Escape from an Ancient Civilization Ch 127

Chapter 127

The one man holding the key to Ur had opened his eyes. In that moment, Nataek’s desperate urge to obtain information about Ur outweighed even his concern over Medeus’s mood. He leaned close.

“Are you conscious now?”

“Why… why am I here…? Where is this place…? Ugh…”

The man dragged the damp cloth from his forehead.

“You collapsed in Kish’s market. We brought you back. You were muttering about meeting Kish’s ensi. You are a noble of Ur, aren’t you?”

“How… how did you know that…?”

“I am a priest who fled from Uruk. I have seen Ur’s emblem often enough to recognize it. Do not worry—I only wish to help. Tell me, what happened?”

Nataek first reassured the man. Calming and stabilizing a patient was always the first priority. Without diffusing his fears, there would be no way of receiving clear information. Slowly, the man sat up with effort.

“My name is… Pumarsin.”

More quickly than expected, the noble dropped his guard. Supporting him upright, Nataek listened to his tale.

Pumarsin was the younger brother of Nammu‑wa, Ur’s ensi. Nammu‑wa had been betrayed by a subordinate and overthrown, losing his seat as ruler but barely escaping with his life. It was Pumarsin himself who helped him flee.

The Guti, having seized Ur, took Pumarsin hostage to lure out his brother. Their custom of conquest was just as Nataek knew it: only when a city’s ruler was slain did they regard it as truly subdued.

But despite scouring the city, Nammu‑wa could not be found. Finally, the Guti chieftain, unable to sit idly, vowed to hunt him down personally. While he was gone, a servant—who had served the brothers since childhood—secretly unlatched Pumarsin’s cell, enabling his escape.

“That servant had attended my brother and me since we were children. Because he dared to open that door, I could flee… but…”

His voice, steady till then, broke, and tears spilled. Nataek handed back the cloth, which he used to wipe his eyes. The sight stirred memories of Dudu, another loyal retainer.

“Right now, Ur is managed by the Guti chieftain Lagab. Once he has settled Ur completely, he will march swiftly upon another city. We cannot simply yield fertile land to the Guti! Uruk has already turned its back, and Delam is reachable only by sea. I had no choice but to come to Kish.”

No sooner had his words ended than a light flared in Nataek’s vision.

Keyword Obtained: ‘Lagab’

Lagab. The Guti chieftain Lagab…

Nataek ransacked his memory. Sununki offered no direct conquest routes through the Guti villages. Information on them was limited. Yet the name Lagab did ring familiar.

“Lagab… yes… Lagab…”

“You know him?” Pumarsin asked.

Nataek shook his head. The noble, like a scripted NPC, began to detail it anyway.

“Lagab is the second‑ranking figure among the Guti. Even within their tribe, his cruelty is infamous. Both his appearance and his temperament are more beast than man. Moreover, his lust is boundless—so gluttonous that he forces himself upon men and women indiscriminately.”

Nataek grimaced.

Yes—that was why the name lingered. As a player, he had once heard countless NPC rumors of a Guti savage who preyed on anyone he desired. Everyone spoke of him with revulsion.

And now, that monster was ruling Ur.

Nataek’s expression darkened. Already he felt the crushing weight of Ur’s notorious difficulty. Sensing his unease, Pumarsin leaned closer and grasped his hand.

“You’ve saved me once already. But I ask one more thing: help me meet Kish’s ensi. This news must be spoken aloud. If it is not—”

Clack—

The chamber door swung open.

“Astounding! To awaken so soon!” the physician cried, carrying freshly scalded water. But Nataek’s eyes went not to him, but to the tall figure at the door.

Whether the doctor had fetched him, or whether the man had turned back from his sulking departure, there stood Medeus. His glance slid from Nataek’s eyes down to the hand clasped in Pumarsin’s.

No. Don’t misunderstand. This is just… comfort.

Medeus stepped inside. The door shut behind him with a harsh thud.

“Ah… I—I understand. I will see that you can meet Kish’s ensi,” Nataek murmured nervously, prying at Pumarsin’s hold. But again, the noble clutched tighter.

“Truly?! You truly will help me?!”

At Nataek’s side, Medeus stared unwaveringly at the joined hands.

If you’re angry, then say so. If you’re annoyed, show it. But don’t just stand silently like that.

“Yes. Of course I’ll help. But please, release my hand now.” Nataek finally tugged free, rubbing his palm awkwardly.

Unaware of the frosty tension, the physician set down the steaming basin. “For now, the patient’s stability is most important. Please wait outside.”

Rising reluctantly, Nataek slipped from his chair.

“Please—you must help!” came Pumarsin’s cry as he left.

He had gained both valuable information and the critical keyword Lagab. Everything seemed to fall in place… except what mattered most. His bond with Medeus had shifted, now rife with friction.

How do I mend this?

Later Nataek relayed Pumarsin’s tale to Medeus. The name alone made the general’s face tighten. Immediately, he summoned Delam’s princess and Umma’s lord, still in residence. Lightning‑fast, a council convened.

“Did you say Lagab himself moves against us?!” cried the nervous lord of Umma, paling. Even Medeus seemed tense at last.

“Lagab is among the most difficult of foes,” Medeus said. “Not only is he formidable in battle, but his persistence, his cunning in devising tactics, make his forces nearly impossible to break.”

At this, Samuagon rumbled darkly.

“Gumutān once warned me of him. Said he was no ordinary man. And if even Akkadia’s hero names him dangerous, then we must prepare well indeed. This time, we will crush the Guti!”

Already Samuagon looked eager to march immediately. But open war was nothing but a path to destruction. The moment he stirred, Nataek raised his hand.

“May I speak?”

“Speak.”

“I think the expedition to Ur should be delayed.”

The words sent Umma’s ruler reeling. “B—but what if they strike first?!”

“Why would you say such a thing, Lion of Inanna?”

Because if we clash head‑on now, it will be no different than in all my past attempts—failure.

Around the table, only the same recycled strategies circulated. Every plan was a path Nataek had already tested in vain.

What was needed now was something radical—something he had never tried before. A phrase surfaced in his mind: the very title of this storyline.

“The Spy of Kish.”

So Nataek pressed on. “We must strike by means they cannot anticipate. For example… infiltration, as we once did in Uruk.”

“Infiltration into Lagab’s domain? Impossible—reckless!” the princess objected.

Nataek turned to Medeus. His face was clouded with thought, yet unlike the others’, he sided with him.

“Reckless, yes—but attacking in predictable form is suicide. The only reason I bested Lagab before was because Uruk’s walls shielded me. But now, with lands unified, his forces could pierce from anywhere. Theoretically, an infiltration into his camp gives us the only real chance.”

“B—but who in the world would attempt such a thing?!” Umma’s lord squeaked.

The Soothsayer was absent, too cowardly anyway. Nataek suppressed a sigh. Who else indeed?

Of course he wished to send another. But this was the final and most crucial hurdle. He could not entrust it to anyone else.

If they failed, he might have to restart the entire conquest from the beginning.

As he swallowed, eyes flicking toward Medeus—

“I will go,” Medeus said evenly.

Nataek jumped. “Then I’ll go too!”

Medeus’s sharp eyes cut back at him.

What? You’re going. Then of course I’m going too.