On this day, the people of Uruk celebrated.
Their king, who had always been detached from worldly affairs, had finally reappeared before them. With his return, the order that had gradually fallen apart due to his inaction began to be restored.
Many people felt a sense of relief.
"That's enough for now."
After setting aside the slate with the information, Ophis sat down again.
"Why is there no paper in this era, despite such advanced technology?"
"What? Can't you manage if you want to, little Ophis?"
"Troublesome..."
Ophis sighed inwardly.
She still didn't understand why she hadn't dealt with the green-haired woman by either expelling her or dealing with her harshly. Instead, she kept her around, leading to her involvement in many tedious matters.
Despite her persistent harassment, Ophis found it difficult to ignore her and ended up addressing the issues she raised.
...If the woman had been less amiable, Ophis might have convinced herself to remove her.
Unfortunately, the woman was as kind as her hair and possessed an incredibly generous heart. No matter how much she was ignored, she showed no impatience or anxiety.
Well... perhaps engaging in these tasks wasn't a waste of time...
Ophis convinced herself.
After all, using her vast knowledge, managing a town of fewer than 100,000 people and handling minor issues was no problem.
She glanced at Enkidu, who, though looking like a beautiful girl, was actually genderless, and shook her head.
Ophis wasn't stupid; she just didn't concern herself with what she deemed unimportant.
She speculated why she cared so much about Enkidu.
In Enkidu's original fate, she was a close friend of the heroic king Gilgamesh. Although her destiny had been entirely altered, it seemed that the bond that should have existed still lingered.
And today, it was supposed to be Gilgamesh who covered Ophis's fate.
— In other words, the deep friendship that was meant to exist between Enkidu and Gilgamesh transcended even fate.
Yet, it was Ophis who had taken it away.
In this situation, Ophis felt a sense of sympathy for Enkidu. From the beginning, she had a complex feeling towards Enkidu, making it hard for her to refuse even such minor requests.
Ophis could analyze information and knowledge systematically, but she struggled with emotions and feelings.
"Fate..."
Ophis's gaze became unfocused as she murmured softly.
"Hey, little Ophis, want to go out and take a look?"
A lively voice pulled her back to reality.
With her hands behind her back, Enkidu smiled at Ophis and extended a hand in invitation.
Never mind, let's give it a try... let's get along, shall we?
Ophis thought as she placed her hand in Enkidu's.
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"My king, you are so adorable~~"
"King... do you want to try this..."
"King... here is..."
"King... look over here..."
Throughout their journey, Ophis was greeted by many people.
Despite her typically indifferent demeanor, her lack of seriousness and her cute appearance as a girl had won the hearts of many in Uruk. Her cuteness had charmed numerous ladies of the city.
Her previous indifference to worldly affairs wasn't much criticized.
In their eyes, the king was still young, and it was normal for him not to know everything. Moreover, he had been a help during crises.
The girl accompanying the king was thought to be the one guiding him, and thus, was regarded with respect.
And...
Though she was more mature than the king, she was also very beautiful!
After a lot of chaos, Enkidu finally managed to pull Ophis away from the crowd.
"Haha... that was quite something."
Even amidst the crowd, Enkidu smiled gently.
Looking at that gentle smile, Ophis felt an inexplicable familiarity deep within her soul...
It felt like a long time ago... someone had smiled at her like this...
So safe, warm, and peaceful.
Much like where she was born...
Even more...
"How was it?"
At that moment, Enkidu's question broke the silence.
"Are people happy?"
"Yes, they seem quite happy."
Ophis nodded in response.
"Enkidu, why do you ask?"
"Little Ophis, don't you want to protect such smiles and peace?"
"...I don't understand."
But that was the response Ophis gave.
"Haha, I see. It's not that easy."
Ophis fell silent.
The lively scene and the entire city felt overwhelming and noisy to her.
For someone who cherished tranquility, it was almost unbearable.
But...
In her heart, she felt that 'this isn't so bad.'
The world outside was complex, but her heart remained peaceful.
She didn't quite understand.
If that's the case...
Since reaching the Great Red is still distant, maybe observing a little more wouldn't hurt?
Beyond those seemingly joyful scenes...
"Enkidu."
"Yes?"
"What's that over there?"
Ophis pointed to a group of people sitting cross-legged in a dark corner.
The stark contrast between the darkness in the corner and the nearby sunlight was striking.
From her memory, she had a rough idea of who those people were, but she wanted confirmation.
"Ah... I see..."
Enkidu scratched her head. With her divine knowledge, she understood this era much better than Ophis, who was still unfamiliar.
"People who have lost everything for various reasons end up hiding in the shadows and begging for survival..."
"Yeah..."
Even in this seemingly happy town, could it be like this?
"If little Ophis were more serious, there would definitely be fewer of these people."
Seeing Ophis's thoughtful expression, Enkidu smiled.
Ophis didn't respond, as humans were still of little significance to her.
Yet, she felt that the presence of these people dimmed the luster of the otherwise impressive city-state.
Shaking off the thought, Ophis turned and headed toward the palace.
"Eh? Are you going home already?"
Enkidu seemed dissatisfied and asked with a pout.
"Well, there's nothing more to see."
"Really? Really? What do you think?"
Hearing this, Ophis paused briefly, then continued walking.
"Maybe... a little happy."
"Really?"
"Seeing them happy makes me a bit happy too."
Ophis didn't voice her additional thoughts: that seeing Enkidu's smile made her even happier.
Watching Ophis walk away, Enkidu smiled softly and quickly followed her.
"Well, let's go out together next time?"
"…We'll see about that later."
As the setting sun lengthened their shadows, the two figures met, their paths intertwining.