Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Besides, Mount Ares never issued an order to hold Thermopylae..."

Queen Gogo's breath hitched, her expression darkening.

This is the crux of the current stalemate in the battle.

In fact, as early as the beginning of the Third Persian War, Mount Ares had already chosen the Pratia region, located in Corinth, as the decisive battlefield for the land battle.

In this way, although the area along the Athenian border was impregnable, it left many northern city-states vulnerable, unable to fight back under the crushing force of the Persian army.

Furthermore, almost all Greek urban planning followed a concentric, outward-concentric structure: acropolis-city area-city walls-farmland. Once war reached the heart of the city, it meant the farmland and cash crops outside the city would be ravaged, and citizens would suffer economic losses due to the inability to farm and the damage to crops. The concentration of large numbers of people and livestock in urban areas could easily lead to food and water contamination, thereby inducing disease outbreaks.

By diverting most of the military force to the Plataea region to consolidate Athens' foundation, while leaving more risks to the city-states along the route, it naturally led to disagreements.

In response, the northern city-states, led by Sparta, advocated pushing the defensive line forward to the Tempe Gorge where Thessaly was located and Thermopylae behind it, using the natural barriers that made it difficult for large armies to deploy to repel the enemy and protect the entire Greek territory as much as possible.

The more radical Thessalians even threatened that if the coalition forces of Mount Ares could not support their resistance and preserve the city-state's temple of evil gods, they would rather surrender to the Persians.

The differing opinions on strategic decision-making led to a continuous wrangling between the two sides regarding the deployment of land defenses.

The victory at the Battle of Salamis led the Persians to shift their focus to land warfare and accelerate their march.

With the fall of Macedonia and Thrace, and seeing the Persians advancing rapidly and closing in, Spartan King Leonidas, Macedonian Prince Alexander, and Roman Emperor Caesar, who was forced to remain in Greece, made a decisive move and quickly contacted the surrounding city-states to deploy defenses in the Tempe Gorge of Thessaly.

As a result, although the Spartans' unilateral action halted the Persian army's advance, their practice of acting first and informing later displeased Ares, who was accustomed to giving orders.

The fact that the Athenian army has not yet moved suggests that Ares may be using this opportunity to weaken and intimidate Sparta.

Meanwhile, the elderly people, nearing the end of their lives, whispered amongst themselves, their voices filled with disdain.

"What do you mean it concerns the life and death of Greece? I think the Spartans clearly want to use the Athenian army to defend their own territory!"

“That’s right. We should have just followed our plan, but the Spartans insisted on going their own way to guard Thermopylae. Since they refuse to obey Mount Ares’ orders, they must bear the consequences themselves!”

“Indeed, Athens has already sacrificed enough for Greece in the two Greco-Persian Wars! We don’t need to send troops to support these barbarians for their own benefit, since it will be Athenian citizens who die! Our own descendants!”

"Besides, Thermopylae is just a small pass. We have already dealt a heavy blow to the Persians at the Battle of Salamis. This time, it will be just like the two previous Greco-Persian Wars, all bark and no bite. No matter how much the Persians fuss, they won't be able to stir up any waves."

……

Hearing the increasingly noisy and unpleasant discussions, Queen Gogo could tell that these nobles of divine blood were revealing their selfishness and blind arrogance, and she couldn't help but shout angrily.

"Gentlemen! Don't limit your attention to Mount Ares or Athens. Open your eyes and look outside. The Roman god has fallen, and the city of the seven hills almost fell. Cyrus the Great even colluded with the Egyptians and Huns to prepare for a full-scale war with Greece. Therefore, this Greco-Persian War is definitely different from the previous two!"

Moreover, even though we won the Battle of Marathon, the Battle of Salamis, and the first two Greco-Persian Wars, it did not change our passive and dangerous situation. The Persians launched war after war, and they would not stop until they had annexed the entire Greek territory!

At this crucial moment, do you still intend to cling to Athens, unwilling to set aside your pride and prejudices for the future of all Greece?!

This reasoned and well-founded rebuttal, like a storm, silenced the noise in the council hall, causing many of the noble bloodlines to fall into a moment of reflection.

However, a robust, bearded man in a white robe stood up, opened his arms, and solemnly pondered.

“Your Majesty, I understand your feelings very well. After all, King Leonidas personally led the troops to the front lines, drawing upon 300 royal guards with divine blood flowing through their veins. Behind them are 300 Spartan families on the verge of collapse! Among them are your fathers, brothers, and relatives. The Spartans have given their all for this war!”

Theron? Could it be that it wasn't this guy who leaked our whereabouts, and I really misunderstood him?

The Queen of Sparta stared in disbelief at the man who was agreeing with her.

But in an instant, the bearded man changed his tone, his gaze turning cold and stern.

"But once a large army is mobilized and the Persians are at Thermopylae to fight, how many Athenians will lose their lives! How many families will be torn apart!"

The Spartans did make sacrifices in the war, but the Athenians sacrificed even more!

Mount Ares has a responsibility to the citizens of Athens, and to all Greeks!

According to my latest information, Thermopylae is far from falling!

You cannot allow the innocent bloodshed of free Athenians and drag all of Greece onto the Spartan chariot simply because you are worried about your husband and the citizens of Sparta!

The words, each one sharp and incisive, coupled with the frontline reports that Theron passed from his bosom to the council members, caused the Athenian nobles, who had initially been somewhat persuaded, to turn cold and indifferent.

Chapter 114 The Legendary "City Builders"

"You're lying! These reports are forged! You liar! You traitor!"

Gogo realized he had fallen into the opponent's debate trap. In a fit of rage, he immediately stepped forward to grab the traitor, spitting on his smug face, and tried to snatch the intelligence from the Athenian nobles to verify its authenticity.

However, as soon as the Spartan queen made a move, the Blood Guards outside the door rushed into the hall without any politeness and pulled her away.

The bearded man's tactic of feigning retreat to gain empathy was brilliant, rendering Ge Guo's previous efforts futile.

This sudden betrayal caused the usually composed and dignified Spartan queen to lose her composure, which made the high-ranking nobles even colder, who waved their hands to order the two to be expelled from Mount Ares.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have also heard that after the fall of the god Romulus, the extremely weakened Roman Empire still managed to hold off the invasion of the Persian Empire, and the Hunnic Empire was unable to even break through the defenses of a group of Celtic barbarians."

Surely the Athenians, who defeated Persia twice, couldn't do something like this?

Ultimately, the Persians were nothing more than a sand dune, strong on the outside but weak on the inside, unable to withstand the crashing waves of the Oceanus, and they posed no threat to the safety of Greece.

Moreover, the Egyptians have already defected, and Ramses II will be arriving in Athens soon. We can easily unite with Egypt and then take action. There is no need to take responsibility for the recklessness of Leonidas, this warmonger; and there is no need to sacrifice the blood of all of Greece to forge Sparta's glorious achievements!

Glory belongs to Athens! Greece will always be Athenian Greece!

At this moment, the bearded man pressed his advantage, gradually dismantling the sense of crisis created by Geguo, which pleased the nobles of the Divine Blood in the council hall, who nodded frequently.

“Athenians, you may question Gogo’s original intentions, but you should listen to the guidance of the gods and believe in the revelation of destiny.”

Before I came, I received an oracle from Delphi concerning the future of Athens:

The seventh trumpet will sound, the kingdom will come, olives will be burned in the fire, the bells of calamity will toll in mourning, the unrighteous will remain unrighteous, the defiled will remain defiled, judgment will come, and each person will be rewarded according to their deeds!

The Persians will bring irreparable disaster to Greece; you must treat this war with utmost care!

Upon seeing this, Helen immediately raised the oracle of the Temple of Delphi and cried out urgently.

"The Oracle of Delphi? Hah, so this is the tactic you Spartans used to win over the northern city-states, isn't it?"

The old man wearing the Medusa emblem sneered disdainfully.

"Stop with these pathetic tricks! The Olympian gods have long since gone to Rome, to the sacred grounds of Mount Ares. You think you can use these old grievances to order us around? Foolish! Free Athenians will only follow the teachings of the Three Goddesses!"

Three 100-meter-tall marble sculptures—Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war; Themis, the goddess of order and justice; and Medusa, the goddess of earth and vengeance—with rotating halos, stand around the venue, highlighting the imposing presence and arrogance of the elderly man in the spotlight.

"Gentlemen, you should know very well that Sparta has been a staunch ally of Athens since ancient times."

Our Spartan ancestor, Hercules, was guided by the goddess Athena to break free from his shackles and become a close friend of the King of Athens; my brothers Castor and Pollux were also fortunate enough to become warriors under the goddess's command, guarding the sacred land.

In the war of the giants, we fought side by side to protect the flame of civilization and defeated the Star Vanguard!

In the Trojan War, to determine the continuation of the Age of Gods, we answered the call to fight Troy together and consolidated the supreme authority of Mount Ares!

In this Greco-Persian War, Leonidas was not defending Thermopylae in Sparta, but preserving the water and land of all of Greece for you and your descendants!

The Spartans never betrayed Greece, yet Athens, for its own selfish desires, disregarded its former allies and demolished its own fortress!

Helen bit her cherry lips tightly, intending to use sharp words to awaken the resolve of these old, divine nobles.

However, the angry curses and unmoved indifference caused the young girl, who had come from a prosperous era of heroes, to gradually sink to the bottom. A nameless sorrow arose in her mind, and words of indignation burst out.

“You are not worthy to inherit the bloodline of your ancestors, nor are you worthy to enjoy the respect of the Greeks. I await the day when your heads will be cut off by the Persians!”

Athenians, the future of Greece will not be lost in ignorance and weakness, but destroyed by your arrogance and hubris!

"presumptuous!"

"Get out!"

Suddenly, the elderly people, who had been drowsy, became indignant and angrily rebuked and shouted.

"How dare they defile this sacred temple and utter such a wicked curse! This is disrespect to the gods; they should be put to death!"

The bearded traitor kept stirring up trouble and spewing malicious advice.

Just as he was about to take advantage of the chaos to make his move, he suddenly felt a chill in his chest, his eyes bulged out, he gasped for breath, and clutched his blood-stained abdomen with both hands, convulsing and collapsing to the ground.

"Pah! Traitor!"

At this moment, the Spartan Queen, who had somehow drawn a short sword from the waist of one of the Divine Blood Guards, seized the opportunity to stab the traitor to death. This traitor had leaked their whereabouts and had bitten them in the process of persuading Mount Ares.

The pampered elderly people had never seen such a brutal scene before, and the glaring blood on the white marble made their faces turn pale, their cheeks stinging as if they had been slapped hard.

"Guard! Guard!"

A sharp, rising roar came from dozens of seats. A squad of Divine Blood Guards, having received the order, filed in, immediately removed their shields, drew their short swords, and stepped forward, ready to subdue the two audacious Spartan women with ruthless methods.

"Buzz! Buzz!"

However, as the Divine Blood Guards charged forward, the ether in the air vibrated violently. Streams of flying runes surrounded Gogo and Helen, deflecting all the suppressing spells and weapons that were thrown at them. Two dazzling beams of light shot into the sky.

"Rebellion! Rebellion! How dare they storm the council hall of Mount War God! Capture them, dead or alive!"

The old man with the Medusa emblem on his chest was furious. Two squads of guards who had come upon hearing the news formed a square formation, resonating with the ether, and surrounded Gogo and Helen in the center. Meanwhile, the magicians and priests who came to reinforce from the outside continuously weakened the protective spells surrounding the two.

The old men in the council chamber had sinister eyes, and their disrespectful gazes were cast at the two people in the center.

As the runes on Helen and Gogo's bodies shattered and dimmed one by one, and the outer light membrane almost disappeared, a sudden and violent tremor spread from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top.

Someone is attacking the Holy Domain of Mount War God! Are they crazy?!

The people in the council chamber looked at each other in disbelief.

boom! boom! boom! boom!

In the blink of an eye, the terrifying red and black ethereal tides surged through dozens of nested protective barriers, reaching the mountainside and forming a ferocious flame that stained half the sky.

In an instant, the first six signs of the zodiac—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo—collapsed one after another, and the star map overlaid on Mount Ares burst open like bubbles that had been punctured.

Immediately afterwards, bursts of air and colorful patterns of light from the collapsing magic array continued to emanate along the way. With each step forward, the red and black light and shadow caused the stars along the way to dim and extinguish.

The 88 constellations, powerful enough to rival the gods, fell into complete silence in less than ten breaths.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, a lazy figure, surrounded by six beautiful women, strolled leisurely towards the council hall.

Behind them, a group of disheveled Saint Seiya warriors followed cautiously.

"boom!"

Just as the Divine Blood Guards along the way were about to step forward to stop them, a stone sculpture resembling a city brick slammed heavily onto the square. As the dust settled, the guards stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.

"Guards! Guards! And Zodiac warriors, what are you doing? Why aren't you stopping this monster!" The old man wearing the Medusa emblem suppressed his fear, grabbed a soldier who had put down his sword and shield, and roared angrily.

“The Builder…that is the emblem of the Builder…”

The soldier stammered his reply, and as he instinctively parted the gap, the ancient stone, decorated with patterns of Gorgon and olive branches, was revealed in its entirety, exuding an obscure aura.

The Pandion family, the builders of Athens!

Chapter 115 The Ancestor Has Arrived!

Greece flourished because of its city-states.

The city builders were the first people to establish various city-states on the earth, brick by brick.

For each city-state, this title was not only a symbol of noble status but also a supreme honor, and it was often revered and remembered by the people to this day.

The origins of several well-known divine bloodline families are basically derived from this.

In Athens, only the Pandion family dared to use the Gorgon goddess and olive branches as symbols among the city builders.

Legend has it that they were protected by three goddesses, and were especially favored by Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

According to a rumor, a descendant of the Pandion family who inherited the throne of Athens was an illegitimate child raised by the goddess of wisdom, Athena.

Therefore, the Pandion family is also regarded as the descendants of the goddess, and they have a transcendent status on Mount Ares, being the direct persons in charge of hearing the voice of heaven and conveying divine will.

"Employers, are you alright?"

Samael stepped up the stairs, entered the council chamber, and approached Gogo and Helen, frowning as he inquired.

"It's, it's okay..."

The Spartan queen stared at the empty surroundings and the assassin bodyguards who had suddenly appeared before her, speechless for a long time before she subconsciously gave a vague response.

fine?

Sama stroked his chin, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping around.

The nearby Divine Blood Guards instinctively sheathed their swords and shields, bowed, touched their chests, and carefully avoided eye contact as they paid their respects to this "City Builder."

As for why, duh!

The entire Mount Ares is Pandion's backyard. With such a status, let alone breaking into the Holy Land, even if he rebelled in the Acropolis of Athens, without divine will and oracle, the citizens' assembly probably wouldn't be able to judge him.

"Looks like I arrived at the wrong time and missed a good show, so could someone please explain..."