Chapter 984: Chapter 984: Cooperation Reached
"Goldie, I’m here to negotiate terms with you!"
Gilgamesh was in the palace, dealing with the final arrangements before the relocation, when that familiar, headache-inducing voice suddenly rang out.
Years of being tormented had conditioned him to feel nothing but irritation the moment he heard it. Whenever this madwoman showed up, it was rarely for anything good. Unfortunately, he couldn’t simply ignore her—especially not at a time when the world itself was about to change.
"So, what are you doing coming back now?"
Gilgamesh didn’t bother hiding the contempt in his tone. It was the same attitude he’d maintained for years.
Under normal circumstances, the madwoman across from him would have already exploded into an argument. He knew better than anyone how poorly she handled provocation.
But today was different. Instead of flying into a rage, Ishtar was unusually calm.
"Goldie, we need to talk."
Today’s Ishtar had completely reined in her temper, nothing like the volatile, rampaging version he was used to.
Seeing her like this, Gilgamesh even straightened up slightly, no longer lounging with his chin propped in his hand.
"You want to talk?"
He stared at Ishtar’s emotionless face, his thoughts momentarily blank. He couldn’t quite figure out what had happened to make her act like this.
"Goldie, you want revenge on the gods, don’t you?"
That single sentence wiped the casual look from Gilgamesh’s face.
Just from those words alone, he could tell that this madwoman wasn’t here to joke around today.
"Heh. And what makes you think that?"
"Tch. Don’t play dumb with me. I have my reasons. The three-month deadline is almost here. All humans and gods of this world will be heading to the new world. Every god has to return the Authority granted by the world, and all of them will enter the new world as nothing more than demigods."
That information neatly confirmed Gilgamesh’s earlier suspicions.
’Did she get this from that man? Looks like it matches my deductions perfectly.’
Three months ago, when he learned that the gods would have to return the world’s Authority, he had already started to suspect something like this. Unfortunately, the Omniscient and Omnipotent Star couldn’t peer into a future beyond the world itself, so he hadn’t been able to confirm it.
He hadn’t expected Ishtar—who he hadn’t seen in a long time—to bring back such concrete information. That alone made it clear where she’d been during this period.
"All gods are starting from the same line, even Father Anu. With the hatred you hold toward the gods, there’s no way you’d let this opportunity slip by."
Ishtar didn’t notice the subtle shift in Gilgamesh’s mood and continued laying everything out.
"Once they enter the new world, the gods will have to fight over territory and gather massive amounts of faith. Otherwise, they won’t be able to shape their divine essence and Authority through Human History. The early stage is the most important, so there’s no way you’d miss this chance."
At that, Gilgamesh nearly laughed.
So all his guesses had been right after all. The new world really was his one and only opportunity. If he seized it properly, he might finally be able to return the resentment he’d harbored toward the gods for so long.
The moment gods needed humans to help rebuild their divine essence and Authority, they stopped being the ones in control.
A fire burned fiercely in Gilgamesh’s chest. A passion he thought long extinguished had been reignited. This time, he no longer felt the same resistance toward the gods—because he intended to climb to that height himself, step by step.
Only then did Gilgamesh turn his gaze back to Ishtar.
"So?"
"So, let’s work together."
Ishtar said it plainly, without any hesitation. Even Gilgamesh, who had been somewhat prepared, paused for a moment.
From the moment Ishtar started speaking, he’d already sensed that she wasn’t here to spout nonsense today. She had come to seriously talk business.
Even so, hearing the word "work together" still stirred a faint ripple in his emotions.
"Why should I cooperate with you?"
Although he felt a trace of temptation, Gilgamesh didn’t accept the proposal so easily.
Ishtar could be useful, but her emotional instability was a serious problem. And judging from the Gugalanna incident, she also had a chronic tendency to drop the ball. Working with her was practically inviting trouble.
So he suppressed that flicker of interest.
Ishtar had already anticipated this reaction. Her answer was simple.
"Ereshkigal. She’s already taken the position of Underworld goddess in the new world and has completed most of the Underworld’s construction."
"And because she needed to build it, she was granted the foundational Authority of the Underworld in advance."
"At the very beginning of the new world, she’ll have absolute authority there. Even if other Underworld gods appear later, do you really think anyone will be able to interfere?"
The Underworld was critically important. Its authority was far greater than most could imagine. But could just anyone get involved with it? The difficulty was immense.
Ishtar had already thought this through. Among the gods of both worlds, only Erebos and Ereshkigal had been designated as Underworld deities. It was obvious that, for a long time to come, no other Underworld god would be able to step in.
That was an absolute advantage.
This was the conclusion Ishtar had reached after leaving Bell. It became her greatest leverage—and the very qualification she now used to negotiate with Gilgamesh.
Even though she hated being under Ereshkigal’s protection, this wasn’t the time to be picky. Making use of that protection was necessary. Otherwise, how could she even sit down and talk terms with Gilgamesh?
On top of that, Ishtar also knew Bell’s stance toward the Underworld and its gods.
That, too, was one of her bargaining chips.
As expected, Gilgamesh’s expression gradually grew serious.
Just as Ishtar had said, the Underworld was extraordinarily important. In the new world, its authority would likely be beyond imagination—especially at the start. The Underworld goddess would practically hold the reins to everyone’s reincarnation.
Of course, that was only natural. But once time passed and more factors came into play, things could change. The question was whether anyone could truly lay a hand on the Underworld at all.
’Looks like this madwoman hasn’t been completely idle these past few days.’
Bell’s attitude toward the Underworld would determine its future authority.
And now, Ishtar’s stance directly influenced Bell’s stance.
"...Then let’s talk about cooperation."
At that moment, Gilgamesh acknowledged the necessity of working together with Ishtar.
