Escape from an Ancient Civilization Ch 124

Chapter 124

The Soothsayer struggled as he was dragged along, thrashing violently. If there was even a one‑percent chance of danger to his own life, he resisted with every ounce of strength he had.

“Hey, why! What are you trying to tell me?”

“Shh. You’ll wake him up. I need to tell you something important.”

At that, the Soothsayer finally stopped struggling and turned to look at the man lying on the bed.

“Who is this guy? Ugh… what a sight. If you’re going to put him in bed, you could at least have washed him first. Dust everywhere, dirt…”

“He can’t even stay conscious. Do you think we had time to wash him?”

After checking outside, Nataek immediately closed the door. He motioned with his chin toward a chair. Once the Soothsayer realized there was no immediate threat, he relaxed and sat down at the table. Nataek sat across from him.

“So, who is he?”

Opening the bottle of pear juice given to him, Nataek replied:

“Judging by the emblem embroidered onto his clothes, he’s definitely a noble of Ur. We found him collapsed at the market earlier, muttering nonstop about seeing Kish’s ensi. And the moment I discovered him, a new main storyline triggered.”

“A new main storyline?”

The Soothsayer blinked, then leapt up in shock.

“You mean… the Ur storyline has begun?”

“Yes. That seems to be the case. I think we can get information about Ur from this man. But as you can see, he’s in no state to speak coherently, so I brought him here first.”

“Right. If the main storyline triggered at that timing, it must be true. Huh. Things are going more smoothly than expected! But then, why do you look so grim?”

Nataek’s gaze was weighed down with concern.

“The timing is perfect. It all lines up. But the problem is… I have never once succeeded in conquering Ur.”

Among the six city‑states, Ur had always been the one insurmountable obstacle. He had tried placing Ur early in the order, mid, or late, attempting the conquest at every possible stage, but somehow, no matter the order, Ur was always where he failed.

So he had made a rule of leaving Ur for last. That way, at least he could maximize attack and defense before attempting the battle. But even with painstaking preparation, nothing had changed.

“You’ve conquered Ur before, haven’t you?” Nataek asked.

The Soothsayer looked at him blankly, as if he’d asked nonsense.

“Me? No way! I’ve never succeeded in Ur either.”

“What? But you wrote on your blog as if you had experience with it.”

“Oh, that? Well, come on, I had to hook readers somehow. It’s hard enough just to find people who even play Sununki these days. To lure them in, you’ve got to offer the information they want. If you don’t have it, you make it up. Sometimes you’ve got to convince people to believe a lie before you can reel anyone in. Like convincing them you can make soy paste out of red beans.”1

“…Hah.”

And I fell for this trash. My scalp tingled as if struck. Nataek blew a strong sigh upward, tossing his bangs. Control yourself. What’s done is done. If I blow up now, I only lose.

“…Fine. Whatever. Let’s just piece together whatever we both remember about Ur’s storyline.”

Facing the infuriating Soothsayer, Nataek suppressed his anger and began combining fragments of knowledge.

Ur. Situated at the southernmost edge of Mesopotamia in Sununki, a city‑state like any other in terms of conquest requirements. Betrayal and treachery were always the central themes.

Around the time when Kushanna had just seized power in Uruk, Ur was comparatively weak. Just barely strong enough to repel the raiding Guti tribes. Then a man named Nammu‑wa rose to power, and Ur began to rebuild its strength. Eventually they grew enough that even Kushanna could not ignore them.

“Then Kushanna died, and Medeus and I were expelled from Uruk. Afterward, Luhaljageshi supported the Guti in attacking Ur.”

Ur’s downfall was not merely because Uruk and the Guti joined hands. Nammu‑wa’s own subordinate had betrayed him, siding with Luhaljageshi.

A treacherous vassal + Luhaljageshi + Guti. That combination deprived Nammu‑wa of his throne as ensi and handed power into their hands. After that, the storyline branched into multiple outcomes depending on player choices.

“So it’s kind of like Samuagon, isn’t it?” the Soothsayer suddenly said.

“Samuagon?”

“Yeah. Samuagon was once the confidant of the former ruler, then betrayed him and took the ensi’s seat himself. And in Ur, Nammu‑wa’s man betrayed him and stole power. The pattern’s the same.”

Nataek folded his arms and nodded. He couldn’t deny it.

“If this man really is a noble of Ur… then when he wakes, he should be able to tell us more.”

“But can he survive? He looks half dead already.”

“Don’t say things like that. Words can become reality.”

“I’m serious. He looks terrible.”

Nataek turned around.

“Ughh…”

As if responding to his glance, the noble raised a trembling hand in the air.

“Muu… muul…”

What?

Nataek leaned to put his ear to the man’s lips.

“What did you say?”

“Muuul…”

“He’s asking for water,” the Soothsayer translated in a thin voice.

Looking around, Nataek realized a problem. Here, most people drank sikar2 instead of water, so no plain drinking water had been left in the room. The only liquid on the table was a fruit beverage.

He quickly brought the bottle over.

“Help me sit him up.”

Supporting from behind, he lifted the man’s back with strong arms while the Soothsayer adjusted the pillows. Nataek tilted the bottle at his lips.

Slurp—

“Careful, careful. It’s the blankets drinking, not the patient!”

The noble tried to drink but couldn’t seem to swallow properly, dribbling all over.

“Ughhh…”

Maybe they needed a spoon. But judging from his condition, he couldn’t swallow that way either. Nataek sighed and rubbed his face.

There was one method left. A method he had once used in the cedar forest. A method he’d rather never resort to—the way he used to force medicine into Medeus.

He looked up at the Soothsayer.

“Want to try feeding him?”

“Me? How?!”

“With your mouth.”

“What?!”

“Ughhh…”

Nataek motioned toward the moaning man.

“You said it yourself, he’s drowning the blankets. If he can’t drink on his own, we have to use another way.”

“What are you talking about! No way. I won’t do it. I can’t.”

“What if he collapses and dies?”

“You’re the one who brought him! You fix him!”

“….”

He wasn’t wrong. Nataek looked down at the man he held in his arms.

…This is really the only option? Where’s the physician? Even if he came, though, what could he do that would be different?

“Muuul…”

Nataek squeezed his eyes shut, spiraling into torment. Damn it. He used to lament that problems always involved men, and now fate had taken him literally.

But how could he let someone die just because he was squeamish about their lips touching?

No choice. It’s like artificial respiration. Save the man first.

Finally, Nataek tilted the bottle to take a mouthful himself. Then he handed the bottle to the Soothsayer.

“Hold this.”

The Soothsayer immediately grabbed it, sharp enough to realize what was coming.

This is about saving a man. Caring for him.

Nataek comforted himself with that thought as he cupped the noble’s cheek. This was not the time for hesitation. What was most important came first. Hypnotizing himself, he leaned down slowly, forcing down his reluctance.

“Is he conscious?”

A voice came from outside.

“He is, but not coherent enough to converse.”

A calm, low voice replied.

“We found him in the marketplace…”

Creeeaak—

The door to the quarters swung slowly open. Still holding the man’s cheek and leaning close, Nataek turned his head toward the doorway.

The shadow filling it was unmistakable.

And in an instant, Medeus’s expression twisted.

“What… are you doing right now?”

Footnotes:

 

1. “Making soy paste from red beans” – a Korean idiom meaning to fabricate an impossible lie; essentially “selling nonsense so convincingly that people believe.”

    

2. Sikar – Mesopotamian term for fermented barley beer, commonly consumed instead of plain water.