The Infinite Dragon God Cannot Find Silence

Orpheus closed his eyes.

"So, Enkidu... wants me to obey the gods?"

No, that's not the case.

With her firm tone, even with her back to Enkidu, Orpheus could imagine the resolute expression on her face.

"My king, I hope you will not be influenced by me and will make the choice that is most correct for the people of Uruk!"

Enkidu stared directly at Orpheus, his expression resolute.

"For the city-state of Uruk and its inhabitants, should they rely on the gods, or should they break away from them to have a better future?"

For Orpheus, the answer was not difficult to arrive at.

Given the nature of human development, only by breaking free from the constraints of God can we embark on a broader path.

What Orpheus knew, Enkidu could also discern.

"Impossible, putting the cart before the horse."

Even so, Orpheus shook her head. She had originally managed Uruk for Enkidu's sake, and now she was going to abandon Enkidu for Uruk's sake? There was no reason for that.

"Ophis!"

Enkidu's tone suddenly became more serious, filled with intense emotion.

"You are the King of Uruk!"

Enkidu took a deep breath and said repeatedly.

"Your Majesty always considers all your subjects, not just any one particular person!"

“I don’t care about the king’s status… as long as Enkidu…”

Orpheus rarely spoke a slightly longer sentence, but Enkidu interrupted him directly.

"But you are still the king! You are the hero-king of Uruk!"

"Even so, it is impossible to sacrifice Enkidu."

"To guide the people on the best path is the king's duty."

Orpheus was unusually annoyed by Enkidu's sudden stubbornness, as if he were a rock.

However, just like when she faced the other person before, she couldn't ignore them, nor could she escape.

"I am not human, and I have no reason to take care of humans..."

"But you are the king."

"Their lives and deaths are none of my concern..."

"But you are the king."

"Even if you add them all together, they wouldn't be worth a single hair on Enkidu's head..."

"But you are the king."

"I did not choose to become king..."

"But you are the king."

"Then I won't be king!"

Although the voice was only raised slightly, it was already considered a roar for Orpheus, whose emotions rarely fluctuated much.

She finally started to get angry.

Somewhat annoyed, she turned her head to look at Enkidu, who had his eyes closed and remained calm even in the face of her rare emotional fluctuations.

The answer she received was still the same.

"But you are the king."

Enkidu finally opened his eyes and met Orpheus's eyes.

"King is not a title, but a responsibility... Whether you want to be a king of the way of the saint, a king of the way of the hegemon, a king of the way of the aloof, or whatever, the people are part of your duty. You can take whatever you want from them, but you must also pave the right path for them."

"But shouldn't the king first take care of himself before he benefits the people?"

"Perhaps that's true."

Enkidu smiled gently.

"However, this body is not powerful enough to influence your decisions. In the end, this body is just a tool."

"The value of something is not determined by her own judgment."

"No, I do know that."

Enkidu's expression softened, but his eyes remained fixed on Orpheus.

"What you truly care about is not the demise of this body, is it?"

Compared to Enkidu's previous aggressive demeanor, Enkidu's current smile was much gentler, but Orpheus couldn't stand his gaze and turned away.

—Enkidu is right…Orpheus never cared about her death.

What she really cared about was Enkidu leaving her side.

Ultimately, this is her own willfulness and selfishness.

Putting that aside, she could even offer a heartfelt blessing for Enkidu's death.

"To be honest, I'm glad that Orpheus thinks that way... It means that I already have a certain status in Orpheus's heart, right?"

Enki saw through this, but she still smiled gently, seemingly not minding at all.

"But... Orpheus can't stay with me forever, right?"

Enkidu had a feeling that Orpheus would one day leave for a faraway place, after all, the goal in her eyes was too far away.

From the moment she realized this, Enkidu never dared to hope to stay by Orpheus's side—she only wanted to achieve one thing, even if the price was quite heavy.

"..."

Orpheus could only remain silent in the face of Enkidu's question.

This world is ultimately not her world, and her path to tranquility remains long.

Even if she is very reluctant to part with Enkidu, they will eventually separate.

So, it doesn't really make a big difference whether it's sooner or later.

In the end, Orpheus could only sigh helplessly, calming his slightly agitated emotions and returning to his original expressionless state.

"If this is Enkidu's wish."

Enkidu's words pulled her from her overly peaceful dream... She was destined to leave eventually.

So let's at least fulfill their wishes before we leave.

To become a king.

As a king.

"My wish..."

Enkidu repeated it in a voice only he could hear, then shook his head with a wry smile.

Her wish... was only one from beginning to end.

That was definitely not some trivial matter like making Orpheus king.

Looking at the scenery of Uruk from the top of the hill, Orpheus closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time before opening them again, his expression now resolute.

"Enkidu, will you support me?"

Sensing the added authority in Orpheus's tone, Enkidu smiled gently and lowered his head.

"This body is the king's weapon. No matter where I go or where the world ends, as long as this body is not destroyed, I will fight for the king forever!"

Enkidu declared in a low voice.

"This is my eternal vow to you."

Orpheus nodded and extended his hand to Uruk.

"I am the king, and it is the king's responsibility to build the civilization and future of this planet."

"Therefore, gods are no longer an unnecessary constraint or burden."

"In that case, let's sound the horn here."

"The trumpet of rebellion against the gods..."

Chapter 21 Slaying the Divine Ox

Walking down the streets of Uruk, Orpheus nodded to the people who passed by and greeted her.

Because of the successive disasters, a sense of panic permeated the entire city, but most of the people passing by still looked at Orpheus with trust.

Human resilience in this era is truly remarkable.

That's true. In this era where gods are always trying to bring disasters to the people they protect to make their presence known, people with weak mindsets would have long since succumbed to collective corruption.

With Enkidu leading the way, Orpheus and Enkidu entered the temple.

"king!"

At this moment, dozens of priests were already waiting here. Upon seeing the two, they all knelt down, except for one person.

Standing out from the crowd of priests, her attire was slightly more magnificent than the others. Although she, like the other priests, covered her face with a thin veil, her demeanor revealed her composure and maturity.

────High Priest.

As the person closest to the gods, in this theocratic age, the high priest's power was almost equal to that of King Orpheus. In matters related to the gods, her authority was even comparable to that of Orpheus.

It is only natural that one does not need to kneel in this temple.

Even so, the high priest bowed slightly as a sign of respect.

"Your Majesty, have you made up your mind?"