"Alright, I'll come to visit again tomorrow morning. If you have any urgent questions, feel free to ask the soldiers stationed outside. For now, please get some rest."
"Thank you very much~"
After offering his respects, Siduri turned and left the hut where Chaldea's guests were temporarily staying.
As Siduri departed, Ritsuka finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew, I don't know why, but it feels like a huge weight has been lifted."
"Yeah, ever since we met King Ophis, I've felt this pressure, like being watched by a snake. It's eased up since we left, but it's been there until just now."
Mash and Lily both nodded in agreement, with Lily adding her thoughts. Her intuition was keen, often sharper than the others.
"It's not that King Ophis really wants to monitor you... or maybe she just isn't interested. However, Siduri is definitely wrapped in King Ophis's magic. It seems to be some sort of protection spell, a high-level one. It likely allows Ophis to monitor the surroundings as an auxiliary function, prioritizing Siduri's safety... Honestly, I never imagined King Ophis could be so gentle."
"No, I've always thought that."
"Hm?"
Ritsuka tapped her cheek thoughtfully, then raised a finger.
"I didn't mention it earlier, but today, didn't she remind us to be careful?"
"Is that how you understood it!?"
"Ah, I accidentally called her by an old nickname, but I don't think she'll mind."
Ritsuka spread her hands and began examining the simple-looking house they were in with curiosity.
"This place... feels unexpectedly low-key yet luxurious."
She touched the wall panel, her curiosity evident.
"Indeed... Even for this era, they've used high-end materials. While not particularly beautiful, they're first-class for defense... By the way, there's something more important I need to tell you!"
"Ah, little Ophis is really gentle..."
Ritsuka lazily flopped onto a soft cushion like a sofa, her voice filled with contentment.
"Senpai, please be more serious..."
Mash sighed softly, then turned her attention to the floating image in the air.
It seemed that due to the barrier, the magic source within Uruk was stable enough to allow for video communication.
"Doctor, did you notice anything strange?"
"Ah... Yes, though it's more of an observation. King Ophis... Her existence feels closer to that of a god... or rather, it's like there's almost no human element in her at all."
"...A god...?"
Everyone present was struck by the word, and combined with Ophis's current identity, a name came to mind simultaneously.
───The Lion King, Goddess Rhongomyniad.
"This is troublesome... but she doesn't quite seem like that..."
Ritsuka frowned, then forced a bitter smile.
"Of course, being at a similar level doesn't mean they share the same mindset. The strange woman we met before was actually a goddess, but she didn't give off that completely inhuman vibe, right?"
The doctor paused, offering some verbal comfort despite his own confusion.
The feeling Ophis gave him... it was true, there was very little humanity in her.
Roman didn't really agree with Ritsuka's assessment that Ophis was gentle. Perhaps it was just Ritsuka's way of lightening the mood.
Ophis didn't want the people of Chaldea to die, but it wasn't out of any tsundere impulse. It was simply the truth.
Because they were valuable, she didn't want them to die.
In other words, if they lost their value, Ophis probably wouldn't care about their fate, at least not enough to offer advice.
Compared to humans, Ophis's mindset was indeed closer to that of a god, though she still handled crises in a very human manner.
Maybe she was fundamentally different from the gods?
Without knowing Ophis's true nature, Roman couldn't accurately gauge her thoughts.
But one thing was certain...
This Ophis was entirely different from the one they had encountered in the past... or the future, depending on how you looked at it.
"My king, the foreigners have been settled. Do you have any further instructions?"
"They're too weak."
Ophis, without looking up from the slate in her hands, responded to Siduri.
"Give them more tasks."
Not only would it serve as good training, but it would also ease some of the army's burden.
Most importantly, it would allow her to observe their characteristics and abilities closely.
"Yes, my king. Anything else?"
"I'll be away for a while tonight. If anything urgent happens, I'll return."
"Understood."
Ophis typically disappeared once every one or two days, and she'd given this same instruction countless times. Siduri wasn't surprised and responded with his usual politeness before leaving.
"Hmm…"
Standing up, Ophis stretched widely.
Her slender figure, lacking curves, did little to create any shape under her robes.
"I haven't slept in 142 years..."
Ophis shook her head. While other dragons might sleep for thousands of years after a meal, waking up invincible, she had led a hard life, barely closing her eyes since birth.
It hadn't affected her mentally, but was it really good for her development?
In truth, with a slight disruption and rearrangement of energy in her body, she could switch between different ages.
Though the change in magnitude was small, it seemed to affect her mindset too.
But it was all so troublesome.
As she pondered these random thoughts, ones she never used to waste time on, Ophis had already made her way to the top of a hill.
This was where she had made her vow to Enkidu.
It was also where she had seen Enkidu off.
Of course, the original Ophis wouldn't have come here often just for the sake of remembrance, but after her battle with the fake Enkidu about half a year ago, Ophis found herself returning to this place more and more, spending entire nights here.
There was something about the atmosphere that brought her peace.
Compared to the dimensional gap, there was a warmth here, as if Enkidu were still by her side.
But unsurprisingly, someone was already waiting.
Sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, the blonde goddess smiled up at Ophis under the moonlight.