Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Hippolyta, who couldn't stand by and watch, kindly offered to help, which helped stabilize the situation.

“It’s been a long time since we parted ways in Uruk. You’re still as energetic as ever, Mr. Jusudra.”

Samael picked up a date, casually put it in his mouth and chewed, savoring the taste that was somewhat similar to the local products of Uruk, and greeted it familiarly.

"Entering the game from a desperate situation, turning death into life, and defeating both the Hunnic and Persian armies, your style and wisdom are still as good as ever."

Across from him, an elderly man in a hooded long robe, with a simple and ancient face, responded quietly, his eyes filled with a profound depth like a secluded valley.

The lamplight flickered, and the two figures sitting opposite each other at the stone table seemed to separate and reunite with the movement of the flames.

"Isn't this what you forced me to do? If you hadn't stabbed Romulus in the back, leaving Rome leaderless and on the verge of collapse, with the entire Panhellenic defense line on the verge of collapse, I wouldn't have had to personally step in to save this dead end."

Samael rolled his eyes in exasperation, his gaze subtly shifting, his expression a half-smile.

"So, you're here to hold someone accountable?"

Hearing this low, husky question, the quiet Hassan beside him, who was holding a tray and serving drinks, turned pale and trembled, almost dropping what he was holding.

Hassan al-Sabah, the founder of the Assassins, known as the "Old Man of the Mountain," has retired to the Temple of the Evening Bell in order to follow the teachings of God. He has kept his sword sheathed for many years and no longer easily intervenes in worldly conflicts.

However, due to his high status and the fact that his assassination skills had transcended the mundane and were almost divine, he was also known as "the old man of the mountain".

As the old man of the mountain, his duty was not only to wield the sword of punishment against the corruption and depravity of the Assassins, but also to be "Hassan who killed Hassan".

If Hassan, who has inherited the title of "Old Man of the Mountain," shows signs of mental instability or technical decline, then the Old Man of the Mountain will step in as a watcher and take his head.

It can be said that the old man in front of them is not only a teacher who imparts skills to them, but also a monitor who scrutinizes their behavior.

The youngest member of the group, Jingmi, both respected and feared the old man.

Legend has it that this girl's future fate was sealed because of her emotional turmoil and breakdown, leading to her being killed by the Old Man of the Mountain.

“You have your stance, and I have my plans. What responsibility can I pursue? Besides, an assassin is just a weapon. It depends on who the person wielding it points the sword at. Even if I were to cause trouble, I should talk to my employer about my life ideals. I came to Eagle’s Nest to catch up with you, sir.”

Samael reached out and helped up little Hassan, who was terrified, and chuckled lightly, his gaze nostalgic.

"After all, you helped us a lot in Uruk, and Anna's transformation also owes to your advice. Now that we're so familiar with each other, we should at least go and thank you."

Immediately, the ancient snake smiled and took the tray from Jingmi's trembling hands, picked up the cups, and handed one to himself and the other to the girl opposite him, thus relieving the terrified girl from her predicament.

"Mmm? It smells so good!"

Samael stirred the spoon, making a crisp, pleasant clinking sound, then raised his glass in greeting, took a small sip, and the rich, sweet flavor burst on his tongue. His eyes narrowed, and he felt quite refreshed.

"This is Jellab. If you like, you can have the child prepare more."

The old man, his features simple and unadorned, paused for a moment, a hint of reminiscence seeming to appear in his eyes. When he came to his senses, the murmur he uttered had a more soothing and gentle tone.

Jalab is a classic Arabic drink made with glucose syrup and rose water, and also includes pine nuts and raisins. It has a rich and delicious flavor.

The quiet Hassan serving him was very good at making this kind of thing.

Of course, the original purpose was mainly to facilitate the use of poisoning and assassination of targets.

However, in the old man's current meaning, it must be a subtle progression and gesture of goodwill in the relationship between the two parties, and the atmosphere between them is becoming more harmonious and subtle.

What do you think of Cyrus?

After a few drinks, Samael leaned against the stone wall, eating dates as he brought up a topic with great interest.

"A benevolent monarch, a qualified emperor..."

The old man of the mountain closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, carefully considering his words, before slowly opening his deep eyes.

"Yes, the Emperor is a good man. He provided food relief to the people who crossed the mountains, allowed us to cultivate the land, grow crops, and preach in the villages..."

The quiet Hassan, who was serving nearby, relaxed unconsciously in the harmonious atmosphere and couldn't help but chime in.

Samael nodded upon hearing this, recalling the rumors about Cyrus the Great that he had heard on the road, and searching through the scattered historical records about the Persian Empire deep in his memory.

Ultimately, the ancient serpent had to admit that these assessments were quite accurate.

Persia was originally a small and weak tribe in the southwest. After Cyrus came to power, he worked hard and, with his outstanding military talent, won a series of wars as if divinely inspired. He conquered the Median, Lydian, and Neo-Babylonian empires and unified most of Mesopotamia.

During his reign, he enabled Persia to grow stronger and laid the foundation for the empire's expansion over the next 200 years, demonstrating his great talent and strategic vision.

Chapter 79 The Enemy's Hero, My Nemesis (2/3)

On the other hand, what he is most praised for is his magnanimity and benevolence as a conqueror.

He defeated his maternal grandfather, who attempted to murder him, but allowed him to live with him in his old age; he defeated the Lydian Empire, a long-time enemy of Persia, but still treated King Croesus of Lydia as an emperor and heeded the king's advice; he conquered Babylon and personally wrote to order his army not to disturb the people and to respect local customs and religious beliefs.

From an objective standpoint, this Persian king could even be considered a moral exemplar among emperors.

Throughout history, Cyrus the Great conquered so many countries and so many civilizations, but these civilizations were not destroyed or silenced as a result. Instead, they flourished and even those civilizations that had disappeared were reborn. His actions can no longer be explained by the considerations of an emperor or by simple political performance.

Rather than a conqueror of civilization, he was a worshipper of civilization, who, with benevolence and talent, built a vast and stable empire.

Under this powerful personal charisma, whether it was the great hero Arash, the sorcerer Scheherazade, or the mountain people of the eagle's nest, they all gathered under the banner of this Persian king and obeyed his call.

But precisely because of this, Samael is even more troubled.

The enemy's hero is my enemy.

The enemy's hero is better off dead.

If this emperor could simply rest peacefully in the city of seven hills or the land of nothingness, Samael would not hesitate to praise him.

However, Cyrus was exceptionally resilient, and the ancient serpent failed to strike him twice.

If it's the first failure, acting hastily is understandable.

But Samael went to great lengths the second time, even using nearly half of the Roman legions as bait, showing rare patience in his fishing.

In the end, at the last moment, Angra Mainyu, one of the two Persian gods, actually descended in disguise and launched an indiscriminate massacre, successfully holding back Samael and taking the blows for Cyrus.

Even Samael himself was severely injured by the curse of Angolan Manuel before his death, and now he is unlikely to fight again.

Such bad luck left the ancient snake feeling both frustrated and helpless.

In this damn world, you can't deny luck, or you'll inevitably lose to Europe.

As his thoughts settled, Samael raised his hand and tapped the table with his fingers, then looked at the old man of the mountain with a meaningful tone.

"By the way, I heard that this benevolent emperor had the grace of rebirth for the early Israelites, and was revered by the Jews as 'God's instrument' and 'King Cyrus'."

According to legend, after King Solomon died after receiving the Ten Commandments, the Jews split and established a nation. However, due to their weakness, they were conquered and ruled by different nations and races, and their lives deteriorated day by day.

Afterwards, the Jewish kingdom was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom. While the Neo-Babylonian kingdom was at war with Egypt, these Jews were not content with the status quo and broke their oath. Under the leadership of King Zedekiah, they, along with other small kingdoms in the region that had submitted to the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, rose up to support the Egyptians and acted as traitors.

As a result, when the war ended, the Neo-Babylonians, now free to deal with the situation, were enraged and once again assembled their army to launch a second siege of Jerusalem.

The siege lasted 18 months, and Jerusalem eventually fell due to famine and internal divisions.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Neo-Babylon at the time, hated the Jewish king who had repeatedly rebelled. He ordered the killing of several of Zedekiah's sons in front of Zedekiah, and then gouged out Zedekiah's eyes.

When Zedekiah, who had already gone blind, was brought before Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar said to him, "This is the consequence of your betrayal of me!" Then he ordered Zedekiah to be chained with bronze and taken to Babylon to be displayed to the world.

Furthermore, in order to punish and prevent Jewish transgressions, Neo-Babylon sacked Jerusalem, destroying its walls and burning down the Temple, the royal palace, and many homes.

Almost all the surviving residents of the city were taken captive to Babylon, which is known in history as the "Babylonian Captivity".

Ultimately, Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, won without a fight and easily conquered the ancient city of Babylon.

He issued a proclamation, releasing the Jews to return to their homeland and allowing them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

At the time, it was roughly estimated that more than 42000 Jews returned to Jerusalem. The merciful Cyrus the Great also gave 5400 gold and silver vessels that King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Kingdom had looted from the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem and placed in the Babylonian temple to the Jewish leaders to take back.

Thus, Cyrus the Great became the savior of the Jews, and his glorious deeds were recorded in the Book of Ezra in the Bible.

But according to the consistent logic and peculiar thought process of Judaism, although Cyrus saved them, it was God who should be thanked.

It was God who sent this messenger to save them.

Therefore, Cyrus acquired the titles of "Instrument of God" and "King Cyrus".

When Samael spoke of the Babylonian captivity to the old man of the mountain, it was clearly with a hidden meaning.

"This emperor is a follower of Zoroastrianism..."

The old man in the mountain's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly calmed himself and spoke softly.

"If I remember correctly, in Zoroastrianism, fire represents light!"

Samael tossed a date into his mouth, chewing and savoring it as he responded.

The Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament of the Bible records in chapter 24, verses 1-9: "God is light."

During the crisis of the third storm in Uruk, the one revered as the God of Gods and King of Kings was their common enemy.

The old man of the mountain was silent for a moment, then responded in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on him with a profound gaze.

"This... proves nothing..."

Indeed, linking Cyrus to Jehovah is merely conjecture, and Samael has no concrete evidence to back it up.

But by planting a thorn between the old man of the mountain and Cyrus, the ancient serpent had already achieved its goal.

This time, Hassan Sabah's response was delayed for a long time.

"The Persian Empire attacked Greece and Rome in order to seize something called the Great Source of the Planet. Legend has it that it can allow the holder to reshape the star and become a god. If the King of Kings gets it, old man, you can probably guess the consequences."

Samael contentedly downed his glass of Jerab in one gulp, then gestured to the stunned Jingmi to refill his glass.

Hassan al-Sabah frowned, his eyes flashing with a mixture of light and shadow, and remained silent for a long time.

Frankly, despite the many doubts, Samael's conclusion that connects Cyrus the Great with Jehovah may not be correct.

Judging from the lessons of the last Greek defeat, this King of Kings is becoming increasingly secretive and cunning, rarely appearing in public or exposing himself.

Even the Grand Assassin before him failed to notice Cyrus's unusual behavior, which most likely proves that the connection between that God and Persia was not necessarily close.

Even if there is some connection between the two sides, Jehovah is more likely to remain hidden in the shadows, fueling the flames rather than directly intervening.

But that's none of his business. He's not playing a detective game; he's only responsible for smearing Cyrus, not for verifying anything.

Once doubt takes root, it will grow like weeds.

From this point on, a rift inevitably appeared in the relationship between the Assassins and the Persian Empire.

Then, he will have the opportunity to seize this card and complete the second step of his plan.

As for why they didn't reveal their divine identity to recruit the Assassins...

Haha, he is indeed the prototype of the angel of death, Azrael, but Jehovah, the king of kings, is the prototype of Allah. The old man of the mountain still stabbed him without hesitation.

In this broken world, there are those who want to kill gods, those who are capable of killing gods, and those who have killed gods.

Therefore, personal relationships are personal relationships, and political stances are political stances. The basis for cooperation lies in shared interests and demands.

Don't underestimate yourself, but don't overestimate yourself either!

Chapter 80: Nothing is true, everything is permitted! (3/3)

Samael swirled his teacup, took a small sip,

"What price did Cyrus pay to get you out of this temple of evening bells?"

"A century of leniency, the mountain people's continued kindness to this day."

"Yes, this sword strike is worth it!"

The ancient serpent nodded in agreement, then put down its teacup and quietly gazed at the solemn, desolate valley of death.

"But weapons are just weapons. The sacred fire of the Persian Pantheon has no place for those who serve darkness. You will never be able to leave these mountains."

The facts were undeniable. The old man paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and calmly looked at the deity before him.

"So, it's only worth that one sword strike. After that, I will lead the Order to withdraw from this conflict. Are you satisfied?"

The attendant beside him was utterly astonished when he saw the old man of the mountain bow slightly in greeting.

Even Cyrus the Great, who treated the mountain people kindly for a hundred years and personally went to their door to beg the old man for help, did not receive such treatment.

Moreover, there was a hint of pleading in these words, which contained a great deal of information.

"No rush. I came here specifically to thank you for your help in Uruk. I was in a hurry on the way and didn't bring any gifts, so how about I give you three pieces of advice instead?"

Samael waved his hand casually, his vertical pupils, which conveyed a smile and remembrance, were dark, deep, and full of meaning.

"Speaking…"

Listen carefully!