Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The ancient serpent expressed its gratitude reservedly, and the atmosphere between it and Atalanta became even more harmonious.

At this moment, a rich aroma of wheat wafted into the cave entrance, and the attentive little witch brought two bowls of wheat porridge to the bedside.

"Lie down, I'll do it!"

Atalanta's gaze fell on the bandage wrapped around the wounded man's shoulder blade. With an unquestionable tone, she pressed Samael, who was trying to get up, down, took the porridge, and patiently fed it to the ancient serpent spoonful by spoonful.

While there was an element of guilt involved in the accidental injury, the fact that this female hunter, who has a natural psychological aversion to men, would act so considerately clearly shows that Atalanta has developed a certain degree of affection for this unfortunate soul.

The ancient snake withdrew its fingers without leaving a trace and obediently lay down against the headboard.

Feeding him is a rare experience, especially now that he's being fed by the famous Greek heroine. Of course, he should lie back and enjoy it.

Cat ears and animal tails are so cute, I'd love to be able to pet them.

Samael glanced at the top and back of the "keeper's" head, his hands itching slightly, but his eyes were clear.

Atalanta was the daughter of Iasos, king of Arcadia, and Clymene, the ocean goddess.

However, King Iasos wanted a son, so when Atalanta was born, he abandoned his daughter Atalanta on the mountain.

The goddess of the hunt, Artemis, took pity on the child's plight and sent a mother bear to nurse and care for Atalanta.

Perhaps due to the blessing of the forest and the mutation of divinity, Atalanta acquired the animalistic features of cat ears and a long tail, and possessed extraordinary speed and strength.

Later, she followed the mother bear and the hunters who ventured into the dense forest, learning to hunt and fight, and eventually grew into the person she is today.

However, due to her father's abandonment and the two centaurs who wanted to humiliate her, this huntress developed a deep aversion to men and a strong sense of defensiveness towards them.

Samael estimated that if he hadn't taken advantage of Atalanta's guilt by pretending to be a wounded soldier, he probably wouldn't have gotten close to the huntress at all.

Of course, the ancient serpent had its own legitimate purpose in approaching Atalanta.

In addition, there are also illegitimate purposes.

After dinner, it seemed that because Samael and his party were the first to reveal their origins and past, Atalanta also lowered her guard a little and talked about the purpose of her journey from Arcadia.

Samael listened attentively, occasionally asking appropriate questions or expressing surprise, showing a natural talent for acting.

Meanwhile, the ancient serpent seemed to be deep in thought, and as more and more information was revealed, he became increasingly certain of his conclusion.

Sure enough, Calydon went hunting!

Atalanta's journey was undertaken in response to a divine oracle, to complete this trial.

Several years ago, King Oeneus of Calydon, during a sacrifice for the gods, forgot to prepare offerings for Artemis.

Feeling insulted, the goddess of the hunt, in her anger, summoned a magical boar that could destroy the land, people, and livestock, and also prevent planting.

Mortals are no match for a superhuman monster blessed by the gods, so Meleager, the son of King Calydon, summoned the heroes of Greece in hopes of hunting this monster together.

"The Kaludon hunt? This noble cause of slaying magical beasts is our bounden duty!"

After hearing Atalanta's story, Samael spoke with righteous indignation and earnestly requested to join.

Given his fellow countryman's previous adventures, his ability to transform into magical beasts (which is not uncommon in the Orphic religion), and his status as a descendant of gods, he should be more than capable of protecting himself.

After a moment's consideration, the female hunter finally agreed to travel with the two men.

However, for safety reasons, she must wait until Samael has fully recovered before setting off.

In response, the ancient serpent smiled and looked at Atalanta, who was making arrangements with a tense expression. It stared at the cold-faced but warm-hearted female hunter until she blushed slightly, before it wisely looked away.

Watching the female hunter, who had taken the night watch, leap and disappear from sight, Samael casually tapped his wound, a smile playing on his lips.

Historically, the heroes who participated in this hunt were a great number of talented individuals, including Jason, the future captain of the Argos; Hercules; Theseus, the king of Athens; Telamon, the father of Ajax the Great in the Trojan War; and Peleus, the father of Achilles, the Trojan hero, among others.

If Samael wants to unfold his next move, this trip is the best starting point.

Chapter 132 The Alliance of Three Goddesses (1/4)

Several days later, Samael had fully recovered from his injuries, and the three of them traveled swiftly, soon arriving at a vassal state on the border of the Kingdom of Calydon.

However, upon closer inspection, Atalanta was surprised to find that, due to their faster pace, there was still some time before the day when Prince Meleager of Calydon would gather the Greek heroes to jointly defeat the Boar.

Outside the city, the three parties discussed the matter and ultimately decided to temporarily stay in a city-state closer to the capital to rest and recuperate, while waiting for the hunting season in Calydon to approach before making further plans.

The female hunter agreed wholeheartedly. After all, if they went there now, they would not have accomplished anything, and they would feel very uncomfortable if they accepted the other side's warm hospitality.

After making a quick decision, the three assigned tasks. Atalanta volunteered to find a place to stay, while Samael and Circe were pushed and shoved away to buy supplies and gather information about the Calydon Boar.

At the corner, Samael watched Atalanta, carrying a large bag, stride briskly out of the inn, and chuckled, shaking his head.

Although Atalanta took on the most troublesome task because of her guilt and pride.

On the other hand, this spirited and clear-headed female hunter is becoming more and more integrated into the role of the leader, and has become accustomed to taking care of him and Circe, the two "vulnerable" groups.

Only after Atalanta's figure disappeared from sight did the ancient serpent reluctantly withdraw its gaze, wave to Circe, and walk through the city, subtly gathering intelligence.

Of course, the news about the Caludon Boar was just a side note; Samael's main purpose was to find out and fill in the gaps in the historical process after he took Pandora's Box.

After a busy morning, the ancient snake noticed that Circe, who was accompanying them, was looking rather listless and tired. So, it took her to a restaurant to rest and have a meal.

Although the level of refinement of the food was not as high as that of Samael.

However, the abundance of land-based ingredients and the sweet and sour flavors favored by the Greeks also suited Circe's taste, so this great witch of Ayyu Island ate very happily.

The ancient snake sitting opposite him leaned against the corner, placing its five fingers on the table and tapping them rhythmically.

Is this some kind of thinking habit of his? So, it's a waste not to eat things while they're hot.

Circe glanced at it, then quietly shoveled a plate of pastries—made of wheat flour coated in grape jam and fried until crispy and sweet—in front of himself.

However, Samael was clearly not paying much attention to the witch's little tricks, because he was busy sorting out the clues of that blank period of history.

Centuries ago, Pandora's Box appeared out of nowhere, bringing about a great catastrophe and plunging humanity into imminent peril.

At the critical moment, he transformed into his original form, swallowed Pandora's Box and all the evil it contained, and threw it into the Oceanus, thus preserving the continuation of humanity.

Athena, Themis, and Medusa stepped forward to fight against the power of Olympus.

When humanity performed a great sacrifice and awakened Mother Earth Gaia, the situation reversed.

This farce ended with Gaia seizing Zeus's weakness, reprimanding him, and forcing him to swear an oath to Styx, the goddess of oaths, promising to abandon his pursuit of justice and acknowledging the established fact of the continuation of humankind.

The matter of Pandora's Box was thus concluded.

After this whole charade, even the gods, whose interests were long intertwined with human faith, have turned against him.

This made Zeus even less inclined to continue tormenting mankind. Later, in his despondency, his old habit relapsed. He transformed into a white bull, seduced the beautiful Europa, and hid on the island of Crete where he had grown up, indulging in desire every day and forgetting all about home.

But at this very moment, Typhon, the king of the monsters who had been plotting for a long time, seized the opportunity to rise from the abyss to the surface of the earth, summoning rebellious monsters and Titans to attack Olympus.

Without Zeus's coordination, and with the gods already having some rifts due to their struggle for faith, the group was leaderless and suffered repeated defeats, with countless gods dying or being killed.

Even some of the main gods wavered, considering transforming into animals and fleeing to avoid the limelight.

Just when the Pantheon, which was crucial to the dignity of the Olympian gods, was about to fall, three goddesses appeared out of nowhere and turned the tide, becoming the core pillars that resisted the onslaught of Typhon's army.

With the arrival of reinforcements, the gods had a chance to catch their breath. Encouraged, they steadied themselves and resisted fiercely, while sending Hermes, the god of speed, to search for Zeus.

Finally, upon receiving the news, the Olympian king of the gods, startled, tore through the black mist that had been obscuring perception on Crete, used the weak humans to approach Typhon, reclaimed the Thunder Scepter, and, together with the Olympian gods, won the final victory.

After this battle, the Olympian gods, who had previously shown signs of falling apart, were brought together once again.

His crucial act of taking sides can be said to have saved the three goddesses of Olympus, and he also rose to fame.

That's right, these three are Themis, Athena, and Medusa.

During Typhon's invasion, it was Athena who persuaded and lobbied the other two to make their choice.

Afterwards, Zeus rewarded her according to her merits, and upon learning Athena's identity, he generously offered to share his power with his daughter.

At the same time, Olympus bestowed upon her the title of goddess of wisdom and war, placing her among the twelve Olympian gods.

As for the other gains of Themis and Medusa, they were much more meager.

Defection and division? Zeus, you've got guts to offer half your power as a reward!

But you only think that way because she's a daughter who has no right to inherit, right?

Samaelmo stroked his chin, clearly aware of the plans in the mind of this Olympian king.

He could guess the general idea, and the goddess of wisdom could naturally see it clearly as well.

Whether you can see it clearly or not is one thing, how you do it is another.

Ultimately, Athena accepted only the divine roles of wisdom and war, swearing to become the patron goddess of Athens.

After the war, she not only refused to stay on Olympus, but also gave up her exalted status as one of the twelve Olympian gods.

Left with no other option, Zeus chose Dionysus, the god of wine who had also contributed to the War of Olympia, and elevated him to the position of one of the twelve Olympian gods to fill the vacancy.

Soon after, Athena returned and, on a mountain northwest of the Acropolis, together with Themis, the goddess of justice, and Medusa, the goddess of vengeance, established the Council, swearing to maintain the order between the gods and humans.

Because the divine authority over war was divided, Ares, the god of war, who was dissatisfied with this, and Poseidon, the god of the sea who coveted the city of Athens, went to provoke each other.

As a result, she was defeated by Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Themis, the goddess of justice.

After that, those who had been watching realized that the goddesses in the Council were not to be trifled with, so they quieted down for a while, and Athens entered a period of vigorous development.

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Chapter 133 If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight! (2/4)

Soon after, Poseidon, the god of the sea, had a son named Eriethius, who attempted to rape Eysis, the daughter of Ares.

Ares killed Eriethius to protect his daughter's chastity, and was subsequently accused by Poseidon of murder.

As a result, Zeus handed the case over to the council for trial, with all the gods in attendance, and even invited humans to observe the proceedings.

This was the first case of divine conflict and murder handled by the Council. The defendant was Ares, the plaintiff was Poseidon, and the judges were the twelve principal gods.

Even more dramatically, it was Medusa, the goddess of vengeance, who defended Ares and his daughter.

Her clear and logical presentation, evidence, and questioning left Poseidon speechless.

After a series of trials, Themis declared the murder charge not guilty, and the gods unanimously agreed to release Ares, the god of war, without charge.

From then on, the Council became known in Greece for its fairness, and the proud Athenians, in commemoration of this historical event and to honor the victory of their patron goddess Athena over Ares, named the mountain Mount Ares.

Gradually, the original name "Council" was forgotten, while the alternative name "Mount Ares" became deeply ingrained in people's minds and widely known throughout Greece.

Mount Ares? Council?

Samael's expression turned strange as he recalled this passage.

In his memory, the Ares Mountain Council was a well-known organization with verifiable historical records.

Even after the Age of Gods, Mount Ares still served to protect the laws of the Athenian city-state, governed most of the most important affairs of the city-state, and directly tried and punished all those who disturbed public order, wielding immense power.

Even during the Greco-Persian Wars, Mount Ares continued to play an important role.

So, what exactly did I change?

Samael found this both amusing and exasperating, discovering that the rewriting of history seemed quite intriguing.

In addition to Mount Ares, Athens has another organization that is equally popular – the Academy of Athens.

This is an educational institution that has existed since the dawn of humanity, with the goal of dispelling ignorance and enlightening wisdom.

Founded by the sage Chiron and other deities, it attracted a wide range of talented individuals from all over Greece during its time, resulting in an unprecedented development of education there.

Later, a large number of outstanding graduates, including Asclepius, the god of medicine, joined Mount Ares, further expanding Athens' influence among monsters, demigods, and even gods.

Today, Athens has risen to prominence and has long been the cultural center of Greece, earning the reputation of "Athens of the Greeks".

Even though the so-called "Mount Ares" and "Mount Olympus" were in a state of confrontation and often offended each other, Zeus, faced with Athens, which was managed like an ironclad fortress, had no choice but to acquiesce to their legitimate existence.

After all, Delphi had the Oracle of Apollo, Sparta had the Arena of Ares, and Ephesus had the Temple of Artemis. Weren't these children all busy trying to expand their faith?

Add to that the curse of Boros' usurpation, the covetous eyes of his brother Poseidon, and the family conflicts with his wife Hera, and even with his extraordinary wisdom, how could this god-king possibly manage everything?

For some reason, Samael felt a faint sympathy for the bewildered Olympian king.

Since taking that position, he has hardly had a peaceful day.

Well, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. He chose this path himself, so why should I worry about it?

After sorting through that blank period of history, the ancient snake stretched and looked pleased.

It must be said that Athena's achievement in just a few hundred years has far exceeded his expectations.

However, a century has passed in the blink of an eye, and many things and many people have changed.