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Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Sight-Seeing

As Tingyun, Gilgamesh and now, the white haired woman, Jingliu, stood side by side with Gilgamesh. Bodies of abomination lying down behind them and a faint coldness still lingers in the air, Jingliu handled all abomination that came to their way purely because Gilgamesh ordered her. Defiance is not within Gilgamesh dictionary, whether your opinion holds true; his opinion still truer than hers, so all she could do is obey his command and keep slashing those abominations.

Her eyes, behind those crescent half moon blindfold, shifted her gaze towards the foxian who was practically clinging to Gilgamesh. Though she ignored her entirely, purely because she's weak, cautions are simply insignificant compared to this golden man next to her.

"Your majesty, that's the Starkskiff we'll be using to go to the Divination Commission." Tingyun pointed her fingers at the floating boat.

Gilgamesh gave it a quick look before taking his eyes off, his gaze traveled to the white haired woman before him.

"So, what are you gonna do? Are you planning to cling to us like a lost puppy?" He asked uninterestedly.

Jingliu raised her head to look up, her lips– thin line, as if she had no intention of answering the King's question. For a brief moment, silence took over the surroundings and then her mouth finally opened.

"No. I have no intention of tagging along with you, and… my goal as of right now is to enter the alchemy commission." Her head shook slightly, swaying her pure white snow hair.

"I see." The king gave a quick, unbothered nod.

"Tingyun" His eyes finally focused back at the foxian beside him.

"Yes, king Gilgamesh?" Tingyun curiously looked up.

"I'll be leaving all the navigations to you, perform well and don't disappoint me."

"Understood, king Gilgamesh!" Tingyun's tails swayed excitedly, though she doesn't know why she's so excited about it, or perhaps because she doesn't want to disappoint him.

Jingliu finally passed through them, yet Gilgamesh didn't bother to look up. His gaze remains focused on his vessel. And Jingliu steps started to vanish as the distance widened, and her back finally vanished, leaving a trail of coldness.

"Your majesty… that woman…" Tingyun finally let out her uncertain words, yet Gilgamesh merely didn't bother.

"I know, a wanted mad dog, thrashing her fangs and claws everywhere." Gilgamesh hand shook in dismissing manners, and Tingyun, her eyes widened and mouth opened, confusedly asked.

"Then, why…?" It was a question towards the king's judgement, yet Gilgamesh did not get mad because she questioned him.

"The moment my gaze landed on that blind mongrel, I already knew of her existence. I simply tolerated her because she entertained this king verily, that alone gives her a chance to crawl back to her home."

"You're… quite merciful towards those who you deem entertaining, your majesty." Tingyun gave him a strange look, yet Gilgamesh simply brushed it off.

"Would you complain to the clown if his jest is amusing?"

"Uhh… probably not." She scratched her cheeks awkwardly.

Looking at her awkward face, the king snorted amusingly, he then began walking ahead, as if he owned the place.

"Let's go, lingering around here is pointless to our quest to save this homeland of yours. Or would you prefer to sit back and let those mongrels do all jobs? Nevertheless, fate already deemed them as the winners against that convey of destruction, whether we intervene or not."

"Convey?" Tingyun tilted her head, catching behind him. Her ears perk up.

"You'll see the moment we arrive there, by then, all you have to do is give this king a befitting tour while heading towards our destination." His crimson blood eyes glance through his shoulder towards her.

"Does King Gilgamesh like to speak in riddles? All your words are confusing even for me, no offense to your speeches." Suddenly a fan appeared in her hands, flipping it open and covering half of her face.

As the sudden slice of wind echoed the silent air, Gilgamesh responded calmly at her. His voice, calm and composed, expressing his thoughts on her openly.

"Fool, my words don't carry an ounce of riddles. Or perhaps your feeble mind cannot comprehend the meanings behind– nevermind," He stopped himself, before shaking his head, then went on.

"Just tour your king with the utmost of your ability, as for my words, feeling confused? Just follow me from behind and I'll let you see the meaning behind it."

Tingyun suddenly felt laughing at him, the fan still covering half of her face, acting as a veil to hide her curled up face. Her throat cleared up and continued.

"As you wish, King Gilgamesh!"

Upon uttering such an enthusiastic voice, the king couldn't help but nodded, though the veil that hid her face–that curled up smile didn't go unnoticed by the wise king, yet still he tolerated her attempts at laughing at him. They continued to walk towards the Starskiff as Tingyun went towards the cockpit to drive, naturally there's only sit, solely for the pilot to drive.

Behind Tingyun, was the king himself, sitting at his own golden chair with his head resting on his hand, with his leg crossed to the other one.

As Tingyun drove the vehicle with practical ease, while taking a quick glance to the wise king, she couldn't help but laugh at her own pace. After all, just a while ago, she's only a normal Amicassador, crossing through the boundaries of spaces and worlds, and now? Already becoming the vessel of this king.

'Though… I wonder how he was able to open that golden portal?' Her thoughts drift to the king's ability.

After all, not once had she seen such a fearsome power, though she really didn't know much about powers. Anyway, it didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination… well, if fate hadn't messed up Tingyun's thoughts.

"And… where is this?" The king stared at the plaza filled with long-ears species to whom his eyes told him "Vidyadhara"

"Well… I can't find the entrance to the Divination Commission so I thought of using this route to go there." Tingyun awkwardly laughs.

"I see." The wise king merely nodded in understanding, and began walking.

Tingyun immediately followed behind him, her nose perked up as a distinct sweet scent flowed everywhere, her green eyes looking to where it came from.

"King Gilgamesh, do you want to try some?" Tingyun pointed at the shop that seems to be selling an orb-red candy.

"I don't mind." Gilgamesh and Tingyun walked over to the shops and without waiting, Gilgamesh took one and ate it.

The sweet and hard yet crunchy sweetness burst out from his mouth, impressing the king. Tingyun also took one and followed him.

"Ho… not bad for a mere candy."

"Hm~ I remember eating this when I was a child and being able to taste it again, certainly brought back pleasant memories." Tingyun tails swayed excitedly.

While Gilgamesh was busy complimenting the candy, his ears perked up and the corner of his eyes saw a little girl surrounded by three children. His eyebrow raised curiously and without a walk, he walked over.

"Look, it's a blind who can't see! Not left, nor the right or the up and down! Isn't that embarrassing?"

"Come on, just take a step forward and don't trip yourself now."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Upon closer Gilgamesh stared at the three brats in front of him with blank expression, his arm placed to his waist. Then one of the brats noticed him, and his body turned around to glare at him.

"What are you looking at? Got any problem?" His voice was laced with malice towards the wise king, yet the king didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Then finally, Gilgamesh glanced at the brat. His crimson eyes stared without expression and his mouth thin as a line.

"Scram, mongrel. You're ruining my sight seeing at this place."

The brat froze at his words and grew agitated, his eyes narrowed and his standing tall, and fist clenching along with his teeth.

"trying to be a hero?! And I'm not a mongrel!" He tried to lunged forward, fist aiming directly to the king's abdomen.

Yet, upon making contact with it, the boy felt as if the punch was not flesh but steel.

"Ouch!" He screamed in pain and the boy suddenly froze, his eyes shaking and dilated as fear engulfed him. Without a word, he suddenly ran away with tears coming out from his eyes.

And his companion who noticed him, grew confused and followed him. No one knew what happened, but one thing for sure, the king did something to that brat.

"T-thank you mister…" The little girl lowered her head, clutching the hem of her dress.

"Your gratitude is not needed, little girl." The wise king's hand went forward and shuffled her head.

"Though, why didn't you fight back? Is it because you cannot see the sight, fearing your defiance towards them is futile?"

The little girl shook her small head then opened her mouth, "...that's not it… I just don't want to… my mom and dad said fighting others is bad."

"Ho? Wise guardians you have, well done, little girl. Then, where's your parents?"

The girl stayed quiet as the parents were mentioned to the king for a moment, then her voice quieter and sad.

"...others said they're dead but… what is dead? I don't know what the other grown up people said, but they always said they are heroes."

For a moment, Gilgamesh glanced gently at the little girl. His hand finally left her head and sigh.

"The parents of yours worthy of being a hero if others called them one. And death is not something you should learn this early, someday you'll learn what that word means, as for now, enjoy yourself."

"...okay." The little girl nodded.

Though the king did not know the little girl in front of him, he could empathize with her sadness. A child like her must grow up with the completion of a family, not alone in a world full of wickedness.

"Your majesty?" Suddenly, Tingyun emerges behind Gilgamesh's back. Holding the candy she was eating, before taking another bite.

"This is…?" Her green eyes traveled to the little girl with curiosity.

"Take care of her, Tingyun." The wise king gently pushed the little girl towards Tingyun's arm. The girl stumbled a little before catching Tingyun's dress.

"Um… hi?" The girl looked up, her empty eyes stared at Tingyun, though the little girl simply saw darkness.

"Why me?!" Tingyun shouted as Gilgamesh was already slightly ahead of them.

"Because you're my vessel, come on now, don't let the child wait for your idleness."

"Sigh… well, it can't be helped." Her slender arm then grasped softly at the little girl's hand.

"Let's go."

"Okay…"

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it's bad, repetitive, limited words, and yet, will you stay and support this uneducated mongrel?

My apology for not posting for these... 6 days, something just came up that force me not to write anything (I just run out of ideas because I'm dumb and my ideas simply came and go) anyway, I'll be posting tomorrow as well! Thanks!

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