Type-Moon, there are too many myths that defy the heavens!

Chapter 34: You Are More Beautiful Than Aphrodite

According to common sense, Ash should not believe the one-sided words of the Dioscuri twins.

After all, the so-called Trojan War was a symbol of the farewell of the Greek gods, and the statement that Helen was the trigger of this incident was too abstract, too against the will of heaven, and too incredible.

But the problem is that this is not the original Greek Age of Gods, but the Greek Age of Gods in the Type-Moon world.

Judging from Ash's understanding of the Type-Moon settings before he traveled through time, the relationships and settings in this Type-Moon world, such as the separation between humans and gods, and the transition from the Age of Gods to the Age of Humans, were not only unclear, but at least a mess.

Just the transition from the Age of Gods to the Age of Humans that Ash knew of generally had several stages: decline, farewell, opportunity, aftertaste, and residue.

Not only are there so many abstract stages mentioned above, the implementation time of this major version update of "Farewell to the Human God" is not unified globally, but each region and server will update it independently!

In other words, the decline of the Age of Gods occurred at different times in different regions. Some regions had already become the Age of Humans as early as BC, while others had not completely disappeared even by the end of the fifth century or even the twelfth century!

The most incredible thing is undoubtedly Japan, which was strengthened by TypeMoon: the Age of Gods in this country is said to have retreated long ago, but their local magicians can still use the divine bodies at will, and even create human pillars to use the magic of the Age of Gods (the families of Sajo, Tousaka, Aozaki, etc. belong to the Clock Tower school). No matter how you look at it, this is pure magic!

Under such a chaotic setting, Ash had to believe that a major update like "The Farewell between Man and God" could be divided into several small versions, and then updated in sequence at different time points.

What further supports his point of view is that the Trojan War was considered the last major battle in Greek mythology, and gods basically no longer appeared in heroic stories after that.

The story that follows is about King Iskandar the Conqueror who stepped into history, and the Persian Wars and the Wars of the Diadochi that he brought.

Ash couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Did this family of three native gods kill the pan-human history in their previous life? Or did they offend the Type-Moon author group, so they were all conquered by the foreign mecha gods and then downgraded to demigods or even downgraded to humans as unlucky ghosts by human faith?

Oh no, it seems that there are not just three of them. Not to mention Zeus, whom they recognized as their father after being demoted, the mother of the Queen of Sparta might also have some stories that are unique to Type-Moon and unknown to others!

Thinking of this, Ash felt that this family had become even more miserable.

This level of tragedy is one of the most tragic even in Greece, a country famous for its tragedy.

but.

Having said that, Ash found several unsolved mysteries from Dioscuri's words.

Ash squeezed Ariadne's hand and whispered, "Sister Athena, can you observe the future of parallel worlds?"

"Of course I can observe the future of parallel worlds." Athena guessed Ash's thoughts and asked directly, "Are you asking this... to copy the gods' answer to recruiting the Dioscuri Twins and making them one of the Argonauts?"

"As expected of a goddess of wisdom, you guessed my thoughts right away." Ash pretended to be good and then asked, "Um...Athena-sister, are you willing to reveal the answer?"

"If it were any other exam, I would tell you that such a trick wouldn't work," Athena said. "But it's okay to reveal the answer to this one."

Before Ash could thank the Goddess of Wisdom for her magnanimity, he heard her come up with a solution that he could not do at all.

"If you hadn't intervened, the Dioscuri Twins would have boarded the ship not because of anything we did, but because they were forced to accept the promise given to them by the Father due to time pressure."

"The God King Zeus promised that after the Dioscuri twins became heroes aboard the Argo and spread their deeds throughout Greece, although they could not return to being natural gods, they could follow the path of half-heroes ascending to deity after death, becoming transformed gods like Romulus, the ancestor of the gods."

"In this way, although their true bodies cannot be transformed back into gods with complete spirit and body, they can at least become gods with complete spirituality."

"What about Helen?" Ash asked, "Will Helen also become a tanto god?"

"That's right," Athena continued, "if she is willing to become a sacrifice in the Trojan War, she will become a god after suffering."

Wow... I've only heard conspiracy theorists say that Journey to the West was a conspiracy by the gods of the three sects of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Is your Greek mythology a real conspiracy?

Ash sighed, then asked Athena, "Then why not let Helen ascend to deity right after starting the war? Instead, why not let her suffer the hardships of wandering and endure the criticism and infamy before ascending to deity?"

"This is a decision made by the God King Zeus. I have no right to answer you on his behalf," Athena said. "However, I can offer you my personal opinion for your reference. I wonder if you might be interested."

Seeing Athena speak like this, Ash immediately understood the goddess's thoughts and could only suppress his shame and continue to serve: "Help me, Sister Athena."

"Okay, I'll help you answer the questions right away~"

Athena offered her own "insight" with satisfaction: "Humanity today is far too dependent on our power."

"Even though we no longer actively rule humanity, and even stop directly interfering with the development of human civilization, humanity still wants to rely on our power and is unable to stand on its own."

"From the perspective of life's survival, there's nothing wrong with this. On the contrary, it can be said to be a very excellent symbiotic model: humans provide faith and resources to the gods, and the gods provide help and protection."

"Even in nature, this kind of interdependence and symbiosis between different species is a reasonable behavior pattern."

"But the problem is that we are the remnants of the old era, while humanity has not yet awakened to the new era."

"If this continues, by the time we leave the planet's surface, the Greek people and civilization might be wiped out without our help."

"So, I think the Father has made this decision: the Greek world needs a war caused by the gods, one that is stupid enough and ugly enough to make almost all heroes unhappy."

"Such a war would deal a heavy blow to the demigod heroes who rely on the gods, and to the humans who rely on the demigod heroes, and teach them a painful lesson."

"After being taught this lesson, they will realize that continuing to rely on us is not a good option and will begin to forge their own paths."

"After this, we will remain on the planet's surface for a while to provide some assistance to humans, allowing them to better integrate into the new era."

"I think this is why Father God set up this war."

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and doesn't represent the Father himself," Athena said. "However, I can still provide some evidence to support my personal opinion."

"Evidence?" Ash asked curiously, "What evidence?"

"Among us, there is a special god." Athena recounted what she knew. "This god has no physical form; instead, he is a purely procedural life form."

"Her name is Ate, and the divine authority she wields is 'madness' and 'folly'."

I'm Chao, Ate!

Isn't this the origin and true form of Francesca Prelati, the ultimate chaotic entertainer and mastermind behind Fate/strange.fake?

This thing can still be strung together, right?

Ash grumbled inwardly and continued, "You mean...she's the god who brings madness and folly to heroes and gods?"

"You can understand it that way."

"In fact, she has already started to act." At this point, Athena asked Ash, "Do you remember why Hercules accepted the trial?"

"As I recall, it was Hera who sent madness into him, causing him to commit the crime of killing his child..."

At this point, Ash couldn't help but be stunned, and then his heart turned cold.

"Could it be..." Ash confirmed, "Hercules' 'madness' refers to... Arte?"

"I can't speculate why Father God allowed such a tragedy to happen," Athena said, "but what is certain is that these events are indeed connected."

"Because she will be banished to Troy by her Father God, becoming the echo of 'madness' and 'folly'."

"As you know, we are not simply personal gods, but Mecha-gods with real bodies," Athena said. "The thinking behind our actions is more logical."

"Even if this logic is a little difficult for humans to understand."

"This is all I have to say about these matters," Athena concluded. "These opinions only represent my own thoughts, not the absolute truth."

"Only an omniscient being, one who understands all parties involved, can glimpse the completely objective truth." Ash accepted Athena's words. "Although I still have many questions, these reference answers are sufficient for me."

"So..." Athena continued, "After knowing this... will you hate, resent the cruelty and ruthlessness of us Mecha-Gods?"

Faced with this question, Ash fell silent.

The tragic fate that the mechas have woven for mankind is indeed cruel and ruthless, and can even be said to be the result of bloodless and tearless efforts.

Ash, who is closer to humans both physically and mentally, is indeed qualified to hate such a fate and hate the gods who weave these destinies.

Rather, even the task that Athena arranged for him to take on to recruit the Argonauts, to recruit the Dioscuri twins, to understand the tragedy between them and Helen, to understand the fate woven by the gods, and even the questions Athena was asking now, were all trials arranged by the goddess.

Therefore, Ash has every reason to hate Mecha.

but.

"...I have no idea."

"...From an objective perspective, the gods are indeed committing heinous crimes." Ash was silent for a long time, then confessed, "I also hate these disasters created through cold calculation."

"But, but..." Ash sighed, "This is intentional 'evil' out of God's 'love'...isn't it?"

Faced with Ash's sigh, the wise goddess fell into silence for the first time.

"If I completely deny and hate this 'evil', wouldn't that be completely denying and hating the 'love' I've received from the gods?" Ash said. "I can't do that."

"I can't rely on God's love to recklessly hate and attack God."

"There's nothing I can do but sit back and watch the tragedy unfold before my eyes."

"There's only one thing I can do," Ash said, "and that is to change the fate of these tragedies in my own way."

"Even if..." After hearing Ash's words, the silent Athena couldn't help but ask again, "You will become an enemy of the fate we have woven?"

Ash said, "Even if this happens, I will change my fate."

"You should know that the tragedy we weave is a controllable 'evil,'" Athena continued, "By doing this, you might just be creating another 'evil.' Even so, do you still want to change your fate?"

"Even so, I must change my fate," Ash said calmly. "If I don't, I'll just be enjoying the gods' love while being an accomplice to their evil."

"Why would you even think that?" Athena couldn't help but say, "The 'love' you've received is nothing more than a curse forcibly bestowed upon you by us gods."

"But even if it's a curse forced upon me, it's the 'love' that's kept me alive to this point." Ash said with a smile, "That's enough, isn't it?"

Within just a few seconds, the Goddess of Wisdom once again fell into silence like a computer crash.

Subsequently.

Ash started to act as he said.

"Castor, Pollux, I know your tragedy and your suffering."

"Even though this may sound a bit confusing and incomprehensible, please give me a chance." Ash looked at the twin gods, who were shrouded in tragedy and waiting for the next step, and said with a smile, "Please let me overcome this difficult time with you."

As if all the scripts had lost their meaning, the Dioscuri twins on the stage showed surprised expressions.

"I know you have the power to stir up the gods," Castor demanded sharply, "but how can we trust you?"

"Yes." Pollux also raised his own question, "You may sincerely help us now, but what about the distant future?"

Although Dioscuri's question was harsh, it was not wrong at all.

No one would unconditionally believe the words of someone who is full of the enemy's aura.

Ash also knew that he was not qualified to gain the trust of the Twin Gods without any expression.

Therefore, Ash gave proof of trust.

"I am willing to hand over my divine core."

"It's not the 'Divine Core of the Goddess of Spring' bestowed upon me by Persephone, nor is it the 'Echo of the Goddess of Love' bestowed upon me by Aphrodite," Ash said. "It's the 'Divine Core of the Goddess of Plants' that belongs exclusively to the future Ash Adonis."

"I know this is just a waste of money, because I can't produce the future God Core right now," Ash said, "but I can swear to Zeus, the king of the gods, that I will hand it over to you."

At this point, Ash smiled and said, "In this way, can I gain a little trust from the two gods?"

"..." Castor fell silent, but Pollux sighed, "Why would you do this for us?"

“Because I want to.”

"This is undoubtedly due to my arrogance," Ash said seriously. "But even so, I still ask you to swallow my arrogance and accept this pure transaction."

Facing Ash's answer, the Gemini Gods remained silent for a long time.

"...This is indeed an act of extreme arrogance." Castor was the first to extend his hand and said to Ash, "But I can give up my trust for your arrogance."

"Me too." Pollux also extended his hand and said with a smile, "Please give me your guidance, Ash."

"Thank you both for your trust in me." Ash shook the two gods' hands and said with a smile, "Let us change our destiny together."

Thus, Ash made a pact with the Dioscuri Twins to recruit him as a hero of the Argo.

Faced with this scene, Athena felt mixed emotions.

"...I lost."

"The moment I saw you, I predicted this future," Athena said with emotion. "As expected, you have passed my test."

"Even though this is the future I've foreseen, it's still... so sweet."

"The 'love' you received from Aphrodite is more dazzling and charming than 'beauty'."

"Ash," Athena said sincerely, "You are now more beautiful than Aphrodite."

I am also captured by your beauty, just like the future I foresee.

The goddess of wisdom made a confession in her heart.

------

Kavin was stuck and it was even later.

Although it's late, I still want to give you a compliment - the description of the Type-Moon setting in this chapter is purely personal understanding and does not mean the official setting, so please don't take it personally.