I, the Weakest Traveler, Start by Taming the gods of the Old World.

"So, what is it you wanted to know? Do quick, I do not have all day." Gilgamesh asked, her fist under her jaw, legs crossed on the throne.

Artoria stood before her.

Since Ha Joon and the rest were busy touring Uruk, Artoria decided to use the opportunity to get some information out of Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh had lost a bet, and she wasn't one to go back on her word.

"My father—tell me everything that happened between you and him. And my husband—you mentioned something about me not knowing what's around me. Well, tell me now."

Gilgamesh glared.

"You lost the bet. Or is the Queen of Uruk going to go back on her word?"

Gilgamesh sighed. "You are quite persistent, aren't you, Queen Artoria. Oh well, I'll tell you all you need to know, if that's what you wish."

Artoria steeled herself, ready for whatever Gilgamesh was going to say.

Gilgamesh began...

---

A few years before Artoria was born, the royal family, Pendragon, ruled over the Eastern region with an iron fist. Most kingdoms complied; those who didn't were destroyed the moment they resisted.

That was how powerful Camelot was.

However, they weren't always this strong. In fact, Camelot was considered one of the weakest after the Great War.

Uther Pendragon was determined to make Camelot rise again, so he did the unpredictable.

He went to the small kingdom of Uruk and bowed his head before Gilgamesh.

"Grant me your treasures! Queen of Heroes, I beg of you!"

He pleaded before Gilgamesh.

In exchange for granting this wish, Gilgamesh asked to claim any male Uther Pendragon ever gained for his family.

Uther knew he couldn't have a male child; he had been cursed by a witch long ago. To him, it was a total win-win situation.

So, he accepted.

Gilgamesh blessed him with 13 weapons, each capable of boosting an individual's magic surge and granting abilities.

These weapons were distributed to 12 powerful knights, who were soon called the Knights of the Round Table.

The last treasure was a pendant. The power of this pendant was unknown, and thus Uther saw it as merely an accessory and gave it to Artoria for safekeeping.

Unbeknownst to them... the pendant was a special artifact given to Gilgamesh by a man called the Successor.

The pendant was said to connect his soul to the user, allowing them to call him forth once again to finish what he couldn't when he was alive.

Not only was the pendant picky about who could activate it, but it was also running out of magical energy since Uther had tried for over 30 years to work it.

---

"The Successor?" Artoria immediately questioned.

"Your handsome husband is the Successor, though I doubt he knows this himself," Gilgamesh responded.

"My husband? This is his first time in this world; how could he have possibly handed you the pendant?"

Gilgamesh crossed her legs again. "I sit before you telling you your handsome-looking husband is the Successor, and you doubt me? This is why I keep my knowledge to myself. Do you understand how valuable it is?"

For a split second, Artoria felt like slapping Gilgamesh across the cheek. But she needed this information; she couldn't afford to act rashly.

"I apologize. Please, carry on."

"Even I don't know the full story. The Successor was said to be born from the world itself, and as the rumor went, he was—"

"Lady Gilgamesh! We have a problem!"

A guard burst into the room.

Gilgamesh and Artoria immediately turned their gazes towards him.

"Have you no fear? You would interrupt two queens in conversation?" Gilgamesh was annoyed.

"I'm sorry, my lord! But... it's the city... the people... they are dying!"

Gilgamesh's eyes widened. "What?"

"News came from the far end that people were suddenly dropping dead without any reason. They are terrified, my lord..."

"Hahahaha!"

Gilgamesh laughed. "Well now..."

She stood up. "It looks like my old friend has decided to pay me a visit... Isn't that right, Ereshkigal."

The room suddenly went dark, reality itself bending to accommodate the two powerful beings.

The once vibrant throne room became an empty, dark void, with only Gilgamesh and a woman whose face was veiled.

She was the goddess of hell and death, Ereshkigal, the clone of Ishtar.

"Ereshkigal, did you get bored stalking your useless sister, and now you want my attention?" Gilgamesh smiled, showing no hint of fear.

"You are still as annoying and arrogant as ever," Ereshkigal uttered from under her veil.

"And you're still an eyesore. Get out of my land and return to the abyss you crawled out of," Gilgamesh replied.

There was silence for a while.

"Your city should have been destroyed a year ago. Those who should have died, and those who perished—I have come to take them back."

"Oh?"

"As the goddess of death, I won't overlook it any longer..."

Multiple scythes began to grow from the ground, each one pointing directly at Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh smiled, taking Ereshkigal's actions as a challenge, and she activated her own.

Blades, spears, arrows, and other weapons appeared behind her, glowing with golden light as they readied themselves.

Ereshkigal sighed. "Can you not make my work any harder than it has to be? Not only did you walk into hell to erase your people from my book of death, but you also killed my grim reapers when they came to retrieve the souls. Act according to the world's rules and stop being a nuisance."

"Only I decide when my people die and how. If you have a problem with it, do something about it. But remember, for every attempt you make, I'll destroy one region of hell and continue until I erase you from this world."

Ereshkigal was silent.

Gilgamesh crossed her legs. "Now, if you don't mind, return the souls you took, or... would you rather I come and take them myself?"

Ereshkigal sighed again. "I really do hate you, even more than my sister."

"And I couldn't care less."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"It's only a matter of time. Fate will catch up with you..."

"I await."

Like glass, the world around them shattered, and Gilgamesh returned to the real world.

Not a single second had passed from the moment Ereshkigal appeared and left.

"My lord, what should we do?" The servant panicked.

This was logical, as no one knew who or where the next victim would be.

"Relax. You need not panic. Order the servants to put the dead back in their houses."

"Eh?"

"Uhn?"

Artoria was just as confused by Gilgamesh's order.

Continue reading at empire

She had expected her to investigate the issue further or at least gather up the dead for a quick burial.

'Is this woman right in the head?' she thought to herself.

"You heard me. I do not like repeating my orders." Gilgamesh stood up.

"Y-yes, my lord, right away!"

The servant sprinted out of the room, confused, yes, but orders were orders.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh had also begun to exit the room through the other passage.

"Wait! We haven't finished our discussion!" Artoria yelled.

Gilgamesh paused in response.

"Ah, right. I have something I need to take care of, so I can't entertain you any longer. That said, I'll give you some advice if you truly need it."

"Advice?"

"If you still possess the pendant your father gave you, I suggest you allow your handsome husband the chance to come in contact with it. Hypothetically, he may—or may not—remember something as the Successor."

Artoria flinched. The pendant her father gave her... she remembered giving it to Merlin as a last desperate act to forget the boy from the other world.

"Ah, from the look on your face, it shows you do have it. Then my work here is done, and this calls the end of our bet. I do not normally say this, so you should be grateful. Good luck."

With that, Gilgamesh walked away, waving her hand as she exited.

'The pendant...' Artoria thought to herself.

---

Ha Joon sat on the bed, his eyes wide in surprise.

Right in front of him stood Ereshkigal, her dark veil filling the room with an ominous energy.

'Hold on, chill, I don't know this person, right? Do I? No, I don't... She just appeared in front of me and hasn't said a word since then...'

Ha Joon gulped down his saliva.

[Ciel understands that this is the goddess of hell, Ereshkigal.]

'The clone Ishtar made to cover for her in hell? What the hell? What does she want with me then?'

Ha Joon slowly raised his head to look at her.

"Uhm... can I he—"

The moment he met her gaze, Ha Joon felt something surge inside his body. Flashes of visions played before him... Each one showed how he would die, in a battle with a god who had long green hair and chains around his body.

...

[A\\N: My new book is out, but yet to be greeted. Title: Reincarnated as the Baron's son: My Infinite Card Upgrade System. Try it out!]