Credits: First drunken immortal
"Hmm, now this is getting interesting—" Not only Gilgamesh but even Merlin, who stood nearby, showed a subtle expression upon hearing Alari's proposal to link with the leyline for magical energy support.
Drawing magical energy from leylines was an extremely common practice among magi. Most magus families would occupy local leyline nodes to establish their workshops.
This was not only to extract substantial magical energy for research purposes but also to secure control over the local area.
Normally, only one magus family could occupy a leyline node or spiritual land, as the resources were limited. Furthermore, the occupiers would typically construct bounded fields to ward off other magi and to assert control over this precious resource, simultaneously declaring their dominion.
However, in this age when gods had yet to depart, the precious resource of leyline magical energy was naturally controlled by the gods—or rather, by this solitary King of All.
Thinking of this, Merlin turned his gaze toward the golden king seated on the throne, a smile playing on his lips.
Similarly, Gilgamesh, who also held the qualifications of a Magus, was a being of a slightly different nature.
As the most ancient Hero-King, Gilgamesh had reached the pinnacle of his era through the use of numerous magical artifacts, thereby attaining the qualifications of a Magus.
Not only did he possess top-notch tools (retrieved from the treasures of the Gate of Babylon), but he also commanded an exceptionally high level of field construction.
Alaric's request was something Gilgamesh could easily fulfill.
"You seem very confident—"
The most ancient king, Gilgamesh, rested his chin on one hand, his gaze filled with an undeniable authority as he looked down at Alaric below him.
From his interactions with Alaric during this period, Gilgamesh had come to understand what kind of person Alaric was—someone who would never act rashly or without reason.
Since Alaric had claimed that obtaining sufficient magical energy would enable him to confront and match the strength of Enkidu, Gilgamesh found himself amused at the thought.
A faint smile played on the corner of his lips. He felt a twinge of delight.
Gilgamesh held an appreciative attitude toward Alaric, whose strong sense of self-will and unapologetic pursuit of personal desires made him a fascinating individual.
"Very well, I grant your request. Linking to the leyline's magical energy is a trivial matter."
Compared to other issues, Alaric's request to harness the leyline's magical energy was so simple in Gilgamesh's eyes that it didn't even require his effort.
Drawing magical energy from a leyline involved two basic steps: establishing a magical ritual at the leyline node to extract the energy, and linking the energy channel to the magi's secondary magical circuits.
Neither of these steps required much effort from Gilgamesh.
Snap!
With a crisp sound of his fingers, a golden gate quietly manifested beside him.
Clink!
From within the golden gate, two treasures emerged—an object resembling a set of stakes and a bracelet.
The appearance of these treasures immediately caught Alaric's attention. Although he didn't know their specific functions, the fact that Gilgamesh had brought them out at this moment indicated their immense usefulness for Alaric's needs.
"Drive these seven stakes into the leyline nodes, activate the magical rituals inscribed on them, and this bracelet will allow you to siphon the magical energy. It's very simple—surely you can manage that?"
Gilgamesh casually tossed the two unnamed treasures to Alaric and, after a brief pause, smirked. "Hmm, you should build an altar to glorify this king's magnificence while you're at it!"
Alaric found nothing unreasonable about Gilgamesh's demand. At this moment, his full attention was on the fallen treasures in his hands.
Clink!
When the seven stakes and the bracelet landed in his palm, a smile appeared on Alaric's face. It seemed the issue of magical energy had finally been resolved.
'As expected of humanity's most ancient tycoon—he really can pull out anything.'
Not only was Alaric delighted by the resolution of his magical energy shortage, but he was also filled with awe at the versatility of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.
Having obtained the leyline-draining treasures, Alaric immediately asked, "Thank you for your support, King Gilgamesh. Now, could you tell me the location of the leyline nodes?"
Leyline nodes varied greatly in quality. Since he was going to draw magical energy, Alaric wanted to use the best node possible to fuel his combat and growth.
Yes, growth.
Back in Camelot, when he had access to the Holy Grail, Alaric had used its magical energy to continuously enhance his dragon blood, pushing his strength closer to that of a top-tier Heroic Spirit.
Otherwise, with his initial level—barely at the level of a third-rate Heroic Spirit—there was no way Alaric could have reached the point where he could face Gawain in just six months.
Although the divine environment of this age allowed his dragon blood to grow rapidly by absorbing ambient mana, the efficiency was still too low.
Alaric needed more magical resources to sustain his growth.
The leyline was undoubtedly the best option, even surpassing the Holy Grail in Kingu's possession.
In this Age of Gods, the magical energy flowing from the leyline was the pulse of the stars themselves—the purest form of divine-era true ether. It was the ideal nourishment for Alaric's growth.
"The location of the node, hmm, let this king think—"
After a moment of thought, Gilgamesh concluded, "Head to Mount Ebih. That foolish goddess who occupies Mount Ebih holds sway over a sacred peak revered by the gods themselves. In terms of the quality of leyline nodes, that place is unparalleled.
If you can convince that foolish goddess, you'll gain access to the magical energy of Mount Ebih."
'Mount Ebih?'
Hearing the location of the leyline node, Alaric froze for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.
Though this journey would undoubtedly lead to another encounter with Ishtar, Alaric had no choice but to press forward. He was determined to secure the leyline's magical energy.
If necessary, he wouldn't hesitate to drive Ishtar off Mount Ebih and claim it for himself.
Thinking about this, Alaric suddenly became curious about Ishtar's current attitude toward him.
Ever since the incident where he'd impulsively kissed Ishtar the previous day, he hadn't seen her again. Even when visiting the temple at night, it was Ereshkigal he encountered instead.
'Still angry, I suppose?'
Although he felt somewhat apologetic for failing to suppress his instincts and committing such a rude act, Alaric had no idea what Ishtar's current thoughts might be.
As the capricious goddess of beauty, Ishtar might very well punish him for his blasphemy. On the other hand, if it were the Ishtar who had merged with Tohsaka Rin, her reaction would be harder to predict.
Suppressing the thoughts swirling in his mind, Alaric resolved not to let Ishtar's attitude interfere with his actions.
"Thank you very much—"
Stowing away the two treasures, Alaric said, "King Gilgamesh, my report is now concluded. If there's nothing else, I'll head to Mount Ebih to set up the ritual."