FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 8: Guidance of the Kings

Connla felt her mind be absorbed back into her body as the dream ended, much like a vacuum sucking up dust off the floor. The sensation woke her numbed senses up, and she instantly realized that she felt terrible. Even without opening her eyes, her brain was practically doing somersaults inside her cranium.

"Uuuuh," she moaned. At least the blankets were nice and cozy, so she tried to curl up and make herself comfortable.

"Mornin', sleepyhead," she heard Cuchulainn Alter's voice break the silence, and she opened her eyes to gaze up at him. He was sitting on a stool next to her bed and observing her as she slept.

"Father… I don't know why, but I feel absolutely horrible…"

"No kidding. It's called a hangover."

"A what, now?"

"The aftereffects of consuming alcohol. Don't you remember what you did yesterday?"

"Um… I went with Lancer to do some shopping?"

"That was two days ago. Yesterday, Shuten-Douji dragged you to her room and got you plastered on spiked coffee."

"Hmm… ummm… oh! Yes, now I remember! Lady Shuten brought me over for a visit!" Connla realized. "We did some talking, but I really don't recall about what though. I know I took some sips of that coffee that Lady Ibaraki gave me. I just can't remember anything other than some strange buzz hitting me in my head and chest though."

Cuchulainn became visibly upset as he grumbled, "What the hell were you thinking? You should never, ever accept anything that those two worthless oni give you."

"But I was feeling so down after what Lancer did that I wasn't really thinking straight."

"Ugh… Guess I can't blame you for that. Besides, I was there with you inside Mini-Cu and failed to stop them too. Part of this is my fault as well."

"Even so," the young Servant gazed away blankly, "that buzz felt rather nice, as if all of my problems disappeared for a short while. I think I might try that stuff again."

His eyes immediately flared, and he snarled, "No drinking."

"Aww…"

"Don't you whine at me, young lady. I refuse to watch you slip into alcoholism like that. The next time you willingly consume that crap, I'll drag you over my knee and give you five good whacks to your bottom to sober you up."

She raised an eyebrow and wondered, "Huh? That's it?"

"What do you mean 'that's it'?"

"Mother would do something like whip me 100 times, or make me run up and down the mountain within an afternoon, or test a sharpened knife on my back shoulder. Your idea of a punishment seems rather tame in comparison."

Cuchulainn's heart beat out of rhythm as he heard this, and he reeled in disgust. Connla winced, then tucked her lower face beneath the covers as she whimpered, "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's fine," he assured and rubbed her head. "I can see how alcohol would be tempting to you, but don't do it. I don't want to see you behave like that again."

"Like what?"

"Just some verbal dramatics."

"Oh dear. Did I say anything to upset you?"

"Relax. It's nothing to be worked up about."

Connla mumbled, unsure if she could accept his explanation. Since she had no memory of her drunken outburst though, she could only go by what he was saying and not worry about it too much. Cuchulainn wiped her forehead clean of cold sweat as he said, "You still look exhausted. I guessing you had one of those dreams again?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Just stay in bed for now. Once you've recovered, you should take a look at this."

He showed her an envelope which contained a peculiar stub that looked like a Summon Ticket except it was colored silver instead of gold. Connla wondered, "What is that?"

"Master dropped this off earlier. It's a free pass to use one of the simulator rooms for a whole day."

"What for?"

"Beats me. She said that she heard about what that idiot Lancer did and offered it as a present. I guess you can simulate whatever the hell you want, whether it's a battle or some favorite place."

As Cuchulainn watched Connla observe the ticket, he thought back to what Ritsuka actually said during her brief visit:

"Connla really said she wanted to die? Actually, that doesn't surprise me at all. She thought everyone would be happier if she was discharged from Chaldea and returned to the Throne. She wasn't that blunt about it, but I kind of got the sense that she's becoming more and more exhausted with everything happening around her. Now I'm really getting worried about her state of mind. If this keeps up, she might really do the same thing that Tachibana did. That's why Mash, Roman, Da Vinci and I all pitched in to give her this ticket… Well technically someone else did too, but he wants to remain anonymous. Anyway, she can pop into the simulator and do whatever she wants to help herself unwind."

He sighed, then told his daughter, "There you have it. I suggest you save it for later and concentrate on writing a record of this latest dream you had."

"Okay," Connla said, and Cuchulainn dematerialized so that his Spirit Origin returned inside Mini-Cu. He crawled onto her lap as she pulled out the laptop affixed to the wall next to her bed, turned on a writing document, and spent the next few hours typing. Writing the document consumed whatever precious energy she had regained while asleep, so once she was finished, she turned off the computer and fell back into a far more restful slumber.

The following morning, the door to a free simulator room slid open, and Connla stepped through alone while carrying Mini-Cu. Without saying a word, she inserted the ticket, flicked the light on and headed for the control station, where she inputted some values for a few minutes. The entire area flickered like static until the surroundings changed from a plain white room to the view from a mountainside. The temperature rapidly adjusted itself to match the conditions one would experience in such a location, so a chilly breeze ruffled her hair and clothes. Although the dirt, wild plants, skies, mountain ranges and cold weather weren't actually real, the simulator was so advanced that it practically felt like she was hiking in the mountains.

Not only that, there was also a quaint lodge nestled within a grove of trees. A large tree stump served as a work table for chopping wood, a small stable was connected to the house, and there was a wooden cabin nearby for storing work tools and horse rearing equipment. Connla gazed at the house for a long time, never saying anything as she took in the atmosphere that was her home.

Meanwhile, there was an observation room with a one-way mirror situated above the simulator. Chaldea's staff members would watch Servants fight against projected monsters and gather data on their capabilities, all without disrupting the Servants' performance by allowing the windows to only be looked through by the analyzers. This time though, Ritsuka, Mash, Roman and Da Vinci were all present to see what sort of place the troubled child Servant would create to give herself some peace of mind.

As if afraid to disturb the heavy silence surrounding Connla, Mash whispered to Ritsuka, "Is this supposed to be where she grew up?"

"I think so."

"This doesn't look like the Land of Shadows, so it must be in Scotland where she was born and raised," Roman also spoke in a hushed tone.

"Hmm," Da Vinci murmured to herself. "Maybe it's not fitting for someone like myself, but it's certainly giving me ideas on how I can repurpose her room. A charming little wood cottage caught in the middle of a fierce snowstorm… The trapped occupants resort to curling up beneath some blankets while sitting in front of the roaring fireplace. As they bundle up together, they either tell stories to each other, or quietly read books until they fall asleep."

"Yeah, that sounds really nice," Mash smiled. "It could be a welcome change of pace compared to all of the other futuristic rooms we have."

"All we'd need is some hot chocolate and marshmallows, and it'd be perfect," Roman agreed.

Ritsuka chuckled, "You're such a child sometimes, Doctor."

"Hey, gimme a break. Sugar is what keeps me going during the busier times."

"If you say so. Oh, look. Where's Connla going now?"

Everyone returned their attention to the young Lancer as she headed toward the shed. It was only then that they noticed a small dog house attached to the rear side of the cabin.

"That's odd," Mash murmured. "Did she ever mention anything about owning a dog?"

"I don't think so," Ritsuka shook her head.

They peered around to get a better look at what she was doing. Then, she did the unthinkable.

"Wait a minute," Roman muttered in surprise. "She's not going inside… is she?"

Indeed, Connla had gotten on all fours and crawled into the dog house. Once she was settled, she draped a thick curtain over the entrance to keep out the simulated cold. The others waited for five minutes to see if she would do anything else, but alas, there was no further movement on her part.

"Uh…" Da Vinci uttered, totally clueless on how to react.

Mash's earlier delight turned into uncertainty. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me this is some kind of bad joke."

Roman closed his eyes somberly. "It's bad, all right, but certainly no joke."

"I had heard of her mother's mistreatment of her, but this is something else," Ritsuka moaned.

"What should we do, Senpai?" Mash wondered. "Should we call her back out?"

"I don't know. It may be terrible from our point of view, but maybe this really is where she feels most comfortable. I'd feel bad about bothering her if she's really found her happy place."

"I'm not so sure. No matter how you slice it, this is just way too cruel for me to stomach. Aife had such a nice house, and yet she only allowed Connla to sleep outside like she was some stray mutt?"

"Well one thing's for certain," Da Vinci said. "We're only seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as Connla's life goes. With almost no records of her existence remaining, all we have to go on are the things she allows us to see. It may be hard, but we have to accept whatever it is she shows us, and then teach her that it's not how she's supposed to live as a human being."

"You're right. It'll be hard, but I'll do my best to help out."

Just then, while the quartet were discussing what to do next, they heard a man's voice exclaim, "Hah. How exactly do you plan on showing the runt how to be happy? Through excessively pitying her upbringing? Always patting her on the head when she does something of utter insignificance? Nonsense. If sympathy will not work on her, then she must be dragged out of her mother's overbearing shadow through brute force."

"Wha-!?" Ritsuka gasped and turned around. Once again, Gilgamesh was there to disrupt them with his uncalled-for opinions. The young Master blurted, "L-Lord Gilgamesh!? What are you doing here!?"

"I spotted the runt going into the simulator and thought I could extract some form of entertainment from watching her fight battles. Maybe I could have surreptitiously programmed her to fight a most powerful opponent. That was the purpose of my contribution to this farce in the first place," he declared. His stern glare turned even more fierce as he bellowed, "Instead, what I find is a most wretched display of mankind's inhumanity toward their own kind. How repulsive. How utterly disgusting. Such ridiculousness will not be tolerated within my presence. I am offended beyond words at this point."

"Wait, it's not what you think!" Roman barked. "We just wanted to see what would make her happy, so we decided she should use the simulator! We never thought she would-!"

"You think I'm not aware of your intentions, mongrel? You're trying to support that emotionally stunted pup through acts of love and kindness. But those kinds of affections will prove useless on someone who does not understand the basic concept of love. If anything, your pity would only further support her persistent depression. As a king, my glory is equivalent to the joy my subjects experience. Now that I have established Chaldea as my current empire, I must ensure that all of my citizens understand how rewarding it is to be within my divine presence, and to experience the joy of being watched over by their king."

"Okaa~aay… So what does any of this have to do with Connla? For someone of your regal stature, she's little more than a trainee hardly worth your notice."

"Still your tongue, mongrel. Your mediocre assumptions of how I judge others' value appalls me. No matter how feeble or powerful one may be, all are equals before me. Anyone who attempts to crush each other beneath their heel while in my country will come to understand my wrath. Even more irritating are those who accept such discrimination without raising any form of objection.

"That's why the runt's behavior infuriates me. No matter how much my people care for her, she remains annoyingly unreceptive to such affections. She attends to others with great fervor, yet such services are naught more than robotic motions lacking passion. She has become a blemish on the otherwise perfect skin of my kingdom. And now she has the gall to demonstrate such a lowly office… The scum."

"Lord Gilgamesh!" Ritsuka exclaimed angrily. "Don't call Connla such things! She's really trying her best!"

"Did you think I was referring to the runt? No, not at all. I truly have no complaints about her performance as a Servant. In fact, I've found great entertainment in reading the anecdotes of her exploits and triumphs in the dream worlds. If it wasn't for her despondent nature grating my nerves, I would have approached her long ago. The ones I speak of are the ravenous dogs that gave birth to her. Her mother discarded her, and her father abandoned her, only to murder her in the end. Even now, here in Chaldea, that foolish hound ignored her. It's high time I made her forget about those wild animals she calls 'parents' and come to address me as her one and only superior."

Ritsuka couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait, what? You actually think of her that way?"

"Oh ho," Da Vinci smiled. "Looks like my hunch was right."

"Hunch?" Gilgamesh wondered.

"You were the one who guided Babbage's hand in helping us discover the Runes embedded on Connla's brain. Not only that, you warned Kintoki about Shuten and Ibaraki picking on her. You even used your abilities to scry for her and Mordred when they were stranded in the Denmark Singularity, even though they're normally the type of Servants you wouldn't pay attention to. Be honest with me, King of Uruk. You're actually observing Connla, aren't you?"

His brow furrowed in consternation, and he snarled a little while barking, "Fool! Who do you take me for!? All I am doing is seeking out individuals of the highest caliber to cater to my personal whims! Most of the young mongrel's Servants are much too proud to bow before me, so making them bend to my will is a waste of my precious time. Thus, finding a Servant abundant in both talent and humility is an opportunity I cannot afford to waste. All I need to do is cure the runt of this tenacious melancholy gripping her spirit, and I will have myself a vassal who shall respond to my summons without hesitation."

"So in the end, you're still looking after her."

"Hmph. I see. Expecting a common plebian to understand my grand motivations is quite the error on my part. But that's enough talk. It's time I demonstrated my supremacy through actions rather than mere words. Now stand aside, fools!"

Gilgamesh marched past the bewildered group and made the door to the simulator slide open in time so that his walking pace remained uninterrupted. He headed straight for the occupied dog house and stood tall before it, folding his arms and glaring at the small structure with utter disdain. If Connla had heard his footsteps, she made no motion to regard him.

"How rude. You know you have a guest of the highest esteem imaginable, yet you blatantly ignore them. Come out this instant, runt, or I will get just the slightest bit serious," he commanded.

The curtain obscuring the entrance finally ruffled, and Connla pushed it aside so she could look up at him. Her skin clearly paled several shades, and her eyes bulged wide open once she made eye contact with the king.

"Uh… Lord Gilgamesh? Can I help you with something, sire?" she murmured nervously.

"Get out. Now."

The little girl whimpered, but obeyed his order and crawled back out before standing at attention. She held Mini-Cu so tightly to her chest that his stitching could have burst open, and she shivered in obvious anxiety. To him, she looked so pathetic that he couldn't resist letting out an exasperated groan.

"Listen up, runt," he declared. "I have seen the results of your training. Although your combat performance is satisfactory, albeit still rusty in certain areas, it is your poignant attitude that I can no longer tolerate."

"Um… I'm not sure I understand," Connla said.

"If you are going to be a citizen of my empire, then you must demonstrate what it means to be an extension of myself. My people are to celebrate life as much as I do. Those who fail to do so need to be shown the way. Though your efforts as a warrior are commendable, your development as a human being has been so infuriatingly tedious that I cannot resist stepping in to act as a teacher in the art of living proudly. Rejoice, runt, for you have made my urge much too compelling to ignore any further."

She tilted her head and said nothing in return. She was way too confused to comprehend what he was trying to tell her.

"What are you, a newborn chick?" Gilgamesh snapped. "Do I need to make my intentions any clearer than that? Even an idiot can understand what I am saying by now."

"Uh… Y-Yes, I understand what you're getting at. But I don't see what convinced you to approach me when I'm nowhere near as strong as you."

"Imbecile. Do you think I only focus on strength found through battle? There are many other standards that I measure others with. Though you aren't a perfect replacement for Siduri, you've met enough of my criteria to merit my attention. Now, follow me. And for the love of all things, be rid of this horrid simulation at once! Seeing you lie about like a real dog is enough to make me sick!"

"My apologies. I was just trying to get away from the hustle and bustle for a bit," Connla murmured, then deactivated the simulation before following him outside. After a minute, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"To my quarters. You will aquaint yourself with every conceivable nook and cranny that can get dirty, since you will be responsible for maintaining my chamber's integrity on a daily basis."

He showed her inside a room on the third floor that was particularly isolated from the rest of Chaldea's lower floors. This floor housed rooms for those Servants who cared not to intermingle with the rest, preferring to sequester themselves in constant solitude until their services were called upon. Connla had come up here before to do some chores, but never actually went inside any of the rooms out of fear of invading the Servants' much-guarded privacy. During such times, she kept her presence at such an absolute minimum that she sometimes used her Identity Concealment cloaking to hide herself. That was why it felt especially awkward for her to follow Gilgamesh while in these quiet halls, as if she was intruding in a space that she didn't belong.

The door to his room automatically slid open, and he entered without interrupting his stride. The lights likewise flickered to life on their own, and Connla finally got to see what the King of Heroes' personal quarters were like. He had this space modeled after the throne room of the ziggurat he once ruled Uruk from 2500 years ago, complete with gold-plated walls, marble flooring, a throne, and simulated views of the outside city from all four sides. There were the standard outfittings such as a bed, bath, kitchen and lounge, but they were all as grand and luxurious as humanly possible. Jewels studded the golden tub (which resembled a Holy Grail's cup), the couch was lined with the softest velvet imaginable, and even all the silverware were decorated with lovely designs made out of diamonds.

However, this bold sight was offset by the blatant lack of care given to this area. Empty wine bottles threatened to overcrowd all of the available tables, the garbage bins were stuffed full, and the stench of old wet towels slammed her nostrils like a one-two punch. Clearly, Gilgamesh had not been keeping up with hygienic standards that were expected of everyone within Chaldea. The trouble was that he was far too arrogant to do such dirty work himself, and everyone else was too afraid to come in here and risk inciting the king's ire. That was the situation Connla was greeted with, and it utterly stunned her.

"Oh, goodness," she murmured as she stared not at the grand décor and luxury that would have bewildered anyone else, but rather at the mess that was building up. Before Gilgamesh could say anything, Connla approached one of the tables and started packing wine bottles into a crate while saying, "I better get started right away!"

He raised an eyebrow and thought, How peculiar. The sight of my unimaginable wealth is less important than the unpleasant state I have left this chamber in for too long?

As she started cleaning, she asked, "Sorry for asking, but where do you keep your cleaning products?"

"Cleaning products? In here? Surely you jest."

"You mean you don't even have a closet for such items?"

"Why would I?"

She sighed and thought in dismay, This is going to take a while…

Over the next few days, word quickly spread around Chaldea about Connla's new job. Some were proud of her unexpected promotion, while others were quick to ask questions about whether or not Gilgamesh was picking on her. It became clear though that there was nothing for anyone to worry about. If anything, it was Connla who kept pressuring Gilgamesh to at least install a small closet for cleaning products. She managed to convince him by saying it would help expedite her work, and it most certainly did. Bit by bit, she tidied up his chambers and scrubbed every surface down until everything glistened and shone, as he so desired.

Today, Connla was on her hands and knees meticulously wiping the small kitchen floor to get rid of months' worth of residue that had built up. Meanwhile, a large pot of boar meat stew bubbled away, which she occasionally stirred. Gilgamesh had asked her to prepare something for him to eat once he returned from his latest Rayshift with Ritsuka. He left the meal up to her judgment, which greatly worried her because her culinary skills were less than average, or so she believed. She didn't want to bother anyone in Chaldea's kitchen though, so she decided to whip up Aife's favorite stew and see if Gilgamesh would like it.

As Connla discarded the bucket of dirty water, the door to the room opened, and the king stepped through while declaring, "I have returned, runt. What progress have you made today?"

"The kitchen floor is all ready," she announced as she peeled off the rubber gloves. "I will want to keep up with it at least once a week though. Tomorrow will be the inside of the oven so that I can test making some bread."

"Very good. Hmm… That smells quite sumptuous. The attention my appetite demands rivals even my own ego. Today's hunt was most plentiful, so I will only settle for a meal of equal caliber."

"It's a little sloppy looking since I wasn't exactly trained in the art of presentation, but this is the best thing I could cook," Connla explained as she prepared a bowl of stew for him and set it on the table before him. He brought the fork to his mouth and consumed a piece of meat. He sat there for a minute while letting the food slide along his tongue, as if each taste bud was evaluating this delicacy.

"Oh ho… oh ho ho…" a small moan escaped his throat. Connla couldn't tell if he was enjoying it or thoroughly disgusted with her cooking. That question was quickly answered when he crooned, "The ingredients and presentation are third-rate, yet this flavor, and the integrity behind such cuisine… Goodness. I find it most difficult to describe in mere words. I cannot imagine that such high-class virtues can be cultivated in such a rustic locale as your birthplace. This is, without doubt, a succulent amalgamation of choice ingredients, cooking methods, and spices. This would earn the seal of approval from a king - nay, a god."

"Does that mean… it's okay?" she nervously asked.

"More so than you can comprehend, runt. The meat just seems to melt in my mouth like butter, yet is filling enough to sate my appetite. The vegetables are cut in just the right size, and the doneness of each type is flawless. The presentation could use some work, but I will forgive such a minor oversight in favor of this impeccable taste. But now, I have this urge to interrogate you on how you came to learn such cuisine. It is impossible for you to have attended any sort of school in your time, especially for someone who grew up solely in the mountains with virtually no social contact."

"Well, my mother loved stew, but never enjoyed making it. I think I was three or four when I remember making stew for the first time without getting her upset," Connla explained. "She was always so particular about what she wanted, and would punish me severely if I didn't do it exactly as she wrote in the recipe. Sometimes I would have to spend days hunting and gathering for the ingredients. I'm happy that Chaldea has most of what I need, but getting the boar meat is quite the chore."

"I see, I see. Fu ha ha ha. That woman had quite the active imagination."

"What do you mean?"

"If this meal is fit for a king, then she taught you to prepare such a dish in order to accommodate her deluded fantasy of being a ruler, when in reality she was naught more than common drivel that deserved to be forgotten by humanity."

The young Lancer blinked in surprise. "You think Mother… was deluded?"

"I do not 'think' so. I know so. She was a king of her own imaginary fantasy kingdom, and you were the scullery maid that catered to such self-propagated egotism."

Connla paused. She never thought of Aife in such a manner before, but once Gilgamesh explained it with such piercing clarity, a lot of the warrior woman's behavior seemed to make much more sense now. With Aife already admitting that she truly hated Connla, the girl could see how she really was raised to be little more than a retainer. Perhaps Aife being unable to wrest rulership over the Land of Shadows from Scathach compelled her to find a new way to satisfy her craving for power and dominance. The bastard child she had with the man who defeated her must have been the perfect target to vent all of her humiliation upon without fear of retribution or punishment.

As Connla cleared the table, she murmured, "Then I suppose I was equally deluded for not noticing."

"You certainly have a penchant for stealing others' words, runt," Gilgamesh retorted. "However, as you have been told many times, any and every child's inherent duty is to obey their superiors, whether they be parents, adoptive guardians, or royal authorities. In that regard, there is nothing to accuse you of."

"I know I've heard that before. It still seems really difficult to comprehend though, especially considering that my intelligence was artificially enhanced. Something in the back of my mind keeps telling me that I should have known better."

"Enough. Listening to such talk is like watching you chase your own tail. If you seek to improve yourself, then start by serving me to the fullest extent without boring me with such bothersome drudgery. I can only listen to drivel like that for so long before I satisfy my compulsion to force-feed a silencing elixir down your throat."

She tensed up, then uttered, "My apologies. I won't talk about that anymore then."

"Very good. Now, I will be off to observe my subjects. Perhaps I should have a good laugh with the faker that runs the kitchen below. Have a bottle of Romanée-Conti and some cheese and crackers prepared by the time I return."

"Yes, sir."

Three more weeks passed. This routine continued without much incident, and Connla was starting to settle in quite nicely. By now, she could memorize every section of Gilgamesh's room and spot anything unusual before he even knew it. Bit by bit, his grand living chambers returned to its original splendor, which greatly improved his mood. Not only was he happy with her efforts, but he was especially pleased that she never raised a word of complaint against him. If she ever did make a suggestion, she carefully worded it so that he would see how it benefitted him as well. Of course, she tried not to ask too much out of him, but there were times when she simply couldn't hold back asking for a request or two.

By now, it was the beginning of July. Ritsuka, Mash, and several Servants including Artoria, Mordred and Marie Antoinette among others were gone on some island trekking vacation, and many other Servants had taken off to enjoy the summer on their own. Some Servants remained on standby though, along with several jealous staff members. Connla didn't really see what the big deal was with the summer months, but she was soon going to find out.

The young Lancer stood in front of another door that had the pattern of a blazing sun gilded on it in pure gold. Gilgamesh had sent her here on a most peculiar errand, and she wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly. She had to look at his handwritten note multiple times to be certain she wasn't imagining things. Although anxious about messing up this job, she pushed on the intercom button.

"Good day, you have reached the personal chambers of His Great Majesty, the Almighty Sun King, Pharaoh Ozymandias. Any frivolous disruption of his most deserved rest will be met with a swift and most immediate death. How may I help you today?" a woman's voice chirped on the other end.

"Lady Nitocris? It's Little Lancer," Connla replied.

"Ah, there you are. Right on schedule."

A moment later, the decorated door slid open, and the purple-haired lady Pharaoh declared, "How good of you to be on time for an appointment with my liege. Even just a few seconds later and you would have been in serious trouble."

"My apologies for the interruption. I am here on Lord Gilgamesh's behalf to relay a message to Lord Ozymandias."

Nitocris guided Connla inside the chamber, which was modeled after the interior space of an Egyptian pyramid. The ridiculous amount of gold and gemstones lining the entire room was absolutely dazzling, perhaps enough to blind anyone who was caught off guard. Connla was already used to seeing Gilgamesh's makeshift ziggurat on a daily basis though, so while the Egyptian design was incredible, the blatant display of luxury and wealth didn't seem to impress her that much anymore. They approached the raised throne, where the black-haired Pharaoh reclined. He gazed upon his young visitor with eyes that were so gold that they could have encapsulated the sun itself.

"So you are the Child of Cuchulainn?" he asked.

Connla performed a curtsey and replied, "Indeed I am. I extend my most humble gratitude to you for taking this time to listen to my message."

"Perish the thought, little one. Nitocris has told me much about your efforts to keep the Golden King at ease. Thanks to that, my conversations with him have elevated from perceived rivalry into a genuine camaraderie the likes of which I was unable to achieve even in my lifetime. With us at our contractor's side, not even the King of Mages will be able to compete against the greatest displays of power manking has to offer. But that is not what we are assembled to discuss at the moment. Now speak, young Lancer. Inform me of what the Golden King would want to tell me when he could have easily done so in person."

Connla swallowed nervously. "F-First of all, I would… like to apologize if my statements come off as uncomfortably blunt…"

"I am aware of your habit for speaking in a forward and direct manner. Nay, all children your age lack the self-awareness necessary to keep the harshest of honest opinions muted. Therefore, I shall pardon any perceived offense, so long as you are expedient in relaying your message."

"Then I will simply read this verbatim."

She cleared her throat, then said, "Extend an invitation to the Sun King for a summer vacation in Okeanos."

Both Pharaohs became deathly silent. Connla gazed at them for a short while, then uttered, "That's what he wanted me to say."

Nitocris clearly looked too appalled to say any words. Ozymandias didn't seem to share in her surprise as he stared at the child with a blank expression. Then, without any warning whatsoever, his lips curled and he burst out in a bellow laugh!

"Feh hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah!"

"L-Lord Ozymandias?" Nitocris murmured shakily. "Are you all right? Should I throw her out immediately for offending you!?"

He kept laughing for a solid minute, then settled down and pressed his hand against his sore abdomen as he exclaimed, "There is no need, Nitocris. Hah hah hah! I can see how the Golden King would have been too bashful to ask such a thing of me directly!"

"Um, I think it's less 'bashful' and more 'too proud', sire," Connla muttered.

"I can see that! Indeed, that is the kind of status he would never lower himself to! Being humble enough to ask me to accompany him on a vacation! How hilarious! Not even I would be foolish enough to attempt such a degrading stunt! No wonder he was quick to employ you, Child of Cuchulainn! If he had not, I would have seized you and put you to work here instead!"

"There is no need for that!" Nitocris objected. "I am already sufficient enough to-!"

"Enough."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I did not mean to interrupt you!"

"An apology will not suffice. For your misdemeanor, you will clean my lavatory until it rivals the Golden King's in terms of cleanliness and polish."

"Of course! Thank you for this most auspicious honor! If you will excuse me!"

The female Pharaoh took off, leaving Connla gazing at where she was with both a wry and confused expression. After a short pause, she faced the king and said, "The message has been relayed. If there is no further business, I will excuse myself."

"Hold. There is something I want to say to you."

"Yes, sir?"

"In acknowledgement of your amicable and most courageous gesture, I shall impart on you a small token of guidance," he declared, then rested his cheek upon his curled fingers. "Look to the sun for inspiration."

Connla paused, then tilted her head in bewilderment. "Look to the sun… for inspiration?"

"Indeed. Perhaps you do not recall, but the light of the sun shines bright within your soul. Not as brilliantly as it does within me, mind you, but it would benefit you to remember the luminance that sired you. Only then will you be able to escape the darkness that persistently encroaches upon you."

"…"

"You are dismissed, young one. I shall give your message some consideration. Once I have made my decision, I will send Nitocris to deliver my response to the Golden King."

"Understood," the child Servant bowed, then quietly left the makeshift throne room.