"What happened? Why are you so happy?"
Downstairs, Hestia heard the commotion and walked up to the balcony.
Seeing Lorne standing at the railing's edge, laughing loudly, she couldn't help asking with surprise.
With a great enemy approaching and bad news piling up, the entire island of Crete was shrouded in gloom.
She really couldn't think of anything worth being happy about.
"Nothing much, just figured some things out."
Lorne turned back, showing a faint smile, then stretched his somewhat stiff waist and walked down from the balcony.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"Knossos Palace. I'm going to see King Minos."
Lorne murmured faintly, his burning eyes gazing toward the towering structure in the center of Knossos city, like a pillar holding up the sky.
A quarter of an hour later, a bronze chariot sped toward the palace.
Along the way, the city streets ravaged by torrential rain were slippery and sticky, covered in mud and puddles.
The sky was filled with thunder and storm; even at noon, little light could be seen.
Storms from the sky and sea seemed to press down on this city, on that chariot, unstoppable.
Seeing the flashing rune insignia on the chariot, the divine-blooded royal guards at the palace gates stepped aside, respectfully lowering their heads to let it pass.
Only after the chariot disappeared from view did they slowly raise their heads, continuing to hold their posts.
As the bronze chariot stopped, Lorne stepped down and hadn't yet entered the hall when he heard a clamor of discussion inside.
"Your Majesty, coastal water levels are surging violently, constantly eroding the shore, already flooding the outer walls of Nossia and Gidos!"
"The central plains from Kidonia to Knossos have turned into a swamp; most grape seedlings and grain seeds have drowned!"
"Knossos's drainage system is already overloaded; in three days, over 127 houses have collapsed, and both sides of the city walls show varying degrees of softening!"
Inside the palace, temple priests summarizing regional information and messengers from the coastal defense lines reported dire situations one after another.
King Minos, lying on his sickbed, listened seriously.
Though his body and spirit had entered their twilight years, the accumulated authority from ruling Crete for hundreds of years still gave him an aura of natural majesty.
Naturally, no one paid attention to His Majesty's physical condition.
The situation was bad.
Fortunately, Crete's terrain was complex, Knossos was at higher elevation, and Minoans were familiar with the moody weather of the Oceanus sea.
So far, the continuous heavy rain and sea storms hadn't caused excessively severe casualties.
But even so, with sea routes cut off and tides pressing step by step, Crete faced a grim situation.
Moreover, unlike the previous beast tide, this time Poseidon acted personally.
Just factors like tides, storms, and heavy rain had nearly crippled the coastal defenses Minoans had poured months of effort into building.
"Yesterday, my companions and I climbed the watchtower and spotted traces of many sea beasts in the near sea."
Fourth daughter Phaedra couldn't help interjecting, trying to show her concern for the nation.
"Mm, the coastal defenses suffered three waves of sea beast attacks today. Though numbers were few, this is a very dangerous signal."
Second daughter Ariadne took the chance to step forward and add, her face serious and worried.
However, under this pair of daughters intentional or unintentional..additional stabs, King Minos, who had barely held on, failed to catch his breath and broke into violent coughing fits.
In an instant, the priests and generals' gazes toward the king lost some awe, gaining confusion and fear.
The atmosphere plummeted to freezing, becoming oppressive and heavy.
Could this battle really be won?
After serious thought, everyone's mood unanimously sank to the bottom.
Seeing the uneasy expressions on the priests and generals, deeper sorrow and reluctance filled King Minos's eyes.
Originally, his body was unfit for appearances.
But this morning, Lady Athena had gone to Olympus again, trying to seek mediation from father god Zeus.
To stabilize the priests and generals, he decided to appear briefly, fulfilling his kingly duties.
However, the situation was far worse than imagined, nearly irreversible.
At the same time, he had carelessly gotten angry, exposing his frailty in public.
"Boom!"
Just as the palace atmosphere grew more oppressive, tremors and human cries came from outside the city.
Several camouflaged Lamia, using rainwater as cover, swam ashore, clawing and bisecting two soldiers checking drainage and several civilians transporting supplies.
Colorful entrails rolled from halved torsos into the mud; under agonized screams, red blood rapidly spread.
The ever-insatiable greedy snake-women immediately bent down, gnawing on the fresh flesh.
Several victims not yet dead watched their organs emptied and flesh torn, emitting horrific screams.
"Sea beasts landed again!"
Seeing the bloody scene reflected in Princess Ariadne's astrolabe, shock appeared on everyone's faces.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
At that moment, muffled bowstring vibrations sounded outside the hall.
Three silver arrows pierced the sky like meteors, then slanted down, rapidly splitting into six identical ones, forming small-scale arrow rain that firmly pinned the feasting Lamia to the ground.
Then, a slender figure entered the main hall single-handedly holding a bow, stepping in with fierce wind, coldly surveying the priests and generals.
"Why panic? Haven't you hunted fewer sea beasts? Don't tell me the weapons in your hands are now only for firewood!"
Anyone met by those eyes couldn't help lowering their heads in shame, feeling disgrace for their earlier loss of composure.
"If the coastal defenses can't hold, withdraw! Based on watchtower enemy signals, conduct phased resistance according to terrain! If not, send more manpower, increase patrol shifts, ensure no surveillance blind spots!"
"If you need independent warriors, borrow from the divine-blooded guards. For accompanying casters, go to the temple. His Majesty and the goddess don't need their protection yet!"
"Also, I remember the goddess holds authority over navigation guidance, so the temple has priestesses specializing in celestial magic.
Have them preside over rituals to disperse this storm soon."
Though Lorne spoke rapidly, every word was clear.
Seeing a hint of difficulty on the high priest's face, he softened his tone, relaxing requirements.
"I know you're short-handed; I'll tell Anna and the others to help. Even if can't fully disperse the clouds, weakening these adverse factors is fine. Then clear the areas near Knossos...no more sea beasts slipping in..."
The two princesses and generals/priests nodded repeatedly.
Finally, Lorne's tone softened, casually waving his hand.
"Things aren't irreversible yet; why rush to worry? With that effort, I'm waiting for you to treat me to new wine next year."
Hearing this, everyone smiled, recalling the Dionysian festival's grandeur and relaxation, a thread of anticipation rising, their gloomy moods improving.
Seeing faces brighten, Lorne spoke again.
"Go, follow orders, do your jobs well."
"Yes, Lord Scribe!"
Instantly, everyone seemed to find a backbone, pounding chests loudly in response, then departing with orders.
Since King Minos took to bed months ago, they had grown accustomed to following this scribe's commands.
Repeated successes and the goddess's favor made them believe they would succeed again under this scribe's lead.
As the hall's clamor gradually quieted, King Minos on the bed looked at the empty hall, a trace of loneliness and bitterness on his pale face.
He was truly old; no denying it.
But then, his eyes turned to the figure before the hall, appreciation and satisfaction emerging in his heart.
At least his judgment was good; he chose the right person.
Lorne looked around, not seeing Athena who should be diligently working, feeling puzzled.
"Where's the goddess?"
"Went to Olympus..."
"Still not giving up?"
Lorne shook his head, holding no hope for Athena's final attempt.
If Zeus truly intended to intervene and uphold justice, he wouldn't be Zeus.
Hearing this, deeper gloom filled King Minos's face; the faint light in his eyes extinguished, ending in a long sigh.
"So, we're doomed to lose?"
"Do you want to win?"
Lorne stared into those aged eyes, temptingly asking, "...Thoroughly win against Poseidon once!"
Almost instantly, the sickly King Minos on the bed sat up like withered wood meeting spring, eyes exploding with fervent desire, nodding heavily without hesitation.
"Yes! Dream of it!"
Lorne didn't answer directly, instead faintly asking a question.
"But if the price is your life?"
"You want my life? Hahahaha, whatever I have, take it!"
Far from angry, King Minos burst into hearty laughter.
But the more so, the harder for Lorne to decide; he asked again.
"Are you sure?"
"What's there to hesitate!"
King Minos waved grandly, eyes blazing.
"If I can win once, I'm willing to pay any price!"
Then, as if to reassure Lorne, he smiled and patted his bony chest, half-sighing, half-firm.
"This body once drew strong bows, wrestled sea beasts bare-handed.
Now I need help just to get out of bed, I'm already a dying man. Living a few more days is just lingering. Using my remaining half-life to trade for a winning chance, for a lifeline for descendants, I couldn't ask for more!"
Saying this, the old man turned, eyes burning toward the figure by the bed.
"So, you have a way for me to win?"
"Before, only thirty percent chance; but with you, eighty percent."
Lorne answered honestly, gazing at his half-brother in this world, complexity flashing in his eyes.
"No need to hesitate or regret, do what you want. Win or lose, I thank you!"
Unaware of their blood tie, King Minos patted Lorne's shoulder, eyes sincere and fervent.
"Because you not only shouldered my responsibilities, guarded Crete for me, but let me, in my remaining years, not die old in bed, but play one more game against that sea nemesis!"
Then, the old man raised his withered arm, grasping toward distant sea and sky, fingers clenching, veins bulging, as if gambling with invisible fate.
"This time, I'll win half a move against him!"
(End of Chapter)