Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality - Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Chapter 193 Begin

Chapter 608: Chapter 193 Begin

Under the sun, there was never anything new in the Acropolis, but this time was an exception.

An entire city was stumped by a game–something that could even evolve into a situation where all the clever minds in the mortal realm were confounded by a single game. Such a thing had never happened before.

Inevitably, this would become another legendary story circulating the world, one that people would relish discussing. Even though this didn’t involve slaying demons or averting disasters, the fame it brought might not be any less significant.

In certain circles, this even acted as a bonus point.

“What kind of changes will this bring?”

“Compared to the previous ones, she didn’t have so many distractions…”

In a temporary dwelling, gazing at the sun outside the window, Laine was silently pondering.

Unlike a thousand years ago, if the original sun being drawn by a golden chariot was merely a metaphor, the current version was a genuine sun chariot.

A luminous body hung at the back of the chariot. It might not have been as large as the original sun, but it hung closer to the ground.

Now hanging was the “Dusk Sun,” and its light carried a sense of decline and decay. This was an authority that even the Ancient Sun God hadn’t mastered when alive. Or perhaps, it was precisely because he was shattered that the sun came to symbolize this aspect.

“It wasn’t unprecedented for non-gods to become quasi-gods.”

“Perseus was like that. Guided by all gods, he slew the Gorgon, and since he possessed divine blood, he eventually ascended to the heavens–though he didn’t have any authority of his own, much like those constellations that later ascended. Furthermore, their actions seemed restricted, with records of their ascension but no subsequent actual legacy.”

“Pandora… she was like this too.”

“The disasters in the mortal realm originated from all gods; she merely acted as a tool among them. So until a thousand years ago when I left, she hadn’t shown any signs related to gaining authority.”

“Thus, the so-called ‘great achievements’ or ‘great fame’ couldn’t directly bring true authority, or at least not with those alone. Something was definitely missing, something I overlooked…”

“And Heracles, I don’t know if he has been born yet.”

The mighty hero wasn’t the only immortal mortal, but he was indeed the only one suspected of having authority power. Additionally, authority over strength had an owner; theoretically, except for the world itself, there was no precedent for the post-mortem deprivation of godhood.

So, the origins of this “mighty hero” were quite debatable. Or was it simply a title, and he never truly possessed authority?

I hope that’s not the case; if it is, it would be quite disappointing…

Creak–

“Hmm?”

As Laine was contemplating, someone pushed open the door, making a slight noise.

It had to be said, the bearing design of this era was indeed mediocre. From the palaces of deities to the portals of the mortal world, there seemed to be no door that didn’t make a sound.

“Aiven, I’m back~”

Pushing the door open, Andrea’s figure leapt inside.

She glanced around and unsurprisingly saw the familiar figure seated at the table.

“Back is back, looks like you’ve already got what you need?”

Without looking up, Laine didn’t think there would be any surprises in such minor matters.

The era gap between them was immense; Andrea would undoubtedly win big as long as she didn’t nervously make mistakes. However, his nonchalant attitude did somewhat cool the Little Princess’s jubilant mood.

“…Yes, I defeated Odysseus, the Prince of Ithaca I mentioned to you yesterday; he’s quite famous.”

“After he lost, I, as you advised, declared that the challengers were all too weak and that I wouldn’t accept any more ordinary contests, nor would I wait there again.”

Pressing her lips, Andrea sat across the table. After calming down, she was a bit worried too.

“Athens’ church leader, also a friend of His Excellency the Chief Shepherd, plans to meet me and invite me to directly participate in the final showdown of the competition… I won’t be recognized, will I?”

“Under normal circumstances, of course, you would be. Even if your appearance is different, some habitual actions can still be recognized by acquaintances since you haven’t undergone professional training. But once you gained this big reputation, no one would associate you with the missing princess.”

“After all… people who know you would be aware of your capabilities.”

“…”

Laine’s implication was clear; you were so bad before, but now the gap is obvious, and naturally, people wouldn’t equate you with the original Andrea.

Even though it was true, Andrea felt like an arrow had hit her when she heard it.

“I get it, you know everything, happy?”

With a light snort, the Little Princess lay down on a small bed to the side, sprawled out in an X shape.

Having been out for several months, she felt like she’d forgotten half the etiquette she’d learned before… but in reality, her father never really cared much about those things.

“But speaking of which, Aiven, you brought me here to participate in the competition, exactly what do you want? What gain is there for you if I win the championship?”

“That’s a secret.”

He said casually, with no intention of answering.

After all, he once wore a black robe representing secrecy, so saying this wasn’t wrong.

“But you always say that, can’t you put it another way?”

“Then… it’s destiny.”

“…Aren’t you a bard?”

“Bards make prophecies, isn’t that reasonable? Just think of me as coming to save Athens, and along the way… bring peace to this world?”

Saying so, he couldn’t help but smile, and Laine slightly shook his head.

World peace… probably no wish harder to fulfill in this world.

But specifically for the world of Kaos, whether without Olympus, it would be a bit more peaceful than before was uncertain.

Probably would be in the short term, but over time, there should be no difference; nonetheless, Laine wasn’t too concerned.

Though not very idyllic, though filled with sin, compared to the golden age… perhaps this kind of mortal realm was truly the mortal realm.

…

Time flowed like water, and from the stars, the sun’s trajectory continuously shifted.

Because of the pomegranate seeds eaten in the past, Queen of the Underworld Persephone would only stay on Mount of the Gods for the first half of the year, heading to the Netherworld in the second half, during which the world began to enter deep autumn.

The short two-day game contest was now known by all in the city and even began spreading further outward.

People called it “Leah’s Game” and speculated about Andrea’s origins.

After all, recently, she had been invited more than once to various banquets, and her conduct was impeccable. This proved she had undergone excellent education, and combined with her strong bloodline aura, all attested to her extraordinary nature.

Yet no one could truly discover Andrea’s background, not even Odysseus, who had, quite contrary to what might be expected after his defeat, frequently visited her since. Andrea’s origins seemed like a mystery, shrouded in layers of mist.

But these were merely preludes to the grand competition, days passed one by one, and preparations were feverishly underway.

With thousands of participants from vastly different cultures and statuses, they obviously couldn’t all rush into the newly completed convention hall all at once to alternate competitions.

To save time and venue space, Athens temporarily drafted numerous cases and puzzles accumulated in its cities, preparing hundreds of debate topics.

In the streets, in town squares, parks, theaters, even before courthouses and churches, numerous contests of varying scales began, continuing day and night.

There were no referees, no one to announce victories; only soldiers maintained order. After each contest ended, the audience cast anonymous votes, a reflection of Athens’ classical republicanism.

Winners faced winners in continued showdowns, losers faced losers. Ultimately, each competitor’s total victories were tallied to decide who had the right to participate in the final showdown.

This scene was seldom seen in other kingdoms of the era, even elsewhere in Athens, for understanding debates, unraveling mysteries, or judging whether verdicts were fair required a certain level of cultural knowledge and literacy.

Apart from the Church of Knowledge’s largest sanctuary in the mortal world, where the Parthenon Temple was located, no city could achieve such widespread literacy.

On the towering city wall, a middle-aged man with a trace of weariness looked at this city, feeling somewhat comforted.

He had come here alone. In fact, as this kingdom’s monarch, he hadn’t paid much attention to the competition’s process until today.

Many things troubled him; his youngest daughter’s disappearance was merely a minor part because Theseus knew that the abduction Andrea faced was just the surface. Behind it was the discontent from traditional kingdoms and their revered deities.

Athens emerged too late, its location was too advantageous, and it chose too many unconventional paths.

This wasn’t surprising; such challenges were inevitable for latecomers, like the former kingdom of Eleusis, the kingdom of the God of Agriculture, which was showing signs of becoming Athens’ vassal.

Monopolizing the passage between maritime nations and mainland countries, its influence extended inland, and so, suppression followed. Before Theseus ascended, Athens faced hostility from all sides and had just recently suffered a defeat in an external war.

Thus, Theseus, who grew up in an area rich in witchcraft, decisively reformed many of the kingdom’s systems, from politics to diplomacy. He abolished the aristocratic councils, engaged in trade with Silver Moon City, developed maritime trade, and introduced the alchemy industry. The grand wizard Hermes he befriended during his adventures was also invited into Athens, setting a precedent for bringing a spellcaster openly into a kingdom.

Athens’ national power grew immensely, but with it came more clear-cut open and hidden conflicts.

“Compared to then, it was more fun back then… Wielding a sword, chopping whoever I disliked, and running when I couldn’t win, no need to worry about so many things.”

Somewhat nostalgic for the past, Theseus glanced at the sky.

The sun blazed brightly above, with not a cloud in the sky.

Since preparations for the competition began, the weather had always been this good. Many said it was a sign of the gods’ favor, but Theseus knew the deities Athens worshiped had not exerted any power to affect the weather.

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If it truly were a blessing from any deity, it would likely be from others.

“Whatever you plan to do, I’m ready.”

In the distance, the newly built convention hall buzzed with voices, half of it nestled on a mountainside in a sprawling marvel.

Carved out from the mountain, the seats rose continuously along the slope. Statues, columns, and frieze-etched arches depicted the deeds and histories of gods.

And this rare grand affair in the mortal realm was about to begin here.