Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

As far as she knew, due to the differences in size and population between Greece and Persia, the fleet hastily assembled by the Athenians in order to seize the opportunity of the Egyptians' defection, in alliance with various city-states, consisted of at most 300-400 warships.

Athens' ability to defeat over 200 Persian warships in this battle, despite facing more than 1000 Persian ships and losing only 30 or 40, is a classic example of winning with fewer ships.

Furthermore, the Egyptians... have turned against us?

Scáthach pondered these words, seemingly pondering something. Her furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a hint of ease appeared on her handsome face.

She remembered that before they parted, someone told her to keep an eye on the Egyptians' movements.

Tsk tsk, it seems this was mostly that guy's doing. He can pull off something like this from a thousand miles away, so he's probably fine.

Since even Egypt has been won over, the situation in Rome is probably shifting from deterioration to stability and improvement.

Perhaps soon, that guy will arrive in Greece and meet up with her.

The more the Queen of the Land of Shadows thought about it, the more certain she became, and she was in a great mood.

"However, Lady Scáthach, we've also learned something else, regarding the aftermath of this naval battle..."

Immediately, Slud looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke softly.

"The Athenians seem to want to exile Timmy, who won the Battle of Salamis..."

"Admiral Timistokelli?"

Scáthach had long remembered the name of this commander who had created naval miracles.

"Yes, it's him! I heard about it too! Apparently, it was decided by some kind of vote!"

Hilde nodded repeatedly in response, but unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to the conversation at the time, so the information she gathered was vague and incomplete.

"It was a vote in the Assembly of Citizens. The reason was that although this general won the naval battle, he was hindered by the sea winds and the rescue was not timely, allowing many Athenian citizens who fell into the water to die at sea. I have written it all down."

Fortunately, Otlinde, who was standing nearby, had a habit of reading and taking notes, and immediately handed Scáthach the manuscript in which she had written down the keywords.

After several discussions, the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom gradually understood the cause and effect. Her face darkened, and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Are you kidding me?

War always results in death! Just because of inadequate rescue efforts, this so-called citizens' assembly vote is going to exile a general with outstanding military achievements? And at such a critical time in the battle between the two armies!

Did the Athenians eat too many olives and their brains sprout?!

Chapter Ninety-One: Bending Back and Forth on the Brink of Death

I can't figure it out... I can't figure it out...

Scáthach frowned, racking her brains but still unable to understand how these Athenians came up with the bizarre idea of ​​voting to exile their commander.

It should be noted that although Persia lost more than 200 warships, its total fleet of more than 1000 warships was considerable. Even though it suffered heavy losses, its main force was still intact.

If the naval commander were exiled at this point, what would the Greek navy use to defend against the enemy's attack if the Persians were to return? Their heads?

"War is a continuation of politics. To put it bluntly, according to human thinking, many things that seem absurd are, once you peel back the layers, driven by self-interest!"

Just as the four were racking their brains trying to figure it out, Holo, who was lying on the stone table eating an apple, threw down the core, clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling with wisdom, and raised her chin to speak eloquently.

Instead of trying to guess the Athenians' thought process, why don't you think about Timmy... Timmy something again?

However, in the end, that image of a wise and virtuous person collapsed due to a stumbling block in his name.

"Themistocles..."

Scáthach glanced at Holo's wagging tail and gave her a helpless reminder.

"Yes, Admiral Themistocles, use him as a starting point to see whose interests he has offended in Athens, and you might get the answer!"

The wise wolf raised his hand and slapped it on the stone table, grinning contemptuously and revealing two tiger teeth, his expression resolute.

"That guy taught you?"

"Isn't it...isn't it our own idea? Tch, you underestimate us, I can't be bothered talking to you!"

Scáthach watched as Holo stormed off, hiding in her house to sleep, shook her head and smiled. Then she turned to the three Valkyries and issued her orders in a deep voice.

"That guy wants us to hold onto Athens, and the naval war might break out again. A great general like Themistocles shouldn't fall victim to a sneak attack from his own people."

The three of you go and investigate this naval commander's interpersonal relationships and his conflicts of interest with some people in the upper echelons of Athens, and report back to me.

If needed, Sigurd and his men, who are lurking in the surrounding city-states, can be sent to gather intelligence.

When the conversation turned to business, the three Valkyries nodded seriously, but just as they were about to turn and leave, a word of advice came from behind them.

"Oh, right, pick out two baskets of the best apples at the market and send them to this girl's room later as a thank you gift for her advice."

Scáthach glanced at the tightly closed door behind her, her gaze falling on the slightly ajar crack, and she chuckled and shook her head.

As evening fell, the three Valkyries, Slud, Hild, and Otlind, returned one after another. Together, they pieced together the information they had gathered and actually managed to uncover several related hidden clues.

First, the naval commander Themistocles came from a merchant family. Although his father was wealthy, he did not belong to the most prominent family in Athens. His mother came from Thrace, a foreign land, and was not a descendant of Athenian citizens. Therefore, he was often bullied by nobles. After he gained power, he had many dirty dealings with the divine blood families who actually controlled the council hall of Ares in Athens.

Secondly, Themistocles was on good terms with another naval commander, Kshantipos. Of course, he wasn't the main point. The key was that he had a son named Pericles, who, with the secret support of the two naval commanders, was implementing democratic reforms in an attempt to weaken the power of the Ares Mountain council.

As Pericles' reforms were gradually implemented, the already corrupt and decaying Divine Bloodline family on Mount Ares naturally wanted to remove the wings of this young politician.

Under the aristocratic system, the naval commander Timmystique, who had no powerful connections, became the easiest target.

Clearly, the unsuccessful rescue efforts and fears of usurpation were just pretexts. The real reason was that those nobles of divine blood were unwilling to relinquish power and wanted to use this opportunity to put pressure on so-called democratic politics.

So, after all that, it's all about this trivial matter of fighting for power and profit?

Even as they faced certain death, they clung tightly to their remaining power, refusing to relinquish it.

Scáthach was speechless, her brow furrowing as a feeling of disgust welled up within her towards these so-called divine nobles of Athens.

"Is he imprisoned on Mount Ares? Hilde, Otlinde, you stay at home, Slud will accompany me."

Hehe, I want this person!

Afterwards, they sent him out of the city and entrusted him to Sigurd's care. This is only a minor victory; the Persians haven't withdrawn yet, and this old general might prove very useful in the future.

Immediately, the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom rose with a soft hum, her gaze deep and mysterious, and two demonic spears appeared amidst the shimmering crimson ethereal patterns.

She admires warriors, whether they are highly skilled fighters or generals proficient in battle formations; they all possess outstanding souls and are worthy of being cherished.

hum!

However, just as the two were about to set off, the earth trembled violently, the sand and stones beneath their feet were thrown up, and a blue-white beam of light, a hundred meters in diameter, shot into the sky, illuminating most of the Acropolis of Athens.

A mysterious connection emanated from within the blue and white pillar of light, a powerful call rising from their hearts, driving them to approach that radiant light as if on a pilgrimage.

That's...the direction of Mount Ares!

What exactly happened?

Scáthach and the three Valkyries simultaneously sensed that faint, peculiar resonance, their gazes met, and their expressions froze.

Meanwhile, in the chaotic sea.

A simple, bamboo-like raft, a rudimentary means of navigation, sailed upstream against the surging waves.

boom!

Suddenly, the crew member who was lying on the side of the bamboo raft, swimming with his claw-like weapon, twitched his leopard ears, dropped his equipment, and stood up abruptly. His beastly orange pupils stared straight at a certain direction shrouded in mist, and he murmured excitedly.

"Kukur, over there! It sounds like something is calling to us, you can feel it too, right?"

"Snapped!"

The blonde goddess next to him, dressed in Sumerian-style casual clothes, slapped the leopard man on the head, raising an eyebrow and sneering.

"Do you even need to tell me? Keep rowing!"

"But I'm so hungry! I've been paddling all the way from Maya to here, it's been a year! How can you treat a leopard like this? We're sisters, after all..."

"Stop complaining. If the course is correct, it looks like we're about to find that land. Once we're ashore, you can eat your fill."

"Great! I want to eat human flesh!"

"boom!"

The leopard-man, who possessed feline characteristics and whose daily life was constantly on the verge of collapse, was blasted away by a single punch and plunged headfirst into the sea of ​​chaos.

"I'm not eating anymore! I was just kidding, I was just kidding, okay..."

Seeing that Quetzalcoatl was looking at her with a half-smile and a malicious intent, the leopard-woman soaking in the water shuddered, her hair standing on end in fright. She immediately surrendered.

"You've been rowing all this time, it must have been hard on you. How about this, I'll take over the rest of the journey."

"It's not hard work at all, I'm doing this voluntarily! A love of labor is a fine quality of leopards!"

"Don't force yourself, it's your turn to rest. Besides, I've reserved a nice spot for you on the boat."

The feathered serpent god's voice grew gentler, and his smile more enthusiastic. The leopard-woman sensed something was wrong, and a strong palpitation made her instinctively turn around and swim away from the demon.

However, repeated failures have proven that such resistance is destined to be futile.

Ten minutes later, a strong wind blew across the sea, propelling the bamboo raft forward at high speed. The feathered serpent goddess remained leisurely, arms crossed, leaning against the boat and admiring the sea view.

On the mast, a pitiful creature, shaped like the Chinese character "大" (big), was suspended with its mouth gagged, its sails spread wide, blowing in the cold wind as if it wanted to cry but had no tears, sobbing as it poured out its heart.

I...I want to go boating...

Gangster Boss.jpg

Chapter Ninety-Two: The Return of the Machine God!

Rome, the city of seven hills.

As the moon rose high in the sky and the night deepened, looking down from the sacred Palatine Hill, the lights of thousands of homes gradually went out. The entire city was free from the hustle and bustle of festivals and the oppression of war, revealing a rare tranquility and peace.

But as the gaze moves upward, inside the majestic Roman palace, a short, slender figure stealthily pushes open the door of the council chamber, first peeking around cautiously, then carefully slipping into the shadows of the corner of the wall towards the main entrance.

However, the little mouse, which was trying to escape, was stopped by a graceful figure hidden in the darkness as soon as it reached the corner.

"Your Majesty, where are you going?"

The Valkyrie Brunhilde emerged gracefully from the shadows, a slight smile on her face.

"Hmm... Ugh, the government office is so boring, and there's nothing to do. Can't I go down the mountain for a stroll?"

Nero's eyes darted around, then his face tightened, he put his hands on his hips and straightened up, putting on a somewhat dignified look.

Do I need to bring these for a walk?

Brunhilde's gaze swept over Nero's bulging bundle on his shoulder and the crimson curved greatsword in his hand, her expression mocking.

"Uh, for self-defense?"

"I think you just want to sneak off to Greece."

"No way!"

“I advise you not to waste your energy. The entire Palatine Hill outpost is now under the control of Amazonian warriors. With your ‘sisters’ around, you won’t be able to get past Rome or Palatine Hill, let alone me.”

With a light laugh and a word of advice, a fair and delicate hand lifted Nero by the back of his collar, carrying the Rose Emperor, and headed toward the Hall of State Affairs.

"Your Majesty, you should stay in the palace."

"How boring! You have to manage everything in the palace. You can't do anything about important matters, and the trivial matters are too boring. I don't want to be a mascot on the throne!"

"That's because the war just ended, and you insisted on building a grand theater, adding more festivals and celebrations, and even organizing concerts and other events at your own expense. You've made a complete mess of things. Your Majesty, you should just stay in the government office and keep to yourself. The overall situation still needs your help to stabilize it."

“I don’t want to! Don’t think I don’t know that the Persian Empire has been defeated, Attila has retreated, and Egypt has rebelled. The three crises have been resolved. What’s left are just trivial matters that need to be rebuilt. With the provincial system, the Pantheon, and several other emperors supporting us, what does it matter whether I’m here or not?”

Nero's little head shook like a rattle-drum, his attitude resolute. His emerald eyes sparkled brightly, and he danced in mid-air like a bard.

"Greece is wonderful! Now everyone with a name is going to Greece to join in the fun. It has become the focus of the stage. I have a feeling that a magnificent epic is about to begin! How can a genius like the flower of Rome miss such a grand performance!"

"No matter how good it is, it's not for you. Your task is to stay in the palace and stabilize the situation in Rome. Don't even think about running away."

"Rejected! I am the emperor, and I have special privileges. I order you to relinquish your power. No one can stop a performer's determination to step onto the stage!"

"Return the emperor's privileges? Return the determination? Sorry, I'm not under your jurisdiction. His Highness Samael has already ordered me to keep an eye on you."

Brunhilde tapped the troublemaker's head impatiently, the crisp echo reverberating through the courtyard, while the dimly lit government hall came into view.

hum!

Suddenly, the supple and dense aether trembled, and Nero, who was held in the Valkyrie's hand, broke free from the rune's seal like a slippery eel and landed lightly.

"You actually..."

"Wow, impressive, right! Don't underestimate me! To escape your clutches, I've trained extensively in the Pantheon and have already received the blessings of Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the goddess of beauty!"