Since the Gorgoneion had already appeared on this island, it was obvious who its holder was.
Rome was in Italy, and the largest magic society controlling Italy was the Copper Black Cross.
Only a fool wouldn't believe that when the Gorgoneion appeared in Rome, it was taken by them.
But when Liliana came to the Copper Black Cross to investigate, she really couldn't find it.
So where could the Gorgoneion be? There were only two possibilities left. One was with the Black Prince, and the other... was with the deity Erica served, Lancelot.
Liliana's choice was to try her luck on Sardinia.
Marquis Voban was never a fool. He understood the need to conserve strength before facing a powerful enemy.
That's precisely why his urgency for the Gorgoneion grew; he had already determined that the deity corresponding to it was Athena.
As a triple-goddess, Athena's Authorities must be incredibly powerful. What Marquis Voban valued most was the Gorgon's Eye, the eye that could petrify its target.
He himself possessed the Petrifaction Eye that turned things to salt, but its effect against Heretic Gods and Godslayers wasn't great.
It could only temporarily salt parts of their bodies, gaining a combat advantage.
However, this eye had a flaw: it could only salt living things. Armor or weapons were unaffected.
Against that Heretic God who appeared as Lancelot but was actually a Dragon-Serpent, this eye would likely be blocked by her armor (scales).
In that case, it was far less flexible than the petrifying Gorgon's Eye.
To restrict that incredible speed, limiting her movement was essential.
Moreover, after acquiring an Authority worth three from the triple-aspect Wind God, Voban was convinced he wouldn't just get the petrifying eye from Athena.
Yet, all these plans were forced to crumble when he learned the Gorgoneion had been brought to Sardinia.
He didn't even need to think; he knew that 'Lancelot' would never hand over the stone.
Even though his anger burned fiercely, he suppressed the urge to immediately confront the Copper Black Cross.
Instead of tipping his hand like that, it was better to wait for an opportunity, to get the Gorgoneion through other means.
After waiting several days, Liliana finally saw the opportunity the Wolf King had mentioned.
Standing before the villa, Liliana had no idea where her fate would lead.
Stealing a goddess's treasure, defying her majesty—the consequences were laid out in countless myths. She didn't think she'd be so lucky as to be forgiven.
But more than that 'Lancelot', she feared Voban, who had haunted her since childhood.
Without any hesitation, Liliana barged straight into the villa.
Melusine and Athena, sitting in the car, immediately sensed what was happening.
Melusine was about to tell Erica to stop the car, but Athena raised a hand, silencing her before she could speak.
Before, she might have ignored her, but Athena's feeding plan had been effective. At least now, Melusine was willing to hear her out.
"Relax. I've left my familiars near the 'Snake'. Not even a Great Knight among humans could deal with them easily. Besides, she wouldn't dare act here. That maid won't be harmed," Athena explained.
This reason clearly wasn't enough to make Melusine abandon the idea of going back.
A smile played on Athena's lips. "Melusine, who do you think sent that intruder?"
"The Wolf King," Melusine stated matter-of-factly.
At her answer, Athena felt both satisfied and resigned. "Exactly. Right now, no one desires that artifact more than me and that fool. So, why let a small matter like this ruin our shopping trip?"
Like an elder guiding a child's thoughts, she didn't spell it out but gave Melusine a direction to think.
Showing off a little was just one of those Heretic God traits, wasn't it?
Melusine did find the answer in her hint, but...
"Why go to all this trouble?" Melusine couldn't grasp her reasoning... though, come to think of it, it wasn't surprising. It'd be weirder if she did understand.
"See? You're not lacking in wisdom," Athena finally explained.
"Even if that fool gets the Gorgoneion, it's meaningless. What he truly desires isn't the stone itself, but to lure me out with it."
A sneer crossed her face. "But he never imagined I'd already met you, made a pact with you. Even if he holds the Snake, there's no way I'll fight him or grant him an Authority."
A Godslayer's conditions for gaining new Authorities were extremely strict.
They could only gain one by defeating a Heretic God in a fair, well-prepared battle. Sneak attacks on a weakened deity yielded nothing.
In other words, Voban couldn't get her power.
"But what does that have to do with any of this..." Melusine started, then caught Athena's meaning. Her expression turned both disdainful and wry.
She wanted to see Voban make a fool of himself. Or rather, to see him fuming with nowhere to direct his anger.
"This utterly random, twisted sense of humor... it's just like that Red Sith..."
Though she didn't know who that Sith was, the disdainful look and the comment about 'random, twisted humor' forced Athena to explain:
"Fools and Gods are mortal enemies. Since I have the chance to enjoy the spectacle of my enemy in a rage, why wouldn't I?"
"Imagine it. That fool schemes meticulously, believes he's sacrificed so much to obtain something, only to find it's a useless trinket that hastens his own end. Isn't that exquisitely funny? And he's a fool with Authority over the underworld too. There's a limit to how insufferable one can be."
"If you don't do everything you can to find joy, then spending your days in utter boredom is only natural."
Having explained, she didn't forget to nudge Melusine again.
"The resemblance is getting uncanny..." Melusine suppressed her urge to retort and steered the conversation back.
"Regardless, I won't just sit by and let the Wolf King take that artifact."
"Unlike you, even though I can technically hand the Gorgoneion over to you after all this is over by exploiting a loophole in my wording, I did promise he wouldn't get it."
Seeing her slip back into 'knight mode', Athena knew there was no room for negotiation.
It was a shame they couldn't press their advantage today, but she had no reason to refuse.
"A dragon with such a flexible mind like you... this is a first for me. No... this is how it should be."
Initially somewhat amazed by Melusine's ability to exploit loopholes, Athena quickly attributed it to being 'part of her being soft-hearted towards her mother'.
Realizing Melusine had broken her own principles for her sake filled her with even more delight, and she naturally accepted this new perspective.
Unaware of Athena's wildly imaginative thoughts, Melusine stepped out of the car, which had long since pulled over.
She was actually a little curious about who would be so bold as to try and steal from her home.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.