Chapter 851: 333: Advantage is Mine

Chapter 851: Chapter 333: Advantage is Mine

The next day.

Outside the Aigaleo Fortress, the center of the camp of the Alliance Army of All Countries.

In the hastily constructed strategy meeting hall, kings and generals gathered once again.

The noise and arguments rose and fell, occasionally accompanied by the sound of shields colliding.

These were the heroes of all countries testing their strength. Since words could not achieve superiority, they could only resolve the matter with fists.

After a long time, accompanied by a muffled shout, the meeting hall quieted for a moment and then returned to its clamor.

...

However, before long, Odysseus strode out from the side door of the temporary structure.

His expression showed no unusual signs, as if he had just left due to an urgent matter.

Yet as Odysseus’s long-time friend, Mode immediately noticed something was amiss.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Stepping forward to greet him, Mode’s expression became equally grim.

But Odysseus just waved his hand, stopping his friend’s baseless speculation.

“Nothing of the sort… It’s just some conflicts over interests, not enough to escalate to that point.”

“But I must say, there are so many heroes in the world, and I am not the only gifted demigod.”

Nodding in agreement, Mode knew that Odysseus had probably suffered a small setback, but he could understand.

After all, he was well aware of Odysseus’s eloquence; if it came to sophistry and strategy, few could match him.

However, this was Chaos; if one couldn’t gain the upper hand, most would resort to force.

And in this regard, Odysseus indeed did not have the advantage.

“It doesn’t matter… Relax, after all, it’s just some inconclusive debates, whether you participate or not makes no difference.”

“Although the Aigaleo Mountains aren’t an insurmountable natural barrier, if we want to forcibly capture them, everyone will have to put their elite troops on the table.”

“But who would be willing to do that? Instead of a direct assault, it’s better to wait for the aid of the gods.”

“Yet some are unwilling to choose this either… For instance, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, who, despite his title as the leader of the Alliance, has achieved nothing so far, and he doesn’t want to rely on divine intervention.”

“And those foolish Spartans… While other countries have at least a handful of conscripted soldiers, they have none.”

“I can’t help but laugh when I think of their so-called suicidal tradition, and it’s even funnier that while everyone thinks only those who worship the War God could act like this, who would have thought they are actually believers of the Sun, hahaha…”

Unable to hold back his laughter, Mode found the Spartans hard to understand.

The Spartans’ madness was long-standing; it was said they began weeding out at the birth of infants.

Newborns were immediately dipped in nectar; if they showed spasms or died, then the child wasn’t fit to grow up.

And even if their bodies were healthy enough, their fate was still death.

As for the qualified ones, they weren’t entirely safe either; they would be trained as warriors.

Starting at the age of seven, these children, just beginning to recognize the world, were taken away from their parents and put into military education.

Whipping, training, obedience… At twelve, when they hadn’t yet left descendants, these young ones were required to survive alone in the wild.

In the end, most died as a result, with only a few surviving to adulthood.

Only after such elimination were the Spartans acknowledged and became true soldiers.

Such a cruel system brought about the wild strength of every Spartan, but it also inevitably became a source of ridicule.

Without external enemies, they killed each other more than any natural disasters combined.

Moreover, the most incongruous fact was that, compared to Ares, the Sun God Apollo held a higher position in Sparta.

In terms of culture and festivals, they preferred to worship the Sun instead of the War God who equally loved ruthless slaughter.

“Heh heh… Mode, don’t speak recklessly.”

“The Spartans aren’t to be trifled with. If they do come looking for trouble, the most I can do is persuade them to be gentle.”

An earnest smile appeared on Odysseus’s lips as he shook his head.

In truth, he didn’t quite understand the Spartan mindset either.

After all, for a kingdom, isn’t population its most precious asset?

But that had nothing to do with him; Spartans were few in number, but no one wanted to provoke them.

What truly concerned him now was what had transpired in the camp earlier.

“All right, Mode, it’s not those things that I’m worried about.”

“In fact, the countries have reached an agreement just now.”

“Troy’s king has relented, he is actually willing to lead the main attack… Although he also required the countries to display real strength to undermine the Athenians’ defenses, it still puzzled me.”

In a slow tone, Odysseus voiced his objection.

He believed they should wait for the gods before launching a true offensive, but the outcome was disappointing.

For even with divine intervention, attacking a city would still command a great cost from the countries.

Since someone was willing to take the lead now, there was no reason to refuse.

Hence, Odysseus’s idea was rejected, and some even ridiculed him for his cowardice.

So Odysseus decided to step out for a walk; if he couldn’t change the outcome, he would reserve his opinion.

“Troy?”

Raising an eyebrow, Mode was also somewhat surprised.

However, this name only flashed through his mind briefly before being cast aside.

“I remember you said that the previous king of the Trojans once employed the gods, so it’s not strange that they’d now choose to atone for that.”

“Priam isn’t a fool, besides, what does it matter to us what he does?”

“…”

“Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

“After all, no one can truly see through another person, perhaps my understanding of Laomedon’s son is indeed lacking.”

After a moment of silence, Odysseus still had a bad feeling, but couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

Explaining it simply as ‘this doesn’t seem like a choice that king would make’ seemed too presumptuous.

Why should he judge what choices others would make?

This was one of the reasons Odysseus didn’t continue and decisively left.

“All right, let’s leave it at that. We should go prepare for what we must do.”

“A true siege requires more than just a lead attacker.”

Speaking in a low voice, Odysseus turned around.

The Trojans were willing to be the main force; they also had to cooperate well.

And besides… he also needed to instruct his troops.

Whether or not there was an issue, it wouldn’t hurt to take extra precautions.

…

“…Hahaha…”

“…Well said!”

“…Yes, I’d say he’s probably scared out of his wits by some lunatic from God knows where, hesitant with everyone he encounters now.”

“…I’ve heard of his name, even as a prince, his wisdom was renowned.”

“But now it seems intelligence doesn’t equal courage, and knowledge might not lead to the right judgment.”

“King Priam has already agreed to take on the heavy task, yet he denies… without the gods’ favor, are we truly powerless against the Athenians?”

“Ridiculous, if we can’t even get past here, how will we ever conquer the more strategic Athens?”

“…”

In the hall, the clinking of glasses and cups mingled.

Odysseus’s departure did not affect the atmosphere inside; the kings and heroes of all countries were drinking merrily, celebrating their rare consensus.

As for the departed Odysseus, he naturally became the subject of gossip and was sneered at.

After all, heroes had always acted impulsively in Chaos, and those overly cautious were instead seen as symbols of cowardice.

“King Priam, the courage of the Trojans is truly surprising… However, as long as this fortress is successfully breached, your contributions to this battle will be paramount.”

“I believe at that time, the gods will see your devout faith and reward Troy accordingly.”

“…That would be the best outcome.”

Raising his cup, Priam drank it all in one go.

Meanwhile, sitting at the head of the table, Agamemnon finally relaxed a bit.

As the king of Mycenae, Agamemnon did harbor doubts about such a drastic change in attitude.

But once he thought it over, he realized there was nothing to worry about.

On one hand, Priam, not being here by choice, had the motive to establish merit.

On the other, whatever results he achieved wouldn’t affect him anyway.

If successful, as the nominal interim commander of the Alliance, it would reflect his competence.

If unsuccessful… well, once the gods arrived, decisions wouldn’t be his to make, so why worry about the outcome?

Anyway, the worst result wouldn’t be too bad, unless the Trojans intended to betray the Olympian gods…

“Heh.”

Thinking of this, Agamemnon shook his head.

That was impossible; after all, there was only one Athena, Goddess of Wisdom.

With such a disparity in the number of main gods, how could she possibly win?

“Everyone.”

Rising from his seat, Agamemnon raised his glass.

At that moment, the tall, middle-aged king exuded solemn majesty, slowly surveying everyone present.

Boosting morale was his final task.

“Everyone, I know… the strength of the Athenians is no secret.”

“On the contrary, not long ago, my own soldiers faced a defeat.”

“He couldn’t foresee the Athenians’ scheme and ultimately met failure. Our recent sieges have also been unsuccessful… but what I want to say is… now, it’s different!”

Gradually raising his voice, Agamemnon himself felt a surge of enthusiasm.

If the fortress fell, perhaps he would personally don armor and attempt to capture that newly ascended king.

“Months ago, we belonged to different countries, but one morning, the oracles of the gods descended to earth.”

“Since then, the Alliance gathered, its sword pointed east.”

“By contrast, Athens’s former king is dead.”

“And while their soldiers may be elite, they are outnumbered and overstretched.”

Draining his cup, Agamemnon drew his sword.

A powerful aura of bloodlust emanated from him, amplifying his voice.

“No matter how it unfolds, this battle is between all countries and one country, the advantage is ours!”

“As long as everyone gives their best, there will naturally be no other choice for the final victors.”

That was Agamemnon’s belief and thoughts.

If only everyone had given their all earlier, they wouldn’t still be stuck outside the city today.

Listening to the rallying cries from outside the tent, Agamemnon slowly sheathed his sword.

Listening to these countless voices… how many men does Athens have guarding the city?

Even if it’s ten against one, this time, they were bound to win.