The Infinite Dragon God Cannot Find Silence

"Yes, that's no problem."

As he said this, Merlin lifted the bucket in his hand.

"This should be the blood of a fantasy species, but it seems a bit abnormal in some ways. Has some strange component been mixed in?"

"It's just a few drops of 'snake blood' mixed in, which will make the arrangement easier for me to carry out later."

"Snake blood? Forget it, since it won't affect the depiction of magic, then it's none of my business."

Merlin tucked the stone slab under his arm, waved, and left without looking back.

As Orpheus watched Merlin leave, he inadvertently glanced at the streets of Uruk.

Then she saw many figures who looked like messengers rushing toward the temple.

Orpheus's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

After careful calculation, she realized that she had been working continuously for more than ten days.

Although she wasn't physically exhausted, the constant high pressure made her mentally uncomfortable.

Actually, taking a break from time to time is fine; there's no need to work non-stop.

"No, it's alright."

In the end, Orpheus shook his head.

Even for you, excessive fatigue can lead to errors in judgment.

"I will keep that in mind."

After saying this, Orpheus returned to the temple to await the messenger's instructions.

For her, rest is not something she absolutely has to do. It might be helpful for her mental well-being, but overall it is not considered a 'necessary' matter.

"Well... while we don't really have the right to interfere with your actions, you certainly don't have enough experience. You might really mess things up at some crucial point, you know? What's that called again, Old Ma?"

Without experience and with too many tasks, the probability of error is so high that even the dragon's calculation speed cannot compensate for it.

"...Okay, I understand. I'll shift my focus after I finish what I'm doing."

Orpheus wasn't the type to act unilaterally; after thinking it over, he compromised.

...The main reason was that Orpheus sensed immense malice from the word "old horse".

In any case, it's best not to be too reckless, whether you're a person or a dragon.

[Distracting them... instead of resting? Well, it'll probably have some effect... As for those Servants, make good use of their power. Although some of them might have a strange way of thinking, as Heroic Spirits from human history, their abilities are absolutely unquestionable.]

"Okay, I understand."

Once again, Orpheus's figure disappeared into the temple.

Chapter 45 Shrine of the Witch

"Regarding the investigation of the shrine, if we sense it from a distance, we can indeed preliminarily confirm that there are traces of some kind of ritual that has been performed. However, if we cannot get close, we cannot make a specific confirmation. Whether we should do this, and whether we should notify the shrine maidens in advance, are matters for the king to decide."

"Ah."

While listening to Siduri's report, Orpheus nodded as he used his fingers to apply runes to the temple while dipping them in the blood of the fantasy species.

Uruk was actually a city-state with a separation of powers.

The 'King' is the pinnacle of humanity; the 'Priest' connects humanity and the gods; and finally, the 'Witch' serves the gods.

These three are Orpheus, King of Uruk; the Priests' Court; and the Priestess' Court.

Orpheus now consolidates the power of both the king and the priests.

Although the priestesses' authority appears to be enough to rival Orpheus, in reality they are like a high-ranking, reclusive sect that doesn't usually get involved in anything.

Compared to worldly affairs, the shrine maidens of the Shrine Maidens' Abode care more about their own reverence and faith in the gods, considering themselves servants of the gods.

Orpheus had previously severed the Age of Gods, which greatly displeased the priestesses of the priestess' quarters.

At that time, this did not cause much of a stir... because without the support of the gods, the priestess's power plummeted, and she had no means to contend with Orpheus.

However, this era is now in chaos.

If we're talking about fanatics...

It is not surprising that they would summon gods when the era is collapsing.

Even if the most likely thing the summoned god would do is destroy humanity.

"The currently confirmed deities are Ishtar and two gods associated with snakes."

Orpheus spoke as he drew the magic circle.

"Among them, Ishtar is the guardian deity of Uruk, which means there is a high probability that she was summoned by the priestess."

"Your Majesty, if it's confirmed?"

Siduri bowed slightly, his words carrying a complex emotion.

If Ishtar really was summoned by the priestesses... then those priestesses can forget about surviving.

This has nothing to do with punishment... Her queen doesn't seem to care much about what others have done in the past, but she won't allow such an unstable factor that might turn against her at a crucial moment to exist.

Hiduri understood this approach and wouldn't try to stop it; he was just a little saddened that the priestess's shrine, which had been passed down for over a hundred years, was likely to disappear just like that.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of this."

"Yes."

Are there any other questions?

"Yes."

Sidduri handed one of the stone tablets to a soldier, and then took another stone tablet from another.

"Regarding the recent expedition, which was conducted in accordance with the King's orders to explore the outer edge of the suddenly appearing jungle in the south, a magician capable of using communication magic was deployed there. However, after exploring for half a day, they lost contact with us, and even now, two days later, we have not seen them again. It is speculated that they are in grave danger."

"We will explore further and deploy even more elite personnel."

"Yes."

After thinking for a moment, Orpheus spoke.

"There must be other city-states inside the jungle."

Actually, Orpheus definitely exists... she just doesn't remember his name.

"Yes, before it was swallowed up by the suddenly appearing jungle, that area was home to cities known as Ur and Enlidu."

Enlidu... that name seems easy to remember.

"Where is the location?"

"This... should be considered deep in the jungle. If the king wishes, he can select the best troops to explore it."

"No, let's explore cautiously first."

Hiduri frowned slightly.

"But, within both cities..."

"Considering that merely exploring the outer perimeter can cause an excellent squad to lose contact..."

Before he could finish speaking, Siduri was interrupted by Orpheus's cold voice.

"The chances of those people surviving are so low that they are almost negligible."

"But we can't be completely certain..."

The kind-hearted Sidduri still held onto a sliver of hope.

"Sending more people to the front lines before safety is guaranteed is just sending them to their deaths, let alone providing rescue."

"Yes... I understand."

Sidduri sighed. In reality, she had only acted on impulse. If she had calmed down and thought about it, she would have realized the difficulties involved.

Putting aside the difficulty of the exploration itself, even if the city's survivors were found, bringing them out would be extremely difficult.

"Okay, let's continue."

Hiduri then exchanged the stone tablet in his hand with another soldier.

"The cause of death of the people of Kuta City has still not been determined. There was no physical injury whatsoever, and there were no signs of poisoning or being cursed. The possible causes are the special abilities of an unknown magical beast, the power of a god, or extremely high-level magic. Regarding the last point, I have heard the mage Merlin confirm that he can do something similar."

"Okay, I'll deal with that later. Next."

Hiduri nodded and replaced the stone slab with another one.

"This is... a report from the herdsmen. The goddess Ishtar threatened and intimidated them, forcibly seized their property, and then laughed and walked away."

"………………………………Next."

"Your Majesty... this subtle silence... and also, I hope you can provide a solution."

Orpheus sighed softly.

What exactly is that guy causing trouble for...?

"...Okay, we'll talk about it later. Next one."

"Yes! Regarding the monster lairs discovered on the monster front and supply routes..."

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As night falls, in the mountains not far from Uruk, an ancient temple stands quietly.

The temple was not very large and looked quite simple, but it inexplicably appeared somewhat gloomy in the darkness.

This is a sacred place called the Shrine of the Witches.

It is not located in Uruk, but rather in the suburbs outside Uruk, ostensibly to be far removed from worldly affairs.

Orpheus casually kicked open the temple door and walked in, somewhat puzzled.

Unlike its understated exterior, the interior of the temple is incredibly luxurious, with even a single statue made of the finest divine gemstones.

The shrine to the priestesses, which has been passed down for over a century, is supported by the gods and receives a significant portion of the kingdom's offerings. Its heritage is naturally unfathomable.

only……