The next day.
The army had not moved, but the provisions had gone ahead.
Although the Wars of the mythical era did not have such stringent demands for this, the vastness of the land leveled the distance between it and later generations.
In just half a month, a divine oracle from Olympia spread throughout the human world.
Ares, God of War, for the first time personally commanded a large army, intending to recover the prisoner through War and kill the Centaur who had disgraced him on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the response from the heretical nation quickly returned.
Facing Ares' demands, they unceremoniously called him a false god and declared that if he dared to step onto the land illuminated by their Lord's glory, they would weave defeat into a crown to replace the War God's useless bronze helmet.
For a time, the gaze of the eastern lands converged, and the War in Athens paled in comparison.
For a thousand years, this was the first time a deity had moved against that monotheistic nation.
So much so that as Ares' army marched eastward, countless believers spontaneously gathered under his banner, hoping to contribute their strength to the Gods.
"This is my power of appeal, my sister; you don't have to worry about me. Compared to the battlefield in the human world, Mother Goddess's annual bathing is more worthy of your attention."
"Every one hundred and twenty years, Mother Goddess will feast the Gods after regaining her youth and share the sacred fruits from her garden with them."
"Once you've arranged it for her, it will be perfect for celebrating my victory."
...
Human world.
Nafplion.
Milky white hot springs emerged from the ground, mixing with the mountain springs.
A golden cup floated in the spring water, and a pale green liquid stained the surrounding droplets.
The War in the human world intensified, and the aura of conflict seemed to spread across the wilderness.
But it was different here; around the city-state named Nafplion, everything remained as peaceful as ever.
Because the Kanathos Spring was here, neither military disaster nor chaos had ever disturbed its tranquility. (See 3-178)
Drip...
Drip...
Splash...
Holding the golden cup, Hebe waved her hand.
Pale golden divine power flowed through her body, drying the water from her skin.
Not long ago, the words of her brother Ares, born of the same mother, seemed to still be vivid in her mind.
At that time, he had just drunk the fine wine he had brewed, his fighting spirit soaring among the myriad troops.
Hebe just didn't know if he was telling the truth; she could only hope so.
After all, as he said, Mother Goddess's banquet was about to be held.
"Water from the heavens, water from the earth, water neither heaven nor earth, the essence of the four oceans."
Holding the golden cup, Hebe murmured softly.
"I, Hebe, Goddess of Youth, bless you with my supreme Authority."
"When you flow through my golden cup, I will leave youth to you; youth will melt in your water, and you will return purity to those who bathe..."
"O Kanathos Spring, you are my symbol, Queen Hera's bathing place."
"The great Mother Goddess rotates here; she comes here as a married woman and leaves the spring as an unmarried woman."
"Guardian of marriage... Unmarried maidens pray to you for happiness."
"Protector of marriage... Married wives pray to you for fidelity."
"Your daughter offers this gift to you here, purifying anxiety, fatigue, and aging, allowing you to return to virginity and regain youth..."
Hebe whispered softly, accompanied by the silent tremor of the laws.
This was a ritual she would continue for several days, finally, at the beginning of spring, when all things grew, to welcome the mistress of Mount Olympus, Queen Hera, to bathe here.
This steadfast and loyal Goddess rarely left the God Mountain, yet this was a place she visited every year.
There were even ancient poems in the human world singing praises to the great Kanathos Sacred Spring.
"...Only Erwin, few know that unlike other legendary springs, the Kanathos Sacred Spring was nothing at all at first."
"The devils of Hell once said that at the midpoint of the Nine Hells, the Mid-Court has a divine spring that purifies all things; Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, also has a spring that can restore her chastity. She bathes in the waters of Paphos, the Three Graces dance for her, and when she emerges from the sea, she seems to have gained new Life."
"But only Hera is different. Initially, it was just a simple spring. Like every other spring on earth, it had no special function."
"Until that day, Hebe, Goddess of Youth, was born, and then the change followed."
On an unnamed desolate mountain, an oak staff rested on the ground.
Supported respectfully by his student, the old man walked step by step to the summit of the desolate mountain.
His cloudy eyes gazed into the distance; not far from Nafplion, the Goddess was chanting a song.
"You see, this is God... This is the power of God."
"Powerful and unique, elusive and irreplicable. So much so that their birth brings subtle yet tangible effects to the entire world, causing this spring to transform along with her."
"The Queen gave birth to the Goddess of Youth, and Hebe returned true youth to her."
"How about it, Erwin, do you understand anything?"
Pointing his staff into the distance, the old man asked with a smile.
But beside him, the middle-aged man was already filled with unspeakable tension.
"Teacher... I..."
"No... Do we really have to..."
"Haven't we already done it?"
The old man countered, but Erwin merely shook his head.
"But that was just an ancient god no one cared about, and at that time he had been drained of all his power by Typhon!"
"But this one..."
"But this one is the beloved daughter of Queen Hera and God King Zeus, a well-known deity of the Olympus Divine Court—but Erwin, what's the difference between them?"
"Important or not, if discovered, the result is the same; you should know that."
No, it's not the same, Erwin retorted in his heart.
The risks are completely different, so how can they be equated... However, he didn't dare to refute his teacher, after all, he knew that although most of those experiments were carried out by him, the true ideas always came from this frail old man.
If it weren't for the other party's body already decaying, many things probably wouldn't have fallen to him to assist.
In Silvermoon City, there were far more wizards with greater talent and ability than him.
But just as his teacher said, in this world, position and mindset are often far more important than ability, and knowing oneself and making choices are far more important than talent.
So, hundreds of years passed, and he was still alive and had reached this position, while those 'capable' people had already died without a trace.
Even if Medea looked down on him, and the other Great Wizards only gave him the most basic respect out of deference to his teacher, he was content.
It is valuable to know oneself; since he was never a clever person, he just needed to follow truly clever people.
"Teacher, I understand."
Nodding silently, Erwin's attitude was respectful.
"So when do we start, after the battle over there begins?"
"No."
Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head.
"We start now."
"After all, if we really wait until then... it might be too late."
He didn't explain what would be too late, and the middle-aged man wisely didn't ask.
Standing on the unnamed desolate mountain, the two waited quietly.
It wasn't until the sun gradually set, and the moon had not yet risen, that the old man's expression subtly changed, and he slowly nodded.
"Almost... Now is the time."
"But remember—Erwin, the key to this operation is not with me, but with you."
Leaning on his staff, the old man finally instructed:
"At the most suitable time, at the most appropriate moment, complete the task I've given you; this is something only you can do—I have handed over all my control over the Artificial Magic Net to you, do not disappoint me."
"You should be clear, unlike the God of Stars, Hebe's Authority is naturally linked to Life; this is the closest path to immortality."
"Although your talent is average, Erwin, we all know that." Staring into his student's eyes, the old man's words carried a hint of encouragement: "You can't compare to your peers, much less to Medea."
"But as long as there is endless time, they will eventually be your stepping stones."
"This is the reward for the diligent."
"Yes... I understand, teacher!"
Speaking in a deep voice, clenching his fists slightly. At this moment, a long-lost surge of passion rose in his heart.
Yes, just as the teacher said, if my one day can't compare to someone else's one day, I will use ten days, twenty days to compare.
What about divine descendants, what about longer lives, can you compare with immortality?
Taking a deep breath, Erwin bowed deeply to the old man.
"Teacher, I'll go first then."
"As long as you give the order, the power you need will fall into the most suitable place."
As his words fell, he no longer hesitated.
With a ripple in space, the middle-aged man directly disappeared from the unnamed hillside.
Only the old man remained standing there, welcoming the arrival of nightfall.
"Heh heh... So much vitality."
After a long while, the old man chuckled softly.
When the message that Erwin was ready came, looking at the Goddess of Youth who was still performing the ritual, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
"This is unavoidable; who made... Forget it."
"It's all your own fault for not striving; how can you blame me?"
Shaking his head slightly, the old man's staff lightly tapped the ground.
The next moment, on the plain at the edge of his vision, the light and shadow of Nafplion seemed to tremble slightly, then became somewhat blurred.
In the unseen, it seemed as if something had been activated.
But at this moment, the mortals in that city-state were completely unaware.
"Living sacrifice, a taboo of the Gods."
"Fortunately, I am not a believer."
With a calm expression, the old man stepped out and arrived above the Kanathos Spring.
He reached out, and the next moment, in the heart of Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, who was maintaining the ritual, a shadow named 'Death', which the Gods had never experienced, instantly enveloped her heart.
...
At the same time, in Silvermoon City, in the southeast of the continent.
A thousand years like one day, one day like a thousand years.
On the temple of the high cliff, it was the same as when Chiron had last visited.
A gentle breeze blew, stirring the sound of wind chimes.
Only this time, standing in the great hall, the Centaur was no longer there to seek aid.
"Lord Chiron, how did you find your days in Olympia previously?"
Still one of the three from last time, the young man in his twenties stood in the temple.
His silver-gray hair seemed to silently speak of his age, and standing before him, Chiron shook his head helplessly.
"Merely a period as a prisoner, but thanks to you, it wasn't too bad."
"Heracles rescued me; he is a young man of both wisdom and courage... But let's talk about me."
"You summoned me today, I heard it's for something related to my teacher?"
"Strictly speaking, not exactly."
Waving his hand with a smile, the young-looking Archbishop with long gray hair was very casual in his manner.
But the next moment, his words made Chiron's heart tighten.
"You know, considering the divine oracle that angels once brought down and their past assistance, the Church has always held Princess Artemis, Princess Selene, and Princess Hecate in high esteem."
"We do not regard them as false gods, but rather as colleagues of the angels. Therefore, many things they have done before, such as desecrating Life, creating undead, and even dividing souls like your student—we have temporarily chosen to overlook."
"After all, the great Nether Moon's light can also create the deceased; everything is part of the cycle. Plus, you sealed those forbidden researches in a timely manner, so these are still acceptable."
"Until recently, did you know, a being from Mount Olympus infiltrated Silvermoon City. Although the White Tower ultimately did not actively notify us of this matter, I still found out."
"This matter can be big or small, after all, they only played a trick on that 'noble' God of Wind. However, what's very interesting is, when we investigated what this God of Wind had done to prevent accidents... we were blocked by a barrier."
"Barrier?"
With a bewildered expression, Chiron didn't know what the other party was talking about.
"How is this possible?"
"Don't the divine arts of several Archbishops allow them to summon projections of divine artifacts? Under the shadow of the legendary chronicle of ages, what in the mortal world could block your investigation?"
"Exactly, that's what I thought too."
Nodding slowly, the young man was still smiling, but the Centaur inexplicably felt a chill.
"Nothing in the mortal world can block the chronicle of ages' pursuit; that is the Lord's reflection on history, a symbol of His suppression of the past."
"Even if it's just a projection, it possesses power that most false gods cannot resist—however, coincidentally, there just happens to be one there."
"The Artificial Magic Net, if my divine art summons the shadow of the Lord's Authority over 'History,' then it is an imitation of the Authority of the 'Magic Net.'"
"In Silvermoon City, within Princess Hecate's mystery lock, I cannot break through it without attracting the attention of its owner—so, Lord Chiron, can you tell me... what is there?"
"...I... I don't know..."
Cold sweat trickled down his back; the Centaur was speechless.
He knew his defense was weak, yet he truly couldn't find a way to explain himself.
I don't know... Who would believe that? Yet the truth was, although he had spread the initial magic for the Goddess of the Magic Web, he really had nothing to do with the White Tower.
But to Chiron's surprise, the young man nodded.
"You don't know, I believe you, otherwise the person coming to see you today wouldn't be me."
"However, esteemed Lord Chiron, the universally known Centaur Sage—for this thing that neither of us knows, do you have any way to let us know?"
"Of course!"
This time, the answer was swift; Chiron bowed slightly.
"I can take you there."
"Although the control of Silvermoon City's mystery lock has fallen into the hands of the Twelve Clock Towers, they only made a 'key.'"
"And I am the key itself."
"Very good."
Smiling again, the young man raised his hand as a gesture.
The matter of Ares, God of War, was being watched by two other people; since the accompanying wizards were full of confidence, let them face the probing of the King of False Gods.
As for cleaning up the backyard... there was no choice.
The old woman couldn't tolerate any sand in her eyes, and the other was too gentle.
Counting to the end... it could only be handled by him.
"Heh heh... So much vitality."