Miracle Summoner

"Sneak in?"

Rozen's words caused everyone present to freeze for a moment.

Even those within Chaldea showed subtle changes in expression and began whispering among themselves, discussing the feasibility of Rozen's suggestion.

Gilgamesh looked directly at Rozen and bluntly spoke.

"Beasts aren't like humans. Even if those beasts are mass-produced standard models, their sense of smell and hearing are still far superior to ordinary people. Not to mention the entire cedar forest is crawling with them. Trying to sneak in and reach the Beast Goddess's temple won't be easy, you know?"

It was more than just not easy.

Wandering around a forest filled with beasts was obviously a death trap. Even the smallest mistake would trigger a massive reaction, and the result would be being surrounded and endlessly attacked by hordes of beasts from all directions.

In that case, even escaping wouldn't be simple.

"Furthermore, that stupid goddess over there said it herself. The Beast Goddess's temple is completely inaccessible. Even the entrance is covered with a barrier. Even if you have a way to break that barrier, once it's broken, no matter how slow the Beast Goddess is to react, she'll sense it."

"At that point, you'll be facing not just the onslaught of a hundred thousand beasts, but also a goddess who harbors deep hatred and hostility toward humans. If the Holy Grail is really in her hands, then with your current condition, unless you're willing to throw caution to the wind, even with that Servant named Altera, it's questionable whether you'll be able to win."

Gilgamesh calmly laid out a series of objections, each hitting the mark.

If those problems weren't solved, the infiltration would be nothing more than wishful thinking.

Of course, since Gilgamesh was aware of these issues, Rozen certainly was too.

And since Rozen brought it up, he naturally had a way to deal with it.

In fact, the solution had already been mentioned.

"Don't go into the forest. Just fly in directly." Rozen said. "Didn't Ishtar say that when she flew over the cedar forest, she could clearly see the temple?"

Then why not do the same and just fly straight in?

As long as they used some method to conceal themselves and then flew into the cedar forest, the risk would be greatly reduced.

After all, among the beasts that had appeared so far, apart from the recently mentioned winged serpent Bashmu, none of the others could fly.

In that case, as long as they could fool the beasts' eyes, noses, and ears, they could soar above the cedar forest and go straight to the temple.

"I also have a way to bypass the barrier around the temple and go straight inside. I can still muster up enough power for that much."

That's what Rozen said.

"There's only one problem left."

What was it?

"Once we enter the cedar forest, the beasts might not notice, and maybe even the goddess won't either—but there is one person, as the embodiment of nature and the earth, who can sense things through them. The moment we enter the forest, he'll very likely detect us immediately."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

Even Gilgamesh, as if he already knew who Rozen was referring to, had a flicker in his eyes and went quiet.

Mash and Anna, who had been listening in, exchanged glances and said nothing.

Then…

"...Lord Rozen, are you referring to Enkidu?"

Siduri, standing off to the side, spoke with a somewhat complicated expression.

Clearly, she was aware of Kingu's existence.

Naturally, Gilgamesh was too. Yet, he gave no comment—he just sat there calmly, his expression as composed as if this had nothing to do with his long-lost closest friend.

Rozen was also unbothered.

"That person sensed our presence the moment we descended into this era and came straight to us. His insight and mobility far exceed those of any beast—even the goddesses. Through the feedback of nature and the earth, he will definitely sense us the moment we enter the cedar forest."

Even at his peak, Rozen wasn't sure he could hide from that kind of ability—let alone now.

In light of that…

"If we want to carry out this plan, we have to lure Kingu away first."

That was Rozen's conclusion.

Gilgamesh didn't waste words.

"Since you've already said this much, I assume you have a plan?"

He asked, calmly and coolly.

"Of course."

Rozen nodded as he spoke—and turned to look at Ishtar.

Seeing this, everyone else followed his gaze to Ishtar as well, seeming to realize something.

"Eh?" Ishtar froze, then as realization dawned on her, she said, "You're not thinking of having me lure that guy away, are you?"

"That's right." Rozen didn't deny it and smiled.

"If a goddess shows up to settle a score, and it's the same one who was ambushed by him before, there's no way he wouldn't immediately show up to confront her, right?"

At that point, all Ishtar would need to do is provoke him a little, and that should be enough to lure Kingu away.

Otherwise, if Rozen and the others were to directly confront Kingu, they might not be afraid—but being discovered would trigger the surrounding beast horde and possibly awaken the Beast Goddess.

So it was best to draw Kingu away first.

The problem was...

"No way!" Ishtar refused without hesitation. "Why should I help you? Don't push your luck!"

Being captured by Rozen was already enough of a blow to Ishtar's pride. She had only reluctantly followed him around because Altera was present, and because her temperament had softened somewhat due to her pseudo-Servant fusion with a human soul.

Under these circumstances, asking her to take the initiative to help was impossible.

Not even a threat from Altera would work.

If pushed too far, Ishtar wouldn't hesitate to go berserk.

However...

"Don't you want revenge?" Rozen asked casually. "Remember, the reason you ended up in our hands was because of Kingu. He tried to use you against us, but it backfired, and you got captured instead."

Ishtar's brows twitched.

"You're not exactly close friends with the Beast Goddess, right? She didn't care about your safety at all and used you as a pawn. Are you really going to swallow such a huge loss without retaliating?"

Rozen pressed the advantage, coaxing her.

Ishtar stared deeply at Rozen and gave a cold snort.

"Trying to use reverse psychology on me?"

She sneered at first, but then fell into thought, smiled, and said: "Still, you have a point. That imposter dared to treat me that way. Fine, I'll get my revenge. I accept your request!"

At her words, everyone's eyes lit up, and smiles spread across the room.

"Hmph, that guy's unlucky to have you gunning for him."

Even Gilgamesh made that comment, offering no further objections to Rozen's plan.

If the plan succeeded, they wouldn't just find the whereabouts of the Holy Grail that was disrupting this era—they would also gain insight into the Beast Goddess's power.

For Uruk, which had been forced into a passive defensive stance for half a year, this was definitely not a bad thing.

Humanity's counterattack might begin from this very operation.

Gilgamesh clearly also had high hopes for what Rozen's mission might yield.

"I'll lend you the court mage." Gilgamesh said. "Merlin, assist him well."

"Oh?" Merlin chuckled in surprise. "You're suspending my current task?"

"You weren't having any success anyway, were you?" Gilgamesh snorted. "For now, just go with them."

Merlin shrugged, offering no objections.

And thus—the plan was set.