"You are indeed bold, daring to come before me alone."
Facing the unexpected guest who pushed the door open, the Duke held a glass of red wine, as deep as blood, and spoke coldly.
"Because I know that Grand Duke also wishes to see me."
The man smiled confidently.
In the dim candlelight, a young man with dark skin and white hair, dressed in a priest's robe, appeared. He was none other than the mastermind behind the Red faction, the Saint of the Far East, Amakusa Shirou.
"You are very confident. Give me a reason not to kill you."
A cold light flashed in Vlad III's eyes, and the room's temperature plummeted to an extreme.
"Because we now have a common enemy, and neither of us has any hope of defeating this enemy alone."
Facing the Duke's icy intent to kill, Amakusa Shirou's face still bore a gentle smile, as if the Duke's killing intent was merely a spring breeze.
Although his territory was small, Vlad III had been a king. He immediately understood what Amakusa Shirou meant.
A look of contemplation appeared in his eyes.
Seeing this, Amakusa Shirou knew his persuasion was working and pressed on.
"Now, we of the Red faction and you, leading the Black faction, are like the weaker side. The side led by Ruler on the surface, but controlled by that man named Nguyen Ryou, is the strongest now."
Amakusa Shirou's words resonated with the Duke. He gently put down his wine glass, his eyes becoming focused.
"Therefore, I believe that the Red and Black factions should unite to first eliminate Ruler's forces. Then, we can compete for the Holy Grail's ownership."
Amakusa Shirou finished his proposal in one breath, smiling as he quietly awaited the Duke's decision.
He was not at all flustered because he knew that the far-sighted Vlad III in front of him would certainly agree to an alliance if he still desired the Holy Grail.
After a long while, the Duke suddenly lifted his eyelids and stared directly at the smiling Amakusa Shirou.
"Your proposal... I accept!"
The Duke then took out another empty wine glass, poured a third of the red wine into it, and pushed it towards Amakusa Shirou, gesturing for him to pick it up.
"To our alliance. May our cooperation be successful!"
"As you wish."
Clink!
The two wine glasses clinked together, and in the candlelight, the crimson wine intertwined with the shadows.
...
While Amakusa Shirou and Vlad III formed their secret alliance, Ryou summoned Ishtar back.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. This goddess is very busy!"
A golden ripple gate opened, and even before the person arrived, an arrogant voice echoed out.
The luxurious Venus goddess appeared, sitting sideways on the Heavenly Boat Maanna, flying out from the time-space gate and looking down at him from above.
If it weren't for the fact that I chose an ancient-style hotel with a higher interior, she might have bumped her head flying up like that, Ryou maliciously thought in his heart.
Of course, knowing the goddess's personality well, he naturally wouldn't intentionally do it.
With a warm smile, he said, "I am not particularly talented, but I have some unique skills in cooking, so I made some desserts for you Goddess Ishtar to taste."
Only then did Ishtar notice the dozens of exquisitely made desserts in front of Ryou, all emitting an enticingly sweet aroma.
From classic French rainbow macarons and éclairs to fruit tarts and black-and-white chocolate mousse, to tiramisu and mille-feuille, it was like a kingdom of desserts.
No woman can resist the temptation of exquisite desserts, not even a goddess.
"Well~ you do have some thoughtfulness. This goddess will reluctantly give them a taste. And it's not like I like dessert or anything"
Though Ishtar said this, her eyes kept glancing at the desserts on the table, perfectly demonstrating what a textbook tsundere looks like.
Fortunately, Ryou, having a thorough understanding of her personality, wore a meaningful smile, placed one hand over his chest, and said with great gentlemanly grace, "Please, Goddess."
Ishtar shot him a look, showing an expression of "You know what's good for you," then elegantly and gracefully sat down at the wooden table in front of him.
She first used her slender white fingers to pick up a pink macaron and put it in her mouth.
The sweet and sour taste of strawberries, the unique flavor of almonds, and the cream's aroma create a magnificent symphony in her mouth, highlighted by the top-quality icing.
In an instant, Ishtar seemed to see herself seated on a golden throne, with the ground covered in strawberry-shaped precious gems, nearly all of which were rare treasures extinct in the present world, each one a top-grade material for forging divine artifacts.
Ishtar was overjoyed, but she didn't realize that in reality, Ryou saw a silly smile at the corners of her mouth, with her eyes turning into '$' shapes.
Ryou's face instantly showed a profound smile.
My cooking isn't just delicious...
Regaining her senses, Ishtar immediately picked up a yellow lemon-flavored macaron and ate it.
This time, in addition to the pink strawberry-shaped gems, the ground was covered with a layer of lemon-shaped yellow precious stones.
Ishtar swore she had never tasted such exquisite delicacies in her billion-year divine life!
It felt like she was swimming naked in a sea of gems.
A chef demon in front of her smirked.
Of course, with the skills of the Souma's father, do you even need to boast?
Ishtar, as if possessed, quickly devoured the desserts on the table.
Soon, half of the desserts had disappeared into her mouth. Moreover, the goddess's divine stomach was as terrifying as a king's stomach, like a black hole with no sign of bulging.
Ishtar, indeed a goddess with the divine role of a beauty goddess, even though she was inhabiting a mortal body and her divine power was reduced, her extraordinary charm was still at play.
Despite her sweeping through the desserts like an autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, her movements were elegant and full of grace.
Just as Ishtar was about to continue and reached for an éclair, all the remaining desserts on the table vanished.
Ishtar was momentarily stunned. She looked up to see Ryou smiling at her.
There was no need to guess; it was his doing.
"You dare to play with this Goddess!"
A powerful pressure suddenly enveloped him.
Ryou was initially startled, but upon closer inspection, he realized that Ishtar's pressure was more intimidating in appearance than in reality. It couldn't harm him at all—it was just for show.
However, the goddess was unaware that Ryou had seen through her bluff and continued to act with great authority.
"Quickly bring out the desserts. Then, compensate this goddess with double—no, triple the desserts and I will forgive you."
A sly gleam flashed in her eyes.
Ryou, however, remained calm and composed, saying leisurely, "If you want to eat desserts, there's no problem, just help me with one thing."
"If you want me to take action, no problem! Ten gems, non-negotiable. Thank you for your patronage."
Ishtar immediately extended her hand toward him.
Ryou annoyed, directly took a macaron from his storage space, tossing it into his mouth.
"You! You dare eat my dessert!"
Ishtar's brows furrowed coldly, her face flushing with anger.
"You shouldn't speak so carelessly~ I'm just eating the desserts I made myself. How did they become yours?"
Ryou took out an éclair and bit into it with a crunch.
The rich aroma of the cream instantly spread.
"Hmph! That was an offering you presented to this goddess, so it belongs to me!"
Smelling the fragrance and watching Ryou slowly consume the éclair, Ishtar felt her heart bleeding.
"But I've changed my mind and I don't want to offer it to you anymore."
Ryou, with a playful smile, devoured another piece of chocolate ice cream cake.
"You! Demon!"
Ishtar pointed at him and shouted.
Unfortunately, the system's rules were above all else. She could not harm him in any way, not even indirectly.
"Thank you for the compliment," Ryou said with a smile, bowing slightly.
"Moreover, my Goddess should make a decision quickly, or I will finish eating everything."
With that, Ryou tossed another dessert into his mouth, chewing vigorously in front of Ishtar.
"Stop! Don't eat anymore! If you give me the desserts and make me three tables—no, two tables, two tables, one table, one table will do. I will do anything!"
Ryou kept eating until Ishtar lowered the price to one table, and then he stopped.
"Just one table."
In the end, the greedy goddess was coaxed by Ryou with the lure of a table full of desserts, saving him from spending a large number of energy points to exchange for gems.
If it weren't for the severe shortage of energy points due to the contract with Atalanta, Ryou wouldn't have resorted to this tactic.
If the system had a bond system, his bond with Ishtar would likely be maxed out.
"Tell me, what do you want me to help with?"
Ishtar said, puffing her cheeks in anger.
"I want you to deliver a message to Semiramis..."
A gleam flashed in Ryou's eyes as he spoke.
The lure of desserts seemed to be too strong, as Ishtar, without a word, opened a golden portal and disappeared inside.
Watching Ishtar leave, Ryou smiled slightly.
Having tasted a bit of success from recruiting Atalanta, he thought of Semiramis's historical and mythological background and decided to send Ishtar.
In historical legends, Semiramis oversaw the construction of the walls of Babylon and the Ishtar Gate during her reign.
As the goddess born from the union of a fish goddess and a human male, Semiramis was sometimes considered an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar.
Ryou believed these legends were rumors deliberately spread by Semiramis to consolidate her rule.
However, these various indications suggested that Semiramis was a follower of Ishtar or at least an admirer.
Meeting the real goddess would certainly increase her favor, even if she didn't immediately bow in reverence.
That was enough for Ryou; he didn't expect to instantly sow discord between the empress and the false priest.
Both of them were resolute individuals, as evident from history and personal encounters. Changing their minds required a subtle, gradual approach.
Gradually increasing the distrust between them would eventually lead to their falling out.
...
As a genuine goddess possessing a mortal, Ishtar's power was greatly diminished, but she still belonged to the top tier among the heroic spirits.
With the assistance of the Maanna, the entire solar system was just a moment away for Ishtar.
Locking onto a trace of a related aura, Ishtar instantly appeared above Semiramis.
The empress, lounging lazily in her garden and basking in the sun, was startled by the immense magical energy overhead.
"Who goes there?"
A massive magic circle filled the sky, and the next strike, judging by the overwhelming magical energy, could be catastrophic, capable of destroying cities and nations.
Simultaneously, countless chains emerged from the magic circle in the void, forming an inescapable net over the area.
Despite this, Semiramis's expression remained stern.
She knew her location was surrounded by a powerful barrier that would deflect any teleportation abilities below EX level to the periphery.
Yet, this uninvited guest had broken through the barrier's protection and appeared before her.
The empress, inherently weak in combat, was naturally alarmed.
Fortunately, the intruder seemed to harbor no ill intent. If the intruder had teleported behind her and stabbed her, her combat ability, only slightly better than a commoner's, would have spelled instant defeat.
"Don't be nervous, my faithful follower."
Ishtar chuckled, flying out of the temporal portal and landing before Semiramis.
With a slight glance, she took in the scenery around her.
The style of architecture in Semiramis's garden was that of ancient Babylon, with various mythological epics carved into the marble, including her illustrious deeds.
This ancient garden, distinct from modern styles, clearly indicated that Amakusa Shirou, feeling a significant threat from Ryou's activities, had prompted the empress to summon the Hanging Gardens of Babylon early.
On the other side, feeling the familiar strong aura, Semiramis hesitated briefly before bowing to the ground.
"Goddess Ishtar!"
Ordinary followers would not be privileged to witness the divine, but as a queen, Semiramis was different. Ishtar occasionally revealed divine miracles before her to maintain faith.
Thus, Semiramis could recognize Ishtar's aura.
In the information-scarce ancient times, reverence for the gods was ingrained in people's bones, especially during the mythological era when gods walked the earth.
Semiramis was no exception. Even though she vaguely sensed the spirit's identity, she still bowed deeply before Ishtar.
As seen in heroic epics, great heroes often invoked the gods for blessings and strength before battle.
This was proof, contrasting with the anomalies like a certain prideful king and a master who slew gods as easily as eating.
Looking at the respectful empress and the lavish decorations of the Hanging Gardens, Ishtar smiled like a cunning vixen.
PS: 1 Power Stone = 1 Push up