Chapter 597 - 187 Acropolis of Athens

The further south the road went, the more abundant the vegetation and water systems became. Your journey continues on empire

Perhaps because the area was often cleared or patrolled, after crossing a wide river, Laine encountered no more trouble upon reaching the plains.

Even when occasionally coming across other teams with the same destination, they all gave the alchemy carriage a wide berth, having no intention of approaching. Such an expensive creation was not something the average person could afford to use, and Laine enjoyed the peace.

So when the proper position of the stars moved to the location of the sixth house of the Zodiac, the lookout point of Athens, the mortal sanctuary of the Goddess of Wisdom, the Acropolis of Athens was finally within sight.

...

As the carriage climbed a small hill, Laine drew back the curtains and gazed at the distant Acropolis.

The real Athens was even further away—in actual history, the distance might not be great, but in the Mythic World, it was different.

It was the barrier of Athens, the core of the church, and a city built upon a mountain, or rather, a fortress atop a hill.

Its true name was the Acropolis, which in the language of the Athenians translates to ’high city’ or ’city-state on the high hill’.

In the path of history, this was no more than a small city spanning an area of just four square kilometers, renowned solely for its temples that have been passed down through generations. But now, it appeared as a truly magnificent wonder.

The city walls were built along the mountain, creating multiple barriers, with the natural terrain allowing access to the Acropolis only from the west side.

On the east, south, and north sides were steep cliffs, forming a very treacherous terrain. Doric and Ionic columns were ingeniously interspersed in front of the city gate, conveying the solemnity and charm of the city.

The city gate was bustling with people, and while the inside of the city was obscured by the walls, making it difficult to view directly with the naked eye, two massive columns of light shot up into the sky, still clearly visible even during the day.

One rose from the center of the city where towering stone columns, taller than the city walls, were clearly visible even from outside the city. Without a doubt, that was the Parthenon Temple, the sanctuary of Athena.

It was said that facing it was another temple, the Erechtheion, where Athena and Poseidon had once allowed the citizens of this city to choose their own faith. Today, it is dedicated to some Principal Gods of the Olympian Pantheon who do not have a clear conflict with Athens, though these deities have not conferred their power there.

As for the other column of light, it was probably a bit to the north of the city. Although the architecture could not be seen, Laine had heard that it was the Temple of Artemis, and one of the rare public places of worship for the Master of the Wilderness, the New Moon Goddess on earth.

As for why... it is said that this Goddess harbors animosity towards the Divine King of Mount Olympus, though few know why.

"Andrea, apart from what’s in the books, how much more do you know about the New Moon Goddess?" Laine asked as he signaled the carriage to keep moving forward.

The records in the Pan-Athena Knowledge Hall were rich but very restrained. In many places, they seemed to skim the surface, like the deeds of Artemis, for instance.

Although the New Moon Goddess was to some extent another protective deity of Athens and a good friend of their revered Principal God, the process by which she came to Athens was clearly glossed over with euphemistic expressions.

The books faintly implied there was discord between Artemis and some deity. But as to why there was discord and the cause and effect, that was something the books did not record.

"Hmm... if you’re asking about that, cough cough, it’s said—I’ve only heard," Andrea confirmed after coughing lightly, certain that her former self, before being kidnapped, would never discuss matters between deities.

But now, after thinking for a moment, she didn’t refuse to discuss the gossip about the deities.

"I once heard a bedtime story my father told about the esteemed Princess Artemis, who originally resided in the southeast of the continent, living in seclusion by Falling Star Lake."

"There, she hunted and practiced archery every day, running through the wilderness to hone her skill, not seeking to expand her circle of followers. If a mortal were fortunate enough to meet her, they would be subjected to the Goddess’s trial—if they could hunt the game she designated, the Goddess would grant them an additional gift."

"Of course, the gods are always noble, and Princess Artemis certainly didn’t live alone. Besides the Moon Goddess, who often frolicked with her in a silver chariot, due to her status as the Master of the Wilderness, many Fairy Nymphs born among stones, woodlands, watersheds, and flora naturally gathered around her, recognizing her as their leader...

Just as the story depicts, this period of her life was so idyllic that it should have lasted indefinitely, until one day, the King of the Gods arrived there with thunder and dark clouds, seeking his own children."

At this point, Andrea paused, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, as if intentionally waiting for Laine to ask about the rest of the story.

However, Laine, sitting in the carriage and hearing this, had already gleaned his answer. He simply nodded slightly and with a hint of resignation said,

"As I thought, no matter how things change, a dog can’t change its habit of eating shit."

"Ah?"

Not expecting such a remark out of the blue, Andrea was taken aback.

"Isn’t that so?"

"So the rest of the story goes, the Divine King’s child he was looking for was actually Artemis herself, but it so happened she was not at home the day he arrived—thus the ’esteemed’ Divine King had no choice but to wait there, and he chanced upon her beautiful Maid.

Much like the New Moon Goddess herself, her Maids were sworn to chastity, so the Divine King disguised himself as Artemis to get close to her and ultimately succeeded, just like when he once took on the form of a cuckoo to deceive the trust of Hera."

"After her return, Artemis was naturally furious beyond measure. She rejected the recognition of the Divine King, but since she was no match for Zeus, she couldn’t punish or expel this annoying fellow. So she made a swift decision and moved to Athens to keep company with the Goddess of Wisdom—is that right?"

"...You already know, and yet you ask me!"

With a snort, Andrea expressed her dissatisfaction.

"No, I honestly didn’t know before... at least not that it would happen here, but this does fit the Principal God’s character. He always manages to unleash his untapped energy, regardless of whether there’s a proper matter at hand or not."

Spreading his hands, Laine certainly wouldn’t say that there’s indeed a chapter like this in the original myth, which led to the birth of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper constellations. He simply attributed it to Zeus’s nature.

The Divine King’s flaws in this regard were widely known, and for most mortals at this point in time, Zeus’s philandering might not even count as a flaw, as long as Hera’s searching presence was not considered. After all, most of their ancestors came to be in such a manner, so naturally, they could not turn around and decry this behavior now.

During their casual chat, another curiosity was unraveled, but the carriage did not stop moving. Soon after, the alchemy carriage arrived at the foot of the hill where the Acropolis was located.

Not far away, a massive circular building was almost complete, reminiscent of the architectural style of the Ancient Roman colosseum. Except, this arena for selecting the personification of ’Justice and Wisdom’ was round, and there was a floating alchemical platform in the center.

It was unclear whether it was prepared for the ’judges’, for those competing, or if Athens was planning to embrace the classical republican tradition and do away with judges altogether, letting the audience decide who the victor was...

"Aiven, are you sure about just taking me in like this?"

Standing outside the circular archway, some distance from the city gate, Andrea raised an eyebrow.

"Are you referring to the Magic Nullification Barrier solidified onto this gateway? Don’t worry, to ensure you have a Disguise Art so strong that no amount of ’magic penetration’ can break through it, I specifically conducted a god-granted ceremony."

Laine wasn’t sure if there was a gaming term like ’magic penetration’ in this world, but such a coined word could be understood literally, after all.

"Besides, wouldn’t it be good if your identity were exposed? You’d quickly be back in your palace as a Princess."

"Hmph, just make sure you don’t get taken down as a kidnapper," she huffed.

Puffing her cheeks, Andrea drove the carriage through the arch known as the Gate of True Sight.

As a city built in the style of a fortress, it naturally had devices that could detect non-human life, break invisibility, stealth, and alter appearances. However, just as Laine said, Andrea’s appearance did not change at all even after passing through the gate.

Following the crowd, ascending the slope, Laine and company entered the city without any trouble.

Passing through the towering city gate, Laine took note of the high spires on either side. The forces of the elements were gathering at their bases, while at their tips were a pair of objects resembling lightning rods.

Seeing this design, Laine couldn’t help but recall a magical creation he had once discussed with Hecate using the Tome of All Spells. Back then, he simply remembered a weapon used by an Arcane Empire in a game he played before coming to this world, but now it seemed to be brought to reality, right?

Without firsthand contact, it was premature to jump to conclusions. Since, in all likelihood, the device had not been used since its construction—there had been no enemies who made it to the gates of the Acropolis—Laine wondered if there would ever be an opportunity... Shifting his gaze away, he refocused on the scene beyond the city gate.

The cobblestone path led inward, connecting to the city’s thoroughfares and alleys. Shimmering crystal lamps hung along the way, meant to provide illumination, though they were unlit since it was daytime.

At a glance, houses, public baths, all kinds of workshops were present. And not far from the city gate stood bronze statues of the current King of Athens, Theseus, and the Hydra.

Hmm...Seeing this prompted another mention of Chaos’s outrageous actions that spanned from deities to mortals.

The father of the current King of Athens, Hydra, was actually the King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa, previously referred to by the priests of Olympia as the ’stern and just’ King Minos.

However, in reality, Minos did not get along well with his son-in-law, King of Athens Theseus.

According to legend, although Minos was an exemplary king, he probably wasn’t a man with a solid moral compass—a common trait among Chaos’s mortals. His kingship did not come through inheritance; instead, he usurped the position from his brother Radamanthys.

To legitimize his claim to the throne, the King of Crete, quite naturally, turned his gaze to the gods.

Zeus was a given—though theoretically his father, everyone knew what happened between him and Europa, and Hera’s infamous jealousy was known the world over, let alone that he had seized his own brother’s throne... Therefore, in the end, Minos settled on worshiping Poseidon, the Sea Emperor.

Poseidon was quite pleased with the son of Zeus seeking his blessing, so much so that he didn’t just make life difficult for the king; he even offered him a sacrifice—a white bull that emerged from the sea.

In theory, all Minos needed to do was to offer the bull, clearly bestowed by Poseidon himself, back to the god, and everything would’ve been fine and dandy. No harm, no foul. But the gods and men of that era were just so audacious.

Just like Tantalus, who dared to kill his son and serve him to the gods, this son of Zeus thought he could deceive divine eyes. He was too fond of the beautiful bull to offer it up. So, he secretly replaced the sacrifice, keeping the white bull provided by Poseidon for himself.

And the outcome... was naturally discovered by Poseidon. The enraged Sea Emperor felt mocked. He cursed Minos’s wife to develop a taste for bestiality.

In layman’s terms, she shifted from a preference for men to a penchant peculiar to the Peacock Dynasty’s aesthetic values.