When the slight tremor gradually faded, Samael helped Ana to her feet, frowning as he looked toward the depths of the dense forest.
Could it be that Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, had grown so powerful that even the Mother Goddess Tiamat was wary of him?
Eridu...
Perhaps it was because Marduk's axe, which once wounded the Mother Goddess, remained there?
The ancient serpent pondered for a moment, but couldn't make sense of it. He shelved the question for now and turned his gaze toward the city of Ur.
The people here seemed used to these tremors. Those who needed to cry cried, those who wanted to sleep slept—no one paid much attention to the earlier disturbance.
Several dozen breaths later, after being comforted by Samael, the little girl, determined to seek justice on behalf of the people of Ur and express their grievances, went inside and fell soundly asleep with grand ideals in her heart.
Just as he finished calming her down, a figure appeared beside Samael—barefoot, wrapped in a white bath towel, with long black hair draped over her bare shoulders.
Watching Ishtar stretch out her long hair in the breeze, Samael figured she had come outside to dry it.
As a friendly companion, the ancient serpent graciously made space for her.
At the same time, a certain "gracious" someone stole a glance from the corner of his eye, admiring her delicate collarbone and the half-exposed curve of her snow-white breast beneath the towel.
Shame the cleavage wasn't deep enough. Poor rating...
Samael gave a sidelong glance at her as she adjusted her towel, clutching the edge to stop it from slipping, and quietly shook his head, muttering to himself.
With a body that flat, how do you expect to keep a loose towel from slipping?
Eventually, you'll have to face reality, won't you, Lady Goddess?
"Achoo!"
Whether it was because of Samael's muttering or the karma of too many misdeeds catching up, Ishtar suddenly shivered. Goosebumps ran down her back as she let out a loud sneeze.
In that split second, her hand slipped, and the corner of the towel she had just managed to secure came undone.
At the last moment, a hand caught the edge of the towel just in time, holding it up while the owner of the hand respectfully turned his head away.
"The night wind's strong. You could've just opened a window and dried your hair inside—no need to come all the way out."
Samael, long accustomed to how this woman always stumbled at crucial moments, calmly handed her the towel's edge while casually muttering a few words.
"Tch. Beauty is meant to be admired, and it's much freer out here than being cooped up inside."
Ishtar forced a smile to maintain her dignity, offering a flimsy excuse in her own defense.
Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.
Rolling his eyes, Samael leaned forward lazily against the railing, gazing down at the city of Ur as it gradually settled into the night.
Feeling that she'd lost face, Ishtar looked at the man beside her—so careless and indifferent—and couldn't help but mutter in frustration, wrinkling her nose.
"Hey, I'm the goddess of beauty, you know. Why didn't you even look at me just now?"
Samael's expression turned odd. He glanced at the all-too-familiar face, and his thoughts began to drift.
How was he supposed to explain? That in the underworld, he had basically crawled over every inch of this identical body?
That he probably knew every detail of her physique better than she did?
Forget the towel—she could stand completely naked in front of him, and it wouldn't be surprising at all.
But just imagining saying that out loud... he'd probably get beaten to death, skinned, and torn apart by both Ereshkigal and Ishtar.
So instead, Samael forced a strained, fake smile.
"Beauty is often just a facade. I have more respect for your other roles—like the Goddess of War and the Goddess of Fertility."
"In situations like that, it would feel wrong to profane a god."
A certain sly snake who shamelessly climbed into his master's bed in the underworld every night lied with a straight face and a guilty heart.
But this time, Ishtar seemed unusually perceptive. She circled him suspiciously.
"I don't know... the way you said that felt kind of guilty. Just like me every time I screw up and report it to Father."
Samael's expression stiffened, the muscles in his face twitching slightly. He was just about to say something to smooth it over.
But the Heavenly Goddess casually waved her hand, changing the subject on her own.
"Forget it, what you think about that doesn't really matter."
"I came out to ask—what are your thoughts on what we talked about earlier?"
"Maybe it's this body... or something else. Either way, I find you pleasing to the eye."
"When this is all over, stop wasting time with that dead-end Gilgamesh. Become my priest."
You actually remembered that? I thought you were just joking around.
Samael blinked in surprise, genuinely caught off guard.
Watching Ishtar lean on the railing, her eyes fixed on him, waiting for an answer, he hesitated a moment, rubbing his chin.
"Ishtar, mind telling me what brought this on? I'm just an ordinary guy without much to offer. Aren't you giving me too much credit?"
"Ordinary?"
"You think someone like Gilgamesh—arrogant as he is—would hand over 20% of the Babylonian Treasury's minerals to an 'ordinary guy'?"
"Forget that little goddess larva who clings to you all day—even Quetzalcoatl, a main god, is interested in you. And you still say you're ordinary?"
She pouted, then a sly glint sparkled in her eyes.
"I don't know the exact reason, but the more people fight over something, the more valuable it must be!"
"That's wisdom I've gained over millions of years!"
"Anyway, snatching you up can't be a loss!"
"At worst, I can just sell you later."
With that, Ishtar proudly raised her chin, revealing her smooth, swan-like neck. She kept glancing smugly at Samael's surprised expression, clearly waiting for him to praise her.
A rare commodity, huh?
Why is it that the moment money's involved, your business instincts kick in at full force?
Samael rubbed his forehead with a helpless smile, at a complete loss for how to respond to this "middleman" trying to hoard him and resell him to Ana and Quetzalcoatl.
"You're laying it on thick…"
"Mmhmm…"
"I refuse."
"Mm—what?!"
Samael lifted his hand dismissively. Ishtar's expectant smile froze on her face.
"Well, that's all. I'm heading to bed. Got an early start tomorrow."
Just as the ancient serpent turned to leave, Ishtar snapped back to her senses and quickly grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait! I'm the War Goddess you worship! Becoming my priest is an honor—what's wrong with serving your faith?"
"Faith's fine as long as it stays in the heart. I'm not signing up for daily boot-licking. Not happening."
"Come on, think it over. The temple offers great benefits—free meals and lodging, and fifty Priestess Silver a month!"
"I work in the sacrificial grounds. I make over a hundred Priestess Silver a month."
Samael rolled his eyes, completely unmoved.