Chapter 23 The Current State of Uruk

Giving Gilgamesh the recently distilled wine seems fair or else Qiye thinks that he will throw a tantrum and wreck his house. If he does that, Qiye believes that Semiramis' meticulously decorated cozy mansion will surely be ruined.

So it's better to just give those wines to Gilgamesh, besides... the lapis lazuli gem in Qiye's hands is worth hundreds of times more than those wines.

Reluctantly, Qiye accepted a lapis lazuli gem that could buy a small city and returned home with Gilgamesh and his guard soldiers.

It seems that Gilgamesh was still worried that Qiye would escape, so he specially sent two soldiers to accompany him...

Qiye glanced at the two soldiers beside him and then licked his lips. "Is your king really so idle, running around Uruk all day, causing trouble?"

"No... Actually, the king is just not busy in the mornings," the soldier admiringly replied. "The king wakes up in the morning, inspects the city of Uruk, attends to various matters, handles tasks in the afternoon, and inspects Uruk at night to maintain his authority and deter the younger generation."

"It sounds quite busy," Qiye raised his eyebrows in surprise. Although he was a cute tyrant, he was also fulfilling his duties as a king.

"Yes, it will become even busier in the future, as other cities in southern Mesopotamia are planning to invade Uruk," the soldier whispered to Qiye.

This is no longer a military secret, and almost every resident of Uruk already knows about it, so it doesn't matter if the soldier tells Qiye these things.

"Really," Qiye narrowed his eyes slightly. There are many so-called kings in the Mesopotamian Plain in the south. They established numerous slaveholding city-states here and then obtained kingship from the gods by leveraging faith and worship. As a result, they became what are known as kings.

Subsequently, these city-states began to engage in chaotic warfare, competing for territory and expanding their rule and power.

And the gods do not care about the wars between humans. In their eyes, these wars are nothing more than battles between ants.

If the city-state that worships them is defeated by others, the deities of that city do not care because as long as humans continue to serve them, everything is fine.

"Yes, Nippur in the north and Lagash in the west seem to have different intentions toward our Uruk," the soldier's expression grew serious.

"That's true, but aren't you worried at all? The rivers in the land of Uruk have informed me that no matter how powerful the enemy is, the soldiers and residents of Uruk can protect the city and make it flourish," Qiye displayed a confident smile. The river water provided him with a lot of information, and he trusted the information brought to him by the river.

"Hey... an outsider who doesn't understand anything," Gilgamesh, who was walking ahead, stopped, turned his head, and spoke in a contemptuous tone. "Nippur is the city of gods, a recognized kingdom of kingship. Lagash is a prosperous nation with unmatched wealth. Do you really think Uruk can withstand the aggression of these two countries?"

"Huh?" Qiye wasn't afraid of Gilgamesh's anger and asked directly, "As a king, do you think Uruk doesn't have the capability to withstand it?"

Gilgamesh, with a peculiar blush on his face, laughed. His wild and carefree laughter attracted the attention of those nearby. "My Uruk, ruled by the king, has impenetrable walls and brave, strong warriors. How could you think that Uruk wouldn't be able to repel invaders?"

"This king must not only resist but also launch a counterattack! Annexing Nippur, Lagash, and even other cities, I will become the sole ruler of the southern Mesopotamian plain!"

The nearby residents heard Gilgamesh's arrogant and ambitious words and couldn't help but raise their arms and applaud their king.

Qiye looked at Gilgamesh, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. This was the Gilgamesh he had seen in the Eye of the Age of Gods—arrogant and proud. Yet, he led the soldiers and residents of Uruk, making these lofty vows a reality.

Twenty years later, Gilgamesh defeated the army from Nippur and annexed Lagash. Building upon that city, a new city was established, named 'Babylon.'

Qiye returned home, and Semiramis, brimming with joy, came out to greet him. However, her joy quickly faded because Qiye wasn't alone; he was accompanied by a blushing Gilgamesh.

The guards stood outside Qiye's home, not entering, but Gilgamesh followed Qiye alone into his mansion.

Gilgamesh was amazed by the interior of Qiye's Mansion. The surrounding walls and pillars were made of pure white stone with intricate carvings, appearing clean and pristine.

The house was adorned with classical furniture, exquisite silk cushions strewn about, and flowers blooming in every corner, creating an atmosphere of nobility, elegance, and warmth.

Golden shells and large pearls were embedded in the roof. When night fell and the interior was illuminated, the light reflected off the shells and pearls, resembling a breathtaking scene of countless falling stars.

As Gilgamesh beheld the interior of this splendid mansion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and comfort, albeit slightly uneasy. Although the palace he resided in was magnificent, it paled in comparison to this place... it felt like the home of local tyrants and nobles, on an entirely different level.

This was the home Semiramis and Qiye had meticulously adorned. They didn't know how much effort had been poured into this home.

As for those golden shells and large pearls, they were collected while walking along the seashore during the seven nights...

It was as if devoted believers were presenting offerings to the gods.

In reality, even the all-knowing and all-powerful Goddess Ninsun couldn't see through Qiye's true identity, let alone others discovering that he was the son of Tiamat.

Qiye had obtained those items from the sea to quickly resolve his financial needs.

Gilgamesh was surrounded by a crowd of people, and Qiye took Semiramis' hand, leading her to the side to speak in a low voice.

"Our Majesty the King took a liking to the wine we brewed and bought it with this precious jade. What do you think, little pigeon?"

Semiramis had contributed to brewing and distilling the liquor, so Qiye sought her opinion.

"I have an opinion," Semiramis put on a serious expression. The priceless lapis lazuli gems and jade were not important at all. She couldn't allow others to take away the fine wine that she and Qiye had worked so hard to create!

"Well, I know you don't want to, but if you refuse, Gilgamesh will evict us from our house, and he might even take away the pearls we just embedded in the ceiling yesterday," Qiye said solemnly, pointing to the ceiling above.

"..." Semiramis's face twitched. This was even worse! They had poured even more heart and soul into those pearls! So they had no choice but to sacrifice the wine...

"Don't make it sound like I'm a bandit. Bring some wine. I'll have a few drinks at your place, and then I'll have to return to the palace," Gilgamesh glanced at Qiye's back.

"Huh? What about buying the wine?"

"Hmph, I will have the high priest come to discuss with you. I will purchase the fine wine from you at a fair price, turning it into tribute wine for the palace. However, you must continue to provide it," Gilgamesh snorted coldly.

So it's not about buying all the wine, but don't expect to receive the priceless value of the lapis lazuli gemstone.