[184] Shattering the Three Goddess Alliance [2]

"Just how much is 30% of [Gate of Babylon]'s treasures?!"

Rin's eyes widened dramatically, barely restraining drool at the thought.

That was the gateway to the [Golden Capital]—legendary mountains of gold and gemstones.

If she could actually obtain 30%... she could finally—

"Big sister... given your chronic poverty... do you really think you'd get any?" Sakura timidly interjected.

Her esteemed elder sister, despite being a noble lady, constantly scrounged for discount groceries.

Jewel Magecraft might as well be a financial black hole.

No amount of money could ever fill that void!

"!!!"

Rin clutched her chest as if stabbed.

If Ishtar was her past self, and she remained this destitute...

Clearly, those promised treasures never materialized.

"My past self, you must resist temptation!" Rin could only pray silently.

Being called a "useless goddess" by Gilgamesh was humiliation enough. Now Nameless wanted to trick her into free labor?

For heaven's sake, have some dignity as a goddess!

Don't you dare fall for his schemes!

The screen continued...

Nameless's group arrived at the so-called Goddess Temple.

As soon as they approached, they could see two enormous maneki-neko (lucky cats) prominently placed at the entrance.

Mash couldn't help but comment, "I really can't stand the goddess's taste in aesthetics!"

A dignified goddess, yet acting like a greedy nouveau riche—how utterly embarrassing.

Buzz~

Ishtar's figure flickered into view before them, her tone dripping with arrogance. "Tch, aren't you the bunch who got beaten by the Beast Goddess? How do you even have the nerve to come here?"

"I'm here to deliver gems to you!" Nameless lifted the tri-colored cloth, revealing a small cart filled with jewels beneath.

Each gem sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight.

Ishtar's gaze instantly locked onto them, unable to look away.

Yet she only grew more haughty. "Heh, do you really think such a measly amount of gems could satisfy me?"

"Well then, Mash, let's go."

Nameless pushed the cart and called out, already turning to leave without hesitation.

Then—

He "accidentally" jostled the cart, causing dozens of gems to spill out.

"What is that pile of lapis lazuli?! Could that be the Seven-Stone Crown that enhances magical power?!"

Ishtar could no longer stay seated. Her eyes gleaming, she rushed over. "With this many gems, I could cast spells without restraint! You're giving me this much—are you a god or something?!"

"Wait, no—are you trying to trick me again? Make me pay a huge tax upfront?"

The group fell silent instantly.

Chaldea.

Mash stared at the screen, her lips twitching. "Honestly, I never expected the goddess to be this easy to win over!"

"Probably why the King of Heroes calls her the 'useless goddess,'" Romani remarked, equally speechless.

A dignified goddess—couldn't you at least show a little restraint?!

For just this many gems, you'd—

No, wait. With this many gems, I could buy all the [Magi☆Mari] figurines, posters, and merchandise—and stay at the top of the donation rankings forever!

Dr. Roman's eyes also began to sparkle.

Beside him, Da Vinci sighed in exasperation.

Seriously, over some gems?

If you want money, it's simple—just sell more goods. Plenty of people will cry "scammer!" while still throwing their wallets at you!

On the screen.

Ishtar took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "No, no—I need to stay composed. My eyes are practically spinning from all this!"

"Goddess, this is less than one percent of the deposit. Would you be willing to help us?"

Nameless deliberately scooped up a handful of gems, letting them glitter dazzlingly under the sun.

In that moment.

To Ishtar, he might as well have been a mountain of gold and silver. She nearly couldn't resist lunging forward to kiss him.

With feigned dignity, she said, "A paltry amount like this could never appease my anger!"

"Alright then, we'll be leaving."

Nameless turned and walked away without hesitation.

At this, Ishtar instantly panicked, rushing forward to grab his hand. "Hey, hey! At least haggle a little!"

"We originally planned to offer you 10% of the gems from the [Gate of Babylon]. Since you don't seem to care, we'll just have to leave." Nameless shrugged helplessly.

"Hmph, 10% is completely unbelievable!" Ishtar snorted lightly.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on the gems.

"Alright, Mash, pack everything up. We're leaving now!"

Nameless sighed softly. "I had hoped to cooperate with the goddess. Not only would we offer her endless wealth, but her glorious name would also spread throughout human history."

"It seems the goddess doesn't care." Mash gathered up all the scattered gems.

"Well, then we'll just have to go."

Nameless nodded.

But just as they were about to leave, he found himself unable to move.

The great and proud goddess was now clinging tightly to him. "Don't go! I agree!"

She had wanted to maintain her divine composure.

But the problem was—

He was offering way too much!

"..."

Mash fell into silence.

This scene was no different from that of a lovestruck girl.

To an outsider, it would seem as though the goddess had been utterly conquered by Nameless' charm, instantly falling at his feet!

Ishtar snorted coldly. "Come, kneel before me and kiss the back of my foot to seal the contract!"

She had lost face earlier, so she was determined to regain some dignity.

Seated on her celestial boat, she extended her delicate, jade-like foot toward him.

"No way! There's no way such a contract exists!" Mash immediately moved to stop it.

Her senpai hadn't even kissed her yet—how could another woman take advantage first?

Nameless sighed deeply and spoke with utmost seriousness. "Mash, if we want to protect human history, what does a little sacrifice of dignity matter?"

With that, he bent slightly and reached for her slender foot.

"W-Wait, you're serious?!" Ishtar recoiled in shock, retreating dozens of meters in an instant, her face tinged with a faint blush.

She had only been bluffing—she never expected him to actually try!

"No choice. It's the goddess's demand." Nameless sighed.

"No need! Forget it, just forget it!"

Ishtar waved her hands frantically.

Damn it, why did this human feel just like Nameless, leaving her utterly defenseless?

The more she looked at him, the more they seemed alike.

Both hit the exact same soft spots in her heart, and both acted as if they knew her inside out!

What cunning, wicked humans!

The peanut gallery's barrage of comments exploded—

-[Damn, Nameless is definitely doing this on purpose. It's all part of his plan!]

-[Ah, poor Ishtar, played like a fiddle by Nameless again!]

-[Ishtar the Unyielding! Where's your dignity? This goddess has truly lost it!]

-[Ahhh, let go of that foot! Leave it to a professional like me—I'll lick it till it breaks!]

-[Damn, you're on another level of unhinged!]

...

"Nameless's charm is truly unmatched—even a goddess can't resist!"

Roya exclaimed in awe.

Then, without hesitation, she stretched out her white-stockinged foot onto Souma's lap. "Here, give me a massage."

But the moment she did, she suddenly felt two icy glares piercing her.

She froze for a moment before quickly withdrawing her leg.

Damn it, I forgot there were two outsiders present!

Artoria's emerald-green eyes fixed intently on Souma, who was pretending to study the ceiling.

For a moment, even she couldn't figure out what type of person he actually preferred.

He clearly called Ishtar the Monkey King, so why would he still reach out to pinch that goddess's stinky feet?

Are you telling me you won't even spare the mentally challenged?

"..."

Souma felt his face couldn't take much more of this.

Fuck, being publicly shamed by Alaya again!

Back then, it was purely because he knew Ishtar's personality and deliberately teased her.

But now, he was being publicly humiliated, and right in front of the King of Knights.

I can't go on living like this!

The video continued.

After successfully recruiting Ishtar, the group began their journey back.

Night fell.

They set up temporary tents in the wilderness to rest.

Ishtar put on an air of arrogance: "Hmph, this goddess won't take night watch duty. Leave it to the Chaldea Master!"

With that, she grabbed a blanket and ran off to sleep in the carriage.

A while later.

She emerged from the carriage.

Fou looked at her in surprise: "Fou... Fou? (Why the sudden goddess switch?)"

As one of humanity's Evils, naturally nothing could escape its notice.

"Ishtar" didn't pay it any mind, walking over to sit beside Nameless by the campfire: "You're really pushing yourself, not even letting Mash take over the watch."

"Mash was exhausted today. Let her sleep more," Nameless smiled.

"You truly care for your Servants. Worthy of being humanity's last Master."

The goddess sat beside him. "This is a rare opportunity. Let's chat casually."

Her gaze remained fixed on his face, not shifting away in the slightest.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Nameless casually poked at the campfire, adding another log.

"Nothing much. I just didn't expect you could actually bring Ishtar to your side. It makes me unable to look away..."

A faint blush appeared on the goddess's face. "Or perhaps what they call love at first sight?"

"Ahem, probably not."

Nameless felt slightly awkward.

He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "It's cold at night. Don't catch a chill."

"You're infuriating! Why do you have to be so kind?"

The goddess pouted slightly. "Aren't you afraid of me at all?"

Breathing in his scent from the coat, she unconsciously pulled it tighter around herself.

The faint warmth felt like being embraced by him, making the blush on her face grow more pronounced.

"You're so cute. Why would I be afraid of you?" Nameless asked curiously.

"I bring death... Never mind, let's not talk about that."

The goddess quickly changed the subject. "What do you think about the Underworld Goddess from the Three Goddess Alliance?"

"She believes humans shouldn't blame all their sins on the gods. Because humans themselves glorify war, greedily plundering the world with unmatched arrogance—more so than the gods."

Nameless thought for a moment before answering. "She's a very gentle, incredibly lonely, yet strong-willed girl. She wants to change the relationship between humans, gods, and the world. She wants to protect humanity in her own way."

"..."

The goddess stared at him blankly.

This answer was exactly what she had in mind.

In fact, it was even more fitting than what she could have expressed.

She fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly: "You really understand me so well. Why didn't you come to see... Well, good night then. Don't stay up too late~"

"Good night, you should rest early too~"

Nameless also smiled as he bid farewell.

The barrage exploded instantly—

-[Holy shit, this is actually Ereshkigal-chan!]

-[Damn that handsome Grand-class Emiya, seducing Ereshkigal again! Why do you understand her so well!]

-[Mash, wake up! Ereshkigal is stealing your man right in front of you!]

-[Isn't Ishtar the most pitiful one... Her own sister is using her body to cuckold her!]

-[The second goddess seems conquered. The so-called Three Goddess Alliance instantly became a Traitor Alliance!]

***

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