Led by the venerable Hamilcar, Gilgamesh, Ur-Namu, Siduri, and the others followed the winding tunnel into the hollowed heart of the mountain. When they emerged, their faces became masks of sheer astonishment.
"Gentlemen, this is the Order of the Gear—the most mysterious guild of artificers in all the Alluvium," Hamilcar explained, his voice echoing in the vast space. "Legend says they are the inheritors of the forbidden logic from ancient times. They are the nameless watchers who ensure that technologies capable of leveling cities do not fall into the hands of petty tyrants."
"One could say the Imperial Palace and the Great Satraps obtained their Bronze Colossi from this very source. If you can win them over, then breaking the Emperor's iron grip will no longer be an impossibility."
Hamilcar continued his narration, detailing the history of the Order to the stunned commanders. "As for why I am helping you... Enkidu-Sa has told me everything. I have judged you a man worthy of the old wisdom, and thus, I have brought you to the Forge."
Before Gilgamesh could offer his thanks, the old architect spoke as if his mind were already firmly made up.
"Thank you, Old Master..." Gilgamesh performed a deep, formal bow. His rubicund eyes betrayed a hint of genuine, burning excitement.
"Hehe, Your Highness, my Mentor moves only for his own sense of cosmic justice!" Enkidu-Sa interjected with a chuckle. "His rescue of Lord Lugal-Kisura was driven by his inability to stand by while a pillar of the realm was cast into the pits."
"I see. The Old Master is truly a man to be admired!" Gilgamesh said, his respect for the elder deepening further.
"I realized one thing long ago," Hamilcar sighed. "The Palace is a sinking galley. From framing loyal generals to ignoring the drought in the south just to hoard gold in the capital... I chose to retreat to these caves to save the Knowledge before the dynasty collapsed."
"I understand," Gilgamesh replied solemnly. "Please rest assured, the Reclamation will build a golden age of peace."
"Hahaha, enough talk. Let me use the way I know best to help you seize the Four Quarters." Hamilcar led them to a pair of massive bronze gates etched with moving star-charts. "We have arrived. Prepare yourselves to meet the Arch-Magos and his artificers."
As the gates groaned open, a surreal world unfolded. Inside a gargantuan workshop built directly into the mountain's core, they saw countless precision machines—pistons hissing with steam and gears turning with a mathematical grace that seemed far beyond the current age of the Alluvium.
Innumerable artificers, dressed in simple leather aprons, moved briskly between the machines. Upon closer inspection, one would be startled to find that these "simple" workers were heavily augmented. Some had eyes replaced with glowing brass lenses; others possessed powerful hydraulic limbs of bronze and silver to facilitate heavy labor.
The Order of the Gear was a sight that simply should not exist in this era.
"So this is the Great Forge?" Gilgamesh remarked, his voice suddenly sharp and analytical. "The pneumatic pressure in these conduits is impressive... and with such sophisticated structural load-bearing, it's no wonder they could build the Colossi. The hydraulic fluid must be a refined bitumen blend to handle that heat."
Hearing Gilgamesh speak with such sudden, expert technical insight, the generals, Siduri, and even Hamilcar stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.
"Father, are you alright?" Siduri asked, her voice trembling. "How could you possibly know those terms? You've never seen a pneumatic conduit in your life!"
"Siduri, I don't understand it myself," Gilgamesh shook his head, looking down at his own hands as if they belonged to a stranger. "It's as if that knowledge was already in my mind, locked behind a door that just opened. I just... understand the logic of the machine."
"Innate knowledge of the High Logic... is that not a trait of the Star-Kings of legend?" Enkidu-Sa broke the silence, bowing deeply. "It seems Your Highness winning the realm is a matter of cosmic destiny. Please, you must embrace this path with all your might!"
"Master Enkidu-Sa, why do you insist Father is some divine being?" Siduri argued. "We started as a ragtag band of survivors! How could he—" She stopped abruptly, a realization dawning on her. "But Father's past is strange. He was found in the wilderness as a child. No one ever found his kin. It's as if Father just... appeared. Even the old elders never spoke of where he came from."
As Siduri retraced her foster father's mysterious origins, the others looked at Gilgamesh with a new, incredulous light. Gilgamesh himself had turned deathly serious, his gaze fixed on the glowing cores of the machines.
"Regardless," Hamilcar prompted, breaking the tension, "let me take you to see the Arch-Magos. If he decides to follow you, the Order of the Gear will be at your service. Then, your victory shall be written in bronze."