Boom!
At that moment, the carriage carrying Gilgamesh came to an abrupt halt, causing everyone to shake slightly.
"What's happening?" Simon looked outside and asked with authority.
"Captain, there's an old man requesting to speak with Prince Gilgamesh!" One of the knights in Gilgamesh's escort announced what was happening outside.
"Could this be a trap?" Simon murmured quietly with concern.
But at that moment, Gilgamesh's voice was heard faintly, "It's not a trap; go see what the old man wants."
Simon nodded and quickly leaped out of the carriage. After a few minutes, an old man in tattered clothes approached, and upon seeing Gilgamesh, he greeted him immediately, "Prince Gilgamesh, I finally have the honor of meeting you!"
Gilgamesh was momentarily taken aback by the sudden introduction but quickly regained his composure after observing the man.
The man before him appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. He wore clothes that concealed his entire body, had a thin face with no facial hair, but his eyes were very lively. Although he was old, his posture was upright, and his energy was high.
"I never thought I'd be lucky enough to encounter you!" The old man respectfully bowed slightly when he saw Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh couldn't find the right words to converse with this old man. He had always remained calm while playing with life's leisure, but he was puzzled by the current event. If this old man was addressing him so respectfully, there must be a reason behind it, and Simon stood nearby, gripping the hilt of his sword, ready to act if needed.
Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Gilgamesh smiled and said, "Old man, you must have a purpose for approaching me in such an open manner."
The old man looked around and then directed his gaze back to Gilgamesh. "Do you really want to know my intentions?"
"I'm intrigued," Gilgamesh responded sincerely. If this old man didn't have such a lively spirit in his face, he might have thought this was an encounter where the old man sought some financial assistance.
"Throughout my life, I've seen many people with a divine aura about their bodies, but their souls are tainted with absolute evil. In contrast, you genuinely care about life, something that others do not."
"Elder, please speak clearly so that I can decipher what you truly desire. Your words are only confusing me further. First, we're speaking in the middle of the road where people's gazes can be a problem, and second, I don't understand what you're seeking by coming to me."
Gilgamesh was at a loss for the first time, finding no malicious intent in a person. What he saw behind the old man's gaze represented only a longing for strength.
However, under Gilgamesh's impatient gaze, the old man only smiled.
"My sword told me I should follow you if I wanted to become stronger in this life... You see, my strength plateaued with my age, and now it only declines. But when I saw you fighting, my sword told me that you could fulfill my wish and make me a God of the sword." The old man maintained a humble smile on his lips.
Simon looked at Gilgamesh to see what decision he would make with this old man, but he knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't change the fact that this old man was someone special.
"What will you do in this situation?"
"When it comes to brilliance, I am not comparable to you, Prince Gilgamesh."
The old man's words left Simon speechless, unable to say anything more. He used to think that Gilgamesh was certainly brilliant, powerful, and wise, but he never imagined that someone could be much more perceptive than him. It seemed that Simon had found a rival who wanted to follow Gilgamesh without any grandiose desires.
Gilgamesh only smiled and genuinely didn't care about these comments. One could easily see that this old man was a shrewd and interested person. Someone who had lived for so many years wouldn't call someone ten years his lord in their first meeting. Such people, if not driven by hidden motives, were individuals who could read circumstances, knowing what to do in each situation.
Of course, no matter what kind of person he was or still was, he couldn't escape Gilgamesh's scrutiny. He had seen many people, and when it came to reading thoughts and interpreting the characters he encountered, very few could hide their intentions and thoughts in front of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be an Emperor of Humanity.
After a brief exchange of words, Gilgamesh allowed the old man to join them in the carriage, and that's when they all headed to the mansion.
On the way, the old man, wearing a smile on his face, said, "My name is Alastor, simply Alastor without a last name. I come from a humble family, as my parents were farmers. I married a beautiful woman and had a son."
Gilgamesh raised his right hand and said, "Let's save your background story for later. You mentioned a while ago that your sword told you I could make you a God of the sword. What did you mean by that?"
"Simply put, when I saw you effortlessly fighting that Sword King, I knew you had the resources to turn me into a God of the sword without any problem. You see, my only desire before I die is to reach that rank, and the rest is of no importance to me. So if you can grant me that power, I promise I will be your emotionless sword until my soul can depart from this world on a battlefield."
Alastor's words surprised Simon, who immediately regarded this old man as an arrogant elder who didn't know his place. It was impossible for Gilgamesh to promote him to a God of the sword, as that was not solely based on granting power but also on age.
However, this wasn't a significant issue for Gilgamesh. He had a goal where many human lives might need to be eliminated if they dared to stand in his way. If the old man in front of him couldn't interpret those desires, then it wouldn't be useful to grant him such power.
"We will assess you when we arrive at our destination. If you have the power and the necessary will to become one of my swords, then I will accept you under my command," Gilgamesh said with a mysterious smile.
After another half-hour, they reached the mansion, and everyone headed to an open training field where a battle platform was set up. On one side, some knights were training, all of whom had recently sworn loyalty to Simon and were now of utmost trust.
In total, under Gilgamesh's faction, there were about fifty knights, with Simon being the captain of the prince Gilgamesh's guard. During the nighttime attack, several guards had gone missing from their posts, so they had been sentenced to death for high treason.
No one had thought that the prince Gilgamesh would survive to issue these treason orders, so as a decree, Simon made sure they all died without their heads attached to their bodies.
In less than a week, Gilgamesh had accomplished what his sister Ariel probably couldn't have achieved in several years. It was a pity that the vultures circling around her were so inept, as otherwise, things might have been different.
"Hail, Prince Gilgamesh!"
"Hail, Prince Gilgamesh!"
"Hail, Prince Gilgamesh!"
A series of greetings were directed towards Gilgamesh, and the tone was more than respectful. Everyone believed that by the side of the prince Gilgamesh, they could reach heights they could never have achieved by following anyone else.
"Gather everyone; we're going to hold a swearing-in ceremony, and each of you will receive something very special as a reward." Gilgamesh's eyes gleamed with a crimson hue as he walked toward the center of the training field.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
It seemed the time had come; everyone wasted no time and started forming ranks, while other mansion guards arrived one after another and lined up. At the end, Simon stood in front of them and placed his hand over his heart.
"Sir, we're all here."
Gilgamesh was impressed; he hadn't thought that among the royal knights, there would be such skilled soldiers, many with a keen eye. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that they all came from humble backgrounds, which to some extent explained their selection.
"Step aside, Simon; you'll be the last," Gilgamesh said as he looked at all the men in front of him with a smile.
"Yes, my lord." Simon, with a hardened expression, nodded and walked behind Gilgamesh.
"Alright, let's begin."