"————"
A heavy silence spread through the royal hall, making even the air feel suffocating.
At that moment, Rozen and Gilgamesh simply stared at each other—neither spoke, nor made any move. They just stood there, unmoving, their eyes locked.
Those around them glanced at one another but didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
Even Mash, Merlin, and Anna held their breath as they watched, afraid that breaking the silence might trigger some catastrophic chain reaction.
Under such tension, Gilgamesh looked down at Rozen from his throne, his gaze flickering slightly.
Then—
"There's a considerable number of demonic beasts gathering at the eastern gate. Is that intel accurate?"
Gilgamesh asked with remarkable composure.
"Absolutely."
Rozen answered with equal calm.
"What's the estimated number of enemies?"
Gilgamesh asked straightforwardly.
"Rough count suggests over a thousand."
Rozen responded just as concisely.
"What kinds of demonic beasts?"
Gilgamesh inquired again.
"About four to five types. The most numerous are the Uridimmu. Aside from them, there are Mushussu, Musmahhu, Ushumgallu, and Ugallu—but in fewer numbers compared to the Uridimmu."
Rozen replied without hesitation or pause.
"A demonic beast army led by Uridimmu, numbering over a thousand? Then the troops at the east gate likely won't hold."
"Indeed. However, this will also ease the pressure on the frontlines. If we redeploy troops in time, we can still make it."
"So you're saying there's no need to send reinforcements to the frontlines?"
"At least for now, no. The east gate needs support more urgently. Otherwise, it's likely to be breached."
"Since the incident happened just yesterday, that means the demonic beasts are nearly at the eastern gate already. Even if we dispatch troops now, won't it be too late?"
"No. The terrain around the eastern gate is complex. The beasts will need time to traverse it. If orders are given now, we can make it before sunset."
"I see. So the idea is to first transfer troops from the western gate to buy time?"
"Exactly. With the reduced number of beasts at the western gate, a force of about forty men will suffice to hold it."
"That allows us to move the remaining 136 idle soldiers to the eastern gate. As for the route…"
"Take Third Avenue from the western gate. It should have a scheduled supply convoy, so the crowds are also cleared in advance."
"Hmm. Then the troops can pass through at top speed."
"Precisely."
Separated by a short distance, Rozen and Gilgamesh carried out a rapid-fire, to-the-point discussion, clearly outlining the entire troop redeployment plan within just a few exchanges.
The cool-headed and efficient dialogue left the surrounding clerks completely stunned—dumbfounded even.
Even Merlin was taken aback.
"My, how surprising. I never imagined Lord Rozen could match King Gilgamesh's processing speed and even offer such clear proposals. How does he know so much about Uruk's current state?"
Merlin couldn't help but be astonished.
From Rozen's words, it was obvious he not only had deep knowledge of Uruk's terrain and present conditions but even knew the precise positioning of troops. He didn't resemble a recent visitor from the future at all—he looked like a seasoned strategist who had long been immersed in this war zone.
If Merlin weren't absolutely certain Rozen had only arrived in Uruk today, he might have suspected the Master had been here longer than he had.
Only Mash, after recovering from her daze, immediately understood.
"I think it's because Senpai has already memorized all of Uruk's conditions."
She looked at Rozen—still deep in discussion with Gilgamesh—with eyes full of admiration.
"Senpai possesses both the 'Wise Eye,' which allows him to observe the macroscopic world, and the 'Mind's Eye,' which sees into the microscopic. When used together, he can comprehend all phenomena—even glimpsing the past, present, and future. Though currently limited and still not equal to the Clairvoyance of King Solomon or Mr. Merlin, it's more than enough to let him grasp Uruk's full situation."
That was the reason.
Combined with Rozen's quick thinking and high-level tactical abilities, keeping up with Gilgamesh in strategic dialogue wasn't difficult for him.
In fact, the two had already moved on to discussing other matters.
"What should we do about the shortage of weapons? Based on my calculations, supplying sufficient arms by nightfall is already cutting it close. If a battle breaks out at the east gate, things will get even tighter."
"We don't need to forge new weapons from scratch. Just gather damaged ones or those left on the battlefield and have blacksmiths repair them on-site. It's faster and more efficient."
"That will require more support personnel. We can't have soldiers handling weapon recovery."
"Just conscript manpower from the city. Offer rewards based on how many weapons are recovered. Even those afraid to fight can contribute and be motivated. It's killing two birds with one stone."
"In that case, we'll just pay them directly from the royal treasury."
"Rather than gold, it'd be better to use the grain we just mentioned—the batch that's about to spoil. In times like these, food is far more motivating than luxury. We'll also clear out the stores in time."
"Good. That's settled. Siduri, get someone on it immediately—execute everything we just discussed!"
"—Yes, my king!"
At Gilgamesh's order, the priestess-like woman standing nearby—who had also been dumbfounded—snapped back to herself and quickly acknowledged the command, then issued instructions.
From there, Rozen and Gilgamesh processed several more administrative cases presented by the clerks, resolving them with even greater speed and precision than Gilgamesh alone had earlier.
The way everyone looked at Rozen changed completely.
"Well, well." Merlin said, clearly impressed. "What a delightful surprise. I had expected Chaldea's team to show their worth on the battlefield at the very least—but to also excel in governance? You've exceeded expectations, Lord Rozen."
"Senpai..." Mash now looked at Rozen with eyes filled with deeper admiration than ever.
"..."
Anna kept her head down but peeked at Rozen out of the corner of her eye, clearly committing his image to memory.
That scene lingered for some time.
By the time they finished dealing with the affairs recorded on the last clay tablet, three full hours had passed.
"Next... it hasn't been submitted yet?"
Gilgamesh instinctively prepared to handle the next case but then realized no further tablet had been brought forth.
"So, I have a moment to rest now, do I, Siduri?"
He tapped the armrest of his throne and spoke calmly.
"Y-Yes, my king." Siduri replied, still catching up. "The next tablet won't be ready for another twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes?" Gilgamesh murmured. "Good. That's enough."
Then he raised a single finger and pointed at Rozen.
Upon it, mana began to stir.