magic projectile at Anna, suddenly noticed something. She stopped abruptly and bent down to examine Anna closely.
"I see, so this is the so-called nexus of causality! That's enough. I was just taking a stroll today. Goodbye, semi-naked King of Uruk."
Then, Ishtar grabbed Maanna and flew straight into the sky, vanishing in an instant.
"How dare you call someone else semi-naked when your own clothes are even less…" Li Xing muttered to himself, finding Ishtar to be quite a comical goddess.
…
After Ishtar departed, Gilgamesh returned to his usual cold demeanor. "Uruk is facing an unprecedented crisis. I have no time to accompany you Chaldeans on an excursion. However, if you insist on being useful to me, then go and do odd jobs for the citizens!"
The King's word was absolute. Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others had no choice but to start with menial tasks. They believed that if they could satisfy Gilgamesh, he would eventually agree to their plans.
Li Xing, meanwhile, was solely focused on how to craft weapons and didn't care about doing chores. He figured as long as he stayed with Fujimaru Ritsuka, everything would be fine.
…
Leaving the temple, the sky was already darkening. They needed to find lodging. Fortunately, Siduri was there. Siduri found a large house for everyone, and Mashu even named it the Chaldean Embassy.
Merlin had his own room in the palace, but he still chose a room here. Merlin wanted to pick a large room, but Li Xing beat him to it.
"Sorry, this room is mine. Besides Anna, I'm not used to sharing rooms with others."
Merlin could only give an awkward smile and settle for a room next door. After Anna chose her room, Li Xing carried her to his room. "You stay in this room. I'll go to the room outside. Wait here for a moment, I'll make you something to eat."
Anna clearly wasn't accustomed to kindness. She lowered her head, lost in thought. As for why Li Xing was acting this way, it was simply because Anna was a worker for the Counter Force, and Li Xing was similar, his own worker. Moreover, Li Xing already had a fondness for Anna.
…
In a kitchen, Li Xing was cooking with Siduri. This era wasn't about eating raw meat; the food was even more delicious than modern cuisine.
Li Xing also made some "good life" three-colored rice dumplings for Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu. He also prepared some cakes for Anna, and for fairness, he brewed some barley wine for Merlin.
As for the ingredients, they were naturally conjured using spiritualism. Li Xing explained to Siduri that it was a form of summoning, similar to how Uruk summoned goddesses. Siduri, understanding this, didn't think much of it, at least they wouldn't have to worry about food for these people from now on. Li Xing was truly convenient.
When Li Xing returned to the Chaldean Embassy with the food, he found three new people had arrived: Ushiwakamaru, Musashibo Benkei, and Leonidas I.
"Hello everyone, I'm Li Xing, a member of Chaldea." Li Xing greeted with a smile, unconcerned about his status. In his opinion, he was a Chaldean member, and he even had over three hundred Servants in his Chaldea.
After a brief introduction, everyone began to eat and drink. Fujimaru Ritsuka was surprised to enjoy hometown delicacies here. This singularity was truly a "heavenly hand" start. He immediately praised Li Xing profusely.
Not just Fujimaru Ritsuka, but everyone was won over by Li Xing's cooking. The food perfectly suited their tastes, and even Merlin, whose room had been taken, gave Li Xing a thumbs-up.
Anna, meanwhile, was staring longingly at the cake on the table but was too shy to eat it. Li Xing, of course, noticed this. He picked up a fork, scooped some cake, and brought it to Anna's lips.
"I… I don't really like sweets…"
Anna said this, but her eyes never left the cake in Li Xing's hand. Li Xing asked Anna to open her mouth, and Anna, unable to resist, opened her mouth and swallowed the cake from Li Xing's fork.
"She's such a little cutie…"
…
After everyone had eaten their fill, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others were chatting with Siduri about Enkidu. Li Xing, on the other hand, went outside and gazed at the night sky.
"How is it? Is this era easier to get along with than modern times? I suspect you have some special preferences. How could you lay hands on a child like Anna!" Li Yun suddenly emerged from Li Xing, criticizing his actions today.
"Idiot, what do you know? Anna is much older than me. Although I've traveled through many worlds, my total age is over three hundred years. Besides, she's already dead. The Anna here is a Heroic Spirit. How could I possibly make a move on her? At best, I'd have to bring her original body out of the Throne of Heroes and resurrect her."
"Tch, who knows. Maybe that's your preference!"
"I think you need some discipline, Yunyun…" Li Xing said with a wicked grin, and with a spatial lockdown, he immobilized Li Yun.
"Come on, come on. I've followed you for so many years, and you haven't touched me. Liar!"
Hearing this made Li Xing awkward. When did Li Yun develop these feelings? It made Li Xing hesitant.
"Tch, I knew it. Xing is a liar. What did you say in the Infinite Tsukuyomi back then?"
"Uh… let's talk about it after we leave the Type-Moon world, okay? After all, you're not the only one here." Li Xing hugged Li Yun apologetically, admitting he had broken his promise.
(Happy Birthday, Uchiha Madara! Happy birthday to the author! Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!)