Conquest of the Underworld
About ten days had passed since Sunya began his stay in the Underworld. Though it was only a short time, the Underworld had changed in ways that defied comparison with before.
“Ahh, so refreshing.”
More than anything, the greatest change was the increase in free time. Ereshkigal was experiencing that fact more directly than anyone else. How long had it been since she last enjoyed a bath so carefree? It was so invigorating that she hummed a tune to herself without thinking.
*Knock knock*
“It's Sunya. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
With permission granted, Sunya opened the door and stepped into the office. He soon grew flustered at the sight of Ereshkigal sitting naked in a chair with her legs crossed.
“Excuse me.”
“Don't leave. It'll be a hassle if you keep coming and going, so if you have something to say, say it now.”
“Uh, yes.”
Uncharacteristically hesitant, Sunya followed Ereshkigal's words.
“What brings you here?”
“I have something to ask. Has a girl named Kubatum come here?”
“No. At least not yet.”
Ereshkigal declared without a moment's hesitation.
“I check the Underworld's register every day, so I remember everything. And I've never seen the name Kubatum.”
“……I see.”
“The time it takes for humans to arrive in the Underworld varies greatly. Even if someone died yesterday, there are many cases where they only set foot here decades later.”
“I didn't know that.”
“But who is Kubatum? Sounds like a girl's name.”
“The first friend I made in this place…… I suppose you could say.”
Sunya's demeanor after the explanation seemed somehow odd. He kept averting his gaze, his face turning red.
“What's wrong?”
“Having an unrelated woman sitting there completely naked like that is embarrassing even for me, I suppose. Haha……”
Only then did Ereshkigal properly grasp the situation. Most beings in the Underworld lacked reproductive capabilities. There were a few administrative gods, but most were women. Of course there was Ninazu, but he was a man like a block of wood, so no one regarded him as a man. Thus she had overlooked the physiology of men.
“Hmm~.”
Ereshkigal wore a peculiar smile. Her face was identical to Inanna's as if looking in a mirror, Sunya thought. He had felt it before, but Ereshkigal resembled Inanna like a twin. Her skin was a bit paler, her hair dark violet, and her aura had a decadent feel, but looking only at the contours of her body, there was no difference from Inanna.
A water droplet that had rolled down from her collarbone slid along the curve of her full breasts and downward. Looking at her plump thighs and long calves brought back the lewd memories of the past.
“I can't tell well with your eyes half-closed, but I keep feeling your gaze.”
“……It's a secret.”
Ereshkigal put on a seductive expression. Then she deliberately uncrossed her legs, briefly showing her sex between them. Sunya's eyes opened for a moment at the plump, fleshy folds. When Ereshkigal crossed her legs again it closed right away, but it was an undeniable fact that she had accidentally revealed a weak point.
“You're more lecherous than you look, aren't you?”
“……I'm sorry.”
“If you want, I could let you do it once.”
It was half a joke, but not entirely a lie. From her perspective, it would make Inanna even angrier, so there was nothing bad about it. She had also been somewhat sexually frustrated from not doing it for a long time.
“I've made a few mistakes, but I don't want to commit any more irreversible acts if I can help it.”
Sunya lightly shook his head and turned his body.
“Thank you for answering my question.”
“Inanna must be scary after all.”
Ereshkigal said as if to provoke Sunya.
“Well, she is strongly possessive. And her personality is pretty damn crazy too. From your position, it's understandable to be afraid.”
To that, Sunya smirked.
“It's true she has a stubborn side.”
“Right?”
“But Lady Inanna is always bright and confident. Just being with her gives me strength. Moreover, she knows how to cherish her own people, and she's not someone who greatly discriminates between gods and humans.”
“……Aren't you speaking too highly of her?”
“Not only that, she sincerely loves me, so how could I not be happy? Even thinking about it now, I consider meeting Lady Inanna a great fortune.”
“……”
“So I don't want to hurt her.”
Sunya gave a refreshing smile and left the place.
“……What?”
Why was that? Ereshkigal was displeased. She couldn't say exactly what, but for some reason she was irritated.
“This is…… like I've been rejected, isn't it?”
Leaving the displeased Ereshkigal behind, Sunya exited the palace.
“Um……”
In the midst of that, someone stopped Sunya. It was a goddess he was seeing for the first time. Compared to the glamorous and alluring sisters Inanna and Ereshkigal, of course, and even to the neatly dressed attendants Ninshubur and Namtar, she gave a rather plain impression. If not for the faint divinity she exuded, one might have mistaken her for an ordinary human woman.
“Who might you be?”
“Huh? Ah, I'm Geshtinanna.”
Sunya knew that name. She was originally a goddess famous in Mesopotamian mythology as Inanna's sister-in-law. Knowing that fact made him feel strange in various ways.
“I serve as the scribe of the Underworld.”
“I'm Sunya. But for what business……?”
“You're Lady Inanna's husband, right?”
“That's right. Though we haven't held a formal wedding ceremony yet, so not everyone knows.”
Geshtinanna carefully examined Sunya. Looking only at his appearance, Sunya had a strong individuality in a good way. With his eye-catching silver hair and eyes that one couldn't tell if open or closed, overall he was quite a handsome man. Not only was his face pretty, but his body was good too. If one kept looking, one might feel like hanging onto his thick arms or being embraced in his broad chest.
“No, this isn't it.”
*Slap slap*
Geshtinanna slapped her own cheeks.
“Uh…… are you alright?”
“Yes yes!!”
Geshtinanna's cheeks flushed red.
“I-it's nothing much, I just heard that you're Lady Inanna's consort, so I was curious what kind of person you were and came looking. I heard you were here……”
“Oh my, I'm not special enough that you'd go out of your way to make time to find me.”
“And lately the Underworld has been in an uproar too. Among the dead and the spirits, everyone's talking about how a sage has descended.”
“An undeserved title. I just know a tiny bit more than others.”
Sunya had a good voice. Even in ordinary conversation, Geshtinanna felt a mysterious uplift and her heart grew at ease. The faint body scent he gave off wasn't bad either. Moreover, his unique atmosphere itself was mysterious and hard to express simply.
“Come to think of it, I heard you single-handedly repelled the army of the dead a while ago.”
“I just got lucky.”
“And that you subdued Lord Neti in one go……”
“A little talent of mine, I suppose?”
Moreover, he was humble unlike a high god. Handsome and strong, and even well-mannered. Honestly, as a man, there was nothing lacking. Geshtinanna, too, having just met him, was already developing a favorable impression.
“You must be busy, I've held you too long. I'm sorry.”
“No. Rather, for some time now Her Majesty hasn't assigned me any work, so I have time to spare. So please don't feel too sorry.”
“Then that means Her Majesty judged it more beneficial to leave Lord Sunya alone. She's a practical person, after all.”
“And a diligent one.”
Sunya showed a gentle smile once and continued.
“Looking around the Underworld, I could tell. How hard she works for the residents here. And how much she sacrifices herself to mourn the dead.”
“Uh……”
“She's a bit curt with her sister, but her true nature is very good. Sometimes she has a bit of a mischievous side too.”
It was unexpected. He had heard that Sunya was forcibly bound to the Underworld by Ereshkigal, but looking at his words and attitude now, it didn't seem like Sunya held any resentment toward her. Rather, he was looking at her favorably if anything.
“Are you personally close with Lady Ereshkigal, Lady Geshtinanna?”
“Th-that, well……”
“If so, when you have time, could you tell her something like this? That if you keep pulling a string taut, it will eventually snap, and that sometimes it's important to loosen it a bit.”
Seeing how her face had relaxed just from taking one bath, one could somewhat guess how busy Ereshkigal usually lived. It was also very regrettable that a diligent person couldn't properly enjoy benefits.
“Couldn't you tell her yourself?”
“Even if an outsider like me says such things, it probably won't really hit home.”
“……”
“Do you have anything more to say?”
“Ah, no.”
“Then I'll be going now.”
Sunya left the place. Geshtinanna watched Sunya's retreating figure for a moment before heading toward Ereshkigal.