Escape from an Ancient Civilization Ch 145

Chapter 145

“Please, try not to do anything that might offend him.”

The servant spoke in a small voice as he guided the way. He was an Ur man working in the mansion. As they drew nearer to Lagab’s quarters, the servant’s fear grew so palpable that even Nataek could feel it.

“Yes. I will do so.”

As Nataek answered, he rubbed his lips.

He had asked for a blessing, yes, but he had not meant for things to be left in such a state. In that short span, the kissing had been so unrelenting that his lips still shone with undried saliva, and faint teeth marks remained. He pressed and parted his reddened upper and lower lips, again and again, as if testing a gloss.

Meanwhile, the servant stopped before a grand door.

“I have brought the damgar.”

“Let him in.”

At the gravelly order, the servant carefully opened the door. Following the servant’s signal, Nataek stepped into the quarters.

In Sununki, the Guti were barbarians who could not adapt to city life. They did not settle, and their tastes, unlike those of townsfolk, were rough.

So when Nataek first stepped into Lagab’s quarters, he could not help being surprised. From a censer set by the entrance, smoke of herbs and frankincense drifted out, and the pleasant fragrance spread softly through the rooms. The bed, the wool carpets, the cabinets—every bit as luxurious as those in Delam.

In short, the interior of Lagab’s quarters differed little from the taste of wealthy townspeople. Animal pelts were draped on chairs as decoration, but citing that alone to call it barbaric would be forced.

“Come here.”

Lagab stood near the table, looking down into a blade. When the metal caught the light with a flash, Nataek’s heart plummeted.

Why is he studying a knife…

Nataek approached slowly. Sensing how slow he came, Lagab turned his head to look at him, then slid the blade back into its sheath, as if realizing something.

“Ah. I was clearing the table.”

On a chair that had been pulled out from the table lay a sword and several bits of clutter. Evidently he had swept things off the tabletop and placed them there. Confirming that there was no deeper meaning to Lagab’s action, Nataek came closer. Only then did Lagab pull out a new chair and sit down at the table.

“Delam’s wares have been poor of late. May I expect better from what you’ve brought?”

Setting the bundle on the tabletop, Nataek answered.

“I hope there is something to your liking.”

Lagab gave him a sidelong glance and an oily smile.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Nataek barely kept his face from twisting, and, following the man’s lead, curved his eyes into an awkward smile.

He tried to react calmly, but up close the intimidation was immense. Lagab’s forearm was nearly twice the girth of Nataek’s thigh. Taller than Medeus, he looked to top two meters; his entire body, blackened by sun, was scored with long scars. A wild tangle of beard made his already fierce look even harsher.

Don’t tense. Go slow. This is what spying is. You expected a moment like this—stay steady.

Until now, Nataek had always been with Medeus, by choice or by necessity. With Medeus gone and Lagab close in front of him, waves kept rising in his chest. He forced himself to calm. As his hands moved, the fabric bindings came free, and glittering treasures lined up across the tabletop.

“Have a look at your ease; if anything prompts a question, do let me know.”

“Hm…”

Lagab’s thick finger drifted over the table, then tapped a ring set with a red stone.

“Try it on.”

Nataek slowly picked up the ring.

His fingers are too thick; it won’t go on his index. Should I put it on his little finger?

Just as Nataek cautiously reached out toward Lagab—

“Not me. You wear it.”

Startled, Nataek slowly drew back his hand and shaped his eyes into a stiff smile.

“Jewels look different depending on the wearer. To judge fit, it would be best if you tried it yourself…”

“I said you try it on.”

Lagab fixed his greasy yellow eyes on Nataek.

“Even if the outer shell is stripped off, you should adorn yourself with a few things pleasing to the eye.”

Nataek froze as he was.

What does that even mean? It’s odd enough to ask me to try on what I’m selling, but “strip the outer shell”? And what does “treats for the eye” imply?

“I said, try it on.”

Lagab scrunched his face and twitched his features. With no choice, Nataek turned the ring toward himself. The man’s words broke into fragments that circled through his head, and, though he could not parse their full intent, his instincts sent a quick alarm.

This is veering somewhere wrong. Keep sharp.

In that muddle, the ring naturally drifted toward the ring finger. As the metal touched the tip of that finger, Medeus flashed through Nataek’s mind—the reddened rims of his eyes. His arm reacted reflexively; hiding his fluster, he slid the ring past the ring finger and shifted its destination to the middle finger. Even if it was only to show, it felt wrong to put a ring on the ring finger.

His fingers were not thick, and the ring was generously sized, so the metal band slid onto Nataek’s hand.

“Hm. It suits you.”

That fish‑eye stare raised a rash of gooseflesh.

“He is notorious for a ravenous appetite for sex; he takes men and women alike.”

Surely… he doesn’t see me as that.

This was Nataek’s first time facing Lagab. He had no baseline for whether those eyes were simply the man’s usual look, or a gaze fixed only on him.

Damn…

Brief moments felt like ages. Nataek rummaged his mind for something usable from the Soothsayer’s lessons.

“Sometimes the other party will react differently than you expect—that’s perfectly natural! Not every customer moves as you imagine!”

“When that happens, steering the talk to your advantage is part of the craft!”

Lagab’s conversational cues kept skewing somewhere off. As he slowly drew the ring off, Nataek said,

“You seem to like red. In that case, how about this? If you’re not set on just rings, this necklace would suit you well.”

He put the ring back and reached toward a necklace strung with hefty stones.

“Is that so? Then put that one on—around your neck.”

“Perhaps it would be better if you tried it on, Lord Lagab.”

“Do you not understand my words? I said put it on your neck.”

A sudden murderous glint shone in Lagab’s eyes, keen enough to chill Nataek’s spine. The sort of man who could stab on a whim. For now, it was best to do as told.

“Yes. Understood. Then…”

Just as Nataek lifted the necklace—

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door. Both Nataek and Lagab turned toward it.

“Lord Lagab. I have urgent news.”

At the husky voice through the door, Lagab turned toward the entrance with an annoyed twist of his body.

“Enter!”

The one who stepped in was another Guti. He was as large as Lagab, but the hood crushed low over his head and the emblem engraved on his cloak felt familiar.

Where have I seen him…?

“I’m sure I told you not to interrupt unless I called.”

“My apologies. But it concerns Mari, so I thought it best to report at once.”

That voice like scraped metal was something he remembered. At once, the memory of the gate at Ur rose in Nataek’s mind.

“What are you selling? If you have fine jewels, bring them to my estate.”

“Will you keep him waiting? Come.”

The Guti who had been with Sibiera.

The same cloak as then, the peculiar voice—Nataek recognized him at once.

“Mari?”

Lagab slung an arm over the chair back and leaned crookedly into it.

“Seems a quarrel broke out among the Ur folk, and…”

Breaking off, the Guti subordinate shot a glare at Nataek, meaning his presence hindered the talk. Catching his subordinate’s meaning, Lagab swept his eyes over Nataek and then glanced at the jewels on the table. Nataek, sensing the cue, was about to offer to step aside when—

“Damn Ur bastards. Lead on!”

Clicking his tongue, Lagab sprang up and pointed at Nataek.

“You—stay here and watch the jewels while you wait. Understood?”

Nataek shifted smoothly.

“Yes. Understood. Go and return safely.”

Lagab stalked out with his man.

Thud.

The door shut, and only then did Nataek let out a breath. From the finger that had worn the ring to the whole body the man had raked with his eyes, gooseflesh prickled everywhere.

What was that? What did he mean by making me try it? Was he actually…

“No. Don’t overdo it—think realistically. He could have been using me as a mannequin.”

Working to spin the scene into something he could stomach gave Nataek a dull ache behind the eyes.

“In any case, at this rate I won’t dig up his weakness—if anything, I’ll hand him mine.”

He looked around the room. He’d hoped to win favor with jewels to coax the conversation forward and pry out a hint of a weakness, but the flow had broken before it began. If things kept on like this, the risk he took coming up here would be for nothing.

Nataek moved slowly toward a display. There were many vessels lavishly decorated with gems and gold. As he watched the glitter, a thought flickered.

In Sununki, there were several ways to gather clues and information. One was to acquire a keyword and use it to speak to NPCs. That was his usual method, both as a player and since entering the ancient world. Another was a puzzle‑joining approach; he had used that several times as well. And the last was to get hands‑on and collide with things directly.

As the story progressed, there were times when one was left alone in an enemy’s room or secret storehouse like this—like when, in Delam, just before being entombed, he searched a library for clay tablets.

Had this been when he first fell into the ancient world, or at the difficulty level of the Delam conquest, the system would surely have told him what to do by lighting the way or with a prompt. But now, at the highest difficulty, there were no hints to be had.

Nataek recalled once more the name of the quest that had appeared before he came up here.

“Lagab’s Weakness.”

It seems this is the time I have to move on my own.

Grasping the situation, he quickly approached the exit, pressed his ear to the door, and listened for any sound outside. It was quiet as the grave.

He planted his back against the door and took a deep breath.

Alright… This is the chance. Search.

He first went to the display closest to the entry. It was crammed with jewel boxes, necklaces, and ornaments that no one would expect Lagab to use. As he reached toward the piled ornaments, Nataek hesitated.

Surely… he wouldn’t notice I touched these.

He looked again at the stacked ornaments. They were not arranged with the meticulousness that would let someone notice a piece had been shifted slightly. Even so, just in case, he began the search, fixing in memory the orientations of each item. He lifted one and set it down, flipped two and put them back. Remembering the order slowed him down.

Finding nothing significant, Nataek moved to the innermost part of the room. A long table against the wall was likewise cluttered with boxes and jewels.

“What in the world does he need all this for, to hoard so much…”

He continued the search, incredulous. He lifted vases to check the bottoms and squinted inside to see if anything was hidden.

“Not here either…”

Putting things back as they had been, Nataek opened a small chest of drawers next. He did not expect much from a small chest.

Rattle—

Inside was a small jewel box. The pattern engraved on its lid was one Nataek knew all too well.

This is the Sununki emblem!

At the same time, the system flared.

‘Lagab’s Box 1’ has been found!

Thump, thump—

Nataek’s heart, which had steadied, started up again.

So there is one.

Carefully, he took out the box. Thankfully, it had no lock. Lifting the lid, he found a cloth stitched with ornate patterns. The cloth was wrapped around something hard. Nataek carefully unfolded the bundled textile. Inside was a large ornament like a brooch.

“What sort of ornament is this? What clue could be in… huh? Wait.”

Yet it was not the core that caught his eye. On the inner face of the lifted lid, there was a small inscription written in Korean script. Nataek leaned down to read it closely.

[There is a hint in the epic of the ruler of Uruk, the great hero.]

What does that mean?

The system had flashed the notice “Lagab’s Box 1,” and inside the item was Korean script. Which meant this box was one of the keys to solving the “Lagab’s Weakness” quest. But that single sentence gave him nothing solid to go on.

“What cloud‑chasing nonsense is this? Is this another puzzle?”

Am I supposed to manipulate the ornament like a cube?

As he pulled the cloth halfway off the ornament, a familiar script showed inside the folded textile. Nataek carefully removed and spread it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

He let out a hollow laugh. On the inside of the cloth that bore ornate patterns on its outer face, Korean characters had been embroidered. Here, the Korean script served not as text but as decorative pattern. The ancient folk within Sununki would surely see it that way.

This quest is clearly about piecing clues together.

He glanced toward the door. Thankfully, no sign of anyone. He spread out the crumpled cloth and began to read in earnest.

[The great hero.

With immense strength and power he commanded all, but he was a man of savage cruelty.

His excesses swelled to the point he wielded the right of first night.

Unable to endure, the people wept and pleaded:

O gods, none in this land can stand against him. Now take him by your hand.

Moved by pity for humankind, the creator god fashioned a rival to the hero.

The rival had the features of a beast, and the place where he descended was the deep of the Cedar Forest.]

The great hero… If it is Uruk’s great hero… who is that?

In Sununki, if one spoke of an Uruk noble house, there was only Ninurta. Did it mean Ninurta’s soldier? But who—Kushan?

As he thought, Medeus crossed Nataek’s mind.

Ah. No. Not Medeus.

He tapped his temple with his palm. For now, this was “Lagab’s Box 1.” Which meant there could be a Box 2, Box 3, and so on. He quickly wrapped the ornament in the cloth again, closed the lid, and returned it to the drawer.

I need to find Box 2.

With a clear target, he picked up speed. He focused only on silhouettes shaped like boxes. He checked every box he could find and opened each drawer once.

Who knew how long he rummaged. Then he spotted a chest of drawers set into the middle of the wall.

Could that be it?

He hurried over and opened a drawer.

‘Lagab’s Box 2’ has been found!

A sharp breath—

There it was!

He opened the box at once. This time, a hairpin resembling a long bodkin was wrapped in cloth. Ignoring the ornament, he immediately spread the inner face of the cloth. As he read, the system began recording the contents line by line. As expected, it continued from Box 1.

[There is a hint in the epic of the ruler of Uruk, the great hero.

The great hero.

With immense strength and power he commanded all, but he was a man of savage cruelty.

His excesses swelled to the point he wielded the right of first night.

Unable to endure, the people wept and pleaded.

O gods, none in this land can stand against him. Now take him by your hand.

Moved by pity for humankind, the creator god fashioned a rival to the hero.

The rival had the features of a beast, and the place where he descended was the deep of the Cedar Forest.

Word of the rival reached the hero’s ears.

The hero commanded a captivating human:

Go to the Cedar Forest. Seduce the beast and make a weakness.

So commanded, the human went to the Cedar Forest. In the deep wood, they stripped and seduced the beast.

By the human’s touch, day and night without cease, the beast’s eyes rolled back, his heart was stolen, and he shed his thick hide of his own will.

In the Cedar Forest, the rival revealed his weakness of his own accord.]

By the time he finished gathering that much, an epic flashed through Nataek’s mind.

Gilgamesh?

Sununki was a game with shoddy historicity. Actual periods were jumbled front to back, so hunting real sources was useless outside of a guidebook. In such a game, the name Gilgamesh was treated as a figure of legend. That is, even to Sununki’s NPCs, Gilgamesh was someone who appeared only in tales.

What Nataek knew of Gilgamesh was only fragmentary—snippets picked up from NPCs back when he was a player. Even so, the reason he recalled the name at once was that part about “tempted in the Cedar Forest.”

“Right… I remember cursing him as a dumb beast…”

Recalling that memory, he mulled over what he had just read.

“It said the hint lies in the hero’s epic…”

Clues like this often carried a decisive hint in the last sentence. He brought to mind the last line on each of the two cloths.

The place where the rival descended was the deep of the Cedar Forest.

In the Cedar Forest, the rival revealed his weakness of his own accord.

“Is there something in the Cedar Forest? Is Lagab’s weakness in the Cedar Forest…?”

The Zagros range was covered in cedar and was, at the same time, the main base where the Guti stayed.

With his thoughts ordered, the answer became clear.

It’s certain. There is something in the Cedar Forest tied to Lagab’s weakness!

He needed to find the third box. Surely that one would contain something more explicit about what the weakness was. He quickly wrapped the ornament in the cloth again, returned the box to the drawer, and headed toward the windowed side he hadn’t yet searched. But he had barely gone a few steps when he stopped.

Knock, knock.

A knock.

Oh, hell.

Stifling his alarm, he went on tiptoe back toward the table in the center. He ran silently to the spread jewels he himself had scattered. And just as his hands reached the table—

Creak—

The door opened.

His heart pounded madly. The one who entered was not Lagab, but the servant.

“Master Damgar. Lord Lagab bids you return for today.”

Feigning composure, Nataek said,

“Lord Lagab must be very busy.”

“Yes. He will summon you again in a few days—bring the jewels then. And as for going to Mari…”

“Do not worry. I will only go to Mari after Lord Lagab has made his purchases.”

“Thank you for that.”

At his words, the servant’s face showed visible relief. With measured motions, Nataek repacked the jewels into the bundle. His heart still would not settle.

He rejoined Medeus shortly after leaving Lagab’s room, but with Guti scattered thick through the mansion, they could not let down their guard. Only once they left the mansion did Nataek wipe a hand over his chest.

“Wow. The intimidation was no joke.”

At last, he felt he could breathe again.

Looking down at him, Medeus spoke.

“Truly nothing happened?”

“Yes. He left without really looking at the jewels.”

The matter of Lagab’s boxes was information Nataek had gathered in Korean script. To convey it to Medeus, he would have to filter and explain it, and he was too mentally spent to do that at the moment.

“I’ll explain in detail at our quarters. Whew. I’ve never been that close to a Guti before—my heart’s still pounding.”

“…”

But Medeus’s expression was not good. Slowing his pace, Nataek peered at his face.

“Medeus. Did something happen while I was gone?”

“…”

Still no response. Instead, Medeus’s brow furrowed even more at Nataek’s words.

What? Did something really happen?

Nataek quickly grabbed his arm.

“What is it? What happened?”

“…Teresi.”

“Yes. Tell me.”

Now worry filled Nataek’s face. Medeus looked down at him quietly, then took him by the arm.

“You’ve picked up the scent again.”

“…Sorry?”

Scent? What scent?

Before Nataek could ask, Medeus took him by the arm and drew him into a narrow alley.

Footnotes:

 

 

1. “Right of first night” (droit du seigneur) – used in the embedded “epic” clue to signify tyrannical abuse; in real history it is largely considered a myth or literary trope, but within the narrative it signals absolute predation. 
2. Cedar Forest – evokes the Gilgamesh cycle (Uruk’s hero and Enkidu), used here as a puzzle hint linking “forest” and “revealed weakness” to Lagab’s potential vulnerability.