Kadelji and Adkat planned to return home.
The problem here is not something they can solve. They still have self-awareness.
Moreover, there are more and more sick companions. If we continue to stay like this in the cedar forest, I'm afraid...
But on the way home, they encountered an accident.
They met Bashumu on the other side who was equally panicked as they were.
The old hunter Kadelki, who was able to fight Uridim with bare hands, died, and several soldiers died. The remaining seven people escaped and started their way back to Uruk along the wasteland.
There were also hunters who died on the way due to illness. When they returned to Uruk, there were only four people left in the team of twenty.
"...King." Adkart knelt on the ground, calling silently and tiredly.
His face was thin, his lips were dry, and his eyes were full of dull despair.
Gilgamesh looked at the warrior he was proud of, his eyes full of seriousness.
"Adkart, my king's guard, my king's warrior." He looked at Adkart and asked coldly, "Tell me, the cedar forest..."
"what happened."
Adkart didn't know if the coldness in King Gilgamesh's voice was directed at him, but he didn't care anymore.
He is now in more pain than being cast into the underworld.
"king......"
Adkart raised his head, with a hint of confusion on his face.
"Except for the four of us, the other hunters have returned to the embrace of Hades."
"They were buried in the belly of animals, died from natural disasters, and were tortured by diseases..."
"We...failed to fulfill the king's command."
He lay down again and hit his head on the ground with a dull sound.
There was silence in the main hall.
King Gilgamesh's eyes were still shining with that cold light. Ananu and Enki both had solemn expressions and stood silently to the side. The other courtiers, together with Siduli, half lowered their heads, waiting for the king. words.
"So, cedar forest?"
After a long time, Gilgamesh asked this question.
Everyone could hear that there was anger in his voice.
But - it's not the anger directed at Adkart.
His warriors were killed and massacred, and Gilgamesh's anger, at least now, was not directed at those who had been harmed.
"Siduri." Gilgamesh looked at his auxiliary officer, "Bring wealth and treasures and reward them to the four returning warriors."
"Other warriors who have entered the underworld, I will pay tribute to them, and at the same time, you will also provide pensions to their families."
Siduli followed the good example and bowed slightly: "As you command, King."
Adkart couldn't help but be slightly surprised while he was numb.
The king actually...didn't kill them?
But it doesn't matter what he thinks now.
Siduri took them down, and magic doctors would use herbs and magic to treat their injuries and diseases to ensure that they would not still be tormented by the nightmare in the wasteland in Uruk.
After a while, Siduli returned and stood back at her position.
"Everyone, please leave. Siduri can stay alone." Gilgamesh's expression was still gloomy, and he waved his hand, signaling for the courtiers to retreat.
The ministers dispersed, and in the entire hall, only four people, Gilgamesh, Ananu, Enkidu, and Siduri, were left.
Gilgamesh's eyes glanced at the Sky Key and the Sky Lock.
"Do you really have no impression of the cedar forest?"
"That is a beautiful forest, even if compared with Enlil's forest." Ananu sighed softly.
"That forest is not a place where monsters live." Enkidu shook his head gently.
"Then how do you explain this now? Do you tell me?" Gilgamesh frowned.
"King, please stop questioning Ananu and Enkidu." Siduli took two steps forward, "There may have been some changes in the cedar forest that they are not aware of."
"It's useless to say this now. The cedar forest is my territory. Now that something like this happened, it's impossible for me not to take a trip to the cedar forest." Gilgamesh stood up with a cold snort.
"Let's go with you." Ananu said, holding Enkidu's hand and looking at Gilgamesh.
"Although we don't know what happened in the cedar forest, but..." Enkidu's expression was also entangled with a touch of sadness.
The two brothers looked at each other and said together.
"It should have something to do with us, because I can feel that... feeling of fate."
Gilgamesh looked at them, and the three of them stared at each other.
In the end, Gilgamesh was defeated first. After all, the opponent had two pairs of eyes.
"I can't stop you. If you want to come, just come."
"Just in time, I also want to hear...about your past affairs."
After saying that, King Gilgamesh walked away minding his own business.
Siduli sighed.
After the king left Uruk, it was estimated that she, the auxiliary official, would be in charge of the remaining affairs.
Just thinking about it makes me tired.
"Ananu, Enkidu." Siduli came back to her senses and stopped the clay men who were about to leave.
"Huh? What's wrong with Siduli?" Ananu was a little confused.
"This is... a personal commission from me." Siduli bowed slightly to the two of them and said solemnly, "I hope you can protect the king's safety during his journey."
She did not think about Gilgamesh not leaving Uruk. Even though the current king was gentler than before, it did not mean that he was not a tyrant and an arbitrary monarch. He made No one can change what is decided.
He said he was going to the fir forest, and he would definitely go to the fir forest.
Ananu and Enki both looked at each other and smiled together.
"Don't worry Siduri, we will take good care of him." Enkidu smiled gently and nodded to Siduri.
"He's not very strong. If he encounters a real enemy, it's up to Enkidu and me." Ananu curled his lips, but he agreed.
Facing what the two said, Siduli couldn't laugh or cry, but she still nodded.
"Then, it's up to you."
"Well, leave it to us!" Anana nodded vigorously.
Saying goodbye to Siduri, Ananu and Enkidu returned to their rooms.
But in the room...
There seems to be something wrong.
Ananu and Enkidu were both a little silent.
"What is this stuff?"
On the ground in front of the two of them, there was a small pool of extremely abrupt water flowing in Gudu, and above the water, there was a stone slab.
There seemed to be some writing on the stone slab.
"It seems to be written for you, why don't you... take a look?" Enkidu's expression was quite wonderful.
Ananu:......
