He remained aloof, yet didn't deny Morgan's statement.
"So what Berserker said was true?" Iskandar couldn't help but show some interest. His reign had been over three hundred years before the Age of Man, and it had already been more than seven hundred years since the King of Magecraft returned the Mystery.
The Age of Gods still felt somewhat distant to Iskandar.
"Fools. You don't understand the Age of Gods at all, nor do you grasp the true nature of gods," Gilgamesh sneered.
The King of Heroes, born from the union of a mortal king and a goddess—two-thirds divine and one-third human—naturally understood the existence of gods better than anyone present.
Gilgamesh slightly raised his chin and looked down at everyone with arrogance.
"The Age of Gods has long since passed. This planet now operates under the physical laws known to humanity. To people like you, gods are nothing more than systems used to support religion. You can't comprehend the Age of Gods, don't understand gods, and it's no wonder you fail to grasp the meaning behind my actions."
Morgan's earlier words had struck a nerve, and Gilgamesh suddenly felt inclined to speak to them about the concept of "gods."
"There are two kinds of gods—those that originally existed as something else and became gods, and those born as 'gods' from the start. In Mesopotamia, where I reigned, gods were the personified consciousness of natural phenomena—what you would call the ancient gods. I was created through the will of these ancient gods and human kings, existing between ancient and modern divinity."
He grinned and drank deeply from his cup.
"Strange, isn't it? Even I think so. But it's the truth. I was created by the will of the gods."
A king who was "created"—you could call it manufactured.
Not born of nature, but brought into being for a specific purpose.
In that sense, Artoria Pendragon is the same. She was born from a conspiracy between her father, King Uther, and Merlin—a non-human king with the blood of the red dragon.
Artoria was somewhat aware of this, and her expression turned serious upon hearing Gilgamesh's words.
Even if they were unrelated, if the fall of Britannia was tied to the fading of the Age of Gods, then why did the King of Heroes—who initiated that decline—do so?
"To guide humanity? You're not that charitable, are you?" Shiomi asked.
"Good instincts. The gods didn't create me to help humanity. They feared humanity, and needed a mediator who could see from both divine and human perspectives," Gilgamesh said, arrogance laced with a hint of approval. "The ancient gods feared humanity's ability to reshape nature. No matter how much natural energy they possessed, in the end, they were just entities confined to specific locations."
His words carried no reverence for the gods, even though two-thirds of him came from them.
Grinning as if amused, Gilgamesh continued, "Humans are the opposite. Their survival ability may differ, and as individuals they're tiny, like grains of sand. But when gathered in large numbers, their average potential is quite high."
The conversation began to delve into deeper territory, directly tied to Gilgamesh's response.
"Those gods, despite being mighty natural phenomena, had 'originality' and 'cognitive ability' no greater than that of ordinary people. Even with omniscient knowledge, they could only reach a single conclusion and shape a single personality. On this point alone, humanity has already surpassed them—the gap in cognition and capacity for change is far too vast."
Gilgamesh's smile deepened, his contempt for the gods plain to see, though he showed no dissatisfaction with himself.
"Human desire is endless. It never stops and never hesitates to show itself. The gods realized that the world would eventually change because of it—one day, it might even alter the laws that govern the stars. When that time comes, there would be no room left for the ancient gods, who exist as natural phenomena, to intervene."
"Fearing that future, the gods sought a ruler—someone born human, yet belonging to their divine camp. That was the true reason behind their foolish decision to unite a human king with a goddess and give birth to me. It was a desperate act of survival in their twilight, and from the gods' perspective, utterly disgraceful."
Gilgamesh dismissed the will of the gods with arrogant disdain.
"The gods only wanted to use me as a 'wedge'—a tool to drive between heaven and earth—to stop the gap between humanity and the divine from widening further. Once I saw through that pitiful scheme, I came to a decision: the age ahead has no place for gods. This planet should be ruled by humanity—by those I lead."
And so, humanity severed its ties with the divine and stepped toward a future it would shape on its own.
But Gilgamesh's actions were only the beginning. The gods continued to cling to their ties with humanity until, fifteen hundred years later, during the era of the King of Magecraft, even Mystery was returned to the heavens.
"That's why I said it's dull, fairy of paradise." Gilgamesh drained his cup but didn't refill it. "You do know quite a few truths, but you don't understand what they mean."
Shiomi leaned toward Morgan and whispered, "So much for shifting the blame... Even if the Age of Gods ended because of him, the King of Heroes clearly doesn't intend to take responsibility for Britannia's destruction."
"If he did, he wouldn't be the King of Heroes," Morgan replied just as quietly.
Iskandar let out a thoughtful sigh.
"Even if you were created by the gods, you have no intention of following their will. You'll act as king by your own judgment—whether that means ruling the land or cutting ties with the gods."
"Exactly. That is my way as king. Those commoners who beg for heaven's Mystery will never understand."
After finishing his tale, Gilgamesh's words began to drip with narcissism—fitting for someone with a nature as self-centered as his.
"So tell me, Saber. Now that you know the reason I brought the Age of Gods to an end, are you still going to come after me for reparation, just as your sister claimed?"
Gilgamesh asked, visibly amused.
Artoria's brow furrowed, but she answered firmly.
"Even if the end of the Age of Gods was your doing and that led to Britannia's fall, the destruction of my country is my responsibility. It has nothing to do with you, King of Heroes!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake