A few days later, the rebuilt city of Uruk was brightly lit.
The survivors gathered in the square, eating beef stew from great cauldrons, drinking fine wine, and celebrating around bonfires.
At the same time, in the embassy, Sumerian dishes were brought to the table one after another. Gilgamesh casually tossed several jugs of royal wine onto the table, pouring the amber liquid into cups.
"Cheers!"
Amidst the shouts, every face shone with genuine smiles, every name etched into memory.
The great sage Merlin, King Leonidas of Sparta, Head Priestess Siduri…
Gilgamesh, the Wedge of Heaven, Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven, Samael, the Shepherd King…
Ishtar, Goddess of Heaven, Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld, Kukulkan the Feathered Serpent, the Jaguar Warrior, Ana the Goddess of Demonic Beasts...
In the corner, Ziusudra, the long-lived man who always kept to the shadows, lifted his cup of water and gave a silent toast.
Twelve figures. Twelve legends. The pillars who had defended humanity's future raised their cups and downed the wine in one go.
"Ha! This is what living's about! The greatest reward of this journey was tasting such fine wine!"
After several rounds of drink and food, the white-haired Incubus leaned back, face flushed, a satisfied look spreading across his features.
"Ah, listen well! Warriors are mathematicians—after two hours of battle, they must rest fifteen minutes..."
"Warriors are philosophers—they grasp truth, apply it in action, and embody wisdom, courage, restraint, and justice. Thus, philosophers may rule as kings!"
Leonidas, red-faced, staggered to his feet and waved his arms, declaiming in near-poetic cadence.
"Wrong! None of that matters! Without arrogance, how can one be king? The king acknowledges, the king permits! The king bears the world itself—everything moves by the king's will!"
"Hahaha! I am the standard!"
Gilgamesh raised his cup with bleary eyes, dismissing him at once.
Watching the two grow heated, their faces reddening as they argued, Siduri pressed her forehead with a helpless smile.
Soon enough, the lords who shouted about proving truth with fists were dragged away by Enkidu and Siduri to sober up.
"Mmm, these lamb chops are perfect—juicy and tender! And the date porridge with honey, absolutely divine!"
"No, the butter cake's the best! Soft, sweet, and never tiring!"
The Jaguar Warrior and Ana ate voraciously, each championing their favorite dish.
"Here it is! Try the beef stew I made myself, using Samael's secret recipe!"
Rolling up her sleeves to show her muscular arms, Kukulkan lifted a pot half as tall as a man onto the table, beckoning her friends to dig in.
The moment the lid was lifted, a rich aroma spilled out. Cubes of beef, glistening red with sauce, filled the air with fragrance.
"So good!"
Unable to hold back, Ishtar jumped up first, speared a piece, and shoved it into her mouth, chewing despite the heat.
Ana, the Jaguar Warrior, and Ereshkigal quickly followed, knives and forks raised as they joined the feast.
"Mmm... my body feels warm, my divine power is surging—it's better than eating Magic Crystals..."
Completely absorbed in eating, Ishtar leaned forward, ready to scoop directly into her bowl.
"Where did you even get this beef? It tastes incredible..."
"Can I have another bowl?"
Smiling, Kukulkan filled a large bowl for her and patted her shoulder.
"Go ahead, eat more."
"Thanks for the top-class ingredients..."
Ishtar chewed greedily, speaking through a full mouth, half-dazed.
"Thank me? Why?"
"Ahem..."
Ana and Ereshkigal coughed and ducked their heads, shoveling food quickly.
Enkidu and Samael both chewed their meat in silence, their expressions complicated.
Suddenly, Ishtar froze. Her fork clattered into the bowl. Her trembling hand lifted, eyes darting between the pot and her food before she finally spoke, dry-voiced.
"This is... my bull?"
"Mm-hm. If that's not enough, there's still a leg left."
Kukulkan shrugged with an even brighter smile.
"Leftovers? Don't tell me everyone outside is eating my bull too?"
"Well... Noah's Ark didn't carry much livestock, and most had to be kept for breeding. A celebration without meat didn't feel right."
Samael casually explained, popping another piece into his mouth.
During the Battle of Uruk, Ana and Ereshkigal had indeed been gravely injured. But Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, had been completely destroyed, never appearing to cause further havoc.
When the flood receded, its mountain-sized corpse lay near Mount Ebih.
Because of Apsu's influence and the divine nature of Origin, Gugalanna had manifested not as a spirit, but in full physical form.
Following the principle of "waste not," Samael, Kukulkan, Ereshkigal, and Ana had tracked down the remains, stripped away the corrupted parts, and brought the rest back to Uruk for the people.
And indeed—it was delicious. Truly worthy of a divine beast.
The ancient serpent praised it without restraint, casting a look of approval toward Ishtar.
But the goddess of Uruk, watching her teammates devour the feast, could only pout, her heart bleeding.
"You... you've gone too far!"
"You're not eating? Fine. I get it, I won't force you..."
Samael sighed, patting her shoulder, and reached to take her overflowing bowl.
"I am eating! It's mine—don't touch it!"
Ishtar slapped his hand away, grabbed her utensils, puffed her cheeks, and furiously joined the scramble for beef.
In the end, refusing to let her loss go to waste, the Master of the Bull of Heaven forced down three bowls through tears.
Sad as she was, it really was delicious...
"I'm full! I need to walk this off!"
She wiped the sauce from her mouth, rubbed her swollen stomach, shoved aside her dishes, and stormed out.
On the city wall, Ishtar sat on the edge, cheek propped against her palm, staring at the lush greenery outside, lost in thought.
Behind her came crisp footsteps. A tall figure leaned against the wall and sat down beside her.
Hmph!
The great goddess turned away with a cold snort, refusing to acknowledge the culprit.
"What, still sulking?"
Samael nudged her lightly with his elbow, smirking.
"Mind your own business!"
"Go on, you've got plenty of people to bother. Why come annoy me?"
She frowned, pushing him aside with a huff.
"I was going to give this little one to you..."
"But you hate me. Never mind, I'll let Ere raise it."
Samael's voice sank with regret as he lifted his palm, revealing a tiny beast shaped like a brown-black piglet, a pair of blue horns on its head and golden stripes running along its back.
He stood, preparing to leave.