For half a month straight, the seas were calm and the winds gentle.
After the frenzy and indulgence of the Dionysian Festival, the people of Minos gradually returned to their original rhythms of life, continuing to play their respective roles.
At the same time, the new sea routes delineated by the old sea god Nereus were steadily put into trial operation, providing considerable convenience to Crete's fleets.
With hostilities quelled from all sides, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Snap—
Up in the attic, Lorne closed a processed report in his hands and tossed it into a bamboo basket that was nearly overflowing.
Then, rolled his stiff shoulders, his face full of fatigue and drowsiness.
Due to the coastal battle, the divine blood within King Minos had already been completely burned out.
His life had entered its twilight years, sustained only by alchemical potions and sheer willpower and so, he could no longer endure any real strain.
As a result, the entire island of Crete had effectively entered a long-term "monarch offline" mode.
Forced onto the stage like a duck shoved onto a perch, Lorne had no choice but to step forward and handle the endless pile of complicated affairs in his stead.
Fortunately, first, Princess Ariadne, the highly experienced high priestess, was there to assist him; second, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, would occasionally impart her experience; and third, Lorne himself learned quickly and had a body tough enough to endure the workload...
And gradually, seeing the persistent efforts of a certain someone, King Minos, Princess Ariadne, and even Athena not only felt reassured, but also fully let go....dumping matters big and small entirely onto him.
As a result, ever since returning from the sea hunt, Lorne had been facing mountains of reports every single day.
It gave him a faint sense of déjà vu from his old 996 work-life days...
So it really was true what they said.
As long as you're willing to endure hardship, there will never be a shortage of hardship to endure.
Thinking about the top three figures of Crete, one being offline, one slacking off, one having run away, resentment quietly brewed in Lorne's heart, and his anger immediately locked onto the ultimate culprit behind his overtime.
—Poseidon, damn you!
~~
"Achoo!"
At the same time, amid the bustling crowd, a bearded middle-aged man sneezed heavily.
He was a burly figure with corded muscles in all four limbs, a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a pair of azure-blue pupils as vast and profound as the sea itself.
Even when walking among the masses, he stood out like a crane among chickens, instinctively inspiring awe and fear.
Unconsciously, a vacuum zone several meters wide had formed around him, with no one daring to approach.
A moment later, the bearded man came back to his senses, realizing he was drawing too much attention.
So, he immediately sealed off the faint aura leaking from his body and forced himself into the guise of an ordinary middle-aged fisherman.
Seeing the passersby still instinctively avoiding him, a trace of contempt flickered in his eyes.
A bunch of cowards.
Even limp shrimp in the sea have more guts than you!
The middle-aged fisherman, or rather, the god of the sea, Poseidon in disguise, snorted coldly inward as he scanned his surroundings, searching for his target.
Finally, after wandering through several streets, he raised his head toward the great Minos Temple standing atop the mountain, and toward the three additional subordinate-god statues newly erected in the plaza as jealous fire spilled into his eyes.
For the sake of monopolizing this faith alone, he had schemed endlessly for years...and had even sacrificed his own son, yet in the end, all of it had merely paved the way for others.
Recalling the string of setbacks and humiliations he had endured recently, Poseidon's fist clenched tightly inside his sleeve.
Just you wait.
This isn't over yet!
Just as Poseidon was steeling himself in secret, a waft of elegant fragrance drifted past him, carrying a pure, white aura like sea foam.
The disguised sea god instinctively turned his head, and immediately caught sight of a cold yet stunningly beautiful face.
She was a tall, icy beauty.
Long purple hair fell past her knees like a cascading waterfall, gleaming with life as it swayed with her steps.
Her astonishing waist-to-hip ratio radiated boundless allure and intoxication.
The originally plain white priestess robe, worn on her body, instead accentuated an even more bewitching charm and her flawless curves, stirring an irresistible desire to conquer.
So beautiful...
"Wait for us!"
Amid dissatisfied muttering, two petite figures with the bodies of young girls squeezed out of the crowd, jogging to catch up with the tall beauty.
After they caught up, they immediately launched into sharp mockery as usual.
"Medusa! You idiot, why are you walking so fast?"
"You're probably just showing off that you're taller than us and have longer legs!"
"I'm not..."
The purple-haired cold beauty turned back to argue, and the mountains on her chest swayed dramatically with the motion, almost colliding with the two pretty faces rushing toward her.
"Hah, so what if you've got a bit more meat? What's there to be proud of?"
"Heavy and tiring, so ugly, really..."
"We're way cuter!"
"Exactly!"
The two flat-chested girls flanked the tall beauty on either side, launching their verbal assault, then proudly planted their hands on their hips, posing as peerless beauties basking in imaginary admiration.
Tch...
From afar, watching the cold beauty being blocked from view, Poseidon's face darkened.
He clicked his tongue in displeasure, instinctively craning his neck, his gaze burning as he tried to glimpse that alluring figure.
Unfortunately, the group didn't linger on the street for long.
The cold beauty, who had been browsing books at a stall, was soon dragged away toward the mountaintop by the two impatient flat-chests.
"Let's go already! Why are you buying those crappy books and wine? Isn't there plenty in the temple?"
Under the setting sun, the three figures, one tall, two small, gradually receded, overlapping with the three statues in the plaza.
And Poseidon, who was hidden among the crowd, watching from afar immediately swallowed.
His eyes flickered darkly as a heat slowly ignited in his heart, like a flame being kindled by something unseen.
.
.
.
Night fell.
The moon was dark, and the wind howled.
A damp breeze tinged with salty sea scent swept through the soldiers patrolling from the mountain's base to the plaza, as well as the priests keeping night watch.
Under the cover of darkness, the moisture silently gathered before the great temple's doors, condensing into a towering figure.
It was near midnight.
The magnificent temple stood vast and silent.
Only three figures, one tall and two small, knelt before the burning sacred flame, performing their daily prayers and hymns.
Whoosh—
As a surge of air poured into the hall, the sacred flame before the statue leapt violently, its edges faintly tinged with an eerie azure hue.
Someone's here!
Almost the instant the anomaly was sensed, all three figures spun around, staring warily at the temple entrance....or rather, at the sudden figure standing there.
Seeing the bearded middle-aged man with a sinister expression and an overwhelming aura of danger, Medusa's heart tightened as she opened her mouth and spoke.
"Who are you? The temple is closed at night. Outsiders are not welcome!"
"I'm here to collect a debt.
Athena owes me something..."
Poseidon replied casually, utterly disregarding the warning as he strolled into the grand temple he had coveted for so long.
"Owes you what?" Euryale, on the right, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"A son!" Poseidon sneered, his scorching, invasive gaze locking at the cold beauty in front of him as he finally revealed his true intent. "Since she's not here, you'll pay in her place!"
"Ah! You actually plan to do something indecent to us?!"
"It's all because we're just too beautiful..."
Before the statue, Euryale and Stheno, one panicked, the other aggrieved, instinctively hugged their chests, lamenting the cruelty of fate.
"..."